Matthew Stafford Likely Out Sunday

As the Detroit Lions' one-game winning streak was officially snapped Sunday in Chicago, fans were left holding their breath. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper might have been in the game only after it was out of hand, but he was also in there because rookie starter Matthew Stafford had gone down with a knee injury.

While it doesn't sound like Stafford's injury will be a long-term issue, the Lions appear to be planning on him missing Sunday's game against the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Stafford missed practice for a second straight day Thursday, and the Lions are likely to start Culpepper against the Steelers, Tom Kowalski of MLive.com notes.

While Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said that not practicing Wednesday and today wouldn't necessarily rule out Stafford, it's important for a young quarterback - or any quarterback for that matter - to get as many reps as possible to prepare for Pittsburgh's complicated defense.

While this might not be the best news for Stafford, it also isn't the worst. He's played well since winning the job in training camp, as it looks like he's getting better each week. The Steelers might present an incredible challenge for Stafford, however, because of their unpredictable and aggressive defense.

A veteran like Culpepper, assuming he hasn't put on 25 pounds in the first four weeks of the season, is a good play against this front seven. He's played against fast and free-flowing defenses before, and it looked in the preseason like Culpepper had regained at least a chunk of the quickness he lost because of knee surgeries and weight gain.

Since it doesn't sound like Stafford will be out long, it's a chance for him to watch a game from the sideline. He might even be able to pick up a few pointers from Culpepper's play, if the Lions can protect him.