Matthew Stafford Lions Break Out Player of the Year?

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford sits on the bench with his arm in a sling after suffering a shoulder injury

After missing 19 of 32 career games would it be logical to pose this question? Will Matthew Stafford be the Detroit Lions breakout player of the year? I for one do not believe it to be a question to ask at all when considering the amount of games Stafford has missed due to an injured shoulder. However I do believe that it borders more along the lines of needing to be a statement & it needs to be a very bold statement at that. “100%, Without a shadow of a doubt, quite unequivocally Matthew Stafford “HAS” to be the Detroit Lions breakout player of the year!”.
The Lions finished 6-10 last year but very easily could of finished the season at least 7-9 if not for the game against the Chicago Bears in which Calvin Johnson & the Detroit Lions were, for the lack of a better word, robbed of a come from behind win. A game in which, you guessed it, Stafford didn’t play. But making my point that 7-9 is a far cry from their 2009 record of 2-14 & it was done without the young gunslinger for all but three games.

Let’s ponder that a moment…you finished? Ok, let’s press on. A 7-9 record last year with franchise quarterback to be Matthew Stafford missing thirteen games! Thirteen games is more than 75% of the season without their young franchise quarterback. Envision a season in which Stafford plays 75% or more of the season instead of missing 75% of the season. With the solid group of players that the Lions have brought onto the team to surround Stafford, what this team can achieve with this kid giving them a full 16 game season can only be described as unimaginable.

Stafford’s toughness should never be something that is called into question. Most of us, especially Detroit Lion fans, remember his gritty performance against Cleveland in 2009 when he came back into the game after initially leaving the game with an obvious shoulder injury. He went on to throw for a Lions rookie passing record along with an NFL rookie record 422 yards and tied a league single-game rookie record with five touchdown passes. One of those touchdowns being the game winning touchdown.

Now, his durability on the other hand can be called into question. The Lions organization & fans alike will have to begin to face the cold hard truth & that truthof moving in another direction at the QB position if Stafford can never stay healthy. Really, how many years can a franchise waste away on a young quarterback before they can throw in the towel & no one blames them?

With that being said. Once again, it’s not a matter of asking will Matthew Stafford be the Detroit Lions breakout player of the year? But more the notion of Matthew Stafford “HAS” to be the Detroit Lions break out player of the year.