“Obviously, turnovers are critical, particularly when you’re in scoring range, particularly in end-game scenarios,” Schwartz said. “But he’s made a lot of plays for us.
“It’s been a rough spot for him as far as some drops and some fumbles. But he’ll get through it and prove that he’s the good player that we all know he is.”
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was quoted: “I’ll continue throwing to that kid until they tell me I can’t.”
In the fantasy football world, Pettigrew’s other skills get overlooked.
Detroit defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said run blocking is an area where Pettigrew excels, another reason Detroit management believes Pettigrew can be an ideal complement to superstar Calvin Johnson and the Lions’ other receivers.
“He’s a big strong guy,” Cunningham told the Detroit Free Press. “I think his biggest asset is his blocking. We feel it when we practice (against him). He’s giant. And he’s mean and aggressive.”
The Lions last season ended a 12-year playoff drought but odds are they won’t return to the playoffs this season.
Detroit (4-7) probably would need to run the table, win its final five games. That will be difficult against a challenging schedule that still includes Green Bay, Atlanta and Chicago.
“We have a young team and we play in a tough division.” Pettigrew said. “But moving forward, I see big things. Every year we keep adding key parts and key players. As long as we can keep that base, our mindset will always be to keep getting better and play in the Super Bowl.”
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