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Wildcard playoffs: Lions face Rams at 8 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field

Dan Campbell says Lions are ‘scarred to perfection’

Looking for Detroit’s first playoff win since Jan. 5, 1992, the Lions as the No. 3 seed, will face Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff game at Ford Field.

Take a deep breath. This could be a good one. Mark your calendar for 8 p.m. on Sunday.

“We’ll put in a good game plan, but as far as to get to this point, this team’s ready,’’ coach Dan Campbell said after the 30-20 win over the Vikings on Sunday. “They’ve been through it all, and they’re battle-tested, they’re scarred to perfection and we will be ready.”

In Dan Campbell’s first season (2021), the Lions lost to the Rams, 28-19, to drop to 0-7 for the season. That’s the only time the two teams have met since they swapped quarterbacks – Stafford for Jared Goff – prior to the 2021 season.

These Lions are much different two years ago with running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs replacing D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. Sam LaPorta (if he’s healthy to play) could add a spark as a rookie. Defensively, the Lions are much different with pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and rookies Jack Campbell and Brian Branch, along with a host of others who have developed. Veterans C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Alim McNeill returned to action Sunday which Campbell called perfect timing.

With the on Sunday, the Lions finished 12-5 and never lost back-to-back games. They’ve got flaws (hello, secondary) but the defense pressures quarterbacks, especially lately, and Goff has an arsenal of weapons with a high-powered offense that has set all kinds of franchise records.

The Rams (10-7) didn’t play their starters, including Stafford, on Sunday and beat the 49ers, 21-20. After a slow start to the season at 2-4, the Rams have won seven of their last eight and four straight games.

Stafford, who won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams, has thrown 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions this season. They did not make the playoffs last season.

The Lions haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2016 season when, with Stafford as quarterback, they lost at Seattle in the wildcard game. They’ve lost nine straight playoff games. The Rams and Lions have never met in the postseason.

Lions Dan Campbell sees WR Josh Reynolds having a big year

ALLEN PARK — It can only be a good thing for a player if Lions coach Dan Campbell tags him with a nickname.

Wide receiver Josh Reynolds has three — praying mantis, spider of death and freaking serpent. Campbell shared the names on Saturday, the fourth day of Lions training camp.

Reynolds played the last seven games of last season for the Lions after being cut midseason by the Tennessee Titans. In those games he had 19 catches for 306 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“I like this guy, I’m buying stock in him. I think he could have a big year,’’ Campbell said. “He’s a smooth athlete, he’s a grinder, he’s smart and Jared (Goff) trusts him. I can’t say enough about that (wide receivers) room in general and he’s a big piece of that.’’

Reynolds was drafted in 2017 by the Los Angeles Rams where he played with Goff.

“We’ve had that rapport but to be able to continue to build on it is awesome and a big difference,’’ Reynolds said on Saturday.

Campbell said it has made a huge difference having Reynolds in camp.

“It makes a big difference. You guys know the story on him, I’ll say this, he came in the spring in great shape and I was pleased with what he was able to do and how he was able to help us toward the end of last year but he came in this spring and caught my eye again. I felt like he even took a step forward from that,’’ Campbell said.

At camp, Reynolds said he’s trying to soak up the offensive scheme.

Wide receiver is a competitive position for the Lions with guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus. Rookie Jameson Williams, a first-round pick, will add even more speed but so far hasn’t been cleared to practice.

“Those guys are pros in there , they work and they are smart,’’ Campbell said.

Reynolds, 27, says it is competitive.

“That’s all we do is compete over there. It’s real competitive. We’ve got guys who can do everything. We’ve got speedy guys, we’ve got long guys, all of them make plays,’’ Reynolds said.

Five things to know about Lions’ loss to Stafford, Rams

Outside of the Detroit Lions organization, not many thought the Lions had a chance to pick up their first win at the Rams. And when it was over, the Rams prevailed 28-19 on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Still after the devastating loss the previous week to Cincinnati, the Lions came out fighting. Coach Dan Campbell has their heads in the game even if they are now 0-7.

