INGLEWOOD — Matthew Stafford wore jersey number 7 in high school in Texas and in college at Georgia to emulate John Elway.
Sunday, Stafford tried on another of Elway’s famous numbers and liked the look of it too.
Stafford’s second touchdown pass of the day against the Detroit Lions, a two-yarder to Cooper Kupp, was the 300th in his 13-season NFL career. With that, Stafford matched Elway’s career total in 16 seasons. A later touchdown pass put him alone in 12th on the all-time list (led by Tom Brady’s 602).
“It means a little bit,” Stafford said of catching Elway. “I was a huge fan of the way he played the game, the way he threw the ball.
“To be able to win the game and do something like that is pretty special,” Stafford said after the Rams’ 28-19 victory over the Lions.
It came on a day Stafford faced his old Lions teammates for the first time. He said he enjoyed seeing friends. But he was relieved to get past this game and the attention on him and Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Rams coach Sean McVay said he saw no effect of the emotional day in Stafford’s demeanor.
“I saw the same guy I’ve seen. Steady, great performer. He was great in the clutch,” McVay said. “Pretty special for him to go over 300 career touchdown passes. It speaks to the resume of work that he has.
“To be able to do that in a win against a former team (with) a lot of great relationships … I was really happy for him.”
McVAY AND GOFF
McVay was asked if he could share what was said between him and Goff when they exchanged a brief hug on the field after the game.
“Nah, I’m not going to get into that,” McVay said. “I just said, ‘Great job. I’ll touch base with you a little bit later on.’ I guess I did just share it.”
Goff acknowledged the meaning of the game against the team that traded him for Stafford.
“Yeah, if we would have won this it would have maybe a little bit more of a special meaning to it,” Goff said. “But we needed a win. We still need a win, regardless of who we’re playing.”
SURPRISE, SURPRISE?
McVay said the Rams were prepared for trickery by the Lions, who successfully pulled off an onside kick and two fake punts, and the problem was execution.
“It’s a good wakeup call for us,” McVay said.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Cornerback Robert Rochell came out of the game with a knee injury.
McVay didn’t have an update on the rookie’s status.
ON AND OFF THE GROUND
Darrell Henderson gained 45 yards on 15 carries and 19 yards on three receptions, and got up slowly after a hard hit by the Lions’ Tracy Walker to break up a pass in the third quarter.
McVay blamed his own play call for putting Henderson in the cross-hairs over the middle.
“He was probably looking at me like, ‘What are you thinking, man?’ ” the coach joked.
NEXT
The Rams go to Houston next Sunday to face the Texans, who are 1-6 after losing to the Cardinals.
It’s the last of the Rams’ three straight games against sub-.500 teams, before a rougher stretch with a home game against the Titans and trips to play the 49ers and Packers.
Going into Sunday’s games, ex-Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks was tied for fifth in the NFL in catches (40).