Concerns About Matthew Stafford

[Blaze125]

I see all the comments on the offensive line and pass protection, but are we going to ignore this?

http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

2nd in the league in pass blocking (before last week, where they only gave up 2 sacks against "The best defense in the league"?

I get it, the Lions OL has been absolutely awful in the past. But Backus hasn't been that bad this year. Honestly, the worst offensive lineman has been Peterman, and that's mainly because he can be counted on to get at least one penalty a week. It's really easy to pile on the offensive line because of the past, but isn't that the reason everyone bashes the Lions already? Because they've sucked in the past?

14 sacks through 8 games is a pretty damn good feat for a team that gave up 43 in 16 last year. They're on pace to reduce that total by 15. 15! I don't think that the amount of times a QB is hit is taken into account in that data, but that's a pretty damn good improvement.

Game by game amount of sacks:
Week 1 @ Chicago: 2, one to Julius Peppers (Where Stafford was injured)
Week 2 vs. Philadelphia: 2
Week 3 @ Minnesota: 1 (None to Jared Allen (Blocked by Backus))
Week 4 @ Green Bay: 3 (1 to Clay Mathews, the league leader)
Week 5 vs. St. Louis: 1
Week 6 @ New York Giants: 2 (One injured Hill)
Week 8 vs. Washington: 1
Week 9 vs. New York Jets: 2

Only giving up more than 3 sacks in one game is a problem? Allowing 1.75 sacks is something that needs to be addressed? Yes, Stafford got hurt on a sack in the first game of the season. He didn't get hurt on a sack in the game against the Jets, he got hurt when he fell awkwardly on the ball. You can argue that the earlier sacks could have led to the injury, but it isn't like the Lions OL is completely sucking out there.

You can also look at interceptions. A lot of interceptions are thrown when there's pressure; Stafford's thrown 1 in 10 quarters of play, and Hill threw 7 in his 5ish games, and Stanton adds 1 to that. Contrast that total of 16 passing touchdowns. That's pretty damn good if you ask me, considering once again where we were at a year ago.

Now I'm not going to say that the run blocking is excellent. According to Football Outsiders, they're 2nd to last in blocking for the run. Can that be improved? Definitely. But seeing how one-dimensional they are in passing and looking at the fact that only 14 sacks have been given up, it's pretty damn amazing for the OL to be performing as well as they are.

Now as for Stafford, I think the injury was a fluke. As was mentioned above in the quote by Schwartz, it wasn't a reaggravation of an old injury so it means that there isn't a problem with a certain part of the shoulder. I feel like if he falls the right way and not onto the ball, this discussion isn't even happening. Everyone is acting like the injury occurred when he got blasted by 2 guys untouched on a blitz, but he simply fell on the ball while scrambling. I don't think that he has an injury problem, and I think that it's just a set of unfortunate circumstances that can go away with an injury-free season.

[CC]

I hope this doesn't turn into another Charles Rogers.

He came out, and made an immediate impact for the Lions. The few games he actually played, he looked like a potential pro-bowler. But, injuries derailed his career, and now he's been in and out of jail. While I don't see Stafford being in and out of jail, injuries could very well end his career.

The Lions seem to have the worst luck with their draft choices. Harrington, Mike Williams, Rogers. It's just getting a bit ridiculous.

And now, just when it is beginning to look like things are turning around, our franchise quarterback, that we've invested a crazy amount of money in, turns out to be made out of glass.

Stafford definitely has it, but if injuries keep him out like this, the Lions are going to have to start all over once again.

They are getting a lot of the right pieces in place, and if Stafford can stay healthy, I can see them turning into a perennial playoff contender in a year or two. But, it's obvious that they need to either change their offensive schemes and/or start drafting/signing better offensive lineman, or else Stafford will just end up being another Joey Harrington.

[Rambo1986]

Matthew Stafford is the Greg Oden of football.

[drventure]

Quote:

Lions QB Stafford reportedly has season-ending shoulder injury The Detroit Lions' preliminary tests revealed quarterback Matthew Stafford has a Grade 3 separation of his throwing shoulder, meaning he would be lost for the season, MLive.com reported Tuesday, citing a source close to the situation. Stafford, who sustained the injury to his right shoulder during Sunday's 23-20 loss to the New York Jets, had an MRI exam on Monday, and it is not known if that test confirmed the team's initial findings. Stafford is expected to get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, just as Stafford did earlier this season for a previous shoulder injury. MLive.com reported that no decisions about Stafford's status for the rest of the season have been made yet. "I've got to talk some more with these doctors and kind of figure out what they're thinking," Stafford told a Detroit radio program Monday night. "It's kind of frustrating to be coming back and, two games later, be knocked out again. We'll take it day by day and figure out what the plan is." Stafford's first shoulder injury this season was a Grade 2 separation, and it kept him out six weeks. With eight weeks remaining in the regular season, a Grade 3 separation likely would prevent Stafford from playing again in 2010. Stafford said his current injury felt "very similar" to his first shoulder separation. On Monday, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said that surgery wasn't being discussed, but that it's too early to tell how severe this injury is. "I think I just, all our tests and consultations and everything else, I just won't comment any more on," Schwartz said. "He'll be thoroughly evaluated." Stafford is dealing with his fourth injury in less than two years. He missed two games with a dislocated right knee cap, and then after playing two games with a separated left shoulder, sat out the final four games of the 2009 season. "I don't question his durability at all," Schwartz said. "He hasn't been able to play as much as he'd like to play, but he hasn't been hampered by hangnails or, you know, headaches or anything like that. He's been hit by 290-pound guys going full speed." The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tough break if true

[z Revis]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

Here's the thing about Stafford. The kid definitely has "IT" but the problem is he's injury prone. This isn't necessarily a harbinger of doom as two really good NFL QBs in the past had very frustrating starts to their career in Jim Plunkett (who had been on two teams and was the backup when he went to Oakland. He's said that he contemplated retirement that year until of course Pastorini got injured) and Phil Simms who was benched in favor of Scott Brunner of all people as he was constantly getting injured but he bulked up a bit and became more durable. I think this is what's Stafford is going through. It's a combination of bad luck and just getting nicked up. If he can survive this over the next couple seasons then he'll become a better QB overall because of it.

He never missed a game in high school or at Georgia. I wouldn't call him injury prone just yet. His durability was never in question when he was drafted, that was the last thing people worried about. I think it's just bad luck.

[Scottdau]

I would say he needs to learn how to not fall on his shoulder. Just like John Gruden told Bradford on that QB special he did this year.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by z Revis

He never missed a game in high school or at Georgia. I wouldn't call him injury prone just yet. His durability was never in question when he was drafted, that was the last thing people worried about. I think it's just bad luck.

I meant injury prone in the pros. I know that Stafford was pretty durable in high school and college. Jim Plunkett wasn't injury prone before he went to the NFL and his first few seasons was full of injury and uninspired play. Same thing for Simms though he came from such a small school that I doubt people realized he needed bulking up which, to his credit he did end up doing.

[Scottdau]

The NFL hit harder, Revis.