Lions players raving about Caldwell

[chad72]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000426294/article/nate-burleson-lions-players-raving-about-jim-caldwell

[House]

"When I was going through a hard time Jim was always there to give me a blink or two. Meant the world to me...."

[Jules]

IMO Caldwell is the real coach of the year, so far. 

 

Looking back.....we put an awful lot of blame on him too here. Ouch, even I did. :bag: We used him as a huge scapegoat for everything that went wrong.

 

He has gotten better though with time based on what I have seen. And he was a good fit for an immature yet talented Lions team who needed a more calming influence at times I feel. So many seem to want coaches to scream and shout all the time. Thats not always the answer.....

[amfootball]

IMO Caldwell is the real coach of the year, so far. 

 

Looking back.....we put an awful lot of blame on him too here. Ouch, even I did. :bag: We used him as a huge scapegoat for everything that went wrong.

 

He has gotten better though with time based on what I have seen. And he was a good fit for an immature yet talented Lions team who needed a more calming influence at times I feel. So many seem to want coaches to scream and shout all the time. Thats not always the answer.....

He is doing a great job but at this point Arians will get COY if the cards win the West. He will have to go the rest of the way with his back up QB who has already played several games when Palmer injured his shoulder. Of course, Arians was a former Colts coach too so I guess there is something to be said for former Colts coaches doing well.

[buccolts]

He is doing a great job but at this point Arians will get COY if the cards win the West. He will have to go the rest of the way with his back up QB who has already played several games when Palmer injured his shoulder. Of course, Arians was a former Colts coach too so I guess there is something to be said for former Colts coaches doing well.

 

COY Bowl this Sunday.

Can't wait.

[Dr. Guildo]

IMO Caldwell is the real coach of the year, so far. 

 

Looking back.....we put an awful lot of blame on him too here. Ouch, even I did. :bag: We used him as a huge scapegoat for everything that went wrong.

 

He has gotten better though with time based on what I have seen. And he was a good fit for an immature yet talented Lions team who needed a more calming influence at times I feel. So many seem to want coaches to scream and shout all the time. Thats not always the answer.....

Jim Caldwell has done a good job, but what Arians has done is more remarkable if you ask me... and Arizona has done it with multiple quarterbacks. The most impressive thing about Coach Caldwell this year is that he seems to have found a whole new range of emotion. I guess Detroit is where he was meant to be, and I'm glad the man and team is doing well.

[Narcosys]

He is doing a great job but at this point Arians will get COY if the cards win the West. He will have to go the rest of the way with his back up QB who has already played several games when Palmer injured his shoulder. Of course, Arians was a former Colts coach too so I guess there is something to be said for former Colts coaches doing well.

If the Browns pull out a divisional win, Mike pettine easy. Arians had an great record last year, browns didn't. Biggest turn around.

[chad72]

If the Browns pull out a divisional win, Mike pettine easy. Arians had an great record last year, browns didn't. Biggest turn around.

 

I agree there but they have been barely taking care of teams like the Bucs and losing to a team like the Jaguars will not help.

 

The one team that can stop the run and force them to throw more will be the Ravens who have already beaten them once. The last home game for the Ravens vs Browns will be for the division, IMO.

[Narcosys]

I agree there but they have been barely taking care of teams like the Bucs and losing to a team like the Jaguars will not help.

The one team that can stop the run and force them to throw more will be the Ravens who have already beaten them once. The last home game for the Ravens vs Browns will be for the division, IMO.

Close win. I think the Browns should have had that and they lost it, Ravens didn't win it.

But a win is a win whether it was close or not. But idk if the voters think that way.

[21isSuperman]

"When I was going through a hard time Jim was always there to give me a blink or two. Meant the world to me...."

That's a joke, but it's kinda what the article is saying.  Caldwell doesn't raise his voice at them, doesn't curse at them, and treats them like adults.  To me, that's more of an indictment against Jim Schwartz being eccentric, immature, and unprofessional than it is saying Caldwell is great.  I think Caldwell is a better coach now than he was with the Colts because of the experience he has gotten, but that doesn't mean he is a good head coach just yet,

[Jules]

Caldwell has beginners luck too doesn't he? 

 

He went to the SB his first year with the Colts.

 

Won a ring with the Ravens as OC in his first year there in 2012.

 

Now he is in his first year with the Lions.

 

 

Yeah!!! Part of me almost wants to pencil in Detroit for a big playoff run lol. And Detroit also I think lost that Bills game due to their kicker weeks ago. What also is great about Detroit this year is their ability to pull out CLOSE wins. You saw it vs. the Saints, Dolphins, Falcons recently.

