This Sunday’s matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions brings an old face back to Ford Field. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will once again be on the sidelines in Detroit, where he once led the Lions as head coach from 2009 to 2013, finishing with a 29-51 record.
Before arriving in Detroit, Schwartz built his reputation with the Tennessee Titans, gaining recognition for aggressive blitz packages that disrupted quarterbacks. He was hired by the Lions in 2009, coinciding with Detroit selecting Matthew Stafford with the No. 1 overall draft pick. However, the early years were tough. Stafford’s injury troubles kept him out of 19 games over his first two seasons, and the Lions stumbled to a combined 8-24 mark.
Things changed dramatically in 2011. A healthy Stafford powered Detroit to a 10-6 record and the franchise’s first playoff appearance in more than a decade. That year, Stafford also became one of just a handful of quarterbacks to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. But the postseason was short-lived, as the New Orleans Saints, led by Drew Brees, knocked Detroit out with a decisive 45-28 victory.
Schwartz’s fiery personality also made headlines in 2011 when he clashed with San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh during a heated postgame handshake following a Week 6 loss. Years later, Harbaugh admitted responsibility for escalating the confrontation, but the incident left a lasting impression.
Defensive issues lingered for Detroit. In 2012, the Lions gave up the sixth-most points in the NFL, despite Calvin Johnson’s record-breaking season in which he set the single-season receiving yardage mark. The team finished 4-12.
The 2013 season started with promise as the Lions opened 6-3 and briefly led the NFC North. But a late-season collapse—going just 1-6 down the stretch—kept them out of the playoffs once again. Schwartz was dismissed the day after the finale. Several players, including Ezekiel Ansah and Dominic Raiola, voiced regret, believing their poor play had cost their coach his job.
Schwartz didn’t stay unemployed long. In 2014, he took over the Buffalo Bills’ defense and made an immediate statement by defeating the Lions 17-14 in his first game back at Ford Field. Two years later, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles, where his defensive leadership helped secure a Super Bowl title in 2017.
Health concerns led to his resignation from Philadelphia after the 2020 season. He resurfaced with Tennessee in 2021 as a senior assistant before returning to a full defensive coordinator role with Cleveland in 2023. That year, the Browns fielded the league’s top defense, and Schwartz was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
Heading into Week 4 of the 2025 season, Schwartz once again leads a formidable Cleveland defense. The Browns rank among the league’s best, already piling up 11 sacks—second most in the NFL—and are fresh off a strong win against Green Bay. The Lions, coming off a big divisional victory themselves, will be determined not to let Schwartz’s return turn into another statement game at Ford Field.
