State of the Franchise - an Editorial

   Last night's performance versus the Saints in New Orleans may be a turning point in the future of the Lions, but perhaps not in the way you might be thinking of currently. After a ridiculous display of a complete lack of discipline that would make the Raiders cringe, the Lions are headed for a reckoning, one way or another. From Jim Schwartz's seemingly complete lack of control of his players on the field, to the latest behavior of Ndamukong Suh off the field, the Lions are making the news lately for all the wrong reasons.


   Schwartz not on the hot seat, yet, but it's definitely getting warmer. Many people are openly looking at at Schwartz, after the game last night, and questioning whether he has the ability to right the ship. While serving as defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans from 2001 - 2008, Schwartz saw plenty of discipline problems firsthand, dealt with by then Head Coach Jeff Fisher. Adam "Pacman" Jones, Albert Haynesworth, and Vince Young, all had off the field issues during Schwartz's tenure in Tennessee. In fact, Haynesworth had his own stomping incident, which led to a five game suspension while under Schwartz's defense in 2006.

   Coaches aren't babysitters, and really can't be held responsible for the choices that a player chooses to make, but one has to wonder whether Schwartz is allowing, or even fostering, an environment in which these actions and choices are deemed allowable. While owner Bud Adams may have chosen to look the other way in Tennessee, I have to doubt that will be the case in Detroit.

   Ndamukong Suh, making off the field headlines this week for a car crash while at home in Portland, Oregon while serving his suspension, may have inadvertantly made a bad situation for Schwartz that much worse. Suh is starting to establish a pattern of behavior off the field, that brings back shades of Reggie Rogers, and could lead to the intervention of owner William Clay Ford. Ford never hesitated for a moment in releasing the troubled Rogers, and ever since then the Lions have gone to great lengths to make certain they draft players who are not only perfect citizens, but almost devoid of anything resembling an off the field personality. They have bypassed drafting many players, such as Deion Sanders, Randy Moss, and Kellen Winslow Jr., most prominently who fit that profile.

   After the disasterous 2008 season, which proved Ford's ineptness as an owner to a degree that would make even Bill Bidwill blush, the NFL stepped in and made "recommendations" to Ford as to who to hire as GM and Head Coach. Since that time, Ford Sr. has stayed away from the team, as he has been prone to do anyways. This chain of events though, may be the one thing that would drive Ford out of the shadows as nothing else would. Make no mistake, Ford cares a great deal more about the image of the Lions as a wholesome product linked to the image of Ford Motor Company, than he cares about whether they win or lose. Ford could choose to fire Schwartz if the teams conduct doesn't improve, he could direct Mayhew to move or cut Suh, or worse he could start intervening in the teams drafting process. After a total meltdown in the national spotlight two weeks in a row, it's crystal clear that this franchise is at a crossroads moving forward.

   How do you change the culture of an undisciplined team? Many would argue that the 2010 Bengals were an undisciplined team, and what they did during their offseason could be a blueprint for the Lions moving forward. Shipping out malcontents Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer, cornerstones of the team for years, most left the Bengals for roadkill with a rookie QB and WR, the Bengals have proven surprisingly competitive and sport the same record as the Lions. The difference being that this years Bengals are unquestionably the team of Marvin Lewis rather than a group of misfits with some guy on the sidelines calling plays. Lewis looks like a genius, when last year he was a goat. That may be the best case scenario for Schwartz. Usually when questions start to rise regarding whether a coach has control of their team, the standard fix is to usually replace the coach. Denny Green, Mike Tice, Tom Cabal, Dennis Erickson, and even Pete Carrol can all testify to this from their time spent in the coaching unemployment line.

   My great hope, is that what we have seen is an abberation which these players will learn from, and change their own behavior rather than playing out a worn out script that has been played out many times in the NFL before. I like this team, I like the head coach, and I love Ndamukong Suh, and fervently hope they find a way to turn this around and put it behind them without making changes or blowing up the franchise. That being said, I also remember an old addage which is pertinent when dealing with the words "hope" and Lions", Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.