Lions coach Jim Schwartz stands behind QB Matthew Stafford

Allen Park ? Matthew Stafford's acceptance of blame after the debacle in Arizona didn't fall on deaf ears.

Jim Schwartz heard him, and though the coach said Monday he'll take "100 percent" responsibility for the Lions' six-game losing streak, hearing of his quarterback's ownership ? with the media and in the locker room ? was a good sign for the future.

"That's what the quarterbacks do," Schwartz said. "I think that he is accountable. Quarterbacks have days like that.

"Matt cares an awful lot. Winning means an awful lot and this losing streak has hurt an awful lot, but good quarterbacks are always going to put it on their shoulders."

Stafford had his worst game this season ? 24-for-50 for 246 yards and three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns and one returned to the Lions 3. Stafford's 37.6 rating was his worst since his rookie season in 2009, and those two performances were against playoff-bound New Orleans and Green Bay, not an Arizona team that had lost nine straight games.

But as much as Stafford struggled, he certainly was not the only one to blame for the 38-10 loss.

If any receivers besides Calvin Johnson created separation, Stafford could have had a better performance.

If the offensive line had protected him from eight quarterback hits and two sacks, Stafford could have been better.

If Pat Lee didn't run into Stefan Logan on a punt return, the Lions could have extended their early 7-0 lead instead of watching it slip away in a flash.

Schwartz twice compared Stafford to Saints quarterback Drew Brees as a player who can recover after several mistakes.

"I didn't consider benching him," Schwartz said of Stafford. "He's our starting quarterback."

But, after three interceptions, why not consider putting Shaun Hill in the game?

"Because I think (Stafford's) our best quarterback, and if he's healthy enough, he's going to play," Schwartz said. "You put your best guys out there, and that's our objective every week. Matt can make all the plays for us, and he's brought us back plenty of times. We're not going to make changes just to make changes."

jkatzenstein@detnews.com

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Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121218/SPORTS0101/212180364/1126/rss14

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