Did you really cheer when Matthew Stafford got benched?

The Detroit Lions‘ home crowd shamefully cheered as quarterback Matthew Stafford was removed from the game in a 27-9 drubbing to the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit Lions fans are understandably frustrated. Another hope-filled season has turned into another abject failure. The team is simply tough to watch these days, but the frustration boiled over into insanity this past Sunday.

The fanbase hit a new low when the Ford Field crowd erupted into cheers when quarterback Matthew Stafford was replaced by backup Matt Cassel amid a 27-9 drubbing at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. Really? Let’s break down what these fools actually applauded.

They applauded the benching of the franchise’s all-time best at the quarterback position. They applauded the benching of the guy who is 21st in NFL history in passing yards. They applauded the benching of the guy who is 29th in NFL history in passing touchdowns.

They applauded the benching of the guy who orchestrated 26 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career. And he’s only 30-years old. How can this fan base justify their ghastly behavior? Stafford has single-handedly lifted this franchise from perennial muck.

In a lost season, Stafford played through a back injury and took the field for this team – and this fan base – to give the team a fighting chance. Without him, there is no fighting chance.

Stafford could go collect his hefty paycheck and mail it in, but he doesn’t. He’s a professional in every sense of the word. He fights for this team and the community of Detroit. He gets it. And regardless of all that, the crowd applauded his benching as if this debacle of a season is in any way a reflection of his talent and efforts.

Matthew Stafford is not Joey Harrington. He is not the Lions’ limiting factor. He is not the problem with this franchise. Stafford is, and will continue to be, part of the solution in the Motor City. Enough is enough.