Will the Detroit Lions bench three prominent players for committing post-whistle personal fouls in a 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints? Coach Jim Schwartz wasn't saying during a radio interview Tuesday. But Schwartz did have a message for those who have suggested he sit down receiver Titus Young, kick returner Stefan Logan and tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
"We're going to do everything we can to be as efficient as we can and not to put a team in those positions,” Schwartz said, via the Lions' web site. "It boils down to if somebody's hurting the team, whether they're not a good enough player or they're hurting the team with penalties, or whatever. They aren't going to be on the field.
"But let me say this: We don’t have a suggestion box. We're going to do whatever we can in our view to operate as efficiently as we can and to put a good product on the field to win football games and to put guys on the field that will do those things. Every case is different."
And here I thought Schwartz was spending all day sifting through blog entries looking for ideas.
Meanwhile, we noted Tuesday morning that additional details have emerged about the car accident Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had last weekend in Portland. Most notably, two women have stepped forward to say they were passengers in Suh's car and were injured, causing Portland police to issue a supplemental report but again decline to press charges.
In the interest of fairness, we should pass along Schwartz's reaction. The Lions haven't been able to speak with Suh because of NFL rules regarding suspended players, but Schwartz said he had no concerns about the accident.
"The fact that he was in a fender-bender?" Schwartz said. "How guys drive and things like that … let's worry about him on the field. Ndamukong is a hard-working guy and he hasn't had any kind of issues with the law, including this one. Let's worry about him on the field and get him back playing well. He's under a microscope, but that's too much of a microscope."
In 2009, Suh collided with three parked cars while driving an SUV in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was not charged after his blood alcohol content was revealed to be .035, well below the legal limit of .08, but received a ticket for negligent driving.
He is eligible to rejoin the Lions on Dec. 12.