SideLion Report
FanSided

How did Matt Patricia’s predecessors do in their coaching debuts?

By Payne Schanski

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 30: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions looks on while playing the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 30, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 30: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions looks on while playing the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 30, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Mandatory Credit: Tom Pidgeon /Allsport
Mandatory Credit: Tom Pidgeon /Allsport /

The Matt Patricia era officially begins at Ford Field next Monday night. Here’s how the opening games of the last five Lions coaches have gone.

Unless the Detroit Lions either reach the Super Bowl or completely tank this year, it will probably take a few seasons before we really know whether Matt Patricia was the “right” choice to take over as coach.

You certainly can’t jump to conclusions based on the result of one game. Even so, there seems to be quite a bit riding on Patricia’s upcoming coaching debut than for any other of the Lions’ recent head coaches.

There are many reasons for the higher stakes. First off, Patricia has never been a head coach at any level of football; yet, his ties to New England brought a certain mystique and assumption of success to his hiring.

Secondly, Patricia is inheriting a team that is (relatively speaking) on a recent string of success. With consecutive winning seasons, Matthew Stafford in his prime, and most of the recent roster intact, this isn’t meant to be a rebuilding year.

So why isn’t there more buzz coming out of Detroit? The offseason wasn’t great (no splashy free agent signings), the draft was so-so, and the preseason was notably poor for the Lions. Bob Quinn (and Matt Patricia by extension) gets the benefit of the doubt for the moment, but the honeymoon period is over. The opening game is suddenly pretty important.

Here’s a look back at how the first game has gone for the five most recent Lions head coaches.

Marty Mornhinweg – 2001

What he inherited: Despite Bobby Ross quitting halfway through the 2000 season, the Lions managed 9 wins. Only a last-second field goal in Week 17 kept them out of the playoffs before Mornhinweg arrived.

Year 1 Expectations Level: Mornhinweg’s NFL head coaching qualifications were spotty from the beginning. Gary Moeller had done a good job as interim coach, and many felt he should have been given a full season. Even so, the Lions had been decent the past two seasons; how much damage could Mornhinweg really do?

First Game: Loss, 6-28 @ Green Bay.

The Lions fell behind 21-0 within the first ten minutes of Mornhinweg’s head coaching career. Unfortunately, this was an extremely accurate indicator of the rest of his time in Detroit.

Home/Lions News