Matthew Stafford

[Rollingthndr]

I went through most of the game and thoughts on the Bills game thread and I find there starting to become a serious divide amongst us on this guy. I get he is learning a new offense for the first time in his career as well. I've been a pretty adamant Stafford supporter during his tenure but after this game, I find myself taking my first step out of this guys corner. I get the O-line was trash against a VANILLA Jim Schwartz led defense.

While the O-line definitely deserves blame, Stafford was flat out trash. Not only that is Stafford has been pretty garbage this whole year outside the NYG game. Stafford started the entire momentum swing with the interception on an inaccurate throw. Also, maybe I missed it- Stafford WAS FLAT OUT RESPONSIBLE for Calvin's injury today. Watch the throw again, wide and low. Right into the falling defender. If that throw is accurate, Calvin can miss that tackle or at least protect his legs. Instead he has to lunge down to catch it and the guy is lunging at his knee.

I think benching him is stupid as there isn't any QB near his talent level but once Mini-Millen gets fired after this season. The new management needs to draft a 3rd/4th round guy who has a bit of arm talent and some leadership qualities. Stafford is good but needs to be challenged a bit, he is too fat and happy and comfortable with ultimate job security.

On one final note. Why draft a god damn TE with a top ten pick if you aren't going to use him? Calvin goes out and once again, nobody can get open. You draft this big ass dude who is 6'5 and 250lbs who runs like a gazelle and he is coming in and out of the game? You drafted him in the TOP TEN!!! Put him in every damn play and have him run routes or block. How many top picks has this asshole used on offensive skill players and Stafford still can't produce?

 

[lionscanWIN]

1st calvin's injury is not completely stafford's fault yeah he could have made a better throw to protect him but mckelvin was playing way off and comes diving in at an angle. he was always going to hit calvin in the knee and hard. it might not have been the dead on knock out shot but calvin was going to come up sore no matter what.

2nd i really like how you found a way to blame stafford for not being able to use guys no longer with the team, very impressive. it is totally stafford's fault that young was a headcase, and leshoure and broyles had season ending injuries that kept them from getting 1st team reps you are right he is just not elite.

yeah stafford's accuracy today and to start the year has been frustrating. he has been missing on a lot of short and flat routes. he was good against the giants and since has been flummoxed by outdoor road games against very tough pass rushes. the 2 big things i can really say here is that calvin has just not been there for him these last 2 weeks and when you don't have your security blanket that catches your garbage you stay nervous and overthink the simple throws. then consider that the offensive line was completely outmatched today and pushed to the limit last week you are just not going to get your best performance from your QB when they get hit that often.

yeah he could have made faster reads but with a 4th string RB (as good as he is) your receivers are not going to be open that fast and you get sacked 6 times. it is late and i don't feel like it but i bet if you look up games where brady or manning get sacked 6 times their stat lines are shit.

yes stafford should be more consistent and accurate than he is right now, especially if we want to win playoff games; but considering our offense has been set back to last years can't stretch the field more than 13 yards it is kind of impressive and for the grace of tate that is has been possessing the ball as long as it has. *side note if we had a kicker worth a shit we would have won today and we all know it

i got nothing about ebron i thought he was going to be more of a asset today with the early redzone look but i guess he is just not meshing with the offense i don't know. he actually has to be on the field and running a route before anyone can say why he isn't producing.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I can't believe you guys are harping on about Ebron. Enough already.

 

[Edonidd]

How many top picks has this asshole used on offensive skill players and Stafford still can't produce?

Yes, how many top picks has he used on offensive skill position players to help Stafford?

IMO, top picks means exactly that, the teams top pick. So go through every year and tell me how many top picks have been offensive skill position players? (Hint Stafford is the only skill position he has drafted, so the number he has drafted to help Stafford is exactly zero)

Now if we stretch the term top picks and the term offensive skill positions I guess you can include Titus Young, Mikel Leshure, and Eric Ebron. Titus Young panned out on the field and would look pretty good in a Lions uniform today, if there hadn't been that whole going ducking insane thing. Not sure you can put that on Mayhew, although I would like to as well. Leshure was drafted because they wanted a power guy to get the tough yards, I believe he actually even lead the team in rushing one year, though they pretty much decided they didn't care about the tough yards anymore and wanted to go all the way in the other direction. Even with all that, I still think he would have been a decent addition if not for lathe Achilles injury which took all of his speed.

