ALLEN PARK — Quarterback Daunte Culpepper will start the Lions preseason opening game on Saturday against Atlanta at Ford Field.
 Coach Jim Schwartz made the announcement this morning after the team’s walk-through. But he cautioned not to read too much into the decision.
“It’s not like somebody’s ahead of somebody on the depth chart. We’re going to give them reps and probably flip it the next week,’’ Schwartz said.
Rookie Matthew Stafford will go in during the second quarter and Drew Stanton will take over sometime during the second half.
“We don’t have an exact number of plays or an exact number of series or an exact number of throws or something like that. We’ll play it by ear,’’ Schwartz said.
 Stafford said he was good with the decision. And, like Schwartz, is not reading much into it. Stafford said he’s excited to get in a game and play for the first time since Jan. 1.
  Culpepper would not talk to the media after this morning’s walk-through.
— PAULA PASCHE