Where did the other almost 3,000 yards go then? And lets talk about a qb who threw for even less yards with a more pathetic run game and two wide receivers and a tight end make him look good as well, the other Matt. And well Stafford still threw for more yards. If the lions played in our division they probably would have made the playoffs last year but they played in a division with three teams who were all heavily contending and the lions were the ones who got off to the wrong start and when you trail you don't beat the ones who have more to play for.

I don't know what your talking about in the first part.

He's referencing a stat from the "does Stafford make Megatron better?" or "does Megatron make Stafford better?" debate in which Stafford supporters point out that of the approx. 5000yds passing-a-season Stafford has compiled the last two years, approx. only 1800yds per season went to Calvin Johnson. Stafford spread the remaining 3000yds (approx) to the rest of his receiving corps & running backs.

Not too shabby, IMO, no matter how you slice it. .

As for the observation that if the Lions played in the NFC South they probably would have made the playoffs, I agree. They lost every game in arguably the strongest Division in the NFL last season. Had they been able to play the Bucs & the Panthers twice a year instead of Green Bay, Chicago & a surprising Minnesota, things undoubtedly would have turned out different. I go as far as to suggest they may have even split with the Saints (without Payton) and whatever remaining team in the NFC South I may have forgot to mention.

.... are we still calling him a top tier QB?

Where did anyone call him a top tier QB? Relax, nobody said he was better than Drew, .

Will be elite, Will be premiere, Will be premiere.

"Will be"is just speculation that if Stafford continues on the same course as the past few seasons, he may be able to gain admittance into that exclusive club of top tier QBs.

"Will be" is not the same as Atlanta-fan coming on here and regaling us with tales of the "other Matt's" exploits while trying to cram him into the top tier, down our throats.

I think you have me confused with another fan base, Oak-man, .

I don't know what your talking about in the first part.


On the second part:
Not intending to vent on you but take it for what it's worth, a prime example of why I don't care to live in Louisiana again.

The laundry list of excuses that never include the reason.

You literally just strung together a list of excuses for why a 4-12 team should have been in the play offs? A 4-12 team? Seriously?

How about "they failed to consistently show up on game day ready to play ball"?

They did show up against the titans, they gave it away. They did show up against the bears defensively and given where that game was played in primetime, they did well. They beat the 4-3 seahawks and after beating jags is where their losing slump began. At vikes, who were 5-4, packers who were 6-3 and won late on a int return, texans who were 10-1 and we know how that turned out. After that they were done at 4-7, and in came the under the radar overachieving colts who were down 13 at one point in the game, then came the packers again in which they led until late third in Lambeau, after that they were drained on a second straight road trip going to Az out west. With the exception of that game and Atlanta, their last seven games 5 of them were all close losses. Lions had to play contender after contender. Their problem was not not showing up on game day but not being able to finish games.

The Lions are a team.... An organization and that means if the players bust arse for 60 minutes but the coaches screw up the second half adjustments as a whole they have problems. Problems that players can not effect ... As much as Payton is the reason we win, Schwartz is the reason the Lions lose.

Not all head coaches can get it done.