SB Nation - Matthew Stafford

Lions Place Matthew Stafford on IR

Sean Yuille — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:05:27 -0000

Matthew Stafford's rookie season has come to a close a couple weeks early because he has been placed on injured reserve. The Lions announced today that he needs surgery and will be flying down to Alabama next week to meet with Dr. James Andrews. Here's the interesting thing: Stafford doesn't need surgery on his injured shoulder, but rather his injured knee. It doesn't appear to be anything major, but apparently his shoulder was likely going to keep him out even next week against Chicago, so the coaches decided to shut him down for the season to go ahead and get this knee surgery taken care of.

"Since he's had (the injury), he's had just on and off swelling, stuff he's been able to play through," Schwartz said. "But it's also something we knew we needed to address after the season."

"It's not a repair, it's not anything other than cleanup," Schwartz said of the knee operation. "Because it's irritated and there's probably some little chunks in there that caused some swelling. And the one thing you want to do is you want to put that behind you. You don't want to have to manage that in the spring. ... And this is a procedure that our doctors and everybody associated with it anticipate him actually walking out of the operating room."

I guess it's good to get this procedure over and done with, but this makes the outlook for the final game of the season much different. All this time I figured Stafford would return for the last game of the season and the Lions would upset Chicago to derail any chance of ending up with the top pick or a shot at Ndamukong Suh. With Stafford for sure out, though, I would be surprised if the Lions found a way to win. Anything is possible, especially with players looking to prove themselves against a team who isn't playing for anything, but I would be surprised if the Lions can win a game with either Drew Stanton or Daunte Culpepper at quarterback. Again, anything's possible; the Lions just would have had a better shot at winning with Stafford.

Losing Stafford to IR is a bit disappointing for those of us who were looking forward to seeing him play one more time this season, but I'm all for getting this surgery out of the way. Considering doctors weren't even sure if he was going to be able to play in the season finale to begin with, there really was no point to wait any longer to find out. I would rather have Stafford get the surgery as soon as he can, because like Schwartz said, you don't want this to be an issue later on. Taking care of it next week will allow Stafford to start working his way back and be ready for when minicamps roll around next year.

Wednesday Notes: Drew Stanton to Start on Sunday

Sean Yuille — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:08:01 -0000

Based on who took the first-team reps in practice today, it looks like Drew Stanton finally is going to get his shot at being the starting quarterback. Matthew Stafford will be out for the third week in a row, and it appears the coaching staff has finally realized that playing Daunte Culpepper is just pointless, especially based on what happened on Sunday.

UPDATE: Stanton has now been named the starter for Sunday.
The Lions added Terrance Taylor, who was released to make room for Dan Gronkowski, back to their practice squad today. A spot opened up because Dan Gerberry was signed to the 53-man roster after Melvin Fowler was waived.
While Don Muhlbach practiced today , Phillip Buchanon, Larry Foote, and Vinny Ciurciu did not.
Schwartz benched Gosder Cherilus on Sunday and said that "he's still a work in progress [with technique]."
Jason Hanson thinks he is struggling so much because he is over-kicking the ball on some field goal attempts.
Louis Delmas is a candidate for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. You can vote for him over at NFL.com.
Grady Jackson's brother was sentenced to 20-50 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder.

Monday Notes: Decision on This Week's Starting QB to Be Made by Wednesday

Sean Yuille — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:23:58 -0000

Jim Schwartz didn't make it sound like Matthew Stafford will be back this week, but that isn't a guarantee by any means. If Stafford is out, though, the coaches will have to decide if Daunte Culpepper or Drew Stanton will start, and as of right now no decision has been made. The players will know by Wednesday, and I'm hoping they will learn that Stanton will finally get a chance to start. The fact of the matter is that the offense scored points with Stanton in the game. Yes, he made some mistakes, but he played better than Culpepper in my opinion. Plus, Stanton deserves a chance to get some experience. What is the point in playing Culpepper at this point? I think Stanton has just as good of a chance of leading the Lions to victory as Culpepper, so there really doesn't seem to be any point in not getting him more experience if Stafford can't go.
Dan Gronkowski cleared waivers and was signed to the practice squad. Terrance Taylor, who was just signed last week, was released to make room for Gronkowski.
Kevin Smith was scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama today, and he said he doesn't want to leave without having surgery.
Louis Delmas was pissed off after the Lions' loss yesterday, to say the least.
Drew Stanton shared his thoughts on yesterday's game on his blog.

