LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford got a call this week from a childhood friend who knows a little something about waiting a long time to win his first championship.

Clayton Kershaw is hoping to be at SoFi Stadium next Sunday when Stafford leads the Los Angeles Rams in search of the same long-sought title that Kershaw finally won with the Dodgers in 2020.

Stafford leads the Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium with the chance to complete one of the most remarkable one-year achievements by a quarterback in recent NFL history.

After a dozen years in Detroit, Stafford has been the solution to most of the Rams’ offensive problems ever since he landed last spring with Sean McVay.