PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions

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mattHeW stafforD
Quarterback
Georgia
4th Year
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 232
Born: 2/7/88
Highland Park, Texas
Draft: ‘09, R1 (1)-Det
Complete biographical information available on Detroitlions.com.
MANE FACTS
‣ Named 2011 aP Comeback Player of the year.
‣ Voted by fans the 2012 esPy for Best Comeback athlete.
‣ During the lions’ dramatic 38-37 last second, come-from-behind win
against Cleveland at ford field when he set an Nfl rookie passing
records for yards (422) and tied a record for touchdowns (five), stafford
was mic’d up by Nfl films for that memorable win. stafford suffered a
shoulder injury on the last timed play of regulation. following a pass
interference penalty in the endzone and a Browns timeout, stafford
forced himself back on the field for one more throw that resulted in
the game winning touchdown to Te Brandon Pettigrew. as published
in the Detroit free Press: NFL Films president Steve Sabol said
Stafford ª earned a lasting place in the cinematic folklore of the
NFL.º Stafford was wired for sound when he suffered an AC
joint separation, came back and threw the winning touchdown
with no time left against the Browns. Sabol called it ª the most
dramatic player wiring everº -- and NFL Films has wired more
than 350 players since 1965.
‣ Was named NfC offensive Player of the Week and was voted rookie
of the Week for Week 11 of the 2009 season.
‣ attended Highland Park High school in Dallas, Texas, the same high
school that lions Hall of famers QB Bobby layne and rB Doak Walker
attended. layne and Walker led the lions to Nfl Championships in
1952 and 1953. layne also led the team to the 1957 Nfl Championship.
‣ While growing up in Texas, he was fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
‣ after his football career, he would like to either coach or work in broadcasting
and then one way or the other play a lot of golf.
‣ among his favorite TV shows are: Entourage and Eastbound and
Down; favorite movies: Blood Diamond and Gladiator; favorite actor/
entertainer: Will ferrell.
TRANSACTIONS
‣ Placed on reserve/injured by the lions December 24, 2010.
‣ Placed on reserve/injured by the lions December 26, 2009.
‣ Drafted by the Detroit lions in the first round (1st overall) of the
2009 Nfl Draft.
PRO
as the lions starting signal caller, stafford combines great arm strength
and accuracy with exceptional ability to read opponents defenses to lead
the team’s offense.
‣ The 24-point comeback at Dallas (10/2/11) was the third 20+-point
comeback of his career, and second in consecutive weeks, making the
lions the only team to do so in Nfl history. stafford now joins Hall
of fame QB Bobby layne as the only quarterbacks in team history to
lead the lions back to victories from 24-point deficits. stafford led the
team’s only 24-point comeback on the road.
‣ With the 24-point comeback on the road, the lions tied an Nfl record
for the largest comeback by a road team, accomplished three previous
times. The last 24-point comeback occurred December 6, 1992 when the
los angeles rams won at Tampa Bay 31-27 after trailing by 24 points.
‣ The 20-point comeback at Minnesota (9/25/11) was the second
20+-point comeback engineered stafford during his career. in 2009,
he helped bring the lions back from 21 points down vs. Cleveland
(11/22/09) at ford field. The comeback against the Vikings was also the
lions largest halftime deficit to overcome in team history (20 points).
He and Hall of fame QB Bobby layne are the only quarterbacks in
team history to engineer 20+-point comebacks in team history (regular
season). layne engineered the largest comeback ever by bringing
the lions back from 24 points down vs. Baltimore (10/20/57). in the
postseason, the lions also came back from a 20-point deficit at san
francisco December 22, 1957, quarterbacked by Tobin rote, to claim a
31-27 win after training 27-7 in the third quarter. The playoff game is
known in lions history as the “Comeback at Kezar.”
‣ since the beginning of the 2010 season, he has started in 19 games and
has tossed 47 touchdown passes (17 interceptions), and 20 of those
touchdowns have gone to Wr Calvin Johnson.
‣ Became the second player in Nfl history (fran Tarkenton) to record
four games of 4+ TD passes in first 16 career games.
‣ first quarterback in Nfl history with three games with at least 5
touchdown passes in his first 29 career games.
‣ lions are 6-3 in games stafford throws for 300 yards and 8-6 when he
throws for over 250 yards.
‣ Team record 9 career 300-yard games, breaking record held by scott
Mitchell (8, 1994-98). of stafford’s 9 career 300-yard games, 8 occurred
in 2011. franchise best 3 career 400-yards games, including 2 in 2011.
first player ever to throw for over 500 yards in a game in lions history.
‣ Team is 8-1 when stafford throws 3 touchdowns in a game. His 9 games
are tied for the second-most 3+touchdown pass games in team history.
