Detroit Lions: Jim Caldwell is focused while under fire

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is on the hot seat. He is focused on finishing strong, the next four games are key.

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell has not had a good week. He is coming off a game where personnel miscues led to the defense not having enough players on the field for the fifth time this season, pass protection miscues led to quarterback Matthew Stafford injuring his throwing hand, and the defense looked badly outclassed by the number 31 offense in the NFL.

There have been a lot of talking heads calling for his job. Coach Caldwell had media availability Thursday morning and had a few interesting tidbits to offer about the state of the team and their upcoming matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coach Caldwell was very positive regarding the development of Jake Rudock over the course of the season. When asked how Rudock had performed with the number one offense Caldwell said: “He did well, like he always does.”

He also made it clear that if Matthew Stafford is capable of playing on Sunday, the veteran quarterback will be in the game. When asked if there was a cutoff point where the team would simply move on with Rudock against the Buccaneers, Caldwell simply replied: “No.”

The Buccaneers Head Coach, Dirk Koetter, had an interesting quote circulated in the media Wednesday regarding Stafford’s injury. When asked about Koetter’s comments coach Caldwell said that “It was in jest.” When pressed further, on how he knows that Koetter was not serious about targeting the Lions’ marquee player Caldwell replied: “I know him, next question.”

He also made an interesting metaphor for the team being aware of media attention, but staying focused on what is in front of them. “We have 360-degree vision, but 180-degree focus, but I’ve been around long enough to too, to kind of anticipate what things that they have to deal with. So it’s not like you take up a lot of space in my thought process, or anything of that nature. I don’t want to give you that much credit.”

That is an interesting bit of candor from the head coach that has been somewhat panned by the Detroit media at times for not really giving them much to work with. It is not often that you see a head coach admitting he is aware of the media scrutiny.

“If you can’t handle it, you ought to get into another line of work, you know?” Caldwell elaborated, “I’ve been at it awhile, so I’m fairly accustomed to that kind of stuff.” The Lions’ head coach has walked around with an assumed target on his back since general manager Bob Quinn came on board just two years into Caldwell’s tenure with the Lions. Quinn decided to go forward retaining a head coach that was coming off a losing season.

The 2015 season started 1-7 before finishing with a 7-9 record. It was almost universally assumed at the time that Caldwell would be sent packing and Quinn would bring either Matt Patricia or Josh McDaniels to Detroit.

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28 games later Caldwell is once again on the hot seat if you believe some of the Detroit media covering the team. When asked if he ever feels an urge to react to outside criticism Caldwell simply said: “No, waste of time.” If the Lions lose in Tampa Bay on Sunday that may be an apt description of the 2017 Lions season.