Infected tooth caused Lions safety to miss game

Sometimes infected tooth can cause enough discomfort to prevent you from doing important thing, like missing a game. The Detroit Lions starting free safety Louis Delmas was just held out of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings by such discomfort.


Delmas felt increasing discomfort during warmups before Sunday’s game, and the team had to replace him with Marquand Manuel, who did not finish the game and left in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Kalvin Pearson. And it was the first game Delmas missed since he put on Lions jersey after being drafted by the team in the second round out of Western Michigan. He had been the starter at free safety for all the first eight games of the season.

The Lions right guard Stephen Peterman and cornerback Jack Williams also left the game in the third quarter with injuries, and the injuries just made it even easier to the Vikings to beat the 1-7 Lions. The game ended with Vikings’ 27-10 victory.

Lions QB Stafford still questionable for playing Sunday game

The Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford missed a second straight practice Thursday, but he was still unsure whether the kneecap has been dislocated and if he would be able to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.


During a terse interview session that lasted about 20 seconds, Coach Jim Schwartz refused to tell the update on the rookie quarterback’s knee. By so far what has been known is that Stafford was listed as one of the Lions’ players who did not practice Thursday because of a knee injury and tests showed that no surgery was necessary since there was no structural damage.

Daunte Culpepper may be the starting quarterback if Stafford was unable to play Sunday game. But he was not telling what would happen, too, seeming not interested in discussing anything about the injury and playing status for Sunday.

Lions WR Johnson battling jammed thumb

The Detroit Lions star WR Calvin Johnson did not practice Monday because he was battling a jammed thumb.

Although Coach Jim Schwartz said Monday X-rays showed there is no significant injury in Johnson's thumb, Johnson was still wearing cast on his right hand and he told reporters that it was for precautionary purpose. In fact Johnson was pulled out of practice by Schwartz when his thumb was jammed.

Schwartz told reporters that he had to pull Johnson out of practice for caution even though the player did not want stop yet. He said that sometimes it was best to take the player out and ask him to have a rest.