Matthew Stafford hobbled off the field, sat down and had his shoeless right foot taped.

This was the sight Detroit fans have dreaded, and although the quarterback's injury may have been only a scare, the Lions are suddenly looking wobbly after a promising start.

Stafford played in only three games last season because of shoulder problems. He was instrumental in helping the Lions start 5-0 this season, but he has looked shakier the past couple games.

He was 15 of 32 for 183 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. His last pass fell incomplete with 1:30 remaining, and he looked gimpy when he came off the field.

"We're going to check him out -- he sort of limped off the field at the end -- look at his knee and ankle," coach Jim Schwartz said. "We'll see where he is this week."

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton ran for his seventh touchdown Sunday, tying a record for most rushing scores by a rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. Newton blew past two Redskins defenders on a 16-yard keeper on the Panthers' first drive of the second half. That tied him with Vince Young , who set the mark with Tennessee in 2006.

Tony Gonzalez is now second on the NFL's career receptions list. The Atlanta tight end caught four passes in the first half Sunday against Detroit, passing both Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison to take sole possession of second place. The 35-year-old Gonzalez has 10 Pro Bowl bids and owns most of the meaningful league records for a tight end. He was the first to reach 1,000 catches and 12,000 yards receiving.