Written by Adam Schein at NFL.com
Deep thoughts after a long day of watching football. Like …
How did the San Francisco 49ers fire Jim Harbaugh for not playing nice in the sandbox? What’s Jim Tomsula doing on a day like this? And does anyone really think a hot dog is a sandwich?
OK, here are nine legit questions that came to mind during Week 7 of this NFL campaign:
1) Matthew Stafford for MVP?
Seven weeks into the season, he is absolutely a top-five candidate. And if you want to really stress the word valuable, you can make a case he’s at the top of the list.
Calvin Johnson, one of the greatest players in Lions history, retired seven months ago. This roster hardly oozes talent. The defense ranks 25th in the league. Detroit has been hit pretty hard by the injury bug. And Jim Caldwell is not exactly a game-changing head coach.
Yet, here the Lions are at 4-3, having won their last three games over three teams (Philadelphia, Los Angeles andWashington) that came to Ford Field with winning records. The biggest reason for this Detroit renaissance is obvious:Matthew Stafford is playing flawless, dominant, winning football — protecting the pigskin while demonstrating a flair for the dramatic with clutch fourth-quarter play. I’ve been a Stafford skeptic in the past, based upon his questionable decision making and wild inconsistency. But there’s no denying his brilliant play of late.
When Redskins QB Kirk Cousins scampered 19 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute remaining Sunday, I thought the game was over. Not on Stafford’s watch.
The Lions QB calmly marched Detroit down the field, completing three of his five pass attempts for 61 yards and even scrambling for a 14-yard gain. Stafford capped the pulsating drive with a perfectly placed laser to Anquan Boldin.
Stafford has thrown 15 touchdown passes against just four picks this year, boasting a lofty 105.7 passer rating. Oh, and he now has four game-winning drives on the young season.
Stafford is currently carrying the Lions. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the obvious impact of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. CBS Sports football scribe Will Brinson pointed out that Stafford has now played a full 16 games under Cooter, dating back to midway through last season when theLions fired Joe Lombardi. The production is a sight to be seen:
This OC change has brought out the best in one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks in the league. But Stafford and the Lions face a challenging fortnight before their Week 10 bye: at Houston and at Minnesota. Any rational Lions fan would have to be thrilled if Detroit were to hit the break over .500.
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