Last season, the Detroit Lions began to look like an organization headed in a different direction.
Up.
In 2014, the Men from Motown finished 11-5, the most wins by the franchise since a 12-4 mark in 1991. That year, Wayne Fontes’ inspired team posted a playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys before falling to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game.
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Following a humbling 45-10 setback in London at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, Jim Caldwell’s club dropped to 1-7 on the year. Even an off week can’t take the sting out of a miserable start for a team that was expected to be somewhat of a threat to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North.
Instead, Jim Caldwell’s club has already lost two more games than it did all of last season. And the biggest part of what made the 2014 version of this club so impressive has fallen on hard times. Not that it’s a total shock considering the offseason for this team.
Nov 1, 2015; London, United Kingdom; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) is pursued by Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch (55) and safety Glover Quin (27) on a 49-yard gain during game 14 of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s flash back to the spring, when the Lions lost four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the aggressive Miami Dolphins. Yes, the team obtained five-time Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata in a trade to take the sting out of the move but the damage was done.
But Suh was hardly the lone hit along the defensive front. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley also left and inked deals with the St. Louis Rams and Dolphins, respectively. Detroit also dealt defensive end George Johnson – third on the team with six sacks last season – to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That’s quite a few losses on the same defensive front in the same year. Remember, this was a defensive unit that ranked second in the NFL in fewest yards allowed, first in the league against the run and third in points surrendered.
Entering Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, only five teams in the league had given up more total yards per game. Detroit also ranked 24th in the NFL against both the run and the pass before their 35-point loss to Kansas City.
A year ago, Caldwell’s squad gave up only 282 points in 16 games. After eight weeks in 2015, the Lions have been gauged for 245 points.
Looking for more issues? How about the worst running game in the NFL entering Week 8. Detroit managed 81 yards on the ground on only 14 carries (32 on one carry by Joique Bell). Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw one touchdown pass but was picked off twice in the game, giving him 13 scores and 11 interceptions this year.
Nov 01, 2015; London, United Kingdom; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (right) chats with Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell before their game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports
The seventh-year signal-caller has committed 12 of the team’s 20 turnovers this season. In case that number sounds familiar, the Lions coughed up the ball only 20 times in 16 regular-season games last season.
Obviously, there’s a lot that has gone wrong for the Lions. And following the game, Caldwell fielded his share of questions regarding his future as head coach.
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“I fully anticipate being able to do my job,” said Caldwell to Shawn Pogatchnik of the Associated Press (via The Elkhart Truth). In his second season with the club, the head coach was also asked if he was indeed doing his job and he answered, “Any time you’re not winning, you’re not…You’d better win games in this league. That’s the key.”
Perhaps the bigger key may be what this team looks like after their mini-vacation. Last week, the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two other assistant coaches. Is it as simple as making a change at the top when it comes to fixing the Lions?
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That restored roar of sorts sounds like a faint meow these days.