Matthew Stafford has shown exactly what the Detroit Lions have missed out on these past few season due to his assortment of injuries. He really took the Chiefs defense out to the wood shed on Sunday afternoon in front of the home faithful at Ford Field. He accumulated 294 yards and four touchdowns in a nearly flawless performance.
Matt Cassel, conversely, barely broke one hundred yards for the second straight week.
Stafford spread the ball around effectively amongst Nate Burleson, Titus Young, and Jahvid Best. Marshall Faulk made some insightful comments on the NFL Network earlier this week about the necessity to evaluate running backs on their pass catching ability as well as their yardage with traditional carries. Perhaps there was some self interest in this commentary! It is a valid point nonetheless and Stafford did a good job of getting the ball to the backs. Best carried the pigskin sixteen times for fifty-seven yards, but averaged over eleven yards per catch to attain sixty-six yards receiving.
Titus Young earned every one of his eighty-nine yards receiving. Earlier in the game, he even had his helmet torn off by a Chiefs defender. They were continuing to scrum after the whistle had blown, but unlike his opponent, Young did not feel the need to put his hand in a player’s face.
Titus Young demonstrates a maturity and understanding of the game that go well beyond his years. There has been no traditional adjustment period that is usually the norm for rookies. This is especially noteworthy, since the offseason was extremely brief due to the work stoppage. He’s a key cog to this Lions offense that looks revitalized.
Nate Burleson took some of the spotlight away from Calvin Johnson this week by catching seven balls for ninety-three yards. The latter is recovering from injury, but is still toughing it out on the field instead of on the trainer’s table. Jayutler take note!
The Chiefs look like a lethargic bunch that doesn’t even expect to win. They have been blown out in consecutive weeks by clubs that are not supposed powerhouses according to the vast majority of the preseason publications. It’s hard to see how this team is going to win games unless their opposition turns it over numerous times or if they have big plays on special teams. I guess that they have a decent shot against the Chargers then. So what does that eye-popping score mean for Detroit? The victory looks good on paper, but remember K.C. is just that bad.
The Lions have the Vikings next on the docket. That is definitely a winnable contest within the division. Donovan McNabb is not passing with accuracy or efficiency, and the loss of Sidney Rice to the Seahawks has inhibited the possibility for big plays. Percy Harvin is a concern for defenses, but he is undersized.
Does this mean a 3-0 start for the Lions? After a a recent 4-40 stretch, not to mention the 0-16 of 2008, it appears the team has turned the corner. At least somewhat.