I Really Like Matthew Stafford

Let's put all of the cards out on the table; the Lions are not a very talented football team and it was plainly on display during Monday's beatdown at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. The front seven couldn't tackle, the secondary couldn't cover, the o-line couldn't block, and the receivers couldn't catch. It was a well-rounded, horrible team performance. Except for one bright spot.

Matthew Stafford is one tough dude.

He is a gutsy leader who shows command of his team. He has a cannon for an arm and knows it, but for the most part, does not force throws have no chance to succeed. He seems to have a good grasp of the offense and the full support of the team and coaching staff. In the face of all of the hits he's taken this year, he plays the position with tremendous confidence and not an ounce of fear. And even more than everything that he does, the thing I like most about Matthew Stafford is what he doesn't do. He has absolutely no sense of entitlement, something that has become all too common with top draft picks. Stafford knows that as the quarterback, he needs to be the leader of his offense, but at the same time, he recognizes his status as a rookie. Yesterday, when Calvin Johnson dropped a pass that would have resulted in a big gain at a key point in the game, Stafford didn't yell and scream at him, he patted Megatron on the back and they calmly discussed the play on their way back to the huddle.

After about half of a season, it has become patently clear that Matthew Stafford is everything that the Lions' last rookie quarterback, Joey "Blue Skies" Harrington, wasn't. Matty has all of the physical tools and seems to have his head on straight as well. The Lions still have serious concerns on the offensive and defensive lines, but for the first time in a long time, they seem to be headed in the right direction at quarterback.