The Detroit Lions are struggling to find answers after losing to one of the worst teams in the NFL on Sunday, the Washington Redskins.
Following the Detroit Lions 19-16 loss to the struggling 2-9 Washington Redskins on Sunday, head coach Matt Patricia offered little answers to why the Pride was unable to defeat one of the worst teams in the NFL.
To open his postgame press conference, Patricia indicated the Lions have to do a better job of coaching and a better job of executing moving forward. They also need to do a better job of winning. Something that has been far too rare during Patricia’s two-year stint as head coach.
Under Patricia, the Lions are currently 9-17-1. His predecessor, Jim Caldwell, posted a 36-28 record during his four-year tenure in Detroit, with two playoff berths. Caldwell was fired after posting a 9-7 record at the end of 2017. So why does anyone assume Patricia will be able to keep his job after this season?
I’m not sure many do. Not after losing to a 1-9 Redskins squad on Sunday. And Patricia’s words afterward offered little consultation that this Lions’ team will improve anytime soon. In fact, it appears this team has regressed far beyond anything Caldwell or several other mediocre coaching staffs have placed on the the field in recent memory.
This is clearly not what the Lions’ brain trust wanted when they hired the defensive guru from the New England Patriots early last year. No matter what, the defense in Detroit should be their bread and butter under the watchful eye of Patricia. Now, the longtime Patriots defensive coordinator who helped take New England to three Super Bowl appearances is refusing to answer whether he was calling the defensive plays against the Redskins.
This is a defense that now ranks 29th in the NFL allowing 396.2 yards per game to opposing offenses. Detroit ranks 30th against the pass (275.5) and 24th against the run (120.7). Their four interceptions on the season is tied for the lowest amount in the league.
At the end of the day, the Detroit Lions record tells the tale of Matt Patricia’s time in the Motor City. With only five games left in the season, the best the Lions can finish is 8-7-1. But after Sunday’s performance against Washington, there is no reason to think Detroit will win another game this year. And that should mark the end of the Patricia era.