‣ lions are 10-1 when stafford records a passer rating over 100.0.
‣ six career game-winning drives with team trailing or tied in fourth
quarter or oT.
‣ rookie campaign was highlighted by his 13 touchdowns passes (lions
rookie passing record) and his gritty performance against Cleveland
when he threw for an Nfl record 422 yards and tied a league singlegame
rookie record with five touchdown passes.
‣ selected by the lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 Nfl Draft
and was named the team’s starting quarterback to start the regular
season. He was the youngest player to start the regular season at
quarterback since drew Bledsoe in 1993.
2011: Team’s third-year starting quarterback who was named an offensive
team captain for the second consecutive year. Had one of most remarkable
passing seasons by a quarterback 23 years or younger in the Nfl.
Completed 421-of-663 passes (63.5 pct) for 5,038 yards and 41 TDs, with
a passer rating of 97.2.
‣ among 2011 Nfl leaders, stafford was second in completions (421),
third in passing yards (5,038), third in touchdown passes (41), fifth in
passer rating (97.2), fifth in completion percentage (63.5) and first in
attempts (663).
‣ set all-time single season team records in attempts (663), completions
(421), yards (5,038) and touchdowns (41). among qualifiers (minimum
224 attempts), stafford set new team marks for completion percentage
(63.5) and passer rating (97.2).
‣ fourth quarterback in league history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season
(QB Drew Brees 5,069 in 2008 and 5,476 in 2011), Tom Brady (5,235 in
2011) and Dan Marino (5,084). stafford’s 5,038 passing yards ranks fifth
all-time in Nfl history. only stafford (3rd season) and Marino (second
season) accomplished this feat with 3 or less years of experience.
‣ Brees (2011), Marino and stafford are the only quarterbacks in Nfl
history with 5,000+ passing yards and 40+ touchdowns.
‣ second youngest quarterback in Nfl history to throw for 4,000 yards
and 30 touchdown passes in a season. He is second only to QB Dan
Marino in 1984. stafford did so at the age of 23 years, 23 months and
10 days, and Marino accomplished it at 23 years, 2 months and 17 days.
‣ one of only three quarterbacks 23 years or younger (Dan Marino, 5084
in 1984; Drew Bledsoe, 4,555 in 1994) in Nfl history to throw for
4,500 yards in a season. only Marino and stafford reached 5,000 yards.
‣ in Nfl single-season history, stafford’s 2011 season totals were third in
attempts (663), fifth in completions (421), tied for seventh in touchdowns
(41). among passers with 600 attempts, his passer rating (97.2) in the
third highest, and among passers with 575 ranks sixth.
‣ seven games in 2011 with 3+ touchdowns, which was a new franchise
record. He passed QB Bobby layne (6, 1951) for the team record.
‣ four games with for 4+ touchdowns in 2011, also a team record.
‣ Had a record setting performance in Detroit’s postseason loss at New
orleans (1/7), setting a new franchise playoff mark for passing yards
(380), while tying for the second-most touchdown passes (3) and having
the second most pass attempts (43) and completions (28).
‣ for the month of september, stafford was 79-of-118 (66.9 pct) for 977
yards and 9 touchdowns. His rating for the month was 110.7. stafford
ranked among the Nfl leaders, including 5th in yards (3rd in NfC), tied
for 2nd in passing touchdowns (tied for 1st in NfC) and 3rd in passer
rating ((2nd in NfC).
‣ His 325.7 passing yards per game was the highest for the month of
september in team history.
‣ stafford’s 1,919 passing yards are the most ever by a player in Nfl
history in games played in December/January (regular season). His
15 touchdowns are the fourth-highest and completions (145) are the
third-most in the final month of the season.
‣ in the lions’ season opener at Tampa Bay (9/11), registered 305 yards
passing (24-of-33, 72.7 pct.) in the lions win, the most by a lions
quarterback on the road to open the season. it also marked stafford’s
second career 300-yard game.
‣ in the first half alone, he threw for 265 yards, the third most by a lions
passer in the first half of a game since 1991, and it was stafford’s second
highest first-half total of his career. He threw for 270 yards in the first
half vs. Cleveland (11/22/09).
‣ His 305 yards was also the third 300-yard passing game by a lions
quarterback on opening day, and he became only the second player
in team history to accomplish this feat. The last time was QB Bobby
layne (364 vs. Pittsburgh, 9/27/53 and 310 vs. Washington, 9/30/51).
‣ set a new single game career-high with a quarterback rating of 118.9.
it was the highest passer rating posted by a lions quarterback on
opening day since QB Gary Danielson registered a 119.6 vs. san francisco
(9/2/84). it is also the highest passer rating recorded by a lions
quarterback on the road in an opener dating back to at least 1950.
‣ His 3 touchdown passes against the Bucs marked his third career game