| 29 August 2009
(START SPOILER ALRERT!) The Lions beat the Colts, 18-17 Saturday afternoon (END SPOILER ALERT! F'n NFL blackout rules...), thanks to another late game scoring drive led by the finest 3rd string QB ever drafted out of East Lansing by Detroit, Drew Stanton.
While I ponder the numerous defensive deficiencies (Peyton Manning sliced and diced the Lions' D at will) and the offensive pluses and minuses (lots of yardage, ground up plenty of clock, but still can't consistently find the end zone), lets talk turkey...uh, I mean, quarterbacks!
The beginner starter, Daunte Culpepper was, once again, serviceable.His numbers were solid, but not spectacular, 7-12-67-1 TD-0 INT-101.7 QB rating. Culpepper was most effective at conservatively dinking his way down the field with dump offs and short routes. Whenever he looked deep, usually at Calvin Johnson, his passes were wild high, woefully inaccurate. Culpepper, as has become his M.O. in this exhibition season, played ultra-conservatively. But he did lead the Lions to their sole TD against the 1st string Colts' defense, unlike...
Matthew Stafford, playing from the 2nd through early 4th quarter, who was winging the ball downfield early and often, as shown by his 13-19-160-0 TD-1 INT-72.3 QB Rating. The $45 million man hit Johnson (who still doesn't get the ball nearly enough) on a 37 yard pass, Derrick Williams (who has been taking lessons from Roy Williams, if you go his post catch histrionics) for 40 and Aaron Brown (who continued to be consistently inconsistent, with good plays countered by mistakes) for 19. Wide out Allan Jennings cost Stafford another long, downfield completion, showing off alligator arms while dropping a right on the money crossing pass. Stafford moved the Lions well between the 20's, but was unable to get the Lions into the end zone, much in thanks to this sequence, deep in the red zone, early in the 4th quarter...
1st and 9 at IND 9 (14:24) J.Felton right tackle to IND 4 for 5 yards (M.Tauiliili).
2nd and 4 at IND 4 (13:46) J.Felton left tackle to IND 1 for 3 yards (P.Wheeler).
3rd and 1 at IND 1 (13:05) J.Felton left tackle to IND 1 for no gain (J.Silva).
4th and 1 at IND 1 (12:37) J.Felton right tackle to IND 1 for no gain (M.Tauiliili).
Yes, Jim Schwartz and /or Scott Linehan tried to overpower the Colts' defense at the line of scrimmage. Too bad it took Schwartz till this possession to learn what we fans have long known. The Lions offensive line isn't good enough to overpower anyone at the goal line, even if the opposition has 11 bulimic hairdressers smoking crack on the field.
I tend to give Stafford slack on his one pick, as it was near the end of the half, acting as a punt. But making things worse was his target, Bryant Johnson, making next to no effort to get to the ball, allowing the the Colts' corner to snatch the ball away. Stafford also made a very ill advised, off the back foot while under pressure end zone pass that Megatron nearly turned into a spectacular TD.
As for Stanton (136.1 QB Rating, and the game winning 21 yard TD pass to rookie TE Dan Gronkowski), he once again played amazingly well...against a defense full of never-gonna-be's. It's obvious Stanton has locked up the 3rd QB job. It's also obvious the Lions don't see Stanton as anything more than a backup, despite what the Stanton backers calling into sports talk radio believe. No matter the noticeable lack of confidence from the Lions, Stanton has proven he can play at the NFL level. How high a level remians to be seen, and it may never be determined as long as he wears the Honolulu blue and silver.
Overall, you had to be pleased with the QB play against the Colts. All had their moments. But which QB begins starts on September 13th? Depends upon what the coaches want from their QB. If they prefer a safe, ball control, low risk offense, they'll go with the veteran, Culpepper. If the Lions' coaches would prefer a higher reward, but higher risk, downfield passing offense, with more opportunity for (as Rod Marinelli used to say over and over and over and over...) explosion plays to Calvin Johnson, then Stafford should be the choice.
Neither Culepper or Stafford has taken a commanding lead in the beginning starting QB race after 3 games. But if I know NFL head coaches, who are a notoriously conservative bunch, who believe "boring as all Hell" is a winning strategy, Culpepper is going to get the nod.
The Lions offense may end up being snooze inducing with Culpepper, but they won't turn the ball over near as much as they would with Stafford at the helm. Personally, as long as whomever ends up the beginning starting QB can get the ball in Calvin Johnson's hands, I don't really care.
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