There is no question that Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is known as one of the most prominent gunslingers during the regular season. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about his performance in the playoffs.

There is a very good chance that Stafford retires as one of the most prolific passers in NFL history from a numbers standpoint. However, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, he is well aware that his legacy hinges on his postseason success — or lack thereof:

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“Whether it’s fair or not is not up to me to judge, or think really too much about, because it’s out of my control,” Stafford said. “So I just go out there and try and play as well as I can.”

“As a player you want to be in that situation as much as you possibly and win as many of them as you possibly can,” Stafford said of the playoffs. “That’s what my goal is and really everybody’s goal is.”

There is plenty of truth to Stafford's comments. He has made a habit of producing monster numbers in the regular season. He has now thrown for more than 4,000 yards in seven straight seasons, and he does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. Unfortunately, the playoffs have been an entirely different challenge for him altogether.

Stafford has led Detroit to the playoffs three times in his nine-year career. However, he still has yet to make it past the opening round. To make matters worse, his performance in all three games was mediocre at best.

That said, Stafford still has plenty to prove if he wants to leave his mark on the league. Detroit is hoping that the significant changes they made this offseason will help finally get them over that hump.