The Detroit Lions are one of the many teams currently dealing with quarterback issues as injuries are running wild through the league. Dallas lost Tony Romo. Jay Cutler is out for Chicago. Now, Matthew Stafford is adding his name to the list as an elbow injury appears to potentially be more serious than expected. Head coach Jim Caldwell admitted there is concern as the quarterback was listed as questionable for Week 3.
According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, Caldwell told the media that Stafford is "very, very sore" and uncertain for Sunday's matchup against Denver. Stafford underwent x-rays to his chest and ribs while experiencing issues with his elbow in his throwing arm. The quarterback took a lot of hits in the team's first two games and it is really catching up to him. For now the team has Dan Orlovsky as the backup who has not thrown a pass in the regular season since 2012 while Ricky Stanzi is on the practice squad. Caldwell was uncertain if adding another player was in their future.
"We kind of make it pretty cut-and-dried," Caldwell said, via ESPN.com. "If the doctors tell us that they can play, that they are capable of playing without getting further injury or things of that nature, obviously, then obviously that's when we are given the task of determining how we fill out our 46-man roster."
The Lions offense was already lacking big plays before Stafford went down with an injury. Calvin Johnson has been quiet to start the year while Golden Tate is hot and cold. That could continue with the quarterback out, frustrating fantasy owners alike. Ameer Abdullah could become very important in Week 3. The rookie along with Theo Riddick has been shouldering the rushing attack while Joique Bell continues to get healthy. The Lions will likely aim to keep that attack moving against the Broncos.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have one of the worst rushing attacks in the league. However, with a new quarterback stepping in, they must hope that Abdullah can be the spark the team needs. Caldwell is aware they must improve.
"But do I believe that we have a group that can get it done? You better believe it. I think we've got the guys with the right kind of attitude. They'll take criticism, they'll take the corrections, they'll take the adjustments that we make, and they'll move forward and we'll develop into a better team," Caldwell said, via the Free Press.