SB Nation - Kalvin Pearson

Friday Notes: FitzSimmons Misses Practice; Gronkowski to Get His Shot at TE on Sunday?

Sean Yuille — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:03:52 -0000

3 months ago: Detroit Lions tight end Dan Gronkowski (47) catches a 21-yard touchdown reception from Drew Stanton as Indianapolis Colts safety Travis Key defends during the fourth quarter of an exhibition NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Dan Gronkowski may get a chance to play tight end on Sunday because Casey FitzSimmons is suffering from concussion-like symptoms. FitzSimmons missed Thursday's practice, and if he is unable to play, Gronkowski will see his first regular season action at tight end. Quite a few friends and relatives of Gronkowski will be at the game since he played college football at the University of Maryland, so it would be pretty cool if he got to play at TE this week.
Ernie Sims could return against Baltimore.
Louis Delmas and DeAndre Levy have the third- and fourth-most tackles, respectively, out of all the NFL's rookies.
Gunther Cunningham loves Levy.
Kalvin Pearson was back at practice on Wednesday and should play this week.
There was some talk that the Lions might bring in a few punters for a workout in case Nick Harris is too injured to play this week, but considering I haven't heard anything about a tryout yet and that no punter has been signed, I'd imagine that Harris will play.
Some Lions players shared their thoughts on who should win the Heisman Trophy.
Chris Spielman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this week.
Chad Ochocinco was fined $30,000 for the sombrero celebration he did during last Sunday's Lions-Bengals game.

Inactive List: Detroit Lions (2-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:38:57 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Bengals_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	DOUBTFUL	PROBABLE
Jordan Palmer	Jonathan Luigs	Laveranues Coles
Domata Peko	Domata Peko	Kyries Hebert
Bernard Scott	Bernard Scott	Tank Johnson
Jonathan Luigs		Rey Maualuga
Jerome Simpson		Frostee Rucker
Chase Coffman		Morgan Trent
Dan Skuta		Cedric Benson
Fui Vakapuna		Keith Rivers
		Tom Nelson

Lions_Helmet.gif" height="154" width="200" />
INACTIVE	OUT	PROBABLE
QB Drew Staton	S Kalvin Pearson	DT Grady Jackson
WR Eric Fowler	WR Eric Fowler	DE Andre Fluellen
S Kalvin Pearson		LB Zack Follett
FB Terrelle Smith	QUESTIONABLE	WR Calvin Johnson
LB Ernie Sims	G Daniel Loper	QB Matthew Stafford
G Daniel Loper	S Louis Delmas
OT Ephraim Salaam	LB Ernie Sims
DT Grady Jackson	DE Dewayne White

Injury Report: Detroit Lions (2-9) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

Kirkendall — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:59 -0000

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI	STATUS
C Jonathan Luigs (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
RB Bernard Scott (toe)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
S Kyries Hebert (hip)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
DE Frostee Rucker (neck)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP	Probable
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
DT Orien Harris (illness)	--	DNP	--	--
S Tom Nelson (foot)	--	--	DNP	Probable

DETROIT	WED	THUR	FRI
G Daniel Loper (back)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
S Kalvin Pearson (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
S Louis Delmas (ankle)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
WR Eric Fowler (knee)	LP	DNP	DNP	Out
DT Grady Jackson (knee)	LP	DNP	LP	Probable
LB Ernie Sims (hamstring)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Dewayne White (toe)	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
DE Andre Fluellen (toes)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
LB Zack Follett (neck)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
WR Calvin Johnson (knee)	FP	FP	FP	Probable
QB Matthew Stafford (left shoulder)	FP	FP	FP	Probable

