Matthew Stafford’s Top 5 Game Winning Drives

Cleveland Browns 37 @ Detroit Lions 38

2009

If you ask a Lions fan to pinpoint the moment they knew that Stafford was their guy, every single one would point you to the 2009 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions. This game was an absolute slugfest as Brady Quinn threw for 4 touchdowns and Matthew Stafford threw for 5, but it was the last drive that showed the Detroit faithful that this young rookie quarterback was for real.

With the ball on their own 12 yard line, the Lions have 1:46 to make up a six point deficit.
Four straight completions put the Lions into Cleveland territory and a 3rd down completion to Will Heller and a spike gave the Lions a 2nd down on the Cleveland 32 with just eight ticks remaining.

Stafford drops back, scrambles and is destroyed as he releases a deep ball to Calvin Johnson that is intercepted by a Cleveland defensive back for a touchback. Stafford is down and not okay, having separated his shoulder from his contact with the ground. A flag is thrown as the officials announce defensive pass interference giving the Lions the ball on the one yard line. Cleveland burns their last timeout.

While lying on the ground, Stafford says to the staff “hey that’s a timeout, I can play right?” Against their protest, Stafford stands up and addresses Coach Schwartz saying “I can throw the ball if you need me to throw the ball.” A nod by Jim and our hero jogs out to the huddle in obvious pain. Stafford goes under center, fakes the hand off and finds his tight end Brandon Pettigrew on a double move in the end zone to win the game.

In one of the most epic SoundFX segments in NFL history, the Lions win and a legend is born.