Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford seemed to hit the lowest of lows Week 12 at New England, his second straight game without a touchdown pass. At the time, he had yet to throw for three touchdowns in a game and had thrown for more than 300 yards just twice.
Well, he still has yet to throw for three touchdowns in a game, but after throwing for a season-high 390 yards Week 13 against Chicago, his prospects are suddenly looking up.
It wasn't the most unpredictable turnaround. The Patriots have a tough secondary while the Bears rank 30th against the pass. Stafford's Week 14 matchup against Tampa Bay comes closer to the latter than the former. Not only do the Buccaneers rank 21st against the pass, allowing 245.3 yards per game, but they've given up 22 touchdowns through the air, tied for seventh-most in the league.
Granted, at 2-10, they may not pose much of a challenge for the Lions, but after getting back in sync last week, Stafford and Calvin Johnson should be able to do some real damage against them before the Lions resort to running out the clock.
If you look back through Stafford's game log, he's been especially susceptible to matchups this season, so you can trust him for this one.