Jim Schwartz doesn’t care how Lions fans feel (VIDEO)

Jim Schwartz, former Detroit Lions head coach and current Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator, doesn’t care how the fans in the motor city will welcome him upon his return to Detroit on Sunday.

Will Schwartz be booed?

Most definitely.

Does he deserve it?

That’s a matter of opinion.

When Jim Schwartz himself was asked about what kind of reaction he expects, he gave little weight to the matter.

"“It doesn’t matter,” he said, via the Buffalo News. “It’s about the game. That’s certainly not important.”"

In very, un-Schwartz like character, the words are delivered in monotone. Truthfully though, it’s not just any other week. When Jim Schwartz was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Lions at the end of last years 7-9 season, fans were generally happy to see the former savior of Detroit leaving.

“I’ve been a visitor there before, so I know where the visitor’s locker room is, in addition to the home locker room. . . . It is an important game for us. It’s a road game and we’re coming off a two-game skid. And we need to be able to get it back, whether it’s the Lions, whether it’s any other team. Everybody has connections in this league. Every coach has coached somewhere else. Everything else doesn’t play into the game.” – Jim Schwartz

Schwartz was hired in 2009 and inherited the infamous 0-16 squad of 2008. Just two years later the Lions went 10-6 and made the post season for the first time in over a decade. However they went a dismal 4-12 in 2012 and then 7-9 in 2013. After that the fans as well as general manager, Martin Mayhew felt like it was time to make a change.

Schwartz then returned to his roots as the defensive coordinator of the Bills. And regardless of the shortcomings that led to his ouster in Detroit, Schwartz certainly does qualify as a good coach in the area of his specialty, the defense.

Under Jim Schwartz Buffalo has made strides, ranking third in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed. The Bills also rank 10th in total defense.

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It will be interesting to see how Schwartz handles going against an offense with a highly accomplished quarterback in Matthew Stafford and the game’s best wide receiver in Calvin Johnson — something he has not had to do in regular season competition.

While new head coach, Jim Caldwell has installed new systems on both sides of the ball, most of the players are the same. Jim Schwartz no doubt knows at least a little more than the average opposing coach about their tendencies.