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Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford Better Without Megatron?

By Erik Lambert

Nov 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Life without Calvin Johnson is about to become a reality for Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions.  Are they actually better off?

It sounds ludicrous to think about.  Johnson was on pace to become the best wide receiver of all-time, posting 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns in just nine seasons.  If he could just find a way to stay healthy, there is no doubt he could’ve finished as an all-time great.  Instead the six-time Pro Bowler elected to retire at age 30, tired of the beatings he was taking and the frustrating inconsistency the Lions suffered through when it came to winning games.

It must give Detroit fans a sour feeling since it’s the exact same thing that happened with Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.  Either way, this raises the question again.  Can the Lions survive the loss of Megatron better than they did Sanders almost two decades ago?  Stafford seems to think so.  In fact he feels the team can do even more now that Johnson is off the board.

"“I think we’re going to do it a little bit differently than we have in the past,” Stafford said in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday. “We used to feature Calvin, and everybody kind of got theirs after that. I think it’s going to be tougher for defenses, in a certain way, that they don’t know who we’re going to. There’s no guy to key in on. We’re probably just going to spread the ball around a bunch, and a bunch of guys will get a ton of catches, and we’ll be all right.”"

Is he right?  Best to look at the numbers to find out.  The following list will detail how Stafford performed in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, during which time Johnson missed more than one game in the season.

Without Johnson (5 games)

  • 248.6 yards per game
  • 1.4 TDs
  • 0.6 INTs per game

With Johnson (27 games)

  • 290.7 yards per game
  • 1.62 TDs per game
  • 1.03 INTs per game

In truth it’s a mixed bag.  While Stafford is considerably less explosive in terms of both yards and touchdowns without Johnson on the field, he also does a better job of protecting the football.  That goes back to his comment about keeping the defense guessing.  When Johnson was on the field, everybody knew where the ball was going.  Without a player like that present, there isn’t a superstar on the field sure but there also isn’t anybody to key on.

Naturally Detroit is banking on this working to the advantage of guys like Golden Tate and Marvin Jones in order to help Stafford become a better quarterback.  Still, when it comes down to it chances are they’ll miss Johnson in those situations where they have to have a big play.

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