Lions' Stafford To Sit; Johnson, Smith To Play Vs. Pittsburgh

NFL News - October 11th, 2009 - Written by John

The Detroit Lions will be without their franchise quarterback today.

Per NFL Network, Kara Henderson reported today that Matthew Stafford has not progressed enough in his quest to overcome a knee injury suffered last week in Chicago. Instead, he will be replaced by Daunte Culpepper, who captained the most of last season.

Stafford was hobbled in the second half when he was wrangled by Adewale Ogunleye upon throwing a pass. His legs were twisted as he spun to the ground and he immediately reached for his right knee. Physicians later told the team that his knee cap being popped out and back in place quickly. His knee was still swelling earlier in the week and the Lions chose to take a cautious approach to a player they invested over $40 million in.

Culpepper was signed to the team midway through their historic winless season, and competed with Stafford for the starting job this year. Although he lost the race last in the preseason, Culpepper has been one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in his early years and could put the pressure on head coach Jim Schwartz if he plays well against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will undoubtedly benefit from the submission of the Lions' two best players back into the lineup. Calvin Johnson (thigh) and Kevin Smith (shoulder) were both taken out of last week's game but are listed as probable and will see time today.

If Culpepper bombs, he will likely get another crack at it next week when the Lions play Green Bay before a bye, which will give Stafford plenty of time to heal.

Stafford is the 89th rated fantasy player, according to Yahoo! Sports. He is averaging 223 yards per game with three touchdowns.

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