Matthew Stafford Will Set Career-Highs in Multiple Statistic Categories
Stafford is returning for his 10th season in blue and grey. 2018 also marks Stafford’s fourth season under offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Since taking over midway through the 2015 season, Cooter built a foundation with Stafford that should help take Detroit’s offense to new levels.
Stafford’s efficiency improvements since Cooter took over have been otherworldly. Last season was Stafford’s most efficient to date. He finished with a career-high 99.3 quarterback-rating. Stafford’s three most accurate campaigns have been under Cooter, finishing with completion percentages of 67.2, 65.3 and 65.7 each of the last three seasons, respectively. In years prior, Stafford’s completion percentage hovered around 60-percent. Stafford also marked career lows with 10 interceptions in each of the last two seasons.
Cooter has been bringing Stafford along for two and a half years, and the 30-year-old gunslinger might be ready to unleash his more accurate cannon. Stafford’s career-high marks of 5,038 passing yards and 41 touchdowns came in 2011, his first full 16-game season. It’s the only time Stafford has surpassed 5,000 passing yards and 40 touchdowns, but throwing the football was just about the Lions’ only option with Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris sharing RB1 duties. Let’s not forget how nice it was to have a 26-year-old Calvin Johnson lining up on the outside.
Outside of Megatron, Stafford hasn’t been gifted with the kind of talent Detroit’s offense features. As discussed earlier, Detroit features the best pass protecting front of Stafford’s career. The backfield’s offseason additions of rookie Kerryon Johnson and veteran LeGarrette Blount provides needed power backs to compliment Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah.
As for the receiver corps, Stafford’s built spectacular chemistry with Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. Additionally, Kenny Golladay expects to make strides in his second season. Add incoming tight ends Luke Willson and Levine Toiolo to the mix, and Stafford has a rotation of players that can make plays in a myriad of formations and route concepts.
Stafford is prime for a breakout season. The combination of continuity with Cooter and the receiver corps, a revamped offensive line, and an influx of power in the backfield might be the formula for the former No. 1 overall pick to meet his full potential.
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