Detroit Lions headlines: T.J. Lang retires, Progressive Patricia?
The Detroit Lions hired themselves an old school coach in Matt Patricia. But can he adopt a more progressive approach? That and more in today’s headlines.
Despite the fact we are in the midst of free agency and with the NFL draft only weeks away, today’s headlines focus more on a Detroit Lions former player, their second-year head coach and playing games on Thanksgiving. Weird.
Let’s dive in.
Two-time Pro Bowl OL Lang announces retirement – ESPN
Offensive guard T.J. Lang spent most of his career battling against the Detroit Lions instead of playing for them. The former fourth-rounder out of Eastern Michigan spent the first eight years of his career with the rival Green Bay Packers. Lang did not earn his first Pro Bowl nod until his final season in Green Bay. In 2016, he joined the Lions and promptly earn his second Pro Bowl nomination. Lang missed 10 games in Detroit last season due to a neck injury and was released earlier this month. The 31-year old has now decided to hang up his cleats.
Matt Patricia should take page out of Kliff Kingsbury’s playbook | Opinion – Detroit Free Press
With the success of younger NFL head coaches like 33-year old Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, adopting a more progressive style of coaching today’s modern players is in vogue. For instance, new Arizona Cardinals head coach 39-year old Kliff Kingsbury plans to allow his players to take smartphone breaks during team meetings.
Would Matt Patricia ever adopt a similar philosophy? At 44-years old and having spent his entire professional career learning from the legendary Bill Belichick, this seems very unlikely. Patricia clearly wants to do things the Patriot way. And based on his methods last season, he’s 100 percent old school.
Matt Patricia sees teaching getting through to Lions during playoffs – The Detroit News
I think the above article is a positive sign that Patricia is getting through to his players. With more and more of the roster being shaped by both general manager Bob Quinn and his new head coach, the more these Lions are starting to buy-in to the process. It’s been a winning formula in New England. The question is can it be duplicated in Detroit without Belichick and all-world quarterback Tom Brady?
Next. Detroit Lions 2019 NFL Draft: Full 7-round mock 5.0. dark
The Eagles came for Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving game. Here’s why. – MLive.com
Like many of you reading this, I look forward to seeing the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys play during Thanksgiving. It is a tradition that other NFL teams clearly envy. But maybe they should be careful what they wish for. Playing during the holiday plays havoc with the team’s schedule, forcing them to prepare for multiple games within a very small window. All near the end of a grueling season.