The second reunion between Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field was similar to the first.

Stafford, who was the Lions’ quarterback from 2009 to 2020, returned to the stadium as a member of the Los Angeles Rams for the 2024 season opener. When he entered the field during pregame warmups, he was again greeted with boos from Lions fans.

Meanwhile, the quarterback he was traded for, Jared Goff, was well received with chants of his name and loud cheers.

This was reminiscent of when these two teams met in January during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs at the same venue. In that game, the Lions narrowly defeated the Rams by a single point, 24-23.

On Sunday, at the start of the regular season, the Lions once again prevailed against their former quarterback with a 26-20 victory.

When asked if he had overcome the reception upon his return, which included chants of “Jared Goff” and boos, the veteran passer nodded his head.

“Yes, I am,” said Stafford.

Stafford persisted when asked if Detroit seemed like a random place to play at this point in his career.

“Yes.”

The Lions and Stafford have followed different paths since parting ways before the 2021 season. Stafford won the Super Bowl in his first season with his new team, while the Lions and Goff finished 3-13-1.

However, Detroit has quickly become a team considered a Super Bowl contender under the leadership of Dan Campbell and Goff’s resurgent play. On Sunday, the Lions faltered for much of the second half but ultimately rallied for the win after Goff scored a late equalizer to send the game into overtime.

Stafford had a solid day on Sunday, outperforming Goff statistically. His connection with Cooper Kupp was evident as the duo connected 14 times for 110 yards and a score.

In total, the experienced passer threw 317 yards, one touchdown and one interception. With the offensive line plagued by injuries and top wideout Puka Nacua having to leave the game due to injury, Stafford adapted his plan and shone in the fast game throughout Sunday’s game.

His interception came at an inopportune time, as it occurred in the end zone when Kerby Joseph intercepted a pass intended for Cooper Kupp.

However, this effort was not enough to leave his hometown with a victory.

“I thought (Rams coach) Sean (McVay) had a great plan last year and he had another one this week,” Campbell said. “Now we gave him some challenges, I think we gave him some things that he had to get used to. And they did, but by then they were adjusting quickly and Stafford knew exactly what he had to do. He knew where his options were and yeah, he was going to get rid of the ball. They wanted to get a little bit of tempo on us and stuff like that and try to put a little bit of pressure on us. But I thought he played outstanding, really, man, and they did. They got banged up over there and just kept coming.”

Stafford praised the crowd at Ford Field on Sunday. The atmosphere in the building lived up to its reputation as one of the best in the NFL, leading to several false starts and making things difficult for the visiting team.

“It was good. I thought it was a great place to play,” said Stafford. “The crowd loved it. Of course, a great football game helps, it helps the crowd to get excited.”