Can the Drew Stanton Show Start Already? Please?

I think we've seen enough of Dan Orlovsky. As good as the man is at not turning the ball over and putting up decent QB ratings, that's how ineffective he is at leading an offense.

OK. He's started three games, so how can I make the assumption that he's not the quarterback to lead this team?

Well, for one he's had three years to sit on the bench and learn. Which is more time than Matt Ryan, Kyle Orton, Phillip Rivers, Derek Anderson, Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning had.

All of those quarterbacks were able to show a lot more in their first three games starting than Dan Orlovsky. They were at least able to show some promise of things to come. Most importantly, they were able to recognize the most talented member of their offense and involve him.

Dan Orlovsky, meet Calvin Johnson. He's that huge beast of a receiver with blazing speed and big hands out there lined up to your right. You can't miss him, oh wait...maybe you can...and you did.

Calvin Johnson is unquestionably the most talented player on the Detroit Lions. He's the only reason the Lions have a prayer of not going 0-16 this season.

He was held to only four catches today. One went for a touchdown. Another preserved a Lions drive on fourth down. Johnson makes plays whenever he touches the ball, and yet Orlovsky can't find him.

It doesn't always need to be a long bomb downfield with Johnson. He can turn a short dumpoff pass into a 30 yard gain, as he's displayed multiple times in his career. His agility and his speed defy his size and frame. He's a perfect athlete and absolutely needs to be the focal point of the offense. Orlovsky just can't do it.

If that isn't reason enough to end the Orlovsky experiment, do it to test drive Stanton.

Drew Stanton absolutely, positively needs to have, at bare minimum, six starts this season for the Lions, to see what they have in him. If they have what looks like a starting quarterback, then they don't need to draft one.

Dan Orlovsky would make a fine backup because he's conservative and doesn't turn the ball over. What Orlovsky doesn't do is make plays. Stanton can.

Drew Stanton, throughout his college career, and what little we've seen of him in preseason games has a cannon arm and legitimate mobility. He's a real playmaker.

And although the naysayers will all say "don't expect Stanton to come in and work miracles and win right away," I ask why not? Aaron Rodgers did. Matt Ryan did. Ben Roethlisberger did.

The Lions drafted Stanton early in the second round because they thought they were drafting their future starting quarterback. They need to see if they were right, or if they need to try again.

Want yet another reason to start Stanton?

This was the first time in six seasons that the Lions failed to sell out Ford Field, and on top of that, they lost again at home, dropping them to 0-7 for the season. Fans aren't going to show up again until they see a reason to be optimistic. Starting another future quarterback always springs hope. If Drew Stanton comes in and is exciting, and injects life into this offense, people will come back.

And really, that's all Stanton needs to do. Revitalize this offense. Revitalize the fanbase.

And all he needs to do is get the ball to Calvin Johnson.