152-691: John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL draft . Ranking in the top 12 of all time in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, Stafford
304-747: A false-positive test. Stafford made his return from injury in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears . During the game, Stafford threw for 297 yards, one touchdown, and one interception as the Lions lost 27–23. In Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals , Stafford threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns during the 26–23 win. This was the Lions' first win since October 27, 2019. In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons , Stafford threw for 340 yards and
456-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
608-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
760-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
912-551: A 23-yard pass to Calvin Johnson to the Cowboys 1-yard line; he hustled the team to the line as though to spike the ball, but instead jumped over the line for the winning touchdown with 14 seconds to go, to go to 5–3. However, the Lions finished 2–6 for a final record of 7–9. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was fired following the season. Stafford finished the 2013 season with 4,650 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He
1064-538: A 35–14 victory over the New York Giants . In Week 13, against the Chicago Bears , he passed for a season-high 390 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the 34–17 victory. During the season, Stafford became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 20,000 passing yards. He accomplished the feat in his 71st game, breaking Dan Marino's mark of 74. He led the NFL with five game-winning drives. Stafford finished
1216-407: A 40–32 win against the Chicago Bears . That gave him 14,069 yards through 49 games, surpassing Kurt Warner (13,864) for the best 50-game start to a career. "I might (reflect on that) when I'm done playing someday," Stafford said. "I had no idea about that, or that it was coming. It's something that I'll probably look back on when I'm done and realize it was something pretty special." Stafford set
1368-499: A 6–10 record. One memorable game for the Lions was a 31–0 shutout of their rival, the Green Bay Packers , with Stafford passing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in Week 17. Overall, Stafford finished with 3,777 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. In Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals , Stafford threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in the 27–27 tie game . Stafford helped lead the Lions to consecutive wins over
1520-442: A Georgia spring game. Stafford debuted late in the season opener of the 2006 season against Western Kentucky and went 3 of 5 passing for 40 yards and a touchdown pass in the 48–12 victory. During the season's third game, against South Carolina , starting quarterback Joe Tereshinski III was injured, forcing Stafford to come off the bench. Although he completed just 8 of 19 passes for 171 yards and three interceptions, Georgia won
1672-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
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#17327720705951824-610: A career-best 156.1 passer rating as the Rams won 34–14, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time since the 2009 season. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Stafford threw for 343 yards, and four touchdowns as the Rams won 34–24, earning his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, despite injuring his finger, Stafford threw for 365 yards,
1976-466: A career-high 148.6 passer rating in a Week 15 35–27 win over the Saints. Stafford became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 60 percent or more of his passes in all 16 games. He finished the 2015 season with 4,262 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Despite Stafford's success, the Lions finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs. Stafford started the 2016 season off with
2128-405: A career-long touchdown pass of 84 yards to Mohamed Massaquoi and a 53-yard touchdown pass to Henderson. Georgia closed out the regular season on a six-game winning streak. The wins over Florida, Auburn , and Georgia Tech marked the first time that Georgia had defeated all three rivals in the same season since 1982. Stafford had 175 yards passing and a touchdown pass during Georgia's 41–10 rout of
2280-479: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
2432-493: A deal with $ 50 million guaranteed) and carried a total value of up to $ 78 million. Detroit negotiated a deal with Stafford on April 24, 2009, less than 24 hours before the draft. On September 6, 2009, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz announced that Stafford would be the Lions' starting quarterback heading into the season. He was the first Lions rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since Greg Landry in 1968. He completed 16 of 37 passes for 205 yards and three interceptions. He ran in
2584-598: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
2736-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2888-543: A four-game span. Stafford and the Lions finished the regular season with a 10–6 record, good enough for the Lions to make their first playoff appearance since 1999 . During the Wild Card Round in the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints , Stafford threw for 380 yards with three touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown. However, he threw two late interceptions in the fourth quarter that sealed
