Matthew Stafford vs. All active quarterbacks

Last week we concluded our Matthew Stafford vs. The Greats series with a comparison between Stafford and Joe Montana. It was a fun series that taught us all kinds of lessons.

For example, like Montana, Matthew Stafford is the new comeback kid.

Stafford and Peyton Manning share similar career path, Stafford and Marino’s stats are similar, Matthew Stafford is somehow related to Brett Favre, and I aim to prove it. And Tom Brady lives on another planet where Matthew Stafford isn’t allowed to live.

This series generated a lot of great comments, such as the one that suggested Matthew Stafford could be as good as Dan Marino if he got more movie roles.

But the comments that really interested me were the ones where football fans seemed to urn for more of this series. And to be honest, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to be done with it either.

But then I went to Jamaica. And while I was there, I had a lot of time to figure out how I wanted to proceed with this. And it was right about this moment here, that I figured it out.

What if I compared Matthew Stafford to every active starter currently in the NFL? What would we find? Is Stafford like any other active guy? Or are there young guys that are like Stafford? Let’s find out.

So here’s how we’ll do this. First, we’ll lay out the career stats of everyone and try to find some similarities. Then we’ll compare Stafford to all other quarterbacks in the league that have played eight or more seasons. Let’s see what we can find.

The Stats vs. AFC

So the first two quarterbacks that have to stand out are the the two that we’ve just so happened to already have comparison articles on already. A few weeks back when the NFL Network speculated that Matthew Stafford is better than Ben Roethlisberger, we put together our own research on the subject. And before the 2016 season, I thought that Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck were one in the same. Now I know Stafford is just plain better.

But who sticks out the most here is Joe Flacco. Joe has been in the NFL just one more season than Stafford and yet their stats look identical. Stafford is also prone to same “is he elite?” question that surrounded Flacco for so many years. One has to wonder if Stafford’s team has to win the Super Bowl before he can carry that tag?

I personally would place Stafford above Flacco in most cases. I don’t think I’m alone on that one, but I guess we’ll see once the comment section opens up. As for the younger guys that look like Stafford, Derek Carr is the one that immediately comes to mind. This kid is going to break records providing his leg injury hasn’t ruined him.

Also, whenever I look at Brock Osweiler’s stats and play, I’m reminded of this tweet and I laugh.

Stafford vs. NFC

Here are the first things I noticed: Cam Newton isn’t that good, it’s still weird to write in Mike Glennon as a starter, and WOW Brian Hoyer still has a job. Finally, I’m not buying Dak Prescott off of just his rookie year.

What really sticks out is that Matthew Stafford appears to be right at home with the best of the NFC... outside of Aaron Rodgers, that is. If I had to make any comparison off of this portion, it would have to be Carson Palmer, which really surprises me. But it makes a lot of sense when you consider everything.

They both are former No. 1 picks that turned around fledgling franchises with high octane offensive play consisting of far above average wide receivers. And both have a pension for being above average terrible when they have a off day. There’s a lot alike here. I’d still go with Stafford in the fourth though.

So now we have our ideas based off everyone. Now let’s separate the old guys from the pack.

Stafford vs. the old guys/peers

What I gleam from this is entirely different but makes total sense. Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees are two peas in a pod. Drew is just the only one of the two that’s escaped this pod and won a Super Bowl.

It’s all there, big arms and everything. Drew Brees is likely to break Peyton Manning’s career passing yard mark if he sticks around, and Stafford will likely break Brees record someday if he sticks around that long. Both are two of only five quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. Although Brees has done it five times and Stafford will probably never do it again.

Most of the time we look at Stafford vs. Rodgers and go with that as Stafford’s biggest rival of all time, but I think it’s Drew Brees. The Lions have played the Saints six times since Stafford’s arrival, and that rivalry is at 3-3 currently. The Lions will play the Saints this coming October at the Superdome. The tie will be broken.

Style

If I were to build a mechanical Matthew Stafford and had to steal body parts or traits from quarterbacks currently in the league to match Stafford’s, this is what I would do.

I would take Drew Brees arm. Brees has that same strength and ability to wing the pig just like Stafford does. Although it would be hard to catch him because he’s not ever willing to be tackled.

Speaking of that, I’d give him Ben Roethlisberger’s mobility. Both quarterbacks are the same when it comes to getting out of the pocket and making throws that they probably shouldn’t make. You know, the across the body off the back foot sort of thing.

I’d take Carson Palmer’s brain. I believe these two players think a lot alike. They’re the quarterbacks that do too much at times, or not enough at others. Either way, they’re both capable of some great things when they’re on.

The one thing I wouldn’t be able to get is Matthew Stafford’s ability to get hot when it’s needed the most: In the fourth quarter. I’ve mentioned it before, Stafford is like the Undertaker at Wrestlemania when it comes to the fourth quarter. Nobody can touch him, and there’s no other quarterback in the NFL that is like him in this regard.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, what you have to come to realize is that Matthew Stafford is right at home in the elite conversation. He may just have his toes in the pool right now, but in the coming years, he’ll be cannon balling in when he’s the NFL’s resident elite veteran.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have much to prove. But at 29, he’s about right where you want him to be, if not a bit farther. Only time will tell on Matthew. One thing is for sure, though, Stafford is about to make more money than all these guys.