Matthew Stafford finds consistency amid changes in offense

The Detroit Lions are running a new offense in 2014 after quarterback Matthew Stafford played his first five seasons in the same system. While things have been different for the Lions offense as a whole, Stafford maintains that in his sixth year, it’s business as usual in the pocket.

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“My drops are all different. My reads are all different,” Stafford said per ESPN. “I’m still going to be the player that I am. I’m going to have the natural instincts kick in at certain points and do something that maybe isn’t on the powerpoint drawing of the play and make a play, but yeah, as far as the starting basics and mechanics of the offense, my job is quite different than it used to be.”

So while the duties and functions may have changed under new coach Jim Caldwell, Stafford is still Stafford. He’s a big arm quarterback who goes for the big play, even as he matures in checking down passes and avoiding catastrophes with more efficiency.

That said, this Lions team appears more complete than recent squads, which allows Stafford to approach things differently. Instead of being relied upon to carry both ends of the team, Stafford simply has to protect the ball and move the chains without being downright dominant. In the end, that could be the biggest thing separating the 2014 season from all the others in Matthew Stafford’s career to date.

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