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Lions rule out Matthew Stafford for Sunday vs. Dallas Cowboys

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.

Lions Matthew Stafford doesn’t practice

ALLEN PARK — Matthew Stafford, who missed Sunday’s game with hip/back issues, did not practice on Wednesday.

The Lions quarterback was on the field (with his cap on backwards) but not working with his teammates. While they were all stretching he was throwing a ball on the sidelines. When they broke into position groups, he was hanging out on the field watching, but not working.

It’s still early in the Lions’ work week, so it would be a mistake to write off Stafford for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field. However, it’s not a great sign that he is not healed enough to practice. He’s such a veteran that it would be possible for him to miss much or all of practice this week and still get the go-ahead for Sunday.

If Stafford can’t go, it’s expected that Jeff Driskel would get his second straight start. In the loss to the Bears, he completed 58.7 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown and one interception.

Others who did not practice include right tackle Rick Wagner and running back Ty Johnson who are in concussion protocol. Others sitting out were Tracy Walker (knee), Da’Shawn Hand (ankle) and Romeo Okwara (groin).

Linebacker Miles Killebrew, who plays mostly on special teams, was back on the field. He missed Sunday’s game while going through concussion protocol after he was injured in practice last Thursday.

The Lions (3-5-1) have lost five of their last seven games. The Cowboys (5-4) are coming off a loss to the Vikings.

Lions’ defense can’t contain Trubisky in loss to Bears; Driskel in for Stafford

The Lions had to win on Sunday to keep whatever weak chances they had of making the playoffs. Lousy play on both sides of the ball resulted in a 20-13 loss at the Chicago Bears.

Yes, the Lions were missing quarterback Matthew Stafford who was not cleared to play by doctors due to broken bones in his back. He had started 136 straight games. Jeff Driskel got the start.

Here’s the thing, Stafford doesn’t play defense.

The Lions dropped to 3-5-1 while the Bears (4-5) snapped their four-game losing streak.

The Bears’ offense looked nearly Super Bowl worthy starting with their last possession in the second quarter and continuing through the third quarter – just long enough to do too much damage on the scoreboard. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who had been struggling this season, threw touchdown passes on three consecutive possessions.

The Bears quarterback was nothing special in the first quarter, then he was transformed into more of what he looked like last season. It likely had something to do with going against the Lions’ defense, one of the worst in the NFL ((31st in yards allowed per game). Late in the third and into the fourth, the Bears were forced to punt four straight times. So give the Lions’ defense credit there.

After two Matt Prater field goals in the first half, Driskel connected with Kenny Golladay on a 47-yard touchdown play with 5:53 left in the fourth to cut the Bears’ lead to 20-13. Time was not on the Lions’ side. The Lions defense forced a punt on the Bears’ last possession and Detroit got the ball back with 1:48 left at their own 10-yard line but there just was not enough time to get to the end zone.

The Lions’ defense is missing key players (Tracy Walker, Da’Shawn Hand, Romeo Okwara). Sorry, no excuses. The Bears ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense (266.8 yards per game) before Sunday’s game. It was a game where the Lions’ defense should have stepped up and made a statement no matter who was playing

The Lions played the second half without running back Ty Johnson and right tackle Rick Wagner who were both tested for concussions.

After Driskel completed his first five passes in the first quarter, he struggled which was expected. He started five games for the Cincinnati Bengals last year (going 1-4) but other than that the 26-year-old quarterback just doesn’t have the knowledge, the experience and feel for the game. He finished 27 of 46 for 269 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was also Detroit’s leading rusher with five carries for 37 yards. That also speaks volumes about the offense.

Several reports say that Stafford is week to week. He was on the sidelines, giving advice to Driskel.

Up next: Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17. (Dallas hosts the Vikings on Sunday night.)

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)