Lions fire coordinator Lombardi, two OL coaches

Detroit fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan on Monday, a day after the team dropped another game in a listless performance against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Detroit Lions’ offensive woes continued in yesterday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings and it has now cost three coaches their jobs. While they do rank 7th in the league in passing yards (278.6), the rank last in rushing (68 ypg) and 30th in points (19.6 ppg).

Quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter is taking over as offensive coordinator. Tight Ends Coach Ron Prince will take over as offensive line coach, according to the team.

Just hours after coach Jim Caldwell said he didn’t plan to change his coaching staff, the team is indeed making adjustments.

Caldwell said the staff changes were his decision, and he had not spoken with ownership.

The Lions are due to fly to London Monday night for next Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The running game has not gotten going and Matthew Stafford has been battered and beaten – including being sacked seven times yesterday.

Caldwell said protection issues were not all on the offensive line. And we definitely failed at doing that this year. “Long way to travel to get there, but never the less, we have another opportunity”. “It wasn’t one single thing every time so it was a couple issues”.

“We’re running out of time”, Caldwell said.

“What I believe is we’ve won before, and that leads me to believe we can do it again”, Caldwell said during his press conference, while talking about his coaching staff. “We did it a year ago”. That’s the only thing I can control. I don’t know what’s going on upstairs or in the organization, but I just – I want to win, man. That’s all I care about.