Detroit Lions: Building the quarterback, head coach bond
The Detroit Lions are on the field during OTAs giving quarterback Matthew Stafford and new head coach Matt Patricia time to bond.
For the Detroit Lions, one of the most important relationships in football is developing. During OTAs, quarterback Matthew Stafford and new head coach Matt Patricia are getting to see another side of each other as they put in work on the field.
The context of the story is that coach and player are learning from each other. They are also expanding a very important relationship. As they converse more and more, they are developing the level of trust necessary for a team to succeed.
Learning from each other, they can elevate the play on each side of the ball. But they can also be in each other’s heads during critical game moments. Knowing how Stafford sees the field will help with Patricia’s actions during these situations. And knowing what Patricia would do defensively, will also help Stafford be prepared for what the defense might throw at him.
It’s a recipe for success that may seem obvious and many might take for granted. Building a solid rapport is expected to take place as soon as possible and the latest comments from Stafford show the escalation of the process. And build on the comments he made in April about Patricia bringing “great energy” to the team.
"“[Patricia’s] asking me nonstop, I’m talking to him nonstop,” Stafford recently said via the Lions website. “He’s out there a bunch as a head coach, kind of standing behind me looking at the defense and seeing it kind of how I see it.”"
A great energy will be a stark contrast to what we’ve seen from the Detroit Lions sideline the past four years. Former coach Jim Caldwell was, to put it nicely, extremely composed. Although he did give the rare fist pump after a game-winning field goal, that was the highlight of the emotion he showed during games.
Bringing new energy to the sidelines could be a good thing for this team. But let’s keep it a little tamer than the days of coach Jim Schwartz. A happy medium, please.
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Judging from Stafford’s comments, players are on board with Patricia’s energy level. Let’s hope they continue building their relationship. It’s one very helpful piece that should keep this team in contention for the division while pushing for success in the playoffs.