Five Detroit Lions Takeaways from the win over Chicago

Matthew Stafford rebounds

Matthew Stafford finally gave Lions fans a reason to smile. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

My colleague Mike Payton broached this subject earlier, but it was nice to see Matthew Stafford bounce back from his deserved benching against Arizona.

Sunday’s interception was a glaring example of why some will just never trust Stafford, an awkward, ill-advised flip behind an unaware receiver which popped into the air. Other than that, this was one of the strongest games of his 7-year career. Despite playing behind an offensive line which played better but is still far from an asset, Stafford was poised in the pocket. He flashed mobility but not at the expense of attacking down the field, something which has been an either/or proposition for No. 9.

The downfield accuracy was impressive. So was the willingness to let it fly down the field. The Matthew Stafford on display versus Chicago looked a lot like the quarterback who led the Lions to 11 wins last year and bred widespread optimism this year’s squad could do even more. Better late than never.