Biggs: Raiola doesn't want fans to treat Stafford like Joey

You’ve got to give Dominic Raiola some credit this time.

The Detroit Lions center kept the bird in its cage this time.

The sometimes volatile team leader got into it with Lions fans after a 17-10 loss to the previously winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday at Ford Field. All in an effort to stick up for rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford after he couldn’t put together a game-tying drive at the end.

APMatthew Stafford

Raiola was fined $7,500 by the NFL last season for saluting the fans with the wrong finger during the Lions’ march to 0-16.

“He's the guy here,” Raiola said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “I was very disappointed when I came to the sideline and fans were telling him, `Throw it to me’ and `I'm open,’ this, that and the other. I popped off and said something to the fans.

“You want to pick on him, all right. He's not going to say nothing. I'm going to say something. I understand the frustration. Trust me. I do. I do understand that. I've been here. I've been here 8 1/2 years. I love these fans. I love these people. I re-signed. I love it here. But I'm just saying I'm sorry if I was offensive to anybody, but I'm just being a loyal teammate to one of my guys.’’

Raiola doesn’t want the fans to turn on Stafford like they did another young quarterback, Joey Harrington.

“Back him up," Raiola said. “It's his first year here. You want to run him out of town already? You know what I'm saying? That just hit home with me because I've been through it with Joey. I've been through it. They sent him packing. Quick. And they're not going to do it to this guy. I'm going to be right here next to him.”

Follow me at Twitter: BradBiggs

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