Lions’ Shaun Hill Suffers Broken Arm In Loss To Giants

Added on Oct 18, 2010 by Jason Kearney in

NFL

The Detroit Lions have played most of the season without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, and on Sunday the team lost his replacement under center as Shaun Hill suffered a broken left forearm in a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants. Hill was hit by the Giants’ Barry Cofield on an incomplete pass to Kevin Smith. He left the game immediately and was replaced by Drew Stanton.

And there was no ‘Ow! My elbow!’ routine from Hill who would have been perfectly justified to utter those words. The right handed Hill actually tried to splint up his broken arm and start the second half. Not surprisingly, taking a snap was very problematic according to Detroit coach Jim Schwartz:

“He wanted to go back in but he had a hard time, no matter how we splinted it, trying to take a snap.”

Hill is now listed as sidelined ‘indefinitely’ though a more specific diagnosis will no doubt be forthcoming this week. While there’s never a good time for a NFL quarterback to suffer a broken arm from the team’s standpoint Hill’s timing was fortuitous. Starting QB Matthew Stafford is all but ready to return–there was some talk prior to this game that he’d be ready to play against the Giants–and with the Lions’ bye week on deck he’ll be ready to play when Detroit returns to action on October 31.

Detroit also got some good news about linebacker Zack Follett who was injured in an ugly helmet to helmet hit delivered by the Giants’ Jason-Pierre Paul. Follett was immobilized on a board and taken to a local hospital, where he’s reported to have regained full movement and feeling in his extremities. Additional tests have also proven negative and he’s listed as ‘questionable’ on the NFL injury report. Credit to the Meadowlands’ fans who gave Follett a standing ovation as he was taken from the field–it was a nice display of class and sportsmanship from a fan base not always known for such behavior. Follett was clearly humbled not only by his good fortune in emerging from the dangerous situation unscathed but the reaction of the fans:

“Thank you and much love to all you showing your support. I’m ok. Thank God.”

Detroit plays at Washington on October 31, while the Giants will head to Dallas to face the reeling Dallas Cowboys this coming Sunday before their bye week.