© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN Host: Nobody is Paying Attention to Matthew Stafford
When all is said and done, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may shatter many historic quarterback passing numbers.
Earlier this season against the Vikings, Stafford became the fastest quarterback to amass 40,000 passing yards in NFL history.
He was able to accomplish this in 147 games.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, ESPN morning host Mike Greenberg tweeted:
"With very little fanfare, Matt Stafford leads the league in yards passing per game, and has thrown 19TDs and 5 picks. Having a monster season and no one is paying him any attention. #Lions"
No question, Stafford is among the most polarizing figures in Detroit sports history.
Fans oftentimes criticize Stafford and at times take him for granted. They will cite a lack of signature wins and little to no success in the postseason as reasons why Stafford is not elite like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.
But in all fairness, the Lions struggles this season have very little to do with the starting quarterback.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has tapped into what Stafford actually does well and the returns have been positive.
Both wide receivers Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay are enjoying productive seasons due in large part to the quality offensive attack led by Stafford.
The Lions franchise quarterback neither cares about or seeks out attention. He is the first to point out his mistakes post game and according to many of his teammates he displays a toughness that is vastly under-appreciated.
So why doesn't Stafford garner more attention nationally?
The bottom line is Stafford falls victim to playing for a franchise that is not known for a winning culture.
It's unfortunate that more are not aware of Stafford's prowess, but he isn't staying up at night worrying about that.
He will continue to let his play do the talking and the rest of us will continue to analyze what it all means.
