Detroit Lions: Is Darrell Bevell’s stock rising despite the loss?

Following the Detroit Lions’ latest loss, is Darrell Bevell’s stock still rising?

Morale was at an all-time high following the Detroit Lions‘ 34-30 road victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 13. That mainly due to the fact interim head coach Darrell Bevell seemed to will the team to victory through positivity and a “let’s go out there and have fun” attitude.

Bevell’s vibes are far different from his predecessor, former head coach Matt Patricia, who was fired midway through his third season in Detroit. That after failing to take a playoff-relevant Lions’ roster back to the postseason, posting a 13-29-1 record over his short-lived tenure.

Detroit sent general manager Bob Quinn packing as well, sparking yet another rebuild in the Motor City. But before the real construction begins, the Lions had five more games to play. And that was an opportunity to see if Bevell, the team’s offensive coordinator, has what it takes to turn this squad around and put in his bid to become the Lions’ next head coach.

A victory over the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers might have cemented the 50-year old Bevell as a legitimate candidate for the job in 2021. Unfortunately, the Lions lost their Week 14 matchup against the Packers, 31-24. And Green Bay would officially secure the divisional championship as a result.

But the Lions have undoubtedly performed better under Bevell. And despite the loss, his stock could still be on the rise. Here’s what Adam Maya wrote for NFL.com about Bevell’s two-game stint as interim head coach following the Lions’ latest defeat at the hands of the Packers on Sunday.

"” … the longtime offensive coordinator is doing it with a roster that, because of a rash of injuries that now might involve Matthew Stafford, isn’t as good as the one his predecessor was working with for most the year. The Lions played error-free football as they either led, tied or trailed the Packers by just one possession for more than 52 minutes … Bevell looks to be setting himself up for at least another OC job.”"

Bevell and his Lions have three more games to prove their worth. But it will not be an easy stretch. Especially if Detroit is without quarterback Matthew Stafford, who suffered a rib injury against the Packers on Sunday afternoon.

Those upcoming matchups include a tough road battle against a 9-4 Tennessee Titans team in Week 15. Then it’s a rare Saturday game against future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and his 8-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Finally, it’s a divisional matchup at home in Detroit against the 6-7 Minnesota Vikings.

It will be a tough task. But if Darrell Bevell is able to find a way to win games against the Titans and Buccaneers potentially without his starting quarterback under center, the Detroit Lions would have no choice but to make him their top candidate for the head coaching job in 2021. But in order to pull it off, Bevell will need to pull off the best coaching performance of his over 20-year NFL career.