NEW ORLEANS -- Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's protection issues just got a little bit worse.
Right guard T.J. Lang, who has been dealing with back issues the past couple of weeks, was officially inactive Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Tim Lelito, who played for the Saints from 2013-16, could start in Lang's place off an offensive line that has given up 12 sacks the past two weeks. Emmett Cleary could also be a possibility.
The Lions had been monitoring Lang's practice reps since the start of training camp, when he was coming off hip and foot injuries.