Matthew Stafford Shows Inconsistent Form in Detroit Lions' Win over Bears

As the wise Simeon Rice philosophized years ago: He did what he do.

It doesn't matter who he was referring to in 2003 after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. The quote has been co-opted by Detroit Lions quarterback Mathew Stafford, and he has no plans of relinquishing it anytime soon.

The colloquialism is the perfect description of Stafford's maddeningly inconsistent play. Detroit's overtime win over the Chicago Bears confirmed that notion yet again.

The Good

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi loosened up the reins this week, and the results were what you would expect from an offense stacked with playmakers like Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.

"

Mathew Stafford stats: •27-for-42 •405 passing yards •4 touchdown passes •1interception

— Detroit Lions (@Lions_Insider) October 18, 2015"

Stafford's ability to go deep has never been questioned, and the offensive line actually gave him the time needed to do his thing. And he rewarded his coach's faith and line's protection by making every type of throw.

There was a sideline dime to a streaking Johnson that was so pretty, the NFL's Twitter account thought it needed to be memorialized online forever.

"

Stafford to Megatron is BACK. 39-yards, over the shoulder. Oh, yes. #CHIvsDET http://t.co/DOCKdVUkXs

— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2015"

There were also lasers that hit receivers in stride, like another toss to Johnson that went for 43 yards. That set up Tim Wright's touchdown catch where Stafford danced around, kept his eyes downfield and found the third-string tight end in the back of the end zone.

Stafford even mixed in a couple scrambles that will drive Lions fans crazy because he's refused to do so all year. For instance, he smartly opted to run on 3rd-and-13 to set up an easy Matt Prater field goal instead of forcing the issue though the air.

In short, Stafford made plenty of winning plays with his arm, feet and mind.

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

The Bad

But not all of them fit into that winning category.

"

And I thought Stafford was making good decisions overall today.

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 18, 2015"

There was an inexplicable throw to Ameer Abdullah on third down with Bears linebacker Christian Jones draped all over him.

The best-case scenario was a two- to three-yard pickup that would have fallen well short of the first-down marker. The more likely case was an interception, which Stafford was lucky to avoid.

That wasn't the case later on a trying-to-do-too-much forward flip to Theo Riddick. With the pressure bearing down on him, Stafford tried to awkwardly toss it to the running back. The ball bounced off Riddick's hands and into the awaiting defender's.

It was 3rd-and-12. There were three Bears in Riddick's vicinity, meaning he wasn't going to squeeze out a conversion.

And more importantly, Detroit was nursing a one-point lead on its own 18. Chicago would pound in a go-ahead touchdown seven plays later for the lead.

"

Matthew Stafford throws his ninth interception of the season. He tried to flip it to Theo Riddick on the run, and the Bears snagged it.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 18, 2015"

Of course, there were the standard inaccurate throws that have plagued Stafford his entire career. None of which stood out any more than his wild overthrow in the end zone with less than a minute left. Luckily for him and Detroit, he was bailed out by a Pernell McPhee roughing the passer penalty.

Lastly, there was the intentional grounding call that happened two plays prior to that overthrow.

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

So What Now?

Stafford remains a quarterback who will drive a fanbase crazy, but he can win. He just won't be a signal-caller who will carry a team to a title by himself.

And that's fine. There aren't enough quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady to go around. The rest of the quarterbacks need to be surrounded by decent defenses and credible ground games to win. 

In other words, they need a team, like Russell Wilson has had over the past few years. And much like Wilson himself, Stafford is capable of leading a roster of capable players.

"

Teammates raved about fiery speech Matthew Stafford gave before game. Kicker Matt Prater said it made him "want to play another position."

— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) October 18, 2015"

Detroit supported Stafford against a weak Bears defense. Outside of Stafford's 37 rushing yards, the Lions piled up 118 yards on the ground, by far the backfield's best effort this year.

There will always be a frustrating inconsistency to Stafford's game. He will never win a regular-season MVP or vie for the league's passer rating title.

However, Stafford's performance against Chicago proved he can get the job done when used properly. And that whoever is rooting on his team needs a large reserve of patience and enough fingernails to last four-plus quarters.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter@BrandonAlisoglu.