To everyone who says Ebron can be like Graham

[everyoneneedsasmil]

The defense is going to come down to development. If you think Ansah gets noticeably better (which he should), then the D-line is probably better overall this year. If you think Slay/Bentley are going to make big strides (not unreasonable in years 2/3), suddenly the DBs look a lot better. Also, hopefully better coaching tones down some of the dumb penalties and overaggression. I think there are good reasons to suspect the defense should be better. It may not be, but it probably should.

Offense is all on Staff. Our WRs outside Calvin were a joke last year. Tate is a great player. Ebron may not make the best reads out of the gate, but he's huge and sure-handed. We've upgraded the real problems in terms of dropped balls and minimal talent. But it still comes back to Staff. Maybe his downfall was the slow weathering of Calvin's injury and bad backups. Maybe he's just a head case who thinks he can do no wrong. If it's the former, there's hope that our better receivers keep him afloat. If it's the latter, well... Marcus Mariota and Jamies Winston are options next year.

 

[dubbsco]

Couldn't have said that any better. This is Stafford's make or break year. If he can't move the chains with what he's got on offense, it's on him, and it's time to move on.

 

[LKP]

The defense is going to come down to development. If you think Ansah gets noticeably better (which he should), then the D-line is probably better overall this year. If you think Slay/Bentley are going to make big strides (not unreasonable in years 2/3), suddenly the DBs look a lot better. Also, hopefully better coaching tones down some of the dumb penalties and overaggression. I think there are good reasons to suspect the defense should be better. It may not be, but it probably should.

Offense is all on Staff. Our WRs outside Calvin were a joke last year. Tate is a great player. Ebron may not make the best reads out of the gate, but he's huge and sure-handed. We've upgraded the real problems in terms of dropped balls and minimal talent. But it still comes back to Staff. Maybe his downfall was the slow weathering of Calvin's injury and bad backups. Maybe he's just a head case who thinks he can do no wrong. If it's the former, there's hope that our better receivers keep him afloat. If it's the latter, well... Marcus Mariota and Jamies Winston are options next year.

Dropping the turnovers down from 34 will help the defense. 10 less. Houston and Slay devleopment will be really nice though. The pass coverage was average even with Houston injury and rookie Slay shitting the bed.

Stafford needs more than one weapon down the field and less drops from his weapons (even Calvin and Bush). He should get most of that with Tate and Ebron and Durham not getting 86 targets with no separation. We are talking about 10 picks in 4 losses for Stafford. I think Caldwell can fix that. He did it with Peyton (41 picks in 2 season prior to Caldwell, Stafford had 39). There were 5 losses with no Stafford picks but 2 without Calvin/one other main weapon/no run game.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Couldn't have said that any better. This is Stafford's make or break year. If he can't move the chains with what he's got on offense, it's on him, and it's time to move on.

Moving the chains wasn't a huge problem..fucking up when he did move them and fucking up late in games.

 

[tomdalton22]

Flacco went from 22 INTs in the two years prior to Caldwell getting there to 32 in the two years he was there. I wouldn't bet on Caldwell fixing Stafford.

 

[dubbsco]

Yeah, he definitely needs to get his head right for sure. I hope he makes it, because the Lions have a lot invested in him. But, at some point you have to move on if the guy can't get it done with this team. This offense, especially after adding another high pick on a luxury position better be one of the best in the league.

 

[LKP]

Flacco went from 22 INTs in the two years prior to Caldwell getting there to 32 in the two years he was there. I wouldn't bet on Caldwell fixing Stafford.

Well 2012 he had 10 picks. I'd take in a season for Stafford. 2013 Flacco lost all his weapons. Weapons plus Caldwell works still.

 

[tomdalton22]

Well 2012 he had 10 picks. I'd take in a season for Stafford. 2013 Flacco lost all his weapons. Weapons plus Caldwell works still.

but he got worse the second year. Just because you lose a few weapons doesn't mean you should throw the ball to the other team. All I am saying is believing that Caldwell is going to work magic with Stafford is kind of like believing in Santa Claus.

 

[LKP]

but he got worse the second year. Just because you lose a few weapons doesn't mean you should throw the ball to the other team. All I am saying is believing that Caldwell is going to work magic with Stafford is kind of like believing in Santa Claus.

It does if there is less separation. Having multiple weapons matters. Boldin, Pitta out. Rice hurt. Bad Oline. No coach can fix that. I think Stafford is way better than Flacco anyway too.

 

[tomdalton22]

It does if there is less separation. Having multiple weapons matters. Boldin, Pitta out. Rice hurt. Bad Oline. No coach can fix that. I think Stafford is way better than Flacco anyway too.

