Stafford is entering his fourth season with the Lions and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has been with him every step of the way. Linehan and Stafford have built a terrific rapport over the years and have developed together as play caller and playmaker.
"As you become a veteran in any system as a quarterback, you have to take ownership of that offense," Linehan said. "This is natural for Matt to do it. I think he knows when it's time for him to step in and say, 'Coach, can we look at this play and do that.'
"He knows we're very receptive to that and we have that kind of relationship. We trust each other and it helps us when we are in games because if you're able to do that in the offseason, practice, training camp; you get in-game and you have that synergy with your quarterbacks, it's a lot easier to call a game for them."
The fact that the Lions return all 11 starters on offense and have hit the ground running this offseason has Linehan excited about the possibilities behind Stafford this season.
"It really has been great continuity, so you don't have to re-explain things or re-install things that are bread and butter," Linehan said. "It never went away, the season just picks up again from the last game we played.
"We already have an identity, the quarterback knows what it is and what it looks like, so I think its fun for players to do little improvements or tweaks to make them better as opposed to adding things."
Stafford said it's been an easy transition into the offseason and the fun part has been the ability to get into the nuances and tweaks of the scheme. The Lions are getting deeper into the playbook this offseason and it'll only make them that much more explosive.
"We really don't have an install right now," Stafford said. "The rookies kind of have to pick up where we're going and understand it and learn it on the run. It's nice.
"We all know what we're doing out there and don't have to teach the whole offense over again. We're just tweaking things, adding things and seeing if we like them or not."
There was a lot to like about an offense that ranked fifth in total yards last year and fourth in passing. Stafford became just the fourth quarterback in league history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, setting team records for yards (6,337), points (474) and touchdowns (57) along the way.
With the hopeful additions of running backs
"Being able to go out there Day 1 checking off plays and changing routes and all that stuff makes it fun," Stafford said of where this offense is currently and where he expects it to go. "You can always be in a position to beat the defense and you have to go out there and see if you can do it, but its nice knowing that everyone is on the same page."
Linehan and Stafford being on the same page is the biggest component of this offense taking the next step. The best quarterbacks in the league – Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in particular – are just as mentally prepared for the game as physically. Linehan sees that maturation from Stafford within this scheme.
"He spends a lot of time studying it and understanding how defenses are designed and what the strengths and weakness of the defenses are, so regardless of the play, he always has an idea of where the ball needs to go," Linehan said.
"If he can always get us into good plays, certainly get us out of bad plays when the opportunity presents itself for that, when you have a veteran quarterback who knows what's going on it's a big-time advantage."
