Cut Stafford....really? Grades as a Top 10 QB

[brewer229]

This thread is awesome.

Some highlights.

1. Stafford is the 21st best QB in the NFL
2. Someone here would choose Flacco over Stafford
3. Someone else thinks Ryan Fitzpatrick is a better QB than Stafford

Awesome. Everyone might want to turn on their TV.....#9 is getting a lot of love right now......and MVP talk.

9 games to go, though. It's still early....but I think it's pretty universally excepted that Matthew Stafford is an elite NFL QB.

You do realize these are some of the same people (the media) that didn't have him in the top 15 through last year right?

Stafford is playing at an elite level right now, this is what a QB can do, now maybe people can finally admit he was pretty shitty in prior years.

Amazing thing happens when you throw the ball accurately and see the field well. People are suddenly open.

 

[LKP]

Stafford was never shitty. The oc, protection and weapon support was shitty mainly due to injuries around him. The stats are finally bearing out his strong play. He was good now inproved to great as well. Lots of credit for stafford in that and cooter and caldwell and his weapons

 

[dubbsco]

I was in that camp who thought he wasn't a great QB for awhile. And his recent greatness basically proves us right that thought so. If he was always great, he could have put up these numbers constantly. If anything, he has LESS support this season compared to the past and he's now doing awesome things.

The line still isn't that great, he doesn't have a ton of options around him and is asked to do a lot. And he finally is doing so. So doesn't that just prove us right that he wasn't all that wonderful his first five years and is finally living up to expectations?? How else can you define it??

Basically, the only explanations are that he's starting to understand the game and the coordinator is helping him a lot. To pretend like he wasn't bad or average for awhile is just that. Pretend. This is everything the Lions fans have wanted out of him when he was drafted 1st.

 

[LKP]

He has the most weapons he has ever had. Oline much improved over 14 and 15 versions. He is finally getting proper support. And he did put up these numbers in 15 and 11. 14 won 11 games. So many fumbles lost by others and ints not his fault in 2012 and 2013

Stafford finally getting support (some) not run game and his numbers arw showing it.

Stafford has always been good, now he is great

 

[dubbsco]

No he doesn't. He's got no running game, and a couple of good WRs. I can't believe I'm basically flipping to the side of, "He's got no support," but he really doesn't.

What he has on offense pales in comparison to a lot of the teams doing well.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

No he doesn't. He's got no running game, and a couple of good WRs. I can't believe I'm basically flipping to the side of, "He's got no support," but he really doesn't.

What he has on offense pales in comparison to a lot of the teams doing well.

We've won the last 3 games with Tate, Boldin and Jones.......

No Ebron, no Riddick, no Abdullah, no Washington, average special teams play, what might be the NFL's worst defense and a below average OL.

Not really a recipe for success.

 

[dubbsco]

Exactly my point. It's basically factually incorrect to say that this is the "most Stafford's had with weapons" in his career. He's doing all this despite of what is around him. My cries for him to make people better all his career he is finally doing and doing well.

The O line is not good, the defense sucks, the weapons are above average at best. He's playing at an MVP-level. If it was any average QB at the helm, this team may not have a win.

 

[brewer229]

We've won the last 3 games with Tate, Boldin and Jones.......

No Ebron, no Riddick, no Abdullah, no Washington, average special teams play, what might be the NFL's worst defense and a below average OL.

Not really a recipe for success.

Not sure I agree with the OL. Stafford faces pressure at a rate lower than most QBs this year, and hes not getting the ball out much quicker than in the past.

The only thing we can say for certain is the #3 WR (Boldin) is better than anything we've had. No other position is clearly worse than it has been in the past.

 

[mhughes0021]

I disagree completely. He has a crazy amount of weapons. The oline has played lights out....keeping stafford almost completely clean the last 3 weeks. Phillys defense just hit bradford 20 times and forced 5 sack fumbles. Stafford did not have to play through that kind of duress. Hes been great...but i think it's because of the line play, not in spite of it.

 

[dubbsco]

He has Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and...? Bolden's been good, but he's not a #2 for any team.

Stafford's the 2nd leading rusher on the team. Think about that. A guy we've been calling a glorified parking meter for most of his career.

