Matt Stafford’s Most Important Teammate? It Ain’t C.J.!

There is no denying the fact that the presence of a superstar wide receiver can help quicken the development of a young quarterback.

Peyton Manning had Marvin Harrison.

Brett Favre had Sterling Sharpe.

Now, Detroit Lions rookie gunslinger Matthew Stafford has Calvin Johnson.

Any Lions fan worth his weight is aware of what unnatural abilities Johnson has showcased for the last two seasons.

The 6 foot 5 inch frame, wingspan and hands like suction cups ready to haul in even the most poorly or overthrown ball tossed in his direction.

I won’t even get started about his Olympic-like leaping ability, but let’s say he is in the class of that fictional fellow who was “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

Heck, after a year in which he caught 78 passes for over 1,300 yards and 12 TDs from a virtual revolving door at Detroit’s quarterback position in 2008, the sky should be the limit even with just a little more stability from their passers this year.

Not to mention that this year’s starting quarterback has a howitzer of a right arm.

The rookie Stafford has his main target that will make his first NFL season much easier than the Alex Smith’s and Tim Couch’s of the recent past.

But is Calvin Johnson the most important weapon at Stafford’s disposal?

Conventional wisdom says yes, but I disagree.

Head coach Jim Schwartz made a promise shortly after being hired that has gone overlooked in all the hype since the decision to draft Stafford in the spring.

Schwartz stated a desire to get back to basics in Motown.

Despite being an indoors team, he wanted a squad that could be successful outdoors in the harsh Decembers at Green Bay, or Chicago.

A team that could stuff the opponents running backs, but in turn, could grind out yards offensively.

Enter Stafford’s most integral component towards keeping the Jared Allen’s and other pass rushing monsters at bay, in his rookie campaign.

Second year running back Kevin Smith.

Besides Johnson’s breakout and the promise of a new regime, Smith’s rookie campaign was probably the only sign of hope for the Lions after the 2008 played out in its sick and cruel manner.

Building off of Smith’s run at 1,000 yards over the last eight games in ’08, Smith’s continuing maturation and development from OTA’s through the preseason has seemed to fly under the radar outside of Detroit.

After Smith’s collegiate history, where he rewrote UCF’s record books for running backs in only three seasons and his declaration on Jim Rome’s show in July, where he referred to himself as the “lead dog”, Smith is ready to break out in ’09 as one of the Lions leaders on and off the field.

With the downfield threat of Stafford to Johnson in the back of opposing defensive coordinator’s minds, teams can’t afford to put that extra guy in the box to undermine the Lions’ running game.

The blocking combination of rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew lined up next to second year right tackle Gosder Cherilus opening holes for Smith to gain big chunks of yards in the preseason games, has left Lions fans in anticipation of what might be in store for us in ’09 and beyond.

Not to mention the play action opportunities available to Stafford and his receivers, with Smith handling his business in the running game.

The hopes of having a possible superstar at quarterback, for the first time in this writer’s 30 years of watching the Lions, can certainly be helped by that 6 foot 5 inch freak lined up on the outside. 

How much easier will it be for Stafford with the threat of a true “lead dog” to hand the ball off to.

 

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Will Mark Sanchez’ Christening Have an Influence on Detroit’s QB Battle?

First off, let me preface this article by stating that this in no way an endorsement of whether Matt Stafford should open the season as the starting QB for the Detroit Lions or begin it in a backup role.

If it was my decision, which it isn’t, I would lean towards setting him up for his debut after the Lions bye week. It’s what I’ve felt since they drafted him and I’m sticking to it.

Living in Connecticut as a Lions fan, whether you like it or not, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed by the media juggernauts that are Boston and New York sports radio.

With four kids and all the car trips that are necessary to being a parent, my tastes tend to lean towards WFAN in NYC.

When I first heard over the airwaves that the New York Jets were planning to bypass veteran quarter back Kellen Clemens in favor of their hot-shot, No. 1 pick Mark Sanchez, my thoughts quickly turned to Detroit’s situation.

Quarterbacks drafted in the first round, in the same draft, will always be measured with each other in the context of success and who was the better selection.

Whether it be reflecting on the class of ’83 with Manning-Leaf, or the ’04 class with Manning-Rivers, and so on…Sanchez and Stafford will be no different.

Despite the levels of where their two teams stand right now talent-wise and how they are projected to perform for the season, there are a few similarities in both of the teams’ battles.

The rookies have both been less effective than their veteran counterparts, in Stafford’s case even No. 3 Drew Stanton has performed better.

Also, both players will be forever linked to their current rookie head coaches, whose job security may ultimately be riding on the decision they make and how it plays out.

While Jets coach Rex Ryan went with his gut in naming Sanchez, hoping he will progress through the “trial-by-fire” approach, Lions coach Jim Schwartz is staying tight lipped on his decision.

The Jets have better personnel on both sides of the ball to ease the transition from Sanchez’ days at USC to the NFL, the rebuilding Lions don’t have an overabundance of talent, not counting wide-out Calvin Johnson.

The question to me, from an outsiders viewpoint is, will pressure from the front office and owner William Clay Ford, now that Sanchez was crowned King of Jets nation, override Schwartz’ final say?

In my own opinion, I’ve felt Ford is an owner more concerned with the bottom line from the business end and more laid back in his approach to the team, as long as Ford Field is full.

Will the decision to field a more competitive team with Daunte Culpepper at the helm and a few upgrades elsewhere on the roster, overcome the desire to generate some buzz by throwing the upstart No. 1 overall pick to the wolves, even though at the end of the day it might put a few more butts in the seats.

I’m sure no one whose jobs may be directly tied to the success of a rookie head coach, could care less what the Jets are doing.

I just wonder if the decision is entirely Schwartz’ or if he has an 84-year-old monkey, and it’s offspring, on his back, telling him who the choice is really going to be.

I’d love to know your opinion and if I’m due for a nice, quiet rest at an asylum!

Lions Moving Ahead One Foote at a Time

The Associated Press is reporting Tuesday night that former Steelers middle linebacker and Michigan native, Larry Foote, has agreed to a one year contract with the Detroit Lions.

With the emergence of Lawrence Timmons in the Steelers defense and a high salary cap deeming Foote expendable, Pittsburgh released the veteran of two Super Bowl Championship teams.

Foote stated Tuesday night that all that was left to do was sign the deal on Wednesday.

The move should help to fill a huge hole in the Lions defense, a hole that many fans thought would be filled on draft day when USC’s Rey Maualuga and Ohio State’s Jim Laurinaitis slipped to the Lions picks at No. 20 and then No. 33 overall.

Instead, and surprisingly, general manager Martin Mayhew opted to solidify the tight end and safety positions with Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew and Western Michigan’s Louis Delmas. Both Pettigrew and Delmas were considered the top ranked options at their respective positions.

Now with the signing of Foote and the trade for perennial pro bowler Julian Peterson earlier in the offseason to go with Ernie Sims, Detroit should have one of the better linebacker corps in the division and possibly the league.

With the deal only being for one year, the Lions should be getting a very hungry and determined player in Foote, who was quoted by the AP as saying, “Its a one year deal to show my talents, and hopefully end up signing a long term deal after showing the Lions and their new coaching staff what I can do.”

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