Saturday Notes: Daunte Culpepper to Start on Sunday

Sean Yuille — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:08:14 -0000

Matthew Stafford is doubtful for tomorrow's game, and as a result Daunte Culpepper will start again. Culpepper has only led the Lions to one field goal in his last two starts, and with Kevin Smith done for the season and Calvin Johnson questionable, there aren't many signs that that will change against Arizona.
Speaking of Calvin, he and Louis Delmas practiced yesterday. Aaron Brown did not, however, because of a knee injury. Dennis Northcutt and Don Muhlbach also missed practice.
I have tried to avoid talking about the recent debate regarding trading Calvin Johnson, which really has come about simply because there's not much else to talk about. Well, I will talk about it once, but only to relay what Jim Schwartz and Scott Linehan think about the idea. Both pretty much sum up my thoughts on the situation.

"Yeah, um, we're in the process of trying to acquire good players, not let good players leave," coach Jim Schwartz said. "If we've learned anything from history, it's to value talent and not to discard it."

"To me, it's completely insane,'' Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "Calvin Johnson is one of the best receivers in football and he's had to struggle through some things this year from a health standpoint, but once you've got one of those, you don't want to lose him. That's one man's opinion. I would be pretty depressed.
Listen, if another team's general manager has a few too many one night and calls up Martin Mayhew with an absolutely ridiculous offer, obviously the Lions would listen. But since that is beyond unlikely, can we please just try to move on to other topics? I know it feels like the offseason has already started, but there are plenty of other things we can talk about that are far more likely and far less infuriating than Calvin Johnson being traded.
Marvin White was fined $7,500 for a horse-collar tackle in the Ravens game.
Cliff Avril put up a new post on his blog about his and the team's struggles this season.
Another attempt to stop the sale of the Silverdome has been thrown out.

Arizona Cardinal at Detroit Lions: Know Thy Enemy

Pyromnc — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:58:48 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Browse more photos »

For the past decade, the Detroit Lions have been one of the worst organizations in the NFL. They failed to draft much talent and have had a handful of 1st round busts. They also failed to sign key players in free agency, and in front of their eyes they were actually running the organization into the ground. Those tendencies have started to change the past couple of seasons with very good draft picks in linebacker Ernie Sims, quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kevin Smith, and the immense talent at wide receiver in Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron). The Cardinals defensive backs better be aware of where Johnson is at all times, otherwise they may be in for a long game.

Johnson was widely considered the best receiving prospect to come out of college in NFL history. This was most certainly due to the fact that he held multiple skill sets that most receivers will never begin to have. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.35 40 yard dash, an amazing number despite weighing in at 238 (heavy for a receiver). He also had an amazing vertical jump posting 42 and a half inches (Larry Fitzgerald is a 38). He has the physicality of a Fitzgerald / Andre Johnson type, making him quite possibly the most dangerous wide receiver, if only he had a consistent QB (which they hope Stafford will be).

Johnson has only faced the Arizona Cardinals once in his career and that came in his rookie season. He didn't put up spectacular numbers, catching just 3 passes for 37 yards and no touchdowns. Part of the reason could have been that it was his rookie season or the fact that he was playing with back problems that entire year - but it was most likely a combination of both. Things will definitely be different this week with Johnson adding some veteran experience to his resume, although the knee problems he's had this season may pose a problem.

The match up to watch in this game will be 2nd year corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie against Johnson. Cromartie does not have the physicality that would be needed to tackle Johnson if he were to get the ball in open space. However, he is the only defensive back that has the type of speed to keep up with Johnson. DRC won't be able to contain Johnson by himself, as it will need a solid team effort to slow the Lions best offensive player. Thoughts?

Thursday Notes: Matthew Stafford Likely Out Against Arizona

Sean Yuille — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:00:59 -0000

It is "not likely" that Matthew Stafford will play against the Cardinals this week. The coaches seem like they really don't want to rush him back, especially with how banged up the rest of the offense is. It's not like Stafford would be returning to an offense simply missing him; Brandon Pettigrew, Kevin Smith, Stephen Peterman are all gone, and Calvin Johnson is banged up as well. The entire offense is hurting, and personally I don't want to see Stafford back until he is 100%. Of course, it sucks that the Lions really don't even have a chance to win any games without him, but hey, if that winds up making it possible for a certain defensive tackle from Nebraska to come to Detroit next year, I don't mind.
Calvin Johnson, Louis Delmas, and Don Muhlbach all missed practice today. None of them have been ruled out of Sunday's game yet, but none of their situations look promising.
The Lions gave free tickets for Sunday's game to 400-500 random former season-ticket holders. Even with those tickets being given away, the Lions are still more than 9,000 tickets away from a sellout, meaning the blackout will become official any minute now.
Brian Witherspoon used to be Sammie Hill's teammate at Stillman.
In SI's revised 2009 NFL Draft, four players the Lions drafted ended up in the first round, including Louis Delmas and DeAndre Levy.
The Cardinals signed an extra kicker in case Neil Rackers can't play on Sunday due to a groin injury.
Roll Bama Roll, SB Nation's Alabama blog, took a look at the 1948 Sugar Bowl, which featured Alabama and Texas as well as former Lions Harry Gilmer and Bobby Layne.
My thoughts go out to the Cincinnati Bengals, as they are mourning the death of Chris Henry.

