If Matthew Stafford type QBwas at helm would the playoff drought have ended?

[BuffaloBlitz83]

Last 2-3 seasons would he being at QB have brought us 2-3 extra wins to break it?

Looking at the Lions roster on offense and I feel we have better players overall on Offense not D

If the answer is Yes, its obvious the QB is what is holding us back from playoffs because we'll never get the top coaches to accept under the ownership in place.

[Mace]

Last 2-3 seasons would he being at QB have brought us 2-3 extra wins to break it?

Looking at the Lions roster on offense and I feel we have better players overall on Offense not D

If the answer is Yes, its obvious the QB is what is holding us back from playoffs because we'll never get the top coaches to accept under the ownership in place.

Well sure, but then you have to replace the offense, the base of running game, better receivers, QB coach and OC. Stafford can't run a read option.

[justasportsfan]

To go with our running game? Definitely

[swiper]

If Matthew Stafford type QBwas at helm would the playoff drought have ended?

Of course.

[Luisito23]

Of course.

LOL...Dumb question.

[YardRat]

Not this season...the defense and special teams were just too horrible to overcome. I don't even think having a Brady, Rodgers or Big Ben helps. Last season...maybe. 2014...definitely.

[DraftBoy]

Well sure, but then you have to replace the offense, the base of running game, better receivers, QB coach and OC. Stafford can't run a read option.

This.

If you put Stafford in this offense it's likely worse than it was. The entire scheme would need to change along with a lot of personnel.

[BertSquirtgum]

Yes.

[WagonCircler]

This.

If you put Stafford in this offense it's likely worse than it was. The entire scheme would need to change along with a lot of personnel.

Horsecrap. If you have Matthew Stafford, it allows you to to things on Offense that you can't do with Tyrod, like throw over the middle. You can make first downs without have your QB scramble all over the place--an d not because he doesn't have time to throw (Tyrod had the most time to throw in the NFL) but because he can't visually process, analyze and execute. Tyrod is an athlete, not a Quarterback.

Stafford makes Clay into the player he was supposed to be. Stafford allows for McCoy to have an even better season, because Defenses have to gameplan against a complete Offense.

[BuffaloBlitz83]

Horsecrap. If you have Matthew Stafford, it allows you to to things on Offense that you can't do with Tyrod, like throw over the middle. You can make first downs without have your QB scramble all over the place--an d not because he doesn't have time to throw (Tyrod had the most time to throw in the NFL) but because he can't visually process, analyze and execute. Tyrod is an athlete, not a Quarterback.

Stafford makes Clay into the player he was supposed to be. Stafford allows for McCoy to have an even better season, because Defenses have to gameplan against a complete Offense.

Woods and Watkins look a lot happier too

[DraftBoy]

Horsecrap. If you have Matthew Stafford, it allows you to to things on Offense that you can't do with Tyrod, like throw over the middle. You can make first downs without have your QB scramble all over the place--an d not because he doesn't have time to throw (Tyrod had the most time to throw in the NFL) but because he can't visually process, analyze and execute. Tyrod is an athlete, not a Quarterback.

Stafford makes Clay into the player he was supposed to be. Stafford allows for McCoy to have an even better season, because Defenses have to gameplan against a complete Offense.

No, it's not.

Our entire run scheme was predicated on our ability to run the read option effectively because defenses couldn't just key on Shady. With Stafford you can run the read option so that's a complete shift in the running attack. Also don't overlook how much our running attack set the tone for our entire offense. A lot of those deep balls Taylor got against 1 on 1 coverage were because the defense had to respect he and Shady out of the backfield. Against Stafford you'll likely see a lot more Cover 2 over the top help.

Passing wise we only had half the field open as reads which also doesn't fit Stafford. It also shifts our blocking mentality up front to a more conventional pocket every down v. some moving pockets and some standard. The WR's aren't really very effected outside of the fact that the whole field will be open to reads now instead of half the field.

Is it an impossible adjustment? No, but we don't have the personnel to pull it off if you're only change is Taylor for Stafford.

[YardRat]

I don't think the read option was as much a part of the offense that replacing it would have affected it that much. Also, it's not like the defenses didn't have reads installed to predicate where the safeties and LBers should be/go after the snap. It's not unusual to show cover 1, sneak a safety closer to shallow routes/be prepared to rush the read option when it's shown, or drop back into a cover 2 zone area when it isn't. That's what defenses do.

[DraftBoy]

I don't think the read option was as much a part of the offense that replacing it would have affected it that much. Also, it's not like the defenses didn't have reads installed to predicate where the safeties and LBers should be/go after the snap. It's not unusual to show cover 1, sneak a safety closer to shallow routes/be prepared to rush the read option when it's shown, or drop back into a cover 2 zone area when it isn't. That's what defenses do.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this then. To me based on the amount of time we spent on shotgun a defense had to constantly account backside for the read option on every play because of how dangerous Taylor was with his feet. Additionally on passing downs we saw a lot of DE's playing contain and LB/S spies that opened up coverage a lot more deep than I think you see with Stafford as the QB.

