Detroit Lions

Lions' Quin: 'Fantasy football has turned NFL into box-score league'

Published Jan. 6, 2016 2:27 p.m. ET

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Detroit Lions safety Glover Quin has been a solid player for quite a while, but widespread recognition for his play has only come as of late.

In a first-person essay, Quin offered his theory on this phenomenon.

Via The Players' Tribune:

A lot of people said I had a career year last season because I led the NFL in interceptions. But the truth was, I made a lot of the same plays I’ve been making my entire career. I just happened to have a few balls thrown in my direction at the right moment.

The fact that we tend to judge an entire position based mostly on one statistic isn’t all that surprising when you think about it. Fantasy football has turned the NFL into a box-score league. You see the stats, and that tells a story. But there’s nothing reflected in the box score when a running back has to cut back inside for a short gain because you helped seal the edge. No fantasy points for that.

Defensive backs are generally judged publicly based on reputation rather than consistent week-to-week play. If you have a couple of years with heavy stats, you’re elevated to a certain level. And then if your stats fade, it’s assumed that other teams just stopped throwing the ball your way.

Quin, 27, was a fourth-round pick out of New Mexico in the 2009 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Houston Texans and recorded only five interceptions. Since signing a five-year, $23.5 million deal with the Lions before the 2013 season, he has recorded 14 interceptions.

Although Quin has been considered a Pro Bowl-caliber talent only recently, his consistency dates back to his earliest days in the league. He overcame an ankle injury and a concussion in 2015 to extend his consecutive starts streak to 100 games.

Quin has always done what's asked of him relatively well. His role with the Lions allows him rack up more interceptions, but that doesn't mean he's an entirely different player than he was with the Texans.

Regardless, the veteran safety is finally getting his due respect after years worth of quality performances.