Matthew Stafford is the #1 Qb in Detriot. Sorry Mr. Culpeppper!!

[SPTO]

If the Lions follow the Falcons script of keeping the offense simple (not vanilla mind you) then Stafford will do well. This isn't a team that's going to make the playoffs but they're not going to be the biggest embarrassment in the league like last year. I have a feeling the Lions will lose a lot of close games. Fans will have to be patient as we don't want this to be another Joey Harrington experience and if things look really good early on don't expect TOO much or else this'll be another Chuck Long situation.

[CM Hooe]

If Detroit's offensive line isn't much better than it was last season (haven't watch any Lions football this preseason so I don't know if that is the case), then I fear for Stafford's life.

I'm not sure I buy the comparisons to the Matt Ryan situation at this point either because of the issues that they may have on the offensive line, and the fact that they don't have one Michael Turner who proved himself to be a certified beast last year. Not saying Kevin Smith isn't capable, he just isn't Michael Turner yet.

I would have picked Culpepper and gone the Carson Palmer route with Stafford, but hopefully this works out for the Lions.

[Kruza]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

Let him sit. They have a new toy and they want to use it but when that tou get broken then what?

Again... sit Stafford for what? The guy knows the all plays and has already earned respect of his teammates. The only reason to even think about sitting him now would be if the coaches didn't have enough confidence in the offensive line and the run game to give him a chance to blossom, and trust me when I say the offensive line is a whole lot better than the current national perception of this unit coming mostly from pundits who obviously haven't been keeping close track of what's going on with this team over the last few years. Incompetent coaching (Rod Marinelli & Jim Colletto) was the biggest reason on why the mess occurred last year, and just plain stubbornness on the part of Mike Martz was the biggest issue during the years before.

Kruza

[grunt]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kruza

Again... sit Stafford for what? The guy knows the all plays and has already earned respect of his teammates. The only reason to even think about sitting him now would be if the coaches didn't have enough confidence in the offensive line and the run game to give him a chance to blossom, and trust me when I say the offensive line is a whole lot better than the current national perception of this unit coming mostly from pundits who obviously haven't been keeping close track of what's going on with this team over the last few years. Incompetent coaching (Rod Marinelli & Jim Colletto) was the biggest reason on why the mess occurred last year, and just plain stubbornness on the part of Mike Martz was the biggest issue during the years before. Kruza

Knowing the plays are great but playing against NFL defenses is very hard. If the run game can support him then fine but whe he see 8 in the box and in reality it is a zone blitz then the hits and ints will pile up.

[Kruza]

Well, these are the kinds of things that Stafford can only learn from actually being out there playing. Looking at a bunch of notes from the sidelines while observing how Daunte Culpepper handle this situation is not going to help Stafford deal with this type of adversity any better than it would if he were facing it himself. The Lions play several teams with 3-4 defenses and hybrid 3-4/4-3 defenses this year, so I do expect to see Stafford throw most of his interceptions and take the most sacks against these teams during the season. At this point people will just have to hope Stafford has the mental makeup to shake off bad performances quickly so to not let it rattle his confidence, face up to the media and press during all the bad times while explaining any mistakes he made, and then make sure to not repeat those mistakes in the future.

Kruza

[steelcurtain311]

Eh. You can make the argument for both sides, but really, I don't see why he shouldn't just start out of the gate if he's shown the signs that he's ready to. If he gets killed, he gets killed. Most rookies do. And it makes them better for it. Is it seriously going to help him to sit on the bench and watch Daunte Culpepper suck for 8 games, while the fans boo him and are only buying tickets to see Stafford play?

No matter what, this isn't a Matt Ryan or Ben Roethlisberger situation. If Stafford starts, it isn't going to take them to the playoffs. At best, they win like 5 games, which I know, is a huge improvement for them. Which is why I can also see how it makes sense from the "let him sit for half the season" point of view. Why let him get killed all year for nothing?

[wwharton]

The names of rookies who had potential that appeared to be destroyed by starting too early seems endless. Without watching a second of any game my gut reaction is to always sit the rookie QB... especially if you have someone else who's capable.

But I actually have watched a few Lions preseason games (and Jets) and I actually think both these guys are ready to be handed the keys right away. Stafford looks good, and not just throwing the ball. I have to agree with Kruza.

[steelcurtain311]

The rookies who get ruined from it usually get ruined because they're thrown right into the fire, in a poor system, without the proper care. They're given too much responsibility. With guys like Ryan, Ben, Flacco, etc, they were thrown in there to hand it off a good majority of the game. Do that with Stafford and I don't see why he can't get some good experience this season, even if he doesn't start all 16 games.