The Stafford conundrum
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is having the kind of season that has put him firmly in the MVP conversation. He leads the league in passing with 4,707 total yards. Here, in his 17th year in the league, he has a career-best 46-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s also second in the entire league with a 109.2 quarterback rating.
The veteran didn’t throw an interception from Week 4 to Week 13. That streak stopped against the Panthers, when Stafford threw two, resulting in a 14-point swing. One was an interception in the end zone by Nick Scott off a Derrick Brown batted pass (or Derrick Brown’s helmet, at least); the other was a Mike Jackson pick-six. He threw another against the Lions, and then three in Week 17 against the Falcons.
Against the Cardinals, Stafford and Arizona QB Jacoby Brissett were in a dead heat most of the game. Then, with less than a minute left in the third quarter, Stafford kicked back up his MVP campaign, throwing three touchdowns in the final quarter (plus 0:42 seconds). He finished with 25-of-40 passing for 259 yards and four touchdowns. It was his fourth 4-touchdown game this season (two more than any other quarterback).
According to Next Gen Stats, Stafford was particularly effective on quick throws, going 13-of-16 passes for 121 yards and three scores when throwing the ball in under 2.5 seconds. He thrived against extra rushers, going 8-of-14 for 94 yards and three touchdowns versus the blitz.
