Matthew Stafford Injury: Lions Will Dominate Broncos with Stafford in Lineup

The Detroit Lions have been free falling after their 5-0 start to the season. They have lost two straight games and quarterback Matthew Stafford has been limited in practice all week due to an ankle sprain. After some talk that he might have to sit out this week, he will be starting against the Denver Broncos. 

The Lions need Stafford to be healthy, both for the team because he is such a vital part of the offense, and for his own psyche because he has a history of injuries and another missed game would bring back questions of durability. 

The good news for Stafford and the Lions is that they have a very winnable game this week against the Denver Broncos. 

Tim Tebow can do many things, including inspire a national craze, but he is still not good at playing quarterback in the NFL. He won't be able to play like he did against Miami last week and lead a miracle comeback in the fourth quarter. 

The Broncos have gotten better at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season, so Stafford will have to show his mobility more often in this game than he would like to.

That said, I would expect a lot of quick three-step drops and passes to Calvin Johnson and let him make plays off the line of scrimmage. 

The Lions badly need a win this week to build their confidence back up after two straight losses and heading into a bye. 

Stafford's presence alone will be enough to inspire this team to play better. He is not 100 percent healthy, but the fact that No. 9 is under center means a lot to this team. 

The Lions will play the way they did when they won the first five games of the season and were being talked about as one of the best teams in the NFL.. 

Stafford should be able to pick apart the Broncos lackluster secondary, and the Lions will get back on the right track.