Tuesday Notes: Kevin Smith to Have Surgey on Injured Knee

Sean Yuille — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:26:07 -0000

As mentioned in a FanShot, Kevin Smith is out for the season and will have surgery on his injured knee. Smith has "at least a knee ligament injury," but Jim Schwartz cautioned that multiple ligaments could be damaged. The thing is that we won't know for sure until Smith actually has the surgery and doctors can get a better look at it. It is very common for other ligaments to be damaged at the same time as the ACL, so there is definitely a chance that Smith could have injured his MCL or PCL as well. Let's hope it was only his ACL, but Schwartz certainly didn't sound too optimistic on Monday.
Louis Delmas left Sunday's game fairly early on after re-injuring his ankle. Schwartz didn't discuss just how severe the injury might be, but he didn't sound too concerned, either, saying that he was "encouraged by the tests that have come back." Let's hope the injury isn't anything big and he will be back against Arizona.
Longsnapper Don Muhlbach left Sunday's game after hurting his arm and also possibly sustaining a concussion. He actually was on a cart on the sideline, and Schwartz officially declared Muhlbach's status as "up in the air." Dominic Raiola did a decent job filling in for Muhlbach, though the snap on one field goal was a bit low. I don't know if the Lions will just have Raiola handle the longsnapping duties if Muhlbach can't play this week or if they will bring someone else in, but you would think with a week of practice Raiola could do a good enough job to take over for Muhlbach for another game.
Based on what Jim Schwartz said on Monday, I wouldn't expect to see Aaron Brown returning kicks anytime soon unless there is an injury to Derrick Williams.
Baltimore's Terrell Suggs insinuated that the Lions, specifically Terrelle Smith, went after his injured knee on Sunday.
An "uncut" video of Matthew Stafford mic'd up during the final moments of the Browns game has been posted on NFL.com.
Bill Ford Jr. is too busy with Ford to deal with the Lions now-a-days. Specifically, he said that he is "quite out of touch" with what's going on with the Lions.

No Change with Matthew Stafford's Status; Daunte Culpepper to Start Again?

Sean Yuille — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:20:15 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

11 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper walks down the tunnel after the Lions 48 -3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Browse more photos »

It is too early in the week to know for sure, but when talking about Matthew Stafford's status (see the quote below) for the Cardinals game, Jim Schwartz really made it sound like the rookie could be out again this week.

"Probably unchanged right now, but we’ll see as we get through this week. I mean, if he’s the same as he was last week, then he won’t play again. If he improves, then that door is open. But it’s probably too early to really definitively say anything there."

If Stafford ends up not being able to play, could this finally be the week that Drew Stanton gets his shot? In a word: no.

Schwartz was pressed about Stanton during yesterday's press conference, and it was extremely frustrating to listen to his answers to questions about why the former MSU quarterback hasn't gotten a chance to play.

On the perception being that Stanton hasn't had a chance
"Like I said, when we make a decision, it's not based on trying something new, experimenting, all those kinds of things. It's based on what we think gives us the best chance and we're going to ride with that decision, but it's not going to be based on just saying, ‘Hey, look, it's time - we've got to change just to change.' Or, ‘We've have to make this decision just to make this decision.' Everything's based on a set of criteria that we've established. If we think that fits our criteria, then we'll do it."

On if Stanton is not as good as Culpepper
"We spent a lot of time in training camp and offseason and during the season establishing what our depth charts are. Daunte's our No. 2 quarterback, Drew's our No. 3 quarterback. That's where that one is."

It's not too tough to read between the lines of those answers. Obviously the coaches feel that Stanton is not very good, which, I suppose, is why he isn't playing. I don't know how Stanton can perform any worse than Daunte Culpepper, but he must just not be very good in practice. That is really the only explanation as to why he hasn't ever received a shot at starting during his time with the Lions. I mean, there have been some pretty bad QBs in front of him the last two years, yet two different coaching staffs haven't given him a shot even once.

