LONDON -- Jeremiah Washburn was considered a hot young assistant coach two years ago, when Jim Caldwell retained him as one of a handful of holdovers from Jim Schwartz's Detroit Lions staff.
But with the Lions' offensive line in disarray during this year's 1-6 start, Caldwell made Washburn and assistant line coach Terry Heffernan scapegoats as part of the organization's coaching shakeup Monday.
"It just sucks because, especially, you build certain relationships with the coaches and all that, and you let them down," veteran offensive lineman Manny Ramirez said. "Especially as an offensive line. You lose your O-line coach and his assistant, and we're supposed to be a family -- supposed to be one, take care of each other, work for each other -- and we let them down.