Matthew Stafford remains “week to week”

[Roary]

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There’s not a specific timeline for the return of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford missed his second consecutive game on Sunday, and Lions coach Matt Patricia said today that Stafford remains “week to week.” Stafford has been dealing with a back injury that reportedly could cost him six weeks.

There’s no reason for Stafford to hurry back to the field. The Lions are in last place and all but eliminated from playoff contention. The Lions would be foolish to allow Stafford to return to the field at less than 100 percent healthy when they don’t have much to play for down the stretch.

One of the few pieces of good news for the Lions is that backup quarterback Jeff Driskel has actually played fairly well in Stafford’s two-game absence. Driskel has thrown for 478 yards and three touchdowns and added 88 rushing yards and one touchdown, while having just one turnover in his two games. The Lions lost both games primarily because their defense didn’t play well, which has been a problem for them this season regardless of who’s under center.