The Browns have asked for and received permission to interview Titans' defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coaching vacancy, a source told the Plain Dealer on Wednesday. Schwartz, a scout for the Browns from 1993 to 1995 under Bill Belichick, is believed to be intrigued by the thought of returning to Cleveland, where he began his NFL career as an unpaid intern. The Lions have also been granted permission to interview Schwartz, 42.

The winless Lions will have two of the top 20 picks in the April's NFL draft, according to the preliminary order released on Monday. Detroit received the 20th pick in the Roy Williams trade with the Cowboys. The following is the preliminary draft order: 1. Detroit 2. St. Louis 3. Kansas City 4. Seattle 5. Cleveland 6. Cincinnati 7. Oakland 8. Jacksonville 9. Green Bay 10. San Francisco 11. Buffalo 12. Denver 13. Washington 14. New Orleans 15. Houston 16. San Diego 17. N.Y. Jets 18. Chicago 19. Tampa Bay 20. Detroit (Dallas) 21. Arizona 22. Philadelphia 23. Minnesota 24. New England 25. Atlanta 26. Miami 27. Baltimore 28. Philadelphia (Carolina) 29. Indianapolis 30. N.Y. Giants 31. Pittsburgh 32. Tennessee

Chris Mortensen of ESPN has reported that the Lions have fired coach Rod Marinelli after the completion of their winless season. "No competitor wants to go through something like this," Marinelli said after Sunday's game. "This is not fun to go through, obviously. But there's people going through a lot worse than this." Marinelli was 10-38 in three seasons in Detroit.

Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells may already be looking for a new job, and the Lions are interested in his services. There's a clause in Parcells' contract that allows him to walk away from the Dolphins if owner Wayne Huizenga sells the team, a move that is expected to happen within the next month. An ESPN report lists the Lions, Jets, Browns, and Raiders as teams that are on Parcells' radar.

The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers set the modern standard for NFL futility by going 0-14 more than three decades ago, so they know what the winless Lions are facing. "I would like the torch to be passed," Pat Toomay, a defensive end for that Tampa Bay team, added. "At the same time, you don't want to wish that on anybody. "By the time we got to the last game of the season, we had so many injuries that we didn't feel we had much of a chance. Everybody was so sick of the season that they showed up packed and ready to get out of town," said Toomay.

The Lions will battle the Packers on Sunday as they look to avoid a 0-16 record this season. "If we win, I ain't catching the plane back home," cornerback Travis Fisher said with a laugh. "I'll walk back to Detroit." A loss would install the Lions in their very own NFL Hall of Shame as the league's first team to go 0-16 in a season. "It's Week 17, and I don't know what it's like to win an NFL game," rookie Gosder Cherilus said somberly. "The situation we're in has to be enough to give everything you've got in this last game. "It's our Super Bowl."

Rob Parker of the Detroit News on Monday explained his position regarding a controversial question asked to Lions' coach Rod Marinelli. Parker wrote in Monday's column that, "What might have seemed like a personal attack, wasn't." "Who knows, Marinelli, a straight shooter who never goes off script, might actually have given us a funny quote," Parker wrote. On Sunday Parker asked whether Marinelli wished his daughter had married "a better defensive coordinator."

The Lions will start Dan Orlovsky at quarterback this coming weekend against the Packers as they look to avoid becoming the NFL's first 0-16 team. Daunte Culpepper won't be available because of a shoulder injury. Orlovsky was frank after the team's most recent loss to the Saints on Sunday. "Awful, embarrassing, we stunk," Orlovsky said. "Any bad adjective you can use -- throw it in there. ... "We played decent football on offense for the first 10 plays, and then after that it was embarrassing."

Detroit columnist Rob Parker, who all season has consistently asked Rod Marinelli about defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who's Marinelli's son-in-law, had a few more today. "On a light note, do you wish your daughter would have married a better defensive coordinator?" Marinelli ignored it and continued fielding questions. On the nationally televised postgame show on Fox, the analysts very extremely critical of the question. "You know, Rob, you're an idiot. You're just a flat idiot," Terry Bradshaw said.

After losing to the Saints on Sunday afternoon, the Lions are 0-15 and one loss away from entering the history books. Detroit is the first NFL team to go 0-15, and will travel to Green Bay in their season finale. The Lions haven't won at Lambeau Field since 1991. "It's very real," center Dominic Raiola said. "It's right there in front of us. "It's pretty sad that its come to this."