Matthew Stafford to stick with glove in playoffs

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said Sunday that he plans to continue wearing a splint and modified glove on his throwing hand during the playoffs.

Stafford dislocated the tip of his first middle finger in a December win over the Chicago Bears and has thrown five interceptions in 15 quarters since the injury. He had just five interceptions in the Lions' first 12 games of the season.

Though Sunday's turnover was hardly a product of the finger -- Stafford tried to back-shoulder a throw to Golden Tate that Micah Hyde intercepted in the end zone -- he once again had a handful of passes sail on him during the course of the game.

"I think I've said all along, this guy has thrown millions of balls without a glove on his hand or without an apparatus on his finger," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "It's naive for me to think that doesn't have some kind of an effect. It does. But does it keep us from winning? No. Did he throw a lot of great balls? Absolutely. He moved the ball down the field and did some things nice, but you've got to overcome some things. I think that's just the way the game is."