Lions' Matthew Stafford knocked from game with rib injury, taken for X-rays

As teammate Marvin Jones sees it, he doesn't know anyone tougher than Matthew Stafford. So when the Detroit Lions quarterback wasn't able to finish the Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers after taking a shot and suffering a rib injury late in the fourth quarter, you can only imagine the amount of pain he must have been in. 

"Yeah, as everybody in the world knows how tough (No.) 9 is, and I probably don't know anybody that's tougher than him," Jones said. "Definitely knew he wanted to finish the game, but hey, it is what it is. We just got to move forward.

"He's Iron Man," Jones said. "There is no doubt about that." 

Stafford suffered the injury on a scramble to the Packers' 2-yard line. He stayed in one more play, handing the ball to running back Kerryon Johnson, who scored a touchdown to pull the Lions within 28-21 with 6:30 remaining in the game. The Lions lost, 31-24, at Ford Field.

"He was in pain for sure," backup quarterback Chase Daniel said. "I mean, he had just gotten bent over backwards and sideways. So he took a crucial hit on it, but he was the main reason we scored on that drive, right? That was a big third down. ... Just saw the hit on a replay. It didn't look like it was dirty or anything, but it definitely look like it hurt."

Stafford could be seen immediately touching his chest after the hit and gave way to Daniel in the next series, following a Packers field goal to push their lead to 31-21.

After the game, Lions coach Darrell Bevell said Stafford still was undergoing x-rays and it was too early to tell whether the injury would sideline the quarterback for any additional time. 

It was the second time Stafford had to exit a game this season. Against Minnesota last month, he had to be evaluated for a concussion, but was cleared following the game. 

"Honestly, he's one of the toughest guys and competitors that I've ever been on a team with," Daniel said. "It's very well-written about. The dude's a warrior. And he's hurtin' right now. But I think he's going to work through whatever he's got, and try to be out there for the team."

Stafford had a streak of 136 consecutive starts snapped last season. A broken bone in his back sidelined him the final eight games of the 2019 campaign. In recent weeks, he's been playing with a partially torn ligament in this thumb that has limited his practice participation the past three weeks. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers