On April 25th, 2009 the Detroit Lions selected Matthew Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft. It’s a decision that has proven to be one of the best in the Lions long and often painful history.
Going into his ninth NFL season now, Stafford can show that the decision to draft him wasn’t just one of the Lions’ better choices, but the best decision the franchise has made in the Super Bowl era.
Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report seems to think so at least.
“Stafford is also a guy around whom a few ingredients—some subtle and some not—are coalescing at the right time.
First, and most clearly, Stafford is developing into a really talented quarterback.
He’s reading defenses better. He’s putting more touch on the ball. He’s just…nastier. And that’s meant as the greatest of compliments.”
Stafford already holds the Lions record for passing yards and passing touchdowns. And this season, Stafford has every opportunity to place himself alongside Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as perhaps a top-3 quarterback in this league.
If Stafford continues to progress, he is going to have a serious shot at being recognized as the league’s most valuable player.
Jan 1, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY SportsAfter playing in only 13 games over his first two NFL seasons, Stafford has proven his toughness by playing in every game the previous six seasons. He’s logged minimum 4,000 yards passing in each of those seasons. The former Georgia product has also now led his teams to three playoff appearances in the last six years, something Lions fans haven’t seen in two decades.
So why expect Stafford to be an MVP candidate?
Stafford has continued to get better, as has his football IQ on and off the field. Last season, he had the highest QBR of his career (71.6) and the lowest number of interceptions thrown, giving the ball away only 10 times. It’s impressive for a guy that threw the ball almost 600 hundred times.
The right weapons have been assembled for Stafford to display his elite arm and his top-tier decision making. He has veteran wide receivers in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones along side an improving tight end in Eric Ebron.
And of course, he will also have the (hopeful) rookie sensation, Kenny Golladay. As nice as that stable of receivers is Stafford will benefit more from the men in front of him.
For the first time in a while, there is some confidence surrounding the Lions offensive line. Adding Rick Wagner and T.J. Lang will take the lions ability to run the ball and pass protect to another level. Speaking of running the ball, Stafford will also have Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick to use as versatile weapons in the offensive game, taking some of the burdens off Stafford’s shoulders. Placing more trust in the running game Stafford will be able to use offensive diversity to his advantage.
Mike Freeman closed his argument for Stafford as MVP by saying,
After we just experienced a total solar eclipse across the United States for the first time in decades, the notion that Stafford could cast a shadow over the NFL is totally possible.
For Lions fans we will take hope anywhere we can get it, even if it’s a message from the solar eclipse.
