A Tale of Two Halves: Stafford’s 2015 Season
By Matt Urben
After a terrible 1-7 start to the year, the Lions went on a roll down the stretch, saving the Coach Caldwell’s job and nearly stealing a Wildcard spot. The difference between the first and second half of last season was Matthew Stafford’s production.
Over the first half of the season, Stafford was inefficient, inaccurate and turnover prone. His QB rating was a mediocre 84.9 and he had 11 interceptions in just 8 games. Some say his drastic turnaround was because of the early difficulty of the schedule compared to a more favorable one in the second half, but more than anything it was a result of the mid-season coordinator change from Joe Lombardi to Jim Bob Cooter. Lombardi’s offense was supposed to explode last season but instead it imploded and cost many on the team’s staff their jobs, including former GM Martin Mayhew.
Stafford’s stats through the first eight games:
2,083 Yards 13 TD, 11 INT, 84.9 QB Rating
To see what a drastic difference the coordinator change had on Stafford, I broke down his game-by-game stats over the team’s 6-2 final stretch.
Game 9
Defeated Green Bay
24-38, 242 Yards,2 TD 1 INT, 87.8 QB Rating
Game 10
Defeated Oakland
22-35, 282 Yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 88 QB Rating
Game 11
Defeated Philadelphia
27-38, 337 Yards 5 TD, 0 INT, 137.8 QB Rating
Game 12
Loss to Green Bay
23-35, 220 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 102.1 QB Rating
Game 13
Loss to St. Louis
30-46, 245 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 84.1 QB Rating
Game 14
Defeated New Orleans
22-25, 254 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 148.6 QB Rating
Game 15
Defeated San Francisco
29-37, 301 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 118.6 QB Rating
Game 16
Defeated Chicago
28-39, 298 Yards, 3 TD. 0 INT, 119.4 QB Rating
Total Stats over final 8 weeks:
2,179 Yards 19 TD, 2 INT, 110.8 QB Rating
As we see from the stats, something clicked for Stafford when Cooter was given the play-calling duties. After being an interception machine over the first half, he threw just two over the final eight games. His 110.8 quarterback rating was the highest of any 8-game stretch of his career. Sure, the competition wasn’t as tough, but the efficiency was undeniable. Quick passes and spreading the ball around was the key shift in offensive philosophy, as well as a switch from a zone to a man blocking scheme.The Lions nearly caught the Packers for a Wildcard spot, but a Hail-Mary from Aaron Rodgers at Ford Field effectively eliminated them in week 13. With Calvin Johnson gone, Stafford has become the face of the franchise. If he can carry his second half production over to next year, the Lions will be in good shape. They just better not wait until mid-season to play up to their potential.