Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford is heralded by both local fans and media alike as being a terrific NFL QB. Some have even dared suggest -- get ready for this -- he's a borderline future Hall of Famer. Well then. Let's look a little closer.
Stafford is in his 7th year with the Lions. At last look, his regular season record was 36-49, for a .424 winning percentage. Further, under Stafford's "leadership" the Lions have yet to win a single playoff game over all those years. Do those sound like Hall-worthy numbers?
Ah, but the Honolulu blue and silver koolaiders will respond by saying Stafford is one of only three QBs to pass for more than 5000 yards in a single season. Indeed he is, but those same people conveniently neglect to mention all his miscues along the way.
Over his career, Stafford has thrown for 144 touchdowns and 96 interceptions. Three TDs to every two picks is a horrible percentage. This year alone, Stafford has 13 TD passes and 11 picks. That's even worse. Again, do those sound like HOF stats?
While supposedly in the "prime" of his career, Stafford currently finds himself ranked #25 out of 32 NFL starting quarterbacks.
Rookies Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, of Tampa Bay and Tennessee respectively, check in at #17 and #19. That means even rookies on bad teams are considered better than Stafford. To boot, Blake Bortles -- BLAKE BORTLES -- of the always terrible Jax Jags is ranked ahead of the Georgia Peach. So is Josh McCown of Cleveland, and he's been benched as a starter for the Browns in favor of the ever-lovable Johnny Football. Even Ryan Mallet of the sad-sack Houston Texans checks in above Stafford at #23.
So let me see if I have this right. Matthew Stafford has a career winning percentage of .424, has never won a single playoff game since his debut in 2009, has a pedestrian touchdown to interception ratio over all that time, the Lions have plummeted into the NFL basement this year with a 1-7 record, and dear Matthew is currently ranked near the bottom of all QBs in the league. Did I miss anything?
Yet the fans and media in the Detroit area continue to think Stafford could be a border-line Hall of Famer? REALLY????
Wow. Yours truly has no idea what the Motowners put in the koolaid they keep chugging. But whatever it is -- it's some mighty potent stuff. Evidently mind-altering.
Next thing you know, maybe the Honolulu blue and silver faithful will start a grass roots campaign to get recently retired center Dominic Raiola into the Oval Office as President in 2020. Never mind he was the loosest of cannons and the losingest player in the history of the NFL. Give Lions' fans five more years of swilling the same brew -- duly perpetuated by their media -- and who knows what hare-brained idea they might come up with?
But methinks the voters that determine who eventually gets a plaque in Canton have a little -- make that a lot -- more sense.
Matthew Stafford?
Puh-leeze.
If anything, the voters will drink the Kool-Aid.
ReplyDelete"Well, he did play for the Lions. That explains his career winning percentage and lack of playoff wins. I mean, the Lions only won 1 playoff game with Barry."
"Let's put him in. Playing for the Lions takes fortitude."
Interesting thought Anon. Didn't consider that angle. But on further review, I'm not buying it. Though Barry only won one playoff game (I was there in the Dome to watch the Lions trash Dallas), he was regarded as one of the best RBs in the league. Conversely, Stafford is ranked as one of the WORST QBs in the league. It's black and white -- no pun intended. Have a good one and thanks for commenting.
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