The other Patriot candidate
After the 2017 season came to an end and the 9-7 Detroit Lions just missed out on the playoffs, Bob Quinn announced that head coach Jim Caldwell would be relieved of his duties because falling short of the playoffs was ‘unacceptable’. Despite the fact that Jim Caldwell had been one of the most successful coaches in the teams’ pathetic history, it just wasn’t good enough.
This meant that surely Bob Quinn knew exactly who he needed to hire to turn these Lions into champions and do it quickly.
After having interviewed several candidates for the Lions head coaching job, Bob Quinn felt most comfortable with selecting a good friend whom he had known during his days with the New England Patriots; Matt Patricia.
In the two seasons since that hiring, the Lions have a record of 9-22-1. If nine wins in a season aren’t good enough, I’m not sure how nine wins in two years can be acceptable. I suppose that can only make sense to the Lions.
Yet one of the candidates that Quinn interviewed and was apparently not impressed with or perhaps just didn’t give a fair shake to since it seemed like he already made the decision he wanted Patricia, was another former New England connection; Mike Vrabel.
Now being honest, I had concerns about Vrabel and hoped that would not be the direction the Lions went. I suppose that is one of the many reasons why I’m writing this article and not running the Detroit Lions.
However, as of today, Mike Vrabel has compiled a record of 18-14 as the Tennessee Titans head coach. A record that isn’t very impressive, but when you consider he also took over a team that needed to be rebuilt and whose franchise quarterback they drafted second overall just five years ago hasn’t panned out, this wasn’t exactly an easy gig he walked into.
This season Vrabel was able to get more consistent play at quarterback by free-agent signee Ryan Tannehill who replaced Marcus Mariota in the starting lineup and helped Vrabel’s hard-nosed Titans secure a wildcard spot for the playoffs.
The Titans then won two playoff games on the road that no one thought they had business being in. The Cinderella story ended last Sunday In Kansas City as the Chiefs dispatched Vrabel’s Titans. But what the Titans accomplished shouldn’t be swept under the rug.