Ellen Park, Mitch. – Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is in question for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, and center-back Frank Ragnout has been downgraded.
Both players were injured during last weekend’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Stafford suffered a rib cartilage injury in the fourth quarter when he hit Kenny Clark and left the game. He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was not seen working during the open Friday practice for the media. They were on a limited working list.
Interim coach Darrell Bewell said the Lions will take away Stafford’s injury by the end of the week and he will move to Tennessee.
“This may or may not be a workout situation,” Bevel said. “Obviously, a conversation about what kind of behavior he does on the side before we get there. But if we need to take a workout on a Sunday morning, we’ll do that too.”
Bevale said Stafford feels and is moving better and because of his toughness it’s hard to determine what that means. Stafford said Wednesday that for him, a large part of whether he will play is up to him and he thinks his body will be able to manage the whole game.
“You don’t want it to get into things there. You go out there and do something weird early on and you’ll come out after the first series of the game or something,” Stafford said. “Not to say, take a big hit and who knows what could happen. But [I] Feels good enough to be able to start the game and hopefully be able to finish it too. Play at a higher level.
“Those are all things that are kind of a necessity, and we’ll see if we can get there by the end of the week.”
Stafford said he did not know his method of trying to better accommodate heat, ice, rest and movement, until Wednesday, if he would need extra padding or extra wrap on his ribs to play the game – although he joked. It would “tap the pillow on my ribs or something.”
If Stafford is unable to play, Chase Daniel will be expected.
He was not asked to speak on Wednesday or Thursday to relax his vocal cords after inflammation of the vocal cords as part of an injury to the neck. He visited the expert on Friday to seek improvement.
He did not practice on Friday, and when he was initially listed as questionable for the game, the Lions downgraded him later.
Ragnu has been around the facility all week, either writing down answers or asking him questions from fellow players and coaches whether he can thumb-up or thumb-down or shake his head. Ragnu’s ability to breathe or eat was not compromised by injury.
“I know we went to an expert from our people, and the expert will really guide us about that information and whether it’s safe for them to get back into the game.” Bevel said before the raga was denied. “I can tell you that if it’s not safe we won’t put it there.
“We don’t want lengthy reactions to this along the way for him, and I don’t think he’ll ask for that either. So we’ll take the information from the expert and go with it.”
After Ragno is out, he will move to potential rookie guard Jonah Jackson center and Joe will enter the lineup at Dahl Guard – which he will play before he loses his job midseason. Detroit could also play Dahl in the center if needed.
Rookie defensive tackle John Penicini (shoulder) is in question, and four Lions players are out: right-facing Tyrell Crosby (ankle), defensive lineman Dashhawan Hand (ankle), Cornback Daryl Roberts (hip) and Wayne Keid. Hip).
Roberts ’injury continues the Detroit issues at Cornerback, where only Amani Oruvari and Justin Coleman remain healthy in the team’s top five corners.
Golad is missing his seventh straight game with hip flexor which would not have been expected quickly. Speaking to reporters for the first time since being injured, Goldie slammed the idea that his absence had something to do with the contract when he left for a free agency. He said the injury, which he described as “muscle strain,” was pinched, keeping it longer.
“Definitely, I want to be out on the field. Even when I was going there [for practice]”I thought for sure I was ready or I wouldn’t have gone there,” Goladay said. And yes, he was clearly not ready yet, honestly.
“He sucks, really. But I mean I was able to get smarter with my body.”
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