Matthew Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards two seasons ago, and he came within a stonesthrow of doing it again in 2012. Despite those great numbers, Stafford still has a lot of room to grow. Don't believe me? Just ask ESPN's resident analyst, Ron Jaworski.
"Too many forced throws. Overall, he just threw too many passes with poor balance and bad footwork, with a tendency to fall away from the throws," Jaworski said of Stafford. "He needs more consistent mechanics to play at a higher level week in and week out.".
We can dismiss the "too many forced throws" part of Jaws' analysis of Stafford. The Lions rely too heavily on Calvin Johnson, and it's difficult to fault Stafford for a lack of talent outside of his star target.
The issue with Matthew Stafford is his poor mechanics, which Jaws noted in his report. Matthew Stafford is a quarterback that can make split second decisions, and he'll try to put the ball where it needs to go. The problem is, he'll sometimes sidearm a throw or he'll fade away from the pass.
Part of Stafford's mechanics can be attributed to his pass protection. If he feels threatened in the pocket, Stafford doesn't step into throws the way he needs to in order to be accurate under pressure.
Matthew Stafford is a bright young quarterback, and even though he almost threw for over 5,000 yards for a second consecutive season, there's still room for him to grow. It's something he needs to work on, but with better protection, he could become one of the best passers in the league.
