Lions approval poll: Jim Caldwell (November 2016)

November is nearly behind us and the Detroit Lions are exactly where they want to be: atop the NFC North. Detroit went perfect in the month of November, going 3-0, including two wins over the former NFC North leading Minnesota Vikings. In the course of two months, Jim Caldwell has gone from the hottest of hot seats to a potential dark-horse coach of the year candidate.

When we last checked in toward the end of October, Caldwell had a 57 percent approval rating, up from 22 percent in September. Since then, Caldwell has the team on a roll, with the only blemish on his record a road loss to the Houston Texans. Granted, that game came with some controversy from Caldwell. The Lions oddly chose to kick an onside kick with nearly three minutes left, a move that left many calling for Caldwell’s job.

But since then, the team has been on a mission. That mission? Win the division for the first time in 23 years. The Lions have a two-game lead over the Packers and a game (plus tiebreaker) lead over the Vikings with just five weeks left in the regular season.

Caldwell’s job is far from done, but his part in taking this team from 1-3 to 7-4 is undeniable. This team has faced impossible odds at the end of numerous games, and Caldwell has had them ready for just about every possible late-game situation. Never does this team look more complete than in the final two minutes of the game, and that goes back to preparation.

Here’s a look at Caldwell’s approval rating throughout his tenure as the Lions head coach:

October 2016: 57% approval
September 2016: 22% approval
January 2016: 59% approval
December 2015: 12% approval
November 2015: 8% approval
July 2015: 91% approval
January 2015: 89% approval
December 2014: 85% approval
November 2014: 87% approval
October 2014: 94% approval
September 2014: 96% approval
August 2014: 67% approval
June 2014: 77% approval

Now it’s time to vote again. Through 12 weeks of the 2016 season, what do you think of the job Caldwell is doing? Vote below and explain your vote in the comment section.