More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

6 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, is seen during drills at the team's football practice facility in Allen Park, Mich., Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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The great debate this summer and until it actually happens will be when No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford should step into the role of starting quarterback for the Lions.  Many think he should sit an entire year to be even more prepared for year two in the league, whereas others believe he can't ever be truly ready until he plays and want him to be the starter from day one.  In the end, obviously only the opinions of Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz will really matter in regards to when he should play, so I'm posing this question to you guys: When will Stafford become the Lions' starting QB?

Many variables go into answering a question like this, so let's first remember what Jim Schwartz said about when Stafford will play for the Lions.

"We've got two criteria for when Matthew will play. One is he'll play when he's ready. The second is when he's the best quarterback for us."

What makes this such a tough thing to predict is all of the different factors in play.  First things first, Stafford has to learn the offense and perform at a level that shows he is ready to become a starter in the NFL.  Even if that happens, though, we can't forget about Daunte Culpepper.  This is where the second part of what Schwartz said comes into play.  Even if Stafford is looking good, what if Culpepper is looking even better?  Potential and talent down the road aside, Culpepper could very well be better than Stafford even if Stafford is ready to play, making this question even more complicated.

My guess is that Culpepper will be the starter when the season begins, making it necessary to add the variable of the Lions' performance into the equation.  Even if Stafford is ready to play, the Lions may opt to wait on starting him until Daunte Culpepper gives them a reason to.  If the team is playing well with Culpepper at the helm, why make a change that could potentially disrupt the team's chemistry?  At the same time, if the Lions start the season off with more losses or get on another cold streak, the calls for Stafford to start will be very loud.  That doesn't mean he will start, as I doubt Schwartz will let the fans dictate what he does.  However, if the Lions are struggling, making a change at QB, if that's one of the problems, would make perfect sense.

When voting in the poll below, make sure to consider when Stafford will be ready, when he will be the Lions' best QB, and the Lions' performance in general.  Unless you think Stafford will open the season as the starter, you need to basically go through the Lions' schedule and make predictions for each game to truly get a sense of when he will take over for Culpepper.  Once you take all of that into account, I pose this question to you:

With the Lions' search for a new head coach now over, it is time to take a look back at the process and decide whether or not Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand did a good job.  Below is a poll asking you about the coaching search, but first, here is a recap of who ended up getting interviewed for the job (many other names were thrown out there, but I only listed the ones that actually interviewed):

Make sure to vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments section.  Later today I will post another poll asking about the hiring of Jim Schwartz specifically.

I'll be taking a couple days off since the Lions don't have a game this weekend, but consider this question until I return on Monday: Will the Lions go 0-16?

It's a simple question, but it isn't an easy one to answer.  The Lions' remaining schedule doesn't look like it has a single winnable game on it, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.  It really is interesting that while the Vikings, Colts, Saints, and Packers will be fighting for a playoff spot when they play Detroit, the Lions are fighting just to win a single game.  Again, it's not likely that they will, but stranger things have happened.

Remember, in 2001 when the Lions started 0-12, they won for the first time all season against the Vikings in the 13th game.  I'm not saying that Minnesota will lose to Detroit a week from Sunday, but anything can happen.  No matter how bad the Lions are or how good the opponent is, I could see the Lions blowing a winless season by emerging victorious in one of these games.  I don't expect them to win a game and voted yes in this poll, but you'd think a win has to happen eventually.

Anyways, leave your thoughts to the question I posed in the comments section and make sure to vote in the poll below.  Also, make sure to check out SB Nation's NFL scoreboard for the latest scores and blog posts from around the NFL.

Lions quarterback Jon Kitna was injured near the end of today's game against the 49ers.  As of right now I have no idea what the severity of his injury is, but regardless of that, Kitna's performance definitely put his status as this team's starting quarterback in question.  Last week after his meltdown I was willing to give him one more chance to show that he should be the starter, but after watching what he did against San Francisco today, I honestly don't see what the Lions have to lose by starting Drew Stanton.

Detroit has a bye next week and returns to Ford Field on October 5 against Chicago.  If Jon Kitna is the starting QB, you can expect that he will be greeted with boos as it is a sign that the Lions do not care about the future.  Let's be honest, this season is over already as this team is going nowhere, so why not just put in Stanton and see what he can do?  If he sucks then you know he's not ready or just isn't any good, and if he plays well then at least we know who will be the Lions' future QB.

With all of the above in mind, I pose this question to you: Will Stanton start against the Bears?  Keep in mind, I'm not asking if he should start, because we all probably agree on that.  I'm asking if he will start, meaning you have to think about what the Lions' coaches will do and/or how badly Kitna is hurt. 

Leave your thoughts in the comments section and your vote in the poll below.

Checking back in with ESPN's "Coach Ratings" page reveals that Rod Marinelli's rating dropped to 8% this week.  He was rated at 16% after last week's loss to Atlanta, and it's understandable that it would be cut in half after the debacle against Green Bay yesterday.

ESPN does a nice job with coach approval ratings, but I'm interested in what the readers of Pride of Detroit have to say about Jon Kitna.  Obviously most probably don't approve of the job he's doing at quarterback for the Lions, but just because you don't like how he's playing doesn't mean he shouldn't be the starting QB.  By that I mean that if he shouldn't be the starting QB, you must realize Dan Orlovsky or Drew Stanton (when he is healthy in early October) would be leading this team.

Anyways, leave your vote and leave your thoughts in the comments section.  Remember, if you vote no you're saying Kitna should be benched in favor of someone like Orlovsky or Stanton.  Or here's an idea: Jeff Garcia reportedly is on the trading block, why don't the Lions go after him?  (Okay, I'm kidding with that idea.)