 

 

 

As for Arians, we will truly see what he is made of now without Palmer full time. This team has yet to play Seattle either who I doubt will go away quietly. 

[SilentHill]

Caldwell is OK, but he got out coached BAD in the superbowl against the Saints, and he continued to make coaching mistakes throughout his entire tenure here.

[lollygagger8]

This makes me chuckle

 

[dgambill]

Some teams respond to the quiet confidence...the even keel type figure. Others don't. When we needed a little fire....pride...we couldn't muster more than 2 wins. Some of his decision making like the end of the Jets game and others will always make you question the guy. I think he works out well when the going is good...he is a good qb coach and seems to run a good offense.....Detroit has a great defense....so maybe he can piece it together...but in the end I feel he lacks that special something that puts a team over the top. I think it was a good change for them though...clearly they weren't responding to Schwartz and he is opposite of him as you get. I just worry if things go south can he manage that locker room of Suh and company. Time will tell.

[oldunclemark]

Jim Caldwell was perfect for the Lins..who needed a a calming influence

Brice Arians gave the cardinals the boost they needed on offense.

We need to wait until the end of the season in Detroit but Bruce is proven now.

Carson isn't greta at full strength...Arians has built a consistent contender

[ReMeDy]

The most impressive thing about Coach Caldwell this year is that he seems to have found a whole new range of emotion.

 

Nice Photoshopping. I especially like the space you added between his front teeth.

[Superman]

He wasn't a scapegoat. He did a bad job and was fired with cause.

 

He's doing a much better job now and deserves credit for it.

[Mitch Connors]

Caldwell is OK, but he got out coached BAD in the superbowl against the Saints, and he continued to make coaching mistakes throughout his entire tenure here.

Agreed. Caldwell and the colts is a perfect divorce. None of us were happy together and now we've both moved on to situations that were really happy with. A double date lions/colts 2/1/15 to prove we've both moved on would be great.

[oldunclemark]

He wasn't a scapegoat. He did a bad job and was fired with cause.

 

He's doing a much better job now and deserves credit for it.

There';s some revisionist history there..Supe

He coached us (the Colts) to the Super Bowl and folks here called that a failure.

He was 2-14 when Peyton got hurt...and he too the blame..

..I think its scapegoating to say his years were a 'bad job'

[BOTT]

Caldwell is OK, but he got out coached BAD in the superbowl against the Saints, and he continued to make coaching mistakes throughout his entire tenure here.

Other than sending out Stover for a 52 yarder what did he do wrong?

[Superman]

There';s some revisionist history there..Supe

He coached us (the Colts) to the Super Bowl and folks here called that a failure.

He was 2-14 when Peyton got hurt...and he too the blame..

..I think its scapegoating to say his years were a 'bad job'

 

I don't want to have a soundbite conversation.

 

I watched every game of his three year tenure, and I saw some good coaching, and some bad coaching. Overall, especially in big games, he was bad. His coaching in the Super Bowl was bad (I said in another thread that if he had coached the Super Bowl the way he coached their game on Sunday, we probably would have won). The general schemes and gameplanning, and especially the lack of adjustments in 2011, were bad. 

 

People called him a bad coach because of his coaching, not because we went 2-14 without Manning. Yeah, there was some unfair criticism at times, but he lost his job because he wasn't doing it well. 

 

He's doing a pretty good job in Detroit so far, and he deserves credit for it. But this isn't a case of "we fired a good coach because we went 2-14." No, he earned that firing. So he wasn't scapegoated. 

[Tsarquise]

He wasn't a scapegoat. He did a bad job and was fired with cause.

He's doing a much better job now and deserves credit for it.

What culmination of bad decisions did he make, to warrant his tenure in Indianapolis as bad?

He wasn't even average?

[Superman]

What culmination of bad decisions did he make, to warrant his tenure in Indianapolis as bad?

He wasn't even average?

 

I didn't call his tenure bad.

[NewColtsFan]

I didn't call his tenure bad.

 

Post 17....   you wrote....

 

 

He wasn't a scapegoat. He did a bad job and was fired with cause.

 

He's doing a much better job now and deserves credit for it.

 

 

 

I think that's what the other poster is referring to....

 

 

[Superman]

 

Post 17....   you wrote....

 

 

He wasn't a scapegoat. He did a bad job and was fired with cause.

 

He's doing a much better job now and deserves credit for it.

 

 

 

I think that's what the other poster is referring to....

