Matthew Stafford: The playoff loss in Detroit was one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever played in

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit didn’t end as hoped, but he says it was one of the most exciting moments of his career.

Stafford, who played in Detroit from 2009 to 2020, returned in the playoffs last season. His Rams lost to the Lions 24-23 and he heard plenty of boos from the crowd, but he says it was a great opportunity to see Lions fans finally celebrate a playoff win, something they hadn’t seen in more than 30 years.

“That was honest one of the best atmospheres “I’ve never played a football game,” Stafford said on Excuse my opinionabout the Detroit News. “(Rams head coach) Sean (McVay) and I talk about it all the time; it was incredibly loud. We came out to warm up and there wasn’t a single empty seat. And I mean, it started as soon as we got out of the tunnel, so it was a lot of fun.”

Stafford says he doesn’t blame the Lions fans for booing him.

“I know what kind of fans they are, and honestly, I completely understand that. I get it,” Stafford said. “They’re going to do anything to make my life as uncomfortable as possible. They haven’t had a playoff game there in 30 years, so they’re going to be excited for some reason, and the fact that I and our team were there certainly fueled it even more.”

Stafford and the Rams will return to Detroit for Sunday Night Football in Week 1.