Bell: Jim Caldwell picked the wrong guy to call plays for Lions offense
In firing the coordinator and dumping the offensive line coaches, Jim Caldwell made desperate moves on Monday that reflect the trying times of the woeful Detroit Lions offense.
But Detroit’s coach blew it, too.
Caldwell should have installed the person on his staff with the most accomplished track record in calling plays – himself -- to take over that chore with the Lions.
Instead, just hours before the 1-6 team headed to London, Caldwell fired Joe Lombardi and turned over the play-calling duties to Jim Bob Cooter, promoted from quarterbacks coach to coordinator.
Cooter has zero NFL experience in calling plays.
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Caldwell, in his second season at the helm, called the shots as Baltimore Ravens coordinator on the road to a Super Bowl victory.
If I’m Caldwell, whose job security will become more of an issue if the losses keep piling up, I’m going to bank on myself. If the Lions are going down in flames, Caldwell needs to be the one spraying the fire extinguisher.
Offense is what got Caldwell his job. He’s doing himself a disservice by not putting it in his own hands.
Ask Sean Payton, Bruce Arians or Chip Kelly – head coaches who call their own plays.
Until this season, Mike McCarthy called his own plays. His system is so established now in Green Bay that giving up the duties to long-time assistant Tom Clements is not a major disruption in flow.
In any event, there have been so many head coaches who would have had to been pried away from their play-calling cards. Mike Holmgren comes to mind. And during the Monday Night Football broadcast, Jon Gruden talked about how he needed to call his own plays to help maintain continuity amid the year-to-year changes in personnel and staff.
Whatever the reasons, it has always struck me that there was a certain psychology attached to head coaches calling their own plays.
Like they were going to trust themselves – and the track records that got them their jobs -- more than anyone else.
Caldwell should do the same.
That’s no knock on Cooter, 31, who like Caldwell, once worked with Peyton Manning and was sought by the Chicago Bears last offseason until the Lions denied a request for him to be interviewed. He’s viewed as an up-and-coming coach.
Cooter has also been the position coach overseeing Matthew Stafford, who is currently on pace for his career high in interceptions – which to some degree is a byproduct of the woeful line play and the ineffective schemes that have led to the mess of this season.
Sure, Caldwell had to do something, with the next matchup on Sunday against the Chiefs. Promoting Cooter to the coordinator’s role isn’t the rub. But giving him the play-calling duties, too, represents a major leap of faith. A chance to grow on the job.
With your job – and the jobs of others – on the line.
When Caldwell hired Lombardi off Payton’s staff in New Orleans last year, Lombardi had zero NFL play-calling experience.
Now he’s banking on another coach with no play-calling experience, rather than himself.
Sure, it’s worked with D-coordinator Teryl Austin, who has sparkled as a first-time coordinator.
But the difference is that Caldwell coached offense before coming to Detroit, not defense.
And now Lombardi’s kicked to the curb, while we wonder what happened after all of the promise exhibited during a playoff run last season.
During Sunday’s loss against Minnesota, the offense showed an early spark as Stafford connected on deep throws to Calvin Johnson (remember him?) and Eric Ebron while Detroit raced to a 14-3 lead.
But by the end, it was just pathetic. Stafford was sacked seven times behind a line that provided little resistance. Even worse, with a chance to mount a comeback during a two-possession game in the fourth quarter, the offense moved with no urgency, nothing resembling a hurry-up plan.
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The burning image came after one fourth-quarter drive ended with Lombardi calling a toss running play on third-and-13. Fans booed. Some headed for the exits. All over Detroit, people undoubtedly scratched their heads after that one.
Caldwell originally maintained that he didn’t plan staff changes.
By late Monday afternoon, though, he made the switch, explaining that he was running out of time.
Which makes it the perfect time to put the play-calling in his own hands.
Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell