The surest sign that the end of the NFL regular season is approaching is that different people are reporting different things about certain coaches. Case in point: Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is expected to be fired following the season by just about everybody, but Adam Schefter reported this on Sunday morning:
League sources said Lions ownership is "on the fence" about HC Jim Schwartz’s job status but it is "leaning towards keeping him."
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 29, 2013
Given what the Lions have done on the field this season, the only reason to be on the fence is because you're not willing to pay the money to fire him. Schwartz has done nothing -- absolutely nothing -- to be deserving of a sixth season with this team, which is why the expectation has been for him to be fired. Based on Ian Rapoport's Sunday morning report, even the coaches are expecting to be looking for new jobs after the season.
On #Lions: Coaches think & fear they are out. Possible front office may be, too. By the end, the two sides were barely talking. Big issues.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 29, 2013
There were reports of tension developing between general manager Martin Mayhew and Schwartz toward the end of last season, but both men were brought back. This year, could the Lions really just completely clean house? I tend to think Mayhew and the front office will be back with a new coaching staff, but firing everybody wouldn't be nearly as surprising as simply keeping Schwartz. Doing that would lead to a revolt from fans and potentially the return of blackouts and empty seats, and in general it would lead to a chaotic offseason for this franchise.
(Rapoport, by the way, is reporting that Bill Ford Jr. is "making the call" on the coaching staff and front office.)