Lions seeking more than GM and head coach, also an identity

The Detroit Lions’ next regime has to build an identity for this franchise.

The Detroit Lions are seeking new leadership and a new direction. Without it, they are destined to fail once again.

Last Saturday, when the news broke about Lions’ owner Sheila Ford Hamp removing former general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia from the team like a samurai warrior removing the head of his opponent, the majority of Detroit fans rejoiced. Some who still believe the ‘system’ would’ve worked given more time, like maybe an ice age or two, were disappointed.

I believed that it was past time to make this change, but was intrigued by the fans who thought this was the wrong move. I have yet to get a reasonable answer that makes sense as to why keeping Quinn and Patricia would have worked.

There are three things almost every Super Bowl championship team has in common; they are in no particular order, a franchise quarterback, an elite defense, and an outstanding head coach. You can make a case for Matthew Stafford as the franchise quarterback, but Matt Patricia’s defense is terrible and by extension, since he is a defensive coach, that means he is subpar at best.

The thing I keep asking but haven’t gotten any kind of coherent answer to, is why Quinn and Patricia were the right ones to lead this team when there was absolutely no improvement from that first game two and a half years ago when they were embarrassed by the New York Jets to last Thursday’s humiliation at the hands of the Houston Texans? I mean there hasn’t been the least amount of improvement.

The other thing these Lions have been missing under the guidance of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia has been an identity. And I don’t think a ‘team that really sucks on defense’ as one of many fans put it, is exactly the identity any franchise wants.