Jim Caldwell has figured out the deep-rooted problems affecting his woeful football team.
The Detroit Lions are 1-7, and maybe not for the reasons you might think.
Sure, a level-headed, rational person might point to the fact the Lions are 30th in points per game. Or maybe it’s because they’re tied for last in the NFL in turnover differential. Don’t forget about their defense, which has allowed more points than any other team.
Those things play a role, no doubt, but Caldwell has pinpointed something else to blame his team’s sucktitude on: the Detroit media.
Fans and media members in Detroit are getting restless. Being on the verge of the 23rd 10-loss season in franchise history will do that to you. There’s a legitimate chance the Lions will lose 11 games for the ninth time since 2000. That’s absurd, and it’s enough to make you a little jaded about the hometown team.
So you might excuse Lions fans and media for being negative. Don’t try to explain that to Caldwell, though, who quickly dismissed talk of negativity Tuesday.
“Negativity has always been here from you all’s standpoint,” Caldwell told reporters Tuesday, per the Detroit Free Press. “From the media, I think, that’s always been part of this. It’s the first thing I think you notice here. I think I called it the ‘Dungeon of Doom’ when I walk into that room sometimes. So that hasn’t changed, it’s a matter that our guys play better and we’ve got to get them to play better.
“The other thing is, criticism doesn’t bother us, you know, and it particularly doesn’t bother me. If you disagree with me, don’t like what we do, I’m not one that feels like you’re persecuting me as a result of it. You’ve got your opinion, I’ve got mine. I have my expertise in my areas, you have yours, right?
“But I think the discussion is healthy and it’s good. I think you stir up the fan base because they have an interest in it, they have passion for it, which is good. The negativity part of it, we control that atmosphere. If we allow it in, that’s our problem. That’s our problem and we have to make certain we control it. That’s my job.”
But what about, you know, the fact that your team is an NFL-worst 1-7, with those seven losses coming by an average of 14 points?
“In some ways, I understand that,” Caldwell said when asked about whether the negativity stemmed from the team’s negative play. “But that’s certainly very, very noticeable. I’ve been at a few places, I’ve been around a little bit in my life, and that jumps out at you twofold. But that’s not an issue with me because of the fact that our job is, regardless of what the ethos is, our job is to win games, which we have not been doing to this point consistently enough.”
Caldwell also confirmed there’s “no question” Detroit’s the most negative market he’s been in.
Look, there’s no denying media in any market is as negative as it’s ever been. But it’s comes off so soft for Caldwell to try to even indirectly blame the media for any of his team’s struggles on or off the field.
And the reason Detroit feels so negative is that he’s given them no other choice. Again, this is a long-suffering franchise, and what has Caldwell done to ease that pain? This season, he’s done absolutely nothing.
It’s also laughable and downright naive to compare the situation in Detroit to his previous stops. The only other place Caldwell was a head coach was happy-go-lucky Indianapolis, where he fell into Peyton Manning and a loaded roster. The media pressure in that market is also nonexistent, especially with columnists penning pieces begging fans not to be scared of the opposition. Even when the Colts went 2-14 in his final season with Indy, Caldwell had the built-in excuse of Manning being hurt.
So of course there’s going to be negativity. If you don’t like it, coach better. Win football games. Hell, if Caldwell turned that team into a legitimate contender, they’d probably rename the city after him. If you can’t take it, get out, but he’s the one who signed up to be the head coach of the Detroit Lions. If you don’t know the risks that come with that, you literally haven’t been paying attention.
Whatever, though. This is a desperation move from a desperate coach who probably sees the writing on the wall; he’ll be out of the “Dungeon of Doom” soon enough. It’s one last attempt to rally the troops and deflect blame, efforts that will undoubtedly fall short. As is usually the case in Detroit.
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
