Matt Patricia was brought to the Detroit Lions to bring consistency to a franchise that has not achieved it in a very long time. What if he falters?
Former Detroit Lions‘ head coach Jim Caldwell was relieved of his duties shortly after the conclusion of last season. Even though Caldwell just posted back-to-back winning records and had taken the Lions to the playoffs twice in four years.
Yet, general manager Bob Quinn felt he need to make a move to help get the team over the playoff hump. By firing Caldwell, Quinn is betting on himself and his new head coach.
Enter Matt Patricia, who came to Detroit this offseason with glowing reviews as the former defensive coordinator of the New England Patroits. Patricia is said to be a “player’s coach.” His former players have nothing but great things to say about the man. But, what seems lost in all of this hype is the looming question of whether this first time head coach actually run an entire team?
What if year one sees the Lions finish under .500 in 2018? Does that mean Quinn made an error in judgment when he hand-picked Patricia over Caldwell, a veteran head coach with a winning record?
It certainly puts pressure on both the Lions’ coach and general manager. In my opinion, anything less than 9-7 is this upcoming is unacceptable. If a coach, who never finished under .500, was fire, then his replacement surely can not post a worse record.
That may sound harsh. But it is the reality of the situation. Quinn has placed himself squarely in this position. This could go very wrong, very quickly. For Quinn to take this risk. he must feel the that Lions are on the verge of being elite. And that Patricia is the man who can take them over the edge.
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It is going to be fascinating to see how the Detroit Lions go about their offseason activities with so much on the line so quickly. Let’s see if Matt Patricia is as good as advertised. I know Bob Quinn is hoping he is. In fact, he’s banking on it.