Maybe. I think you are to some extent ignoring complimentary football. If the offense could’ve done more in the second half of the season that would’ve helped the defense (keep the defense fresh, provide a more advantageous game script for the D, etc.)
They still would’ve been fairly bad of course but I don’t think we can say with any certainty that the defensive performance would’ve been the same if Stafford is leading a top ten offense.
Stafford played 8 games man.
The defensive was bad in those 8 games.
The Lions weren’t winning the TOP battle in game Stafford played either.
I thought it was interesting that the entire back half of the defense’s coaches were fired. Not the defensive line. The back seven. Seems to suggest Patricia didn’t like how they performed moreso than the lack of pressure.
Colts GM says ‘jury is still out’ on QB Jacoby Brissett
Possibly another QB needy team.
Colts have a
First round, 13
Second round (from WAS), 34
Second round
Third round
Fourth round
Fifth round
Sixth round
Sixth round (from NYJ)
Seventh round
What was the Lions’ record when that happened?
Not crazy about dropping down to 13. I’d want way above value chart value to do that. Would need to be something like 13, both 2nds and next year’s first
3-4-1 after the Raiders game and the easiest part of the schedule coming. Many games they nearly won without Stafford…
They lead in TOP in 4 of the first 6 games. That’s where I stopped looking.
They almost went 1-7 with Stafford. The what if game goes both ways.
The Lions? In 2019?
They only lead in TOP in of 2 of the 8 games Stafford played.
But that is to a large extent the nature of the NFL. Game of inches
I didnt realize how much that tie was going to screw us when it happened. We would have the 2nd spot if it was just a lose. Even if we would have won we would still have the 3rd spot.
Is it really stretching it to say the Lions might have went the same or better than 3-4-1 on the easier half of their schedule with Stafford healthy? Nobody knows for sure, but when evaluating you have to make these sort of calls one way or another.
How was the last 8 games easier than the 1st 8?
Tampa Bay was in the midst of a 4 game winning streak when we played them
Denver won 4 outta 5 when we played them.
The Pack still needed to win to lock up a bye.
Of the 3 worst teams on schedule 2 were played in the first 8 and we caught the Chiefs, Eagles, and Chargers down 4-5 starters.
Before the season started sure that was the easy stretch but when the games were actually played they weren’t
Free country. For me, I think it was a far easier slate on the back nine. We nearly beat many of those teams without Stafford. Having him would have won us 3-4 more games at least, IMO. And that is how I’m looking at this offseason. We’re, in reality, not that far off. We’re slightly below .500 team missing some pieces.
.
I agree to an extent. I think we blow out Washington, win on Thanksgiving and maybe beat Denver.
Problem is outside of Washington all the teams the last 8 were of comparable quality to the Raiders who we lost to.
The defense was so bad that I don’t think you could chalk up any wins unless we faced a rookie quarterback.
Making the playoffs required 10 or 11 wins this year. I do think we are far off from that.
I went to the Raiders game. We were clearly the better team. Raiders fans near me had commented on such. We just played sloppy as hell. That was what ailed us the first 8 games. I do think that aspect improved in the back 9 except for some inexperienced QB decisions and occasional bad special teams play.
In general I think this is a silly argument. Whether we would have finished 6-9-1 or 9-6-1 with Stafford the fact would remain that the boneheaded plays which left points on the field are what ruined any chance of the playoffs. Frankly In this particular year we weren’t getting in anyways Bc we weren’t getting to 11 wins. Unfortunately it’s hard to imagine that the rocket scientists is able to end the sloppy play next year.
Looking at past drafts the #3 spot for tackles
Only 3 have been drafted #3 since 1980
Anthony Munoz
Chris Samuels
Joe Thomas
Makes me thinking getting andrew Thomas might not be a bad selection