Matthew Stafford Is Overrated

The Los Angeles Rams will be disappointed with the results with Matthew Stafford under center.

It is not an uncommon phenomenon. 

Sports fans tend to romanticize and overhype professional athletes, and Detroit is no different. 

In the case of former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, supporters fell in love with the traits he possessed that they could identify with -- playing through pain, being a great teammate, not bashing the organization publicly and his big arm. 

But, in the world of professional sports, the bottom line is results. 

The narrative that Stafford did not have enough talent around him is laughable. 

The organization surrounded him with talented wideouts, and it built a defense that was among the best in the National Football League in 2014. 

No football team is built perfectly, and the organization needed Stafford to do more to help get the Lions over the hump in the playoffs. It never occurred. 

While many choose to focus on the bad calls during the Cowboys playoff game, many forget the offense went cold the final three quarters of the game. With an opportunity late in the game to seal the victory, Stafford and the offense came up short. 

Too many times, in the biggest of moments, Stafford turned the ball over or threw a pick-six that altered the momentum in the opponents' favor. 

Max Kellerman of ESPN drew a lot of criticism when he called Stafford overrated on an episode of "First Take." 

“Stafford’s a good quarterback, but he’s overrated … you’re the No. 1 overall pick. What have you done? How many times have you won the division? Zero. Okay, how many times have you won a playoff game? Zero … Have you ever been to a Pro Bowl? One as an alternate. Now, how are you paid? As though you’re maybe the best quarterback in football.”

© Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press

On a recent edition of The Ringers "Flying Coach" podcast with hosts Sean McVay and Peter Schrager, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan heaped praise on Stafford and his abilities. 

"Stafford’s the man. I studied him hard coming out of college, and you always play against him, so you know how good he is. But, to know he might be available and to spend two weeks really watching him, Sean, yeah, he’s better than I realized," Shanahan said. "He was the man. He’s actually underrated to me."

Not many good decisions and evaluations take place in Cabo anyway.

Now that the national spotlight is on Stafford and the Rams, the narrative has shifted from media pundits who did not watch Stafford for over a decade. 

They have become enamored with the big arm of the shiny new quarterback playing in a shiny new stadium. 

Reality will come crashing down hard for Rams supporters when they need Stafford to step up in big games. 

While the majority of Detroit fans have moved on, if Stafford does struggle, it actually aids the Lions with a higher draft pick. 

So, for once, Stafford could actually aid the Lions. 

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