Aug 27, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz during a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Ever since the Lions brought in Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz in 2009, they have been one of the steadier teams in the NFL right down to their ability to keep their coordinators in place. Football relies on repetition more than any sport on earth. Those 11 guys absolutely have to know what each guy is doing during every single play. That repetition has to start in the front office by having the same men in control year after year. “I think one of the hallmarks of consistently successful franchises around the NFL is stability,” team president Tom Lewand said just days before the Lions’ playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.

Lets avoid the black hole that was the Matt Millen era, and skip back to the days of Wayne Fontes, for a historical point of how the Lions consistently couldn’t make up their minds. Wayne Fontes in charge of the Lions always reminded me of Fred Flintstone. He looked like him, and he was sure that his next get rich quick plan [his latest coordinator hire] was going to be the one that put him over the top. Of course it wouldn’t work out and Ol’ Wayne-o would have to sweet talk Mr. Ford out of firing him by sacrificing a coordinator. The worst was going from Mouse Davis’s run and shoot where you needed receivers who did their clothes shopping in the boys section to the Dan Henning’s power offense that required behemoths at every position. No wonder the Lions’ records those years had more up and downs than Jennifer Lopez’s career. The Brutal stats for the eight years Fontes was head coach is 5 Offensive Coordinators and 4 Defensive Coordinators. He changed a coordinator every year from 1991-1996. The good ol’ days weren’t so good.

One of the good things about the Lions horrid past is that they know what NOT to do. This Stability concept is something new to the Leos, and we should start to see results this season in this administration’s 4th year. And by results, I mean Playoff wins. That’s the great thing about this franchise and the players that have been here for awhile – every year they expect more out of themselves, and every year they’ve delivered. That’s the kind of consistency that wins Super Bowls.

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Had one agent tell me this week, “We don’t want to go to Cleveland. No one does. They aren’t building to win.”

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 28, 2012

Most (all?) Lions fans have to be pleased with the progress the team has made since completing the league’s first and only 0-16 season in history. Improving doesn’t necessarily equal “building to win” but the Lions are doing more than just improving. It might sounds silly but I had a moment this morning where I stopped and said, “yeah, the Lions are building to win”. That couldn’t have been said just a couple years ago but it is true today, here’s why.

Leon Halip-US PRESSWIRE

1. They have their quarterback

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league these days. You either have your guy or you need to get him – there is no treading water when it comes to the quarterback position. The argument that Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson are Super Bowl winning quarterbacks is a decade old and no longer carries any weight.

The Lions held the first overall pick in 2009, targeted their quarterback and went all-in with him. Matthew Stafford’s 2011 season showed that the team got it right and now they have the requisite piece for becoming a contending team for the next decade. Building to win requires something to build upon. That foundation is the quarterback in today’s NFL and the Lions have him in place.

Jan 16, 2009, Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand (right)and general manager Martin Mayhew (left) introduce Jim Schwartz as the Lions new football coach during a press conference held at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-US PRESSWIRE

2. They have a plan and they’re sticking with it

The front office and coaching staff works in concert towards attaining a common vision. They’ll go against the “experts” say they should do in the draft and they won’t splurge on a free agent as a temporary fix. It’s all about infusing the organization with talent to improve in the short-term without sacrificing the future.

Tom Lewand has said many times that the offseason headlines are they easiest to get but they aren’t the type the Lions are after. The Lions do what makes sense for them, regardless of outside opinion or public pressure.

Aug 15, 2009; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks over plays with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan after his first NFL touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

3. They have consistency where it counts

Matt Millen’s time in Detroit was marked by a lack of cohesion. Head coaches came and went and it seemed the organization was always grasping for the latest trend whether it be the west coast offense or the Tampa-2 defense. The messages coming from the Lions’ training facility was filled more with cliches than any semblance of a firm direction (“the bar is high” and “pad level”, anyone?).

Now, the Lions have stable coaching staff preaching a consistent message that allows for year-to-year growth in the system rather than starting anew every two or three years. It starts with Jim Schwartz and continues with Gunther Cunningham and Scott Linehan. That kind of stability and consistency has certainly aided in the development of Matthew Stafford. What he was able to learn and observe while injured was still relevant for when he stepped back on the field healthy this past season. Consistency also allows the team to more accurately identify needs for the next year instead of trying to keep up with a moving target. The Lions know where they want to go and how they want to get there.

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