3040-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
3192-598: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
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#17327720705953344-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
3496-564: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
3648-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
3800-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
3952-704: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
4104-549: A one-yard touchdown early in the third quarter of a 45–27 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints . In the following game, a 27–13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings , Stafford threw his first career touchdown pass on an eight-yard completion to Calvin Johnson. He recorded his first win as a Lion in the next game against the Washington Redskins . He passed for 241 yards and a touchdown in
4256-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
4408-404: A pass to tight end Brandon Pettigrew . The ball hit Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens on the back. Pass interference was initially called on the Cowboys. However, the officials reversed the call on the series that ended up being crucial as the Lions were forced to punt later on the drive. Stafford threw 323 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the loss. On January 19, 2015, it
4560-542: A perfect 15–0 record and won the UIL 4A Division I State Championship. During the playoff run, Stafford beat Ryan Mallett 's Texarkana Texas 38–31, as well as Jevan Snead 's Stephenville 41–38. Stafford had over 4,000 yards passing despite not playing in the first three games of the season due to a knee injury. Stafford received numerous accolades, including being named to the Parade All-America Team and
4712-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
Matthew Stafford - Misplaced Pages Continue
4864-541: A record for completions over 50 games at 1,214, over Marc Bulger 's 1,115. He finished second in career 300-yard passing performances through 50 games at 19, trailing Warner's 29. Stafford led the Lions to a 5–3 record entering their mid-season bye. Stafford defeated the Dallas Cowboys 31–30 in the final game before the bye, throwing for 488 yards and a touchdown despite two interceptions; down 30–24 with just 62 seconds to work with and no timeouts Stafford completed
5016-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
5168-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
5320-408: A rushing touchdown. The Lions announced that Dr. James Andrews had performed surgery on Stafford's throwing shoulder, which included an AC joint repair and a clavicle shaving. The surgery ended his 2010 season, leaving the Lions at 1–2 in games he started and bringing his career total with the Lions to 3–10. The Lions finished the 2010 season with a 6–10 record and missed the playoffs. The Lions opened
5472-443: A season with eight. In his career, he has 25 such victories, the most in the NFL since he made his debut in 2009. Stafford got the Lions to a 9–4 start but he suffered a hand injury in Week 14 and lost the last three games of the season to finish 9–7. They managed to get the sixth seed in the playoffs, only to lose to the Seattle Seahawks 26–6 in the Wild Card Round . Stafford passed for 206 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in
5624-537: A second half touchdown to spark the comeback and allow Georgia to finish the season with a 9–4 record. Stafford finished with 1,749 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Stafford threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 35–14 in the season opener. Following a 16–12 loss to South Carolina and a 45–16 victory over Western Carolina ,
5776-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
5928-646: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . 2006 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team The 2006 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in
6080-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
6232-460: A single game, albeit a 45–42 loss. Stafford finished the season with a conference-leading 235 pass completions for 3,459 passing yards, the second most in school history, and 25 touchdowns, the single-season record for passing touchdowns. He led the SEC in pass attempts and passing completions while finishing third for passing touchdowns. Georgia finished the regular season with a 9–3 mark and qualified for
Matthew Stafford - Misplaced Pages Continue
6384-456: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
6536-635: A strong performance against the Indianapolis Colts . In the 39–35 victory, he finished with 340 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Lions followed that up with three consecutive losses before getting a narrow 24–23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles to have a 2–3 record. In the next game, against the Los Angeles Rams , he had 270 passing yards and four touchdowns in the 31–28 victory. On December 11, 2016, Stafford broke Peyton Manning 's NFL record of most fourth quarter comebacks in
6688-591: A touchdown on seven carries in Georgia's 37–15 upset win. The following week, Stafford led the Bulldogs on a 12-play, 64-yard drive and threw a late game-winning touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi in Georgia's 15–12 win over #16 Georgia Tech . Stafford completed his freshman season by leading Georgia to a 31–24 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl , after the Bulldogs trailed 21–3 at halftime. Stafford threw for 129 yards and
