Lions Notebook: Stefan Logan ousted as Detroit's return man

When Lions' KR Stefan Logan took a knee at his own 4-yard line on a punt that followed a safety late in Detroit's Week 16 loss to Atlanta, referee Gene Steratore told the Ford Field crowd that Logan had surrendered himself on the return. As it turns out, Logan didn't just surrender himself on the play. He also surrendered his job.

Stefan Logan is out as the Lions' return man, and his future with the club is in doubt. (US Presswire)

WhenLions’ KR Stefan Logan took a knee at his own 4-yard line on a punt that followed a safety late in Detroit’s Week 16 loss to Atlanta, referee Gene Steratore told the Ford Field crowd that Logan had surrendered himself on the return.

As it turns out, Logan didn’t just surrender himself on the play. He also surrendered his job as Detroit’s return man, a role he’s held since Lions’ GM Martin Mayhew claimed him off waivers from Pittsburgh before the 2010 season.

“I won’t be doing (returning) this Sunday,” he told reporters after Thursday’s practice. “I’m mad but at the same time there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s the coach’s decision.”

Logan’s ill-fated choice to take a knee on that fourth-quarter play was the latest in a string of mistakes during the 2012 season that had placed him on thin ice with the Lions’ coaches. Earlier in Detroit’s loss to the Falcons, Logan was deemed to have signaled for a fair catch on a poor Atlanta punt that should have resulted in a good return.

Lions’ coach Jim Schwartz defended Logan for most of the season, saying he believed the fourth-year player was still the right man to handle return duties. Schwartz’s patience ran out when Logan told him that the reason he downed the punt at the 4-yard line was that he had lost track of where he was on the field during the play.

“I’ve seen a lot of different things in the NFL,” Schwartz said Sunday after the loss. “That’s probably the first time I’ve seen somebody concede a punt in the field of play like that. It’s a poor decision. Part of a returner’s job is to know where he is on the field. Saying ‘I didn’t know where I was, I thought I was in the end zone,’ is not a valid excuse.”

Logan said he couldn’t dispute Schwartz’ assessment of his mistake, and said that he understood Schwartz’ anger over his actions.

“I’m not blaming the coaches [for their decision to replace him on special teams], I blame myself,” he said.  “It was a messed up play by me. I have to live with it and move on from it. I’m past it.”

Logan will be a free agent after the season, and although he says he wants to re-sign with the Lions, Logan admitted that he’s unsure how much his error against the Falcons will affect his chances of remaining in Detroit.

“I did make some plays on offense,” he said. “I got a couple catches [six receptions for 28 yards in 2012]. I’m just adding to my resume and keep moving forward with Detroit or with another team. I can’t do anything about [his errors against Atlanta]; I have to keep working.”

WR Mike Thomas will likely handle return duties on Sunday against the Bears. Thomas had eight punt returns for 56 yards, and two kickoff returns for 34 yards as a Jaguar this season before being traded to Detroit in Week 9.

Bears' Wright says Stafford folds under pressure: Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford needs 305 passing yards against Chicago on Sunday to become the first player in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Despite the fact that NFL players, fans, and coaches thought enough of Stafford’s 2012 performance to place him on the Pro Bowl alternate list, Bears S Major Wright said he believes Stafford lacks the poise to perform in pressure situations.

“Matthew Stafford is definitely having an okay season,” Wright said. “He can make any throw on that field so you have to be aware of putting pressure on him because you put a little pressure on him, he kind of folds.”

When asked to clarify what he meant by pressuring Stafford, Wright also admitted that he believes Stafford doesn’t deliver enough quality passes when confronted with a strong pass rush.

“You close the pocket on him, he hesitates,” Wright said. “He doesn’t make that perfect throw.”

Several of Stafford’s teammates refuted Wright’s claims Thursday, and Lions’ OC Scott Linehan says Stafford’s statistics speak for themselves.

“I think a guy that’s thrown for nearly 10,000 yards and almost 60 touchdowns in two seasons holds up pretty good out there,” Linehan said.

Brandon Pettigew’s status in doubt for season finale:  TE Brandon Pettigrew was one of three Lions players who sat out Thursday’s practice, and it’s unlikely that he’ll be available for Sunday’s game against the Bears. Lions’ coaches decided not to place Pettigrew on injured reserve after he injured his ankle in Week 14 against the Packers, because they hoped that he could return before the end of the season. After missing three weeks of practice, however, it’s doubtful that Pettigrew would be fit enough to contribute even if Detroit’s medical staff cleared him for action. Joining Pettigrew on the sidelines were S Louis Delmas (knee) and DT Sammie Hill (toe). CB Chris Houston (hamstring) and WR Calvin Johnson (knee/ankle) were limited in practice. Delmas, Houston and Johnson are all expected to play Sunday. Hill’s status for Detroit’s season finale is unknown.

Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter at @CBSLions and @JohnKreger