What will the Detroit Lions’ next chapter be?
What’s next for the Detroit Lions? Quite possibly another humiliating defeat on national television and any faint glimmer of hope that die-hard fans have of rallying down the stretch being dashed before their eyes.
But I think the real way to look at that question is in terms of the big picture. If the Houston Texans bring a turkey day beat down on the Lions, will Sheila Ford Hamp, who told the fans how she is every bit as competitive as they are, put a bullet in this administration and mercifully end it?
Or will she finish this season in true Ford family fashion by allowing Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia to play out the string and announce to the fans that she will need to evaluate what has happened this season to make a decision going forward?
It has been very rare that the Ford family has dismissed a coach during the season. When that is paired with the lack of success this franchise has had under them, then perhaps it is time for Sheila to make a bold move.
Would Sheila storming into the Lions locker room after a loss to the Texans and firing Matt Patricia on the spot make a big difference? Not in the way the season would end, but it has the possibility of encouraging the fans.
For years fans have analyzed what is wrong with the team. After that last title in 1957, Matthew Stafford has easily been the best passer this team has had. For so many decades poor play at quarterback was the rule, not the exception.
Some years the defense has been bad, other years the offense has struggled, more often than not the coaching has either been sub-par or sabotaged by the whims and mandates of the Ford family.
So what will the next chapter be? What will Sheila Ford Hamp do to turn this franchise around? If she has not started to compile a list of general manager prospects, then this is as good a time as any to start.
Because the city of Detroit and the hard-working fans that have loved this team and supported it no matter how poorly it has played throughout the last six-plus decades deserve much better. Happy Thanksgiving, the turkey’s done. It’s time to stick a fork in it.