Playoff win would boost Lions’ Stafford
The Detroit Lions are in the playoffs for only one reason: Matthew Stafford.
He has had a fantastic season, especially in the clutch, leading the Lions to eight come-frombehind victories. He threw for more than 4,000 yards for the sixth consecutive year while lowering his interception rate, and he finished the regular season with a 93.3 passer rating.
But ultimately quarterbacks are judged by their success in the postseason, and to this point Stafford is 0-for-2 in playoff games in his career.
For Stafford to reach the next level, for him to get a different type of respect, it’s pretty simple: He has to win in the playoffs.
But that seems darn near impossible in Saturday’s NFC wildcard game at Seattle, considering the Lions don’t have a consistent running game. They don’t have any momentum after losing three in a row. Their offensive line is young and beaten up. Their defense has given up 73 points over its last two games. And the Seahawks have won nine consecutive home playoff games.
Oh, one more thing. Stafford has a finger injury. And if he took off the splint, I fear the tip of his finger would fall off. So he plans to play with the glove and not take it off.
“I don’t think that’s really possible, to tell you the truth, kind of need to have it,” he said.
But Stafford remains ever the optimist.
“We’re a hardened group,” he said. “We’ve been through a three-game losing streak this season and bounced right back.”
After his first 12 games, Stafford was being mentioned as an MVP candidate. He was completing 67.2% of his passes and threw 21 touchdown passes with just five interceptions, and his passer rating was 100.5.
But his numbers dropped across the board. Since the injury, he is completing 60.3% of his passes, has thrown just three TDs with five interceptions and has a 74.1 rating.
Granted, other factors have contributed to the decline. The Lions have played a tougher schedule down the stretch. They lost running back Theo Riddick. They have had to shuffle the offensive line because of center Travis Swanson’s brain injury, and right tackle Riley Reiff sat out last week with an injury. All that adds up. Still, Stafford claims the finger has not affected his performance.
“I don’t think it really does, honestly. I feel pretty solid with it,” he said. “You know, obviously, I have to make some changes, but nothing drastic.”
Translation: You think I would tell you? Get real.
But there have been some positive signs for the Lions. On Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, Stafford completed several passes downfield and had his most efficient game since the injury with a 96.3 passer rating, completing 63.4% of his passes with two touchdowns and an interception, although he did get lucky when Clay Matthews dropped another interception.
“He looked great last week,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said of Stafford in a conference call with Detroit reporters. “He was ripping it and, obviously, he’s through all that, but I mean ev- erybody expects him to just be exactly the same when he’s playing with a busted finger, man. I mean that’s amazing that he can even throw the darn thing. I think he’s back flying and going, it looks like. So we’re ready for everything he’s got and we know that he’s a fantastic football player. I just love the way he’s shown the competitiveness at the end of the games to always stay in it.”
To beat Seattle, Stafford would have to play outstanding and everything would have to fall into place perfectly. Think about how the Lions beat the New Orleans Saints. They would have to hold on to the ball, put together several long time-consuming drives, relying mostly on a shortpassing game, keeping their defense on the sideline. And they would need breaks.
Will that happen? The odds are against it.
Few, if anybody, expect the Lions to win this game.
But still, this is a great opportunity for Stafford.
It would give Stafford a jawdropping, signature victory to go with all those jaw-dropping comebacks.
And any lingering doubts about Stafford would be all but gone.