Question about Stafford

[Valion78]

Isn't it a coaches job to put his guys in the right situation to win Smitty? He executed the plays. At least the better part of them. You said it yourself most games are close in the NFL, not a whole lot of blowouts.

 

[Valion78]

A couple of those deep throws today could of/ should have been caught.

 

[broncosmitty]

Isn't it a coaches job to put his guys in the right situation to win Smitty? He executed the plays. At least the better part of them. You said it yourself most games are close in the NFL, not a whole lot of blowouts.

Isn't it a coaches job to put his guys in the right situation to win Smitty? He executed the plays. At least the better part of them. You said it yourself most games are close in the NFL, not a whole lot of blowouts.

Absolutely it is. I think it's a wise move on the coaches part to limit the offense. I supported the decision to kneel at Arizona. I support running the clock when were ahead. I support not having Staff chuck it deep off his back foot in the hopes that CJ comes down with it. That's why I mentioned Scotty. His game plans are tailored to what Staff can do effectively. Not what CJ can do. It's leading to less picks, a better completion percentage(I assume), and more fans complaining about the play calling. (More might be a stretch. Since it possibly impossible to have more in that situation)

 

[lionstop1]

I don't know where this stance comes from. Other than a desire to have a real deal QB on the Lions. He missed most of his first two seasons. Had a big year in 2011. Stunk to high heaven last year, with lots of meaningless yards. (And I mean LOTS, plus a lot of picks)And is 4-2 this season, his fifth as a starter, which is nice. He's far from proven anything in this league. He lacks patience. He checks down quicker than Id like. Which could be scheme, but seems like a mutual situation. Much was made earlier of Staff hitting multiple receivers. This doesn't show me that he's working thru progressions. It shows me that the play book calls for different options as #1 targets on different plays in different situations. BP, Bell, Bush, and several times Ogletree and Durham were check down options, and they got they ball within two an half seconds of the snap. When Staff was asked to throw downfield, he underthrew an open Edwards badly. Then later got picked at the goaline throwing into double coverage. (Edwards also failed to come up with another deep throw). What bothers me the most about our highly talented, young, possibly rising star, is he has been given more than he has earned during his tenure. From fans,(which is the case with this thread), from the team,(the starting job as a rookie, captain status, his recent extension) from advertisers(Axe, some tire company, JCPenny, The SixthSense box set..,) and at times from the talking heads. He's very talented. But take away his stats with Calvin Johnson and tell me he's raised the games of other players around him. Show me when he's pump faked a safety off a receiver, show me a signature win over a team he wasn't supposed to beat(the browns when he got hurt doesn't count, they're the Browns). It bothers me how a majority of Lions fans can bitch and bitch about Linehan, Schwartz, Mayhew, Lewand, and anyone else with years of experience, yet they blindly have faith in Matthew Stafford. And more than just faith, they have somehow decided Staff is above most QBs. Guys like Romo, Cutler, Palmer, Rivers, Dalton, Schaub, Flacco, Bradford, hell even Alex Smith. It's my opinion that he could be better than all of them. But right now, there's nothing factual that would lead me to say that he is. Other than Im a Lions fan. And any comparison to Favre is not going to met with rave reviews from me. That guy screwed his team(teams) as much as he helped them by not refining his game over the years. He was a gunslinger. And those are not reliable, they win games just like they lose them. I'm not interested in Staff the gunslinger, I'm interested in a refined Staff. Who eventually expands his game. Rather than shrinks it. Which is what, IMO, has been going on this season with the glut of short yardage passes.

Are you serious Smitty? I respect your assessment but I don't think it's correct.

You claim he stunk to high heaven last year which is fair but why? To be fair, I saw a guy trying to do to much way too often. This team was depleted with injuries and there was absolutely nothing Stafford could do. It shouldn't be surprising at all to anyone that he struggled if you understand the reasons. Is it that he hasn't proven anything or is that the team hasn't proved much? Staff has accomplished a lot and has established himself as a leader and one of the best in the business.

