National Football League

Don't even bother asking Jim Caldwell about Matthew Stafford's finger

Published Dec. 14, 2016 8:37 a.m. ET

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Dan Graf

Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell says quarterback Matthew Stafford will play this weekend’s game against the Giants with a finger injury suffered during Sunday’s win against the Bears, but – in the words of Forrest Gump – that’s all he has to say about that.

Stafford played with a glove on his throwing hand for Sunday’s final three quarters after reportedly hurting his middle finger, but Caldwell made it very clear to reporters Monday that he won’t be answering a single question other than the one he took about Stafford’s availability for the Lions’ next game:

"He did have an issue with his finger, there's no question. He's going to be able to play in the next game, he's going to practice and those things.

"I'm not going to talk to you about the nature of it, what happened, all the rumors and false reports. That's all I'm going to say about it, so if you ask me a question about it I'm going to do one of two things, I'm either going to flat-out ignore you or I'm going to ask for another question."

The reason reporters are so interested is because the Lions – a team that has made the playoffs only twice in the past 17 years – have ascended to the NFC’s second-best record largely on the merits of Stafford’s incredible season. He started Sunday’s game – played indoors at Ford Field – with six straight completions but was an uncharacteristic 15-of-28 after that.

A problem with his grip in a cold-weather start Sunday in New York could lead the Lions to lose the two-game hold they have on the NFC North with three games left in the season.

So if Caldwell sounds a little nervous, that’s because he has every reason to be.

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