 

[brewer229]

He has Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and...? Bolden's been good, but he's not a #2 for any team.

Stafford's the 2nd leading rusher on the team. Think about that. A guy we've been calling a glorified parking meter for most of his career.

He's not a #2 for this team either. But probably one of the better #3 WR options there is.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

Not sure I agree with the OL. Stafford faces pressure at a rate lower than most QBs this year, and hes not getting the ball out much quicker than in the past.

The only thing we can say for certain is the #3 WR (Boldin) is better than anything we've had. No other position is clearly worse than it has been in the past.

That's what I have been saying.....our top 3 WR are all good NFL players. Our oline is below average as a whole......while they have been better as of late (which is a good sign of things to come because they are the NFL's youngest OL) but we are still really bad at running the ball and take too many penalties. If they keep improving at this rate, however, we could be looking at a GOOD offensive line by the time the year is out.

Our average pass blocking gest a slight bump because of the offense we run and the fact that #9 is getting the ball out so fast......but it doesn't make them GOOD. We throw quite a few bubble screens per game as well, which has an almost 0% chance to be poorly blocked by the OL.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

He's not a #2 for this team either. But probably one of the better #3 WR options there is.

Boldin is basically part of our running game. He is great at finding holes in the zones and making tough catches.

He is one of those guys who's numbers don't tell the story of how important he is to the Lions, Stafford and JBC. He is a great #3 for this offense.

 

[brewer229]

That's what I have been saying.....our top 3 WR are all good NFL players. Our oline is below average as a whole......while they have been better as of late (which is a good sign of things to come because they are the NFL's youngest OL) but we are still really bad at running the ball and take too many penalties. If they keep improving at this rate, however, we could be looking at a GOOD offensive line by the time the year is out.

Our average pass blocking gest a slight bump because of the offense we run and the fact that #9 is getting the ball out so fast......but it doesn't make them GOOD. We throw quite a few bubble screens per game as well, which has an almost 0% chance to be poorly blocked by the OL.

There was an article published a week or so ago that shows he was under pressure around 23% which was 5th lowest I believe (down from mid 30% prior year). However he was around league average for release time. So he isn't getting the ball out supper quickly, he is league average in that area.

So in terms of pass protection he is getting that at a very high level.

 

[LKP]

Best weapons he has ever had. 3 reliable wrs. 4 games of ebron. 5 games of riddick

And oline playing decent. And better oc

And he improved too from good to great

The numbers are bearing out his talent. When you have durham and pettigrew and jeremy ross and lance moore and titus young going crazy. Your numbers might suffer

 

[dubbsco]

Yes, 4 games of a TE who has done nothing his whole career.

You put any middle tier QB on this team with the way they are currently constructed, they might have 1 win.

He's been playing at the highest level of any QB in the NFL not named Matt Ryan or Tom Brady.

Reliable WRs don't mean good. He's got a very good win in Jones, a good one in Tate, and a 3rd down- red zone guy who can get you 5-10 yards here and there but will never be anything more than that. He has 0 running backs. Zero.

 

[LKP]

Stafford is good and finally got weapon help. Compared to his previous year. Stafford has been really good now is elite

 

[dubbsco]

I'm not arguing with you about Stafford. I've said over and over so far that he's been playing the best of his career, and it's not even close.

But to say he suddenly has all these weapons is laughable. He's got one really good WR, another good one, and then a bunch of weak parts around him. This team is so hilariously one-dimensional and yet he's making it all work.

 

[tomdalton22]

I'm not arguing with you about Stafford. I've said over and over so far that he's been playing the best of his career, and it's not even close.

But to say he suddenly has all these weapons is laughable. He's got one really good WR, another good one, and then a bunch of weak parts around him. This team is so hilariously one-dimensional and yet he's making it all work.

His good season is mostly due to the offensive scheme. So far this year, 25% of his pass attempts have been behind the line of scrimmage. In 2014 (last full season without JBC) only 13% of his attempts were behind the L.O.S.

 

[atxlion82]

His good season is mostly due to the offensive scheme. So far this year, 25% of his pass attempts have been behind the line of scrimmage. In 2014 (last full season without JBC) only 13% of his attempts were behind the L.O.S.

Healso leads the league in passes within 10 yards.