May the hot takes warm the winter air.
With Matthew Stafford one win from glory in his first season removed from Detroit, public opinion is turning wildly in his favor. Stafford deserves it, to a degree. He has proven his stature. He has carried his team. He has reached the Super Bowl in one year with the Rams after failing to win a single playoff game in 12 years with the Lions. He has muted his critics.
Now some of his supporters are losing it.
Like Colin Cowherd, who took to the radio Monday and suggested that the only thing separating Stafford from future Hall of Famer and three-time (soon to be four-time) MVP Aaron Rodgers is ... circumstance. Had their landings spots been reversed, said Cowherd, Stafford might be known as the superior QB, like he was in high school, college, the draft and early in their respective NFL careers. It was just the "24/7 firehose of dysfunction in Detroit" that held Stafford back.
"Matt Stafford in year three took one of the worst rosters in the league to the playoffs in Detroit. Aaron couldn’t get off the bench until year four, and when he did he inherited a great Packers team and went 6-10," said Cowherd. "High school, college, draft, early career, Stafford by a mile. Eventually Detroit’s embarrassing ownership, horrible executives, crappy coaches and ridiculous drafting is something even Matt Stafford could not overcome."
Cowherd went on: "Matt Stafford has been granted one year of non chaos in the NFL. Aaron’s had 17 years of the Packers. Look at their playoff numbers: Stafford has a higher completion percentage, passing yards, passer rating and with a win Sunday, will have a better winning percentage. I cannot be the only person that finds that remarkable. What if Stafford, low-maintenance Matt, went to Green Bay with the continuity, those offensive lines? And what if Aaron got Detroit, running for his life, no ground game, a ridiculous front office? Where you land has a disproportionate effect in life, sports and otherwise, in how you’re viewed."
Look, we get it. The Lions had two top-10 defenses and zero top-10 rushing attacks in Stafford's 11 seasons as QB1. But Stafford failed to win a playoff game with one of the best defenses in franchise history (after losing the NFC North to You Know Who) and went 7-9 in his only season with a 1,000-yard rusher. He did not elevate his team to the same degree as Rodgers, not even close.
Because you know how many top-10 defenses the Packers have had over Rodgers' 14 seasons as QB1? Four -- which Rodgers turned into four trips to the playoffs, two division titles and a Super Bowl. Know how many top-10 rushing attacks they've had? Two -- which Rodgers turned into two division titles.
Moreover, Rodgers has won divison titles with defenses that ranked 32nd, 25th, 22nd and 18th and with rushing attacks that ranked 27th, 24th, 21st and 20th twice. That's why he's a future Hall of Famer and a three-time MVP. And that's why Stafford is not.
It's not a knock on Stafford, who still has a chance to build a Hall of Fame legacy in LA. A win on Sunday would certainly help his case. It's a tribute to Rodgers' (regular season) greatness and a reminder to maintain perspective as we careen through an alternate universe where the former face of the Lions is playing in the Super Bowl.
Just so we're clear, Rodgers has played exactly one season with a top-10 defense and a top-10 rushing attack and he went 13-3 with 48 touchdowns and five picks. There's a case to be made that he's won more often in spite of the Packers than because of them. The Lions mostly lost in spite of Stafford, which doesn't count the same.
"Aaron Rodgers, I think, will stay in Green Bay and be a Hall of Famer. And I love watching him play," said Cowherd. "But whenever I hear the victim radar surface, I got no interest. Because what Matt Stafford has done, if you look at his playoff numbers, they’re absolutely remarkable with one fair shot in his football life."
Sure. What Stafford has done in LA proves what he could have done in Detroit with more support. But it doesn't erase what he failed to do, and it certainly doesn't place him on the same theoretical plane as one of the greatest QB's of all time. In this upside-down world, let's all keep our heads.