You can take Matthew Stafford off the Lions, but you can’t take the Lions out of No. 9.
Stafford, who quarterbacked his new team, the Los Angeles Rams, past his old team last Sunday, was plenty complimentary toward his former teammates in a mic’d-up clip tweeted out by NFL Films this week.
“You guys did a good job out there,” Stafford said to a gathering of Lions following the Rams’ 28-19 victory in Los Angeles. “You guys are playing good on the back end. You guys are playing good, man.
“Keep fighting. You know what I mean? I’m pulling for you guys, big time.”
Stafford was 28-for-41 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns (including the 300th of his career) and no interceptions in the win against the Lions, who actually jumped out to a 10-0 lead.
The QB he was traded for, Jared Goff, was 22-for-36 for 268 yards with one TD and two interceptions.
The Lions fell to 0-7, while the Rams improved to 6-1.
After the game, Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike told Stafford: “You like you’re 20.”
To which Stafford replied: “I look like I’m 20? I’ll take that all day. I feel like I’m 50.”
Stafford, 33, played 12 seasons with the Lions, who drafted him No. 1 overall out of Georgia in 2009. With a new GM (Brad Holmes) and head coach (Dan Campbell) last offseason, and the team set for another big rebuild, he requested a trade, which was obliged in March — for Goff and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
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tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984