My biggest problem with this whole situation is that the coaches seem to be in love with Daunte Culpepper and are willing to look past or even justify his mistakes. I realize that the quarterback position is a different animal when it comes to accountability, but let's face it, Culpepper is 0-8 as a starter with the Lions, and although he is not the sole reason the Lions lost any of those games, is he even giving the Lions a chance to win?

Although Sunday's game ended up being a blowout, it could have easily been tied at halftime had the offense figured out how to finish a drive. Again, it's not all on Culpepper, but for somebody who has been in the league as long as him, he looked like it was his first ever start. I realize Schwartz doesn't want to make a change just to make a change, but what do the Lions have to lose? Maybe Stanton just performs well in real games and is a bad practice player. It wouldn't hurt to find out, especially considering it's not like Culpepper is playing even remotely well.

I know that Schwartz isn't going to apply his whole attitude of accountability -- make a mistake and take a seat on the bench -- to the quarterback position, but for someone who seems to have no problem benching players and throwing them under the bus after they make a mistake (see Aaron Brown and his "bone-headed play"), it just seems like Culpepper is getting off a little easy. I suppose some of you may have felt the same way when Stafford was playing poorly, but the difference is that he is a rookie and Culpepper is in his 11th season. At this point in a player's career a head coach should not be busy justifying underthrown passes, but that is exactly what Schwartz did on Monday.

On whether Culpepper’s underthrown balls were a concern
"Yeah – I think there was one he would like to have back; Calvin’s (Johnson) got the coverage beat over the top and then he wasn’t able to get the ball out where it needed to be; I mean that’s a long throw. The other ones weren’t as much of a concern because there was something that caused that play to be limited, whether it was rusher in his face, him moving out from the side, throwing on the run or something like that. Probably the one that he would like to have back – Daunte has a strong arm. But he’s got (Calvin Johnson) over the top, doesn’t want to overthrow it and ended up under-throwing it a little bit and wasn’t able to complete that one."

This is the one quote that I took the most issue with. Why did Schwartz feel the need to make excuses for Culpepper when he easily could have just said that mistakes were made on those passes? I mean, Schwartz specifically said that Aaron Brown was benched for his bone-headed play on the kick return at the end of the first half. Why didn't he make excuses for Brown? Because he benched him, but feels the need to justify starting Culpepper? Obviously this is all coach-speak, but come on, to justify Culpepper's underthrown passes by saying "that's a long throw" is just pathetic. Yes, that's a long throw. And yes, one of them was on the run. But you know what? Matthew Stafford can make those throws. Obviously that is why he is the starter when healthy, but a head coach should not be justifying bad passes by saying "that's a long throw." If it was that long then Culpepper shouldn't have thrown it. You might even say it was a bone-headed decision to attempt such a long throw if it was so tough for him. Never mind, that wouldn't fit the agenda of justifying Culpepper being the starter.

Perhaps I'm just frustrated with what happened on Sunday, but Jim Schwartz's entire press conference really irked me yesterday. I don't know what I would want a coach to do after a 48-3 loss, but it seemed like he backed off his whole accountability mantra, especially with Culpepper. Listen, I still have confidence in Schwartz that he will get things on the right track eventually, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't lose a little faith in him yesterday. I say that because I've heard that press conference many times before in the past. Maybe all coaches are like that after a tough loss, but we've been down this path before specifically with the Lions. Schwartz had a golden opportunity to really make a statement to the team in terms of accountability, but it felt like he backed off that attitude more than anything.

Like I said, I still have faith in Jim Schwartz; I just have lost some of it because of yesterday's press conference.

NFL Sunday TV Viewing Guide

John (obviousman) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:07:34 -0000

Do you have DirecTV and the NFL Sunday Ticket package? Do you work at, or spend your Sundays at, a bar that does? Do you have a laptop computer so that you can watch scores while watching the game?

Well, here you go. This is the first installment of your NFL Sunday TV Viewing Guide. This is to let you, the Chargers fan, know how to plan your day and which games to keep an eye on. I'll also add in the reasons to watch, and any potential storylines.

1pm EST Games to Watch

There are six(!) games that you should keep an eye on as you settle into that groove on your couch this Sunday.