I think he did lack some patience early on in his career but I think what we're seeing now, is a correction with those things. He's not forcing the ball at all.

The check-down thing drives me crazy when you guys mention it. Most of the QB's in the league do this. It's a safety valve. I'd like to see proof of Stafford doing this more often than the rest of the league. Plus, I'd prefer for my QB to get rid of the ball instead of holding on to it. Even if it meant checking it down.

You're actually criticizing Staff for missing on some throws, the same kind many Qb's miss on in games? You're really questioning his ability to move a safety? You can find 10 guys better than him? He doesn't deserve to be the captain of the team? How could you question the short passing attack?

You do realize that Stafford's strength is the vertical passing game and this is what opposing defenses attempt to take away from him? Plus, he only has one down-field threat, which makes it pretty difficult to do. He's not the most accurate guy, but his arm talent is far and beyond most qb's in the entire league. I remember the team stating that the offense will take whatever the defense will allow and I think that is why we are seeing this type of offense this year. I personally like that the ball is coming out fast and Stafford has shown the ability to identify where he wants to go with the ball. That shows maturity and the ability to read defenses and knowledge of the playbook.

This year, Stafford is still going through pains with his offensive unit....again....yet he's found a way to play at a high level. You can call getting the ball to Bush a check-down if you want, but that's an extension of the run game and I'll take it. I bet the defenses don't want to see that happen. He has absolutely given his players a chance to make plays and they've failed on numerous accounts, even CJ. I'd even go as far as to say Staff should have at least 17 td's instead of 12 and his completion percentage should be a bit higher. Nate was probably on pace to catch at least 90 balls and it looks like Fuaria will end up with at least 10. How is Stafford not being affective, especially when teams are taking away his best asset every game?

 

[lionstop1]

"It seems to me that he decides who he is going to throw to before the play even starts. Whether it be a quick slant, or a deep ball. That deep ball to patrick edwards today that was intercepted should never have been thrown. Then there was a quick pass to Durham which durham didnt even know was coming to him. Thats why the RB's and the TEs always get so many catches/targets, and the receivers dont. If his one receiver isnt open, he checks down to a receiver or an RB. Was Broyles even targeted today? What about Ogletree? "

Black Magic, are you serious here?

How could deciding where to go with the ball before the play starts be a bad thing? This is one reason Manning is the best in the league-his ability to identify a defense and go to the correct guy. The Edwards play was just a good play on defense, nothing you can do about that. What exactly are you saying in the part I highlighted in bold letters? If one receiver isn't open, what else are you supposed to do? Stand there and get sacked? Run? Throw it away? Flip? Do karate?

Broyles? I don't buy that Broyles is getting open and Stafford doesn't see him. He dropped a easy slant in the game also. Ogletree? He's new to the team with a small role. He's nothing special.

 

[broncosmitty]

Are you serious Smitty? I respect your assessment but I don't think it's correct. . I being serious.

 

[broncosmitty]

You claim he stunk to high heaven last year which is fair but why? . Well.... for starters.... At one point he didn't throw a TD for nearly a month. Threw one to another team, but that didn't count. We lost every game during that streak. While it wasn't just on him, he didn't do enough to win. That's for starters. Passing yards don't impress me. And I don't know what else could make someone see anything but a down year from him last season.

 

[broncosmitty]

Is it that he hasn't proven anything or is that the team hasn't proved much?

. Both. Which doesn't do him any favors. He's the Captain, the lone #1 overall and the Quarterback.

 

[broncosmitty]

Staff has accomplished a lot and has established himself as a leader and one of the best in the business. . Really? Based off what? Yardage numbers? Best in the business is a bit of a stretch. So is the fact he's a leader. He showed guts four years coming back in after being injured. But the guy doesn't strike me as the leading type. Far from it actually.

 

[broncosmitty]

One paragraph down, I'll work my way down the post later as time allows.

