DETROIT — As the Lions and San Francisco 49ers continue to battle for supremacy, the No. 2 team in the NFL is another team.
In a league where players have a hard time finding enough fans, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is the first one to say he’s proud to be the team’s quarterback.
He’s not only being a leader on the field, but a guy in the locker room as well, he said.
And that’s a great feeling.
“I’ve played my whole life with a chip on my shoulder and just trying to make sure I stay in this league,” Stafford said.
“That’s what I try to do every single day.
I just try to give everything I got every single play and do my best.
And it’s great.”
The Lions have won seven of their last 10 games.
The 49ers have lost seven straight.
They’ve been coming off their bye week.
The 49ers’ last win came Dec. 20 against the New Orleans Saints, but that was a home victory.
The Lions are 3-4 on the road.
The Lions are averaging just 11.5 points and have been outscored 45-23 in the second half.
It was their third consecutive game without a touchdown.
The teams have combined for 10 interceptions.
Detroit has scored just two touchdowns in that stretch.
The last time the Lions went over the 10-point mark was Oct. 23, 2012, when they went over that mark for the first time since 2013.
The team had nine turnovers and two interceptions.
San Francisco has allowed just 16 touchdowns and two fumbles in three games against the Lions, including two in the past two games.
They also have a 6-1 record against Detroit.
They won the first meeting last season, but lost on the final play of regulation to end the regular season.
Stafford has thrown for 3,026 yards and 26 touchdowns.
The second-year quarterback has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 568 yards and six touchdowns.
Alfred Morris is completing 55.5 percent of passes for 4,836 yards and 23 touchdowns.
