2015 - Week #5 Detroit Lions vs Arizona Cardinals @ Home

Clueless.

The 0-5 Detroit Lions lost to the 4-1 Arizona Cardinals 17-42 in their 2nd home game of the season. The sheer number of turnovers that occurred during the game was nothing short of amazing. Lions gave up 6 of them. Stafford had 2 interceptions before half time when he was apparently told by head coach Caldwell that if he threw another he would be benched. Half way through the 3rd quarter he did and he was. What kind of head coach tells his starting quarterback during the game if he throws another INT he'll be benched? One that is clueless, that's what kind.

This coaching staff was brought in last year to "win now" and last year they did a fairly good job of it until the playoff loss... but this year they suddenly find themselves with a team that is playing like they are lost, or clueless, as to what they need or can do. So instead of fitting the scheme and plays to the players they are blaming the players for not executing the plays and scheme. That is NOT what they said they would be doing. That is NOT what they are supposed to be doing. That is NOT going to put the players in a position to win games, as evidenced by the 0-5 start.

Matthew Stafford was 20 of 32 (62.5%) for 188 yards 1 TD and 3 INTs. Dan Orlovsky was 21 of 38 (55.26%) for 191 yards also with 1 TD and 1 INT. Meanwhile Carson Palmer needed only 11 completions on 14 attempts for 161 yards and 3 TDs (with no interceptions). Yet the Lions coaching staff appear to think it's Staffords fault they were losing the game. Now don't get me wrong, Stafford has plenty of things he could do better. That said, poor tackling, poor blocking, poor play by almost every one on the team including the quarterback can't be all on the players. If the plays are not executable by the guys on the field (but other plays are) who's fault is it, the players or the coaches? Since the coaching staff seems to think it's not them, this is going to go nowhere fast.

Stafford wasn't the only player benched, earlier in the game Ameer Abdullah was benched after his second fumble. That one I can understand, as long as ball security is the point being made and this doesn't permanently put Ameer in the doghouse. Of course, if you are going to draft a running back with small hands you are going to have a player who fumbles from time to time, it's what happens. Now it could be said that Stafford was also benched for ball security issues and for showing the team that you're not playing favorites, I just don't agree that telling the QB during the game he will be benched if he does it again is the right way to go about coaching. Playing afraid isn't putting the players into a position to win, or even try hard. To me, this shows the coaching staff has or is about to lose the players. They certainly are losing the fans. Unlike the coaching staff, the fans are not clueless.