Ndamukong Suh: Jim Caldwell Was the Answer for Detroit Lions
The number of former Detroit Lions coming to the defense of Jim Caldwell this week has not slowed down.
Following Detroit's Week 4 loss to the Saints, head coach Matt Patricia was asked why supporters of the Lions should continue to believe in the current regime.
“Certainly, I think when I came to Detroit, there was a lot of work to do and that’s what we’re trying to do," he said.
Former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell
© Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Since he made those comments Sunday, Patricia has been under heavy scrutiny from several former players who have expressed strong support for the efforts of their former coach in Caldwell.
"To come in and say that you had a lot of work to do is completely false. It’s a bunch of trash! This team was built for growth, not regression," former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said Monday on ESPN Radio.
Recall, Caldwell had back-to-back seasons in which Detroit secured nine victories prior to his dismissal at the end of the 2017 NFL season.
The latest player to express that Caldwell was indeed the right man for the job was Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.
As Suh explained via social media Thursday morning,
"(Jim) Schwartz was a good coach, Caldwell was the answer and didn’t get the ample opportunity to fully put his finger prints on the team, let alone make crucial decisions for further success!
Additionally, the community, if I’m not mistaken, loved and fully embraced the Caldwell’s!"
In an appearance on Glover Quin's "The DB Room" YouTube show, Caldwell revealed that based on the conversations he had with general manager Bob Quinn, he felt Detroit's then-new general manager wanted to hire his own coach.
"I think without question that had he been left to his own devices, I probably would have been gone the day he came in. Just kind of the feeling that I got, even though obviously it went through a two-week process of kind of going through an interview process with him in order to keep my job," Caldwell explained.
Since 2018, Detroit has gone 10-25-1, and has set two new NFL records for blowing double-digit leads.
Following the bye week, Detroit (1-3) travels to Jacksonville to take on a Jaguars team (1-3) that is also looking to turn its season around after a slow start.
More from SI All Lions:
Is the Relationship Strained Between Lions' Players and Coaches?
3 Potential Replacements for Bob Quinn
Detroit Lions Rush Defense Ranks 30th in NFL
Legend of Jim Caldwell Has Grown Because Matt Patricia Has Failed
Lions Headed Toward Repeating Mistakes of Houston Texans
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