Getty Colin Cowherd speaks at an event.
The Detroit Lions loss to the Green Bay Packers was the subject of much debate in terms of how big a role some obvious mistakes by the referees played. But one such person who doesn’t believe in that notion is Colin Cowherd.
After Detroit’s loss to the Packers which featured plenty of controversial calls, Cowherd’s takeaway was more about Matthew Stafford than the referees. According to Cowherd, it was more a product of what Stafford wasn’t able to do rather than what was taken from the Lions.
Here’s a look at Cowherd’s full take on why the Lions and Stafford are more to blame for the loss:
Matt Stafford does not have a signature win in 11 seasons:
“This was the classic Matt Stafford game… It’s the kind of game Russell Wilson wins. It’s the kind of game Tom Brady always wins.” — @ColinCowherd
“This was the classic Matt Stafford game. The worst part about Matt Stafford? He looks the part. I like Matt Stafford, but last night, 3-13 on third down, 1-3 in the red zone, classic Matt Stafford. 11 years in the NFL, and he does not have a signature win,” Cowherd said.
Cowherd even went on to say that other elite quarterbacks would have brought home the win, but Stafford is not the type of guy who is in their league to be able to deliver.
“It’s the kind of game Russell Wilson wins. It’s the kind of game Tom Brady always wins. It’s the kind of game that Detroit and Matthew Stafford always lose,” Cowherd said.
Always Like This
It seems Stafford is always losing games like this with things in the balance and referee trouble, which is something that Cowherd is bothered by.
“You can blame the officials, but last night, it was punting and field goals. They couldn’t do anything on third down, they couldn’t do anything in the red zone,” Cowherd said, pointing out some of the more obvious problems the Lions had on offense.
In terms of the problem, it’s all about Stafford and his inability to make big plays in the moment in order to render officiating mistakes pointless according to Cowherd.
“With Matt Stafford he always looks the part. It’s always just this close. You can blame the officials, but this has come to define Matt Stafford. Why do they always lose these games? It’s a thing called “it.” Some people have “it,” some people don’t have “it,” some people look the part, some people can’t deliver,” he said.
The Reality
The reality in this case likely lies somewhere in the middle. Where the Lions couldn’t capitalize on all of their chances and certainly bury the Packers early, NFL teams shouldn’t have to be expected to be perfect to win games. It simply doesn’t happen. Stafford did enough to have the team in position to win late, and he didn’t throw an interception or make a mistake that directly led to Detroit losing as has happened in the past. Detroit’s defense, as Cowherd also admits, played an excellent game. Neither made back breaking mistakes. So who is left to shoulder the blame?
Therefore, it’s not unfair to place equal to more blame on the referees for their role in Detroit’s loss rather than singling out Stafford. He’s the quarterback and will always get credit or blame no matter what happens. In this instance, Cowherd is choosing to put it all on Stafford’s shoulders.
READ NEXT: Former NFL QB Slams Officiating