Birkett: Lombardi firing may not be end for Lions

LONDON — Joe Lombardi was a convenient fall guy for everything that ailed the Detroit Lions, but seven weeks into what could go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the bloodletting might not be done.

The Lions relieved Lombardi of offensive coordinator duties Monday and fired two of his top assistants, offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan, hours before they departed for London and this week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The firings were justified given the Lions' league-worst 1-6 record and vegetative offense that showed few signs of life.

But while a transatlantic trip may provide ample cover for Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Caldwell, replacing Lombardi with Jim Bob Cooter does little to solve the team's many woes.

Caldwell, who said the decision to fire Lombardi was his and his alone — owner Martha Ford no doubt supports the move, he said — made the kind of pre-emptive strike common by coaches across the league whose own job is on the line.

The Lions, coming off an 11-win season and wild card berth, have underachieved in just about every conceivable way this year. No one is without blame.

The offense has committed more turnovers than any team in the NFL and scored the fourth fewest points. A line that features four recent high draft picks can't keep its quarterback out of harm's way. Matthew Stafford has regressed in 21 months under Caldwell, the man brought in expressly to take the talented quarterback to new heights. The defense that was so central to all the good that happened last year can't get off the field. And Caldwell's in-game acumen continues to come into question with head-scratching calls week after week.

Caldwell said Monday was a "tough day" and one that he's been on the other end of three times before. But he acknowledged the pressure he feels when asked about the curious timing of the move.

Several teams have used the back end of their London trip (and the bye that comes with it) to make coaching changes, including the Miami Dolphins to much success earlier this year. The Lions chose to make an already hectic week even more difficult by shuffling roles before they left.

"We don't have a lot of time," Caldwell explained of the moves. "We're running out of time."

The hourglass on this season has emptied except for a final few sands. But a bigger question remains: Who else besides Lombardi is on the bubble?

Beyond the offense's well documented struggles, the Lions have aged quickly on both sides of the ball and many of their biggest moves have blown up in their face this year.

Letting Ndamukong Suh walk. Signing DeAndre Levy to a mega contract extension. Trading for Haloti Ngata. Drafting just about anyone in the second round. And trying to force Stafford to be something he's not while limiting his greatest attributes.

Sure, Lombardi and his New Orleans Saints-style offense are partly to blame for that square-peg-round-hole dynamic. But as one of Caldwell's chief lieutenants, Lombardi was only carrying out his leader's commands.

Caldwell is the one who promised to cut down on Stafford's pass attempts this year and lean more heavily on the running game. Caldwell is the one who emphasizes completion percentage at every given turn. And Caldwell is the one who pulled Stafford from the third quarter of a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month after he threw an interception that wasn't his fault.

When they were hired, both Caldwell and Lombardi (for their work with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, respectively) were trumpeted as quarterback whisperers who would help take Stafford — and by extension the team — to new heights.

Instead, 23 regular-season games later, their marriage appears to be on the rocks and Stafford is accepting of his share of the blame.

"I think Joe was receptive to the things that I had to say," Stafford said. "If anything it was probably I got to do a better job of communicating, too. It's on everybody when that happens, when bad stuff happens, and I can always be better, too. Joe's a standup guy and I really enjoyed working with him. And it's not one person. When it gets to this point, it's a lot of people involved."

Stafford and Cooter, a former quarterback at Tennessee who worked alongside Manning with two different teams, have a good relationship, by all accounts, and the 31-year-old Cooter is considered one of the bright young coaches in the league.

Cooter, who declined comment about his promotion upon arriving in London today, has a chance to be successful in his new role, though he'll mostly be calling Lombardi's plays.

But success for the Lions at this stage of the season is a loaded term.

Is six wins — a winning record the rest of the way — enough to give Mayhew, Caldwell and others in the organization a reprieve till 2016? Seven? Will a .500 finish do?

No matter what the final two months hold, this year has been a major disappointment and Lombardi might have company in the unemployment line soon.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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