Matthew Stafford on Lions’ progress: ‘We’re getting there’

After the Detroit Lions managed to hold off the winless but persistent Cleveland Browns for a 38-24 victory Sunday, Matthew Stafford took stock of his team.

The Lions’ quarterback likes most of what he has seen through a 5-4 start, especially with the way the club elevated its game in the second half against the Browns.

‘I think we still have room to improve’

For the Lions to continue to have success, however, Stafford thinks they need to do better.

“We’re getting there,” he told Steve Torre and Bill Lekas on The Sunday Drive. “I think we still have room to improve. We got a bunch of yards rushing (against the Browns), which was huge for us. We were able to make some adjustments in the passing game second half. We’re not too worried about yards and all that kind of stuff. The biggest thing for us is points and we were able to put up a bunch.

‘(The Browns) made some nice adjustments coming off the bye week, and they’re a really talented team’

“It’s just that we didn’t execute well enough early in the game. They made some nice adjustments coming off the bye week, and they’re a really talented team. I know their record is what it is, but they’ve got a bunch of first-round draft picks, a bunch of talented players and just happy to come away with the win. Any win in the NFL is a big one.”

Stafford was particularly effective in the second half, completing 17 of 26 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.

‘We made some adjustments from the adjustments they had made’

“I think, for myself, for our guys outside and our guys up front, in the second half we made some adjustments from the adjustments they had made,” Stafford said. “And our offensive coordinator, Jim Bob (Cooter), did a great job getting us into some great plays and we just hit on them.”

How does he think the Lions stack up within the NFC North?

‘There’s a bunch of talented teams in this division’

“There’s a bunch of talented teams in this division,” Stafford said. “We’re worried about the one in this building right now and trying to play as well as we possibly can and let the rest take care of itself.”