Caldwell will only have one year left after next season, and typically a coach is either given an extension or let go at that point. So, Caldwell knows it's make it or break it time.

As Lions fans are forever optimistic so long as they're not actually playing games, here are a few reasons for hope next year:

1) The 'right' staff - Lombardi was a disaster, and Austin and Cooter have both shown that they can be successful, something that hopefully they can build on.

2) A talented QB - Many will argue on this, but the bottom line is that Stafford is at the very least a mid-level QB. For those who argue 'that's not good enough', go look at some of the QBs that played games this year and ask yourself Stafford vs. 'That guy'. The fact is that if you dump Stafford, the chances of your next guy being better than him aren't real good.

3) Defensive building blocks - You've got a great defensive end and a top-notch corner. That's more than most teams have, and if Quinn is as good as people seem to think he might be on finding the right mix of guys, the defense could step up again.

4) [[This one might be a stretch) Maturing offensive line - A lot of the problems from the 1-7 start were pointed at the offensive line, and rightfully so. While many think that they need to blow the whole thing up, I don't think so. The fact is that they've got a lot of talent there, and I'm not ready to give up on any of the four recent high-draft picks [[Reiff, Warford, Tomlinson, Swanson). As much as I couldn't stand Raiola, when they let him go, they let their swagger go, and the o-line is one area where you need someone to anchor the unit on a level that goes beyond talent. I think Mayhew was hoping that Manny Ramirez would be that guy. Hopefully Quinn can find his 'glue' on the line or someone steps up.

5) Schedule - I've read that next years schedule should be a lot more in their favor.