Wife, players defend QB Matthew Stafford's intelligence

A report by the NFL Network has a few of the Lions taking to social media to defend their quarterback.

In the wake of the front office firings Thursday, Ian Rapoport reported that former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi had been frustrated with Matthew Stafford - and that his future with the team was in doubt.

Rapoport has said that the playback had been scaled back for Stafford by Lombardi because he couldn't handle it.

That sparked a firestorm of tweets by backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky, a tweet from punter Sam Martin and an Instagram post by Kelly Stafford, the quarterback's wife.

Kelly Stafford posted: "So I guess I'm a little behind the time since I have been enjoying myself on the beach," Kelly Stafford wrote. "Heard that one of the coaches, who got fired, came after Matthew's intelligence. That is seriously comical. Come after the way he plays all you want, but the second you come after his intelligence is when you look far too desperate."

Kelly Stafford also mentioned her husband's wonderlic score of 38. It is a strong score from the NFL test used to measure potential prospects' intelligence.

While Orlovsky wrote among his posts to Rapoport "Not going to sit back and let what's being said," he said. "Staff is highly intelligent and has an ev en better football mind. Just because an offense is tweaked or altered doesn't mean it's 'dumbed down.' Great coaches adapt to who they have."