Quote:I'm awaiting official word from D6.
Adam, I didn't think Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand would be fired before the end of the season, even if the Lions were 1-14 entering the last game. I certainly was surprised that they were fired at this time. Martha Ford has proven to be vastly different than her late husband, who often had the patience of Job and was loyal to a fault.
Having said all of this, both deserved to be let go. To their credit, under their leadership the Lions did reach the playoffs 2 times in their 7 seasons. That wasn't enough, considering the potential the team had in recent seasons. But it was far better than the Matt Millen era, in which the Lions broke many records of futility. Last season, if Nick Fairley and Larry Warford could have stayed relatively healthy, I think the Lions could have gone deep in the playoffs. Even if the Lions didn't have the horrible officiating call in the Dallas playoff game go against them, I don't think the Lions would have beaten Seattle on the road the following week barring the possibility of Fairley and Warford returning and being at or near their best.
Both Mayhew and Lewand were responsible for the Lions losing Ndamukong Suh. As it turned out, the team didn't come close to effectively replacing the ultra durable Suh. Haloti Ngata hasn't been able to stay relatively healthy for extended periods and probably has seen his best football days. Only getting 17 plays out of Pro Bowl caliber LB DeAndre Levy really set back this team in 2015. But every team has to compensate for injuries. The Lions have had plenty of injuries this season but the team should be noticeably better than it was in the first half of the season. Even if one assumes the Lions would have beaten the Seahawks if not for a horrible officiating call, the team would still be on pace for a 12 loss season. That's inexcusable after the team went 11-5 last season.
Regarding Mayhew, other than his terrific 2013 Draft, his other Drafts, especially from 2010 on, weren't good enough. Mayhew did a better job with signing other teams FA's than with drafting. Mayhew's track record with trades were mixed. The Lions have aged in a hurry at a number of positions ( I'm not even counting Rashean Mathis ) on Defense.
What likely contributed greatly to Mayhew and Lewand being fired is the combined results this season of Jim Caldwell and now former Tennessee HC Ken Whisenhunt. These were their two finalists for the Lions 2014 HC job. While Caldwell did a good overall job last season, his mistake of hiring Joe Lombardi as Offensive Coordinator ( Lombardi and the team's two Offensive Line Coaches were fired 10 days ago ) contributed greatly to the team's current plight. Ultimately, the responsibility is with Mayhew and Lewand, even though Caldwell chose Lombardi. Whisenhunt proved that his success in Arizona was largely because of Kurt Warner.
What remains to be seen is if the Lions will try to retool in 2016 or begin a major rebuilding program. A case can be made for both options.
