Will Matthew Stafford fold under pressure?

If you were disappointed with Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance in game one against the Viking’s elite defense Youth DeForest Buckner jersey , well, Lions fans were disgusted with Matt Stafford’s effort against the somewhat-less-impressive New York Jets. At Pride of Detroit, Jeremy Reisman wrote that:Stafford had four interceptions, and it was far from the first time that has happened. Since he entered the league in 2009, he leads all quarterbacks with five games of four interception each. And he had Calvin Johnson to throw to for most of that time.This brings up a long-running debate: does Stafford fold under pressure? It matters because he can expect to face a lot of pressure Sunday, against a 49ers pass rush finding its stride and facing a Lions offense with no discernible running game and a shaky offensive line. Lions starting right guard T.J. Lang is confirmed out, injured, so the newly effective front line of DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas will be facing the likes of rookie center Frank Ragnow and marginal veteran guard Kenny Wiggins, who wasn’t even good in the preseason.Stafford has faced accusations of folding under pressure since 2012, when Chicago Bears safety Major Wright said:In 2015, he was benched in the second half against Arizona after throwing his third interception of the night, and Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post wrote that:Later that year, the Lions brought in offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-arik-armstead-jersey , who put in a quick- (and short-) passing offense that limited Stafford turnovers as well as his big plays. Not a mark of great confidence.Of course there are some hometown voices who are more positive. Last year, Ty Schalter of LionsWire emphasized the fact that that in 2017, “Pro Football Focus charted him No. 3 in yards thrown under pressure.” This is true, but notice that Schalter’s not quoting passer rating under pressure, just total yards.What this statistic is really telling you is that Stafford was under pressure all the time last year, because their offensive line was terrible.A more nuanced take comes directly from PFF, in their Lions preview this year.While they were optimistic about Detroit’s off-season investment in the OL — which hasn’t paid off so far due to injury and the talented Ragnow’s lack of experience — they broke down Stafford’s numbers this way.Their basic point is that, at this point in his career, Stafford isn’t bad under pressure. What he is, is great when he’s NOT under pressure, and mediocre when he’s sweating. I’ve bolded the key parts of this paragraph:There aren’t many quarterbacks who don’t decline when under pressure. Jimmy G might be one of them, but Matt Stafford is definitely not. As long as Robert Saleh and new pass rush coach Chris Kiffin can continue their success in game one, the Niners defense should give Stafford a lot of problems on Sunday.Is there a silver lining for this team after Jimmy Garoppolo’s torn ACL? It was Black Monday in September for 49ers fans as news broke earlier this morning that Jimmy Garoppolo did, in fact Jaquiski Tartt jersey , tear his ACL in Sunday’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2018 offseason was long and arduous for those who were impatiently waiting to see the franchise quarterback show off what strides he’s made as he continued to get more acclimated with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive playbook. Pundits were picking the Niners as a darkhorse playoff candidate before the regular season began. All that is moot now, though, because the hearts of those within and outside of the organization were collectively ripped out the moment Garoppolo fell to the ground. What’s left is a team still going through a rebuild having to play the final 13 games of the year with a backup quarterback who had his fair share of struggles during the preseason. The only other quarterback in the organization is Nick Mullens, who is more-than-likely to be added to the 53 man roster (along with a veteran, early reports suggest). While this season is essentially a wash, there are a few things to consider before you effectively tune-out every Sunday until next September. I'm taking it upon myself to talk those of you who are reading this off the proverbial ledge that you currently find yourselves looking over.This is still very much a rebuild in progress - the addition of Jimmy Garoppolo initially seemed like it had sped of the process but, at least during these first handful of games, it’s obvious that there are still holes to fill and development needed up and down the roster: the team still lacks a consistent rush on the edges, there are some issues at the guard position on the offensive line, and the offense lacks a true bonafide number-one receiver. If there is any “silver lining” to this horrible situation it’s based, in large part, on the idea that there is some draft capital to look forward to come the 2019 NFL Draft; the upcoming draft class is setting itself up to be fairly deep on the defensive line and the 49ers’ biggest need is, arguably, on the edges of the defensive line. A safe bet for a win total heading into this season was 7-8 wins (in the minds of most people Authentic Alfred Morris jersey , at least) - with Garoppolo out for the rest of 2018 you could figure to knock off 3-4 wins from that projection which, in turn, improves the draft position of San Francisco. So, hey, that’s cool right?The injury to Garoppolo also hurts when knowing that he could have absolutely benefited from taking as many reps as possible under center while he continues to learn Kyle Shanahan’s offense. This is why you invest in a solid backup quarterback, though, and it is widely known that CJ Beathard has earned the trust and respect of those within the 49ers organization. If anything this provides Beathard with the opportunity to continue to develop as a passer, something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Teams are as desperate as ever for quality quarterback play and, if CJ Beathard is productive enough, there could be a team who ends up wanting to give up a draft pick or two for his services. Overall, it’ll still be very interesting to see how the team continues to develop as Kyle Shanahan continues to implement his offense. The defense has shown flashes of greatness - most notably from DeForest Buckner, who is just beginning his campaign for Defensive Player of the Year. We’re all in this together, 49er Faithful. Stay strong.