Does Matthew Stafford want to stay a Detroit Lion?

Develop a run game

The Lions have been horrible running the football since 2009, the year Stafford came in. They have had one 1,000-yard runner in Stafford’s career, Reggie Bush in 2013.

By contrast, the world champion New England Patriots had the seventh ranked run game in the NFL in 2016. Their opponents in this past Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons, were ranked fifth in rushing last year.

So, while quarterbacks get much of the credit for championship runs, the team around them is usually a huge reason why they get there. The Lions ranked thirtieth of thirty-two teams in running the ball, in case you were wondering.

Tim Twentymen, a writer who works for detroitlions.com, interviewed Jim Bob Cooter, the Lions offensive coordinator, this preseason and the Lions coach said that this was a point of emphasis for the team.

Indeed, if you want to keep Stafford happy and healthy, an improved run game will be necessary.

Jim Bob Cooter and Bob Quinn, the Lions general manager, seem to understand that keeping Stafford is the linchpin to team success. To do that, they have to show him that they are building a winner around him.

Quinn’s first draft in Detroit saw him take multiple offensive linemen, including all-rookie left tackle, Taylor Decker. Quinn signed two new linemen in the off-season to protect Stafford and upgrade that anemic run game, guard T.J. Lang and tackle Rick Wagner.