Diner Morning News: Jim Schwartz and the Lions

National Football Post

QUOTE: “I know he has only one thought in mind, and that is to win football games. Some of the other trappings of being a head coach are just not important to him, and I would think that's what they need. That's the way Don James was and the way Jim Owens was. They were top football coaches who developed an esprit de corps and a sense of purpose, and that's what counts.”—Bill Walsh

Today marks the two-year anniversary of Bill Walsh’s death at age 75. As many of you who read my column know, coach Walsh has been an inspiration throughout my life. Much of the way I process football comes from his words, suggestions, and thoughts. He was—and still is—a mentor to me, and there’s not a day that goes by without me asking myself, “What would Coach do?”

He is missed, yet his words and his work still live on in the NFL and throughout the business world. So today we celebrate his life—a life that left its mark on the NFL and will continue to do so for many years to come. Rest in peace, Coach.

Now, let’s return to our breakdown of first-year NFL coaches and head to the Motor City for a look at the challenges that await Jim Schwartz.

BACKGROUND

When we were building our program in Cleveland back in 1991 as Bill Belichick arrived, we had some very special people come through our doors. We often looked for bright, energetic, multi-dimensional people who could start in one area of the organization and grow in whatever direction their talent led them.

Dom Anile met Jim Schwartz at a coaching convention and recommended him for a formal interview. Schwartz was a graduate in economics from Georgetown University and ranked in the top 10 of his class. Every candidate we talked to had to take a profile test, the same test that prospective college players take at the Combine.

After Schwartz took the test, Bob Troutwine, who graded the test, called my office and told me not to let Schwartz out the building as he would be the best employee we would ever hire. And so we hired Jim, and Bob was dead on with his assessment.

Schwartz worked in personnel until the team moved to Baltimore, when he moved into the coaching ranks. From Baltimore, he was hired as a defensive assistant by the Titans. Before too long, he helped install their nickel packages in their Super Bowl year. He eventually became their defensive coordinator.

Schwartz has been around some of the best coaching minds in the NFL, working for Belichick (although in personnel), then for Marvin Lewis, and Jeff Fisher. Not only has Schwartz worked for very talented coaches, he has absorbed their teachings and created his own way of doing things.

Now it’s his time to be a head coach, taking over a team that hasn't won a game since 2007.

LES STECKEL EFFECT

When you take over a winless team, you have nowhere to go but up, and any player who doesn't buy into the system is easily replaced. Schwartz has real freedom to lay down his program, to lay the foundation for his vision of the football team.

There are no better jobs to take over than jobs like Detroit, where they are in desperate need of a foundation and understand it takes time to lay the groundwork.

When Vince Lombardi took over the Packers in 1959, no one wanted the job, as many thought it was a death trap. In fact, the year before, Lombardi wanted the Philadelphia Eagles job, but couldn't wrestle total control from the Eagles’ owners (that sounds an awful lot like what happens on coaching searches now).

But Lombardi got to build his own program, to implement the ideas that he had once placed on a yellow legal pad when he dreamed of being an NFL head coach.

Of all the jobs that were available, the Detroit job has the most appeal for me, not because it can only go up—that’s obvious, but the real value lies in being able to develop, produce, and install your own way of building an organization. It’s a great sports town with great fans who love football—just like a town in Wisconsin in 1959.

THEY DIDN’T TELL ME THIS WOULD HAPPEN

When Schwartz walked into the Lions job, he took over a team that had not won since 2007 and was one of the older teams in the NFL. Bad and old isn't good for football teams, but bad and old makes for some very easy decisions.

For Schwartz and his new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, the challenge was to try and get bigger as a defense and hope they could get a little younger.

The Lions of the past wanted quickness in their defensive front. They wanted good soldiers, and so they traded away Shaun Rogers to be able to play Chuck Darby. I know that was in the past, but the past is where Cunningham and Schwartz need to take this defense, with bigger men who can control the line of scrimmage and not wear down.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ON GAME DAY?

