When Matthew Stafford was named the starter on Monday, coach Jim Schwartz ended speculation that had started the day Stafford was drafted as the first overall pick.

However, because of the way Schwartz handled things the quarterback contest between Stafford and Daunte Culpepper never became a distraction to the rest of the team. Credit Schwartz with that. “I think he did that by opening everybody’s job up for competition, I don’t think we had time to worry about the starter,’’ center Dominic Raiola. Instead everyone had to fight for his own job.

Raiola had nothing but superlatives for Stafford, but he also feels  good about Culpepper. “The thing is it was a win-win for us,’’ Raiola said. — PAULA PASCHE