ALLEN PARK -- Brandon Pettigrew wants to become an elite NFL tight end with the Detroit Lions someday.

Pettigrew understands he must improve his pass-catching ability, and ball-protection skills, for that to happen.

Last week against the Houston Texans, Pettigrew had eight receptions for 74 yards, but dropped passes late in that loss, plus had a costly fumble in overtime.

"It was obvious (how he finished that game)," Pettigrew said. "I was having a decent game until late. Didn't finish. I am big on how I start the game, but I didn't finish, obviously. You're only as good as your last performance. I have to go out and put a better performance up."

Pettigrew is hoping to erase those memories against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw four incomplete passes to Pettigrew in the fourth quarter against Houston. According to STATS LLC, Pettigrew has dropped eight passes this season, which is tied for third in the NFL.

Pettigrew was also stripped by Texans safety Danieal Manning on Houston's 32-yard line in overtime. That turnover erased Detroit's chances of setting up a potential game-winning score.

Earlier this season, Pettigrew was stripped by Tennessee's Alterraun Verner late in the fourth quarter, and that turnover was returned 72 yards for a touchdown.

"I make myself susceptible to that," Pettigrew said. "That's on me. It's nobody else's responsibility to hold the ball high and tight except me, so if I put that on film, that's their job to study the film and see that I'm susceptible to that."

Pettigrew has 54 receptions for 513 yards and two touchdowns this season, and Lions coach Jim Schwartz still has confidence in his tight end.

Schwartz said the team works on pass-catching and ball-protection drills throughout the year, and believes Pettigrew will eventually improve in both areas.

"I think that you need to be able to secure the ball," Schwartz said. "Obviously, turnovers are critical in the NFL, particularly when you're in scoring range, particularly in end-game scenarios. There's a lot of things that happened in that game that we had a chance to come back and overcome, but when you're at the end of the game, and you're trying to get that field goal to get you over the top or something like that, that's a situation you don't have time to overcome.

"I think we've seen that against Chicago earlier this year, we fumbled, a couple different guys fumbled. But they fumbled in the red zone. We have a lot of confidence in Brandon Pettigrew. He's made a lot of plays for us. It has been a rough spot for him as far as some drops and some fumbles, but he'll get through it and prove that he's the good player that we all know he is."

Pettigrew is ready to reward Schwartz's faith in him.

"There's always room for improvement," Pettigrew said. "I'm looking to go out and play the way I'm capable of playing and take care of the ball, blocking the way I'm supposed to, and just being a player. Being the player the team needs me to be. Making the big plays that I'm supposed to be making so I can become that big-time player."