Wednesday open thread: Is Matthew Stafford elite right now?

Matthew Stafford has gotten off to a hot start to the season, looking much like the dark horse MVP candidate we all made him out to be in 2017, his first full season under then offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

Back then, it seemed like the consensus among Lions fans was that Stafford was playing at an elite level, but unfortunately it didn’t last and now JBC is gone. With his most recent performance against the Chiefs, however, the conversation has been reignited.

Question of the day: Is Matthew Stafford elite right now?

My answer: No(t yet).

A large part of my categorization of elite players is consistency—the ability to sustain a high level of play for a long time, preferably at least a season or two. Otherwise, you never know if they’re just on a hot streak.

If we come back in the last couple weeks of the season, and Stafford is still performing at this level, then I’d say yes, but it’s only been four weeks.

That’s not to say he won’t, either. Stafford put up his latest performance in spite of a very crippling hip/back injury, and having the bye week to rest up means we’ll likely see an even better Stafford in weeks to come.

What do you think?