Stafford's Scare: Lions QB Ready For Washington Visit

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has in the last couple of weeks experienced two levels of "scares'' regarding his health and football availability. First, the QB spent several days in a hotel after he came in close contact with a COVID-19 patient. Then he played in last Sunday's loss to the Vikings and sustained a late-game concussion.

What is his readiness level for this week's visit to Detroit by the Washington Football Team?

“Obviously, I was able to come out and practice full today, which was awesome,” Stafford said on Wednesday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “And obviously, didn’t have a chance to do that last week, so it was great being out here, caught another great day of weather and had a nice practice out there, all that.''

The Lions have over the years experienced a roller-coaster of ups and downs - not unlike those experienced by the WFT. But Detroit this year is 5-3 (to Washington's 2-6) and Stafford, 32, is key to making the Lions go.

Detroit is developing other weaponry (and has old WFT pal Adrian Peterson coming off the bench in the backfield) but the Lions often go as Stafford goes. And when he was forced to exit in the fourth period against Minnesota due to concerns about a possible concussion? Well, it was a continuation of a challenging few weeks for the former first-round QB.

Stafford in the Detroit lineup offers the Lions a sort of normalcy that Washington seeks at the position, as Alex Smith preps to make his first start of the year in place of Kyle Allen, who is expected to miss the rest of the year due to an ankle injury sustained in last week's loss to the Giants.

"Getting back to the routine is always a positive for me,'' Stafford said, "and really, for anybody that does this job.”

Stafford gives the Lions that as they ready for the 1 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff. Washington hopes Smith can do the same.

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