Quote Originally Posted by wheaty :
So I saw you post in another thread asking "what's to like about Romo?" And I have a question for you. What exactly is there to like about Stafford? I think 7.5 points is a lot of points but there is nothing about that Detroit offense that I like. I know you said you'd break your pick down later and you usually do a great job of explaining your pick AND swaying me lol, so maybe I won't read it. But I just can't imagine what makes you like Detroit other than the shear number of points in a playoff game.
Not that it matters, but I like the rest of your picks. Carolina makes me a little nervous because it seems so easy betting against a Lindley led cards team. But a single touchdown might be enough to cover against zona
Of all questions regarding the Lions, you asked me what there is to like about Matt Stafford. I'm surprised by your question especially since Stafford obviously isnt what makes Detroit a liability. Though Staffords numbers were slightly lower than past seasons, we need to understand that he ran an offense that only averaged 3.3 yds/carry and he was sacked 45 times through 16 games. Yet, Stafford was able to complete over 60% of his completions, throw for over 4200 yds, 22 TDs and only 12 INT's in over 600 passing attempts. In my opinion, theyres a lot to like about Stafford. He has one of the strongest arms in football, he's accurate, and he has 3 solid receivers to throw to. So, my question to you is, what ISN'T their to like about him? Again, he ran an offense that was one dimensional and how many QB's in this league can do that? I can think of 2. Tom Brady and Andrew Luck......which is why I have a considerable amount of respect for all three of these qb's especially Tom Brady. To be as successfull as theyve been while everybody in America KNOWS theyre throwing the ball, well, that's impressive.
Tony Romo lead teams have proven that they couldnt get the job done without a running game. Hell, in Romo's entire career, hes only been to 3 playoff games and he's had 1 career playoff victory. The Cowboys have been a team of mediocrity going 8-8 over the last 3 seasons leading up to this year. So, why the change? The question is elementary. We all watch enough football to know the Cowboys have become a well balanced offense this season which has meant that Romo hasnt had to carry the team and make his patented gamechanging mistakes that we're accustomed to seeing. However, look at the defenses that the Cowboys have run against...Colts, Giants (2), Bears, Jaguars, Titans, Saints, Redskins (2), Eagles (2), Rams, Texans, Seahawks. I'm not implying that the Cowboys can't run the ball. They can. Against Seattle, they ran for 162 yds. However, what I AM saying is that a lot of their overall success came from the ability to run against bad defensive teams while allowing Romo the luxury of not having to throw and make split second decisions. In fact, this season, Romo attempted his 2nd fewest passing attempts (435) since coming into the league in 2006. This year, the Cowboys were only 1 of 3 teams that rushed more than they passed and each of these teams (Seattle, Houston and Dallas) had winning records. During these playoffs, shitts about to change for Dallas. Most all of the NFC playoff opponents, Detroit, Arizona, Carolina and Seattle, are as tough as nails up front against the run. Detroit had the best run stopping defense, yielding 3.2 yds/carry. I liked the Lions chances even before I knew that it was certain Suh and Fairley would return because Detroit is deep on the defensive line. And, now that both will be making a return, I, obviously, like my +7.5 even more. The ball will definitely be in Romo's hands more this weekend than any other time this season and as a Lions backer, that's ok with me. Safety, Quin, is an All Pro and Ihedigbo was named an Alternate. The Lions secondary is more than capable of having a solid game against Romo and company. The Lions rank in the top 3 in yards and points allowed and 8th in takeaways. I also favor Detroits 4-3 defense against Dallas. Most of all Dallas opponents this season ran a 3-4....Eagles, Giants, 49ers, Texans, Redskins, Colts and Saints. I expect the Lions front 4 to create enough pressure to allow the Lions LB's to help out underneath and contain Witten, Beasley and Williams. Ill give my opinion on the Lions offense in this matchup in a moment...