Bob Wojnowski

Reality hits Lions again in a hurry

Detroit -- You can't force it. That's the latest lesson for Matthew Stafford, and the oldest lesson for the Lions.

You can't force throws, kid, not against a wily defender like Charles Woodson, not in the NFL. And you can't force magic, either. It was almost as if the Lions were determined to ride the freshly minted legend of their battered rookie no matter what, and sorry, it just doesn't work that way.

Of course, the Lions are perfectly capable of getting pummeled no matter who throws the ball. The Packers started slowly, then rolled, 34-12, handing the Lions their sixth straight Thanksgiving Day blowout, and completing their whirlwind, four-day trip from Stafford Mania to Rookie Reality.

After throwing five touchdown passes in a teeth-gritting, shoulder-aching performance against Cleveland, Stafford started unexpectedly Thursday, without practicing during the week, and tossed four interceptions, two to Woodson. If there's a lesson here, it's that you can't skip lessons. Calvin Johnson also played with an injured knee and was rendered mostly non-existent, catching two passes. Determined to show what they had, the 2-9 Lions instead confirmed what they lacked

Their secondary still can't cover anybody, and by "anybody," I mean "elderly folks, too." They still can't run the ball, partly because Kevin Smith can't stay on his feet long enough to not break a tackle. I know the offensive line is far from punishing, but Smith must do better or the Lions need to find another back.

More than he can chew

This is the peril of pinning so much on a young quarterback. You need him desperately and he knows you need him desperately.

A day earlier, Stafford was listed as doubtful. His left shoulder clearly affected him, but, well, it was a national-TV game and Fox's Troy Aikman was in town and NFL Films had aired compelling footage of Stafford's gutsy show against the Browns, so hey, let's give it a shot.

Stafford wanted to play mostly for the right reasons, but it didn't work. He was fitted with a special pad, took painkillers and looked shaky, completing 20 of 43 passes.

I asked coach Jim Schwartz if Stafford and the Lions had forced his return too quickly.

"Nah, I don't think so," Schwartz said. "There's a difference between wanting to play and being able to. I look at it as a positive that he was able to come back so quickly and was so willing to do it. I don't look at it as a negative at all."

I understand what he's saying, but there is something negative about four interceptions, especially with the Packers slopping around and keeping it close. Rookies on a bad team get slack, sure, but not complete slack.

Schwartz said it was a pain-management issue for Stafford, not a preparation issue -- the Lions didn't practice much anyhow during the short week. But instead of a riveting reprisal, the rest of the nation saw how depleted the Lions really are.

Everyone also got to see an angry, pouting backup Daunte Culpepper in an animated pregame conversation with general manager Martin Mayhew, after being told he was sitting. Culpepper was upset and showed it by standing alone on the sideline during much of the game.

Culpepper handled it terribly, but I'm sure he was as stunned as everyone else that Stafford was playing. If the Lions are honest with themselves, they should consider this: Would Stafford have played Thursday if he was hurt in a loss to the Browns and nothing dramatic had happened?

Good story goes bad

It's not like Stafford had to do more to prove his toughness. And the Lions wisely sat him for two games earlier with a knee injury.

It's not the biggest deal because I doubt any lasting damage was done to Stafford's shoulder, or ego. And I sure don't think Culpepper would have been magical, either. But the Lions had caught the whiff of a really good story just in time for Thanksgiving, then it was gone like the fading scent of pumpkin pie.

Asked how determined he was to play, Stafford shrugged.

"It wasn't a 'determined' factor," he said. "I felt like I could play to help us win."

It didn't help that rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who caught the winning touchdown pass four days earlier, went down with a knee injury on the first drive. It didn't help that Woodson sniffs out mistakes as well as any cornerback ever.

And it doesn't help that the Lions don't have nearly enough consistent elements to spur Stafford's development. Magic is fleeting and growth is painful. Johnson was far from 100 percent, and Stafford's aches also showed at times, like on his second interception, a heave off his back foot.

The reality for the young quarterback lies somewhere between Sunday's game and Thursday's game. It's just too bad reality had to return so darn quickly.

bob.wojnowski@detnews.com