 

[broncosmitty]

I think he did lack some patience early on in his career but I think what we're seeing now, is a correction with those things. He's not forcing the ball at all. . "At all" is a little too strong for me to agree with. He locks on, still. And goes ahead and throws despite the coverage. That's forcing it. He has improved in this area. But I credit Linehan as much as anything. He's the one who has dumbed down the offense. For good reason.

 

[broncosmitty]

The check-down thing drives me crazy when you guys mention it. Most of the QB's in the league do this. It's a safety valve. I'd like to see proof of Stafford doing this more often than the rest of the league. Plus, I'd prefer for my QB to get rid of the ball instead of holding on to it. Even if it meant checking it down. . Sorry to drive you crazy, but I hope you don't expect anything to change. We don't have a vertical offense anymore. Atleast not one with any kind of consistant effectiveness. We have a short yardage offense with one guy who is capable of breaking big plays. Can't help you with the stats, but I saw Staff throw 4 deep incompletions yesterday. One of which was picked in the end zone. Brandon Weeden, who by popular opinion, is terrible, threw deep. He also got picked on a midrange pass.

 

[broncosmitty]

You're actually criticizing Staff for missing on some throws, the same kind many Qb's miss on in games? You're really questioning his ability to move a safety? You can find 10 guys better than him? He doesn't deserve to be the captain of the team? How could you question the short passing attack? . Ohhhhhhh, Im definitely questioning his ability to move a safety. Bush going in motion pre-snap doesn't count. You only want 10? Brady, Brees, Manning, Rodgers, Luck, Flacco, Romo, Alex Smith, Eli(there's the loop hole), Matt Ryan, Big Ben.... Is that 10? I have no problem if people want to lump him in with Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler, Phil Rivers, Andy Dalton or the young second year guys that aren't Andrew Luck, but to say he's better is strictly opinion. He hasn't won more games or been more efficient. (Yards, sure)

 

[broncosmitty]

He doesn't deserve to be the captain of the team? How could you question the short passing attack? . Why should he have been? Because he was drafted highly? He got forced into a role out of convienance for the franchise. Had he played more than three games as a Captain in 2010, as a 22 year old I might feel differently. The short yardage game is fine by me. He makes a lot less mistakes that way.

 

[broncosmitty]

You do realize that Stafford's strength is the vertical passing game and this is what opposing defenses attempt to take away from him? . In no way do I agree with that. His arm strength, is his strength. IMO, his verticle passing game has always been dependent on another mans skills.

 

[broncosmitty]

He's not the most accurate guy, . Agreed.

 

[broncosmitty]

but his arm talent is far and beyond most qb's in the entire league. . His right arm is no lower than third best, in the NFC North. It might be best in division, idk. It's his best attribute, IMO.

 

[RobBase]

11 fourth quarter comebacks by Stafford now. Just imagine how good he would be if Mayhew knew how to draft WR's and RB's.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Question:

Lately, I've seen some relatively lame comments made about Stafford and a supposed inability to go through his progressions. This is so far from the truth, its not even funny. I see a different QB, one that has lead his team and corrected a lot of habits. On top of that, he has a very inconsistent Wr core and I would image how hard it is to trust those guys. Somebody please tell me how he isn't going through progressions?

I'm guessing either a few guys don't like Stafford and need a reason to say crap or its because Stafford has been relying on Bush as the "second" option out there regularly. Doesn't seem to be a problem to me. It also looks as if Staff made Durham look half-way decent today, right? Fauria too? Edwards missed his chance.

I dont get it either, hes already the best qb the lions have ever had and hes in his third year now. Within the next couple years he will be top three.

 

[broncosmitty]

I dont get it either, hes already the best qb the lions have ever had and hes in his third year now. Within the next couple years he will be top three.

He's won championships? Huh, I must not get the channel those are on, or something. I've seen a lot of passing yards though, if that's what you're basing your opinion off.