The Detroit Lions Need Discipline And Mike Singletary Is The Right Man

In his 12 seasons as a middle linebacker with the Bears, Singletary was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection. Singletary was also a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The first occasion was in 1985 as he helped the Bears win their only Super Bowl Championship. From 2003-2004, Singletary was the linebackers coach of the Baltimore Ravens before taking the same position with the San Francisco 49ers in 2005.

Midway through the 2008 NFL season, Mike Nolan was fired as the head coach of the Niners and Singletary was named as the team’s interim head coach. Singletary took over a 49ers team that was 2-5 and they had not had a winning season since 2002. Singletary was charged with establishing discipline and changing the culture in the locker room. Singletary set the tone during his first game as the 49ers interim head coach during a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was penalized for an unsportsmanlike conduct foul and Singletary let him know that his services would no longer be needed for the game. After Singletary dressed Davis down on the sidelines he proceeded to send his young tight end to the dressing room from the remainder of the game. Following the game Singletary went on a rant in his post-game press conference that has since become a hit on Youtube. Singletary would lose his first two games as the Niners head coach, but in their last seven games of that season the team would go 5-2 to finish the season with a record of 7-9. After the season Niners CEO Jed York had seen enough and he removed the interim tag from Singletary’s title.

In his two full seasons as the 49ers head coach Singletary was not able to get the team back to the playoffs, but the team had their first non-losing season since 2002 in 2009 as they finished with a record of 8-8. Singletary was fired after the 2010 season, but he was vital in the development of 49er linebackers Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. Singletary also drafted current 49er offensive lineman in Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati along with wide receiver Michael Crabtree. After his benching, Davis would go on to be named as a captain of the 49ers and his career has taken off which included a Pro Bowl selection in 2009.

Jim Harbaugh would take over in 2011 as the 49ers head coach. Harbaugh led the Niners to the NFC Championship Game in 2011 and last season he took San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance as he continued to build off of what Singletary had started.

The one glaring mistake that Singletary made during his tenure as the 49ers head coach was that he could never decide on a starting quarterback. Singletary consistently wavered on various quarterbacks including Alex Smith, Troy Smith, and Shaun Hill. This indecisiveness ultimately cost Singletary his job in the Bay Area as the most important position on the football field was the only thing that was holding this team back.

In Motown the only thing that is holding the Lions back is that they need more discipline and Singletary can fix that. In the past four seasons the Lions have had more than 100 penalties in each season including 104 so far this season which is 8th in the NFL. A team takes its cue from their head coach. Schwartz has developed the reputation as an undisciplined head coach. Following a Lions loss to the 49ers during the 2011 season, Schwartz proceeded to go after Harbaugh as he did not appreciate the manner of the handshake that Harbaugh delivered to him following the game. During a game against the Houston Texans in 2012, Schwartz threw the red challenge flag after Texans running back Justin Forsett was ruled to not be down by contacct as he would go on to score a touchdown. The replay showed that Forsett was down. However NFL rules stipulate that all scoring plays are subject to review and since Schwartz threw the challenge flag, the play could not be reviewed.

The Lions have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Calvin Johnson. Johnson is on pace to have his third consecutive season in which he has totaled at least 1,500 receiving yards. In five seasons as the Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford has become the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yardage. Stafford has all the tools to be a dominant quarterback which was highlighted by him passing for 5,038 yards in 2011. But he must cut down on the mistakes as he has thrown 73 interceptions including 19 this season.

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has everything that is needed to be one the most dominant defensive players in the NFL. Suh was the second overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft and he was also named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010. But Suh has quickly developed a reputation as being one of the dirtiest players in the NFL as he has been ejected several times and he knows NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on a first name basis from several face-to-face which is not a good thing.

In the past few seasons the Lions have also taken the title of having the team with the most mug shots away from the Cincinnati Bengals as some players have found themselves consistently spending the night at central bookings.

Singletary is a man that can get things turned around because he demands respect from the players, but he also earns it. Singletary is a leader that leads by example. The Bears teams in 1980’s had some “loose cannons”, but it was Singletary that was able to keep them in line on the football field. As a player Singletary was extremely intense and he has brought that same passion to the sideline when he puts on a headset.

The Lions have all of the necessary ingredients to be title contenders in the NFL. At this point they just need another person stirring the pot and it should be Singletary.