Ndamukong Suh & Jim Schwartz Confident Matthew Stafford Will Lead Lions in 2011

Ndamukong Suh recently stated that there is no reason why the Lions can't go 16-0 next season.  He added that the key is keeping QB Matthew Stafford healthy, every player giving their best, and upgrading the Secondary.

It is well-known that Stafford needs better protection, and the Lions will be looking to fill this hole through free agency or the draft. You can take this recruiting move to the bank.

If you had any doubts that the team still sees Stafford as their "franchise" QB, Suh cleared that up:

“He’s one of those guys that even when he was hurt he took the reigns and still helped our other quarterbacks, wants the best for the team and it’s just a matter of when he is in the game it does help us quite a bit. Not saying neither one of the other two guys can take the reigns and get it done cause they obviously did it this past season. But he definitely has those intangibles that allow us to do more in our offensive package.” (per Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press)

If you had any doubts that the coaches still see Stafford as their "franchise" QB, Schwartz cleared that up.

Jim Schwartz has been commenting about how having a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford will drive the Lions' approach to the draft.  In other words, who they draft on offense will favor Stafford's abilities.

Schwartz continued his case when he discussed taking on the head coaching job for the Lions:

"When I went up to Detroit, I didn't even have the job yet and all they wanted to know was who we were going to draft No. 1. I sort of jokingly said, 'It's time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne.' That was all, because quarterback is the most important position on the team and if you're strong at that position, you can overcome weaknesses at other positions."

How will having Stafford directly affect who the Lions draft or get through free agency?

"You're probably not going to run the ball 45 times a game when you have a quarterback who you want the ball in his hands. Look at Green Bay, they've got Aaron Rodgers and they go to the Super Bowl and what do they do? They put the ball in the hands of the guy to win the game. Indianapolis does it with Peyton (Manning) the same way." (via Tom Kowalski)

If that is not making a statement about how Schwartz sees Matthew Stafford, I don't know what is.  He made comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning; need I say more?

The piece that is still unknown: Who will be protecting Stafford?

Bobby Carpenter did not get tendered by the Lions this year and will be a free agent once the CBA business is over.  They would like him back, but not enough to tender him. 

Schwartz is looking for an OLB or two either in the draft or through free agency.  He has stated that the coaches like Carpenter and Ashlee Palmer, but he wants to bring the best out of everyone and is not feeling that he has seen that level of play out of either player yet.

It is highly likely that Schwartz will bring in someone to push these players to either step it up or be replaced.

Schwartz and Mayhew have shown a history of approaching players this way to get them to improve their game. 

They brought in Cory Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch to motivate and upgrade the front four on the defensive line. More recently, safety Erik Coleman was brought in to motivate the secondary.

Did Williams and Vanden Bosch have the impact the coaches hoped for?

Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham noted that the answer was yes.  “When Kyle (Vanden Bosch) went down (with a neck injury), Turk McBride had three sacks over the following two games,” said Cunningham.

“I remember talking to Turk about this and I said, ‘What’s happened?’ He turned to me point-blank and said, ‘It’s the leadership on this team. Especially guys like Kyle and Corey.’ When I started to talk to the other guys, it was the same thing, they had role models that they could look up to and grow.” (via Tara Altman)

There are few who could debate the positive impact of veteran players on a young and struggling team.  The comment Ndamukong Suh made about having a perfect regular season record (if it stays at 16 games) shows the desire to win in a player's mind.  Suh believes that a healthy Stafford will make the difference because they already have the skills and the players to be a playoff-bound team.

Schwartz and Suh are putting their trust in the guy wearing the No. 9 jersey.

The Lions may or may not win every game next season, but they are a team that believes they can with a healthy Stafford leading the way.