Lions coach Jim Schwartz wasn’t happy with his team’s performance “in all three phases” against the Browns. The Lions have since signed three veteran defensive players: Justin Bannan, Rocky McIntosh, Rashean Mathis. But Schwartz says the new arrivals shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of desperation.
“The only message is we are going to keep on trying to add good football players,” Schwartz said, via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “It wasn’t a reaction to anyone’s play or anything else. It was more just the opportunity to get those guys. We are happy to have all of them.”
Mathis, a long-time presence at corner in Jacksonville, spent time at safety on Saturday. Schwartz said Mathis also will play cornerback for the Lions.
McIntosh, a veteran who played for the Redskins and last year with the Rams, was talking a little smack on the way through the door.
“I haven’t lost against you guys, so that’s good,” McIntosh said.
Actually, McIntosh has lost against the Lions more times than he’s won. His teams have a 2-3 mark versus the Lions, with three consecutive defeats dating back to Week Three of the 2009 season, when the Redskins became the answer to an unwanted trivia question: Who is the team the Lions somehow managed to beat after losing 19 straight regular-season games?
With the Lions trying to reverse a 9-19 trend that began after they started 5-0 in 2011, they’ll need McIntosh’s performance to be a lot better than his memory.