Number 4, Matthew Stafford
If you want to chalk this up to bias, I’m actually cool with that; this article IS on a Lions blog. However, if you look at the numbers, the ranking stacks up with the numbers. Matt Stafford is a gunslinger, and a true Brett Favre, John Elway type of talent, both in good and bad ways.
His touch, decision-making, and propensity to throw to the other team have been statistically improved, making him an elite quarterback. The Detroit Lions went 9-7, just missing the playoffs in 2017, leading to the hiring of new head coach, Matt Patricia.
Stafford is number four because he still has a slightly higher turnover ratio, still holds the ball too long at times, and just isn’t quite as productive in touchdowns; he arguably gets less help than any other player on the list, though.
Notice that I am saying that a few of the 47 sacks were probably on him for holding the ball too long. Stafford has found his greatest success under current OC, Jim Bob Cooter.
TD rank: 4th (29)
INT rank: 5th (10)
Comp. % rank: 3rd (65.7%)
Games played:16
Help factors:
Sacks taken rank: 9th (47)
Run game: 32nd in NFL
Defense: 21st in scoring (23.5 pts/ gm)