Detroit Head Coach Steve Mariucci is finishing his second season in charge of the Lions and has seen his team make steps in the right direction. However, Mariucci said he wants to make progress towards being a playoff contender much more quickly.

When the former San Francisco Coach took over in Detroit, he inherited a team that had only won five games total in the previous two seasons. He turned that around to a 5-11 record in 2003.

''We're trying to get this thing accomplished as fast as we can,'' Mariucci said. ''When I say accomplished, I mean a playoff team year in and year out.''

The Lions seemed to be on the right track near the end of October as the team stood at 4-2 overall, but injuries and tough finishes changed that. Detroit lost seven of eight before beating Chicago 19-13 last Sunday.

Even with a stretch that included five straight losses in the middle of the season, Detroit was not eliminated from the playoffs until last weekend.

''While we're close because of the NFC being pretty darn competitive, we're not there yet,'' Mariucci said. ''We're headed there. So I'd like to make faster progress, but we've got to finish this season up strong.''

This season might not have finished the way Detroit had wanted, but Mariucci said they are optimistic about the future with two talented rookies on their team.

Running back Kevin Jones, who battled an ankle injury early in the season, has rushed for 554 of his 1,061 yards in the month of December. His performance has given the Lions the NFL's second best rushing attack in the last six games.

Along with Jones, wide receiver Roy Williams has turned in an impressive rookie campaign. He topped the rookie receiving record of 680 yards (772) set by Earl McCullouch in 1968. He has also caught seven touchdown passes, which breaks the previous record of six that has been standing for 53 years.

''(Williams) has had to fight through an ankle injury, a sore knee, a sore hip, some things with his wheels,'' Mariucci said. ''One time I asked him, 'How are your wheels?' and he said, 'Flat.'

''I do like the fact that he's fighting through it, and when he healthy's up, he's going to be a terrific player.''