"If Matthew Stafford throws fastballs, you might say Shaun Hill throws change-ups. Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson takes it a step further and jokes Hill's delivery is "like from 'A League of Their Own.' "

It's side-arm, maybe short-arm, a little like a third baseman's or a catcher's. Coach Jim Schwartz said "it doesn't always look pretty." And it takes some getting used to, as the Lions discovered after acquiring Hill to be the backup quarterback.

"It's funny," said Burleson, who once played with Hill in Minnesota. "Some of the guys who have been here, they talk about when the ball's in the air from Hank, they're expecting it faster, so their hands are jumping towards the ball. Because with Matt, you turn your head, and that ball's coming."

Hill said: "Guys don't drop a lot of my balls. But at the beginning, they were. It was more because they were expecting (Stafford's fastball) instead of being able to attack the ball. It did take a little bit of time, but with working with everybody as much as we have, it's come around.""