Jim Caldwell Says Matthew Stafford Has Tools To Be Championship Quarterback
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Earlier in his career, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell observed significant growth in future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and in Super Bowl passer Joe Flacco.
Caldwell expects similar progress this year from Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is entering his sixth NFL season.
"They usually start to blossom usually around their fourth, fifth year," Caldwell told Karsch and Anderson of 97.1 The Ticket. "Somewhere in that area you start to see them really start to take shape in terms of who they are, what they're capable of doing. Up until that time it's tough to see. I think I'd probably state it this way - Peyton Manning wasn't Peyton Manning maybe in his third and fourth year. But you look at him after that time, in his fifth year and sixth year, he really began to develop and set his course, and I think the same thing with Flacco. When I went there - when we went there, I should say, he was going into his fifth year. When I went to Indy, Peyton was going into his fifth year.
"I can notice during that during that time the maturity level changes in terms of their ability to handle volumes of material," Caldwell continued. "They're not surprised by much that happens within the course of the game. It's an often-used phrase where they talk about the game slows down for them, but the fact of the matter is that they're accustomed to seeing defenses, and they can see them in chunks now as opposed to little things that are bothering them. They can kind of see the entire picture, and they can see it in a nanosecond rather than the usual amount of time it would take most of us in that particular realm to adjust to the things around us that we see. I think [Stafford]'s playing better and better and better, and I think you'll see him growth even during the course of the season."
Before the Lions signed Stafford to an extension last summer, the conversation among fans centered around whether Detroit could win a Super Bowl with Stafford at the helm. Caldwell said the Lions can, and he said that potential is more important than comparing Stafford to other quarterbacks.
"What we all should be probably focusing on is does he have the tools to be a championship quarterback, and the answer to that is yes," Caldwell said. "He's diligent, he has passion for the game, he's a fine leader, he's hungry to get better each and every day, and he certainly has the physical tools to get it done, so we're excited about the prospects."