Author: Paula Pasche

DETROIT >> Eight of the Detroit Lions took a knee on the sideline during the national anthem before kickoff today.

The rest of the team stood on the sideline with arms linked. In the center of the group was owner Martha Firestone Ford and her daughters. It is not usual for them to be on the field for the anthem.

Those who were kneeling were Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tahir Whitehead, Ameer Abdullah, Steve Longa, Jeremiah Ledbetter, Akeem Spence, A’Shawn Robinson and Cornelius Washington.

Lions team president Rod Wood said before the game there will be no ramifications if players choose to protest during the anthem Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford issued a statement on Sunday morning:

“Our game has long provided a powerful platform for dialogue and positive change in many communities throughout our nation.

“Thanks primarily to our players, the NFL also has been a unifying force in our country and impactful change has and hopefully will continue to be the result of peaceful expression, done so in order to highlight social injustices of all kind.

“Negative and disrespectful comments suggesting otherwise are contrary to the founding principles of our country, and we do not support those comments or opinions.”

The reaction expected across the league today is due to Tweets from President Donald Trump on Saturday.

His first tweet: If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!

HIs second tweet: …NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.

Wood talked to Mrs. Ford, coach Jim Caldwell and the league office on Saturday.

“It’s unfortunate we’re talking about that and not football today, but I’m glad we got a statement out,’’ Wood said at an 11 a.m. press conference. “I know our players, they’re great guys, they’re great members of the community, they do great work every day and we just wanted to get something out to support them and get back to football.’’

He also had talked to Caldwell on Sunday morning. Caldwell has been consistent going back to last year that the players are free to do what they please.

“I don’t know anything that’s going to happen, I haven’t heard anything. I talked to  coach last night, I talked to coach this morning I think the players know we support them we’ll see what they decide to do,’’ Wood said at 11 a.m.

Wood also confirmed the multi-year extension for JIm Caldwell.

“We wanted him back as our oah it got leaked out so we confirmed it,’’ Wood said. “It’s something Jim and we had talked about we decided not to make an announcement at the time.’’

ALLEN PARK — Jim Caldwell trotted out his usual line that this game is the most important because it’s the next.

His approach aside, when the Lions host the Atlanta Falcons — the defending NFC champions — it will be a big test for Detroit.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

“Obviously everybody understands who (the Falcons) are. I mean that’s a heck of a team. I mean there’s no doubt about that but I mean for us, every single week there’s an outstanding team that you play with outstanding talent,’’ Caldwell said on Friday. “So, we take them one at a time as they come. This is the biggest game of the year for us because it’s the next one and that’s how we look at it.”

Five things to watch on Sunday vs. the Falcons:

— The Falcons’ high-flying offense is key, but their defense is a strength too. “Extremely fast, physical, they play hard. It’s not an overly complicated scheme, they line up and they play,’’ quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “They do some things that will make you think and make you work no question. They’ve got really good plays, they’ve got two high end corners, a really good safety, some linebackers that can fly and a defensive line that’s really disruptive, so at every level they’ve got play makers and that’s what makes a good defense and that’s what they are.”

— Ziggy Ansah and the defensive line have proven all critics wrong in the first two games. They’ve pressure quarterbacks and stopped the run. They sacked Eli Manning (who admittedly doesn’t have a strong offensive line) five times. “We don’t have a bunch of name guys, but we got a bunch of guys that work really hard, really good technicians, know how to rush the passer, they run pretty good games when we run our games, and so I think that’s why it all works,’’ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “I think the other thing is we’ve had an opportunity to have a little bit of a—Get in a position where we had a lead, so we’re able to turn guys lose a little bit more. So, that’s been a positive and that’s I think why they’re rushing well.”

— Starting safety Tavon Wilson (shoulder) will not play which will mean more defensive snaps for Miles Killebrew. “Miles I think is just scratching the surface of being a really good football player no matter where you put him, so I don’t worry about that. We just know we like to have him on the field and we’ll continue to use him the way we’ve used him,’’ Austin said.

— The Lions’ run game came to life with 138 rushing yards against the Giants on Monday night. It was a good sign, but you won’t see offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter jumping up and down. “It’s one game. I’m not going to – sort of a small sample size type of thing. You know we had a good game rushing, but there is a lot to clean up,’’ Cooter said. “Like I said, some zero runs, some minus runs I want to clean up. So, we’re far from a finished product in anything that we do. I’m not going to kick my feet up on the desk on any facet of our offense and say, ‘Well we don’t need to work on it. We got it figured out.’ So, I think we’re still really trying to get better. That’s run game, pass game protection. That’s a lot of details within those things. So, we got improvement to make.” Dwayne Washington (quad) won’t play but Zach Zenner will be a good replacement.

— The Lions’ offense can keep any defense guessing. While the Lions are prepared for wide receiver Julio Jones to have a big game, with Detroit it’s a guessing game because Matthew Stafford has so many weapons. “Around here we kind of spread the ball around. Different guys have different games. More catches one game, less catches the next game in the pass game, and sometimes that’s due to sort of the ebb and flow of the defense. And then, for us, it’s a little fun because you know, a couple years back you got Calvin Johnson OK? Well, you get in the red zone, who’s getting doubled? You don’t even think about it. You go, ‘OK, it’s (No.) 81. They’re doubling.’ And then you draw up whatever pass play you want to draw up after that,’’ Cooter said. “It’s a different deal now. Sometimes, it’s Marvin (Jones). Sometimes (Eric) Ebron has a big week or two and they find a way to double him. Sometimes it’s Golden Tate. It’s a bunch of guys. Kenny Golladay if he keeps making plays down the field, he could get some doubles. So, it makes it a little more fun from that perspective. But hopefully all our guys are contributing and winning their individual match ups.”

Jim Caldwell has signed a multiple year contract extension, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Caldwell, who is entering his fourth season with the Detroit Lions, will not talk about his contract. He’s been asked about it multiple times and said the only two things he is concerned with are his men and his mission. He repeated that again when asked Tuesday. During the Monday night win at the Giants, ESPN announcers suggested that the Lions ought to get Caldwell locked up for the long run.

Caldwell, 62, was hired in January 2014 after the firing of Jim Schwartz. When Bob Quinn was hired as the general manager in January 2016, his first big decision was to keep Caldwell on board.

Schefter reported that the extension was actually signed months ago.

Five reasons this was a good signing:

1. Since Caldwell was signed in January 2014,  the Lions have made the playoffs in two of the three seasons. Caldwell has changed the culture in three years. That cannot be underestimated.

2. The Lions — rookies and veterans alike — respect Caldwell and enjoy playing for him. They don’t have to say that. You can hear it when they talk about their approach to each game and each day of practice. Their words echo Caldwell’s.

3. Caldwell has hired a solid staff including defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. It doesn’t stop there either. He has quality position coaches throughout his staff.

4. Monday’s win over the Giants was Caldwell’s 50th game. He owns a 29-21 record. Those 29 wins are for most for a Lions’ coach in his first 50 games since Buddy Parker in the 1950s. This is the first time the Lions have started 2-0 under Caldwell and the first time overall since 2011.

5. Caldwell is the calming influence daily including Sundays on the sidelines. He is unjustly criticized for not showing more emotion. That is not who he is. Plenty of successful coaches through the years have been calm on the sidelines. Caldwell’s demeanor is contagious among the players. They remain poised which is key to making comebacks and winning games.

Caldwell and the Lions host the 2-0 Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. on Sunday.