NFL detroit Lions

We still have two unbeatens in the NFL, New Orleans and Indianapolis. The Saints visit Tampa, so they shouldn't be threatened, but the Colts have a doozy of a game at Baltimore. Meanwhile, it's a clash of titans in Detroit, as the 1-8 Lions host 1-8 Cleveland. Join us at 12 PM ET to discuss all the Week 11 NFL action.

Calvin Johnson, now is his third professional season, has shown flashes of brilliance. His 1,200-plus yards receiving and 12 touchdowns in 2008 were incredible numbers considering Detroit finished 0-16. But "Megatron" has just one TD grab this season, and the Lions are a combined 8-33 since drafting him.

So while Johnson has been stellar at times and has a very, very bright future, it's hard to put him on the same level as guys like Randy Moss, Andre Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. Unless you ask Minnesota cornerback Benny Sapp, that is.

Dominic Raiola has played all nine of his NFL seasons in Detroit, never finishing with better than a 7-9 record -- and that streak isn't ending this season. So he's allowed to have some pent-up frustration.

He let some of it out Sunday during the Lions' 17-10 home loss to the previously winless Rams, firing off some choice words at a group of Detroit fans who were heckling rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford. Detroit's final possession of the game consisted of four Stafford incompletions (plus two more pass attempts wiped out by penalties).

After the final misfire landed well wide of its intended target, a few rowdy patrons let Stafford have it -- yelling "Hey Matt, throw it to me, I'm open, I'm open," according to Raiola, who quickly came to his QB's defense.

Sunday's St. Louis-Detroit matchup appeared destined to be one of the worst of the NFL season -- the teams entered Week 8 a combined 1-12 on the year -- and one second-quarter play summed up the ineptitude of both teams pretty well.

With Detroit facing 3rd-and-10 from the Rams 12, quarterback Matthew Stafford fired a pass over the middle that ricocheted off the hands of running back Aaron Brown and right to waiting St. Louis safety James Butler.

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He's back, and it's stealing all of the headlines. It's going to be a highly emotional Sunday for many NFL fans, as former Detroit Lions defensive lineman James Hall makes his return to the Motor City as a member of the St. Louis Rams.

Oh, and Brett Favre is back in Green Bay. Not sure if you've heard about that one.

Not that the Lions need any more mountains to climb, but they will be without quarterback Matthew Stafford and star wide receiver Calvin Johnson Sunday as they attempt to break an 18-game losing streak at Lambeau Field. Both players are listed as inactive for the matchup in Green Bay, though Stafford will serve as Detroit's third-string, emergency QB.

Daunte Culpepper will get his second straight start at quarterback for the Lions. In Week 5, he was 23 of 37 for 282 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Detroit's 28-20 loss to Pittsburgh.

As the Detroit Lions' one-game winning streak was officially snapped Sunday in Chicago, fans were left holding their breath. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper might have been in the game only after it was out of hand, but he was also in there because rookie starter Matthew Stafford had gone down with a knee injury.

While it doesn't sound like Stafford's injury will be a long-term issue, the Lions appear to be planning on him missing Sunday's game against the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

CHICAGO – Matthew Stafford stood by his locker in jeans and polo shirt denying that he had ever screamed: "No, I'm all right. I don't remember yelling.''

But you did. You grabbed your knee and screamed after a sack by Adewale Ogunleye, and then you didn't come back into the game.

"(Then) it was a silent yell.''

A few minutes later, he walked out while a few of us stood there pretending not to watch him do it.

"Giving me the eye test, huh?" he said. "See if I can walk?"

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Coming off their first victory since December of 2007, the Lions played another good half of football Sunday. Heading into halftime, Detroit stood even with the Chicago Bears, 21-21. Matthew Stafford had engineered three touchdown drives, including a 98-yard beauty that greatly resembled the Lions' 99-yarder last week.

The second half, though, was another story. Johnny Knox, the Bears rookie wideout/returner, took the second half's opening kickoff back for a touchdown and his team never looked back. When the dust settled, the Bears had routed the Lions 48-24 and injured their rookie quarterback. On a play during the fourth quarter, Stafford was sacked by Adewale Ogunleye. In the process, Stafford's body was awkwardly twisted around and he screamed while grabbing his right knee. He did not return.

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It's a week headlined by some old guy facing his former team, but there are other storylines in Week 4. The Browns and Buccaneers start new quarterbacks, the Lions try for their second straight win, unbeatens clash in New Orleans, and the defending Super Bowl champions arguably face a must-win Sunday night. We'll talk about all these topics and more in our weekly get-together. Read the recap.