By Moses Joshua 
With Playoff Stakes Sky-High, the Lions Are Positioned to Become the Team No Contender Wants to Face
The NFC playoff picture is tightening by the week, and few teams are surging with more force than Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. But as Stafford pushes toward securing the conference’s top seed, the Detroit Lions—his former franchise—stand directly in the path of his late-season charge. And this time, the Lions may be uniquely built to derail his momentum.
A High-Stakes Collision With Familiar History
Stafford has been playing at an MVP level in 2025, powering the Rams to a 10-3 record and helping generate legitimate talk of Los Angeles reclaiming NFC supremacy. Yet Detroit enters Week 15 as perhaps the league’s biggest wild card—wounded, inconsistent, but still extremely dangerous.
Jared Goff’s squad has had an up-and-down stretch, but the Lions have already shown they can rise to the level of elite opponents. Detroit defeated the Rams in their last two meetings, and even though emotional ties between Stafford and Goff have faded, the competitive edge remains sharp.
As Goff put it recently, “We’ve got our hands full… they’re a really good team,” but he also acknowledged that Detroit knows exactly what kind of challenge Stafford presents—and what it takes to beat him.
Why Detroit Could Be Stafford’s Biggest Problem
A Defense Built to Disrupt Rhythm
Detroit’s secondary is banged up—Brian Branch is out for the year, Kerby Joseph is hurting, and multiple depth pieces are playing through injury. But the Lions’ defensive identity under Aaron Glenn has not changed: aggression, pressure, and chaos.
The Rams’ offense thrives on timing and Stafford’s ability to manipulate coverages. If Detroit can muddy his reads, shrink throwing windows, or force him into early decisions, the Lions could throw the Rams’ momentum off balance just enough to make this a four-quarter fight.
An Offense That Can Control the Game
Jahmyr Gibbs has become the centerpiece of Detroit’s attack, and his explosive production gives the Lions a way to keep Stafford on the sideline. With Gibbs torching defenses on the ground and in the passing game—and Goff operating efficiently despite injuries around him—the Lions possess a formula capable of slowing down any elite quarterback’s surge.
If Detroit can dictate tempo, the Rams’ offense may be forced into uncomfortable territory.
Stopping the Surge: What’s Really at Stake
This isn’t just another matchup for Los Angeles. A win over Detroit would:
- Harden the Rams’ path to the No. 1 seed
- Lock in an early playoff berth
- Maintain momentum in an ultra-competitive NFC West
But a loss could spark a late-season shake-up in the standings, tightening the race and potentially costing Stafford a shot at finishing the season as the NFC’s top force.
For Detroit, the stakes are equally massive. They are fighting for playoff survival, and knocking off Stafford would both strengthen their postseason chances and potentially shift the power balance heading into the home stretch.
A Season-Defining Showdown Awaits
Matthew Stafford is on one of the best late-career runs the NFL has seen in years. But the Lions—shorthanded, hungry, and playing with urgency—are exactly the kind of team capable of halting that surge.
This Week 15 showdown isn’t just another reunion.
It could be the game that determines the direction of the NFC’s final stretch.
If Detroit pulls off the upset, Stafford’s climb toward conference supremacy may hit its steepest obstacle yet.