Thanksgiving game lets Stafford show the country his true value

Matthew Stafford is the richest football player many fans never discuss.  His annual salary is calculated to be $27 million, which makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

But because he’s spent his entire 9-year pro career in Detroit, one of America’s least glamorous cities, and has never played in the Super Bowl, he’s not as well known as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and Matt Ryan.

Even though Stafford may be as good – or almost as good — as any of them.

His No. 1 receiver, Golden Tate, made some interesting comments about him to Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk (NBCSports): “I don’t think he minds not getting attention from the media that other players get, like Dak and Russell,” Tate said.

 “I think he likes flying under the radar and just going out there and playing ball.”

Stafford has a respectable passer rating of 98.4 – better than Wilson, Ryan, Prescott, Roethlisberger and Manning.  But his production is compromised by a team that has no running game, a marginal offensive line and a defense that rarely shuts down a good offense.

That may become apparent in the upcoming Thanksgiving Day opener against versatile Minnesota.  But if the Lions can stay close, Stafford can pull out a victory in the closing minutes.

Their 27-24 victory in Chicago on Sunday was a typical Lions game.  They could not run and were outgained overall, 398-352.  But in the final two minutes, Stafford drove his team into range for Matt Prater, whose 52-yard field goal broke a tie and kept Detroit in playoff contention at 6-4.

Stafford is one of the most effective deep throwers in the league (7.7 yards per pass attempt) even though he does not have a game-breaking streak on the outside.  Tate is an underneath slot receiver who excels at catching the ball and eluding tackles.

But Tate observed that Stafford “can throw it a mile and be accurate.”

What impresses Tate more than the quarterback’s arm strength is his inspirational leadership.   “He brings it every single day no matter how he’s feeling.  He plays through being hurt or injured.”

Indeed, when Stafford late last season suffered a dislocated finger and torn ligaments on his throwing hand, he taped two fingers together and kept throwing.  

He continually denied it was costing him accuracy, though of course it was.  When he suffered a sprained ankle last month, he kept practicing and playing although limping at times.

“He’s mentally tough,” Tate said.  “You can see his work ethic on and off the field.  He stays here for hours studying film, and when he gets home he studies more film and hangs out with his family.”

Stafford, who is still baby-faced at 29, is not a splashy-stats guy.  He’s not much for screen passes that can inflate a completion percentage.  He’s a big-play, low-error quarterback, throwing 19 touchdowns this season, to 5 interceptions.

But sometimes stats do not tell the true story.

Sometimes, the numbers on the paycheck tell it better.  As Tate sees it, “The paycheck tells you how valuable he is to this team.  And to this city.”