Schwartz says return to Detroit is no big deal

Jim Schwartz will be going back to Detroit on Sunday, back to face the Lions, the team he coached for five seasons, from 2009 through 2013.

But this isn't a grudge match for the Eagles' defensive coordinator. Any hard feeling he had over being fired there dissipated quickly.

"It doesn't end well for head coaches in the NFL,'' he said. "No matter how much you want it to. As much success as Andy Reid had here, it didn't end well for him.

"You could probably roll out any coach who's ever coached in the league and say the same thing. It didn't end well for Tony Dungy in Tampa. It didn't end well for (Bill) Belichick at Cleveland. It didn't end well for Pete Carroll with the Jets or Patriots.

"When we're in it, we expect to be that person that's going to be (in the same place) for 25 years or whatever. But it doesn't always work out that way.''

This will be the second time Schwartz has faced the Lions in Detroit since he was fired. He returned there two years ago when he was Buffalo's defensive coordinator. The Bills won that game, 17-14. Schwartz's players carried him off the field.

"Been there done that,'' he said when asked if this game meant any more to him than a game against, say, the Cleveland Browns or Chicago Bears. "Played (them) when I was in Buffalo. Was able to get a win there. We also played a snow game there when I was with Buffalo. We played the Jets there.

"I visit there a lot of times in the offseason. I don't have very many friends. But my wife has a lot of friends (in Detroit). I enjoyed my time there. It'll be part of our family's life, not just a part of my life.''

Schwartz said he's actually a closet Lions fan on days when they're not playing the Eagles.

"You guys probably would be surprised how much I root for the Lions,'' he said. "As long as it's not in direct conflict with the Eagles, I want those guys to win every week.

"I got too much blood and sweat in that (Lions) building. And there are a lot of guys there that mean an awful lot to me. (Quarterback Matthew) Stafford and (tight end Brandon) Pettigrew and (linebacker DeAndre) Levy, those guys were in our first draft class.  I want those guys to succeed. I just don't want them to succeed this Sunday.

"You have relationships that just don't go away when you leave or a player leaves. Those guys had my back when I coached there, and I had their back.''