There are a lot of things to like about Matthew Stafford. He has the big arm, pretty good mobility and, for the most part, a good feel for the game.
What has to be questioned about his long-term potential is whether he can stop throwing interceptions at the worst possible times.
That was his biggest issue at Georgia. It was a problem in the preseason. It certainly has been troubling since the start of the regular season.
Just when you think Stafford is going along fine - boom - there comes the interception card.
They don't come on deflected passes, either. Or throws where he is trying to fit the ball between defenders. Or where a great play is made by a defensive player.
We're taking about right in-between the numbers turnovers.
It could be that he is overaggressive sometimes - as Lions' coach Jim Schwartz stated following Detroit's 27-13 defeat to the Vikings Sunday.
Or could it be a quirk Stafford can't overcome? Time will tell.

Random Thoughts

- Honestly, when you come right down to it, and with due respect to Miguel Cabrera, is there a more valuable position player on the Tigers than Placido Polanco? Big game Sunday from a big-game player. Without Polanco, the Tigers wouldn't have won a game in Minnesota all season. One of the great mysteries - what happened to Polanco in the 2006 World Series. It was so out of character.

- Baseball's a weird game, isn't it? The deck was so stacked against the Tigers Sunday. Give Nate Robertson and Zach Miner credit for coming through when it seemed highly unlikely.

My column in Sunday's Oakland Press about Michigan State http://tinyurl.com/kna82w