6840-578: A touchdown, and an interception as the Rams won 26–17. In Week 7, Stafford threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–19 win against his former team, the Detroit Lions . Starting in Week 13, Stafford helped lead the Rams to a five-game winning streak to aide in playoff positioning. Despite a loss in Week 18 to the San Francisco 49ers , the Rams won the NFC West in Stafford's first season with
6992-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
7144-429: Is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance
7296-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
7448-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
7600-417: Is currently fifth all-time in passing yards per game and is the fastest player in NFL history to have reached 40,000 career passing yards. As the Lions' primary starter from 2009 to 2020, Stafford had a breakout year in 2011 when he became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season, while also leading Detroit to their first playoff appearance since 1999. He led
7752-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
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#17327720705957904-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
8056-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
8208-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
8360-716: The USA Today Pre-Season Super 25 in 2005. He also won the MVP and Best Arm awards at the 2005 EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterback Camp and was named the 2005 EA Sports National Player of the Year. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com , Stafford was listed as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the class of 2006 by Rivals.com. Before he had even started a game at the collegiate level, analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicted, correctly, that Stafford would eventually be
8512-543: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
8664-475: The 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season and were led by head coach David Elson . It was the school's last season as a member of Gateway Football Conference before their transition to the FBS . The Hilltoppers' schedule was rigorous, with seven ranked opponents, including Georgia . This team's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Curtis Hamilton , Dan Cline, and Greg Ryan. Hamilton
8816-423: The Chicago Bears in Week 6, with Stafford recording 405 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 37–34 overtime result. In Week 12, against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day , Stafford passed for 337 yards and five passing touchdowns in the 45–14 victory. It was the fourth time in Stafford's career with a five-touchdown game, becoming the tenth player in NFL history to pull off
8968-477: The Green Bay Packers , Stafford recorded his 200th career touchdown in the first quarter of the game, becoming the fourth quarterback in NFL history to do so before the age of 30, joining Brett Favre , Dan Marino , and Peyton Manning . On December 31, in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers, Stafford recorded his 3,000th career completion in his 125th career game, becoming the fastest player to reach
9120-503: The NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 . On August 28, 2017, Stafford signed a 5-year, $ 135 million extension with $ 92 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. On September 10, in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals , Stafford finished with 292 passing yards, four touchdowns, and an interception as the Lions rallied and won by a score of 35–23. It was his 27th fourth quarter/overtime comeback since 2011,
9272-505: The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles , and a dominating performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars . These proved to be the final winning games of the 2012 season as they ended the season with an eight-game losing streak and with a 4–12 record. One highlight in the losing streak was a game against the Atlanta Falcons , where Stafford recorded a career-high 37 completions for 443 passing yards and one interception in
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#17327720705959424-560: The University of Georgia . He has one sibling, an older sister named Page. His family then moved to Dallas , Texas , and Stafford attended Highland Park High School with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw . He was coached by Randy Allen and was widely considered to be one of the best high school quarterbacks in the United States in the class of 2006, ranked ahead of Tim Tebow . In 2005, Stafford led his team to
9576-580: The Washington Football Team . During the game, Stafford threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns during the 30–27 win. In Week 13, against the Chicago Bears, he had 402 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 34–30 victory. In Week 16, against the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Stafford was forced to leave the game in the first quarter due to an ankle injury and did not return during
9728-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
9880-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
10032-473: The snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
