Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz downplays hype of rematch with San Francisco 49ers - NFL News
Last season the match between Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers started the beginning of an unexpected National Football Conference (NFC) rivalry.
The 49ers won the game 25-19 in the final minute as quarterback, Alex Smith sent a touchdown pass to Delanie Walker from six yards out to put San Francisco in the lead for good.
The game though ended in bad blood.
49ers coach, Jim Harbaugh celebrated his victory and when Lions coach, Jim Schwartz came to him for the traditional hand shake, Harbaugh took the Lions coach’s hand with force and slapped him on the back.
Schwartz did not take too kindly to the event and chased after Harbaugh as players stepped in to twice separate the two coaches.
Now both these two coaches who turned around the fortunes of their respective franchises last season will again go head-to-head against each other in week two of the 2012-13 season in a nationally televised event.
Both team’s fans cannot wait for the spectacle which is likely to be charged, however, Schwartz in an interview with the
Detroit Free Press tried to downplay the hype.
"It's two playoff teams. It's a national TV game. It's a road game and it's a cross-country game for us. It's an NFC game.”
Adding further he said.
"So there's a lot of important pieces of it, and I think the schedule makers, the TV people and everybody else, recognized the game that they expect it to be."
Schwartz can try to downplay the game’s significance as much as he can but there is no doubt that the atmosphere will be charged when both teams will face each other at the Candlestick Park.
The Lions are expected this season to continue to improve on their results in 2012-13 after they ended their playoff drought last season with a 10-6 record.
San Francisco are also going to be a tough opponent after ending last season with a 13-3 season and reaching the NFC Championship rounds where they were knocked out by the current Super Bowl Champions New York Giants.
It will be one of the most anticipated games in the NFL calendar and even though the start of the season is still far off the hype continues to build.
Tags: