Matthew Stafford didn't skip a beat after injuring his throwing hand in the Lions' win over Washington Sunday, and it doesn't look like he'll miss any time moving forward.
X-rays on his right thumb came back negative after the game, according to Ian Rapoport. "Though he may be limited some this week, the initial belief is he won't miss game time," Rapoport adds.
That's obviously good news for the Lions, who lost Stafford in Week 9 last season and didn't win another game the rest of the way. Their playoff hopes this year would have been dashed without him.
Thanks to Stafford's terrific performance Sunday, Detroit is very much alive. So are Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, who likely wouldn't have survived a loss to Washington.
With his right hand wrapped in tape, Stafford completed 24 of 33 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 127.8, the best in the NFL in Week 10.
The injury occurred on Detroit's second drive of the game when Washington LB Kevin Pierre Louis drove Stafford into the ground with an illegal hit to the head, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty.
"I don't know what happened. It was on a play where I got sacked," Stafford said. "They had a personal foul, so the next time I gripped the ball to throw it, it didn't feel so hot."
Not that it slowed him down against the best pass defense in the NFL.
Next up is a road matchup with the 3-7 Panthers as Stafford and the Lions try to mount a push to the playoffs.
