PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
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exeCutives & CoaChing<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Media.<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
A key to Schwartz’s defensive approach is limiting opportunities,<br />
especially on third down. The <strong>Lions</strong> finished third in the NFL in third<br />
down defense (32.7 pct.) and first in defensive efficiency on third- and<br />
fourth-and-1 plays (11-of-29, 37.9 pct.).<br />
The defensive line continued to prove its prowess as one of the<br />
best in the NFL. Among defensive lines, the <strong>Lions</strong>’ 35 sacks ranked<br />
fourth in the NFL. DE Cliff Avril led the team with 11 sacks and<br />
became just the sixth player since 1982 to register 10+ sacks, while<br />
also returning both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns.<br />
His seven forced fumbles tied for the League lead in that category.<br />
Combined, the <strong>Lions</strong> ranked fourth in the NFL with a +11 turnover<br />
margin (34 takeaways, 23 giveaways).<br />
Like every other step, 2011 was important for the <strong>Lions</strong>. However,<br />
Schwartz continues to focus on getting better day-by-day.<br />
“It was an important year for us,” said Schwartz. “But I wouldn’t<br />
necessarily classify it as a good year. Our expectations are high. It<br />
was important getting to the playoffs, something that hadn’t been<br />
done for a long time. That was an important step.<br />
“Going to the playoffs is a big step but that is obviously not our<br />
end game or something that is the last thing we want to accomplish.”<br />
sEcond-sEason iMProvEMEnt<br />
In 2010, Schwartz led one of the most-improved teams in the<br />
NFL. The <strong>Lions</strong> finished the season as the only NFC team, and one<br />
of four in the NFL, to end the season on a four-game winning streak.<br />
Included in those four wins was a 7-3 victory over the Super Bowl<br />
Champions Green Bay Packers. That four-game win streak was the<br />
first for the <strong>Lions</strong> since 1999 and it marked the eighth time in team<br />
history the team ended with at least four-straight wins, with the<br />
last occurring in 1995.<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong> joined the New York Giants, San Diego Chargers and<br />
Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only teams in the NFL to improve in<br />
all three key offensive and defensive League rankings (total, rushing<br />
and passing) compared to 2009.<br />
On offense, the <strong>Lions</strong> scored 100 more points (third-most improved<br />
scoring offense), gained 639 more yards (fourth-most improved<br />
offense) and passed for 642 more yards (fifth-most improved) in 2010<br />
than they did in 2009.<br />
As the team progressed in total offense, so did its efficiency in the<br />
Red Zone. The <strong>Lions</strong> were second in the NFL in Red Zone Efficiency<br />
converting 29 touchdowns in 45 trips (64.4 percent). With 12 more<br />
touchdowns than the previous year, <strong>Detroit</strong>’s offense was the thirdmost<br />
improved unit in Red Zone touchdowns, and they scored the<br />
third-highest improvement with 82 more points in the Red Zone.<br />
Injuries at quarterback forced the team to start Stafford, Shaun<br />
Hill and Drew Stanton in at least three games each in 2010. The<br />
team’s passers combined for third in the NFL in completions (383)<br />
and attempts (633), 12th in gross passing (4,001) and tied for 11th in<br />
touchdowns (26). For the first time in team history, three quarterbacks<br />
each registered 20-or-more attempts and a passer rating of 90.0 each<br />
in two games during the same season. Each quarterback attempted<br />
90 passes on the season and the team combined for a passer rating<br />
of 82.0, marking the first time since the 1993 Miami Dolphins that a<br />
team had three quarterbacks each attempt 90 passes in a season and<br />
finish with an 80.0 passer rating. The quarterback unit also produced<br />
26 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions for a +10 difference, and<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong> became the first team since Philadelphia in 1993 to start three<br />
quarterbacks in a season and compile a +10 TD to interception ratio.<br />
Besides the quarterback play, production and improvement was<br />
across the board on offense. Johnson was second in the NFL with<br />
12 receiving touchdowns and ninth in receiving yards (1,120). The<br />
offensive line allowed only 27 sacks (tied for sixth-lowest in NFL) as<br />
the team threw the third-most pass attempts in the League. Their<br />
sacks-per-pass ratio (4.09) was the fifth lowest and the third-lowest<br />
allowed by a <strong>Lions</strong> squad since 1960. In just his second season,<br />
Brandon Pettigrew set team single-season records for <strong>Lions</strong>’ tight<br />
ends with 71 receptions and 722 receiving yards. Pettigrew also<br />
finished third among NFL tight ends in receptions. Pettigrew and TE<br />
Tony Scheffler combined for the second-most catches (116) among<br />
NFL tight end duos. In the backfield, rookie RB Jahvid Best set a team<br />
rookie record with 58 receptions, led the team in rushing and became<br />
the first NFL rookie to score five touchdowns in their first two games<br />
since <strong>Lions</strong> RB Billy Sims in 1980.<br />
Defensively, the <strong>Lions</strong> featured the most-improved unit in all of<br />
the NFL—the defensive line. The rebuilt unit featured starters DE Kyle<br />
Vanden Bosch (unrestricted free agent acquisition), DE Cliff Avril, DT<br />
Corey Williams (acquired by trade), and rookie DT Ndamukong Suh<br />
(selected second overall in 2010 NFL Draft). Suh earned Defensive<br />
Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors, and he was voted a starter<br />
