Matthew Stafford's smirk, swagger still on display, to Lions' delight

Last Updated: August 14. 2010 9:47PM John Niyo

Allen Park — If you can recall the look on Matthew Stafford's face the last time he walked off the field following a game, and if you cross-reference it with the one you'll see tonight as he trots out for the Lions' preseason opener at Pittsburgh, you'll find your first clue.

That smile might not say it all, but the grin is a good place to begin understanding what all this optimism is about in Lions training camp this summer.

A full 250 days have come and gone since Stafford last threw a pass against someone other than his own teammates. And plenty has changed since the Lions quarterback — groggy and wincing in pain from a still-separated shoulder — stood in the locker room after that Dec. 6 loss at Cincinnati and effectively waved the white flag on his rookie season.

The shoulder has healed, and so has the knee that required surgery after Christmas. but it's the other gifts he has received since then — in the draft and free agency and via trade — that really have Stafford feeling better as he begins a new season.

"Obviously, you're more comfortable with your teammates, the system, the organization, the season — all of it," Stafford said. "You learn a lot in your first year and I'm happy to be out of it and moving into hopefully a lot better year. the more comfortable you are, the more comfortable you can be, because you know what to expect."

Asked what he wants to accomplish tonight against the Steelers at Heinz Field, Stafford responded with a happy shrug.

"Just go out there and have some fun," Stafford said. "You know, it's football. We've got to have fun out there."

So far, so good, in that regard. We'll see how this all plays out with a re-tooled roster in Year 2 of the Lions' latest Reconstruction Era. but the laughter in camp — even during the humid, 90-degree dog days this past week — hasn't gone unnoticed, even by the newcomers.

'He's ready to win'

Before signing with the Lions as a free agent in March, receiver Nate Burleson's only encounter with Stafford was in a game last year at Seattle, when the rookie threw five interceptions as the Lions squandered a 17-0 first-quarter lead. Five months later, he sounds like a true believer in last year's no. 1 overall pick.

"I like that moxie, I like that swag," said Burleson, who calls Stafford "one of the most confident guys that I've played with."

(Actually, he calls him "the star actor in Varsity Blues." but if Stafford is James Van Der Beek, that means head coach Jim Schwartz is Jon Voight, and I'm just not seeing that.)

"Obviously, everybody's seen what type of arm he has," Burleson said. "I mean, he has the ability to look at one side of the field, peek at you with a glance and get the ball and fit it in anywhere. his arm strength is really incredible.

"But the one thing I like more than that is his confidence. I'm a football player that loves to feed off energy, so I love to get in the huddle and look at my quarterback and see he has almost a cocky smirk on his face, knowing that we're gonna get the first down. because in my mind, I'm thinking the same thing."

Look, let's be honest. the fans in Detroit have thought the same thing for years, but inevitably we've all thought wrong, again and again. Quarterbacks have paraded in and out of this town with alarming frequency: the Lions have had 11 different starters the last decade, and you have to go all the way back to the Nixon administration to find the last to earn a Pro Bowl selection.

No one's predicting that drought will end this year, mind you. Stafford threw 50 percent more interceptions than touchdowns last fall, and chances are he'll be playing catch-up too often again this season.

"But he's young and he's ready to go," Burleson said. "He's ready to make plays. He's ready to win. When he steps to the line of scrimmage, he feels like he can make anything happen."

And that's what'll bear watching in the brief glimpses we'll get of Stafford and the first-team offense leading up to the regular season opener at Chicago. Watch the leeway he'll be given to change the play at the line of scrimmage. Watch the comfort he has in checking down to secondary receivers that just might be open for a change. Heck, watch his accuracy, too, since that's what his critics kept harping on last fall.

'He's taken ownership'

Schwartz used the word "surgical" — a word that carried a far different connotation last fall — to describe Stafford's work in a 2-minute dill the other day. I know, I know — it was the Lions'defense.

But, as Schwartz explains, "When you're in command and you're dictating to a defense, you're going to be more accurate."

Stafford's command in the huddle was apparent even last year, when he won over veteran teammates with his easy manner in the spotlight. but now, with no worries about trying to win the no. 1 job or splitting practice reps, he has taken that to another level.

"He really has taken ownership of his leadership responsibility," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "And he did that naturally. you just see him with his communication with receivers and tight ends and backs, and what he expects from them. And if something doesn't work, he gets it fixed right away."

It'll take a little longer than that to get this franchise fixed, obviously. And we'll see how long Stafford keeps smiling this season. but as long as he does, there's reason to think he just might get the job done.

First impressions

Here's how Matthew Stafford's rookie season compared to the previous three Lions QBs who started at least eight games their first year:

Player G Cmp.-Att. Pct. Yds. TDs Int. Batch12173-30357.12,178116Harrington14215-42950.12,2941216Peete8103-19552.81,47959Stafford10 201-377 53.3 2,267 13 20

Exhibition season opener

Lions at Steelers

Kickoff: 7:30 tonight, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

TV/radio: Channel 62/WXYT 97.1

Line: Steelers by 2 1/2

Outlook: no word whether Ben Roethlisberger will play for the Steelers.

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810 twitter.com/JohnNiyo