FAVORITES RULED ROUND 1 OF PLAYOFFS.
Last year, road teams won all four wild-card games. This season, not only did all four home teams win, but the combined margin of victory (76 points) was the largest in the wild-card round since the playoffs expanded in 1990. (ESPN Stats & Info).
Jim Caldwell said he doesn't believe his message was lost over the last month where there were four straight defeats -- three by double-digits.
Jim Caldwell said everyone is extremely disappointed but he's proud of his team for the way they came together each week.
Jim Caldwell said he doesn't think the Lions need to have a bunch of superstars but they need to play well as a team together, being cohesive units on offense, defense and special teams.
Jim Caldwell on a contract extension: Wouldn't say where things stand, says "it's not about me."
Jim Caldwell said he believes Teryl Austin will do a "tremendous job" if he gets an opportunity to be a head coach. Hopes he gets one.
ESPN Insider Josina Anderson reported earlier Austin will interview with San Diego on Tuesday.
Jim Caldwell said no decision has been made on a DC in Detroit if Teryl Austin gets a head coaching job.
Jim Caldwell said Ameer Abdullah is "coming along."
Ameer Abdullah said "oh yeah," he still believes he can be a lead RB in the NFL. Plans to do whatever he can to be effective in the future.
LIONS CAN MAINTAIN CURRENT COURSE.
Detroit's playoff losing streak continues, but that doesn't mean major changes are required, Mike Sando writes.
The biggest change this offseason might be a coordinator departing.
Asked Matthew Stafford if his finger injury was a mallet injury. His response: "Something like that, probably."
Lions RB Theo Riddick had a cast on his left wrist. Wouldn't say if he had surgery or not.
Declined to talk with the media during locker clean out but that "I'll be ready for next year."
Lions center Travis Swanson, who missed the last five games of the season with a concussion, didn't want to get into specifics but told me he does plan on playing next year.
When asked if he expects to play in 2017, he told me "Of course you always expect to play again. Yeah."
Earlier Monday, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said doctors would "take a look at him and see where he is."
Guard Larry Warford, one of Detroit's biggest free agents, said he hasn't thought much about free agency yet but said "there's a lot of factors."
He is getting married this offseason and said he's starting a family soon.
When asked if he was planning on heading toward free agency, he said,
"I don't know much right now. There's going to be a lot of factors."
Wants to "decompress" before he starts thinking about the future.
STAFFORD WAS ONE OF WEEKEND'S WORST.
It wasn't such a bad game for Matthew Stafford personally, finishing with a Total QBR rating north of 50. But it was still the second-worst rating of wild-card weekend.
http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/...r-and-aaron-rodgers-were-on-top-of-their-game
Ranking the wild-card QB performances from 1-8.
Michael Rothstein espn
