Matthew Stafford was in obvious pain as he threw a few warmup passes in front of the Detroit Lions bench.
He grabbed his left side, went down the tunnel toward the locker room with trainers, then returned a few minutes later and did it again.
Stafford, one of the NFL’s premier ironmen for most of his career, suffered a rib injury on a hit by Kenny Clark that overshadowed another Lions loss, their third in four games, 31-24, to the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field.
Stafford went for X-rays after the game, the results of which were not immediately known, and now everyone awaits the results and what they mean not just for this season but for his future in Detroit.
“He just got twisted somehow when he slid,” left tackle Taylor Decker said. “Obviously, we know 9 is a warrior, man. He’ll battle through a lot, he’ll push through a lot of pain so you know if he can’t go then it’s really because he can’t.”
The Lions did not make Stafford available for his usual postgame videoconference Sunday, and interim head coach Darrell Bevell said he would provide further updates Monday.
Backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who finished the game in Stafford’s absence, said he had no expectation whether he would start next week’s game against the Tennessee Titans, the Lions’ final road game of the year.
“He’s honestly one of the toughest guys and competitors that I’ve ever been on a team with,” Daniel said. “It’s very well written about. The dude’s a warrior and he’s hurt right now, but I think he’s going to work whatever he’s got through it and try to be out there for the team.”
Stafford made 136 consecutive starts from the 2011 season until last year, when he missed the final eight games with fractured bones in his back.
It’s too early to know whether his latest injury will keep him out, but if it does, Stafford’s season — and maybe his Lions career, as a new general manager and head coach will decide his future this offseason — came to a fitting end.
Stafford went almost toe-to-toe with Packers MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers, giving the undermanned Lions a fighting chance against one of the two best teams in the NFC.
Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown, and he was hurt on a 6-yard scramble on third-and-4 that gave the Lions a first-and-goal inside the Green Bay 5.
Stafford stayed in to hand the ball off to Kerryon Johnson for a touchdown before heading to the bench clutching his left side.
“I think it’s too early to tell (if he will miss time),” Bevell said. “I mean, Matthew Stafford’s as tough as they come, he’s a huge competitor. I know he’s going to want to be out there with his team, so it’s going to have to be pretty drastic for him not to be in there.”
Rodgers threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers clinched their second straight NFC North title.
Green Bay (10-3) broke open a tie game with two commanding scoring drives to start the third quarter against the Lions’ undermanned defense.
The Packers opened the third quarter with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. They converted four third downs on the drive, including a third-and-7 on the third play of the possession when Amani Oruwariye was called for defensive holding, and scored on a 6-yard Rodgers run.
After a three-and-out by the Lions, the Packers followed with another 12-play, 79-yard march that covered nearly eight minutes and ended with a 4-yard Rodgers touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan.
The Packers ran 21 plays and gained 143 yards in the third quarter, while the Lions had 4 yards on three plays.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something where, and me and Matthew were talking about this, where we only had three plays in the third quarter,” Daniel said. “That’s tough. We put our defense in a tough spot.”
Johnson’s touchdown capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive and cut the Lions’ deficit to 28-21, but Mason Crosby answered with a 57-yard field goal for the Packers.
The Lions nearly recovered an onside kick with 1:49 to play, but the ball bounced out of bounds before Miles Killebrew secured possession.
Rodgers finished 26 of 33 passing, and Davante Adams had seven catches for 115 yards for the Packers, who are tied with the New Orleans Saints for best record in the NFC.
D’Andre Swift scored on a 3-yard run in his first game since Nov. 15 for the Lions.