With his background in personnel evaluation, Schwartz has always approached the game from a personnel matchup standpoint. He has hired two very good coordinators in Cunningham for the defense and Scott Linehan for the offense. With those two in place, Schwartz will manage the game and make sure each coach is preparing the team to do the essentials needed to put the team in a position to win games.

What makes coaches who know personnel so effective is that they see the game through players, not plays. Therefore on Wednesday when he meets with the team, he will place a list ranging from five to eight items that must be accomplished in order to win the game.

This is not as simple as saying, “We have to run the ball,” or “We must stop the run.” This is a detailed approach of what it takes to win the game. Schwartz has a great feel for this part of football, so he will make sure on Sunday that they are following the “points of emphasis” list.

I KNOW WHEN TO PUNT...I THINK

Jeff Fisher is one of the best game managers in the league. Having worked for Fisher, Schwartz understands how he can best serve the team. With a team that has so many areas of weakness as it enters the season, it will be important for the Lions to find some areas of strength on their team.

What will the Lions be good at this year? My sense is that they’ll be much improved in their ability to handle their opponents’ run and will feed off the dome, thus allowing the crowd noise to help make it harder for teams to control the line of scrimmage.

Last year, the Lions were last in scoring defense, total defense, and rush defense. Are you surprised they didn’t win a game?

However, in spite of not having a Pro Bowler on the team for the last two years, the 2008 Lions had the lead in four games entering the fourth quarter, so there is potential to win games. Schwartz must mentally transform this team, and make them believe they can keep the lead.

Letting go of more than 13 players from last season will help start the positive thinking process, although execution at critical parts of the game, not positive thinking, is what wins games in the NFL.

The Lions must be fundamentally sound, and they must do things perfect in practice and on the field or else they will not be in position to win.

Enough talk about how one win is an improvement from a year ago. That’s just B.S. There must be a standard of excellence established, which is the one area that Schwartz can control.

I WISH WE HAD DONE...

Whether first-round pick Matthew Stafford wins the job at the start of camp or waits until Week 8 to take over, he’s going to be the starter at some point this year.

The volume of offense that it takes to learn in the NFL is overwhelming for a young quarterback, but the scheme of Linehan is based on numbers, which all flow together. The protections will be the hardest area for Stafford to feel confident about as he comes to the line, making the right calls.

Once the speed of the game slows down, all the others areas come together. The Lions need an athlete behind center; they need someone who can move. Based on Daunte Culpepper’s movement last year, or the year before with Oakland, he doesn’t look like he can move with any quickness. Now, I know he has lost weight, and I’ll wait for the preseason to offer a definitive opinion, but for me, the Stafford era is coming very quickly.

I’M GOING TO REMEMBER THIS ONE...

The Lions haven't won a game since Dec. 23, 2007, against the Kansas City Chiefs. So when they do win a game, there will be a moment of celebration for most members of the organization.

However, this team has only won 31 games since 2001, so what’s more important than one win is a consistent feeling of winning. Overreacting to the first win might not be the right course of action under the Schwartz regime. Enjoy the win, but remind everyone there are bigger goals out there—set the bar of expectations much higher.

THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT NEXT YEAR

With a young team, Schwartz will be able to replenish the talent level, making 2010 seem brighter already.

The critical aspect for the Lions as they rebuild is to make sure that when they fix the problems, they actually fix the problems. A band-aid approach is not the right approach. They must work at personnel with a great sense of urgency. They must think every day that they have to get better and correctly evaluate their team.

Making the Detroit Lions in 2009 is a nice achievement for a player, but could that player make the 2009 New England Patriots? That’s the question that new General Manager Martin Mayhew must ask himself every day. He must build this team to win a championship, not just one game.

The National Football Post is a unique and premier online source of quality and credible news, information and insight about all sides of football featuring professionals with experience in all facets of the NFL.