SideLion Report
FanSided

Are the Detroit Lions heading for a Rams-type rebound in 2019?

By Steven Mullenax

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates Gerald Everett #81 after defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New Orleans Saints with a score of 26 to 23. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates Gerald Everett #81 after defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New Orleans Saints with a score of 26 to 23. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Rams were able to transform into a championship-level team in two years. Can the Detroit Lions do the same starting in 2019?

Last year was a season of change for the Detroit Lions. The biggest revision being the hiring of former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as head coach. And after posting a disappointing 6-10 record his rookie season in Motown, many are down on Patricia and what his future holds for Detroit.

Still, Patricia was a first-time head coach on a franchise where losing has infested the culture. Changing that mindset takes time. And installing a championship philosophy doesn’t happen overnight. Or can it?

The Los Angeles Rams had similar issues back in 2016. Longtime head coach Jeff Fisher was fired after starting the season 4-9. The Rams would hire Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator Sean McVay as their new head the following offseason. And the 30-year old would proceed to make the Rams an 11-5 squad in his first year. And this past season, McVay would lead his team all the way to the Super Bowl.

Can Patricia lead such a revival in Detroit? This was a team that was once on the edge of playoff relevance, making the postseason twice in the previous four seasons prior to his arrival. Could last year’s pain translate to gains in the standings in 2019?

NFL Network’s Michael Robinson told the Detroit Free Press recently that he believes the Lions will make the playoffs this upcoming season.

"“I think last year or 2018 was a year of transition for the Detroit Lions. Fans can’t expect the New England success just to follow Matt Patricia and just be there just because he’s there. He has to get his players into that building as well, he has to get his people into that building as well that think like him. So I expect a playoff run this year, especially with Coach Bevell being there.”"

dark. Next. Detroit Lions 2019 NFL Draft: 7-round mock 3.0

Matt Patricia is known for being a defensive guru. And under his tutelage, the Detroit Lions’ defense did appear to be much improved by the end of his first season. It was Detroit’s offense that really struggled down the stretch.

With the addition of Darrell Bevell as the team’s new offensive coordinator and a strong second season from running back phenom Kerryon Johnson, the Lions are set to have a bounce-back year in 2019. But will it result in their first playoff win since 1992 and a Rams-type rebound? Only time will tell.

Home/Lions News