It's been an arduous season for quarterback Matthew Stafford and his Detroit Lions.
Sitting at 5-9 and out of the playoff hunt heading into a Week 16 tilt against the visiting Vikings, Detroit has dropped three of its last four.
A team campaign on Twitter to get Stafford voted into the Pro Bowl was met with comic disdain.
Stafford is also battling a back injury.
Yet, Stafford, who dealt with injuries in the first two years of his career, will be out there against the Vikings, proudly starting his 127th consecutive game.
"It means a lot," Stafford said Thursday via Tim Twentyman of his current streak of consecutive starts. "Well documented first two years. Missed a bunch. Wanted to prove to my teammates, this organization, myself and everybody that I can be out there for extended periods of time and have been lucky enough to be able to do that.
"It means a lot. Just try to be there week-in and week-out and let these guys in this locker room know who's going to be under center."
Stafford is likely going to see a string of seven straight seasons of throwing more than 4,000 yards come to an end. He's thrown for only 3,395 yards so far with 19 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
But Stafford doesn't plan on ending any earlier than Week 17.
"I spend all offseason and all season working hard and playing games with these teammates and for this organization," he said. "So, I take no games for granted and I go out there and play whenever I feel like I can."
