Matthew Stafford Injury: Lions Season Could Hinge on QB's MRI Results

The lofty hopes for this Lions season rest in a loud metal MRI machine. Matthew Stafford suffered an injury that will land him in the doctors office for further tests on Monday, and the fan base now holds its collective breath, and for good reason.

Here's an overview of the situation. 

Injury

On the final offensive play for the Lions in the game, Stafford scrambled left and fell awkwardly with a Falcons defender on his ankle.

Stafford received treatment on the sideline and limped off the field. The bad news is that apparently it was not just his ankle that was injured, but also his knee. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk fills us in with some insider information:

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"Matthew Stafford suffered a right leg injury late in Sunday’s loss to the Falcons. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Stafford will have an MRI to examine whether and to what extent he has damage to both his knee and his ankle.

"We’re told that Stafford is optimistic that he’ll be OK. 'It takes a tank to keep him out,' the source said."

 

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Reckless Speculation

While it takes a tank to keep Stafford out unfortunately, he has been hit by a tank a lot in his young career. While there are signs that this injury is not serious, there is reason for ample concern anytime Stafford needs an MRI.

Let's take a look at what a prolonged absence would mean.

Lions Upcoming Schedule

Here is a look at the Lions remaining schedule as found on NFL.com

What Loss of Stafford Would Mean

It would mean that the Lions would be quarterbacked once again by Shaun Hill. Hill is not terrible, but he is little more than a game manager. 

Stafford is the only QB on this team capable of making plus plays. 

In 2010, Hill played in 11 games for the Lions and had 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He could likely take over for Stafford for a few games, and the Lions could still make the playoffs.

However, the Lions have a difficult three-game stretch to end the season. They will need Stafford back for that, and even if they crawled into the playoffs without him, they are not going to be able to win a playoff game with Shaun Hill calling the plays.