Shaun Hill to Start Against Bills

Detroit Lions coach, Jim Schwartz, has named Shaun Hill as the starting quarterback for this Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

Shaun Hill has been recovering from a broken left arm that he suffered against the New York Giants, when he was hit low and fell forward, hitting his left arm to the turf. No penalty was called on the Giants and no fines were given over that play, even though the Lions have been penalized and fined for lesser crimes.

As of today, in the media portion of the workouts, Hill still is not taking any snaps from center. He is working on shotgun and pistol formations. Which makes me wonder if he is truly ready to return, or if he is being rushed back rather than turn to Stanton as the starter. The injury should not be a problem when it comes to throwing passes as it was to Hill's non-throwing arm, but when taking snaps from center, the ball will hit against his left palm, giving a jolt to the injured arm. But if he still is not taking snaps under center, how ready can Hill be for taking a hit by a defenseman or being knocked to the turf again? It is natural instinct to do one of two things when falling. Players will either hold out their hands to brace against the fall or turn to land on a shoulder. Which they turn to will usually depend on the way they are falling. If Hill is knocked forward to his left side, he may brace his fall with his left hand. If his arm is not ready yet, he could easily re-injure the arm.

One would want to believe that Schwartz would not rush him back before he is ready, but most broken bones take a good 5 or 6 weeks to heal completely. This Sunday will be only four weeks. Also, if Hill really is ready, then why isn't he taking snaps under the center yet?

If he is ready, then there is no doubt that Hill should be the starter, but if he is not ready yet, then it would be a mistake to bring him back too soon. There is still a half of a season to face yet and I would rather use Stanton for one game than to get Hill hurt and have to count on Stanton for several weeks after that. Of course, this is all dependent on how badly Stafford is injured, but that is another story all together.