 

I stand by that. I'm still not calling his tenure bad. That would suggest that we had no success with him as the coach.

 

I'm saying that I don't think he did a good job coaching this team, overall. 

[chad72]

To me, in Indy, he showed that if you have the horses and his plan A goes well, he will have success. If Peyton goes down or plan A does not work, and he has to get creative to win games for us, he is limited. But we won't know the whole truth about who was pulling the strings (safe to assume Polian) that he could have been limited by it. Even with Detroit, he has the horses to compete. Only when he plays on the road vs the Pats or vs the Packers, we will find out more about his coaching and adjustments.

[oldunclemark]

To me, in Indy, he showed that if you have the horses and his plan A goes well, he will have success. If Peyton goes down or plan A does not work, and he has to get creative to win games for us, he is limited. But we won't know the whole truth about who was pulling the strings (safe to assume Polian) that he could have been limited by it. Even with Detroit, he has the horses to compete. Only when he plays on the road vs the Pats or vs the Packers, we will find out more about his coaching and adjustments.

true..the next 2 weeks will tell a tale for the Lions..but they DO have 2 games left with the Bears!!

[Superman]

To me, in Indy, he showed that if you have the horses and his plan A goes well, he will have success. If Peyton goes down or plan A does not work, and he has to get creative to win games for us, he is limited. But we won't know the whole truth about who was pulling the strings (safe to assume Polian) that he could have been limited by it. Even with Detroit, he has the horses to compete. Only when he plays on the road vs the Pats or vs the Packers, we will find out more about his coaching and adjustments.

 

I think his problems in Indy where bigger than that. And I think what he's done this year -- in game, and without his best players -- has shown better gameplanning, better decision making, etc. You take the Super Bowl approach and compare it with the way he coached last Sunday, and there's just a huuuuuge difference. (For anyone who hasn't watched the Lions game from last week, you should, if you're at all interested in seeing a difference in Jim Caldwell.)

 

But like you say, in Indy, it was hard to tell where Polian ended and where Caldwell began. And from the other side, it was always hard to tell where Peyton ended and coaching began. There were still certain things that should clearly be the responsibility of the coaches that were troublesome, and if Caldwell wasn't making those decisions, then it's hard to justify keeping him.

[SilentHill]

Other than sending out Stover for a 52 yarder what did he do wrong?

 

Well for starters,

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/09/jim-caldwells-timeout-explanation-doesnt-make-sense/

 

He did this his entire tenure as Head Coach here, and there are even some articles from his coaching blunders from the Lions already.

[Synthetic]

Coach of the year.

 

 

I like to see this man have success after he was ragged on the entire 2011 season. The Lions actually play like an organized team now. They have toned down the penalties that used to really kill their momentum in the last few years with Schwartz there.

 

If it comes down to him or Arians as coach of the year, what should decide it is who goes further in the playoffs.

 

Detroit's defense has drastically improved now under better coaching. They could really make some noise late in the season.

[BloodyChamp]

I read a bunch of this thread but not all of it. It seems like the typical Caldwell conversation.

He rode Peyton Manning and it was even more obvious than usual once we saw just how unprepared the team was in 2011. They were just in disarray and it's not like Peyton went down in the first preseason game with some unknown injury. They should have been better because of the time and the resources they had.

The NFCN has 1 fraud team to make Green Bay look good on their way to 1 and done every year. This year it's Detroit because they're the most stacked team. As soon they hit a bump in the room all those talented guys will turn into divas and Caldwell will just stand there while it crumbles.

I hope I'm wrong though...ya'll know what I think of Aaron Rodger's and how people see Canton in his future in spite of his future 6-10 playoff record...

[southwest1]

That's a joke, but it's kinda what the article is saying.  Caldwell doesn't raise his voice at them, doesn't curse at them, and treats them like adults.  To me, that's more of an indictment against Jim Schwartz being eccentric, immature, and unprofessional than it is saying Caldwell is great.  I think Caldwell is a better coach now than he was with the Colts because of the experience he has gotten, but that doesn't mean he is a good head coach just yet,

When Nate Burleson said that Coach Caldwell not swearing at the team speaks to the growth of their team, I burst out laughing & said shut up. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. Curse words or the lack of them have nothing to do with maturity, intelligence, or success on a football team. Is there a profanity vs clean SB winning stat now? Please...LOL! 

[BloodyChamp]

When Nate Burleson said that Coach Caldwell not swearing at the team speaks to the growth of their team, I burst out laughing & said shut up. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. Curse words or the lack of them have nothing to do with maturity, intelligence, or success on a football team. Is there a profanity vs clean SB winning stat now? Please...LOL!

