Jim Schwartz: Don’t pin Lions’ second-half collapse on Stafford
By Mike Dyce
The Detroit Lions were in the driver’s seat in the NFC North division at one point before letting their lead dwindle away and eventually missing the playoffs. Former head coach Jim Schwartz became the scapegoat, though Matthew Stafford and his 13 interceptions could be to blame, but Schwartz isn’t pointing the finger at him.
“We were 2-6 over the last half of last season, and when you’re 2-6 nobody is feeling good about their performance, whether you’re the head coach, the quarterback or a defensive lineman,” Schwartz said Tuesday on WGFX Nashville, via ESPN.com. “But it’s a team game and I wouldn’t pin it on one Matt Stafford. Matt’s an outstanding quarterback.”
“He’s going to lead that team to many great things in the future,” Schwartz continued. “Everybody has some rough spots here and there, and it’s up to the rest of the team to pick you up.”
The Lions will have some new direction this season under new head coach Jim Caldwell.