Wednesday Notes: Ernie Sims, Dewayne White Return to Practice

Sean Yuille — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:12:49 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Vikings Eric Frampton (37) is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Ernie Sims (50) and cornerback Anthony Henry (32) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, and Dewayne White all practiced on Tuesday. Kalvin Pearson and Daniel Loper were out with injuries.
Ko Simpson was placed on IR last week and replaced on the roster by Jahi Word-Daniels.
Jim Schwartz didn't have a problem with Louis Delmas' hit on Jermichael Finley because some things you just can't coach differently.
According to Chad Ochocinco, Bengals receivers want the ball to be thrown 50 times against the Lions on Sunday. While that would probably be good for a few of my fantasy teams, the thought of Carson Palmer throwing 50 times against the Lions' secondary is just scary.
The Lions are causing ticket-selling problems for the Bengals, who are having trouble reaching a sellout for Sunday's game.
Similar to Matthew Stafford against Cleveland, Brett Favre was mic'd up against the Lions last month. As much as I can't stand Favre still being in the division, I have to say, it was pretty entertaining to listen to what he had to say throughout the game, including when he chatted with Stafford before kickoff and after the final whistle. My favorite part of the segment was when Stephen Peterman lined up at defensive tackle and Favre noticed and said, "Damn, Stephen. What they got you in for?" Favre quickly snapped the ball after the remark and Adrian Peterson ran into the end zone for a touchdown. Favre then went over to Peterman and asked if they are paying him overtime. It was just a funny exchange, though there were many in the video.
Citing the fact that "everybody's a little different," Jim Schwartz didn't want to even guess how long Brandon Pettigrew's ACL injury could keep him out.

Wednesday Injury Report: Packers at Lions

Brandon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:57:16 -0000

UPDATE: From NFL.com:

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, who injured his non-throwing shoulder in last week’s wild win over the Cleveland Browns, will start Thursday against the Packers, reports NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson, who was listed as questionable throughout the week, is active and will also play Thursday.

As the season grows longer, so does the injury report. This week the Green Bay Packers have 13 players listed, and the Lions have 14.

For the Packers: I'm sure everyone knows that LB Aaron Kampman and CB Al Harris are done for the season with matching ACL injuries. But after them, only RT Allen Barbre and RB Ahman Green didn't practice on Wednesday because they are both recovering from injuries suffered last week in practice. While it would be nice to have them both available, I don't think anyone expects either to play a significant role in the offense. The only other major concern was C Scott Wells, who had his knee swell up bad on Monday and Tuesday, but apparently nothing is torn and he should play.

For the Lions: Their injury list is long and a problem. Neither QB Matthew Stafford or WR Calvin Johnson has practiced this week. Will Carroll discussed Stafford's shoulder injury:

The result is good, but a meaningless win against a bad team really doesn't mean much in the longer term. Stafford's non-throwing shoulder is being described as "mangled" and it's clear that it was a dislocation. This is much like the situation with Sam Bradford, but on the non-throwing side.

It's a good point in regards to Stafford and Johnson. Why risk either player's long-term health when the best outcome is a 3-8 record? Obviously their absence helps the Packers, but I don't see how they can push either player on a short week when neither was able to practice. Two safeties (Kalvin Pearson and Ko Simpson) are listed as out, and starting FS Louis Delmas is questionable (limited in practice on Wednesday). If Delmas can't play, their secondary might be literally without any depth. LB Ernie Sims is out too, but his replacement is former Badger LB DeAndre Levy and he shouldn't be much a drop off from Sims. RB Kevin Smith was limited in practice on Wednesday too.

The complete injury reports are listed after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Wednesday Status
Allen Barbre	T/G	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Ryan Grant	RB	Neck	Full Participation	Probable
Ahman Green	RB	Groin	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Al Harris	CB	Knee	Out	Out
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Johnny Jolly	DE	Back	Full Participation	Probable
Aaron Kampman	LB	Knee	Out	Out
John Kuhn	FB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Josh Sitton	G	Back	Full Participation	Probable
Scott Wells	C	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Charles Woodson	CB	Hip	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Wednesday Status
Joe Cohen	DT	Ankle & Elbow	Limited Participation	Probable
Louis Delmas	S	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Questionable
Jordan Dizon	LB	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Zack Follett	LB	Knee	Limited Participation	Probable
Grady Jackson	DT	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Probable
Calvin Johnson	WR	Not Inj. Related	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Daniel Loper	T	Quadricep	Limited Participation	Questionable
Kalvin Pearson	S	Not Inj. Related	Did Not Participate	Out
Ko Simpson	S	Knee	Did Not Participate	Out
Ernie Sims	LB	Back	Did Not Participate	Out
Kevin Smith	RB	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Probable
Matthew Stafford	QB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Dewayne White	DE	Knee	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Derrick Williams	WR	Knee	(Not Listed)	N/A

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Lions

Brandon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

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The big news in Green Bay this week have been the injuries, and the big news in Detroit have been the injuries. My opinion is that while the injuries to LB Aaron Kampman and CB Al Harris are significant, they still have a good defensive unit in place. For the Lions, it seems like their offense can't function without QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson. Based on the fact that the Lions only had 149 yards of total offense when the teams met last month, and that Stafford and Johnson were out for that game as well, it's a fair point.

