Lions' Matthew Stafford can't silence critics, may have reached ceiling

CHICAGO — Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford sat down on a bench in the locker room, and there was a bright red mark on his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

After getting sacked six times, it's a wonder his whole body wasn't one giant bruise.

“We just didn’t make enough plays,” Stafford said on Sunday, after the Lions lost to the Chicago Bears, 34-22. “We didn’t start fast as a team. Everybody included.”

Once again, the Lions made all kinds of mistakes.

Once again, Stafford was turned into a human piñata — he has been sacked 16 times in the last two games.

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And once again, the Lions were undisciplined and unfocused.

This is not progress. This is regression. 

This was a big week for Stafford, a chance for some atonement after last week's performance. And after taking all kinds of heat from Rich Gannon.

Stafford came out and did, well, nothing much. Not until this team was down 26-0.

Lions fans have been turning on Stafford, and this will do nothing to make it stop.

Once again, he did nothing to make the players around him better.

Once again, he held on to the ball too long. His second sack, on the Lions' first possession, was the most costly because it took away points. The Lions had third down on the Chicago 29-yard line. Stafford took the sack, instead of throwing it away. That forced the Lions to punt.

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That’s on Stafford. The Lions made all kinds of small mistakes like that, which added up to one big, fat ugly disaster.

“We had some chances to move the ball a little early, but we just didn’t continue drives,” Stafford said. “Those were negative plays. Sacks early in the game. Penalties. Whatever it is.”

It's been a half century of whatever it is.

Many steps back

Now remember, this was a team on the fringe of the playoffs last year. Now, after falling to 3-6 on Sunday, it will be lucky to finish 8-8.

The Lions weren't prepared to play the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. They looked like a bunch of kindergartners, who got moved up to high school before they were ready.

They weren’t mentally tough. They weren’t disciplined. They weren’t focused. They were, well, nothing but embarrassing. That’s on general manger Bob Quinn, who put together this roster, and coach Matt Patricia, who guided this team on a downward spiral. I realize he is a rookie head coach. And he is just nine games into his tenure. But as the losing continues, as this team seems to regress every Sunday, it makes you wonder: Are Quinn and Patrica capable of straightening this out?

Here’s the part that boggles your mind: Quinn put all kinds of resources into the offensive line. He drafted Kerryon Johnson. He had so many weapons, he figured he could trade Golden Tate. But nothing is working. Everything is hard for this offense. And they seem to be doing the same thing, over and over.

That’s on offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

That’s on Stafford. 

That’s on all of them.

Others to blame

To be fair, it’s not all Stafford’s fault.

TJ Lang is out with an injury and it’s hard to find a healthy Lions tight end.

But something has to change with this offense. I hate the way the Lions are using Kerryon Johnson. I wish they would just put him in the game and leave him there. I get the sense that defenses are thrilled when the Lions give the ball to LeGarrette Blount — he had six carries for 4 yards. Or even Nick Bellore, who had a disastrous carry, on a critical short-yardage situation.

“It’s difficult, obviously," Stafford said. "I hate losing games, especially to a division opponent. All the work we put in during the week. The effort we put in, to get your body right, your mind right, to go play. And not come out on the positive end of it is tough.”

Stafford threw two picks, but one was basically a punt. The only thing Chicago did wrong all day was intercept a ball on fourth down.

Meanwhile, Stafford just got sacked again.

“Like I said last week, and it’s true again this week, it’s not all on those guys (on the offensive line), especially late in the game," Stafford said. "That’s as tough a situation as can be. To play offensive line in the NFL. Go block those four guys. The entire stadium knows we are going to throw the ball.”

Say what you will about Stafford, he is tough as nails and will never throw his teammates under the bus.

“I think our guys are doing a great job fighting," Stafford said. "That’s a really good front we just played. I gotta do a better job of getting the ball out faster to help those guys out.”

Stafford has been great in the community. You cannot question his toughness.

But does he lift his teammates higher? Can he lead this team out of the wilderness, out of his sheer will and determination? Like the great quarterbacks? He hasn’t been able to do it for nearly a decade now. Can he win a game, when this team needs him the most?

No. Once again, he couldn't do it on Sunday.

He is what he is. And this team is what it is. A 3-6 disaster.

For years, fans seemed happy to have Stafford, just to see him put up stats.

But at some point, that gets old.

After 9 1/2 years, Stafford is what he is, an incredibly rich quarterback, who has put up some great stats and has done some great things in the community, but has not been able to lift this team to the next level.

And I doubt he ever will.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.