ALLEN PARK — Who knew Jim Schwartz was part coach/part meteorologist?

The weather was a huge factor in why he decided to take the ball to start Sunday’s game in Philadelphia after winning the coin toss. 

“Well the initial forecast was that the weather was going to get worse through the game,’’ Schwartz said on Monday. “It is hard to imagine it being any worse right there but in that case it was like if it is goin

g to get worse than this then hey. If the snow was going to continue to pile up, imagine if it was 12 inches at the end.’’

There were blizzard-like conditions with groundskeepers trying to keep the lines plowed. At one point an official stopped the game because he couldn’t see the goal line under the snow.

“I think we played our best at the beginning of the game. We were able to move the ball but we weren’t able to finish those drives because of fumbles,’’ Schwartz said. “There wasn’t much of a wind, actually the wind died down at the end of the game, but with the potential of the wind, if we take the ball in the first half then we get to see where we want to finish in the second half. 

“The other thing, it turned out that it was nearly impossible to kick a field goal. It was very, very difficult to throw the ball, but the wind didn’t have a lot to do with the game but there was potential that it did. It was a tough situation because you didn’t know. It is snowing like crazy right but is it going to stop? Is it going to get worse? And it was none of the above.’’

The Lions lost 34-20 to the Eagles.

Schwartz said the Lions wore the longest cleats that are allowed in the NFL. They're so tall he compared them to stilts.

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her book,  “100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die’’ here. It’s also available at bookstores.)