The best game of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford’s rookie year was also the most painful, as Stafford took a brutal shot from Browns defensive tackle C.J. Mosley as the clock ran out on what appeared to be an incomplete pass on the final play of a losing effort.
It turned out not to be the final play (the Browns had been flagged for pass interference), and although Mosley had injured Stafford’s shoulder, Stafford came back onto the field for one last play, on which he threw a touchdown pass that gave the Lions a 38-37 win.
That was a memorable game for Lions fans, as it was the clearest indication that they had made the right choice when they took Stafford with the first pick in the draft, but the injury was the most memorable part for Stafford. And when Mosley signed with the Lions on Wednesday, Stafford told Mosley that he hadn’t forgotten.
And Mosley apologized.
“I actually just ran into Stafford in the locker room today and the first thing he said was, ‘I remember this guy’,” Mosley told Detroitlions.com. “I said, ‘Look, man, I apologize.’ He said there were no hard feelings. We shook hands. We’re cool. You can tell the City of Detroit and all the fans that I apologize.”
Mosley says he’s enthusiastic about being the third defensive tackle in a rotation with starters Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. The 29-year-old Mosley, who started 13 games for the Jaguars last year, will be the veteran leader in that group.
“I’m very excited to play with the guys they have here. They have two young beasts at defensive tackle and I’m very excited to play with them,” Mosley said.
And Stafford is excited about knowing he’ll be wearing a red hands-off jersey whenever he faces Mosley.