Don't you know football players never ever cuss! And they always behave like adults too!

[21isSuperman]

When Nate Burleson said that Coach Caldwell not swearing at the team speaks to the growth of their team, I burst out laughing & said shut up. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. Curse words or the lack of them have nothing to do with maturity, intelligence, or success on a football team. Is there a profanity vs clean SB winning stat now? Please...LOL! 

I think it can be appreciated.  I know from my own work experiences that I'm more motivated and happy at work when my employer and supervisors treat me better.  If they swear at you and act unprofessionally, like Schwartz did, I wouldn't be very motivated to work for them.  But having that sense of professionalism makes me want to work harder to please them.  It's all about how you use it.  I've heard Peyton, Brady, Belichick, even Luck all swear and use profanity, but they use it at the right times.  They are all mature and know what they're doing.  Schwartz was just very immature and unprofessional.  I don't know if that speaks to the growth of the team, but certainly a change in the culture which will help.  With that said, that doesn't mean Caldwell is a great coach.

[southwest1]

Caldwell has beginners luck too doesn't he? 

 

He went to the SB his first year with the Colts.

 

Won a ring with the Ravens as OC in his first year there in 2012.

 

Now he is in his first year with the Lions.

 

 

Part of me agrees with you Jules. Caldwell has fallen into some fortunate situations, but I've also been around long enough to know that if good things happen while you are at an organization, you typically get credit for those successes anyway regardless of direct involvement or being at the right place at the right time. 

 

Jim is a nice guy & I am happy for him, but he's no football genius. 

[southwest1]

I think it can be appreciated.  I know from my own work experiences that I'm more motivated and happy at work when my employer and supervisors treat me better.  If they swear at you and act unprofessionally, like Schwartz did, I wouldn't be very motivated to work for them.  But having that sense of professionalism makes me want to work harder to please them.  It's all about how you use it.  I've heard Peyton, Brady, Belichick, even Luck all swear and use profanity, but they use it at the right times.  They are all mature and know what they're doing.  Schwartz was just very immature and unprofessional.  I don't know if that speaks to the growth of the team, but certainly a change in the culture which will help.  With that said, that doesn't mean Caldwell is a great coach.

I get what you're saying 21st. Not every person is motivated by vulgar language or they don't use it as tool to convey a sense of urgency or attention to detail. A fair point. The danger here is applying normal workplace standards to an NFL locker room. I'm not accusing you of doing this 21st, I am only saying that a lot of coaches swear a lot like most people breathe & there's a difference between an unsafe environment & a critical film study session where teammates are subjected to harsh criticism. I will admit that encouragement reinforces lessons better than a nasty, public dressing down before a large group. No argument there. 

 

I took issue with  Nate Burleson's curse word statement because I have highly intelligent relatives that swear all the time. A clean mouth or a dirty one has nothing to do with intellect or motivation skills period. It's all about your tone & your demeanor as opposed to what is actually said. Humor mixed in during a colorful swear fest also helps get your message across as well. 

 

I'm sure you are a valued employee 21st & yes, you do deserve to be treated well. You have been helpful to me in the past & I appreciate that. Yes, Jim Schwartz did not handle his 1st HC gig well at all. Well said. 

[Nadine]

This makes me really happy.  Go Coach!

[BOTT]

Well for starters,

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/09/jim-caldwells-timeout-explanation-doesnt-make-sense/

 

He did this his entire tenure as Head Coach here, and there are even some articles from his coaching blunders from the Lions already.

Yes, and that had no effect on the SB

[SilentHill]

Yes, and that had no effect on the SB

 

Doesn't change the fact that he wasn't a good coach.

[The Old Crow]

Jim Caldwell is flat out a good coach. I read some of the post on the gaffes , and we're they bad, of course. However, you could do the same thing with Harbaugh , or other coaches. They all make blunders. Caldwell was the scapegoat for 2009, but the real culprits were Irsay and Polian, who pulled the plug on the perfect season, and the team lost its swagger and momentum, much like the A's did after they traded Cespedis this year.

You should be thankful to him for the 2-14 year because the Colts had a horrible team that year without Manning , but you got Luck , literally. Any coach would have struggled with that team.

Then he comes to Baltimore, after we suffered a brutal AFCCG loss to the Patriots the previous year, then replaced goofball Cam Cameron with Jim mid-season , and we win it all in 2012. Without Caldwell, trust me, we would have won nothing.

Now he goes to Detroit, and look at the results. I think Jim Caldwell can coach.