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Lions coach Jim Caldwell is on the hot seat, but still has the support of his players and many fans.

(Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- Jim Caldwell once looked like a dead man walking.

Then the Detroit Lions won five out of seven, and now there is a groundswell of support for his return to the Detroit Lions in 2016. Most notably from inside the locker room, where Caldwell still curries support from every corner.

Including from his biggest stars.

"Yeah man, I love him," receiver Calvin Johnson said, when asked whether he wanted Caldwell to return next season.

"Everybody in the locker room would probably say the same thing. He commands respect, but he doesn't have to do much. It's just his character guys gravitate toward. Easily, one of my favorite coaches. I've had a couple good ones, and he's one of my favorites."

Caldwell had one of the greatest debuts by a coach in Lions history last year, guiding the franchise to 11 wins and its second playoff berth in 15 years. That matches the most wins ever by a first-time Detroit coach.

That ratcheted up expectations for his second season, with president Tom Lewand speculating about a possible Super Bowl run. Then Detroit lost seven of its first eight games.

Caldwell fired three assistants along the way, and owner Martha Firestone Ford fired Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew. It seemed only a matter of time before Caldwell joined them.

But the Lions have won five of their past seven games, and suddenly, Caldwell looks as though he might have a chance to survive. His fate will ultimately be determined by the new general manager, who could be hired as soon as next week, but he still remains in the good graces of ownership.

The Fords would have faced public backlash for bringing back Caldwell at the midway point. But after winning five out of seven, the tide of public percent has shifted. In an MLive poll published Tuesday, 62.7 percent of readers said Caldwell should return in 2016.

It seems many would welcome a return now, which would preserve the second-half momentum and give Detroit a shot at returning promising young coordinators in Teryl Austin and Jim Bob Cooter.

That's what many players are hoping for.

"It's not my decision," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "I just know we're playing really well in this offense right now, and I'm having a good time. I think everyone is. (Cooter) is a smart guy. It's not my decision, but I'd like to have him back next year."

The best way to guarantee that Cooter returns is to retain Caldwell as coach, and that seems to be what players want.

"I definitely feel the same way as Calvin," veteran safety Glover Quin said. "I think coach Caldwell's a great coach. I think he's a great leader. I think this season really shows the type of leader that he is. For us to be having the type of season we were having, but for him to stay calm in the midst of a storm, when everybody is saying this and that -- to stay focused on the task at hand and to come back in the second half of the season and be 5-2 right now in the second half, who knew we would be right here?

"So I think the demeanor he has, the passion he has as a coach, and the way he can relate to players, the respect I think everyone in this locker room has for him, I think is a big deal. I think there's something to be said for that."

Detroit's second-half finish has been impressive, though critics would point out the surge only underscores Caldwell's failure in the first half. Johnson said that's not the right way to think about it.

"We had a bad start," Johnson conceded. "Guys could have easily gave less effort, but our effort's actually increased, our attention to detail has gotten better. Coach Caldwell's done a great job of keeping guys together. We have high character guys on the team, so that's something that's a big worry for us. Guys are going to go out there and give their all because we have great character people here. So he definitely helps in keeping us on the right track."

Players say the sluggish first half isn't on Caldwell, but the players who failed to execute, and they maintain Caldwell has been masterful at keeping the team together when other teams might have quit on their coach.

"He's a phenomenal coach," safety James Ihedigbo said. "You can't just (look at) this year. This year's been somewhat of a crazy here. Those are going to happen, but it doesn't define him who he is as a coach. He came here to change the culture and bring a winning mind-set, and he's done that. I mean, it's his second year here, and you look at what we did last year, in terms of being in the playoffs."

Caldwell is 17-14 in Detroit, which means he'd have the highest lifetime winning percentage by a Lions coach with a victory Sunday against Chicago.

Would Detroit really fire its winningest coach ever?

"To sit there and say he isn't getting the job done, or isn't a good coach, that's not accurate," Ihedigbo said. "He's done a phenomenal job here, and I guarantee you with more time here, there's going to be more winning."

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