It’s far too early to tell, but another opportunity could arise for Matthew Stafford in January.

The Rams star quarterback returned twice to Ford Field, where he played 12 seasons for the Detroit Lions, only to fall just short both times.

Last season, a one-point loss in an NFC wild card game was a straight-up defeat.

On Sunday night, Stafford gave the Rams the lead with one of his famous fourth-quarter drives, but he couldn’t decide the game in regulation time.

A revamped Rams defense that stifled the powerful Lions for much of the game finally broke on the first possession of overtime. Quarterback Jared Goff drove his team 70 yards in eight plays and running back David Montgomery scored on a one-yard touchdown to send the Rams to a 26-20 defeat before 66,530.

Rams coach Sean McVay looked for positives for one of the youngest teams in the NFL.

“This is a real learning opportunity,” said McVay, who is 6-2 in season openers.

It was a costly defeat for the Rams in more ways than one.

Wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive lineman Steve Avila left with knee injuries, and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom suffered an ankle injury. Right guard Kevin Dotson left the locker room on crutches with his left foot and ankle in a protective boot.

McVay did not provide an update and did not specify whether Nacua’s injury was to the same knee he suffered during a joint workout with the Chargers during training camp.

The season-opener’s string of injuries is a nod to 2022, when the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams lost several offensive linemen in a season-opener loss to the Buffalo Bills, setting off the Rams’ historic Super Bowl hangover.

The Rams entered Sunday night shorthanded, as left tackle Alaric Jackson was suspended for violating NFL personal conduct rules and veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein was sidelined with an ankle injury.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) injured his knee in the first half against the Lions and was unable to continue playing.

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Noteboom started at left tackle, Warren McClendon Jr. at right tackle. But Noteboom was moved from the sideline to the locker room in the second quarter, and Avila, who started at right guard, did not play after the break. That forced center Jonah Jackson to move to guard, rookie Beaux Limmer to center and AJ Arcuri, who was promoted from the practice squad this week, to play left tackle.

A holding penalty against Arcuri nullified a touchdown and forced the Rams to settle for a field goal to make it 17-13, but Stafford praised the offense’s efforts.

“Tough environment to play in,” said Stafford, who completed 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown, with an interception. “A bunch of linemen going down, a starting receiver going down, and our guys never batted an eyelid.”

Stafford lamented his missed opportunities. The Lions intercepted his pass in the end zone with less than a minute left in the second quarter. After throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to Kupp with less than five minutes left, the Rams got the ball back less than a minute later.

Stafford’s third-down pass intended for Kupp was high and fell incomplete, but gave the Lions a chance to kick a tying field goal. Stafford walked to the sideline in frustration, his hands on top of his helmet.

“I had a chance to win,” he said. “Every game there’s plays you want to get back, and this is definitely one of them. I think I can make that shot a couple of times in a row.”

Kupp, who caught 14 passes for 110 yards, said: “We’ve got to find a way to end the game there in an ideal way. … We’ll do that and overtime doesn’t matter.”

Goff, whom Stafford was traded for in 2021, outperformed him again, completing 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards, with an interception.

The Rams’ defense, playing without the retired Aaron Donald for the first time since 2015 and led by new coordinator Chris Shula, neutralized the Lions’ potent offense for much of the game.

After the Lions won the overtime coin toss, however, the Rams were unable to stop them. The Lions ran the ball six times during the game-winning drive, with Montgomery carrying five of them.

“Just give it to D-mo, man, a battering ram,” Goff said. “Just give it to him and he did the rest, and it was fun. It was fun to see him — kind of get a second wind in that overtime, and our O-line the same way.”

Rams outside linebacker Michael Hoecht said the Rams fought to the end.

“When you’re going up against a team that went to the NFC championship game and it comes down to a coin flip, it sucks,” he said. “But it hurts a little less.”

Rookie Jared Verse and second-year pro Byron Young both had a sack.

“We held our ground — we came up a little short,” Young said, adding: “There’s a lot to learn from this. I see a bright future for us.”