League rankings, based on yardage, from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	11	7	4	7
Lions	25	18	20	32

The Packers offense has been productive all season, and should have no trouble gaining yards against a struggling Lions defense (especially their patchwork secondary). While it looks like the Lions might have a shot at attacking the injured Packer pass defense, that No. 18 ranking is based on yardage and doesn't consider that the Lions have a league leading 18 INTs. And how ineffective their offense is without Johnson.

Packers run offense vs. Lions run defense: RB Ryan Grant had one of his best games of the season last week against the 49ers, go vote for him as the FedEx Ground Player of the Week, in large part because the offensive line had their best game of the season. The 49ers run defense has played very well this season, but the o-line opened big holes and controlled the line of scrimmage. The return of RT Mark Tauscher for more than just one half was part of the reason they succeeded, but everyone played better too. If C Scott Wells misses the game, it should hurt, but it might not be a big drop down to C Evan Dietrich-Smith. Since D-S has never had much playing time, it's hard to tell how well he'll play. It's not a given, but there's no reason to suspect Grant, or RB Brandon Jackson, can't have a big game.

Packers pass offense vs. Lions pass defense: QB Brady Quinn has started, and finished, 4 games this season. In those first 3 starts, he threw for a combined 499 yards, 1 TD, and 4 INTs. In his last start against the Lions, he had 304 yards and 4 TDs. Part of their problem is that they don't generate much of a pass rush, only 18 sacks in their first 10 games (and 5 against the Packers in week 6), which comes almost exclusively from their blitzing linebackers. But the bigger problem is their patchwork secondary. They recently lost SS Marquand Manuel and CB Jack Williams for the season, and S Kalvin Pearson and S Ko Simpson should miss the Thanksgiving game too. Rookie 2nd round pick FS Louis Delmas has had a good season, and free agent signing CB Phillip Buchanon has managed to keep his starting job. But veteran CB Anthony Henry had been benched the past few weeks (he might be the nickel CB on Thursday) and journeyman CB William James is probably the other starter. My best guess is that journeyman S Marvin White, who did start 10 games for the Bengals in 2007, will probably be the other starting safety. When it's a challenge for me to figure out who's starting in the Lions secondary, that's the definition of patchwork. And QB Aaron Rodgers has never thrown for under 300 yards in 3 career games against the Lions.

Lions run offense vs. Packers run defense: The Packers run defense has been exceptional this season, and the Lions aren't running the ball. As a team, the Lions are averaging 3.9 yards/carry, but they rarely call for a run (it's only been called on approximately 40% of their plays this season). The injuries to Kampman and Harris shouldn't effect the run defense.

Lions pass defense vs. Packers pass defense. There are so many unknowns. Will Calvin Johnson play? Does QB Daunte Culpepper have anything left? Will the loss of Kampman and Harris give the Lions an opening to attack? The Packers had a great pass rush against QB Tony Romo two weeks ago without Kampman, but one game is a small sample size. The pass defense was very good during Harris's absence last season with a spleen injury. The Lions won't repeat last Sunday's dominant performance against the Browns, but they could be anywhere from decent to awful in this game. Culpepper had 282 yards passing and 1 TD in week 5 against the Steelers, and he could approach those numbers again.

X-Factor - Special Teams: The Packers awful special teams unit moved up to No. 31 overall, according to Football Outsiders, due to the unbelievably bad Steeler kick coverage, but the Packers are still very bad. However, this isn't an area the Lions can exploit much because their own special teams unit stinks, ranked No. 29 overall by FO. And the Lions top kick returner, WR Derrick Williams, is battling a hip injury.

Though the Lions were shut out in Lambeau last month, they've been scoring between 10 to 20 points/game at home (Browns game excepted), while the Packers have been scoring 26 to 31 points/game (Cowboys game excepted) over their past 6 games. Packers 31, Lions 17.

Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson Miss Practice

Sean Yuille — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:11:29 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

20 days ago: In this photo taken on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford runs off the field after beating the Cleveland Browns 38-37 in an NFL football game Browns in Detroit. Stafford dislocated left shoulder in the closing moments of Sunday's win. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

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Both Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson missed practice on Tuesday, and it looks like the chances of either playing against the Packers on Thanksgiving are slim. Stafford's shoulder, though it is feeling a bit better, doesn't seem to be very close to returning to full strength, or at least healing enough to the point where he could play on Thursday. As for Calvin Johnson, he has a knee and hand issue, and it doesn't look like he will play unless both injuries suddenly heal in the next day or so.

