Caldwell Can Prove Worthy of His Job By Winning At Seattle
By Matt Urben
Jim Caldwell can soothe the burn from recent losses with Playoff Success.
Jim Caldwell’s stock has fallen after three straight losses to end the season, finishing 9-7 with a Wildcard Playoff berth. It’s his second Playoff appearance in three years as Head Coach in Detroit. He’s a coach that his players respect (even former players) because he treats them like men and has a message that seems to resonate.
But damn those last three losses hurt! Win even one of them and you have a 10-win season. Win just the finale and you have the NFC North locked up for the first time since 1993. It’s obviously not easy to beat Aaron Rodgers or to play road games against two current Super Bowl contenders. As I wrote last week, though, good teams find a way to win those games.
It just so happens that this time, the Lions, by some crazy stroke of good fortune, made the Playoffs despite the 3-game skid to end the year. The freaking Playoffs! At 9-7! It’s not exactly cause for a parade in Detroit, but those painful losses are now irrelevant. Just as they would have been in a home game against the red-hot Giants — who seemingly beat the Redskins just because they felt like it.
The Lions got extremely lucky, but nobody expects them to do anything against Seattle. Before last night’s game, I would have told you Detroit matches up better against the Seahawks than the Giants, but after the game that felt like it didn’t matter. Coach Caldwell boasted about being in position to play in such a big game for the division. Well, Detroit lost that game.
So should the Lions fire Caldwell if they lose to the Seahawks as everyone will predict? I don’t believe so. In my opinion, Caldwell coached an 8-8 team to play above their potential, despite losing their best player and going through a general manager change. Bob Quinn had nothing to lose by keeping Caldwell based on player recommendation and letting the current group prove that they could win under him.
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Here they are, though, in the Playoffs and everybody is acting as if the Lions have already lost. I know, they haven’t played well, but it was against three Playoff teams, one of which — the Packers — blew out this Seahawks team a few weeks ago. Coach Caldwell needs to have this team ready to put those three games behind them and go win a Playoff game against a good team on the road. It’s what he always talks about!
This is not a chance the Lions usually get, but things just happened to work out. Caldwell must finally show his detractors that he is actually the reason these guys are here. To prove it wasn’t luck that led his teams to the Playoffs four out of six seasons in which he’s been the head coach. Going in front of the 12th Man in Seattle and beating Russell Wilson would be enough to convince most Jim Caldwell is worthy.
Rarely do general managers win while changing things as much as Bob Quinn already has. He challenged Coach Caldwell to make the Playoffs despite low national expectations and Caldwell delivered. Whether or not he is the guy in the big picture could hinge on how he does this week.
Playoff success goes a long way anywhere, but especially for the Lions, who haven’t had any in 25 years.
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