Law of Average: It's Criminal How Blah Matt Stafford-Daunte Culpepper Battle Is

With the Detroit Lions' preseason officially over, one thing is certain.

When it comes to the quarterbacks, nothing is certain.

Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford were supposed to make this easy. Either Stafford was going to come out and shine while Culpepper fell flat on his face, or Culpepper would play just well enough while Stafford looked like a rookie.

The problem is, at different times, both of those scenarios came true.

Overall, it is clear to anyone objective that Culpepper has been quantifiably better. Certainly, in a word, safer. However, he has become maddeningly so. His near 65 percent completion percentage this summer is tantalizing, unless you compare it to his 5.7 yards/attempt.

Stafford has been equally impressive for opposite reasons. By the numbers, his 6.7 yards/attempt is not much better and his 54.5 completion percentage is going to scare away many detractors.

To put these numbers in perspective: Culpepper's 65 percent would have put him in the top 10 quarterbacks last year. Stafford would place among the bottom two.

As for their yards/attempt, both would be among the bottom third of the league.

Average is the only way to describe this contest...horribly horribly average. Neither one has broken away from the other. Neither athlete has played to his full potential. If blame is to be paid, it is to Culpepper, who has all the arm strength in the world but has refused to go down field.

Part of this conundrum exists because neither quarterback had a full slate of attempts with Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson or Dennis Northcutt together—hopefully the top three receivers this season. All three are guys who can stretch the field. All three are guys who have reasonably sure hands.

Passing to Keary Colbert and John Standeford as your top options isn't going to make anyone look good. Not only are the routes not as crisp and the hands not as sure, but the mentality is also different.

So flip a coin.

Will Stafford's completions go up with better receivers? Of course.

The same can be said about Culpepper's dink-and-dunk routine.

Just flip a coin.

The Lions offense already looks more dynamic with the addition of draw plays and screen passes, both of which Kevin Smith looks great while doing. We know both quarterbacks can run those plays.

We know both quarterbacks have the ability to make each NFL throw. We know both quarterbacks know a great deal of the playbook. We know both quarterbacks offer more capability than an overweight Culpepper et al. gave us on the road to 0-16.

So flip a coin.

The Lions won't be as bad as they were last year, no matter who is under center. The Lions aren't quite a .500 team, no matter who is throwing to Calvin Johnson. This is a three year rebuilding plan, at best. We have our quarterback of the future. It simply doesn't matter who our quarterback of the present is.

There is no real life evidence proving it's better to start or sit a rookie QB. Anecdotal evidence abounds on both sides of the coin but nothing is definitive.

There is real life evidence that a season long QB battle isn't good for anyone involved.

So flip a coin, name a starter and change it at the bye week if need be.

But name a starter.

Culpepper and Stafford couldn't settle it, so let Washington decide.

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