It’s official. Matthew Stafford will miss his second straight game on Sunday.
The Lions quarterback snapped a string of 136 straight starts when he couldn’t go last week at Chicago due to hip/back issues. He has been on the practice field all week but just standing around, not working.
Coach Matt Patricia said there is no scenario where Stafford would play Sunday when the Lions host the Dallas Cowboys at 1 p.m. at Ford Field.
Jeff Driskel will get his second straight start.
The doctors have a medical plan in place to get Stafford back on the field.
“I’m not going to go into the details of that. But there are different things that our doctors are doing, and everybody is doing to hit those markers when we get to them. He’s doing great,’’ Patricia said on Friday. “He’s fine, normal, grinding away, studying, getting ready to go, helping everybody around him and preparing, which is great. It just keeps everything consistent for us. He’s the same old just getting ready to go play a game.”
All week Driskel has been taking first-team snaps which should benefit him on Sunday.
“I think with repetitions a lot of players start to settle down, and I think what happens is their vision changes. That’s probably one of the biggest things for guys no matter what position you play. Once you just become comfortable in the positions or in the situations that you’re playing, and you start to feel around you a little bit what’s normal and what’s not and how to move and when it’s maybe an opportunity where you have to get out of trouble or when you’re OK,’’ Patricia said. “When that starts to happen usually players talk about their vision opening up on the field. You start to see a lot more, you start to be able to get your eyes in certain places, and that allows you to maybe play a little bit faster, a little bit quicker and be able to see things.
Driskel said on Wednesday he prepares like he’s going to play every week.
In the loss to the Bears he was 27 of 46 for 269 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Lions (3-5-1) have lost five of their last six while the Cowboys (5-4) are coming off a loss to the Vikings.
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