The Sports Xchange

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — After a 0-5 start, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell relayed the message from owner Martha Firestone Ford and her family on Monday.

“They’re not happy, obviously, which you could anticipate and understand very well,” Caldwell said during his Monday news conference. “And they were certainly as upset about this game as anybody, like they have been about the entire season. It’s our job to get that turned around.”

The message from president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew is similar.

“It’s been the same, consistent, not satisfied,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to do better.”

–Running back Joique Bell said his Achilles tendon, which he had surgically repaired last offseason, is still bothering him. He missed the last two games and had 22 yards on 20 carries in the first three games.

“My ankle is 100 percent; my knee is good,” Bell said Monday. “Achilles is getting there. I’ll be back out there this week (at practice). I’ve got to come back and play. I hate sitting on the sidelines.”

–Wide receiver Golden Tate finished Sunday’s game with eight catches for 74 yards, but lost a fumble for just the second time in his six NFL seasons. He also got a penalty for a chop block in the second quarter that turned a third-and-1 at the Arizona 29 into a third-and-15 after which the Lions had to punt.

“There were just a couple plays uncharacteristic of myself where at times I felt like I could’ve been a little bit better, I could’ve helped the situation out and it took me digging deep to go get it,” Tate said. “I feel like I’m back on track and I’m ready to play, bring my A game back and reach my potential.”

With just 26 catches for 264 yards this season, Tate is well behind his pace from 2014 in which he had 99 catches for 1,331 yards.

“I’ve got to find that fire that I had last year and that I’ve shown earlier this season,” he said. “I didn’t have that yesterday for some reason. I’ve spoken to coach, my coaches and coach Caldwell, and it’s going to be back.”