Why Jared Goff is rooting for Rams to lose this week

Since being traded for Matthew Stafford in 2021, Jared Goff may have been cheering for his old team, but he now has even more reason to want the Los Angeles Rams to lose: the postseason.

Goff’s Detroit Lions will make the playoffs for the first time since 2016—the year Stafford was the quarterback—if the Rams lose to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday.

Though the Lions can still get in the playoffs—and clinch their first division title in 30 years—if they beat the Minnesota

Vikings on Sunday, a loss by L.A. would guarantee their postseason berth before the weekend even starts. Goff may not consider that “revenge”, but it could certainly be schadenfreude.

With three games remaining, the Lions, who are 10-4, lead the NFC North by three games.

The Vikings, who are currently 7-7 and have two of their next three games against Detroit, are the only team hanging onto a

glimmer of hope. Nick Mullens, the Vikings‘ fourth different quarterback of the year, is now the starting quarterback.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell, a fellow former Ram, is attempting to win in Minnesota for the second time in two years after being hired away as L.A.’s previous offensive coordinator.

Goff had five touchdowns in his most recent start, giving him 26 on the season and coming close to his career-high of 32, which was set with the Rams in 2018.

If he can help the Lions win their last three games, it would be the first time in the 94-year history of the franchise that they

won at least 13. Even 12-5 would be only the second time that Detroit ever won that many games before.

The Lions have only won three division titles in the Super Bowl era.

Even if the Lions dropped their final three games, a Rams defeat would ensure that Detroit, at the very least, advances to the

wild card round over L.A. Goff was acquired for Stafford along with two firsts, and the Rams have already won a Super Bowl. Goff is now hoping to help the Lions in the similar way.

According to the NY Times playoff model, the Rams have an approximately 50% chance of making the playoffs; if they defeat

the Saints, that percentage rises to 66%. If Los Angeles prevails, they can almost certainly secure a spot in the

postseason, and their next opponent might be the Detroit Lions.

What a trip around the circle that would be.

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