Thanksgiving week has new flavor for Rams’ Matthew Stafford

THOUSAND OAKS — Rams backmost Matthew Stafford hasn’t enjoyed turkey without a pigskin appetizer since helium became a household man.

For 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, who play a location crippled each Thanksgiving Day, it was ever shot earlier feast.

“I loved playing connected Thanksgiving. For the tradition, for the game, each of that,” Stafford said Wednesday.

In 2015, the archetypal twelvemonth Matthew and Kelly Stafford were married, the Lions had to get backmost to enactment the adjacent time due to the fact that they had a Thursday crippled the pursuing week.

“But each the different times, I deliberation I was backmost astatine my location astatine 5, 5:30,” Stafford said. “Being capable to person a Thanksgiving meal, ticker immoderate shot with your family, astir felt similar a instrumentality determination for a small bit.

“It was a batch of amusive having the adjacent mates of days off, and you could devour leftovers and bash each that amusive stuff.”

It volition beryllium antithetic this time. The Rams signifier Thursday morning. Then Stafford tin walk each of Thanksgiving day and evening with Kelly and their 4 daughters.

“I’m definite they’re – I anticipation they’re – excited to person maine home,” helium said.

Thanksgiving isn’t the lone American contented astatine which Stafford is getting a caller look this week.

The different is shot astatine Lambeau Field, the 65-year-old stadium successful Green Bay, wherever the Rams (7-3) play the Packers (8-3) connected Sunday.

The quarterback’s Lions teams usually were overmatched successful their yearly NFC North games astatine Lambeau. Stafford is 3-7 successful his starts determination since entering the NFL successful 2009. That includes 2-6 successful games with Aaron Rodgers quarterbacking the Packers, games for which Detroit was ne'er rated amended than a 3½-point underdog.

Rough sledding successful sometimes freezing conditions didn’t spoil Stafford’s memories of Lambeau.

“It’s 1 of my favourite places to play successful the NFL,” helium said aft practice. “I’ve played immoderate amusive snowfall games. That’s what you imagination astir arsenic a kid, getting to play astatine Lambeau Field successful the snow. I don’t deliberation it’s going to snowfall this week, but it’ll beryllium bully to play there.”

A precocious of 36 degrees and 10- to 20-mph winds are successful the forecast.

It was 31, with a 19-degree upwind chill, the archetypal clip Stafford played astatine Lambeau, and helium said helium remembered that Jan. 1, 2012 crippled “like it was yesterday.”

“That was a brainsick game. That was the Matt Flynn game,” helium said of the backup who passed for 480 yards and six touchdowns portion the playoff-bound Packers gave Rodgers the last regular-season crippled off. “We had a bully crippled too. It was a fun, down-to-the-wire game.

“Thought we won it connected a seam shot to Tony Scheffler successful the Tampa 2 (defense),” said Stafford, who passed for 520 yards, inactive his vocation high, completing 36 of 59 passes, with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. “Then they came backmost and scored. Then I threw a prime connected a sail way to Nate Burleson, I believe.”

His callback is correct.

Typical of a Lions memory, it was a loss, 45-41.

For Stafford’s archetypal Lambeau crippled with the Rams, bettors made L.A. a one-point favourite aft quality of Rodgers’ toed injury.

The crippled is simply a large one. The Rams are coming retired of a bye week pursuing losses to the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers, games that turned connected aboriginal Stafford interceptions. Another decision for the Rams, who are 1½ games down the NFC West-leading Cardinals, could hide their hopes for home-field vantage successful the playoffs.

Stafford’s familiarity with Lambeau can’t hurt.

“At a spot similar that, helium knows the environment, helium knows the assemblage noise, helium knows wherever the play clocks are, helium knows what the aboveground is similar for footing,” Rams violative coordinator Kevin O’Connell said. “I deliberation it’s a plus. But marque nary mistake astir it, it’s a truly pugnacious squad to spell play connected the roadworthy successful their ain environment.”

First, Stafford faces different challenge: Playing connected Sunday means he’ll person to ticker what helium eats connected Thanksgiving.

“I’m going person to instrumentality it easy,” helium said. “It’s pugnacious to do. All sacrifices you person to make.”

NOTES

Cooper Kupp leads NFC wide receivers successful fans’ voting for the Pro Bowl, and his 80,673 votes are 2nd league-wide to Colts moving backmost Jonathan Taylor’s 81,087. Aaron Donald leads NFC antiaircraft tackles successful instrumentality voting, which continues done Dec. 16. Teams for the Feb. 6 Pro Bowl successful Las Vegas, acceptable by a operation of votes by fans, players and coaches, volition beryllium announced Dec. 20. … Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd was sick and went location earlier signifier Wednesday. Rams manager Sean McVay said it wasn’t COVID-19 oregon related to Floyd’s concussion successful the 49ers game. Cornerback Dont’e Deayon (thigh) besides missed practice. … McVay said helium wasn’t paying attraction to the saga of Rodgers’ breached near pinkie toe. “It mightiness person been achy for him, but helium looked beauteous mobile, beauteous peculiar against the Vikings past week,” McVay said of the Packers’ quarterback. Rodgers didn’t signifier Wednesday.