The aggressiveness of Campbell and his coaching staff kept Detroit in the game. It was their best effort so far both coaching and on the field.

“Our guys came back to work, they were ready to go, we came out and competed. We did what we wanted to do. It’s hard, there’s no other way to cut it than just the fact that this is a different caliber team,’’ Campbell told the media after the game. “You can argue that from last week, that’s a pretty good football team we played last week, this is a team that’s been built over years, they’ve got some weapons, some premier players and they’ve got a good coach. So man, you talk about how we make too many errors, we actually didn’t make as many errors today. We gave ourselves a chance. The problem is it only takes a couple, this team is too good to do that against.’’

The Lions were up 19-17 to start the fourth quarter, they were in the game until the final minutes.

They have had a few unfortunate losses — specifically the two last-second 50-yard plus game-winning field goals — the good news is that they are still fighting.

“I told them in there – if this does not continue to sting and burn and taste like you-know-what, then you’ve got a problem. You cannot allow yourself to go numb. You can’t, because I’m not. All it does is (tick) me off even more and motivate me to get out of this mess,’’ Campbell said. “I do think we have the right type of guys. As long as they continue to hate this taste, they’ll come back to work and be ready to go.’’

Five things to know about the loss

1. Campbell and his coaching staff were not holding back. After the opening touchdown (a 63-yard pass play to D’Andre Swift), the Lions used an onside kick successfully to maintain control of the ball. On their second drive they picked up a huge first down when punter Jack Fox connected with Bobby Price on a fake punt play on fourth-and-7. And then, later in the game they again ran a fake punt successfully. Kudos to Campbell and special teams coach Dave Fipp. After the loss to the Bengals the previous week, Campbell said they had to look at everything. He meant it. When a team is 0-6, go for it. He did.

2. Because of the trick plays and some solid play on both sides of the ball the Lions took an early 10-0 lead. They went into the locker room down 17-13 at the half, but roared back to a 19-7 lead late in the third but it wasn’t enough. The early lead allowed the defense to do what it does best – a mix of run and pass. It’s crucial. When they fall behind so early and by so much, they just don’t seem to have a chance.

3. Jared Goff might be remembered for his interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter when the Lions were down 25-19. Still, Goff stepped up after last week and had a decent game. He missed a few wide-open guys but overall played better. He also was intercepted with just seconds remaining. Campbell was pleased with his play. He finished 22 of 36 for 268 yards, one touchdown and he was sacked twice.

4. This defense had its hands full with Matthew Stafford but they hung in there and made it a game until the end. Rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs had a few standout plays same with Julian Okwara who sacked Stafford and got a hand on an attempted Stafford fourth-down pass. The Rams aren’t 6-1 by accident, they are one of the NFL’s best. The defense came up big just a little short.

5. In a post-game interview with FOX, Stafford’s biggest smile came when he was asked if he was happy the game was over. He threw for three touchdowns and zero picks in the win against his former team. He credited his former teammates for playing tough. He said the most emotional part of the game was before and after when he was spotted hugging former teammates and Lions staff. He had 31 fourth-quarter comebacks with the Lions so it was not surprising he manufactured another one on Sunday. Stafford on the Lions: “They played really hard, gotta give it up to Detroit. They’re a tough out, always have been, always will be.”

UP NEXT: Eagles (2-5) at Lions (0-7), 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. Philadelphia lost 33-22 at the Raiders on Sunday. Darius Slay will be making his return to Ford Field.

THIS AND THAT: Running backs D’Andre Swift (13 carries, 48 yards) and Jamaal Williams (12 carries, 57 yards) had another good outing. Swift also had eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Campbell called him a stud and said he couldn’t get the ball to him enough. … The Lions won the time of possession 32:40 to 27:20. … The Lions were 0 for 5 in the red zone while the Rams were 3 of 4. … The Lions had 415 total net yards compared to 374 for the Rams. … Tracy Walker and Jalen Reeves-Maybin led the defense with 8 tackles each.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)