Lions HC Jim Schwartz defends Matthew Stafford
By Mike Dyce
The Detroit Lions lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football when Justin Tucker hit a 61-yard field goal in the final minute of the game. There was time for the Lions to try and get down field and kick a game-winning field goal, but on the first play Matthew Stafford threw an interception.
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz defended Stafford.
“I think he’s an accurate passer,” Schwartz told the media at his day-after press conference, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Matt’s a very mechanically sound quarterback.”
It draws comparisons to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo throwing an interception down the stretch to cost his team the game. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said that it was a run call and Romo called an audible to the pass play. Essentially throwing his quarterback under the bus.
Schwartz wasn’t willing to do that, and he might have taken a shot at the Cowboys in the process.
“I think we hold all our players to a high standard, but we also don’t publicly shame them,” Schwartz said.
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson also defended Stafford.
“A lot of those balls, a lot of those interceptions are the receivers’ fault, or like I said they get tipped balls, stuff like that,” Johnson said. “Matt’s doing good, man. Like I said, it’s on us. It’s a team effort. Like I said, I could have had some more plays today that could have changed the outcome of the game, so we can’t just put it on Matt.”