We've been talking about this since Saturday night, but the Lions officially canned offensive coordinator Mike Martz today and replaced him with receivers coach Kippy Brown and offensive line coach Jim Colleto.
The move addresses what had become an unstable situation in which Martz didn't actually report to head coach Rod Marinelli. And while Brown and Colleto are both respected in league circles, you don't get the sense that Lions fans are dancing in the streets this afternoon.
In fact, quarterback Jon Kitna doesn't sound overly supportive of the decision.
"You can keep changing coaches, but every time you change them that's a new system," said Kitna. "The reality is, the games that we lost, the majority, the times that things didn't go right, it was self-inflicted stuff. "It wasn't a coaching thing where you were outcoached or they weren't putting you in a position to be successful. There were plays to be made, and we didn't make them for whatever reason that is."
It appears that Martz will land on his feet as the new offensive coordinator for the 49ers if you consider that landing on your feet. As we discussed this morning, Mike Nolan was given a reprieve in San Francisco, although much of his power has been stripped.
Martz is one of the most egotistical coaches in football, but you can't deny the success he's had working with quarterbacks such as Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger and Kitna. Someone will always take a chance on Martz - even though he's one of the most bizarre personalities in the league.
This season, he inexplicably abandoned the running game after the Lions bolted to a 6-2 start. And for no apparent reason, he froze out rookie receiver Calvin Johnson in favor of Shaun McDonald. But it's hard to lose the "genius" label once you have it, and Martz's time in St. Louis earned him a lifetime of second chances.
As usual, the one man not held accountable for the Lions collapse was GM Matt Millen, who must have something on the Fords that would bring the organization to its knees. Did the Lions get better today? I highly doubt it.
Mike Martz was part of the problem, but the Lions reluctance to go straight to the source will ensure more mediocrity. Was this the most embarrassing year in Lions history?
Well, take a peek at the evidence.
