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Sport in Seriousness
In the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2024 NFL season, the Detroit Lions will host the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of last season’s NFC wildcard playoff game.
In that game, the Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years, ending the league’s longest postseason winless streak. The Lions made it to the NFC Championship Game, but were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers. Both the Lions and Rams enter Sunday night’s showcase with hopes of getting back into the playoffs.
The Rams-Lions duel will once again feature two quarterbacks – Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff – against their former teams. Stafford enters the 2024 season as the NFL’s 11th-best passing yardage player of all time (56,047) and could reach the top 10 by October (Eli Manning, 57,023 yards). Goff had his fourth season with 4,000 yards passing in 2023 and threw 30 touchdowns, which is a career high.
USA TODAY Sports will provide you with the latest updates, scores, highlights, exciting plays, analysis and more throughout the Rams-Lions game. Stay tuned.
The Rams vs. Lions game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET at Ford Field in Detroit.
As usual, NBC will broadcast the “Sunday Night Football” game between the Rams and the Lions. Mike Tirico (live commentary) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) will be on the phone, and Melissa Stark will report from the field.
Those without cable and wanting to stream the game live can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of channels, so you can watch NFL action for the rest of the season.
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Lions are the favorites to beat the Rams. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps that offer NFL betting action in 2024.
- Spread: Lions (-4.5)
- Moneyline: Lions (-225); Rams (+180)
- Over/Under: 53.5
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for the game:
Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein, who started 130 games in his nine seasons with the Rams, will not be available for the team’s season opener against the Lions. Havenstein is dealing with an ankle injury. Joe Noteboom will likely start in Havenstein’s place at right tackle.
New signing DJ Reader will not be available for the Lions.
Inactive Rams players:
- RB Cody Schrader
- LB Brennan Jackson
- LB Elias Neal
- OL Rob Havenstein
- EN Desjean Johnson
Inactive Lions players:
- S Ifeatu Melifonwu
- S Loren Strickland
- Linebacker James Houston
- LB Trevor Nowaske
- OL Giovanni Manu
- OL Colby Sorsdal
- DL DJ Reader
Matthew Stafford, quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams – the number 1 pick in the 2009 draft – is entering his 16th NFL season and has a chance to move into the top 10 in both the all-time passing yardage and passing touchdowns lists.
His target: Eli Manning.
Stafford begins the 2024 season ranked 11th with 56,047 career passing yards – 976 fewer than Eli Manning’s total (57,023) – and 357 career passing touchdowns – nine fewer than Manning’s total (366).
List of pass distances throughout the career:
- Tom Brady (2000-2022): 89,214
- Drew Brees (2001-2020): 80,358
- Peyton Manning (1998-2015): 71,940
- Brett Favre (1991-2010): 71,838
- Ben Roethlisberger (2004-2021): 64,088
- Philip Rivers (2004-2020): 63,440
- Matt Ryan (2008-2022): 62,792
- Dan Marino (1983-1999): 61,361
- Aaron Rodgers (2005-present): 59,055
- Eli Manning (2004-2019): 57,023
- Matthew Stafford (2009-present): 56,047
List of career passing touchdowns:
- Tom Brady (2000-2022): 649
- Drew Brees (2001-2020): 571
- Peyton Manning (1998-2015): 539
- Brett Favre (1991-2010): 508
- Aaron Rodgers (2005-present): 475
- Philip Rivers (2004-2020): 421
- Dan Marino (1983-1999): 420
- Ben Roethlisberger (2004-2021): 418
- Matt Ryan (2008-2022): 381
- Eli Manning (2004-2019): 366
- Matthew Stafford (2009-present): 357
Stafford is the Detroit Lions’ all-time leading pass yardage player. Current Lions quarterback Jared Goff currently ranks fifth in team history but is expected to move up to second by the end of the season. — Jim Reineking
The Rams and Lions will face each other for the 89th time in a series that dates back to 1948.
With a record of 45-42-1 (45-40-1 in regular season games), the Rams lead the series overall.
Last season’s wild-card playoff matchup was only the second time the two teams met in the postseason. The first was in 1952, when the Lions defeated the Rams in a playoff and were on their way to winning the NFL championship game. — Jim Reineking
Aaron Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, has left a hole in the Rams’ defense that the team has come to terms with before its season opener against the Lions. – Tyler Dragon
The 18 highest-paid players in the NFL are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league’s highest-paid player on Sunday morning when he signed a four-year, $240 million contract. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the list of highest-paid players after signing a four-year, $140 million contract extension in the offseason.
Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position?
We have a complete list for each position:
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