That's some of the problem with Stafford IMO. He gets coddled so much by those around him. Would it be so blasphemous to say, "Stafford had a good season but he needs to get better"?
Mayhew has done exactly that before. After 2013 he was pretty critical of Stafford.
https://lockerdome.com/6265520638935361/6304468677439764
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...laims-matthew-stafford-is-improving-steadily/
-----DEARBORN — Manny Ramirez was here during the bad days. Back when the Detroit Lions lost a lot. Back when they lost them all.
And he remembers what the locker room used to be like.
"Everyone would come in, do their job and bounce," said Ramirez, who originally played for the Lions from 2007-10. "Not really many players hung out together in the locker room and all that stuff."
And now?
"Now everyone wants to be together," the offensive lineman said. "Wants to be in the building, wants to work out every day. It's definitely different."
Case in point?
Quarterback Matthew Stafford took his offensive line to a recent Tigers game for some recent bonding time.
Stafford knows he needs to be better this year. Knows the offense needs to be better. But when asked what's the greatest challenge facing him personally this season, he cited the development of that offensive line.-----
Does that make you feel better?
Personally, I don't give a flying fuck about what GM's and coaches say in public about their current players. It's all coach speak.
Do ANY digging and you'll find everyone from Mayhew to Lombardi to Caldewell to Schwartz to Linehan to Stafford all saying he needs to do a better job of different aspects of his game. You can hate #9 all you want, to each his own, but your opinion on this subject is misinformed.