10184-471: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
10336-561: The #10 Hawaii Warriors in the 2008 Sugar Bowl . He completed 194 of 348 passes for 2,523 yards (194.1/game) and 19 touchdowns as well as two rushing touchdowns for the season. He finished fifth in the SEC in pass completions and sixth in passing touchdowns. Stafford helped lead Georgia to an 11–2 record, their best mark since the 2002 season, and a #2 ranking in the Final AP Poll. Stafford was chosen to Athlon Sports ' preseason Heisman Favorites Others To Watch list. Georgia
10488-498: The 19–14 victory. The win was significant for the Lions' as it snapped a 19-game losing streak going back to the 2007 season . On November 22, 2009, Stafford threw five touchdowns in a 38–37 win over the Cleveland Browns , becoming the youngest quarterback ever to do so, being more than a year younger than the former record holder, Dan Marino . In a thrilling ending, Stafford received high acclaim when he stepped back onto
10640-433: The 2011 season, along with Tom Brady and Drew Brees , to throw for 5,000 passing yards in a season after recording a career-high 520 passing yards against the Green Bay Packers in a 45–41 loss in Week 17. In this game, Stafford threw an interception on an attempted 37-yard touchdown pass that, had he been successful, he would've broken Norm Van Brocklin 's record for most yards in a game. The accomplishment made Stafford
10792-417: The 2014 season with 4,257 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, to go along with a QB rating of 85.7. On January 4, 2015, Stafford and the Lions went against the Dallas Cowboys , in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. After the Lions had a 20–7 lead in the third quarter, the Cowboys scored 17 unanswered points to win 24–20. In the fourth quarter, with the Lions up 20–17, Stafford threw
10944-525: The 2018 season, Stafford had a new head coach in Matt Patricia . On Monday Night Football on September 10 against the New York Jets , his season opener, Stafford had four interceptions and the Lions lost the game by a score of 48–17. He rebounded statistically in the following game, a 30–27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers , with 347 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions got their first win of
11096-415: The 31–18 loss. Stafford finished the season with a league-leading 435 pass completions for 20 touchdown passes, significantly less compared to the 41 touchdowns he passed for in the 2011 season; 17 interceptions, one more than 2011, and second most in his career since his rookie season; 4,967 passing yards on 727 attempts (an NFL record; the previous record was 691 by Drew Bledsoe ); and a QB rating of 79.8,
11248-455: The 47–7 loss. Overall, in the 2020 season, Stafford started all 16 games and finished with 4,084 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. On March 18, 2021, Stafford was traded to the Rams in a package involving Jared Goff , a 2021 third-round pick and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. Stafford made his Rams debut during Sunday Night Football against the Chicago Bears . Stafford threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns with
11400-542: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
11552-481: The Bulldogs avoided an 0–2 start in SEC play by escaping Bryant–Denny Stadium with an overtime win over Alabama . Stafford connected with senior wide receiver Mikey Henderson on the Bulldogs' first play from scrimmage in overtime for the winning score. Following the Alabama game, Georgia won two of their next three. In the win over #9 Florida , he completed 11 of 18 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, including
11704-562: The Bulldogs suffered their first setback in a 41–30 loss to #8 Alabama on September 27. Stafford rebounded by helping lead the team to victories in five of the next six games, the lone exception being a 49–10 loss to the eventual National Champion Florida Gators . In that stretch, he threw for over 300 yards in victories over Tennessee and Kentucky . In the final regular season game against Georgia Tech , Stafford completed 24 out of 39 attempts for 407 yards and five touchdowns, setting personal collegiate highs for passing yards and touchdowns in
11856-509: The Capitol One Bowl. After defeating Michigan State 24–12 and winning the MVP of the 2009 Capital One Bowl , Stafford finished his three years at Georgia with a 3–0 record in bowl games and a 6–3 record in rivalry games (1–2 against Florida , 3–0 against Auburn , and 2–1 against Georgia Tech ). Stafford chose to forgo his senior season and entered the 2009 NFL Draft. In April 2008, several NFL analysts predicted Stafford would be
12008-582: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
12160-481: The Lions to a 48–3 blowout victory, the largest win margin in team history. Stafford won the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for his performance. In Weeks 3 and 4, Stafford led the team to consecutive comeback victories, a 26–23 overtime comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings after trailing 20–0 at halftime in Week 3, and a 34–30 win over the Dallas Cowboys after trailing 27–3 with 12:27 left in
12312-623: The Lions to two further playoff runs in 2014 and 2016, earning Pro Bowl honors during the former and setting the NFL season record for comeback wins in the latter. After mutually agreeing to part ways with the Lions, Stafford was traded to the Rams in 2021 and led them to victory in Super Bowl LVI . Stafford was born in Tampa, Florida , to John and Margaret Stafford. He lived in Dunwoody, Georgia , while his father attended graduate school at
