detroit lions vs. st. louis rams the season begins consistency up front ...

JIM SCHWARTZ
HEAD COACH
Year with Lions: 4
Years as NFL head Coach: 4
Years in NFL: 19
On January 16, 2009, the day he was named the Detroit Lions
new head coach, Jim Schwartz immediately began implementing a
methodical approach to his job—one he has maintained ever since.
“When you talk about changing culture, when you talk about
improving the team, my mantra has always been and is always going
to be a day-to-day approach,” said Schwartz. “Let’s get better today.
Let’s not worry about what’s going to happen next week or a month
from now. Let’s worry about today. If you take care of today and get
better every day, I believe you will achieve your ultimate goals.”
From player development, to coaching schemes and ultimately to
performance on the fi eld, Schwartz’s day-to-day process, executed
with consistency and determination, has impacted every aspect of
this football team. As a result, few teams in the NFL have improved
as much as the Lions have over the past three seasons.
In Schwartz’s third year, he led the Lions to 10 regular-season wins
for the fi rst time since 1995 and clinched a playoff spot for the fi rst
time since 1999. He became the eighth coach in the franchise’s 78year
history to lead Detroit to the playoff s. Since 1962, only the 1991
squad won more (12) regular-season games than last year’s Lions.
Supporting Schwartz’s methodical approach is the fact the Lions
have improved their record in each of Schwartz’s three seasons,
including four-win improvements in each of the past two seasons.
In fact, Schwartz last season became the fi rst Lions head coach
since Buddy Parker (1951-53) to improve the team’s record in each
of his fi rst three seasons as head coach.
Schwartz, 46, provides a unique blend of coaching and player
personnel experience to the Lions head coaching position. Having
spent the past 19 seasons in the NFL—16 years as a coach and
three in player personnel— Schwartz worked his way up from an
entry-level football operations position with the Cleveland Browns
in 1993 to being named the Lions Head Coach on January 16, 2009.
He began his NFL coaching career as a defensive assistant
and quality control coach, progressed to position coach and then
succeeded as a defensive coordinator for nearly a decade despite the
constant nature of change in today’s NFL.
Schwartz, now in his fourth season as the Lions head coach, is
transforming the team by seeking talent based on what he commonly
refers to as “multi-dimensional” players. He fi rmly believes the team’s
ability to adapt in all three phases and to tailor personnel to particular
game strategies produces success.
CONSISTENT COACHING
Critical in the progress made thus far is Schwartz’s insistence on
building stability and consistency, and that starts with his coaching
staff . This consistency impacts the team development and growth due
to the player’s extensive knowledge and familiarity of the schemes.
The 2012 season will mark the fi rst time since 2000 the Lions
will enter a season for the fourth-straight year with the same head
coach along with defensive and off ensive coordinators. Additionally,
it is the third-straight season, a fi rst since 2000, the Lions are led
by the same head coach as well as defensive, off ensive and special
teams coordinators.
This consistency is nearly unparalleled in the NFL. The Lions will
enter the 2012 season as the only team in the NFL led by the same
head coach, defensive coordinator and off ensive coordinator for the
fourth-straight season. They are one of only three teams (New York
Giants and Washington Redskins) that will enter the year with the
same head coach and all three coordinators for the third-straight-year.
Schwartz understands the importance of his coordinators.
Following his hiring in 2009, Schwartz targeted two highly-regarded
former head coaches, Gunther Cunningham (assistant head coach/
defensive coordinator) and Scott Linehan (off ensive coordinator) to
assist him in Detroit. Combined, Cunningham and Linehan have 26
years of experience in the NFL as a coordinator or head coach. Since
Schwartz added them to his coaching staff , each has implemented
philosophies and schemes that not only fi t Schwartz’s insistence on
adapting to personnel and strategies, but they also have provided
sound player development. In 2010, Schwartz also added Danny
Crossman, who previously spent fi ve seasons as special team coach
EXECUTIVES & COACHING
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for the Carolina Panthers, to the staff to lead the Lions’ special
teams units.
A COMEBACK SEASON
In many ways, 2011 was “the comeback season” as Schwartz
and the Lions repeatedly won games in which they overcame huge
defi cits, some in historic fashion. Among the Lions’ 10 wins, three were
17+-point comebacks, marking the fi rst time in NFL history a team
won three games a er trailing by such a large margin.
Schwartz’s team was also the fi rst in NFL history with four
13+-point comeback wins. In Weeks 3 and 4, the Lions defeated the
Minnesota Vikings 26-23 in overtime and the Dallas Cowboys 34-30 to
become the fi rst team in history with consecutive 20+-point comeback
wins. At Dallas, the 20+-point come-from-behind win tied an NFL
record for the largest comeback by a road team.
In fact, the two 20-point comebacks are two of the four biggest
regular season comeback wins in team history.
The comeback wins were capped off in Week 15 when the Lions
improved their playoff hopes by completing a comeback at Oakland
a er trailing 27-14 with 7:47 le to play in the fourth quarter.
While the comebacks provided the drama, the highlight of the
season undoubtedly was the Lions return to the playoff s for the
fi rst time since 1999.
The 2011 Lions also produced some of the largest individual game
and season point totals in team history.
For only the second time in team history and fi rst since 1952, the
Lions scored at least 45 points in three diff erent games. In Week 2, the
48-3 win over Kansas City was the largest margin of victory in team
history. The team’s 45 points in a Week 8 win at Denver tied for the
most scored by a Lions team on the road in franchise history. With a
49-point outing that produced a victory over the Carolina Panthers
in Week 11, the Lions scored seven off ensive touchdowns in a game
for only the second time in team history.
Though 2011 may be remembered for the comebacks, Schwartz’s
Lions also started the season with fi ve consecutive wins, marking
the team’s fi rst 5-0 start since 1956 and only the third 5-0 start in
franchise history (also in 1934).
The fi ve wins to start 2011 combined with four wins to end 2010
gave the Lions a nine-game regular-season win streak, the longest
by the team since 1953-54.
In the record books, Schwartz’s team set a franchise record for
points scored (474), total touchdowns (57), total yards (6,337) and
net passing yards (4,914). The seven fumble and interceptions return
touchdowns scored tied a franchise record set back in 1937.
Under Schwartz’s guidance, no player represented the comeback
more in 2011 than QB Matthew Staff ord, who became the fi rst Lions
player named the AP Comeback Player of the Year. Injuries forced him
off the fi eld for most of 2010, but Staff ord completed the most-historic
passing year in team history and one of the fi ner ones in NFL history.
He set team records in completions (421), completion percentage
(63.5), passing yards (5,038), touchdowns (41), passer rating (97.2),
attempts (663) and 300-yard passing games (8). Among all-time NFL
leaders, his 2011 totals are third in attempts, fi h in completions,
fi h in passing yards and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns.
Last year, WR Calvin Johnson was named All-Pro, and was
selected as a starter in the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year.
Johnson set a new franchise record with 16 receiving touchdowns and
had the second-most receiving yards (1,681) in team history. Johnson
caught two touchdowns in each of the fi rst four games and became
the fi rst player in NFL history to accomplish that feat.
Offensive records were also set by third-year TE Brandon
Pettigrew who set team single-season records by a tight end in
receptions (83) and receiving yards (777).
The team’s defense continued to improve and become the
aggressive defense Schwartz envisions. The unit fi nished third in
the NFL in takeaways (34), fi rst in fumble and interception return
touchdowns (7), fourth in forced fumbles (17), third in opponent
fumble recoveries (13) and fi h in interceptions (21). The Lions fi ve
interception return touchdowns were also a League-high in 2011.