The Detroit Lions have a bold, new direction in 2018. For long-suffering fans, the hope is this team is trending upwards and not backwards.
The Detroit Lions had a lot of success with head coach Jim Caldwell at the helm. During Caldwell’s four-year run in the Motor City, the Lions posted three winning seasons and earned themselves two playoff berths. Unfortunately, postseason success continued to elude Detroit and their long-suffering fanbase.
Still, the Lions found consistent success under Caldwell. And despite ending last year at 9-7, Detroit opted to part ways with their winning head coach at season’s end. In his place, the Lions brass hired Matt Patricia, someone who had never been a football head coach on any level.
That’s not to say Patricia will not be successful. It only demonstrates how much of a risk Detroit was willing to take this offseason. Obviously, as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patroits for the past six seasons, and serving under legendary head coach Bill Belichick for a whopping 14 years, Patricia seems more than prepared to take on this role in Detroit.
Still, at this point, Patricia’s ability to helm a NFL franchise to postseason success is up in the air. Like many Belichick prodigies before him, the 43-year old may discover he’s simply a much better coordinator than head coach. For Detroit, that possible revelation could damage a Lions’ roster seemingly on the precipice of winning their first playoff win since 1992.
The roster in Detroit is the most talented it’s been in years. Now, the Lions seem more than satisfied to switch gears and gamble their future on Patricia and his new coaching staff.
For the new look Lions, preparing for the upcoming season is about moving forward, not looking back.
"“I’m not going back and trying to figure out what they did wrong,” said Lions’ new offensive line coach Jeff Davidson according to the Oakland Press. “It’s a matter of us trying to figure what we can do to improve moving forward. Each day, when we go out there, we incorporate a lot of different schemes, and try to figure out which we are best at.”"
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For better or for worse, the Detroit Lions have taken a path they hope will led them to unprecedented success in the Motor City. But if the Lions fail to meet lofty expectations in 2018, it will be the fans who will be looking back wondering what might have been had Detroit stayed the course under Jim Caldwell.