DETROIT -- Jim Caldwell got a ringing endorsement from one of his mentors when Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew was doing his homework. Mookie Wilson Mets Jersey . The Lions hired Caldwell on Tuesday to replace fired coach Jim Schwartz, ending a search that included a phone conversation between Mayhew and Tony Dungy. "Martin called me and said were looking for a leader who can help turn our locker room into a winning one and to help us get the most out of our investment in Matthew Stafford," Dungy recalled in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I told Martin that Jim Caldwell is exactly what youre looking for. Hell lead by making people accountable and by being a role model on and off the field. And with his attention to detail and history of developing quarterbacks, Stafford is going to flourish just like Peyton Manning did with us in Indianapolis." Detroit wanted to replace Schwartz with someone with experience as a head coach, ideally with a track record of tutoring quarterbacks. Caldwell helped the Indianapolis Colts reach the Super Bowl after his debut season in 2009, but was fired two years later after a 2-14 season while Manning was injured, dropping his three-year mark to 26-22. Before Caldwell was hired by the Dungy-led Colts in 2002 to be their quarterbacks coach, he had the same job for Dungy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Caldwell was hired by Baltimore two years ago to be their quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive co-ordinator late in the 2012 season. The Ravens went on to win the last Super Bowl. The Lions will introduce Caldwell as their coach Wednesday during a news conference at Ford Field. "We believe Jim is the right man to lead our team and deliver a championship to our fans," Lions owner William Clay Ford said in a statement. The Ravens struggled on offence in 2013 and mightve replaced Caldwell if he didnt get another job. Baltimore ranked 29th on offence overall -- 30th rushing and 18th passing -- last season with Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice. Still, Caldwells body of work was enough to also make him a candidate to lead the Washington Redskins and Titans. Former Tennessee coach Mike Munchak and ex-Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak were also considered by the Lions. "Im excited because he has worked with some good coaches and he did a good job with the Colts," Lions offensive guard Rob Sims said in a telephone interview. "Players seem to like him, so Im looking forward to being a part of the next chapter of Detroit Lions football with him leading us." Caldwell won his first 14 games with the Colts in 2009 before losing the final two games of the regular season while resting Manning and most of the other starters. The Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. Indy was 10-6 the following season and won another AFC South title, then lost to the New York Jets in a wild-card game. With Manning out for all of Caldwells third season, the Colts lost 14 games and Caldwell lost his job. In Baltimore, Caldwell replaced offensive co-ordinator Cam Cameron toward the end of the 2012 regular season and he seemed to give the offence a boost as it went on to win the Super Bowl against San Francisco. Helping the Lions win one playoff game would be a relative feat: Detroit has only one playoff victory -- more than two decades ago -- since winning the 1957 NFL title. Caldwell, who won two playoff games in his first season with the Colts, will be counted on to use his experience with quarterbacks to make Matthew Stafford better. Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009 and after two injury-shortened seasons, he has been spectacular at times and shaky at others. When the Lions needed him most, he was at his worst last season. He had an NFL-high 14 turnovers from Week 11-16 as Detroit dropped five of six games, plummeting out of first place in the NFC North and wasting an opportunity to win a division title for the first time since 1993. Caldwells first job as a head coach was at Wake Forest, which fired him in 2000 with a 26-63 record over eight seasons. Caldwell, who is from Beloit, Wis., played defensive back for Iowa and began his coaching career in 1977 as a graduate assistant with the Hawkeyes. Caldwell later went on to coach quarterbacks, wide receivers and outside linebackers from 1982-84 for Bill McCartney at Colorado. "Hes one of the finest people Ive ever met," McCartney said in a telephone interview. "He has tremendous character. If he says something, you can take it to the bank and hang your hat on it. His players will trust them and theyll rally for him. Hes ready for this. "Every home, every business and every NFL team rises or falls because of leadership. And, the Lions have a leader now." Lenny Dykstra Mets Jersey . For now, Joe Girardi and the rest of the New York Yankees are just thankful they have the Japanese right-hander pitching like one of the best in baseball. Ike Davis Authentic Jersey . Ekblad led all defencemen with 23 goals and finished tied for fifth in scoring among blue-liners with 53 points in 58.The Philadelphia Flyers will try to avoid their first three-game slide in over a month when they visit the last-place Buffalo Sabres for Tuesdays battle at First Niagara Center. You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Philadelphia dug itself an early 2-0 hole against the Rangers, as former Flyer Daniel Carcillo scored just 2:14 into the game and Rick Nash followed suit only 28 seconds later. New York would hold a 3-0 edge at the end of 20 minutes and pushed its lead to 4-0 in the second period. Mark Streits third-period tally was the lone offense for the Flyers, while Ray Emery allowed all four scores on 35 shots in defeat. "We have to be more ready," Philadelphia head coach Craig Berube said. "You have to be as quick as them." The Flyers havent lost three in a row since an 0-2-1 slide from Dec. 7-11. Philadelphia hopes to get back on track tonight in Western New York, where it has lost two straight. The Flyers did host the Sabres on Nov. 21 and recorded a 4-1 win to open the three-game season series. Philly has won two of three and six of the last eight overall meetings in this matchup. Matt Harvey Jersey. The Sabres, who are in the basement of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings, are 2-0-1 over their last three games. Buffalo last played on Sunday, when it recorded a shootout win in Washington. Cody Hodgson registered the shootout winner, as Buffalo snuck past the Capitals, 2-1, at Verizon Center. Five previous shooters failed to produce a marker, until Hodgson made several stick fakes and stuck a wrister high and inside the right post to complete the third round and end the contest. Ryan Miller made 28 saves and improved to 6-1-1 in his last eight starts. One of the three goaltenders in the running to start for Team USA in Sochi, Miller has saved all nine Washington shootout chances this season. Tyler Ennis netted a power-play score in regulation for the Sabres, who have showed signs of improvement with a 6-3-2 record over their last 11 games. "We want to play on the right side of the puck, and we want to create ourselves an identity," said Sabres head coach Ted Nolan. "What type of team do we want to be? Not a team that plays one way for 20 minutes and then slips off for five." Buffalo is 9-12-3 on home ice this season and had won five straight as the host before losing a 2-1 shootout decision to Florida on Thursday. wholesale nfl jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '
