Friday Notes: Matthew Stafford Discusses QB Situation

by Sean Yuille on Jun 19, 2009 1:36 PM EDT in Notes Comment 23 comments

Matthew Stafford has recently been making appearances in the media to promote Axe Hair (one of his endorsement deals), and in a radio interview in his hometown of Dallas, he talked about the Lions' quarterback situation.

"I would love to start Game 1," Stafford said when asked for his ideal scenario on ESPN Radio's Galloway and Co. in his hometown of Dallas. "I think every player that plays in the NFL would love to play every game, and that’s just how I am, and that’s how I attack this season.

"I know there’s going to be a learning curve, and if I don’t start Game 1, I’m not going to get down on myself. I’m going to go out there and try to win a job at some point. I’m in here to win it, though."
That certainly is the right attitude to have as a rookie QB. Obviously the ideal situation for him would be to start from the very beginning of the season, but even if he has to sit on the bench, he can't sulk about it and stop competing.
You can win a trip to the ESPYs and a football signed by Stafford thanks to Axe Hair by entering a sweepstakes on Facebook.
A "Fan Q&A" with Louis Delmas has been posted on the Lions' official site.

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Comments

Moxy

I have to admit Stafford has it. I really hope he does win the #1 job this year. If he does then we may have our Pro Bowl QB of the future. But I still have to stick to the fact that I think CP will win it this year. And if he does, next year he will be a sought after FA becuase this will be Staffords team next year.

by shanndiggit on Jun 19, 2009 5:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

by KDawg on Jun 19, 2009 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lovin Louis more every day

If this guy prepares and plays as well as he answers questions, he will be a great success in the NFL. Lets hope he is as genuine as he sounds.

by Lead Hunter on Jun 19, 2009 6:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hunter

Me too. Being from Kalamazoo, I follow some WMU Football. He’s all over the field, and he hits like a ‘daisy cutter’. In one split second, all the oxygen’s gone from the lungs. I love this guy.

by dylan415 on Jun 19, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have to partly agree with sd

The best short term scenario for the Lions is Daunte winning the job and having a good year, so the Lions can get something for him when Stafford takes over in 2010.

Long term, I like Stafford to start in week one.

by NorthLeft12 on Jun 20, 2009 9:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow

That is quite the contradiction NL….lol. I really hope, if the Lions plan to try trading DC after this season, that he is the starter all year and he has a pro-bowl quality season. If he does not, they will not have much of a chance of getting anything good out of him.

by KDawg on Jun 20, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They got something for Kitna. How good was he?

KDawg, You need to drop your hate on for Stafford. The guy is our future. Daunte is a one year stop gap. If the Lions keep playing Daunte for more than one year we will be looking at another blown first round pick.
If Stafford starts right away and Daunte rides the pines all year, what would any team give us? Why would we give him up? We will need a back up, might as well be him. He is apparently cheap, or else they would have kept our best QB from last year. You remember, Orlovsky.

by NorthLeft12 on Jun 20, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You know what?

I’ll take no trade possibilities with Culpepper for Stafford’s year of experience on the field. I could care less if we get a 6th rd nobody next year for Culpepper. It’s Stafford’s experience that I am concerned about. Of course, Stafford has to be ready to play and showing as much as Daunte to start.

by DrewsLions on Jun 20, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As a matter of fact

Drew, I also could care less if we get anything out of Daunte Culpepper after this year. No matter what he does, we will not get better than a 6th or 7th rounder out of him. If he performs well this year as the starter in Detroit, maybe he will accept the backup role in Motown and be serviceable behind Stafford. If not, then send his ass packing for all I care. The bottom line is that no matter what the case may be, the scenario must play out in a manner which prepares Matt Stafford to take over. If he is ready right now, then by God he better be the starter. If he is not, which I suspect will be the case, then we have to hang our hopes on DC. Best case scenario in my opinion would be for Daunte to handle the starting duty for one more year, having Stafford learning behind him and waiting for his chance. If DC gets hurt, toss the kid to the wolves and hope that he can survive. I absolutely LOVE the idea that we may have a future HOF QB who will be a perenial pro-bowler and an all pro first teamer. However, I am not sold that he is that guy, and I will not be until I see it with my own eyes.

by KDawg on Jun 21, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with everything here, KDawg.

And you’re right… maybe Daunte stays on as a back-up if Staff is the man. Never really thought about that. But, I think DC wants to start and if that’s his longterm goal, maybe it’s his motivation to play well this year and get a starting gig elsewhere after this season. That’s a win-win in my book.

by DrewsLions on Jun 21, 2009 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with that 100%

He might be slow, but he is not so stupid that he does not know Matt Stafford will eventually be the starting QB in Detroit. I would also agree that DC should and will be motivated to play as well as he possibly can if he expects to start somewhere next year. We all seem to agree that he will not be the starter in Detroit next year (even though I previously have said MAYBE he should be Detroit’s starter for 2 more years). In my mind, it would be very difficult to get rid of DC after this season if he turns in a pro-bowl year. And yes I know that is a BIG if, but what happens if he does and Matt Stafford is still not quite up to the level that DC is playing at? Do we then go for what we can get in trade and start Stafford when he is not as good as DC, or do we resign DC again? All I am saying is we should not count Daunte Culpepper out just yet, and even if Stafford proves to be the better man this year or next, if DC is playing well we should try to keep him unless he will not accept a backup role.

by KDawg on Jun 21, 2009 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do not hate Matt Stafford

You need to stop putting words in my mouth. If you would actually read what I wrote instead of making shit up, you would notice that I agree with you that Stafford is the future. I was replying to your comment that “The best short term scenario for the Lions is Daunte winning the job and having a good year, so the Lions can get something for him when Stafford takes over in 2010.” I agree with that statement 100%. Right after that you said that you want Stafford to start week 1. That is a contradictory statement.

You are right that we will not get a damn thing in trade for DC if he rides the pine behind Stafford this year. I also agree with that 100%. Jon Kitna was our STARTER and he was actually a pretty darn good QB. If not for the fact that Dallas has Tony Romo, Kitna would be the starter in Dallas too. Of course we got something out of him in trade, since he is a solid QB and more than a capable backup to Romo. IF the Lions want to trade DC after this year, he needs to show that he has value or else we will NOT get a damn thing out of him, just like you said. I also agree with that!

You tell me not to take things so personally, yet (every time I comment to anything you say) you come back with some pretentious rebuttal unless I agree with what you say unequivocally. You can’t stand it when I serve you a plate of the same medicine you dish out. If you ask me, the only “hate on” is your hate on for me. You do not like anything that I say, and that is all well and good since the feeling is generally mutual. You (and one or two others) say that I can’t take it when anyone disagrees with what I say, yet every single one of you (you know who you are) react in exactly the same fashion. I am sorry if what I write does not compute for you, that is not my fault. The fact of the matter here is that I was agreeing with you (for the most part) and simply pointing out that your statements contradicted one another. Instead of reiterating, you went on the defensive.

I honestly do not understand what your problem is. I have said several times that people need to stop reading into what I say and placing inflection on my words. I am not trying to argue, dicker, or be combative with anyone, and I do not enjoy being involved in contentious debates over nothing!! For the last time, I genuinely hope that Matt Stafford is the best QB that ever put on cleats and shoulder pads, and I sincerely hope that he is the be all and end all savior of the Lions. If he is better than Daunte Culpepper, beyond a reasonable doubt, then by ALL means, PLEASE start him from day 1 Mr. Schwartz!! My OPINION is that he will not be better than Daunte Culpepper this year, and I agree that DC will need to be our starter and prove he has value if we are to in fact get ANYTHING (even a no name 6th or 7th rounder) out of him in trade. I agree that he is not the long term solution, I agree that he is on the downward spiral, and I agree that Matt Stafford is the future of the Detroit Lion’s franchise. Now please, give me a break!

by KDawg on Jun 21, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

KDawg, I do not mean to be combative or insulting.

But I won’t argue the fact that I sometimes come across that way. I’ll do better in the future.

You are one of the more frequent commenters, not to mention one of the more intelligent and thorough. You were probably one of the few on this site that checked out the links to the UGA and Viking sites on Stafford and Daunte, that I posted recently. I appreciate the effort you put in to your comments.

I respect your opinion, and I do not mean to belittle it. I will continue to voice my opinions, and back up my thoughts as best I can. I will [and have] admitted when I am factually or logically incorrect, without taking it personally [I hope].

