You show me a QB that doesn’t have bad games, especially when they’re punch drunk. One stat you haven’t talked about is “sacks”.
And another, “hurries”.
Matt has had decent offensive lines 2 years out of 10. This year ain’t one of them!
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Show me a QB that’s taking 15% of the cap and having as many “bad games” as Stafford.
Can’t, cause there isn’t one.
eeesh. that’s horrible. so it wasn’t the playcalling at all, unless you want to blame ‘don’t call crossers or slants because the QB can’t throw them properly’ bad playcalling.
so caldwell came in and said “we can’t let stafford BE the offense because it’s actually a flaw”, that’s what I read with ‘fixing’ stafford.
and if you really watch all those comebacks that year, the opposing team D was so flat or playing conservative because our offense was absolutely ineffective in each of those games. smoke and mirrors. teams don’t play that way against us now, and you can tell.
Actually, Id argue this year IS one of them. Remember the Lions havent had a 100 yard rusher since 2013, and Kerryon broke that twice, should’ve been 3 times, and even slow Blount almost did it last game. The line did have two HORRIBLE games. I still believe both games should have been adjusted for. Thats on coaching. Clearly, it did work against Chicago in game 2.
2013, the Lions had one of the higher rated offensive lines because they went to a quick passing attack. That was under Linehan, and it was one of Staffords choosing, and Stafford was a turnover machine and cost Schwartz and Linehan their job.
I know it sounds like Ive become a Stafford detractor. I havent, but I think the proof is in the pudding. We KNOW the Lions are not a good team, and a very incomplete team. So is Green Bay. So is New England in a lot of regards. KC’s defense is ATROCIOUS. The Saints had defensive issues for years. The difference is, those teams have QB’s carrying the offense. Stafford is not carrying the offense, as he was expected to.
My buddy and I had a long discussion on Stafford. He was going on and on about how good he is. He was right in a lot of regards. Then he said, he just needs a good TE, some good receivers, a good line, etc. I said “We said the same thing about Joey Harrington, he could be good if he had x, y, z, etc.” Then he pulled up Staffords career QB rating. Its in the 80’s. The 80s…
At this point, you have to make the argument that when Stafford has 4 or 5 great games, these are the anomaly. The rest are the proof. Stafford is a middling QB, with a great arm, who makes terrible plays at terrible times that can be game killers. Even Romo’s QB rating was much higher than Staffords career numbers. 97.1 vs 88.5
For reference sake, Staffords BEST season came last year in 2017. 99.3. He still threw 10 picks (not bad) but lost 7 fumbles. Thats 17 turnovers. Over 1 a game. What does EVERY single football person agree is the ONLY true statistic that bears if a team wins or loses. Turnovers.
We have played 11 games in the season so far. Stafford has 10 picks, and 3 lost fumbles. Once again, over a turnover a game. This is why Im saying, Stafford is a turnover machine. This is a huge reason why the team has stalled. I still maintain, go back over the boards and look at posts from 2013, 2015, 2018. Look at what everyone says about our offense. Its stale. Its repetitive. We only do this, we only do that.
Look at whats changed. Schwartz/Linehan. Stafford blows up in 2011, collapses in 2012/2013. Caldwell/Lombardi, Stafford plays average but safe football, then collapses in 2015. Bring in Cooter. Stafford plays better in 2016 but by 2017 the offense is average. 2018, the offense is collapsing despite a newfound running game. Do not be fooled into thinking its all Golden Tate. We were playing spotty football with Tate as well, and Tate has vanished with Philly.
Its becoming more and more clear. The consistent here is Stafford. We need to accentuate his positives? How? Let him throw the ball 40 times a game? We’ve already agreed, we won squat when we did that. Play more conservative? We have had slightly better success doing that. Develop a running game? We have done better this year than the past 10.
