The Lions didn’t make it to Super Bowl XLVI, but head coach Jim Schwartz was in Indianapolis in advance of Sunday’s game and reviewed the highlights of the season in a national interview.
The Lions had a turnaround season in 2011, with a 10-6 record that put them in the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
In an interview on ESPN’s popular "Mike & Mike in the Morning" show Thursday morning, Schwartz answered questions on a variety of issues.
They included the team’s upward trend after a decade of losing, the performance of Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson, and Schwartz’s expectation of running backs Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure returning from injuries.
Schwartz’s prognosis for Leshoure and Best had a slight bit of news value.
Leshoure missed all of his rookie season because of a torn Achilles sustained in training camp. Best went out in the sixth game with a concussion and did not return.
There has been speculation that Best might not play again because of a history of concussions.
Schwartz spoke of having both available in the upcoming season.
“We get those guys back on the field, you’ll see more pieces in place in our offense, and we’re going to be very difficult to handle,” Schwartz said.
The controversy surrounding Suh -- magnified by a stomping incident on Thanksgiving Day that resulted in the NFL suspending Suh for two games -- arose midway through the interview.
Schwartz was asked if Suh will learn from his negative experiences.
“I think he’s already done it,” Schwartz said.
The Lions have been characterized by many as being undisciplined because of personal-foul penalties. That image was heightened by the Suh incident and a rash of penalties incurred in a loss at New Orleans the next week in a Sunday night game that was televised nationally on NBC.
Schwartz reiterated what he said often during the season -- that he wants his defense to be physical and is most concerned about penalties that happen after the whistle, as opposed to penalties incurred during the course of action.
“When you’re a team that rushes the passer and is around the quarterback a lot, that’s (penalties) life in the NFL,” Schwartz said. “The referees are going to protect the quarterback. There’s a very fine line between getting a great play and a hit on the quarterback and drawing that penalty.
“It’s different to lose your composure after the whistle. I think we put that behind us as we continued on throughout the year.
“There are a lot of steps we’ve taken as a franchise. Dealing with success was a big, big part of that, learning how to be able to get through that.
“That stuff flies below the radar when you’re 0-16. Nobody sees that. When you’re in national television games, when you’re fighting for division championships, fighting for playoffs -- that stuff becomes a lot more scrutinized.
“That’s something you have to learn to deal with. I think we did.”
Schwartz compared Stafford’s development to that of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady -- a three-time Super Bowl champion.
Stafford played all 16 games for the first time in his three seasons with the Lions and passed for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns. He turns 24 next month.
“You think about all the different things,” Schwartz said. “He threw for 5,000 yards, led the Lions to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. He’s experienced so much in the NFL at this age.
“I think when Tom Brady was 24, he’d never thrown a pass in the NFL. Stafford’s thrown for 5,000 yards and led a team to the playoffs.
“He’s also dealt with a lot of the adversity of being injured and dealing with that kind of scrutiny. That will make him better in the future and make us better in the future.”
Schwartz stressed the impact that Johnson has on defenses and his teammates.
“Being a defensive coordinator for a decade, I know how difficult it is to defend against a guy like that,” Schwartz said. “There are no good calls against Calvin Johnson. He can be doubled, and he still makes the play.
“It gives the quarterback a place to be able to go with the ball, but it also frees everybody else up.”
