Detroit Lions: Can Matt Patricia afford another losing season?
The Detroit Lions moved on from a winning coach to hire Matt Patricia. Can the second-year head coach afford another losing season in Motown?
The Detroit Lions were on the precipice of playoff success under the tenure of head coach Jim Caldwell. During his four-year stint, the Lions posted three winning seasons and two playoff berths. Detroit’s worst season under Caldwell was a respectable 7-9 in 2015.
The Lions made a bold mission statement when they promptly fired Caldwell after the 2017 regular season and hired former New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in his place. Detroit would no longer settle for regular season success. Under general manager Bob Quinn, the Lions must get their first playoff victory since 1992 at all costs.
Unfortunately, the Lions took a nosedive in Patricia’s first season posting a 6-10 record landing the proud franchise in the basement of the highly-competitive NFC North division. The culture clash in the Motor City was real last season, with Patricia’s old school coaching style colliding with a roster of players that had found success with a more laid-back approach from the previous regime.
After a successful offseason haul, the Lions have seemingly doubled-down on Patricia in 2019 bringing in high priced free agents that fit his coaching style. Now the question becomes how much slack does the second-year head coach have especially if Detroit posts back-to-back losing seasons despite the hefty investments.
Here’s what NFL.com Writer Adam Rank wrote on the league’s official website recently about the competitive urgency in Detroit being high in 2019.
"” … you don’t bring in a coach like Patricia to stick with business as usual if you’re the Lions. My conjecture is the Lions aren’t going to have a lot of patience and will need to see some immediate improvement, especially as Stafford gets into his 30s.”"
The Lions appear to be all-in on Patricia and Quinn’s plans for the franchise. But this is also an organization that can be impatient at times. Both former Pats are reportedly tied at the hip contractually through 2022. But there is no guarantee either of them will last near that long in Detroit. A second losing campaign in a row would certainly hurt their chances of doing so.
Next. The Detroit Lions All-Time Defensive Team. dark
Surely, the Detroit Lions understand changing the culture in the Motor City will take time. But the massive investment made this offseason in players like defensive end Trey Flowers, cornerback Justin Coleman plus rookies like tight end T.J. Hockenson and linebacker Jahlani Tavai must pay off in the standings. If it doesn’t, both Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn will ultimately pay the price.