Matthew Stafford Lions career: Stats, playoff appearances, records and more

Matthew Stafford only made one Pro Bowl with the Detroit Lions, and won AP Comeback Player of the Year. As is often the case with standouts on an otherwise ugly franchise, Stafford was the outlier. The former No. 1 overall selection out of Georgia rarely made the playoffs in Detroit, and put up high passing marks on a team whose season ended in Week 17 far more often than late Jaunuary.

However, Stafford would eventually escape Detroit in a trade which benefitted both sides. Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he would win a Super Bowl and perhaps cement his status as a Hall-of-Fame caliber quarterback. The Lions received enough draft capital to start from scratch, and this time they got it right. Rebuilding is no easy task, especially when forced to tear down a failed project over and over and over again.

Even with that recent success, Lions fans will never forget all Stafford meant to their franchise and community. Rooting against their former franchise QB will be an odd experience for folks in Motown, to say the least.

Matthew Stafford career stats with Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford had a passer rating of 89.9 with 45,109 yards 282 touchdowns and 144 interceptions with the Lions from 2009-2020, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He made just one Pro Bowl while with Detroit, as the Lions rarely won a popularity contest due to their abysmal record. Stafford was able to prove his worth once he was traded to the Rams, however, as he led LA to a Super Bowl.

Matthew Stafford playoff appearances with Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford made the postseason three times with the Lions -- 2012, 2014 and 2017 -- but failed to win any of those games. In 2009, the Lions lost to the Saints despite Stafford's 380-yard, three touchdown effort. In 2014, Stafford and the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Stafford had 323 yards and a touchdown in that losing effort. In 2017, Detroit lost to the Seattle Seahawks in arguably Stafford's worst career postseason performance. He had just over 200 yards and no touchdowns.

Every Detroit Lions passing record owned by Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford set a series of franchise and NFL records during his time with the Detroit Lions. Featured in a pass-heavy offense from the time of his arrival in 2009, Stafford became the fastest player to reach 15,000, 20,000, 30,000 and 40,000 career passing yards in NFL history. He also became (at the time) one of just five players to reach the 5,000-yard plateau in a single season. He had the most game-winning drives in a single season in 2016 with eight.

Stafford also owns several Lions career passing records, including most career passing yards, most career completions, most career passing touchdowns, most career game-winning drives and most consecutive completed passes in a single game.