Jared Goff vs Matthew Stafford; Who needs this game more?

There can be only one

One of the formative moments of this offseason and the changing of the Lions regime was the Matthew Stafford trade. When Brad Holmes was able to accommodate Matthew’s wishes to trade him to a contender in exchange for a pair of future first-round draft picks, a third-round selection in this years’ draft, and Jared Goff, fans were impressed.

So was the national media and there were many that thought despite the fact the Rams acquired the franchise quarterback that Sean McVay coveted, the Lions had actually won that trade.

Only time will tell if either team really won that trade, but two passers that had been drafted number one overall in their own respective years now had new homes.

Matthew asked to be traded and was accommodated. He always believed that he would retire having only worn the Honolulu Blue and Silver. When he requested the trade it was less about wanting out as much as it was about running out of time and wanting a chance.

When Brad Holmes sent Matthew to the Rams, the former Lion couldn’t have been happier and while he and Detroit parted ways, the Lions and the city of Detroit will always be a part of him.

Meanwhile, Jared Goff was the guy who had been jilted by his team. Sean McVay had soured on Jared and like any relationship that had gone south he had his eye on someone else.

Matthew Stafford was who McVay wanted. In the process of getting Matthew, he was able to sweep Goff out the door in the same breath. Jared, a California kid who had always played for teams in the Golden State, was now shuffled off to the Motor City almost as a footnote.

On October 24, the Lions will roar into Los Angeles and the tale of two quarterbacks will play out. In the end, there can be only one who tastes victory that day.

Matthew will want to win because he is a competitor who always plays to win. If he conquers the Lions as expected, he will not take any extra satisfaction in doing so.

But for Jared Goff, this game is his mission. His season. His chance to show the franchise that dumped him that he is a good quarterback. His chance to take revenge on Sean McVay.

Like Matthew, Jared will say all the right things leading up to the big game. Yet unlike Matthew, he wants nothing more than to plunge a dagger into his former team. A win against the Rams would mean everything to Jared. The extra sweetness of victory over those who spurned him.

There is no question that both quarterbacks will want to win this matchup against their former team, but a win would mean much more for Jared Goff. It also would be a big feather in the cap of Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, and the Detroit Lions rebuild.