Ive already said we are stuck for at least 1 more year with Stafford. What Id do if Im Patricia/Quinn, is follow the Rams and Chicago model. Stack your teams with depth WR’s. The Lions were right to let Tate go. Now use Golladay, Jones (next year) and sign 2 more speed guys to go with Ellington. Dump TJ Jones. Get a legitimate TE, Roberts and Willson arent them. Make the other team account for so many receivers. And, Id draft your future QB. Every great team develops players behind starters. Stafford has NEVER had a guy who can take his job. Its time for the Lions to stop protecting him. He needs to go on notice. He has gotten 2 HC’s fired and 3 OC’s fired (once Cooter goes). Patricia/Quinn need to stop asking Stafford what he wants, because in 10 years of being pandered to we have won nothing. Its time for them to tell him to either work to get better and secure the damn football, or we find someone else who will. The team the Lions are building wins in the trenches, which means more running the ball, and more stopping the run like we have been. If Stafford cannot play in that kind of offense, go let him throw the football 40x a game and keep losing somewhere else
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Here is something truly painful. I mean it kills me to type it. In hockey you say “The light don’t lie” Well, the numbers don’t lie either.
Let’s compare 2 QB’s. One will be easy to spot. The other, I’ll give it some time and see if people get it. Im going to combine Picks and Fumbles Lost as turnovers, since they both equal losing the ball. Disclaimer, for QB1 I am eliminating one season due to injury and extrapolating 2018 stats. QB2 I am eliminating 2 seasons due to injury
QB1 9 seasons 138 GP
TD’s - 254 (1.84 TDpg)
Turnovers 163 (1.18 TOpg)
QB Rating 87.5 (not even extrapolating this one)
QB2?? 143 GP
TD’s 214 (1.50 TDpg)
Turnovers 184 (1.29 TOpg)
QB Rating 85.51
Pretty dang similar right? Guess who Qb2 is. And it isnt Andy Dalton
Props to AngryDriver, he PM’d and correctly guessed, its Jay Cutler
So, there you have it. Did you think Chicago should’ve stuck it out with Cutler? Probably not. Was Chicago crazy when they handed Cutler a big money extension? Well, he did get them to an NFC Championship game, and won playoff games. (Then quit on them)
Personality wise, Cutler was known for his aloof and perpetual “Meh” hands-in-the-pocket attitude. Well, what is Stafford criticized for? Not showing emotion or passion, not caring, and not saying anything remotely relevant in conferences.
With Stafford, that answer he gave about not working with a QB coach in the offseason on his mechanics. “not my style”.
Dude already got paid huge. Why would he care in the slightest about job security?
A subtle benefit of having a young QB is that they are trying to earn their next contract. That kind of devotion you don’t get from a guy with a super physical gift. They know they can rely on that.
Which is why I say, one of the keys for this offseason, is to seriously turn up the heat on Stafford. I dont mean just the fans or media handwringing. I mean organizationally.
Im not a fan of people losing their jobs, but if Im Patricia, Cooter is already gone and Im lining up an OC for next year. It will NOT be someone who Stafford knows, or recommends. It will be someone with proven experience and someone who knows you dont win by throwing a football 40x a game. It also will be a true offensive coordinator, not a QB specialist or a passing game specialist. Someone who knows RB’s, QB’s, TE’s and OL.
Like i said before, Im also drafting my next QB. Im not going to just toss Stafford out. I wouldnt cut him for nothing or anything stupid. I would simply hedge my bets. Look at what Baltimore is doing with Flacco. They werent happy with his stalled development after handing him a fortune, due to his super bowl win. Sure, they are stuck finanically to Flacco, but they can still bench him, and they drafted Jackson to be his possible replacement, and the kid has shown he can make plays. Right now is the optimal time to draft a QB, high. Give him a year minimum, 2 maximum to develop, and then you can make the real decision to deal Stafford or keep sticking it out and keep developing your next guy. That way, if Stafford steps it up, you win. If Stafford falters, you have plan B as ready as possible
Maybe Jerry Jones will give us a boatload of picks to bring him back to Tejas
Agreed. We need to hold on to Stafford until 2020, but no plan B would be insane. I’ve been saying for years we needed to have another rooster in the hen house. I think that, more than anything, motivates Stafford to work harder and smarter. Job was just too cushy without competition.
Lombardi put the screws to him and the result was Stafford pouting. I noticed in the stats that Stafford was under center a lot more in 2014 than any time. As soon as Lombardi left, it was back to the gun(s) 24/7.
This is why we couldn’t get Stafford a “run game” because we built a pass pro OL and got backs with good hands and YAC ability (but not so good for conventional rushing). So we cater to Stafford (thus improving his personal stats a LOT) but that’s all of a sudden an excuse for why he’s not succeeding?
We have a run game now and he’s ranked in the mid 20’s in QB rating. I think he’s under center more…
Let’s not forget Stafford had a hurt throwing hand and a finger in a splint.
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