Detroit Lions vs atLanta faLcons JOHNSON'S Mega-PURSUIT 2012 ...

executives & coaching
Detroitlions.com
Media.Detroitlions.com
WiLLiam cLay ForD
oWner anD
chairman
in an age where ownership changes and franchise moves in
professional sports have become alarmingly commonplace, William
clay Ford continues to provide the detroit Lions organization, its fans
and the community with unwavering stability and sound leadership.
his commitment to the franchise is imprinted on virtually every
aspect of the organization. By combining one of the finest sports and
entertainment venues, Ford Field, and a world-class headquarters and
training environment with a strong management team, Mr. Ford has
instilled the organization with the right mix of fuel that will power the
further development of the entire Lions organization.
the 2009 season signaled the beginning of a new era for detroit
Lions football. Everything from the team’s management all the
way down to the logo on the helmet changed with the mindset to
improve this franchise and compete for championships. there were
considerable changes to the organization starting with Mr. Ford’s
promotion of tom Lewand as team president and Martin Mayhew as
general manager. Lewand oversees the direction of the organization,
including business operations, and Mayhew is responsible for all
football matters.
Both set out to find the best coach for this team, and with
Mr. Ford’s blessing and endorsement, did so when the team hired
Jim schwartz, who had served as defensive coordinator for many
successful tennessee titans teams, as the Lions’ new head coach.
the 2009 season also marked the first time in franchise history that
the team began the season with a new general manager, new team
president and new head coach.
in just three years, with the vision Mr. Ford set forth, those changes
are paying dividends in many ways. in 2011, the Lions returned to the
playoffs for the first time since 1999, and they won 10 games for only
the eighth time in franchise history and first since 1995. in fact, only
two teams in Lions’ history have won more than 10 regular-season
games (12 in 1991 and 11 in 1962).
the Lions 5-0 start to the season was the franchise’s best start
since 1956, and it was only the third 5-0 start in franchise history.
that 5-0 start capped off a nine-game regular-season winning streak
(final four games of 2010) for the Lions, the longest since 1953-54.
Last season, schwartz joined Buddy Parker (1951-53) as the only
coaches in team history to improve the team’s record in each of their
first three seasons leading the Lions.
team and individual record-breaking performances generated
wins and much excitement in 2011. detroit set new nFL records with
four 13+-point comeback wins, three 17+-point comeback wins and
back-to-back 20+-point comeback wins. a 24-point comeback at
dallas tied an nFL record for the biggest comeback by a road team.
the Lions also produced much fire-power on offense throughout
the year. it scored at least 45 points in three different games for
only the second time in team history and first since 1952. a 45-point
winning margin in Week 2 against Kansas city was the largest margin
of victory for the Lions in a regular season game, and it tied the 1957
championship game for the team’s largest margin of victory ever. in
a 45-10 win at denver, the Lions tied the second-most points scored
on the road in franchise history.
on offense, the team set new standards for points scored (474),
total yards (6,337) and net passing yards (4,814). among the nFL’s
leaders, it finished fourth in scoring, fifth in total offense and fourth
in scoring. on defense, the Lions led the nFL with seven defensive
touchdowns, which also tied an all-time single-season franchise best.
individually, QB Matthew stafford completed the greatest season
for a Lions quarterback in team history and one of the best all-time
in nFL history. he set new team records in virtually every passing
category, became the fifth passer in nFL history to eclipse 5,000 yards
(5,038), and his 41 passing touchdowns tied for the seventh-most
among League single-season leaders. all-Pro WR calvin Johnson set a
new franchise record for touchdown catches (16), and he accumulated
the second-most receiving yards (1,681) in team history. he became
the first player in nFL history to catch two touchdown passes in the
season’s first four games. tE Brandon Pettigrew once again set new
team single-season records for Lions tight ends in receptions (83)
and receiving yards (777).
two players also surpassed two significant career milestones.
K Jason hanson became the first player in nFL history to play 300
games for one team. he became the fourth player ever to record 2,000
career points, and he became the first kicker ever in nFL history to
make 50 50-yard field goals. Joining him in career milestones was t
Jeff Backus who set a new team record with 176 consecutive starts.
Performances in 2011 built upon the team’s progress it made from
the previous year when it was one of the nFL’s most-improved teams
and ended the season on a four-game win streak.
over the past three years, the Lions have upgraded and developed
every position on the team. this progress has been forged with
tremendous effort from the front office, a coaching staff that excels
in game-planning and player development, and players who are
combining ability and work ethic to ensure this team is moving in
the right direction.
the strong leadership team that Mr. Ford has formulated guides
the franchise on and off the field with a plan that will elevate this
team to new heights.
on the football side, Mayhew has revamped the team’s player
personnel and football operations in numerous ways and those
efforts have resulted in successful drafts. in that time, Mayhew and
the front office have worked diligently to improve the team’s roster
utilizing every resource from free agency and trades to the League’s
waiver wire.
Mayhew has worked alongside schwartz to find players based
on their shared philosophy on the types of skills that are necessary
to win in the nFL. to guide those players on the field, schwartz has
built a coaching staff that is working to maximize those talents and
produce game strategies to complement the players’ abilities. For
schwartz, he leads with the philosophy that consistency with the
coaching staff and the team schemes provides a competitive edge in
the team’s development.
after the playoff-clinching win vs. san diego on christmas Eve,
schwartz and WR nate Burleson presented a game ball in the locker
room to Mr. Ford for his overwhelming support, dedication and
commitment to the team.
“Last year was quite an important step for this organization and
reaching the playoffs signifies that we are moving forward the right
way,” said Mr. Ford. “You can see where we are headed, and winning
last year provided tangible evidence to our progress.
“to see how our team came together was quite exciting, and it
was thrilling to see how passionate and supportive our fans were,
especially at Ford Field. i don’t think there is a better home-field
advantage in all of sports than Ford Field. the Bears game on Monday
night was a phenomenal site with how engaged our fans were, and
we were able to share so many other great moments, like clinching
a playoff berth, with them as well.
“i firmly believe this organization is prepared to compete among
the League’s best. coach schwartz continues to move us in the right
direction on the field. consistency we’ve had in our organization,
especially on our coaching staff, positively impacts our team. Martin
has done a great job with the player personnel department, adding
talent any way he can. and tom has positioned our team’s business
to fully complement our ability to win.
“We all know it was important to achieve what we did last year,
but it was not our end goal. our priority is to always focus on winning
a super Bowl. that’s what’s most important for our organization, our
family and our fans.
on the business side, Lewand continues to forge ahead with a
strategic approach to make sure every element off the field impacts
the team on the field. Whether it is through revenue streams generated
at Ford Field, effective management of player contracts, improvement
of the club’s financial processes or building stronger relationships
with fans and business partners, Lewand ensures that Mr. Ford’s
vision to become one of the best franchises in professional sports
is being realized.
as it’s always been with Mr. Ford, the mission is for the detroit