12464-593: The No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft if he chose to leave school early. He eventually did, and on April 24, 2009, agreed to record contract terms with the Detroit Lions to become the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft, one day before the draft was held. Stafford became the fourth player out of Georgia to be the first overall selection in the draft and the first since Harry Babcock in 1953 . The six-year contract reportedly contained $ 41.7 million in guaranteed money (the most guaranteed to any player in NFL history until July 30, 2010, when quarterback Sam Bradford signed
12616-456: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
12768-586: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
12920-455: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
13072-554: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
13224-420: The Week. Stafford was mic'd up for the game for NFL Films . The show's creator Steve Sabol said it was the most dramatic performance he's seen in the show's 30-year history. To begin Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day , Stafford went 20 of 43 for 213 yards with a touchdown pass but threw four interceptions in the 34–12 loss against the Green Bay Packers . Stafford was placed on injured reserve on December 24 for
13376-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
13528-410: The ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at
13680-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
13832-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
13984-500: The best season of Stafford's young career, 2012 was one full of setbacks. During the opening game against the St. Louis Rams , Stafford threw three interceptions and one touchdown pass. However, the Lions won the game 27–23. Stafford and the Lions lost the next three games to the San Francisco 49ers , Tennessee Titans , and Minnesota Vikings . In the ensuing weeks, the Lions managed to win three games, including impressive comeback wins against
14136-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
14288-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
14440-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
14592-419: The end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established
14744-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
14896-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
15048-470: The fastest quarterback to the reach the milestone. On November 10, 2019, against the Chicago Bears , Stafford missed his first game since 2010 , ending his streak of 136 consecutive regular-season starts. Stafford's streak was the sixth-longest for a quarterback in league history. It was eventually revealed that Stafford was diagnosed with non-displaced fractures in his upper thoracic spine, causing him to miss more time than usual. On December 18, 2019, Stafford
15200-530: The feat. On December 13, 2015, in Week 14 against the St. Louis Rams , Stafford reached 25,000 passing yards in his 90th career game, becoming the fastest quarterback to reach this milestone, surpassing the previous record held by Dan Marino of 92 games. On December 21 against the New Orleans Saints , Stafford posted a single-game career high in passer rating, and broke Jon Kitna 's single-game franchise record with an 88.0 completion percentage. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns to give him
15352-561: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
15504-410: The field despite team doctors' urge to stay on the sideline after suffering a separated shoulder on the previous play and threw the final touchdown pass as time expired. In addition to the five touchdown passes, Stafford accumulated 422 yards passing, a record for a rookie at that time. For his performance, Stafford won National Football Conference (NFC) Offensive Player of the Week and Pepsi Rookie of
15656-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
15808-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
15960-831: The first pick in the NFL draft . Sources: "Matthew Stafford eventually will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Write that down." Football analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. on ESPN Radio in September 2006. Stafford graduated early from high school and enrolled at the University of Georgia in January, where he became the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Georgia Bulldogs football team since Quincy Carter in 1998, and first out of high school to start since Eric Zeier in 1991. Stafford wore number 7 at Georgia. He completed five of 12 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown in
16112-629: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
16264-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
16416-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
16568-469: The game winning touchdown to tight end T. J. Hockenson with no time left on the clock during the 23–22 win. In Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts , Stafford threw for 336 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception returned for a touchdown during the 41–21 loss. On November 4, 2020, Stafford was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list again after being a high-risk close contact with a non-team person who tested positive for COVID-19. On November 7, 2020, Stafford