I agree Ebron was the dumbest pick possible, it just never made any sense on any level. But that doesn't mean you can make up the rest of the facts to try and support your argument.

 

[TwoCents22]

Excuses.

That's it. That's exactly the only defense of Stafford I hear. I've defended him but fore, and I've criticized him. Its starting to be very hard to defend him. Think about what people will say to defend him:

The Oline sucks.

Calvin was hurt.

Nobody was getting open besides Tate.

Every year, excuses. 2010, injury. 2011, defense. 2012, no weapons. 2013, no coaches.

Notice a pattern? Guess what? Maybe if everything has to be perfect for Stafford, and he needs Pro Bowl play from EVERYBODY ELSE on the team before he can take us to the next level, dare I say, he might not be a top 5, top 10, or even top 20 QB????

31 other teams have problems too, and teams win each year with problems. The "nobody gets open" logic is the biggest excuse there is. There is not going to be a wide open player every play. Open is a loose term in the NFL. Yesterday there were throws to be made, where he had time and flat out hit the dirt where he had a receiver in position to make a catch. A yard separation is open. Orton hit Goodwin on a play he was covered well. QBs have to make plays. If there was a player wide open every play, any one of us could be QB.

And I'm not saying bench him, either. But we should stop defending him with Excuses.

 

[LPinSLC]

Stafford played like shit yesterday.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

^^^ extremely well stated 2Cents.. I couldn't agree more, regarding some people making excuses for for Stafford. He has got to learn to relax his mind, even under duress, and throw a wr open. He has struggled to do that going back to his days in college at Georgia. Hell, his OC there was an ex qb (Mike Bobo, who played qb for Georgia) and I'm quite surprised he didn't have better tutelage or he just hasn't learned.

 

[kengel6]

I agree with all of you. Mayhew must go.

 

[Rollingthndr]

Now if we stretch the term top picks and the term offensive skill positions I guess you can include Titus Young, Mikel Leshure, and Eric Ebron.

Guess we could also include pass catchers Ryan Broyles and Brandon Pettigrew who both happened to be active as well.

 

[Rollingthndr]

the 2 big things i can really say here is that calvin has just not been there for him these last 2 weeks and when you don't have your security blanket that catches your garbage you stay nervous and overthink the simple throws.

31 other teams also don't have Calvin. Well maybe Atlanta since J.Jones is about the closest thing to Calvin in the NFL.

Brian Hoyer launched a come back from down 3-28 on the road against a middle of the pack NFL defense with Taylor Gabriel (undrafted), Andrew Hawkins (undrafted), Jordan Cameron (4th round) and Miles Austin (undrafted) who is 30 years old.

Stafford has MULTIPLE high draft picks built around him and he throws for 1td against a defense that missing arguably it's top player and top linebacker. OOOOOKAY.

 

[Wazmankg]

There's been a divide over Stafford since he came up. Consistent accuracy was always the issue and it remains a problem. He's never going to be one of these "makes everyone around him better" QBs. He has a cannon, but he's going to miss more than a good QB should. At this point I think we need to realize that's just who he is and he isn't going anywhere. But he is good enough if he's surrounded by a decent supporting cast. The OL was not good enough yesterday. They were terrible. They haven't been good all season. They were a strength last season... at least in pass protection. They have to improve. He also had his 3 top weapons from last season sitting on the bench for much of the game. Tate has been a great addition as I expected, but without Calvin we're going to have problems moving the ball. The defense, which has been much better than expected, is bound to find its level eventually ... which is not top 2 in the league where they currently sit. I wish they are actually that good, but that just isn't a realistic expectation.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Now if we stretch the term top picks and the term offensive skill positions I guess you can include TITUS YOUNG, Mikel Leshure, and Eric Ebron.
Guess we could also include pass catchers Ryan Broyles and BRANDON PETTIGREW who both happened to be active as well.

Might as well include Jahvid Best too. He happened to be drafted in the 1st round as well.

