"Daunte Culpepper will start at quarterback for the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Baltimore while rookie Matthew Stafford rests his injured left shoulder.

Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, suffered an AC joint separation Nov. 22 against Cleveland. He didn't miss a snap until he took another direct hit in the fourth quarter Sunday at Cincinnati.

"If he hadn't taken that hit in the fourth quarter of the Cincy game, we wouldn't be having this discussion," coach Jim Schwartz said today. "It was a very, very similar hit that he took in the Cleveland game, and we want to avoid the situation where it can become something that's chronic.

"He's no worse for wear structurally. Everything is still on course there. It's a tremendous amount of pain. It's sore. And we just wanted to avoid a continuing cycle of come back, get hit, come back, get hit -- give him some time to rest and put it behind him."

Stafford did not practice today, even though he was capable of practicing physically, and likely will be the No. 3 QB against the Ravens. He was unavailable for comment.

Asked whether this was a one-week situation, Schwartz said: "Probably too early to tell there, but there's a chance that it is, yes."

Schwartz told the quarterbacks Monday but kept it quiet for competitive reasons, because the Ravens were playing that night at Green Bay. He announced his decision publicly today. "