The Detroit Lions stuck with Matt Patricia after a disastrous 2019 season on the field, and they re-affirmed their commitment to their coach to start this offseason.
Patricia, obviously, is thankful for that, but more than just for the obvious reason of having a job, it’s clear the coach believes there is actual unfinished business for him to accomplish with the Lions in terms of building the team the way he wants to.
Speaking last week during the lead into the Super Bowl, Patricia joined the Pat McAfee Show, and explained that he was thrilled to be notified he was keeping his job. The major reason? Detroit is still building toward something, and Patricia wants to see it through.
“We’re trying to build something. We’re trying to come in and we’re trying to start with the great players that are here that we can build on top of, but also lay a foundation,” he said. “Trying to get a roster that has guys that have been drafted by organizations that are still on your team. When you look at the roster, some of those things you’re trying to build upon, you have to go from the ground up. That is a process and we’re trying to go through and do.”
As Patricia said, he’s ready to keep things on the building track for the future.
“For me, I’m exited to have another opportunity to do that. Because it does take time. You can’t come in and buy a team. If you could do that, a lot of these owners would have done it already. It’s something you have to build,” he stated.
Many thought it might be a hard sell for the fans to get Patricia back, but if the team manages to continue to build things in the right direction, a lot of that anger will likely be mitigated.
Regardless, Patricia and company seem to have a plan and know what has to happen. The only question is if they can execute it.
Matt Patricia’s Lions Tenure
Patricia came to the Lions fresh off success in New England in 2018, and struggled out of the gate to capture the attention of the locker room. A bumpy start paved the way to a more solid finish in 2018 with the team only winning six games, but defeating squads like the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, which offered hope.
Patricia has helped the Lions stay in games for the most part in 2019, something which the team struggled with in 2018, but has not gotten them over the hump at closing. That’s perhaps his biggest wart so far as a boss, combined with a lousy defense that has not picked up the program whatsoever. Patricia might get more of a pass considering the absurd amount of injuries he’s dealt with, but it’s hard to ignore that in his tenure as coach, the Lions have had the same discipline problems plague them that always have through the years.
The bet was that both Patricia and Quinn get a mulligan on 2019 considering the rash of injuries that have set the team back, while also living with the understanding that 2020 is likely the make or break year for this group.
It might not be what Lions fans wanted to hear, but it always seemed like the likely outcome. At the very least, there is some positive league reaction to the news.
Lions 2020 Playoff Hopes
Detroit started the 2019 season in decent enough shape at 2-0-1, but things took a turn after that point. Injuries piled up across the roster, and Detroit lost quarterback Matthew Stafford for an elongated amount of time to a back injury. The Lions never hit their stride and lost plenty of close games through the middle of the season as their roster got worse and worse hit with the injury bug.
The struggles of the team to stay healthy certainly does little to excuse the inconsistent play of the team’s defense. Offensively, the Lions looked to be heading for a solid season under Darrell Bevell until the bottom fell out. The defense was a wreck from start to finish, however, and that could be the side of the ball that needs the most turnover if the Lions are to be contenders.
The Lions have to keep building things in the right direction, and Patricia knows that’s everyone’s goal moving forward.
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