Hurt Stafford = Bad Stafford
December 10th, 2017
Streak of 108 straight starts in jeopardy.
We probably won’t know for sure if Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will start until the active rosters are announced 90 minutes before kickoff later this morning.
Stafford has started 108 consecutive games for Detroit. He hurt his throwing hand last week in a loss to the Crows and earlier this week seemed to be OK throwing, per Michael Rothstein of BSPN.com. He had his pinky and ring fingers taped up.
Stafford is one tough SOB. But as Rothstein points out, when Stafford has been hurt, he has been at best a mediocre quarterback.
The Detroit Lions are 3-9 in regular-season games when Stafford has appeared on the injury report and then played during his streak. That includes a three-game losing streak last season with an injured finger, an ankle injury in Week 6 against New Orleans this season and right finger and ankle injuries in 2011. …
In those 12 games, Stafford threw 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Some of those injuries cause more problems throwing than others, and there’s no question the right hand injury could impact what Stafford does.
If history is a barometer this should be a good game. Since the Den of Depression opened in 1998, when the Bucs have hosted the Lions (a former NFC Central rival), only once has a Lions-Bucs game not been a one-score game.
The Lions-Bucs game that really jumps out at Joe was in 2010, when Target-parking-lot-whacking Kellen Winslow was robbed of a touchdown and the Bucs were forced to kick a field goal and later lost in overtime, which cost the Bucs a playoff berth.
December 10th, 2017 at 7:15 am
So you’re saying there’s chance we win????
December 10th, 2017 at 7:25 am
I hope he plays otherwise we’ll have to go against their backup QB and we all know what kinda happens then. But Go Bucs anyway. Let’s save Koetter. Smith?
not so sure.
December 10th, 2017 at 8:10 am
Huh. An injured QB is a less effective and successful QB? But so many Bucs fans have turned on our QB for struggling during his injury (to his throwing arm no less). Are people trying to run Stafford out of Detroit, too?
December 10th, 2017 at 8:32 am
Bad Defense = Good Stafford. Happens every time.
December 10th, 2017 at 8:32 am
I hate that we even have to hope for this, but it’s the nature of the beast this year. We need wins however we can get them.
December 10th, 2017 at 9:03 am
I’ve hated Staffterd since his Highland Park days here in Texas. Rich pretty boy pricks
December 10th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
The key is how the Bucs offense performs. Will Good Jameis or Bad Jameis show up?
December 10th, 2017 at 4:17 pm
Don’t matter. Stafford need only be about 60% to beat our Defense. Hey..maybe DC Smitty will even roam the sidelines with his troops..for once this season?