Matthew Stafford’s Moment Has Arrived

What does a Great Quarterback’s career look like? Is it defined by individual statistical prowess, or team success (championships, playoff wins, etc.)? The answer, of course, is some combination of both, although not necessarily in equal measure. We, as an ever judgmental football-watching public, demand to see the raw numbers that support claims of greatness. Touchdown to interception ratios, yardage totals, completion percentages. All figures that, if up to snuff, validate a quarterback’s place in the greatness conversation, like an artist needing to paint a faithful picture of a house before going abstract.

But we also need to see team success, as proof that this ostensibly Great Quarterback can lead his team to their ultimate goal. Winning, after all, is the point of the game. Super Bowls are what we’re after here, not throwing for eight yards per pass attempt.

The Curious Case of Matthew Stafford

These paired requirements for quarterback greatness are what make the case of Matthew Stafford, playing in his first career Super Bowl this Sunday for the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals, so interesting. Stafford spent the first 12 years of his career filling that first requirment with some impressive statistics. In a dozen seasons with the Detroit Lions, the 2009 first-overall pick averaged 7.2 yards per attempt, 23.5 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions per year, and a 62.6 completion percentage. Over the entire decade of the 2010’s, only Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Matt Ryan threw more touchdowns. All of those quarterbacks are considered likely Hall of Famers. Yet Stafford, up until this season, hadn’t been considered of that class.

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Stafford demonstrated a winning moxie in Detroit as well. He led the league in fourth-quarter comebacks twice, and game-winning drives three times. Yet the fulfillment of that second criterion for greatness, team success, consistently eluded him. Stafford made the playoffs just three times as a Lion, losing in the Wild Card round each time. As far as his Lions playoff statistics go, well, they’re a mixed bag. He played quite well in his first postseason game against the New Orleans Saints in 2011, posting three touchdowns and 380 yards. In 2014 against the Dallas Cowboys, he put up a very respectable 323 yards to go along with a touchdown pass. His 2016 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, however, was a dud. In that game, he managed to complete just 18 of his 32 attempts for 205 yards.

Stafford rarely received much help from his supporting cast in Detroit. Sure, the Lions had other good players during his time, such as Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh, but the areas of the team that have virtually nothing to do with the quarterback, the defense and the running game, let Stafford down more often than not. Over his 12 seasons in Detroit, the Lions’ defense averaged a ranking of just 20th by yards allowed per game. Over that same span, the Lions rushing attack averaged an even worse ranking of 26th by yards gained per game. As is apparent, if Detroit was going to do any winning over the last decade-plus, it was going to be spurred by Stafford’s right arm.

Stafford’s Second Life

Stafford’s long-time limbo in Detroit often aroused the question: What could he accomplish in a better situation? On Sunday night, Stafford will provide an answer. After four seasons of contending but falling short, head coach Sean McVay sought an upgrade at quarterback to put his Rams over the top. He identified Stafford as his man. In a blockbuster trade that netted the Lions’ two first-round picks and quarterback Jared Goff, Los Angeles acquired Stafford last offseason. The former Georgia Bulldog has responded with one of the best seasons of his career. In L.A., equipped with elite weapons such as Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., and the now-injured Robert Woods, Stafford amassed 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns, and a 102.0 quarterback rating in the regular season. He’s been even better this postseason, throwing for 9.1 yards per attempt with a 115.6 quarterback rating over three games.

If this season has been a sundae of redemption for Stafford after a career toiling in frustration with Detroit, a Super Bowl victory over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals would be the trophy-shaped cherry on top. Fairly or not, when it comes to diagnosing greatness among quarterbacks, getting that cherry can make all the difference. Stafford is one win away from pairing the ultimate in team success with his already impressive individual accomplishments. Once he does that, a spot in Canton could be well within his future.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.