in the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Though opponents threw the ball less<br />
against the <strong>Lions</strong> than they did in 2009, the <strong>Lions</strong> picked up 18 more<br />
sacks, which accounts for a 3.28 percent increase from the previous<br />
season for the ratio of sacks per pass plays.<br />
Of the <strong>Lions</strong>’ 44 sacks, 39 were attributed to the defensive line,<br />
23.5 more than the <strong>Lions</strong> defensive line accounted in 2009—the most<br />
improvement among any defensive line unit in the NFL. The line was<br />
also the most-improved unit in the League in regard to sack yardage<br />
and the group was responsible for 179 more yards of sack yardage.<br />
On his way to capturing numerous post-season accolades, Suh<br />
dominated during his rookie season when he led all rookie and all<br />
defensive tackles with 10 sacks, and led all defensive tackles with<br />
66 tackles. He also tacked on an interception and returned a fumble<br />
for a touchdown. He set the <strong>Lions</strong>’ rookie sack record and became<br />
only the second rookie defensive tackle in the NFL to record 10 sacks<br />
since the sacks became an official stat in 1982.<br />
The team’s defense improved overall as a unit as well. In<br />
defending the pass, the defense was the most-improved unit in the<br />
NFL allowing 751 fewer yards (46.9 yards per game) than in 2009. It<br />
was also the NFL’s most-improved unit in points allowed giving up<br />
125 points less (7.8 points per game) than the year before. In total<br />
yards allowed, it was the fourth-most improved defense yielding 777<br />
yards less than in 2009.<br />
Among the team’s defensive highlights in 2010 occurred during the<br />
team’s four home victories. In those four wins, the defense allowed a<br />
total of two touchdowns, and it did not yield a touchdown in wins vs.<br />
St. Louis (10/10), Green Bay (12/12) and Minnesota (1/2).<br />
The improvement was not only produced on offense and defense,<br />
but there was significant progress on the team’s special teams units<br />
in virtually every aspect. KR Stefan Logan, who earned Pro Bowl<br />
alternate honors, was one of those catalysts as the team’s kick<br />
returner. <strong>Detroit</strong> had the League’s third-best improvement on kickoff<br />
returns, gaining 3.5 yards per return more in 2010. Logan finished<br />
second in the NFL in total kick return yards (1,810) and was the only<br />
player to finish in the Top-5 in both kickoff return average (26.8) and<br />
punt return average (12.1). Logan tied a franchise record with a 105-<br />
yard kickoff return in the team’s win over St. Louis (10/10).<br />
With respect to the cover units, the <strong>Lions</strong> were much improved<br />
in that area as well. The team’s kickoff return unit allowed 2.7 yards<br />
less per kickoff return last year (fourth-best improvement). S John<br />
Wendling, who was also named an alternate to the Pro Bowl as a<br />
special teamer, led the entire NFL with 24 special teams tackles.<br />
Schwartz’s kicking units also persevered in the second half of the<br />
season as the team continued to produce despite missing K Jason<br />
Hanson for the most extended time in his 19-year career. Dave Rayner<br />
stepped in for Hanson and nailed 13-of-16 field goals (81.3 pct.) in the<br />
team’s final eight games, including his final seven attempts. Rayner<br />
was critical to the <strong>Lions</strong>’ win at Tampa Bay in December as he became<br />
the first kicker in team history to hit a field goal on the final play of<br />
regulation and then win the game in overtime on a game-winning<br />
kick. During the team’s four-game win-streak, Rayner was 6-of-7 on<br />
attempts, with his only miss coming on a 55-yard attempt.<br />
Additionally, the across-the-board improvement was shown in the<br />
team’s ability to secure the football and generate turnovers. In 2010,<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong> registered 29 takeaways and 25 giveaways for a +4 turnover<br />
margin and had a difference of +22 in turnover margin when comparing<br />
the past two seasons—the biggest improvement in the NFL.<br />
The <strong>Lions</strong> were the most improved team in terms of giveaways as<br />
well, as they gave the ball away 16 fewer times than they did in 2009.<br />
Among those giveaways, 16 occurred via interception, an improvement<br />
of 16 picks less compared to 2009 (32). They were the second-most<br />
improved club in terms of throwing interceptions and one of only two<br />
teams to throw at least 10 interceptions less than the year before.<br />
They accomplished that while starting three different quarterbacks.<br />
While the <strong>Detroit</strong> <strong>Lions</strong> made the 2010 season notable for the<br />
franchise’s overall improvement, Schwartz undersood that the most<br />
important element is winning more games. “Nothing is going to<br />
detract or take us away from where we’re going as a team,” Schwartz<br />
remarked just prior to the team’s four-game winning streak last<br />
season. “This team has great things ahead of it. There is no question<br />
in any one of our minds that this team has great things ahead.”<br />
titan tough<br />
Before his tenure in <strong>Detroit</strong> began in 2009, Schwartz spent 10<br />
seasons with the Tennessee Titans, including eight (2001-08) as<br />
defensive coordinator. While with the Titans, he worked under Head<br />
Coach Jeff Fisher, one of the most successful coaches in the NFL for<br />
16 seasons. In 2008, Schwartz’s defense guided the Titans to an NFLbest<br />
13-3 record and an AFC South title. The Titans’ defense finished<br />
in the top 10 in several key defensive categories, including: defensive<br />
points allowed (third, 14.2), total yards allowed (seventh, 293.6),