Jim Schwartz' 2010 Outlook: "Opportunity Will Be There; It's Up to Us"

In his press conference yesterday, Detroit Lions head Coach Jim Schwartz gave onlookers a glossing over of some of the team’s off season accomplishments, and shared his views regarding upgraded units on both sides of the ball. 

Most of his framing sounded calculated, somewhat guarded, and cautiously optimistic.  Schwartz’ words were chosen carefully.

There was one portion of the press conference, however, that particularly drew my attention, as coach Schwartz emphasized repeatedly, “It’s up to us. ”

“It’s not up to those teams who did it last year or the year before; it’s up to us.  It’s up to the players we have now.  It’s up to our coaches.  It’s up to us; it’s in our hands.  The opportunity will be there; it’s up to us to make something of it.”

The season of responsibility and accountability is upon us.

As a young recruiter assigned to the Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion of the United States Army Recruiting Command, I had a former battalion commander who came to Recruiting Command from Special Forces. 

As one might imagine, the lieutenant colonel was very mission oriented. 

It didn’t take long for station commanders and recruiters alike to gain a clear understanding of the maximum effective range of a production excuse from the battalion commander, “The onus is on you.”

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onus

The “onus” to meet or exceed the production mission of providing the strength was a process viewed by many recruiters as every bit a burden and more often than not a disagreeable necessity. 

Like it or lump it, the job had to get done.

In Schwartz’ remarks from the podium yesterday, I heard my former commander’s words ringing true in every way.

Far be it from me to leave Sir Winston Churchill out of this as well:

“Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.”

In 2010, Schwartz, Cunningham, and Linehan will have more than ample opportunity to master the difficult: Detroit will square off against teams from the NFC East and AFC East, two of the toughest divisions in the NFL.

I believe there is much to be found in Schwartz’ statement; so much so, I think we should pick it apart and reflect for greater meaning.

It’s not up to those teams who did it last year or the year before; it’s up to us. 

The train has finally left the station.

When you hear Schwartz make this statement, it becomes clear that the organization is moving forward and leaving behind the failures of the recent past. 

This statement says, “We are not the 2008 Detroit Lions.  We are not the 2009 Detroit Lions.  Those teams exist only in the past.  We will take from those seasons an intense focus not to repeat the failures of yesteryear.”

To me it says, “We have moved on.”  The players on the 2008 squad won’t be lining up this season, no more than the 2009 team will be. 

While there are a few players who remain from the 2008 club, the roster has been largely churned since then, with more new starters on the offense and many new starters on defense.

It’s up to the players we have now. 

Again, the leadership has transitioned out of the past as the team prepares to go forward with the 2010 campaign.

When comparing the 2010 roster to the final roster of the 2008 Detroit Lions, what largely remains are players who were rookies during the winless season:  Cherilus, Dizon, Kevin Smith, Fluellen, Avril, Felton, and Landon Cohen (also included is Caleb Campbell).

Coach Schwartz said that the team has made strides on both sides of the ball from a personnel standpoint, adding at the skilled positions offensively.  Schwartz also stressed the team had made significant strides along the defensive line.

To that end, the Detroit Lions have made significant changes to the roster headed into the 2010 season, so much so that players and fans alike are calling for a playoff run (probably players more so than fans at this point, but such is to be expected, all things being equal).

It’s up to our coaches. 

Schwartz said, “Our coaches have a better understanding of the talent we have.”  This knowledge should help the coaching staff put their players in a much better position to properly execute on a consistent basis, alleviating the wonderment of whether a player is capable of executing his assignment on game day.

Last year you could tell that Gunther Cunningham wasn’t pleased with the consistency of play from his defensive unit, and through trial and error learned about the capacity of each Lions defender. 

With seven projected new starters on the 2010 Detroit Lions defense, Lions fans may witness yet another year of growing pains while the defense learns to play together as a cohesive unit.

I’m looking forward to the development of the Lions defense in their second year under the tutelage of Bud Carson, Jr.

Offensively, I believe the decision to make Scott Linehan the quarterbacks coach only makes sense from a unity of command perspective.  As Matthew Stafford is Scott Linehan’s direct link to success or failure, I think it only makes sense that Scott be the quarterbacks coach to avoid any ambiguity.  If one is going to be graded on the performance of another, it makes sense to streamline the coaching process and simplify and unify the flow of information.

It’s up to us; it’s in our hands. 

“The onus is on us ,” is what that means, folks.

To me, this portion of the statement makes many powerful suggestions, once we peel back the layers of the onion.

“It’s up to us,” says we must accomplish the mission ourselves.  The Detroit Lions will certainly not get willing assistance from the other 31 NFL franchises that have the same goal of winning the Super Bowl.

I think the statement, “it’s in our hands,” is very telling.  It suggests this team has turned the corner in terms of talent and cohesion to the extent that the players who take the field for Detroit in 2010 are capable of taking the battle to the opponent on Sundays and emerging victorious. 

If it is “in our hands”, it means the Lions have control over the prospective outcome, an attitude scarcely seen over the past two seasons.

If the situation is truly “in their hands” and the talent has truly been upgraded, Lions fans should expect to be rewarded with a much higher win total in 2010.  It would be a disappointment should the team not improve by at least four wins on the upcoming season.

The opportunity will be there; it’s up to us to make something of it.

For a team to see an opportunity, they must first believe they are not only able and ready to compete, but also capable of exacting victory over their opponent.  Coach Schwartz says the opportunity will be there, sending the message that he will have his players ready to go come game day, and that this is not your “same old Lions” team.

As far as “making something” of the opportunities the Detroit Lions will be afforded during the 2010 campaign, Schwartz said, “Our formula for winning games is going to be to do what we do best.”

Since neither the offense nor the defense has exactly set the league on fire in terms of production over the past two seasons, Detroit Lions fans might be left to wonder exactly what it is that the Lions will be doing “best” in 2010.

I know there is a tremendous amount of wonderment from Detroit Lions fans in regard to the ultimate performance of the “upgraded” 2010 squad.

Fans wonder if the addition of LG Rob Sims will be enough to solidify the offensive line.  Fans wonder if the additions of TE Tony Scheffler, WR Nate Burleson, and RB Jahvid Best will create the offensive mismatches that will lead to a high-power offense in 2010.

Fans wonder if the retooled defensive line will be able to generate an effective pass rush with just the front four or if the defense will have to increasingly blitz.  Fans wonder if the team is going to be suspect at the linebacker position with two second-year players projecting as starters.

Fans wonder if the defensive backfield is going to be much improved or much of the same.  Fans wonder if the addition of Chris Houston, Jonathan Wade, Dré Bly, and Amari Spievey will help the secondary at all, or if the club will have spent another season sifting through prospective starting-grade defensive backs only to resume the task immediately following the 2010-11 season.

Regardless of the question marks facing the 2010 Detroit Lions as training camp begins, there seems to be an upbeat air about Jim Schwartz as he leads his team forward.

The Detroit Lions leadership knows they have churned the roster and no longer feels attached to the losing records of the recent past. Louis Delmas and Jonathan Wade both proclaim the Lions should be playoff bound in 2010.

While none of us knows what the Detroit Lions will do with the opportunities they will be given in 2010, we do know that the city of Detroit and fans of Lions football are hungry for a winner. 

Should the 2010 Detroit Lions maximize their opportunities, they could find themselves in playoff contention headed into the late-December contest in Miami.

Want to make something out of those opportunities?  Make Detroit Lions fans proud by posting a winning season.

There’s your opportunity, coach.  It’s up to you.  Lead on.