Matthew Stafford Report Card: How Did the QB Do on Saturday Night?

The Detroit Lions may not be ready for a playoff run, but their quarterback Matthew Stafford showed the nation he’s ready to play in the post season.

Statistics:  B+

Going 28-of-43 for 380 yards passing and three touchdowns by air and one by a pedestrian gallop, Matthew Stafford accounted for 92 percent of the Lions total offense and 85 percent of the scoring.

Yes, Jason Hanson was still needed to boot the four extra points after Stafford either threw a touchdown or ran it in himself.

Even without a running game, the Lions became only the second visiting team to lead the Saints at halftime, and truth be told, could have lead 21-0 at halftime. But as we all witnessed, NFL games are still 60 minutes long, and Drew Brees is still unbeatable at home.

Good teams keep it competitive for a half, great teams drop the hammer and finish the opponent in the third and fourth quarters.

The Saints scored on five straight possessions in the second half, and Stafford was unable to keep pace.

Thomas Morstead, the punter for the Saints, was on the field for 15 plays, and none of them were to punt the ball.

That’s right; New Orleans played the entire game without punting the ball to Stefan Logan. The Saints were 7-of-11 on third and 3-of-4 on fourth downs; the only time Brees couldn't move the chains was on the final play when Drew took a knee in the victory formation.

Stafford was just as good going 7-of-10 on third down which would normally be good enough to win, but those three possessions with no points were costly.

Saturday’s performance marked the fourth straight game Stafford has thrown for over 350 yards and three or more touchdowns. Stats like those are found on very few rosters.

Accuracy and Decision Making: B+

The opening drive was nearly flawless as Stafford went 5-of-6 for 70 yards and a TD toss to Will Heller. With the fans at the Mercedes Benz Superdome jacked and creating concert-like noise decibels, the start of the game for Detroit was beyond impressive.

The decision-making flaw that caught my eye was the penalty with 12 men in the huddle. It's the quarterback’s responsibility to ensure there are only 10 in the huddle before he steps in.

His completion percentage of 65.1 percent for the game was better than his season average of 63.5 percent. He wasn’t perfect, but often young players wilt in the playoffs; Stafford elevated his game.

The back shoulder throw to Burleson was spectacular, and he found the single coverage early and often with Titus Young outside and Calvin Johnson everywhere.

Scott Linehan brought his “A” game on Saturday. Putting Calvin in the slot often to avoid the double teams and dragging him across the field was exactly what Stafford needed, and he delivered accurate passes throughout.

Even the deep ball late in the third quarter was thrown away from the defender and only where Calvin could get it.

Johnson validated his Megatron moniker again with his third 200-plus yards receiving game in the last four games.

Protecting the Football:  C

Stafford may have got caught up in trying to keep up with Brees as the second half started to get away from the Lions.

Trailing by 10 with just less than 10 minutes left in the game, Stafford heaved up a prayer down the right side that was intended for Titus Young but intercepted by Jabari Greer.

With time ticking away and the Lions unable to stop the Saints offense, I’m sure Stafford felt like he had to make something happen and that’s what most young quarterbacks will do.

He had another interception later when he was looking off the safety, but Greer got him again with a veteran bait of Stafford by allowing Burleson by and then closing when the ball was released.

Brees is good, but he should have had three interceptions himself, two by Berry and one by Wright. If these balls are caught, the talking heads are questioning Brees’ performance, rather than anointing him.

Aaron Berry cannot be on this roster next year. Usain Bolt is fast too, but if you can’t catch the ball, you can’t win in the playoffs.

The difference in this game was the Saints' secondary caught the ball, and the Lions’ secondary did not, period. End of story.

Leadership:  A

I don’t know if you can really ask for more out of a 23-year-old quarterback finishing his first full NFL season than what Stafford gave the Lions Saturday.

He accounted for nearly all their offense, without any threat of a running game to pull the safeties up. Many of Brees’ big plays came off play-action where the secondary had to respect the run.

It was all on his shoulders, and if the Lions’ secondary turns passes defended into interceptions, it’s possible the Lions could have pulled off the upset of the weekend.

Even after the game, Stafford was gracious in defeat, and he was first to the podium, answering all the questions asked. There should be no questions going forward as to who the leader of this football team is.

Overall:  B

Stafford played well in his first playoff appearance, but the postseason is "Big Boy School," and you not only have to play better than most, sometimes you need to be better than anyone.

Brees was able to take advantage of an inferior Lions' secondary more effectively than Stafford could against the Saints back four. In the playoffs, the grading system is on a curve, not a straight scale, and Stafford was in class with the NFL's MVP.

The game may not have ended the way Stafford and the Lions wanted but don’t underestimate the invaluable experience both Matt and his teammates will take away from their playoff disappointment and what it will mean to them next year.