At 23, Matthew Stafford hasn't only shattered the Lions' record book, but his 2011 season statistically could put him among the NFL's truly elite quarterbacks.
He is averaging 301 yards per game passing and thrown for 4,518 yards so far. If he passes for 282 yards in Sunday's season finale at Green Bay, Stafford will become only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,800 yards or more in a season. The others: Drew Brees, Dan Marino, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Dan Fouts. It's notable because those are all QBs, who are either in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or most certainly will be one day. It's also notable by the QBs who haven't thrown for that many yards in a season, Brett Farve, Peyton Manning and John Elway - and so many other truly great QBs. Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning also have legitimate shots of getting into the elite 4,800-yard single-season passing club this season.
As for touchdown passes, if Stafford throws two on Sunday, he will become only the ninth QB in NFL history to throw 38 or more touchdown passes in a season. The others: Brady, Peyton Manning, Marino, Rodgers, Warner, Brees, Farve and Daunte Culpepper. Of that group, only Culpepper doesn't seem likely to be enshrined in Pro Football's Hall of Fame someday.