Turnover-Conscious Approach Key For Stafford, Lions
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Often referred to as a gunslinger, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford might be better described this season as a game manager. The former sounds more exciting; the latter has the Lions in position to win the NFC North and claim a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Stafford has always had the arm to make any throw, and in star wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Stafford has long enjoyed a target who can make any catch, even if he has to compete with two or three defenders to do so. Making those kind of gambles too often can be dangerous, however, and Stafford has been safer this season, throwing it away more rather than forcing it.
He threw for 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 2013, and with two games remaining in 2014, he has thrown for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His previous career low for a full season was 16.
"I think the more you play this game, the more experience you get, you get better in certain areas," Stafford said. "That's something I put a lot effort into, not only during the season, but this offseason, trying to make sure that I was training myself to make right decisions and try and make good throws. It's worked so far. It's on me to continue to keep making those decisions."
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said he has emphasized turnover ratio from the beginning of his tenure and continues to harp on it.
"One of the big things is that you have to keep talking about it," Caldwell said. "You have to make it a priority, and then when you do end up on the positive side of the ledger because of that, you have to make certain you reinforce that, but you keep looking for ways to reinforce it, you keep talking about it. You keep talking about it, and after a while they start to believe it, and once they start to believe it, and you'll see they start to take care of the ball a little bit better.
"What we talk to them about early on is that we had to be plus-four or better," Caldwell added. "I think we're a little bit beyond that at this point, but we still got a ways to go. It really does make a difference, particularly in tight games like you have most often in this league."
The Lions rank sixth in the league in turnover margin with eight more takeaways than giveaways.
While the emphasis on limiting turnovers shows up in Stafford's statistics more than those of any other player, Caldwell said he has emphasized to the team as a whole the importance of turnover ratio as the key determinant of the outcome of games.
"The biggest thing that we did in terms of looking at the team, the biggest thing is the difference between our turnover ratio," Caldwell said. "That's, obviously, the number one indicator in terms of winning games in all of football. I think they've bought into that and they can see its value, and they're not playing scared, but they certainly being able to take care of the ball in all of those areas. And also, the other side of that, the antithesis of that is, the defense taking that ball away. So, we've been able to have guys that were forcing fumbles, all of those kinds of things."
The offensive numbers are not flashy for the Lions as they have been in years past, particularly because Johnson has been hampered by injuries. The lack of gaudy statistics bothers no one, however, and least of all Johnson.
"I've always wanted to be a winner," Johnson said. "We have that going right now. We just have to keep focusing one week at a time like we have been doing throughout this season. I think that will get us to where we want to be."
