Getty ImagesThe Lions lost their sixth straight game on Sunday and did it in embarassing fashion with a 38-10 loss to a Cardinals team that snapped a nine-game losing skid of their own.
After the game, quarterback Matthew Stafford said the loss was on him because of three interceptions and overall erratic play but coach Jim Schwartz isn’t having any of that. Schwartz said Monday that he wants people to lay “100 percent” of the blame for that loss and the five that preceded it on his shoulders.
“I appreciate when our quarterback wants to take blame for it, but ultimately it’s the head coach’s responsibility,” Schwartz said, via the Detroit News. “I need to do a better job; 4-10 isn’t good enough.”
There’s plenty of blame to go around in Detroit this season so there’s no need for Stafford and Schwartz to fight over it. Everyone can get a slice and then there will be enough left for seconds.
A healthy portion of that blame was going to come down on Schwartz whether he asked for it or not. Coaches of teams that follow 10-win seasons with 10-loss seasons are going to endanger their job security. There hasn’t been a quick trigger finger in Detroit in the past, but finishing with an eight-game losing streak won’t do much to bolster Schwartz’s contention that things have only gone a little bit off the rails.
“We have, I don’t want to say setback, but we have been sidetracked this year,” Schwartz said. “We have gone off the rails a little bit, sidetracked. (We’ve) got to get back on track.”
The sooner the better for a guy asking for 100 percent of the blame.
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Ok Jim, you got it!
They should fire him
The sad thing is that the Lions would have beat the Texans. Now that would’ve been big. I think he’ll get one more year to prove himself.
He wants all the blame?! Okay…
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, GOODBYE!!!
God, the images of Matt Millen are coming back to Detroit. The ghost of Christmas Past. Raiders East.
You may be in over your head, Jim
The main problem with this team is that they lack serious discipline on and off the field. Schwartz, unfortunately, has enabled that mentality – which is ultimately going to cost him his job either in two weeks or next season.
Jim it is your fault, but also your boss and owner who set the tone and have backed you!
Schwartz and Mayhew should both be fired after the season. But they won’t cause the owners are morons, look how long it took them to let go of Millen.
He can always take Rob Parker’s job at ESPN, after the Lions let him go.
As a Lions fan I’d like Schwartz to be replaced, but I’m terrified of who replaces him.
Good, because he deserves 100% of the blame. No accountability in that org. It’s inexplicable that such talented players could be so lax in their preparation and execution.
A coach that doesn’t know the rules, thereby costing his team a win on national TV, is not a very good coach. It seems the Lions find a new way to lose every week.
ask and you shall receive young paddawon
Haven’t been the same since they lost to the Niners LAST year. Record since then has been awful.
Ok, you’re fired!
Actually, this hasn’t been a bad season by Lions standards.
Schwartz gets 100% of the blame from me. I think mayhew has done a pretty good job though. The team is really talented but they aren’t disciplined at all. That all falls on the coaching staff.
For this team to be 4-10 is the best proof that Schwartz needs to go. Too much talent for that kind of record.
JackAcid says:
Dec 17, 2012 4:51 PM
Haven’t been the same since they lost to the Niners LAST year. Record since then has been awful.
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as a Lions fan who has absolutely run out of excuses for this team and its staff…i agree 100 %
Losing to the Cardinals just goes to show you how far, how fast, this team has dropped.
I can’t help but wonder how much longer he has but going backwards from last year isn’t going to help.
A rudderless ship lost at sea.
Wow, I just looked it up. In the 10 seasons before last year’s anomaly, the Lions averaged 3.9 wins. So what’s everyone complaining about? They’re already above average this year.
If every headcoach that should get fired this year does, there will be something like 14 openings!
@samantahsteeleruinedmyqb
I’m not sure you should be talking, but on behalf of us Division CHAMPIONS, thanks for ruining your draft position, thus ensuring 3-5 more years (minimum) of losing.
Fine then. Come Black Monday, it’s all yours, Jim.
Wrong – being wrongly accused and punished for a faux bounty system and having no head coach will cause a setback….the Lions are just bad….
I’m still scratching my head over that Cards game — 38-10? How could the Lions lose that badly to a team that hadn’t won in 8 games (and lost badly) without quitting?
remember all the Lions fans and their Super Bowl Chanting just before the season got underway? Hah. That’s funny.
Schwartz knows he can publicly voice this sentiment because he’s aware of who owns this team. The single most loyal to a fault sports franchise owner in the world, Bill Ford.
Sorry Lions fans, as long as this team is owned by Ford Sr. (Not sure how much different the culture will be when he passes and the team is then controlled by his son) this team will likely be perennial losers. And…I will be among those suffering.
@Carl -
Nice kicker.
The only good thing about that loss is that people will stop saying the Lions have the best O-line in the NFC North, any Lions fan including myself knows exactly how terrible the lions O-line is. Rob Sims is an exception and Peterman has been doing okay this year but Backus, Gosder, and Raiola are absolutely terrible. Don’t use the sack statistic on this one either because Stafford does a great job at avoiding the rush, but even he couldn’t get away from that onslaught
Schwartz should be 100% fired.
Its always nice I guess to hear a coach admitting when its his fault. But this is almost like when an nba player goes 8-33 and says “my bad.” Yes Jim Schwartz, everyone is aware that your team is completely one dimensional, they have no discipline, and the one thing you were supposed to bring, defensive expertise, was completely shattered when a ryan lindley led offense hung 30+ points on you. No one should be under the impression that it is anything worse than “your bad.”
He should get the blame, and be fired for it! Detroit needs Jon gruden!!!
Who cares who’s to blame. You fools cost me $2400.00.
Wonder if the Cardinals would trade Wiz for Schwartz…
Maybe he should get fired but I respect him for taking the blame off his young QB’s shoulders. That game they lost to Houston put them in a downward spiral.
Next defensive coordinator of Rams?
OMG….he went to the Andy Reid school of press conferences. I take 100% of the blame; I’ve got to do a better job. Now all he needs is a little “time is yours”.
I can’t picture him saying that
I call every play for the Lions from my couch at home.
Oh how you have fallen schwartzy…you could have owned the city of detroit..better get this ship upright..fast.
It is hard to find a positive for this season. We are in desparate need of a head coach like Bill Coher to instill discipline and a sense of pride in this team. You can’t keep giving games away like they have all year. Yeah they got some bad breaks but you can’t cry about them. Re-vamp the OL, draft a shutdown corner, Stafford work on your footwork and release in the off season, but most importantly bite the bullet and can this coaching staff! You should be ashamed of this record with the talent you have.