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Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press Good article..
LONDON – Long before his 15th career fourth-quarter comeback became reality, Matthew Stafford sat stewing on the Detroit Lions' bench thinking about all he did wrong against the Atlanta Falcons.
Stafford wasn't particularly sharp early, and he threw his seventh interception of the season just before halftime, but there was another play torturing him inside.
The Lions had just gotten a gift interception from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan late in the third quarter and, trailing by 11 points, they suddenly found themselves on the doorstep of the end zone.
On third-and-goal from the 2, Stafford, seeing Golden Tate had one-on-one coverage with a blitzing safety coming from that side, tapped his face mask to let Tate know a hot pass was coming his way.
Tate took two steps, planted his left foot in the Wembley Stadium turf and cut inside his defender, wide open in the front of the end zone.
But Stafford's pass sailed high above Tate's head and the Lions had to settle for a field goal again.
"I thought that was it," Stafford said. "I mean, we can't miss an opportunity like that. It was a great check and a great route, and that was the worst throw I ever had, I feel like. I was sitting there thinking how bad that one's going to eat me alive on the bye week if we didn't win that game."
Matthew Stafford signs for giddy Lions fans
The Lions came back to win, of course, and Stafford redeemed himself on the game-winning drive.
He lasered a pass to Tate for 32 yards, dropped another onto Theo Riddick's fingertips for 20, and when it was all done he ran onto the field to celebrate Matt Prater's 48-yard field goal with teammates.
The Lions are 6-2, winners of three straight, and lead the NFC North by a game over the Green Bay Packers at the midpoint of the season.
They have the best defense in the NFL, the hottest receiver in football in Tate, and no one is complaining about their fortunate start.
But for all the good they've done this year, the Lions still have one mystery left to solve: Is Stafford good enough, and can he play consistent enough, to lead them on a deep playoff run?
From a pure talent standpoint, no one has ever doubted Stafford's skills as a quarterback.
The first pick of the 2009 draft, he missed big chunks of his first two seasons with injuries but has put up otherworldly numbers since. He broke Bobby Layne's franchise record for most touchdown passes Sunday and should top the 20,000-yard career passing mark before Thanksgiving.
But it is throws like the one to Tate, and halves the like the one he played Sunday, when the Lions got shut out for the first 30 minutes and couldn't sustain any drives, which cause people to question Stafford as a QB.
"I missed some throws and we had some drops early, a couple penalties," Stafford said. "For us, we feel as an offense and as a team, if we don't hurt ourselves we're going to be pretty effective. And we've been hurting ourselves early in games. So we got to find a way, coming out of the bye, healthy, find some guys that will be coming back hopefully and start these things a little bit faster than we have."
Stafford's passing numbers are down this year — he's on pace for a third straight season with declining yards — but in fairness to him, he has been without several important weapons most of the year.
Right tackle has been a revolving door of injuries, the Lions played Sunday without their top-three tight ends, and Calvin Johnson has missed three games with a high ankle sprain.
Johnson will return after the bye, but he is hardly a panacea for all that ails the offense. The Lions averaged a paltry 20.3 points in the only three games Johnson has been fully healthy this year, and they've averaged 21 points in their three games without him.
Regardless of who is on the field with him the next two months, Stafford's play rightfully will be under intense scrutiny in the second half of the season.
The Lions have a chance to host their first playoff game in 21 years, but they need better and more consistent play from him and the offense for that to happen.
Their schedule is back-loaded with trips to New England, Arizona, Chicago and Green Bay, their defense might not be as fearsome with Nick Fairley out at least a month with a knee injury, according to reports, and who knows what they'll get from the kicking game.
Good quarterback play can carry a team a long way in the NFL, and it's time for Stafford to show how strong his back is.
Contact Dave Birkett: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Up next
Matchup: Miami (4-3) at Detroit (6-2).
When: 1 p.m. Nov. 9.
Where: Ford Field.
TV: CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit).
By the numbers
Matthew Stafford is averaging 277 passing yards a game through eight games. Here's how his passing totals have stacked up after eight games in each of his six seasons:
2009
1,265
Total: 2,267
2010
535
Total: 535
2011
2,179
Total: 5,038
2012
2,393
Total: 4,967
2013
2,617
Total: 4,650
2014
2,216
Total: ?