I do not consider myself to be an expert and am happy to have this type of forum to learn more about NFL football and the many views about the game and the people in it. It is obvious that we see things a little differently. In Canada, we would say “Vivre la difference”, and move on. So let’s move on.

by NorthLeft12 on Jun 22, 2009 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry NL

It just seems to me like you are always out to prove me wrong. I am willing to chalk it up as a difference of opinion. I am glad that you are willing to voice your opinion and back it up with your logic and reasoning. I am not Mr. Perfect, Jesus Christ, God, or any other omnipotent or infallible sentient. Yes, I am admitting that I make mistakes and I am not always right!! :o)

I did not take your comments as belittling….I just feel like you typically have the opposite point of view that I do, and that you pick on my opinions (for lack of better terms). I appreciate the comments that you gave me above, and I also feel that you are intelligent. One of my biggest pet peeves is an argument that stems from two people who are saying the exact same thing with different words, not realizing that they are agreeing with one another (semantics). This can explain why there are times when I am so emphatic about my statements, because I am especially sensitive to semantics and I hate it when it seems like someone does not understand that I am agreeing with them, only saying things in my own way. My Dad and I have many arguments where he does not understand that I am simply reiterating what he has told me, in my own way, so that I can get confirmation that I understand what he is saying. He takes my restatement as being argumentative and always goes on the defensive. It actually takes me “dumbing” down my vocabulary to make him understand that I am looking for confirmation that I clearly understand what he was saying. It’s no fun for me.

Anyway. I am always willing to forgive, forget, and move on. Such is my nature. So, moving on…..;o)

by KDawg on Jun 22, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

C'mon Guys

My eighth grade football coach used to scream at us for bumping into each othe on the way back to the huddle and saying, “excuse me.” He always yelled, “No matter what your momma told you, you DON’T say excuse me on the football field!!!!” This is FOOTBALL. not massage balls. And, by the way, this coach raced us, the JV’s, and the high school varsity in a 50 yd dash during every practice. He won EVERY TIME, and he ran BACKWARDS. We were City Champs all the way up the ladder. Sore toe, gotta go do a shot.

by dylan415 on Jun 22, 2009 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Slight difference in this case

They are having a discussion not playing football. On a football field, aggression is important, here, it is not.

2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).

by Hyperion Ecta on Jun 22, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

CP

will walk after this year. He is on a 1 year deal and will not resign with the Lions unless he decides he cannot sart in the league anymore and wants to be a backup. Which I highly doubt. My guess is Vikings sign him after Favre retires……..again. j/king but wouldn’t that be funny anyways lmao.

by shanndiggit on Jun 20, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sd, I thought Daunte had a two year deal?

Found a story at ESPN [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3676865 ] .

So the two year deal was from last year. Yeah, I guess if Daunte still thinks he can start, he will walk. Maybe the Raiders will take him again.

by NorthLeft12 on Jun 20, 2009 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just a guess

but I say he signs on with NE as the backup in one last effort for a ring

by CR on Jun 22, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your right

2 year deal ending this year. And I think he reworked his contract for this year. Can’t remember. But I believe this will be his last year in Detroit.

by shanndiggit on Jun 22, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is there a statistician in the house?

I"ve heard that Stafford started as a freshman in High School and wondered if there was some statistical corellation between those QBs who’ve ‘always started’ going in and starting as rookies in the NFL…and how that eventually worked out, as compared with those who started as rookies without ‘always being the starter’.

by myPride on Jun 20, 2009 7:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I looked around some...

I’m no statistician, just extremely bored, and I’m not following your criteria exactly, but…

Eli Manning – started as a Sophomore Newman(at least there’s no info of him starting earlier).
Peyton Manning – 12 pounds at birth, holy crap, anyways,..he started as a sophomore at Newman in 1991.
Ben Roethlisberger – Didn’t “start” as a QB until his senior year. Was a freshman reserve QB, never played.
Tom Brady – Started freshman year at Junipero Serra High School.
Kurt Warner – Freshman year
Jay Cutler – Freshman year, this part’s cool, “By then, Jay had become a diehard fan of Chicago teams. Nothing was more agonizing for him than watching Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers beat his beloved Bears”.
Daunte Culpepper – Started high school football as a freshman QB.

If anyone feels like continuing this list, feel free to. source: http://www.jockbio.com/HTML/jockbios.html

I’ve come to the conclusion that most accomplished NFL QBs were signal callers as freshmen.

by BIGWalt2990 on Jun 20, 2009 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs