5 bold predictions for LA Rams in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions

(1) - Matthew Stafford will throw for 350+ yards and 2+ touchdowns

The Detroit Lions fans mess around with Matthew Stafford's family. Like the lyrics of legendary songwriter Jim Croce in his 1972 hit song "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", the decision to boo and heckle Stafford's wife and children may have entertained those playoff-impassioned fans, but it comes with a bit of reckoning.

"You don(t) tug on Superman(s) cape
You don(t) spit into the wind
You don(t) pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger
And you don(t) mess around with Jim (a.k.a. Matthew Stafford)"

- Jim Croce

There is football, and then there is crossing the line. Lions fans who felt good about drowning four little girls under a shower of boos and nasty comments crossed a line. And the guy who is a bit miffed over the matter is coming back to Ford Field to set things right.

With a bit of added motivation.

Veteran QB Matthew Stafford typically has a great game to start an NFL season. But Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season has several records that can be impacted. As incredible as it may seem, Stafford has thrown for 300+ yards in season openers eight times. That is over 50 percent of the time over his 15-season NFL career.

So what makes this so bold in the realm of predictions? I've upped the ante to 350 or more passing yards. And I've kicked in two touchdown passes. Stafford passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns the last time these two teams faced off. But it's much more difficult the second time around.

Unless your name is Matthew Stafford, that is. And this year, he has even more motivation to unload on his former team without mercy. This time, it's personal.

As always, thanks for reading.