"Like most football-mad boys growing up in Dallas, Matthew Stafford was a Troy Aikman fan. And like most young quarterbacks of his generation, Stafford watched Aikman, John Elway and Brett Favre religiously, mimicking their moves and memorizing their plays.

"I loved them all," Stafford said. "They were all good."

More than good, Aikman, Elway and Favre all won Super Bowls, something Stafford can take a step toward Saturday when he leads the Lions into their first playoff game in 12 years against the New Orleans Saints."