--The Lions could have a new center Sunday, too. Dominic Raiola hasn't ruled himself out of Sunday's game against Jacksonville, even though a hard cast covered his right hand and thumb and did not practice again Thursday. He has snapped with his left hand before. "I just do it when I need to do it," Raiola said Wednesday. "We'll just see how it goes the rest of this week." But Raiola missed only the second practice of his career Wednesday, and he could miss a game for the first time. Raiola has played in every game since the Lions drafted him in the second round in 2001 - a streak of 120 straight. He has started every game since the 2002 season opener - a streak of 104 straight. "That's something I pride myself on," Raiola said. "But if it is broken, got to start a new one. Get this thing right and start a new one, if need be."
--If Raiola can't play, Andy McCollum likely will start at center. McCollum has a finger that his broken in three spots, but it's on his left hand.
--Daunte Culpepper's glory days came in Minnesota when he was throwing to Randy Moss, and he raves about the Lions' No. 81. "Calvin Johnson is definitely a special player," Culpepper said. "There's no doubt about that. I don't know. Maybe one or two guys have ever had the ability that he has at the receiver position. I think it's a treat for a quarterback to be able to throw to a guy like that."
--Culpepper's two-year contract includes a $40,000 signing bonus, a prorated veteran minimum salary of $343,529 this year and a $1 million incentive if he plays 5 percent of the snaps and he or the team improves in one of various performance categories this year, profootballtalk.com reported. He is due a $2.5 million roster bonus in March and a $2.5 million base salary next season. Culpepper and Lions chief operating officer Tom Lewand declined to discuss the contract.
--Wide receiver Shaun McDonald thinks Culpepper looks good. "He's got a real strong arm, a lot of zip on the ball, so you've got to really concentrate on it when you're catching it," McDonald said. "It's good. You want the ball to get there as fast as possible."
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Number of victories for the Lions in their past 16 games. It came against Kansas City, a team that has only one victory this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm like a sponge right now. I'm trying to absorb it all and just get better every play." -- QB Daunte Culpepper, on joining the Lions at midseason.
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