“Until last week when we played better across all three phases of the game and played a full four quarters, we just hadn’t done what we needed to, to win a football game”.
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And why wouldn’t they be smiling?
The London game was a success for the Kansas City Chiefs – because they won.
It’s on that break, following practice Tuesday and Wednesday, that the Lions can get out of Dodge, out of the fray, out of the line of fire – from the media and, of course, the fans none too tickled with another pathetic start to a season. Caldwell said he had not spoken with team owner Martha Ford after Sunday’s 45-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London.
“I probably won’t be”, Reid said. “Phenomenal. I mean, you’re talking about the World Champions”. Double that up and you’ll see that Kelce is having a really good season. “That’s the world we live in”.
Understandably, fans are downright livid. That has made Jim Caldwell a prime suspect in speculation about coaches on the hot seat, but comments at his press conference today will only turn up the heat even more.
“If you disagree with me, don’t like what we do, I’m not one that feels like you’re persecuting me as a result of it, ” he said.
Caldwell is only in his second season in Detroit, the same, by the way, as Ken Whisenhunt was in Tennessee before he got canned Tuesday. The firing of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two offensive line coaches did nothing to fix a passing attack that, under the new direction of Jim Bob Cooter, remained unable to get the ball into the hands of Calvin Johnson (5 catches, 85 yards) and Golden Tate (6 for 59).
After bringing up the issue of media negativity, Caldwell was asked if the team’s decades of losing was a reason for it.
With the season teetering on the edge of disaster, many fans have been very vocal on social media about their displeasure with Caldwell and the team brass. It’s the first thing I think you notice here. But that’s certainly very, very noticeable. “I’ve been at a few places, been around a little bit in my life, and that jumps out”. “Negativity has always been here from you all’s standpoint”.
“There’s no question”, he said. “It’s a fact, giving you the facts”.
“The other thing is, criticism doesn’t bother us, you know, and it particularly doesn’t bother me”.
It seems the downfall of every Lions coach can be linked with a defining moment, like Marty Morhinweg taking the wind in overtime against the Bears and Bobby Ross with “I’m a good coach”. The negativity part of it, we control that atmosphere.
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“An understatement”, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said (via ESPN.com). “That’s our job, and I think our guys are certainly willing to do that”. The following season, the Lions went an historic 0-16. Hey, Twitter, what do you think of Stafford’s play so far?
