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Martz Out, Brown/Colletto In

Mike Martz officially has been fired by the Lions, ending his two-year stint as Detroit's offensive coordinator.  This move comes after Martz faced quite a bit of criticism for his poor playcalling at times this past season, mainly when it came to the running game.  Since Martz really favored passing the ball so much more than just handing it off, there was a lot of disagreement between he and the other coaches.  In the end, this move simply makes sense for both parties involved, as this appears to be a mutual breakup.

To replace Martz, the Lions are promoting from within the current staff.  That isn't really a surprise considering wide receivers coach Kippy Brown was mentioned as a front-runner to be the next offensive coordinator.  What is a surprise, though, is that Brown is only one coach that will be involved with the offensive coordinator job.

In a move that was a little more surprising, head coach Rod Marinelli has reportedly promoted both offensive line coach Jim Colletto and receiver coach Kippy Brown to the position of "co-coordinators.''

The move makes sense because Marinelli wanted to keep continuity with the offense, including the three-digit pass-route system and the overall terminology. The biggest change will come in the form of "simplifying'' the offense and changing the philosophy.

Under Martz, all of the shifts, motions and multiple formations put a great deal of mental stress on the players and the Colletto-Brown duo will likely cut back on much of that. Obviously, they'll also be less inclined to throw the ball 75 percent of the time and look for more balance with the ground game.


Although Colletto will have the official title of offensive coordinator, there is still no word yet on who will call plays during the game.  News of that probably won't come out until the Lions officially announce this decision and hold a press conference.

That press conference appears that it won't happen today, as Mike O'Hara reports that a Lions spokesman said no announcement is expected today. O'Hara also mentions what the official titles of a number of coaches would be after these promotions happen.

Jim Colletto, the offensive line coach for one season in Detroit, is in line to be named offensive coordinator. He will remain as offensive line coach. Kippy Brown, who coached receivers for two years, will be given the title of assistant head coach and will coordinate the passing game. Brown also will coach running backs.

Shawn Jefferson, an offensive assistant, will coach receivers.

Even though we are still waiting on the Lions to make the promotions official, I think what we have read already is true as many different sources are basically reporting the same thing. Stay tuned for confirmation from the Lions.

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