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Could the Lions target Matt Prater, a Pro Bowl kicker released by the Broncos this week? (AP File Photo)

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions replaced kicker Nate Freese with Alex Henery last week.

But Matt Prater wasn't availaable then. He is now.

Would the Lions actually cut a second kicker to make room for Prater?

That leads off this week's 'bag. To file a question (or complaint!) for next week's column, you can drop a note below, tweet to @kmeinke or email to kmeinke@mlive.com.

A subject line like "Ask Kyle" is helpful, but not mandatory.

Q: Should the Lions be interested in signing Matt Prater after Sunday when his suspension is up? -- @Coughlins_Law24

A: Of course they should be interested. Prater is a Pro Bowler. He made 25-of-26 attempts last season -- a cool-as-ice 96.2 percent conversion rate. He nailed an NFL record 64-yarder.

And, hey! He's made 51-of-54 attempts in the fourth quarter or overtime. That's extremely attractive to a team such as the Lions, who have postseason aspirations but major issues in the kicking game.

So the question shouldn't be "should the Lions be interested," but rather will they be. And I think they will consider it, particularly if Alex Henery shows some cracks in his game this week.

Henery has a track record of his own -- he still holds the career NCAA accuracy record (89.5 percent) -- but his leg has wavered over the past year. He posted a career-worst 82.1 percent last season with Philadelphia, then was cut after going 1-of-3 during the preseason.

He's off to a decent start with Detroit, nailing a 51-yarder in his debut last week before missing wiiiiide right from 52 (though he later said he slipped on the MetLife Stadium turf).

The Lions say they have confidence in him. But Prater has a long track record for hitting from everywhere, and doing so in the clutch. The Lions won't hesitate to make a move if Henery falters.

Q: Safe yet to say the Lions made the right coaching hire? There seems to be a different demeanor to me that has to come from Caldwell -- @AllDayMGray

A: The season is only four games old, so it's premature to anoint anyone as anything. But the early returns suggest Jim Caldwell was the right man for this team.

Listen: Jim Schwartz wore out his welcome in Detroit. There's no disputing that. He was ego-driven and abrasive and not well-liked in his final days. Plus he committed the cardinal sin: Losing too much.

But let us remember that Schwartz, at one time, was the right man for this job. He took over in 2009, in the nuclear winter of that 0-16 season. The roster was barren, and the culture was a losing one in the most laughable of ways.

Three years later, Schwartz had the Lions in the playoffs.

His fire and his attitude -- the kids would call it swag, or something -- worked back then. It was what Detroit needed. It needed attitude. It needed swag, or whatever.

But 2011 would prove to be the high-water mark. The Lions regressed each of the past two years, drowning in a sea of their own mistakes, and Schwartz's act wore out its usefulness.

Detroit evolved. Schwartz was no longer the right man for the job. The team needed a guy who knew how to handle a more veteran club. And Caldwell has that touch.

I've had a lot of conversations with players on and off the record about the two coaches, and there's no doubt in my mind that, personality-wise, Caldwell was the right man for the job.

He seeks a lot of player input. He shifts a lot of the onus for success onto the players. He's even in temperament. He is, to use the players' words, more mature. He is simply more well-liked.

Being well-liked is no assurance of success in the NFL. But this was what the Lions needed, and they've responded.

We'll see what happens going forward. Every coach at some point reaches a ceiling. Teams have a way of evolving over time, and a coach that was right might no longer be. Exhibit A: Jim Schwartz.

But on this day, with this team, there's no doubt in my mind Caldwell has this team in a better place than Schwartz would have.

Q: If Suh and Fairley depart would Teryl Austin look to move to a 3-4 D? -- @JasonPevitt

A: In a word, sure.

I've asked around about the defensive plans for next year, with little clarity offered. I'm not even sure if the Lions know what they'll run next year.

But if there's one thing we've learned about Austin through four games as Detroit's defensive coordinator, it's that he knows how to adapt his game plan to fit his personnel. What he's done this year, with all the injuries in the secondary, and now at middle linebacker, is remarkable.

So if he in fact loses Suh and Fairley, then a move to the 3-4 would seem to make sense. Could happen.

Of course, this is all assuming -- earmuffs, Lions fans -- that Austin is even back next year. The man has has all the makings of a head coach in waiting.

Q: What are your odds that Suh is a Lion to start next season? -- Lioneyes

A: I'll go 51 percent. It's anyone's guess what happens -- I don't think even Suh or the Lions know. But I know it's in the Lions' best interest for him to play here, and Suh is going to go where the most money is. The likeliest outcome is he gets that payday in Detroit, though it's far from a certainty.

Q: Let's assume Suh gets away, which makes me sick to my stomach, but would we make a strong push to re-sign Fairley? He is playing super well now, but can we depend on him right after a big contract ? -- Skyler Woodworth

A: Nah, man.

I say that with all due respect for how Fairley has responded to some adversity in camp, when he found himself benched in favor of C.J. Mosley for a couple weeks. He went out and hired a cook, he whipped himself into shape and now he's played some of his better football as a Lion.

But, you know, isn't this kind of what we expected once the Lions made this a contract year for Fairley? He is a greatly talented player, but has never shown he's intrinsically driven to be great. He is driven by money.

The Lions know this. It's why they passed on a well-priced fifth year, to get the best out of him this year.

And now that they're getting the big year they expected, they aren't about to fork over a ton of guaranteed money. If they do re-sign Fairley, I expect it to be a short-term deal, or at least incentive laden with little guaranteed money.

Q: Kyle, is it safe to presume that the Lions have already faced the best defenses on their schedule? After the Bills of course -- Walter Reid

A: The Jets and Bills might have the best defenses on Detroit's schedule, but New England, Arizona and Miami also rank among the top 10 overall defenses. And the Lions face the Pats and Cards on the road. Those will be difficult games.

The Cardinals have allowed the second-fewest points per game on the season (15.0), and the Lions haven't won in the desert since Bill Clinton's rookie year in the West Wing.

Q: Do you still have the Lions losing to the Patriots and Saints this year? -- Andre Smiley

A: Those games really do seem a lot more winnable today than they did at the start of the season, eh? Especially the Saints game in a couple weeks. They're 1-3, with losses against the Falcons, Browns and a trucking last week against the Cowboys.

They haven't won away from the Big Easy.

The New England game is going to be more difficult. Detroit hasn't won there since 1993, and the Patriots always seem to find a way to sort themselves out. Plus the Lions are coming off a tough game out West in the desert.

Detroit would have been ecstatic at the start of the season with a split of those games. And that seems not only attainable now, but maybe expected.

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