16720-435: The game, 18–0. Against University of Alabama Birmingham the following week, Stafford made his first collegiate start. Georgia won, 34–0. Victories over Colorado and Ole Miss improved Georgia's record to 5–0, but the heart of the conference schedule loomed. The rest of the season was inconsistent for Stafford and the Bulldogs. Following home losses to both Tennessee and Vanderbilt , head coach Mark Richt named Stafford
16872-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
17024-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
17176-450: The loss for the Lions, as they were defeated, 45–28. Stafford was named a Pro Bowl alternate for the NFC after the 2011 NFL season. He was later named the 2011 Pro Football Weekly Comeback Player of the Year, AP Comeback Player of the Year, and NFL Alumni Quarterback of the Year. He was ranked 41st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 . While the 2011 season proved to be
17328-400: The loss. Stafford ended the season with 4,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions – his sixth consecutive season with at least 4,000 passing yards. He became the fastest player in NFL history to reach the 30,000 career passing yards milestone. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 30,000 in their first eight seasons. He was ranked 31st by his peers on
17480-440: The lowest since his rookie season. He rushed for a career-high 126 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 35 carries. He was ranked #76 among his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 . On July 7, 2013, Stafford agreed to a three-year, $ 53 million extension with the Lions. He was guaranteed $ 41.5 million through 2017. Stafford completed 23-of-35 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on September 29 in
17632-477: The milestone in NFL history. The Lions finished with a 9–7 record, but did not qualify for the playoffs. Stafford ended the season with 4,446 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions – his seventh consecutive season with at least 4,000 passing yards. He led the NFC in passing yards in 2017. He was ranked 31st by his peers for the second consecutive year on the list of the Top 100 NFL Players of 2018 . Going into
17784-421: The minor knee injury. Stafford concluded his rookie season having passed for 2,267 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. In all 10 of the games he started for the Lions, he either threw or ran for a touchdown despite the Lions finishing the season 2–8 in games that he started in. The Lions did not win another game without Stafford and finished with a 2–14 record overall. Stafford injured his right shoulder in
17936-500: The most in the league. In Week 2, on Monday Night Football , Stafford threw his 193rd career touchdown pass in a win over the New York Giants , passing Bob Griese for 48th on the all time touchdown pass list. On October 29, in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , Stafford became the only player in NFL history to throw for more than 400 yards and no touchdowns in two different games. On November 6, in Week 9 against
18088-506: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
18240-601: The next two games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles . The Lions dropped consecutive games against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers in Week 4 and Week 6. On October 20, in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings , Stafford threw for 364 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the 42–30 loss. In Week 7 against the Vikings, Stafford reached 40,000 passing yards in his 147th career game, becoming
18392-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
18544-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
18696-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
18848-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
19000-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
19152-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
19304-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
19456-542: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
19608-404: The season in the following game against the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on NBC Sunday Night Football as Stafford recorded 262 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 26–10 win. Overall, the rest of the season was inconsistent for Stafford and the Lions. He never passed for more than two touchdowns in any game for the rest of the season as the Lions finished with
19760-471: The season on September 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with high expectations. Stafford played well, throwing for 305 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in a 27–20 win, the first season opener the Lions had won since 2007. Another strong performance followed, with Stafford throwing for four touchdowns, 294 yards, and an interception against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, leading
19912-442: The season-opening 19–14 loss against the Chicago Bears on September 12. Stafford returned on October 31 in Week 8 against the Washington Redskins and threw for 212 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception to lead the Lions to a 37–25 win. In the next game, Stafford re-injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the Lions 23–20 overtime loss to the New York Jets after throwing for 240 yards, two touchdowns, and recording
20064-457: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
