The Detroit Lions are the NFL's only winless team and there's plenty of blame to go around.
The coaching staff provides a bland, uninspired game plan on a weekly basis.
The running game is more or less non-existent, the offensive line a complete non-factor.
And whether it’s fair or not, whether there is appropriate help for him or not, much of the blame also falls directly on the shoulders of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
It is time, finally, for this franchise to move in a new direction.
Making such a declaration does not mean the 0-5 record is entirely Stafford's fault. It simply acknowledges that this is the seventh year in Detroit for the 27-year-old quarterback and not nearly enough progress has been shown during that time. In pro sports, being at one position for one franchise for almost a decade is an eternity. It’s starting to feel like it.
When certain followers of the team make this suggestion, the natural retort by Honolulu blue-bleeding fans is, “Oh yeah?? Who you gonna get that’s better?”
That simple-minded argument no longer holds water.
To be fair, the new guy might not be better right away, and he might not even be better in five years, but at least it’s something different.
Stale Core
The core of this team has gone stale. Even if there are more struggles to be had next year and the year after, can’t it at least be with some different characters in key roles?
The Lions are not only putting forth a negative product this season, they are doing so in uninteresting fashion. Sunday's blowout loss to the Cardinals at home lacked any discernible pride or passion from the home team. Least interested of all appeared to be Stafford, the man holding the most control over the outcome.
Believe it or not, this off-season there were still Lions’ fans shouting from the rooftops that 2015 was going to be the year it all came together for #9. It’s the classic case of not letting solid facts get in the way of a good story.
It’s just blind faith. If you look at Stafford’s play objectively, you realize there are flaws that he entered the league with in 2009 that continue to plague him today: turnovers that come in waves, an unwillingness to really take chances down the field, and a disturbing lack of mobility in and out of the pocket.
Look at a guy like Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo and you see how important a little running ability can take a seemingly mediocre or even less-than-average quarterback and turn him into something the league begins to fear. Same goes for Russell Wilson. He is not the most accurate thrower, but when blended with a threat to scramble at any time, he becomes a dynamic player at the position.
Of course you can exist as a quarterback in the NFL and play at a high level without being a world-class sprinter. But you better toss the ball with precision and have a supreme understanding of how and when to slip out of the impending rush. These are not strong suits of Matthew Stafford. And really, what are?
But again, it’s not just a smash job on Stafford here. He is not the worst quarterback in the league. Finding a replacement to come in and win games is much easier said than done.
It is just time for someone new. As followers of the franchise, you can only be expected to watch the same thing with the same guys so many times. Eventually, even if the results are going to stay the same, at least have it be with some changing names and faces. This current product, while obviously unsuccessful, has also ceased to be even a little bit compelling.
It’s not as if Stafford hasn’t been given a fair shake. Over 82 starts and seven seasons, that’s time enough to prove yourself capable of being a franchise quarterback. It didn’t happen, and it’s time we all stop acting as if the verdict is still out.
Maybe he goes elsewhere and transforms his game completely. Maybe he loses 15 pounds, goes to a Manning passing camp, and turns the 49ers or some other team into perennial winners. If that happens, so be it. But the waiting game in Detroit must come to an end.
Issue of Contract
Of course, a large part of the issue with Stafford is his contract. He was given a massive extension a few years back for reasons that remain unknown. So moving him is not the simplest of tasks. But it’s not an impossibility. There are high-priced players in every professional sports league that wear out their welcome in the current digs and need to get traded, benched, waived, etc. The club might have to deal with some unpleasant financial ramifications, but in these instances, it comes when they are left with no other choice.
Such is the current reality for these Detroit Lions. The coach, the GM, the offensive coordinator, the owners; all share in the blame for this moribund NFL program. But above all else, this is a quarterback’s league. It is they who dictate TV ratings and they who often decide the final score on the field.
Draft Robert Griffin and the franchise struggles for several years. Draft Peyton Manning and the team contends for a title annually. Draft Matthew Stafford and just sort of exist perpetually in the sad middle-earth of the NFL.
It’s been the elephant in the room for several years -- Stafford’s career in Detroit has mirrored that of Scott Mitchell. It’s just too terrifying a reality for everyone to face.
Yesterday doesn’t have to be the very end of this story. There are still 11 games left on the schedule and a healthy portion of Dan Orlovsky never comes doctor-recommended. Stafford can play the year out and make some final Motown memories.
But then let that be the end. This relationship has more than run its course. A break-up needs to take place, whether the news is delivered in person or over the phone.
And then at least we can look to a new face to usher in this next period of Lions’ football.
Maybe it’s Connor Cook, maybe it’s Cardale Jones, maybe it’s some current NFL backup looking for a place to grab the starting nod. But it can’t continue to be Matt Stafford.
You draft a guy first overall and pray he’s destined for NFL stardom. If it doesn’t happen, you must be willing to accept the body blow and move on.
In chess, when death is inevitable, sometimes you are forced to move out your king and sacrifice him to the opposition. That time has come for the Lions.
They are facing checkmate.
The next round might be better, it might be worse.
But it’s impossible to move on without admitting defeat and starting fresh.