Let me be 100% clear, Stafford is 100x the QB that Taylor is. He's a pure passer with everything that you want in an ideal QB and I'd love to have him. I just think that with him at QB the offensive changes are pretty big and I think our OL issues on the right side become a lot more apparent with Stafford than they did with Taylor.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

The Lions offense - led by an extremely Stafford-esque QB, with a highly-regarded offensive coaching staff, far fewer injuries to their skill players, and who played 10 games in domes - scored 53 fewer points, gained 200 fewer yards, and committed 3 more turnovers than Buffalo. A Buffalo team who fired their OC in September, benched their QB over a contract dispute, and got full seasons out of only 3 of their starting 11.

Stafford is a far better passer than Taylor, but that doesn't guarantee his offense is going to be better, or that it's going to lead to more wins. The defense cost us the playoffs this year, full stop.

[WagonCircler]

No, it's not.

Our entire run scheme was predicated on our ability to run the read option effectively because defenses couldn't just key on Shady. With Stafford you can run the read option so that's a complete shift in the running attack. Also don't overlook how much our running attack set the tone for our entire offense. A lot of those deep balls Taylor got against 1 on 1 coverage were because the defense had to respect he and Shady out of the backfield. Against Stafford you'll likely see a lot more Cover 2 over the top help.

Passing wise we only had half the field open as reads which also doesn't fit Stafford. It also shifts our blocking mentality up front to a more conventional pocket every down v. some moving pockets and some standard. The WR's aren't really very effected outside of the fact that the whole field will be open to reads now instead of half the field.

Is it an impossible adjustment? No, but we don't have the personnel to pull it off if you're only change is Taylor for Stafford.

We absolutely have the personnel to pull it off. The OL is versatile, and probably the best unit on the team. O'Leary is a good blocking TE.

Read option doesn't win championships. It's a fad, and it sucks. Pocket passers win championships.

Fads get you to 7-9.

[Mouldsie]

I'm no Tyrod apologist but he was far down on the list of problems (that started with the defense and WR's) and helped the run game a lot more than he hurt it. With a better pocket passer we might have a better offense but not a better run game.

[DraftBoy]

We absolutely have the personnel to pull it off. The OL is versatile, and probably the best unit on the team. O'Leary is a good blocking TE.

Read option doesn't win championships. It's a fad, and it sucks. Pocket passers win championships.

Fads get you to 7-9.

I think the OL is versatile, but I think the right side looks much worse without a mobile QB back there. Also O'Leary isn't a good blocking TE, he's just the best we have.

I agree it doesn't, but that was our scheme and bringing in a QB who can't run that requires an entire scheme overhaul.

[Mouldsie]

I think the OL is versatile, but I think the right side looks much worse without a mobile QB back there. Also O'Leary isn't a good blocking TE, he's just the best we have.

I agree it doesn't, but that was our scheme and bringing in a QB who can't run that requires an entire scheme overhaul.

You forget that O'Leary is white and white guys are good blockers. They also have high motors.

[YardRat]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this then. To me based on the amount of time we spent on shotgun a defense had to constantly account backside for the read option on every play because of how dangerous Taylor was with his feet. Additionally on passing downs we saw a lot of DE's playing contain and LB/S spies that opened up coverage a lot more deep than I think you see with Stafford as the QB.

Yeah I guess we'll have to, I just don't see the read option as big of a quandary for defenses as you do. A pre-snap read looking for read option, even if it's every play, really isn't that big of a deal. DE's could play more contain (and they should have) and LB/S spies could sit in a shallow zone because every team pretty much knew Taylor was more likely to beat them with his feet than his arm, and for the most part defenses were pretty effective against it. Maybe it did open up deep coverage, but Taylor rarely was able to take advantage of it.


Let me be 100% clear, Stafford is 100x the QB that Taylor is. He's a pure passer with everything that you want in an ideal QB and I'd love to have him. I just think that with him at QB the offensive changes are pretty big and I think our OL issues on the right side become a lot more apparent with Stafford than they did with Taylor.

I don't think the changes would be that major, a real passer would overcome any loss of Taylor's running threat by forcing more guys out of the box more often and theoretically open up more space for Shady and Gillie. Running the read option puts more guys in the box to not only account for Taylor but be closer to make a play on the RB's. A QB that can actually throw the ball will back them off.

Would the oline, especially the right side, be 'worse'? Maybe...probably...but somebody like Stafford isn't exactly a statue, and there really isn't much difference between a passing QB facing 2nd and 18 and a running QB facing 2nd and 12 because he avoided the 'big' sack only to run out of bounds for a two yard loss. For my money, I'd rather have a guy that can throw the ball in 2nd 18 than one that can't (or won't) in 2nd and 12.

[WagonCircler]

I think the OL is versatile, but I think the right side looks much worse without a mobile QB back there. Also O'Leary isn't a good blocking TE, he's just the best we have.

I agree it doesn't, but that was our scheme and bringing in a QB who can't run that requires an entire scheme overhaul.

This entire team needs an overhaul.

This just in: QBs who can pass are infinitely more valuable than QBs who can run.

BTW, Matthew Stafford is a far more than adequate runner.

[WagonCircler]

You forget that O'Leary is white and white guys are good blockers. They also have high motors.

Don't worry, the entire team and coaching staff will be black soon. Then I'm sure you'll be thrilled.