STADIUM: Ford Field
REFEREE: Craig Wrolstad
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 2024
GAME TIME: 8:00 PM ET
NBC: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark
Westwood One: Spero Dedes, Mike Mayock, Ross Tucker
SiriusXM (also available on the SXM App) LAR: 82 or 225 DET: 85 or 228 National: 88
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY LEADER: LAR leads series, 45-40-1 LAST GAME: 10/24/21: DET 19 at LAR 28 LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/2/18: LAR 30 at DET 16
POSTSEASON SERIES HISTORY LEADER: DET leads series, 1-0 LAST GAME: NFC-DIV 12/21/52: LAR 21 at DET 31 LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/21/52
Los Angeles Rams Playoff Record: 26-27 Championships: 4 [1945, 1951, 1999 (SB XXXIV), 2021 (SB LVI)] Last Postseason Game: SB LVI 2/13/22: LAR 23 vs. CIN 20
Detroit Lions Playoff Record: 7-13 Championships: 4 (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) Last Postseason Game: NFC-WC 1/7/17: DET 6 at SEA 26
HEAD COACHES NOTES: Sean McVay vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 2-0 Reg. Season: 70-45 (.609) Postseason: 7-3Dan Campbell vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 0-1 Reg. Season: 29-33-1 (.468) Postseason: 0-0.
LOS ANGELES RAMS NOTES:
• RAMS clinched playoff berth for 5th time in past 7 seasons under HC SEAN MCVAY, who led team to SB LVI title following the 2021 season.
• QB MATTHEW STAFFORD passed for 3,965 yards & 24 TDs in 15 starts this season. Had 2+ TD passes & 100+ rating in 5 of his final 6 reg.-season starts in 2023. Has 1,188 pass yards (297 per game) & 11 TDs (9 pass, 2 rush) vs. 3 INTs for 108.3 rating in 4 postseason starts with LAR. Was selected No. 1 overall by Detroit in 2009 NFL Draft & is franchise leader in pass yards (45,109) & pass TDs (282).
• RB KYREN WILLIAMS had career-high 1,350 scrimmage yards [1,144 rush (3rd-most in NFL this season), 206 rec.] & ranked tied-3rd with 15 scrimmage TDs (12 rush, 3 rec.) in 2023 reg. season. Was 1 of 3 (Tyreek Hill & Christian McCaffrey) to average 110+ scrimmage yards per game (112.5) in 2023. Has 100+ scrimmage yards in each of his final 7 reg.-season games this season (Weeks 12-17).
• WR COOPER KUPP had 59 catches for 737 yards & 5 TDs in 12 games this season, incl. TD catch in 4 of his 5 reg.-season games. Had 33 catches for 478 yards & 6 rec. TDs during 2021 playoffs, the most receptions in a single playoff run all-time. Had 10 catches for 156 yards & 2 rec. TDs in last meeting (10/24/21).
• WR PUKA NACUA set single-season rookie records in receptions (105) & rec. yards (1,486). Became 5th rookie ever with 7+ games (7) of 100+ rec. yards.
• DT AARON DONALD had 8 sacks & 16 TFL in 2023 reg. season, his 9th-career season with 8+ sacks & 10th-straight season with 10+ TFL. Has 6 sacks & 10 TFL in 10 career playoff games. Has 6 sacks & 9 TFL in 4 career games vs. Det.
• NT KOBIE TURNER led all rookies with 9 sacks & tied-4th with 8 TFL. Turner & LB BYRON YOUNG (8 sacks) became the 2nd pair of rookie teammates since 1982 each with 8+ sacks (2022 Lions – James Houston & Aidan Hutchinson).
• LB ERNEST JONES set career highs in tackles (145), TFL (14), PD (6) & sacks (4.5) in 2023 reg. season. Had sack in 3 of his final 4 reg.-season games.
• CB AHKELLO WITHERSPOON had career-high 14 PD in 2023.
• DB JOHN JOHNSON has PD in 3 of his past 4 playoff games.
DETROIT LIONS NOTES:
• DETROIT tied franchise record with 12 wins & clinched 1st division title since 1993. Became 2nd team ever (2013 Broncos) with 4+ players (4) each with 10+ scrimmage TDs in same season.
• QB JARED GOFF ranked 2nd in pass yards (4,575) & 4th in TD passes (30) in 2023. Has 36 reg.-season games with 300+ pass yards, 3rd-most by player in 1st 8 seasons all-time. Has 930 pass yards (310 per game) & 9 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 122.2 rating in his past 3 home starts. Was selected No. 1 overall by Rams in 2016 NFL Draft & had 19,471 pass yards & 121 TDs (111 pass, 10 rush) in 75 games (74 starts), incl. postseason, with Rams.
• RB DAVID MONTGOMERY had 1,132 scrimmage yards (1,015 rush, 117 rec.) & career-high 13 rush TDs in 2023, his 5th-straight 1,000- yard season. Had rush TD in each of his final 3 games of reg. season.
• RB JAHMYR GIBBS ranked 1st among rookies in rush TDs (10), tied-1st in scrimmage TDs (11) & 3rd in scrimmage yards (1,261). Montgomery & Gibbs became the 1st pair of teammates in NFL history each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards & 10+ rush TDs in same season.
• WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-high 119 catches, 3rd with career-high 1,515 rec. yards & had career-high 10 rec. TDs in 2023. Led NFL with 9 games of 100+ rec. yards.
• TE SAM LAPORTA set NFL rookie TE record in receptions (86), had 4th-most rec. yards (889) by rookie TE all-time & became 3rd rookie TE ever with 10+ rec. TDs (10). Gibbs & LaPorta became the 1st pair of rookie teammates each with 10+ TDs.
• DL AIDAN HUTCHINSON had career highs in sacks (11.5) & TFL (14), FFs (3) & PD (7) in 2023. Is the 1st player since Bryce Paup (1994-95) with 20+ sacks (21) & 4+ INTs (4) in 1st 2 career seasons. Had 5 sacks & 7 TFL in his final 2 reg.-season games.
• LB ALEX ANZALONE had career-high 129 tackles in 2023, his 2nd-straight season with 125+ tackles.
• LB JACK CAMPBELL ranked 2nd among rookies with 89 tackles.
• S IFEATU MELIFONWU had 7 PD, 3 sacks & 2 INTs in his final 4 reg.-season games in 2023.
• S C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON had INT in Week 18 & had 3 PD in 3 games in 2023.
• DB BRIAN BRANCH ranked 2nd among rookies in INTs (3) & 3rd in PD (13).
