Lions vs. Saints: Sizing Up QB Battle Between Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees

For my money, the best game you're going to see in Wild-Card Weekend is the Detroit Lions at the New Orleans Saints.

This is especially true if you're the kind of man (or woman) who likes a lot of offense in a football game. We know all about the crazy numbers the Saints were able to put up during the regular season, but the Lions are also capable of lighting up the scoreboard. If both of these offenses are clicking on Saturday, we're in for a fun time.

The task of lighting up the scoreboard falls primarily on the two quarterbacks in this game: Detroit's Matthew Stafford and New Orleans' Drew Brees.

Both of them topped 5,000 yards passing during the regular season, and both will be looking to lead their team to the Super Bowl.

But how do they stack up?

Well, why don't we take a look.

Matthew Stafford

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 232 pounds

Key Numbers: 5,038 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 63.5 completion percentage, 97.2 rating.

Biggest Strength: Arm strength

Biggest Weakness: Accuracy

Go-To Guy: Calvin Johnson

Why He'll Be Better Than Brees

Stafford actually matched up pretty well with Brees the first time these two teams met, but he just wasn't quite as efficient and he only found the end zone once. 

It's going to be extremely difficult for Stafford to be more efficient than Brees, but throwing just one touchdown pass is not the norm for Stafford.

He basically just needs to play like himself, and the crowd inside the Superdome will be very nervous.

Why He'll Be Worse Than Brees

Stafford is prone to the multi-interception game. He had four of them in 2011, all of which came in Detroit's last eight games. 

The good news for Stafford is that the Saints had just eight picks all season. A multi-pick day against them is not (or at least shouldn't be) in the cards.

One Thing He Must Do

It's simple: Get the ball to Megatron. When Stafford is doing that, there's no stopping Detroit's offense. 

The only way the Saints will be able to stop Megatron is by bringing Optimus Prime off the bench.

Drew Brees

Tale of the Tape: 6'0", 209 pounds

Key Numbers: 5,476 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 71.2 completion percentage, 110.6 rating.

Biggest Strength: Accuracy and anticipation

Biggest Weakness: Umm...mobility?

Go-To Guy: Jimmy Graham

Why He'll Be Better Than Stafford

Put simply, Brees will be better than Stafford because he's better than Stafford. Brees was a master quarterback at work during the regular season, and there's no reason to think that's going to change. Brees is perfectly at home in Sean Payton's offense, and it just so happens Sean Payton's offense is the most complex offense in the league. 

Why He'll Be Worse Than Stafford

If there's one thing the Saints should fear, it's how Brees will hold up in the face of Detroit's pass rush. He was only sacked twice the first time the Saints and Lions met, but it's certainly worth noting that Ndamukong Suh was out of that game because of a suspension. If the Lions can give Brees the same treatment the St. Louis Rams gave him in Week 8, they'll be on their way to an upset.

One Thing He Must Do

Brees will have to use all his weapons in this game, but getting the ball to Darren Sproles should be a priority. The Lions gave up 88 receptions and 598 receiving yards to running backs this season—
a tell-tale sign that they can be beaten by pass-catching running backs. Sproles is the best in the business.

And the Edge Goes to...

You have to give it to Brees. As good as Stafford is, Brees is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.

To boot, he has more weapons than Stafford, he runs a more explosive offense and he'll have the home-field advantage.

It's hard to ask for more than that, so I see this matchup going in the direction of Brees and the Saints.