Detroit Lions: Path to winning not all on Matthew Stafford anymore

The Detroit Lions are counting on Matthew Stafford to win games. But he can’t do it alone. The defense and run game must help in the winning effort.

The Detroit Lions look like they want to continue shifting this offense to a ball-control, run-heavy squad that is able to win close, low-scoring games. Much of the success of this team hinges on the play of quarterback Matthew Stafford. But it will also need to rely on the defense.

Stafford did not play well last year, but things really went south when this team lost (then rookie) running back Kerryon Johnson. There was a better balance to the offense and the team looked capable of staying in games until Johnson went down.

Unfortunately, once Kerryon was gone, Stafford was unable to perform at the level he showed in previous seasons. Stafford carried this team to quite a few victories, and did more than his share to get some last minute wins. But that wasn’t happening last year.

On the Locked on Lions podcast, host Matt Dery discussed Stafford’s future with Detroit Lions beat writer Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. Rogers talked about what is expected from Stafford in 2019 (05-08-19, “Volume 581”):

"“This is a really important year for Matthew Stafford, in terms of his long-term future in Detroit … You need efficiency. You need finished drives. You need success on third downs. You need good completion percentage.”"

Stafford is capable of doing all these things. In the end, all Matthew really wants is to win. And, honestly, that’s all anyone wants when it comes to this team, as Rogers continued (05-08-19, “Volume 581”):

"“[Stafford] has to carry his role because he’s paid $30 million. I know that’s the going rate for quarterbacks right now. But if you can’t win with your $30 million quarterback, then you’ve got to consider alternate ways of doing it.”"

That’s an important distinction here. The only thing that matters anymore statistically is winning games. Stafford is capable of outrageous numbers, but it all comes down to double-digit wins (and hopefully a few more beyond that).

If Stafford can’t do it, then the only option is to find someone else. Not taking quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the draft may be a regret for this Detroit Lions squad. The quarterback position has no real depth in case of injury, and certainly no one worthy of the “next guy” mantle on this current roster.

So much rests on this 2019 season. For this to work, not only will Stafford have to play well, but all the other parts will have to contribute in significant ways. The defense has to take the next step from the progress shown in the second half of last season. And the run game needs to be working at full efficiency.

It’s one thing to ask Stafford to sustain drives, score points, and be smart with the football. But he must be paired with a running game that allows that by making each down more manageable – and ultimately winning on short yardage first downs. On the flip side, the defense must prevent long drives, big plays, and limit scoring opportunities – especially touchdowns.

The shift for this team is supposed to be a more complete way of defeating an opponent. All phases of the game must work in unison. Strategy over stars, control over flash, and ultimately winning over losing.