I agree Ebron was the dumbest pick possible, it just never made any sense on any level. But that doesn't mean you can make up the rest of the facts to try and support your argument.

You were a genius until you talked about making up facts. We have drafted Ebron, Pettigrew and Jahvid Best in the 1st round, Titus Young, Ryan Broyles and Mikel LeShoure in the 2nd round. We even traded away picks to draft Best and LeShoure.

The best of the lot is Pettigrew and that is because he can block pretty good. Ebron is incomplete, as he has only played a few games.

Don't forget having to go out and spend cap space to make up for all the missed picks we've had -- signing Nate Burleson (25 million dollar contract), signing Golden Tate (31 million dollar contract), signing Reggie Bush (I think he is only 12 million, which isn't too bad).

Basically -- everything that has been posted here tells me -- FIRE MAYHEW.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Brian Hoyer launched a come back from down 3-28 on the road against a middle of the pack NFL defense with Taylor Gabriel (undrafted), Andrew Hawkins (undrafted), JORDAN CAMERON (4th round) and Miles Austin (undrafted) who is 30 years old.

Just want to point out -- Detroit's #2 WR from last year -- Nate Burleson was signed by the Browns and cut. If I'm not mistaken -- he is still a FA. What does that tell you about the Lions?

Kris Durham was the next target for Stafford. He hasn't played a down in the NFL this year. I think he is on the Titans practice squad.

All the picks we've spent on RB, TE and WR in the 1st two rounds. How many of them are worth a damn? Best is out of the NFL. Mikel LeShoure is hot garbage. Titus Young belongs in the looney bin. Ryan Broyles will be the bionic man by the time he is put together after all his injuries. Pettigrew is a solid blocking TE, but he runs like an OL. Ebron is our Jimmy Graham, without the catches or touchdowns or being a mismatch for opposing defenses.

The best players on the offense. Calvin Johnson -- drafted by Millen. Golden Tate -- drafted by Seattle. Reggie Bush -- drafted by New Orleans.

Basically -- FIRE MAYHEW.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Excuses.

You must be new to the board. You will hear a lot of them around here, especially if you talk about areas of the Lions that need to be upgraded. You will hear the word "developing" a lot, especially when it comes to draft picks.

So tread lightly with what you say or you may become the newest member of the realists.

 

[jdwills126]

Stafford has to get past the he gave the Lions a chance to win to Stafford pulled a victory out. Getting the Lions to the 33 was nice on their last drive but getting them to the end zone is what elite QBS do.

Stafford has got to win with what he has and even minus CJ he needs to deliver!

As for Ebron maybe the coaches realize this guy just isn't ready. Maybe he can't learn the playbook? Or maybe he just drops the shit out of the ball during practice. If you have skills you get used.

 

[Thruthefog]

Stafford is not a $20M QB.
Calvin can't stay on the field to earn his $.
But we will lose the one great player that earns his.
The Lions used the 10th pick in the draft to draft a one-dimensional TE that has trouble doing the one thing his dimension requires.
The Lions can't find a K that doesn't shit his pants every time he lines up for a FG.

Fire Mayhew.

 

[gandydancer]

Stafford is not a $20M QB.
Calvin can't stay on the field to earn his $.
But we will lose the one great player that earns his.
The Lions used the 10th pick in the draft to draft a one-dimensional TE that has trouble doing the one thing his dimension requires.
The Lions can't find a K that doesn't shit his pants every time he lines up for a FG.

Fire Mayhew.

You should of flip flopped the whole post. You always save the best for last!

 

[anotheridiot]

I think the comparison to Jay Cutler is sound, Stafford just has more time to show whether or not he can win the big game. We know Jay cant.

 

[gvsulaker82]

And as much as people are going to hate hearing this, stafford is still a young QB, his prime years are still ahead of him, and the guy is putting up numbers. He may never be an andrew luck but he will finish with a very nice career if he stays healthy. Hes only 26! He has missed what two years of time due to injury. Yeah it sucks watching him make the same mistake over and over but it also is good knowing how badly the dude is tryin to win. As dougplayer would say, the guys got heart.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

does Stafford not remind many of a very young Bret Favre, minus the mobility part for Favre. Both Gunslingers, both believe in their ability. Staffy just doesn't have the wrangler's yet