The Matthew Stafford watch isn't quite over. Schwartz said the rookie quarterback had no problems after returning from a right knee injury, but the Lions will continue to monitor him for setbacks.

"There's been nothing," Schwartz said. "But is he totally out of the woods? Is this behind him? Probably not yet. He probably still has treatments and things like that. I don't know for how long."

The Matthew Stafford watch isn't quite over. Schwartz said the rookie quarterback had no problems after returning from a right knee injury, but the Lions will continue to monitor him for setbacks.

"There's been nothing," Schwartz said. "But is he totally out of the woods? Is this behind him? Probably not yet. He probably still has treatments and things like that. I don't know for how long."

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson remains day to day with a right knee injury. "He's getting closer," Schwartz said.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Friday quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be game-time decisions Sunday against St. Louis.

Both are recovering from right knee injuries. Stafford has missed two games, Johnson one. Stafford has practiced all week. Johnson was limited Thursday and Friday. Both players were listed as questionable for Sunday's game on the injury report.

"Both of them have made a lot of progress over the last couple weeks," Schwartz said. "I've said before: The bye came at a good time for us. I don't think any of them are 100% yet, but they're getting closer."

Johnson seemed to do less Friday than he did Thursday in the portion of practice open to reporters. He went through some drills and then jogged around the field.

"We're just trying to not overwork it, you know?" Johnson said. "I don't want to mess it up even more than it is."

Schwartz said Johnson did not have to practice fully to play.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford (knee questionable) took limited reps Friday. Stafford is expected to start over Daunte Culpepper, but you will want to check the Sunday innactive list prior to game time. Staffords numbers will be better if Calvin Johnson gets the start as well.

While it appears there's a good chance Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will start in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams, the odds of receiver Calvin Johnson joining the action could be diminishing.

Johnson, who is hobbled by a sore knee, practiced Thursday but didn't do as much today.

"Just trying not to overwork it. I didn't want to mess it up more than it is,'' Johnson said after today's practice.
As to whether he might play against the Rams, Johnson added, "It's a game-time decision.''

"Both are progressing and both will be game-time decisions,'' Lions coach Jim Schwartz said of Stafford and Johnson. "I don't think any of them are 100 percent yet, but they're getting closer.''

While rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a full week of practice today and appears ready to play in Sunday's game, it doesn't look as promising for receiver Calvin Johnson.

Stafford has taken all the No. 1 snaps during the short period of practice in which the media is allowed to watch. Johnson appeared to do more during the drills on Thursday than he did today. Johnson is recovering from a knee injury he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers more than two weeks ago.

The Lions aren't expected to discuss the status of Stafford or Johnson today and head coach Jim Schwartz will likely term them both as game-time decisions.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford (knee) practiced on a limited basis again Thursday and is looking more and more likely to start Sunday. Still the decision will likely come down to game-time. Stafford could post some decent fantasy numbers against the Rams if Calvin Johnson starts as well.

Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford practiced for the third straight day today and it appears he'll be the starter when the Lions host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. However, nothing is official and it's unlikely head coach Jim Schwartz will make an announcement today.

Receiver Calvin Johnson, who missed the last two days of practice, was going through some drills in the part of practice the media is allowed to watch. Johnson was running routes and catching passes and didn't appear to be hobbled at all by his right knee injury. If Johnson doesn't have any swelling or a setback of any other kind by tomorrow, it appears he'll also play in Sunday's game.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford (knee) practiced on a limited basis again on Wednesday and looks like he may be able to start this week barring any setbacks. If starting, Stafford could be a decent fill-in option going against the Rams.

Detroit Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford practiced for a second straight day today, another sign that he could start in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams at Ford Field. There was some concern about how Stafford's knee would react after Tuesday's workout and whether there would be any swelling.

Stafford looked fairly sharp in taking snaps during the 30-minute period of practice in which the media is allowed to watch. The team was in full pads today. The only indication that Stafford still isn't 100 percent is that, during the stretching and warmup period, he only did leg lunges with one leg.