Matthew Stafford nearly made a stunning catch to complete a trick play

Bring it in next time, Matthew. We believe in you.

I’m sorry, Matthew Stafford, but you have to make this play.

The ball is dropped right into your hands. You have just enough time to get low and avoid being completely de-brained by a defender. The timing is perfect.

Look at this pass. Look at that loft! The spiral! It’s harder to not catch this ball than it is to catch it. This is the friendliest football. This is me tossing to my youngest nephew.

I’m in awe of this pass, truly. In part because you can see Jamal Agnew go from, “Nope, I can’t complete this trick play” to “Actually, I am exactly the man to do this … and you are, too, Matt.” The triumph of the human spirit, the exaltation of hope and determination, right there on display for all to see as we cozy up to a plate of bland turkey and ponder why we’re thankful in our most difficult year.

And then this:

I award you zero points for your exuberant “fumble recovery;” if this month has taught America nothing else it is that there is no dignity in pretending that you did not lose when you did.

This was a catchable ball, Matthew. I get it. You’re a quarterback, and a very good one, and this play was probably designed to spring you completely free, not into double coverage, and the right thing to do would have been to bail and live for the next play.

But that’s not what happened, and your moment came. And then the football descended gracefully into your arms — until you let it skitter away. And that left Matt Prater to come onto the field a few plays later to kick a 29-yard field goal to make it 24-17, Texans, in the third quarter.

What could have been.

(Lions coach Matt Patricia did challenge the call, because let’s be honest it was pretty close, but it was not overturned.)

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