Detroit Lions

Lions' Lance Moore: 'I'm the biggest Jim Caldwell fan there is'

Published Jan. 5, 2016 12:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Detroit Lions did not live up to expectations this season. As a result, head coach Jim Caldwell has come under fire from disappointed fans.

The players generally support their embattled head coach, though. Two veteran Lions, in particular, stood up for Caldwell while speaking to reporters this week.

In only one season, wide receiver Lance Moore has become one of Caldwell's biggest fans.

Via Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman:

I’m the biggest Jim Caldwell fan there is. I’ve been around enough coaches to know a great one when I finally get a chance to work with one.

I’ve never been around a coach that knows the pulse of the locker room or has the constant communication with his players the way coach Caldwell does.

Moore has played 11 NFL seasons, most of them under a pretty good head coach in New Orleans' Sean Payton, so his endorsement carries a lot of weight.

Cornerback Rashean Mathis, a holdover from the Jim Schwartz era, also voiced his support for Caldwell.

Via Twentyman:

Caldwell is hands-down probably the best coach I’ve ever been a part of or been under. I’m sure a lot of guys in this locker room feel that way and I’m sure a lot of guys in this locker room will look forward to playing with him again.

Caldwell led the Lions to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth in his first season as the head coach. This year, his team started 1-7 and finished 7-9. Although Detroit missed the postseason, the strong end of the season has helped Caldwell garner some much-needed support after looking like a lame-duck coach in early November.