Detroit Lions: Will Jim Bob Cooter help or hinder the new regime?

With Matt Patricia deciding to keep Jim Bob Cooter as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, could this move help the team hit the ground running?

When the news first came out that the Detroit Lions would retain the services of Jim Bob Cooter as their offensive coordinator, the reaction was quick and varied.

Many fans thought that Cooter, like much of of the former coaching regime, needed to be relieved of his duties while the Lions searched for a better option to run the offense in the Matt Patricia era. Others believed it is important to keep Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford happy by retaining the coach that Stafford believes in and credits for his improvement.

There are good reasons for both schools of thought, but in the end the only thing that matters at this point is whether keeping Cooter works. Otherwise this will have all been a waste of time.

So plain and simple; will it work?

Now the truth of the matter is that only time will answer that question, but since you tuned in to get an answer, I will gaze into my Magic 8 ball and try to ascertain what Jim Bob Cooter’s future looks like with the Lions.

‘Reply hazy try again’.

‘Concentrate and ask again’.

‘Better not tell you now’.

O.K, so much for the Magic 8 ball. It looks like we need to use a little rational thought here instead. Let’s start with the biggest problem that most Lions fans have with Cooter; he tends to stick to the ground game too much.

This is certainly a viable concern. The Lions have proven on a weekly basis over the past few seasons that they are completely incapable of running the ball. They couldn’t even be counted on to gain short yardage when they needed to. But is this Jim Bob’s fault or did the problem go deeper?