Broncos at Colts - This is simple enough. The Chargers have a 1 game lead in the AFC West. If the undefeated Colts can keep their winning streak going, that lead can either stay at one (with a SD loss) or grow to two (with just 3 games left). The Colts are the best regular-season team in the league, and they absolutely love playing at home. Their starters will go because they're still playing for that playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The only possible reason for concern is that Peyton Manning does not play his best football against 3-4 defenses.
Jets at Buccaneers - Chargers fans could use a Tampa Bay victory, and there's reason to believe it may happen. The Jets are starting backup QB Kellen Clemens, and the young Bucs have been playing decent football since Josh Freeman took over as the starting QB. A good game by Freeman, as well as TB winning the turnover battle, and Raymond James Stadium will be rocking.
Bengals at Vikings - The Bolts main competition at this point of the season is Denver and Cincinnati. Cincy has the same record as San Diego, and both teams are competing for the last available playoff bye. A win against the Bengals next week would certainly help the Chargers chances, but there's no harm in getting started this week. The Vikings will also be a good barometer for just how good the Bengals are, and will hopefully find some holes in a very good Bengals defense.
Dolphins at Jaguars - I really don't know how this factors in, but it does. A Jacksonville win helps the Chargers clinch the playoffs just that much quicker. I've found the Dolphins to be a fun team to watch this season, and Chad Henne looks like he could be a heck of a QB in the future. The Jags have been a roller-coasted of a team all season, but they appear to finally be playing good football every week.

Anyone notice anything? Those are probably the four most important non-Chargers game for Chargers fans this week, and we're rooting for all home teams. I feel good about that.

Panthers at Patriots - This time we're rooting against the Patriots (what else is new?). Stories swirling out of New England this week lead me to believe that this locker room will either explode, or everyone will suddenly get on the same page and become a winning football team. Even though Matt Moore is playing QB for the Panthers, an outright chemistry explosion for the Patriots leaves any and all possibilities on the table. I don't recommend watching this one, but definitely keep an eye on the score.
Lions at Ravens - Chargers fans should be rooting for the Lions. Yikes. I think Dante Culpepper is going for this one instead of Matthew Stafford, which is good news for the Lions and Calvin Johnson. I don't expect this to be a blowout by any means, but the Ravens basically need to win out to make the playoffs so they'll be playing with a monstrous chip on their shoulder.

4pm EST Game to Watch

Chargers at Cowboys - If you needed me to tell you this, you've found your way to the wrong blog. There's no need to watch them, but I'll be rooting for wins by the Raiders (against the Redskins) and the Rams (against the Titans) just as a way to see the Chargers future opponents get a little bit weaker.

Jets Flight Connections 121009

dvdvil — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:15:55 -0000

HC Rex Ryan decided that QB Mark Sanchez will not play this Sunday. Rich Cimini reminds us that he thought of it first.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Matthew Stafford will not start either.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Josh Freeman is getting ready for the Jets game.

The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them, and having WR Michael Clayton might help.

The state of the upcoming opponent had nothing to do with the Sanchize being inactive. Attached to Dave Hutchinson's article are videos of Rex, Mark and back-up QB Kellen Clemens.

Hofstra product and Tampa Bay HC Raheem Morris knows the Jets just plan to run the ball anyway.

Clemens will get another chance to start, possibly his last shot to show what he can do. WR Braylon Edwards compares Kellen's situation to Browns QB Derek Anderson's experience.

The Jets and the Giants are keeping New York somewhat optimistic.

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber thought Mark would be okay to play.

Speaking of RBs, I once again urge you to vote early and vote often for Thomas Jones for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

And again, you can send CB Darrelle Revis and other Jets all-stars to Miami by voting them in the ProBowl.

More connections after the jump.

Here is a nice summation of the Jets' clearest path to the playoffs.

ESPN.com says the Jets are in good position with their running backs.

RB Leon Washington is a big bargain. Browns HC Eric Mangini thinks highly of him.

Do the Jets actually have "the best front seven" out of the top five defensive teams right now?

This article names Darrelle Revis as Defensive Player of the Week.

This blogger compares Revis to 1994 Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders.

This blogger, for some reason, compares and contrasts the Jets to the Cowboys over the years.

Even K Jay Feely should have a productive Sunday for fantasy football. Pick Thomas Jones for your running back this week, as well as the Jets defense.

This article mentions Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew's no-TD play against New York, as well as his experience with Jets fans.

University of Washington QB Jake Locker looks at Mark Sanchez's decision to turn pro.

Even though Patriots QB Tom Brady recently became a daddy, he still made it to work on time, unlike these guys.

New England activated DL Titus Adams, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

San Diego activated DT Antonio Garay, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

Miami LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter did not practice.

Bills WR Terrell Owens says, "Just shoot me."

And lastly, here is a video of the Jets defensive players talking about their squad: