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Where does one start?

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz admitted after the game that a 4-12 season was especially tough to swallow after last year's 10-6 record.

The Lions worked hard to keep that team together last offseason, returning 21-of-22 starters, but Schwartz said after Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Bears that the strategy was born more out of necessity and circumstance than anything else.

"It wasn't like we had money to go get other guys," Schwartz said. "We lost one corner to free agency. Ended up losing another corner (Aaron Berry) over the summer to bad decisions.

"Secondary was an issue … and I know you guys all wrote about it all training camp. Can the secondary hold up? Can the secondary hold up? I thought they battled like crazy today.

"We had Ron Bartell, who's been on the team two weeks (start Sunday). We had Pat Lee (playing nickel). Both of those guys were playing for the Raiders and were released.

"Four out of our five guys that were out there (in the secondary Sunday) were guys that weren't with us in the beginning of the season. We didn't do a good enough job managing it … but there's no excuse. We lost a lot of defensive tackles at the end too it's just life in the NFL and you need to be able to adjust."

Adding quality depth will certainly be on the wish list this offseason, but so should obtaining more durable players. There needs to be a fundamental shift to accruing bigger, more physical players - especially in the secondary - that have a better chance of holding up.

TIMELESS HANSON
Jason Hanson gave the Lions a 3-0 lead in the first quarter with a 44-yard field goal, which was the 188th 40-plus-yard field goal of his career, setting a record for the most in NFL history.

Hanson now is the NFL record holder for both career 40-plus-yard (188) and 50-plus-yard (52) field goals.

He said this week he plans on taking some time off after the season before deciding on his future.

HOLLOW RECORD
With 42 pass attempts vs. Chicago, quarterback Matthew Stafford set the NFL record for single-season pass attempts (727). He broke the record held by Drew Bledsoe (691) in 1994.

It's a record accomplished more out of circumstance than anything else, and probably wasn't part of the plan when the Lions scripted out the season by in September.

Stafford is the first player in NFL history to attempt 700 passes in a season.

EXTRA POINTS

• In eight home games this season, the Lions tallied 510,158 fans at Ford Field. The season total breaks the team record, surpassing the previous best of 509,940 set in 2011.
• FB Shaun Chapas left the game with a knee injury and did not return.
• Sunday's loss means the Lions will have the No. 5-overall pick in April's draft.
• Lions opponents for 2013: Home: Chi, GB, Min, Dal, NYG, Bal, Cin, TB; Road: Chi, GB, Min, Phi, Was, Cle, Pit, Arz