LONDON – Long before his 15th career fourth-quarter comeback became reality, Matthew Stafford sat stewing on the Detroit Lions' bench thinking about all he did wrong against the Atlanta Falcons.
Stafford wasn't particularly sharp early, and he threw his seventh interception of the season just before halftime, but there was another play torturing him inside.
The Lions had just gotten a gift interception from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan late in the third quarter and, trailing by 11 points, they suddenly found themselves on the doorstep of the end zone.
On third-and-goal from the 2, Stafford, seeing Golden Tate had one-on-one coverage with a blitzing safety coming from that side, tapped his face mask to let Tate know a hot pass was coming his way.
Tate took two steps, planted his left foot in the Wembley Stadium turf and cut inside his defender, wide open in the front of the end zone.
But Stafford's pass sailed high above Tate's head and the Lions had to settle for a field goal again.
"I thought that was it," Stafford said. "I mean, we can't miss an opportunity like that. It was a great check and a great route, and that was the worst throw I ever had, I feel like. I was sitting there thinking how bad that one's going to eat me alive on the bye week if we didn't win that game."
Matthew Stafford signs for giddy Lions fans
The Lions came back to win, of course, and Stafford redeemed himself on the game-winning drive.
He lasered a pass to Tate for 32 yards, dropped another onto Theo Riddick's fingertips for 20, and when it was all done he ran onto the field to celebrate Matt Prater's 48-yard field goal with teammates.
The Lions are 6-2, winners of three straight, and lead the NFC North by a game over the Green Bay Packers at the midpoint of the season.
They have the best defense in the NFL, the hottest receiver in football in Tate, and no one is complaining about their fortunate start.
But for all the good they've done this year, the Lions still have one mystery left to solve: Is Stafford good enough, and can he play consistent enough, to lead them on a deep playoff run?
From a pure talent standpoint, no one has ever doubted Stafford's skills as a quarterback.
The first pick of the 2009 draft, he missed big chunks of his first two seasons with injuries but has put up otherworldly numbers since. He broke Bobby Layne's franchise record for most touchdown passes Sunday and should top the 20,000-yard career passing mark before Thanksgiving.
But it is throws like the one to Tate, and halves the like the one he played Sunday, when the Lions got shut out for the first 30 minutes and couldn't sustain any drives, which cause people to question Stafford as a QB.
"I missed some throws and we had some drops early, a couple penalties," Stafford said. "For us, we feel as an offense and as a team, if we don't hurt ourselves we're going to be pretty effective. And we've been hurting ourselves early in games. So we got to find a way, coming out of the bye, healthy, find some guys that will be coming back hopefully and start these things a little bit faster than we have."
Stafford's passing numbers are down this year — he's on pace for a third straight season with declining yards — but in fairness to him, he has been without several important weapons most of the year.
Right tackle has been a revolving door of injuries, the Lions played Sunday without their top-three tight ends, and Calvin Johnson has missed three games with a high ankle sprain.
Johnson will return after the bye, but he is hardly a panacea for all that ails the offense. The Lions averaged a paltry 20.3 points in the only three games Johnson has been fully healthy this year, and they've averaged 21 points in their three games without him.
Regardless of who is on the field with him the next two months, Stafford's play rightfully will be under intense scrutiny in the second half of the season.
The Lions have a chance to host their first playoff game in 21 years, but they need better and more consistent play from him and the offense for that to happen.
Their schedule is back-loaded with trips to New England, Arizona, Chicago and Green Bay, their defense might not be as fearsome with Nick Fairley out at least a month with a knee injury, according to reports, and who knows what they'll get from the kicking game.
Good quarterback play can carry a team a long way in the NFL, and it's time for Stafford to show how strong his back is.
Contact Dave Birkett: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Up next
Matchup: Miami (4-3) at Detroit (6-2).
When: 1 p.m. Nov. 9.
Where: Ford Field.
TV: CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit).
By the numbers
Matthew Stafford is averaging 277 passing yards a game through eight games. Here's how his passing totals have stacked up after eight games in each of his six seasons:
2009
1,265
Total: 2,267
2010
535
Total: 535
2011
2,179
Total: 5,038
2012
2,393
Total: 4,967
2013
2,617
Total: 4,650
2014
2,216
Total: ?
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