20216-415: The second quarter. Stafford became the first quarterback since at least 1950 to win back to back games after trailing by at least 20 points, the first to win three games in a season after trailing by at least 17 points, and the first to win four games in a season after trailing by at least 13 points according to STATS, LLC. On January 1, 2012, Stafford became the fourth quarterback in NFL history and third in
20368-432: The second-youngest quarterback in NFL history, at the age of 23 years and 328 days, to reach 5,000 yards, behind only Dan Marino. Stafford became the first player in Lions' franchise history to have two games in a single season with at least five passing touchdowns. Over the last four games of the 2011 regular season, Stafford became the only quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 1,500 yards (1,511) and 14 touchdowns over
20520-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
20672-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
20824-531: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
20976-512: The starter for the rest of the season ahead of Tereshinski. Stafford completed 20 of 32 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–24 win over Mississippi State , and was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week for his efforts. Statistically, he had his best game of the season against the #5 Auburn Tigers . Stafford finished the game 14 of 20 for 219 yards and a touchdown, and added 83 rushing yards and
21128-448: The team. Stafford set franchise records for pass completions, pass attempts, and passing yards and tied Kurt Warner's mark for passing touchdowns in a single season. He threw for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns, and an NFL leading 17 interceptions thrown as the Rams finished with a 12–5 record. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football ,
21280-473: The third quarter. The 24-point comeback marked the largest in franchise history. Week 5 saw Stafford orchestrate a 24–13 win over the Chicago Bears , going 19 of 26 for 219 yards and two touchdowns. This marked the first time the Lions had gone 5–0 since 1956 , the year before they won their last NFL Championship. In Week 10 against the Chicago Bears, Stafford threw four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns on consecutive drives. The game
21432-499: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
21584-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
21736-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
21888-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
22040-612: Was announced that Stafford was selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl , his first Pro Bowl appearance. He would be replacing Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos , due to a quad injury. For the game, he was named Pro Bowl Offensive MVP, with 316 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The 2015 season started rough for Stafford and the Lions with a 0–5 start. In the stretch, Stafford passed for six touchdowns and eight interceptions to go along with an average of 241 passing yards per game. The Lions got their first victory against
22192-520: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
22344-538: Was marred by a brawl that began when Stafford threw Bears cornerback D. J. Moore to the ground by his helmet during a block on an interception return. In response, Moore attacked Stafford and a sideline-clearing brawl ensued. Stafford was fined $ 7,500 for his role in the brawl. On November 20, Stafford threw for 335 yards and tied his career-high with five touchdowns as the Lions defeated the Carolina Panthers in another comeback, 49–35, after trailing 24–7 in
22496-535: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
22648-411: Was placed on injured reserve after missing the previous six games and the Lions missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. At the time of his shutdown, Stafford was well on pace for an impressive statistical season. He had passed for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games. At the start of training camp , Stafford was temporarily on the reserve/ COVID-19 list due to
22800-474: Was ranked #1 in both the preseason coaches poll and the AP Poll, marking the first time Georgia has ever been #1 in the preseason version of either poll. The team entered the 2008 season with the longest active winning streak among the 66 BCS conference teams, having won its last seven games of the 2007 season. He helped lead them to victories in their first four games to move the winning streak to 11. Stafford and
22952-409: Was ranked #100 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 players' list. On January 14, 2014, the Lions announced Jim Caldwell as their new head coach. The Lions rebounded from a disappointing 2013 campaign by finishing with an 11–5 record, thus earning the NFC's 6th seed, their first playoff appearance since 2011 . He started the 2014 season off strong with 346 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in
23104-476: Was removed from the COVID-19 list after he came back negative for the virus and was cleared for the Lions week 9 game against the Minnesota Vikings . Against the Vikings, Stafford threw for 211 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions before leaving the game in the 4th quarter and was evaluated for a concussion. The Lions would lose 34–20. Stafford made his return from injury in the following week's game against
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