A Eulogy for Matthew Stafford...

Let me first say this...injuries are going to happen in the NFL. The idea of having 200-350+ lb men running into each other at high speed a 100 or so times a game leads to inevitable contusions, broken bones, concussions, sprains and a boat load of other injuries.

Injuries are unavoidable, really. Who gets them and when is more luck than anything else. Or bad luck depending on if you're the injured or not.

Injuries are a big part of the game...but they are not a prominent feature in successful careers. Overcoming injuries and avoiding injuries all together are the hall mark of long lasting hall of fame careers.

Stafford has incurred four major injuries in the span of a mere 13 games. He, as of now, is officially "injury prone." This is probably the single worst label that can be pinned on an NFL player. He is not officially done this season, yet. That should happen later on today. Which means that in his two full seasons in the league, he will have played in just over a third of his possible games.

The saddest part for the Lions is that when Stafford has played, he's looked very good. He is a star quality NFL Franchise quarterback. He is the kind of player you build a team around.

But you cannot build around a player that is going to spend two thirds of his time on the bench.

Yes, the Lions can get Stafford surgery to repair his separated throwing shoulder and hope that he comes back strong and with no ill effects--it worked for Sam Bradford--but they cannot count on that happening. Furthermore, they cannot go another game, even another play, with Stafford on the field and not worry every time he takes a hit of any kind.

The tackle he was hurt on on Sunday was a normal football play, a pretty mild one at that.

You cannot have four "freak" injuries in the span of 13 games. After two, they cease to be "freak" and begin to be "alarming."

The Lions must begin making plans for the future that are not completely centered around the former franchise quarterback. Oh, sure they can hope he comes back healthy and dominating and everything they hoped he'd be...but they can no longer justifiably count on it.

Shaun Hill, the Kansas Kid, has proven to be a very reliable backup and the Lions will most likely rush him back onto the field, broken arm and all, with hopes of getting three or four more wins this season.

Drew Stanton has proven that he is not a viable backup in the NFL. Surely he will get chances to prove me wrong this season, but next April the Lions should--need to-- be looking for the second or third round quarterback that slips through the cracks. There seems to be one every year. Colt McCoy was last year and he's putting up good numbers and even winning with the Browns.

You can say that Stanton was one of those quarterbacks, but he was a Millen pick, and if you really believe that, I feel sorry for you.

Sure the hope is that Stafford comes back with a new shoulder and hasn't been destroyed by recurring injuries (Charles Rogers, anybody?). But plans have to be made to cope with the real chance that he doesn't. The Lions have managed to assemble too much talent to let it be wasted by the likes of a Drew Stanton or other third string nobody.