Matthew Stafford insisted he would’ve tried to keep playing.
A limping quarterback is still cause for concern for the Detroit Lions.
Another player fell on Stafford’s right leg during Detroit’s last play of a 23-16 loss Sunday to the Atlanta Falcons. He was going to have his knee and ankle checked out.
Stafford said he would have attempted to stay in the game if the Lions had regained possession, but Atlanta was able to run out the clock.
Stafford played in only three games last season because of shoulder problems.
“I’m moving around OK right now, so we’ll see,” Stafford said.
Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss and running back Tim Hightower were injured in the loss to Carolina.
Moss broke a bone in his left hand in the first half. He wore a bulky wrap as he stood on the sideline. Coach Mike Shanahan said afterward that Moss would miss next week’s game at Buffalo.
Hightower hurt his left knee when it buckled during a 4-yard carry in the third quarter. He was helped off the field while putting almost no weight on the leg, then carted to the locker room from the sideline. Shanahan said the severity of the injury was unclear.
Houston safety Danieal Manning is hoping he’ll be out only a few weeks after hurting his left leg in Houston’s win over Tennessee.
Manning leaped into the air to pick off a pass from Matt Hasselbeck in the second quarter, and he limped to the sideline before being carted to the locker room. Team officials said Manning hurt his lower left leg, and he was on crutches on the sideline in the second half.
Manning told a Houston radio station he broke his tibia but needed more X-rays and an MRI to know the extent of the damage.
Rams right tackle Jason Smith and backup defensive tackle Darell Scott were each carted off in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Smith was accidentally kicked in the head during the first quarter. After a long delay to treat him, he was seen moving his limbs before being placed on a backboard. He was taken to the hospital for observation with a strained neck.
Smith had run over to the sideline to try to tackle Dallas safety Abram Elam after he caused a fumble and was returning it. Smith went for the tackle and Elam’s leg whacked Smith across his helmet while Elam was running. Cameras showed him waving and putting his hands together as if in prayer while being driven out.
Scott bounced his head on the turf during a kickoff return seconds before halftime. He was able to get up and sit in the back of a cart as he was driven off.
Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and tight end Benjamin Watson were also lost to head injuries in their win over Seattle.
Massaquoi and Watson were both injured in the closing minutes of the first half.
Massaquoi was hit by Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner on an incompletion over the middle.
Last season, Massaquoi missed one game with a concussion after he was hit by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison, who was fined for the helmet-to-helmet blow.
Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch injured his back in pregame warmups and did not play. Starting cornerback Walter Thurmond broke his leg and is done for the season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Earnest Graham in their loss to the Chicago Bears after the running back injured his right ankle during the first quarter.
Graham went down untouched after catching a pass from Josh Freeman, falling to the turf before being hit for a 2-yard loss.
Graham started for the injured LeGarrette Blount.
Oakland running back Darren McFadden left the loss to the Chiefs in the first quarter with an injured right foot.
Broncos running back Willis McGahee left the win over Miami in the third quarter with a broken hand. It was wrapped afterward, but he said he would be fine.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin left the loss to Green Bay with a rib injury that has bothered him for the past few weeks.
The Vikings have had to limit Harvin’s plays over the past two weeks while he has been dealing with the injury, which first occurred in training camp and resurfaced during the season.
Coach Leslie Frazier said it was too soon to tell whether Harvin would be available for the game at Carolina next Sunday.
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