What was Matthew Stafford's playoff record with Lions before joining Rams to win Super Bowl 56?
Matthew Stafford had a bit of a storybook season last year. He joined the Los Angeles Rams prior to the start of the 2021 season after spending 12 years with the Detroit Lions. The Rams acquired him in one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent NFL history. The move was a result of Rams head coach Sean McVay directly recruiting Stafford to the team.
Quarterbacks are some of the most important players in the NFL. Without a top player in the position, it's nearly impossible to win a Super Bowl. Sean McVay is apparently well aware of this concept. Despite making a Super Bowl appearance with Jared Goff as his starting quarterback, he believed he needed an upgrade to get the Rams the ring they sought.
McVay's plan worked out exactly the way he had hoped it would. Matthew Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in the first season with his new team. The magical run included four wins in the NFL playoffs in as many games. Stafford was particularly impressive during the postseason, completing 70 percent of his passes with 11 total touchdowns across those four games.
The 2021 NFL season was the most successful overall year of Stafford's career so far. This is especially true in the NFL Playoffs. He enjoyed more postseason success last year than he had in his previous 12 seasons combined while still playing for the Lions. It may seem incredible, but Stafford didn't win a single postseason game with Detroit.
Matthew Stafford's playoff history with the Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford was selected by the Detroit Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He struggled to find consistency in his first two seasons with the team, posting just a 3-10 record as a starting quarterback. He then broke out for the best statistical year of hic career during the 2011 NFL season. To this day, he has set personal bests in passing yards and touchdowns.
The 2011 NFL season was also the first time Stafford helped the Lions reach the playoffs. He did so again twice more during his career, in the 2014 and 2016 seasons. He unfortunately lost the first game in all three playoff campaigns with the Lions. This set his career playoff record at 0-3 with just four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Now that he has found success with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 NFL season, Matthew Stafford has improved his career record to a winning 4-3 overall in the NFL Playoffs, including a Super Bowl ring.