Eminem jokingly asks former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to let the Lions win

After three long decades hoping that the Detroit Lions would eventually crawl out of the NFL's basement and become one of the better teams in the league, fans in the Motor City finally have hope after the team finished the 2023 season with a 12-5 record – their best since 1991 – and earning an NFC North division title. That fact has Detroit fans, including famed artist Eminem, a bit apprehensive.

One fan in particular, believes Rams QB Matthew Stafford owes it to the city of Detroit to let the Lions win this game.

Eminem's Matthew Stafford plea video

The fan in the video is none other than Marshall Mathers AKA Eminem AKA the real Slim Shady. He is a 15-time Grammy winner, a Detroit native, and has been a vocal Lions fan for decades.

Detroit Lions meet LA Rams in wild card game

The Lions finally have Super Bowl aspirations, but of course, their first home playoff game in 30 years will be against their former quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

Stafford is the Lions all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, wins, and yards per game. The Lions drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009 following an 0-16 season, and within three years, Stafford had the Lions in the playoffs. He was the team's godsend, and while he never took the Lions to the Super Bowl, he and his family were well-respected by the team's fans.

In 2021 though, Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. In his first season in LA, Stafford finally broke through and won a Super Bowl. Lions fans were sad to see Stafford succeed with another team, but were happy to see the man who'd been vastly underappreciated by NFL fans finally earn some respect. Now, in 2024, Stafford will make his triumphant return to Ford Field as the team's adversary in a wild card playoff game, and Lions' fans are worried Stafford will ruin this long-awaited moment for the Lions' fanbase.

When did Eminem rap for Stafford?

In the video, Eminem claims he was there for Stafford when he won it all. You might think he meant that metaphorically, but no, he's being literal. Stafford and the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23-20. The halftime performer that year was none other than Eminem.

This halftime show is well-regarded as one of the better shows in recent memory. Eminem was one of several big names in hip hop from Snoop Dogg to Dr. Dre to Kendrick Lamar to participate in the show.

Now, obviously, the Super Bowl halftime show gets planned and prepared several months in advance. This year's performer, Usher, was announced in September. With that in mind, Eminem's claim that he was "there" for Stafford, while true, is likely nothing more than a coincidence. He likely didn't decide to do the halftime show because his favorite quarterback was playing in it. He decided to do the halftime show and then the Rams earned a ticket to the Super Bowl.

Of course, that doesn't matter. The video of Eminem is obviously a joke. Nobody would actually expect Stafford to just lie down and let the Lions win. That said, should Stafford lose this game, surely, he would feel some sort of excitement for the organization he dedicated 12 years of his life to.

NFL wild card playoffs: How to watch Rams vs. Lions

• When: Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024

• Where: Ford Field in Detroit, MI

• Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

• TV: NBC

• Stream: Peacock, NFL+, YouTube TV, FuboTV

Watch Rams-Lions: Catch NFL wild card action with a Peacock subscription

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lions fan Eminem has a message for Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams