Detroit Lions scaling back the defense doesn’t inspire confidence

Does Matt Patricia inspire you with confidence?

Now on the heels of Matt Patricia giving Sheila Ford Hamp a game ball during practice this past week after scaling back his defense, the real question is; how much confidence do we have in this regime righting the ship and making the Lions actual contenders and not just a team that might stay in the playoff race due to their schedule getting weaker?

It would be a lie for me to say that I am brimming with confidence.

Yet here is the deal; everyone is depending on Sheila to make the right move. Not to be deceived by hollow wins against poor teams or to consider that being in the playoff race means anything without some wins against good teams and divisional opponents.

When Matt Patricia arrived his resume was based upon his accomplishments as the Patriots defensive coordinator. His fate at seasons end should be based on what he has or hasn’t accomplished in Detroit.

If the defense doesn’t improve dramatically, then that alone is reason to fire him since that was why he was brought here.

If the Lions had been defensive juggernauts that hadn’t gotten it right on offense during Patricia’s time here, then it’s a little different conversation. But failing on the side of the ball that is your specialty is a huge red flag.

There will be some fans that will be cheering for Jacksonville with the hopes that it will be Matt Patricia’s swan song.  Other fans are hoping that suddenly the Lions bounce back and show some real progress. Myself? If Patricia can make it back from the doorstep of being fired and suddenly find the magic formula to make the Lions actual contenders and not just pretenders, then I’ll be fine with that.

If Sheila decides to boot Patricia and Quinn and the next regime can get it right, then I’m fine with that too. I have one dog in this race; the Detroit Lions. As long as they become legitimate championship contenders I don’t care who the general manager, the head coach, or even the owner is.

Most likely Matt Patricia will be given the rest of the season to prove whether he can get the job done or not. The improvement of the defense, the overall consistency of these Lions, and the ability to play like a real NFL team are all barometers that should be part of the decision-making process. Failure to check off any one of those boxes, at this point, should make the decision easy.

From what I’ve seen, Matt Patricia doesn’t inspire me with the confidence that he is the one to get the job done, but ultimately the future of the Detroit Lions rests in the hands of Sheila Ford Hamp and if whatever decision she makes works, then she will deserve the credit for it. If not then she will get the credit she deserves for more reruns of the ‘Same old Lions’.