The Detroit Lions can never fully commit to what it takes to be a winner. And the vicious cycle of losing just continues to repeat itself.
Nothing has gone right this season. The only thing that can go right at this point is for the Detroit Lions to continue their losing streak into the final six games – adding up to nine straight losses to finish the year.
Everything is on the table at this point. General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia should feel their jobs are in jeopardy. They have failed to improve this team in any significant way from last season.
Losing quarterback Matthew Stafford is tough, especially since he was playing great football through the first half of the season. But the team’s record was below .500 (3-4-1) under Stafford. And the big reason why has been the defense.
The defense is wretched this season. If (at bare minimum) the defense was somewhere in the top third of the NFL, then there could be hope that supposed defensive genius Matt Patricia is doing something right. But the Detroit Lions are the worst defense in the entire league.
Three of the next four games are against other bad NFL teams (Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), who are also out of the playoff hunt. Many expect the Lions to make a bit of a run coming up – maybe winning two out of those three games and saving Quinn and Patricia from being fired.
Playing other bad teams also means an opportunity for the defense to look better. But are you better if you only look good against terrible teams?