DETROIT -- When Matthew Stafford went down with six minutes left on Sunday, he landed on his right shoulder. Immediately he reached for it and found his way off the field.

It looked like he knew it was bad right away. Trainers and doctors examined him on the sideline. Soon he exchanged his helmet for a ball cap and finished watching the game play out to a 23-20 overtime loss to the N.Y. Jets.

At this point, no one knows (or is telling) the seriousness of Stafford’s injury.

It’s his right shoulder, the same one that was separated when Chicago Bears linebacker Julius Peppers drove him in to the turf at Soldier Field in the season opener. He missed five starts. Last year in his rookie season he sustained a separation of his left shoulder and had surgery on his right knee. He missed a half-dozen games.

On Sunday Stafford did not talk to the media. Schwartz said he was very sore.

“You guys know how tough he is and if he could’ve he would’ve (gone back in). We’re going to take a very serious look at him. It’s his right shoulder, I don’t know if it’s even related to, we took enough time with it we thought that there wouldn’t be any re-injury it would be a new injury,’’ Schwartz said. “So we’ll see where he is without that. It was tough situation, he had green grass in front of him and has a chance to fake out of there and run, some of those plays we just need to throw it away.’’

In hindsight, of course, it would have been the right thing to do.

Drew Stanton went in and could not convert on a third-and-7. He dumped off a short pass to Jerome Felton that was incomplete and stopped the clock which was great for the Jets.

Shaun Hill was listed as the third quarterback, but it had only been three weeks to the day since he broke his forearm in the loss at the Giants. The day after the injury he had screws inserted into the broken bone.

“He was active only to hand the ball off. He couldn’t have done anything other than take a snap and hand the ball off,’’ Schwartz said.

Hill started throwing in practice last week, but is not sure when he will be ready to play.

“Taking snaps is a part of it, taking hits is another part of it,’’ Hill said. “You have to be able to take a substantial hit on it and be able to keep playing. If you’re going to take all the reps all week and the team is counting on you, you can’t come out after one hit, that’s part of it as well.’’

Hill said the injury to Stafford should not make a difference in his timetable.

“The way I look at it I’m trying to get back as fast as possible no matter what,’’ said Hill who started five games in Stafford’s absence.

The Lions play at Buffalo on Sunday, followed on Nov. 21 by a game at Dallas, Stafford’s hometown.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)