Lions injury update: Matthew Stafford beat up in loss to Panthers

It was two years ago when Matthew Stafford left Minnesota beaten, battered and hurting everywhere. From MLive.com:

There was a blood-soaked bandage on his left forearm, near the elbow. He began picking at a bandage around his left wrist. His throwing arm looked beat up too. It's no wonder he put on long sleeves for that press conference.

The Vikings dominated the Lions all game, finishing with off Detroit 26-16 that day.

This Sunday, it was a horror sequel the likes of the Halloween series. A wrapped thigh, a bloody finger, a hurt ankle. Stafford looked like Frankenstein’s monster by the time the numbers hit 0:00.

Yet throughout it all, Stafford kept playing. He limped into the huddle. He carried around about three pounds of tape on his extremities. He led the Lions on two late touchdown drives. He stood in the pocket and endured a flurry of Panthers’ blitzes, and still lost.

Now Lions fans will have to wait and see what the long-term damage is. Detroit was mum on injury updates after the game.

In addition to Stafford, the Lions lost Haloti Ngata to an elbow injury suffered in the first half. Ngata did not return and was deemed officially out before the end of the game.

The Lions are a week away from the bye, which should come at a perfect time for this beat-up team. But in just seven days they head to New Orleans to face a Saints team that has had a full week of rest to heal up.

Get well, Stafford.