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ALLEN PARK — Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw passes in Thursday’s practice, after not attempting a pass in the portion open to the media on Wednesday.

Stafford had his right, throwing hand stepped on in Sunday’s loss at Baltimore. X-rays showed no broken bones but it is severely bruised. The quarterback, in his ninth season, is known for his toughness.

He has started 108 consecutive games and, if the practice is any indication, it looks like Stafford could start on Sunday when the Lions visit Tampa. The ball looked like it had its usual Stafford zip.

Coach Jim Caldwell offered no clues about Stafford’s possible availability in his pre-practice press conference.

If Stafford can’t go, Jake Rudock will get his first NFL start.

“Obviously we get a chance to see (Rudock) every day. I mean he’s working, and in every area he’s improved throughout the year. And I think that’s what you find with a young quarterback, they just continue to get better and he’s improving in all areas,’’ Caldwell said.

If Rudock is the starter, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said he’ll have a game-plan that plays to Rudock’s strengths. At the very least there would likely be less downfield shots than Stafford attempts. No slam on Rudock, but Stafford has the strongest arm in the NFL.

Rudock finished Sunday’s game completing 3 of 5 attempts for 24 yards with an interception.

“Obviously any reps you get in the course of a ballgame’s going to help you one way or another. You’re going to learn from it, it gives you a little bit of experience. It kind of gets the nerves out of there a little bit just in terms of getting a guy familiar with his footing, but he’s played preseason games and those kinds of things, but regular seasons a little bit different,’’ Caldwell said. “So, that’s helpful but obviously it’s not much of a sample size for him, it’s just very few, but he’ll be fine.”

Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said on a conference call on Wednesday, he was aware of Stafford’s hand injury and they would go after it.

Caldwell said he knows Koetter and said that comment “was in jest.”

ALLEN PARK — While the X-rays on Matthew Stafford’s right, throwing hand were negative after Sunday’s loss at Baltimore, the injury is not insignificant.

It’s unclear if Stafford will be available to start on Sunday when the Lions play the Bucs in Tampa Bay.

Stafford was limited in practice on Wednesday. He did not throw in the portion open to the media, but he worked on hand-offs.

“He’s not out of the woods yet, we have to see what he can do as the week goes on. It’s not some insignificant injury, that’s not the case. It’s something that he’s going to have to work at,  deal with in the course of the week to see where he is. It’s not like he’s out of the woods,’’ coach Jim Caldwell said on Wednesday morning.

Stafford said on Wednesday morning that he will take it day by day this week. He wouldn’t address whether he plans to play on Sunday. He said he’s in less pain than he was immediately after it was injured on Sunday.

Stafford, who has started 108 straight games, has played with hand injuries before. “Yeah, every one of them is different. This one is just the same. So, you got to kind of figure out what feels good, what doesn’t, and go from there,” Stafford said.

At his weekly press conference on Wednesday he was asked to show the media his hand and he said he’d would rather not.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game just after Stafford threw an interception. His hand was stepped on in a pile-up. In no way did it appear intentional. He left the game and immediately went to the locker room for X-rays. Jake Rudock took over at quarterback.

Stafford has started 108 straight games going back to Week 1 of the 2011 season.

ALLEN PARK >> Shortly after Tion Green arrived in Baltimore with the Lions on Saturday afternoon the rookie running back got a knock on his hotel room door.

“The security guy says there’s a lady downstairs who says she’s your mom. I’m like, ‘What?’ I go downstairs, my mom is outside in a rental car and said let’s go for dinner. I’m like, ‘What?’ We get in the car, go eat, she said I told you I was coming I keep my promises.’ She came to Baltimore from Florida, we went to PF Changs’ in the city. She said tomorrow you’re going to have a good game, you’re going to score a touchdown. I’m like, ‘Mom you’re crazy. I said it’s ironic I might be playing tomorrow and she said you’re going to score too. And after the game I went up to her and asked, ‘How did you know?’’’

She told him she was psychic.

Green was active for his first NFL game on Sunday and just like his mom said, he scored a touchdown in the loss to the Ravens.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

“My mom is weird, she said maybe four weeks ago, she said, ‘Come Baltimore you’re going to play in your first game, you’re going to make a touchdown and I’m going to be there,’’’ Green said on Monday. “I was like, ‘Mom, you’re talking crazy, what are you talking about. I don’t know when I’m going to be up.’’

Apparently his mom, Leticia Strickland, knows.

She bought her own ticket to the game, bought her airline ticket and somehow found out the name of the hotel and was in the rental car waiting for her son.

“I just see here in the car smiling — she’s got gold teeth — she said, ‘That’s my son,’’ Green said.

Green had 11 carries for 51 yards and a six-yard touchdown run. His first NFL carry was for 33 yards

“She was the happiest woman in the world, that was my happy moment then because my mom my whole life said, ‘My biggest dream, I want you to make it, I just want to come to a game,’’ said Green who was signed as undrafted rookie free agent in the spring.

It was the first game that Green has been active this season. He said he didn’t know until just before gametime.

“Seriously I was warming up, I came back from warm-ups and my jersey was still in my locker so I kind of knew I was playing,’’ Green said.

Just before the Lions’ third series, coach Jim Caldwell walked up to him.

“Bear in my mind, I’m dressed but I just thought I’d be on special teams,’’ Green said. “Caldwell came over ‘Hey young fellow’ and Kenny (Golladay) is standing next to me. I think he’s talking to Kenny. I’m forgetting I’m dressed. ‘Hey young fellow. You ready? You’ve got to get ready you’re going in.’ ‘Kenny or me?’ ‘You,’’ Caldwell said.

At that point right guard T.J. Lang approached him.

“T.J, he hit me pretty hard on (the helmet) and said, ‘We need a spark right now.’ And he head-butted me and he said, ‘Let’s go,’’’ Green said.

He also pointed out the support he got from his fellow running backs and how much that meant to him. There are five on the roster and only three play each week. It’s a competitive situation but they support each other.

Green said he has not been frustrated standing on the sidelines for the first 11 games.

“Absolutely not, I’m in a very blessed position being on a 53-man roster, make active money, hanging out, working out, giving the defense a good look, being a cheerleader. That’s the best position you could be in,’’ Green said. “The thing about life is you have to be patient, patience is key just like running the football you have to be patient. … My whole story from high school to college is patience, patience, patience. I knew eventually I would get my shot whether it was this year, next year, next week or whenever. I knew I’d get my shot but you have to be ready.’’