Can the Detroit Lions ever conquer their consistent inconsistency?

That’s right. After all the hype surrounding this team and the new heights they were finally going to climb to after 60 years of being one of the NFL’s most consistent punchlines to any joke imaginable, they seem to have achieved the same status as always; inconsistent losers.

Is that a fair label? Despite the familiar feeling of frustration and the apparent loss of all hope, the truth is that it’s not.

Matt Patricia comes from the well documented Bill Belichick tree of failure. Yes, all Belichick disciples have failed without Belichick. Somehow or another one of the greatest coaches, if not the greatest coach in NFL history, hasn’t been able to produce any successful fruit.

What made Matt Patricia different and the ultimate Belichick protege was his ability to introduce new ways for the Patriots to handle business. From scouting reports to breaking down film, he changed the way that Belichick ran things.

Anyone who can do that has to have some promise, right?

So with that in mind, combined with the fact that this organization did nothing, outside of selecting Da’Shawn Hand in the fourth round of the draft and picking up players off waivers, to upgrade the defensive line, is how poorly they have played up front really that big of a surprise?

Now granted, one would think that the players should at least be smart enough to grasp the intricacies of this defense and play it efficiently enough to be semi-average against the run. Yet that has not been the case.

One might say that either these guys in the front seven are not nearly as good as expected or simply dumb as rocks. The play of the defensive line and linebackers has been spotty, but despite the continued spotlight being shown on Jarrad Davis and his shortcomings in pass coverage, the defensive line still stands as the area of most need on this defense.

The good news should be that Da’Shawn Hand is turning heads and playing very well in general. Hopefully, this is a precursor for next offseason when Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia will need to find more players that will fit this system as they continue to re-vamp this front seven.