Detroit Lions

Caldwell's timeout obsession paying off for Lions

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jim Caldwell’s stinginess with timeouts has helped Detroit pull out multiple late-game victories in 2016.

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell reacts from the sidelines in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Lions won 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

After the Lions’ season-opening win over the Colts, much debate took place over head coach Jim Caldwell’s late-game timeout strategy. He admittedly puts an extreme emphasis on not using his timeouts, specifically in the second halves of games. The idea is to not use them at all unless absolutely necessary, in case you need them late. In the Colts game, the Lions blew a lead and Matthew Stafford needed to drive down with under a minute left in the game to get into field goal range. Thanks to Caldwell’s strategy, the Lions were able to move downfield with very little time to steal a victory over the Colts.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is helping validate Caldwell’s late-game timeout strategy. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The same situation happened in yesterday’s win over the Redskins. The Lions were suddenly losing the game by four points and had only a minute left on the clock to get a game-winning touchdown. Becuase Stafford knew he had the safety of three timeouts to use, he was able to scramble up the middle and get as many yards as possible without worrying about getting out of bounds. He then completed a pass to Andre Roberts, who also caught the ball inbounds. No big deal, another timeout. Both were big plays, that wouldn’t have been possible without those precious timeouts. Stafford then found Boldin for an 18-yard strike and the Lions stole a game from the Redskins, 20-17.

This “strategy” is largely possible because of Stafford’s late-game success (24 game-winning drives in 100 starts). But these timeouts have significantly helped Detroit in all four of their wins this season. Now, it’s not a strategy everyone agrees with. Sometimes, I even get frustrated when watching the Lions let the other team bleed the clock and make it an all-or-nothing drive for the Lions at the end. When you have Matthew Stafford, though, an all-or-nothing drive to win or lose is turning into something most Lions fans would prefer – especially with the poor performance of Detroit’s defense in the clutch this season.

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater (5) celebrates his game-winning field goal in the four quarter of the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Lions are living on the edge this season. No game feels safe. Yesterday’s 10-point lead late in the fourth disappeared out of thin air. The Colts game should have been a blowout, but they couldn’t make stops down the stretch. They let the Rams and Eagles take leads they had no business taking and Marcus Mariota picked them apart for the inexcusable loss in week two. The games they’ve won, however, have all been undeniably helped by Caldwell’s stinginess with second half timeouts. So, as some will agonize over how uncomfortably close the games get late, Caldwell seems to trust his team in these nail-biting moments to make the plays necessary to win. It’s been enough to emerge victorious for three straight weeks. After the 1-3 start, few thought Caldwell could redeem himself this season. The Lions (4-3) have their head back above water. And for now, Caldwell, timeouts in hand, appears to know where he’s leading this ship.

Follow Matt Urben on Twitter @MattUrben88