Matthew Stafford Injures Right Shoulder on Julius Peppers Hit

The Lions have had a change at quarterback, and it's potentially very bad news for Detroit.

Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, last year's first overall draft pick, left Sunday's game against the Bears with an apparent right shoulder injury. He was replaced after halftime by backup Shaun Hill, who started 16 games over the last three seasons for the 49ers. The Lions went three-and-out on Hill's first three series. Hill then fumbled in the fourth quarter when he was hit while trying to complete a handoff -- the Bears recovered on Detroit's 1.

Stafford was injured when he got drilled from behind by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers, who provided exactly the kind of pass rush the Bears hoped they would when the made Peppers the marquee free-agent signing of the offseason. Peppers hit Stafford hard and knocked the ball loose, and the fumble set up a Bears field goal to end the first half.

But the Lions have to be more concerned about the injury to Stafford than the three points the hit produced. Losing their starting quarterback in the first half of the first game of the season is about as bad a result as the Lions could get from Week 1.

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