After leaving in the fourth quarter of Sunday's thrilling 44-41 loss to the Titans, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford informed Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he expects to have an MRI on his injured leg this week.
The fourth-year quarterback was visibly limping on a 72-yard touchdown return from Titans defensive back Alterraun Verner with just 1:16 remaining in the fourth, a play which then forced the Lions to use backup Shaun Hill for the remainder of the game. Detroit coach Jim Schwartz labeled Stafford's injury as a pulled muscle, but also told the media that Stafford was forced to deal with the injury in practice during the week.
Now at a frustrating 1-2 on the season as their quarterback's status currently hangs in the balance, the Lions need to hope that Stafford's leg will not keep him out of a key divisional game with Minnesota in Week 4. Although a proven veteran like Hill performed admirably in Stafford's absence and could be a decent one-week replacement, the Lions simply cannot afford to play without their talented signal caller at this point in the season.
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This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.