Also missing practice on Tuesday for the Lions were Dewayne White, Ernie Sims, Kalvin Pearson, and Ko Simpson. Simpson is for sure out on Thursday and might even be out for the season with a knee injury. The Lions are waiting to see if he will need to be placed on injured reserve, and I imagine a decision will be made after the game on Thursday. Replacing Simpson in the lineup this week will likely be Marvin White, though Anthony Henry could also be in the mix to start.

One thing is for sure: Thanksgiving couldn't have come at a worse time for the Lions. It figures that the Lions' one short week of the year would follow a game in which Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and a few others got hurt. Had the injuries happened on, say Thanksgiving, chances are Stafford and Megatron wouldn't miss any games because of the extra time off. Of course, with the way the schedule is set up, those two could very well only miss one game, but I just wish it wasn't against the Packers on national television. Here's to hoping for a Thanksgiving miracle in the form of their injuries suddenly rapidly healing or Daunte Culpepper and company getting their act together and pulling off the upset.

Friday Notes: Lions Place Stephen Peterman on IR, Sign Eric Fowler

Sean Yuille — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:13:28 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (81), is congratulated by teammate guard Stephen Peterman (66) after his touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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My thoughts go out to Chris Spielman and his family, as his wife, Stefanie, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight with breast cancer.
I was a bit surprised that Stephen Peterman wasn't one of the players placed on injured reserve earlier this week, because the ankle injury he suffered during the Vikings game looked pretty serious. Peterman was in an immense amount of pain and though he managed to walk off the field without any help, he had to be carted off to the locker room from the sideline. It was apparent the injury was serious, but nobody was really sure just how serious until today. I say that because the Lions have now placed Peterman on IR, ending his season. He will probably have to undergo ankle surgery, which is why the Lions went ahead and ended his season.
Replacing Peterman on the roster is wide receiver Eric Fowler, who was activated from the practice squad. A replacement for Peterman was really already signed earlier this week when Melvin Fowler joined the team, so the Lions decided to promote Fowler to fill the latest open spot on the active roster.
Kalvin Pearson and Ernie Sims are out this week.
It was thought that Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs might be out as well, but now it looks like he will play on Sunday against the Lions.
The reason Louis Delmas' absence from last Sunday's game was so unexpected was because Delmas himself thought he was going to play despite having a root canal and dental surgery on the Friday before the game. All was fine up until kickoff was approaching, which is when he realized he was in too much pain and couldn't play. It happened so soon before kickoff that he wasn't even on the inactive list, which actually ended up hurting the Lions' depth because so many other players got hurt during the game.
Jim Schwartz made some adjustments to the team's schedule this week in order to get ready for playing two games in five days.
The fate of the Silverdome will be decided by a judge by Monday at the latest.
Ernie Sims and a few of his snakes visited a class of fourth-graders earlier this week to talk about reptiles.
Shaun Rogers talked about his time in Detroit earlier this week.

Wednesday Notes: Stephen Peterman, Ernie Sims, Others Miss Practice

Sean Yuille — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:51 -0000

According to John Niyo, the players listed below missed practiced today for the Lions.

Quick injury update from practice: Guard Stephen Peterman (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (hamstring), defensive end Dewayne White (toe), safety Kalvin Pearson (hamstring) and receiver Derrick Williams (hip) all are sitting out today.
Also according to Niyo, Daniel Loper has stepped in for Peterman at right guard.
Louis Delmas, who didn't end up playing against Minnesota because of an infected tooth, did practice, as did Larry Foote and Phillip Buchanon, who are both recovering from injuries.
According to Jim Schwartz, Anthony Henry is going to be active this Sunday and will be "in a lot of different roles." Schwartz specifically mentioned that Henry can play at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, and safety.
Joshua Cribbs, perhaps the Browns' best player, missed practice today because of an injury that happened on the last play of Monday's game against the Ravens. The game was basically over, but Cribbs was still out there playing and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving a big hit. Why you would have a player like that out there when the game has already been decided is beyond me, but this is Eric Mangini we are talking about. He may be one of the most incompetent coaches I've ever seen (the NFLPA is reportedly going to Cleveland to investigate his practice methods for crying out loud), and if you don't already think that, wait until you read the next bullet. As for Cribbs, he merely hopes to play on Sunday. For the Lions' sake, I hope he takes this game off, because he owned Detroit in the preseason.
Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp talked up Calvin Johnson yesterday, calling him the "best receiver in the league, hands down." He also said this about Megatron:

"He's like the LeBron James of football because of his size, speed and his knowledge of the game."
What's funny is that if Eric Mangini had it his way, LeBron James would be the LeBron James of football. James talked on Tuesday about how he could become a football player if he was committed to it, and Mangini said this about the possibility of him playing for a different Cleveland team:

"I think he should come on down," Mangini said.
Shaun Rogers was a bit more skeptical, but for marketing reasons alone I wouldn't hesitate to sign LeBron James if he truly wanted to become an NFL player. Still, Mangini must be pretty desperate if he has no qualms about an NBA player joining the team. Then again, without Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' top receiver is Mohamed Massaquoi, who was one of Matthew Stafford's targets at Georgia last year. Maybe signing James wouldn't be such a bad idea considering how little talent the Browns currently have, especially since Mangini thinks that the Cleveland Cavalier could play outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
The Lions have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC North title.

A Canadian real estate company won the auction for the Silverdome and will buy it for only $583,000. The plans for the Silverdome are to refurbish it and try to bring a Major League Soccer team to the area. To that I say good luck, because the Silverdome is way, way too big for an MLS team. Also, the commissioner of MLS sort of shot down the idea already, so I hope the new owners have a plan B. Regardless, it's nice to see that there are actually plans to do something with the Lions' former stadium, though I'm saddened that there will be no Pride of Detroit Dome.
Staying on the topic of the Silverdome, there is a story on WDIV's website about how a local development company is going to try to block the sale of the stadium to the Canadian real estate company. Why?

Silver Stallion lawyers said the company offered to purchase the stadium for $20 million but the negotiations broke down.

Silver Stallion, which describes itself as a minority company, claims that the city breached contract and racially discriminated against them.
I had to laugh when I read that. Yeah, the city of Pontiac turned down an extra $19.4 million because they didn't want to sell it to a minority company. Oh common sense, where art thou?
I'm going to blame all of the recent injuries on Tom Kowalski because he jinxed the Lions about 40 minutes before Sunday's game.

The Lions, though, aren't really in need of roster spots at this point in the season. The Lions are in relatively good shape physically -- Sims is believed to be the only player on today's inactive list because of an injury. The rest of the inactives are coaching decisions.
The inactive list will definitely not include only one injured player this week.

(The above quote is from Kowalski's story about how Ernie Sims' injury reportedly isn't season-ending, by the way.)
It was nice not having Brett Favre in the division last year, because he owns the Lions.
This week's SB Nation power rankings have been posted.
Jon Gruden signed an extension with ESPN, meaning he won't be getting a job in the NFL (or with Notre Dame) anytime soon.
The Bills fired Dick Jauron.
The Bengals signed Larry Johnson.
Vikings coach Brad Childress is likely going to receive a contract extension in the near future. I'm fine with that, because Childress really doesn't seem like that great of a head coach. Some of the decisions he made on Sunday left me scratching my head, and if it weren't for Brett Favre, he would probably be on the hot seat right now.

Lions Sell Out Steelers Game; Stafford Misses Practice Again

Sean Yuille — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:11:12 -0000

The Lions sold out the 1,500 tickets that were remaining for Sunday's Steelers game, meaning that there is no blackout and it will be shown live on CBS in the local area. Once it was announced on Wednesday that only 1,500 tickets were still available, the feeling was that the game would be sold out today or tomorrow if an extension was granted. Usually extensions are granted when a team needs 24 more hours to move the unsold tickets, with a sellout being almost guaranteed. For the home opener, the Lions received an extension to sell out the game, but this time around a sellout was reached before the normal deadline.

Even though the game will not be blacked out, it doesn't look like fans will get to watch Matthew Stafford on Sunday. He missed practice again today, meaning he has been sidelined for back-to-back days. That isn't a guarantee that he will miss Sunday's game, but it is certainly a sign that he isn't all that close to being ready to play. Daunte Culpepper will step in as the team's starter if Stafford is indeed out on Sunday, but he won't be the only backup who gets a chance to start.

Aside from Stafford, Dewayne White, Sammie Hill, and Ko Simpson all missed practice today and according to John Niyo, are "likely out" against Pittsburgh.

Some good news is that Calvin Johnson, Gosder Cherilus, and Kalvin Pearson returned to practice on a limited basis, meaning they will likely be in the lineup on Sunday barring any setbacks.