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inkfreq
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The same guy who just a few years ago rated Stafford as the 16th best QB in football, and the year before that called him overrated.... just called him "elite".
What in the hell is this guy smoking? I am not nearly as down on Stafford as many on this board, but there is no way in hell I would use the word "elite" to describe the guy.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...-clayton-ranking-best-backup-quarterbacks-nfl
Q: I have been a long-suffering Detroit Lions fan for 45 years! One playoff win in my lifetime. They have had some very talented teams over the years. Barry, Herman, Suh, Spielman, Calvin and, yes, even Stafford. So now I will ask: Where do you put this year's team at? Can this possibly be the team that can finish off the year with the big surprise? I may be asking a lot because, after all, they are the Lions! I have a different feeling this year. They have a lot of talent in all the right positions, and it seems like they will be a lot deeper as a whole.
Bill in Mesa, Arizona
A: You're right about their depth: Pro Football Focus recently ranked their roster 11th overall. They have an elite quarterback in Matthew Stafford. My concern is the impact of losing their top four defensive tackles, particularly Ndamukong Suh. Though there is still enough talent along the defensive line, I would anticipate a drop-off in run defense. They gave up only 69.3 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Even with the addition of Haloti Ngata, you would have to think the defense is going to give up more than 100 yards a game on the ground. If that happens, it would be hard for them to again allow only 17.6 points per game (third overall in 2014). I also see a problem with the running game. They averaged only 3.6 yards a carry last season, and unless Ameer Abdullah and Joique Bell can get that average above 4.2, the Lions might be in that eight-to-10 win range. I think they can make a wild-card run, but I don't see a deep run in the playoffs.
What in the hell is this guy smoking? I am not nearly as down on Stafford as many on this board, but there is no way in hell I would use the word "elite" to describe the guy.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...-clayton-ranking-best-backup-quarterbacks-nfl
Q: I have been a long-suffering Detroit Lions fan for 45 years! One playoff win in my lifetime. They have had some very talented teams over the years. Barry, Herman, Suh, Spielman, Calvin and, yes, even Stafford. So now I will ask: Where do you put this year's team at? Can this possibly be the team that can finish off the year with the big surprise? I may be asking a lot because, after all, they are the Lions! I have a different feeling this year. They have a lot of talent in all the right positions, and it seems like they will be a lot deeper as a whole.
Bill in Mesa, Arizona
A: You're right about their depth: Pro Football Focus recently ranked their roster 11th overall. They have an elite quarterback in Matthew Stafford. My concern is the impact of losing their top four defensive tackles, particularly Ndamukong Suh. Though there is still enough talent along the defensive line, I would anticipate a drop-off in run defense. They gave up only 69.3 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Even with the addition of Haloti Ngata, you would have to think the defense is going to give up more than 100 yards a game on the ground. If that happens, it would be hard for them to again allow only 17.6 points per game (third overall in 2014). I also see a problem with the running game. They averaged only 3.6 yards a carry last season, and unless Ameer Abdullah and Joique Bell can get that average above 4.2, the Lions might be in that eight-to-10 win range. I think they can make a wild-card run, but I don't see a deep run in the playoffs.
