ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson played the game Sunday that Detroit Lions fans had been waiting all season to see.
Stafford set an NFL rookie passing record with 422 yards in a 38-37 victory over Cleveland and became the youngest player to throw five touchdown passes in a game. Johnson had seven catches for a career-best 161 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown.
Trouble is, a national TV audience might not get to see either player Thursday.
Stafford and Johnson were both injured on a chaotic play as time expired, and Lions coach Jim Schwartz didn’t sound optimistic that either would be available to face Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day.
Stafford suffered a dislocated left shoulder when he was hit as he threw a desperation pass into the end zone. The pass was intercepted, but Cleveland was called for pass interference. After a timeout, Stafford returned to the game to throw his fifth touchdown pass, but that didn’t do anything to heal the injury.
“He’s extremely sore today,” Schwartz said. “Most of the tests have come back, and there doesn’t appear to be any long-term structural damage, but there’s a lot of pain. If that continues, he’d be unlikely to play on Thursday, but we’re not closing the door on anything yet.”
Johnson was hurt on the same play and wasn’t on the field for Stafford’s game-winning touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew.
Johnson was listed on Monday’s injury report as having not practiced because of hand and knee problems.
Mangini makes accusations.
Browns coach Eric Mangini is questioning whether the Lions faked injuries to slow down Cleveland’s no-huddle offense.
Mangini, who bemoaned the final, chaotic seconds of Cleveland’s 38-37 loss Sunday, noted the Lions had several players leave the field injured, only to return. Mangini was asked if he was accusing the Lions and coach Jim Schwartz, whom he worked with previously in Cleveland, of faking injuries.
“I’m just saying there were a lot of them,” Mangini said Monday.
Schwartz disputed Mangini’s claims.
“He’s way out of bounds on that,” countered Detroit’s first-year coach. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Browns wide receiver Chansi Stuckey supported Mangini’s theory that the Lions were faking. According to the official play-by-play, there were six instances — with five different players — where a Detroit player went down with an injury during the no-huddle and then returned.
“Definitely,” Stuckey said. “I knew that. That’s what their coach does.”
Romo should play.
Tony Romo is feeling better, and Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is confident the quarterback will be ready to play Thursday.
Phillips says his quarterback has already told the team that he “feels a lot better” than he did after taking a knee in the back early in the Cowboys’ 7-6 victory over Washington on Sunday.
Romo didn’t miss a snap and completed seven consecutive passes on the game- winning touchdown drive in the final minutes, then took a post-game injection for his pain.
The Associated Press