Of course YOU think Stafford is way better than Flacco...but the stats don't back that up. In Flacco's 6 seasons in the NFL he has a QB rating of 83.7 and a completion % of 60.2 and 21,500 yards. Only one season has his comp % been below 59%.

In Stafford's 5 seasons he has a similar QB rating of 83.1 and a completion % of 59.5 and 17,500 yards. Stafford has only been above 60% completion one season.

They are very similar....well except that Flacco carried his team to a Super Bowl title in 2012. I think Flacco gets the tiebreaker with that little accomplishment.

 

[dubbsco]

Stafford is not better than Flacco. When Stafford wins a playoff game, we can talk about that.

 

[atxlion82]

Of course YOU think Stafford is way better than Flacco...but the stats don't back that up. In Flacco's 6 seasons in the NFL he has a QB rating of 83.7 and a completion % of 60.2 and 21,500 yards. Only one season has his comp % been below 59%.

In Stafford's 5 seasons he has a similar QB rating of 83.1 and a completion % of 59.5 and 17,500 yards. Stafford has only been above 60% completion one season.

They are very similar....well except that Flacco carried his team to a Super Bowl title in 2012. I think Flacco gets the tiebreaker with that little accomplishment.

Flacco played great during that Super Bowl run but I would say it was a stretch to say he carried the team

 

[dubbsco]

4 games, 1,140 yards, 11 TDs, 0 picks, it's pretty safe to say he was a huge huge reason why they won the SB.

 

[tomdalton22]

Flacco played great during that Super Bowl run but I would say it was a stretch to say he carried the team

I think I remember them saying he had the best playoff performance by a QB in the SB era. The Ravens were a slightly above average team that year and the QB played lights out and won the SB. I call that carrying them to a SB title.

 

[jdeb]

Stafford has some work to do in order to play at Flacco's level. He has the tools but is not an expert at using them. This is what Caldwell was brought in for. We have brought players in and now coaching in to fix him, should be interesting, especially if it does not translate this year... then what do they do?

 

[LKP]

Stafford moves the ball and scores more than Flacco. 2012 Stafford had less weapons and Flacco had a very strong finish. 2011 and 2013 Stafford blew him out of the water with more weapons. Stafford on tape is the better QB. And Caldwell and Lombardi can fix the ints (which weren't as bad as people make it out to be). 4 games 10 picks in 4 losses (9 picks in wins). There were 9 losses.

 

[tomdalton22]

Stafford moves the ball and scores more than Flacco. 2012 Stafford had less weapons and Flacco had a very strong finish. 2011 and 2013 Stafford blew him out of the water with more weapons. Stafford on tape is the better QB. And Caldwell and Lombardi can fix the ints (which weren't as bad as people make it out to be). 4 games 10 picks in 4 losses (9 picks in wins). There were 9 losses.

I showed you the stats and his SB run and yet you still think Stafford is WAY BETTER than Flacco?

 

[LKP]

TDs you left out conveniently. And 3rd down conversion. And you didn't factor in drop rates. Stafford is better. 2011 and 2013 show that. Give Flacco 2012. And that monster run was when Caldwell took over. And yards per season, Stafford wins too. Flacco is a game manager that doesn't throw picks. Stafford is the Lions offense.

 

[brewer229]

TDs you left out conveniently. And 3rd down conversion. And you didn't factor in drop rates. Stafford is better. 2011 and 2013 show that. Give Flacco 2012. And that monster run was when Caldwell took over. And yards per season, Stafford wins too. Flacco is a game manager that doesn't throw picks. Stafford is the Lions offense.

Calvin Johnson is the Lions offense. It completely goes to shit when he doesn't play.

Oddly enough in my opinion if we had a game manager QB last year we would of probably made the playoffs.

 

[tomdalton22]

TDs you left out conveniently. And 3rd down conversion. And you didn't factor in drop rates. Stafford is better. 2011 and 2013 show that. Give Flacco 2012. And that monster run was when Caldwell took over. And yards per season, Stafford wins too. Flacco is a game manager that doesn't throw picks. Stafford is the Lions offense.

yards per attempt

Stafford - 6.99
Flacco - 6.94

TD per attempt

Stafford - 0.044
Flacco - 0.039

INT per attempt

Stafford - 0.029
Flacco - 0.025

YPA is basically even
TD per attempt slight edge to Stafford
INT per attempt slight edge to Flacco

Playoff success huge edge to Flacco

Flacco is an equal to Stafford with the edge going to Flacco due to his HUGE success in the SB run.