Wide receiver Roy Williams spent time in both Detroit and Dallas last season, and says that the 0-16 Lions practiced harder than the Cowboys. "I mean, I was there until we were 0-5, I think," Williams said Friday morning. "You know, we still had a chance to be in the playoffs at 0-5. Guys were still working. I think, actually, Detroit works harder than Dallas on the practice field. I don't know why it doesn't transition to the game field on Sunday."

The Lions' Thanksgiving Day game is safe, at least for the 2009 season, but Commissioner Roger Goodell says that could change. Goodell admitted that owners will discuss what teams will host the Thanksgiving games "as we get later in the year." The Lions have hosted Thanksgiving Day games since 1934.

During a recent Town Hall meeting, Lions' team president Tom Lewand suggested that changes to the team's uniform could be coming as soon as the 2010 season. According to a Michigan blog, Lewand said that fans should, "Stay tuned," for uniform changes that will be "evolutionary, not revolutionary." "I think what fans walked out of there feeling was there's finally some direction and some unity in the front office," said play-by-play announcer Dan Miller, who attended the meeting. "They're not going to waver in that direction. There seems to be a coherent plan that they can wrap their hands around and move forward."

Since he was fired last September, Matt Millen has not been paid by the Lions, and he believes he's still owed $12 million on the remaining two-plus years of his contract. It's a legal issue that will likely be resolved by arbitration, and that's exactly why Millen isn't talking now. A source with knowledge of the situation said Millen was probably advised by his legal counsel not to answer any questions concerning his time in Detroit.

Former Lions coach Steve Mariucci discussed his time with the team on Tuesday, and hinted that Matt Millen didn't have the experience needed to lead the team. Detroit was 31-84 under Millen. "I think there's a multitude of reasons, and it was not just Matt," Mariucci said. "We all had a hand in not doing well enough. Every player, every coach, every front-office person, everybody was there for a certain job to do, and, collectively, we didn?t get it done. OK? Keep that in mind. 'Also, I think there was a lack of experience in that position. ... That job description requires a certain skill set that's only gained by doing those things, scouting and coaching and organizing and bringing a group together of 150 employees, and he simply didn't have the experience at that. He had great playing experience and great broadcasting experience but not experience specific to the job that he had."

Scott Linehan, the former St. Louis head coach who turned down a job with San Francisco, has reportedly agreed to become Detroit's offensive coordinator. Linehan, a former offensive coordinator for Miami and Minnesota, was fired four games into his third season as the Rams' coach last September.

Jim Schwartz is still getting accustomed to the extra attention and phone calls that come from being an NFL head coach instead of an 'invisible assistant.' "The first day, I had my phone on vibrate, and it rang so many times that it was actually hot," Schwartz said Tuesday. "I literally picked it up, and it was hot to the touch. I'm not used to 600 phone calls in the day." He said at his introductory news conference Friday that he wanted to make personal contact with every player on the team. He thought he could do it in 24 hours. He couldn't. "I started at the A's and have worked straight through," Schwartz said. "I had no idea how time-consuming that was going to be."

New Lions' coach Jim Schwartz made his first major hiring on Wednesday, bringing in veteran assistant Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator. Cunningham is a 40-year coaching veteran on the college and pro levels.

Mark Sanchez is apparently not afraid of becoming a member of the Detroit Lions, should they select him in the April draft. "It would just be a dream to fulfill my lifelong wish of playing quarterback in the NFL, wherever it is," he said.

The Dallas Cowboys have famously not won a playoff game since Dec. 28, 1996, when they beat Minnesota, 40-15, in the wild-card round. They have lost six postseason games in a row, tied with six clubs for the NFL record for consecutive playoff losses. They have not been to an NFC championship game since 1995. The only teams in the NFC with longer droughts are the Redskins and Lions.