New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford will miss this weekend's NFL action with injuries, their coaches said Wednesday.
Jets coach Rex Ryan said Sanchez won't play at Tampa Bay because of a sprained right knee, and Kellen Clemens will start in his place.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz said the team plans to rest Stafford's injured shoulder against Baltimore and Daunte Culpepper will start.
Sanchez, for one, thought his coach was being over-cautious.
"It's just a frustrating part of this game," Sanchez said. "I asked him if I could at least try to practice (Thursday) and he said, 'No way, because I know if you practice tomorrow, then you're going to play and we don't want to run any risk of further injury.' It's difficult to handle."
Ryan said he consulted with team doctors and made the call to sit Sanchez, who was "mad as a hornet" at him.
"He wants to play in the worst way and he's going to play," Ryan said.
Schwartz's announcement on Stafford came after the top pick in last June's NFL draft aggravated an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder last Sunday at Cincinnati.
Stafford was first hurt on November 22 against Cleveland, when he put himself back in the game and threw his fifth touchdown pass with no time on the clock.
Copyright 2009  AFP American Edition
