However, the running game hit rock bottom this past season, not only from the lack of production of the Lions backs, but also because the O-line was decimated by injuries.
The injuries also led to Matthew Stafford spending the season on his back because of enemy pass-rushers running relays into the Lions backfield. Yet he still passed for over 4,000 yards with 29 touchdown passes, just 10 interceptions and a career high 99.3 passer rating.
Those are numbers that just don’t happen in the NFL without some kind of help from the line and ground game.
Oh yeah, and the Lions rediscovered the deep ball as well, which I might remind you is a low percentage play.
Despite missing the playoffs, he had done all he could for the Lions and not only did his play justify his new contract, but since then several other quarterback have passed him this offseason with record breaking contracts of their own. Contracts that now make his seem like a bargain.
Matthew Stafford has long been given the nod as having the most arm talent in the game, but it hasn’t translated into wins over good teams or in the playoffs. Yet considering how little help he has gotten from Lions, this isn’t all his fault.
Now that doesn’t mean he’s been perfect, but the fact of the matter is that almost every high point the Lions have had over the past nine years, which hasn’t been nearly enough, he has carried this team to it.
For his next trick, he will attempt to become a quarterback that can beat good opponents and win in the playoffs. This offseason which has been pretty devoted to improving the O-line and the ground game, should finally put us in a position to see just how good he can be.
Will he be Tom Brady good? That might be too much to ask for, but he could be good enough to allow himself to be in the argument over who’s right after Brady.
No one can really argue against his work ethic or toughness.
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Yet the truth of the matter is that Matthew Stafford is an elite quarterback on what has been a traditionally bad team that has done little to help him win games. Now that the offense is evolving into a more balanced attack to go with one of the deepest receiving corps in the league, we should all finally get to see just how good he really is.