After being inexplicably snubbed for the Pro Bowl and even snubbed as a Pro Bowl backup for the likes of Cam Newton, Matt Stafford finally receives some well-deserved recognition.

Following an amazing season in which Stafford threw for 5,038 yards 41 TDs & 16 Ints and led his team into the NFL Playoffs for the first time in over a decade, a panel of Associated Press voters has the Detroit Lions young gun its Comeback Player of The Year award.  Stafford started all 17 games for the Lions, playing in all but 12 of the teams offensive snaps, and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl. He received 21 of the possible 50 votes.

Even with this recognition though, Stafford has been sold short by the accolade-givers in the NFL and certain segments of the media. But don’t expect that to last long, this kid is oozing with league elite talent.

All-Time Great Season for a QB

Let’s put Matthew Stafford numbers and season into perspective for a moment, only 3 other quarterbacks in National Football League history have thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season and only 5 QBs have ever passed for more than 40 TDs in a season.

Matthew Stafford joins Dan Marino (1984) and Drew Brees (2011) as the only NFL QBs to pass for 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same football season.

To really put a stamp on this accomplishment, check this out. Other than Dan Marino, Matt Stafford is 5 years younger than any of the other QBs who’ve passed for 40+ touchdowns in an NFL season (Aaron Rodgers, Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning were all 28 years old when they hit this mark) and 6 years younger than any NFL QB that reached 5,000 passing yards in a season (Drew Brees was 29 when he did in 2008). Pretty good for a kid huh?

Expect a lot more where that came from.

RUMOR MILL: 97.1 the Ticket is claiming that the Detroit Lions are in talks with the Oakland Raiders about trading a second round pick for RB Darren Mcfadden.

Sound FX: Matthew Stafford mic’d up