Getty Matt Patricia coaches the Lions in Oakland.
The Detroit Lions selected cornerback Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 pick in the draft, but according to Detroit radio host Mike Valenti, that wasn’t the preferred choice of everyone in the franchise.
On Monday, Valenti, of 97.1 The Ticket’s The Mike Valenti and Rico Show, cited anonymous sources within the franchise which told him that there was dissension in the draft room a few months back when the Lions were on the clock. The story went that Matt Patricia preferred selecting Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Some within the personnel staff preferred the team take Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. General manager Bob Quinn then went off script and selected Okudah, the cornerback from Ohio State, much to everyone’s dismay considering they didn’t want the player.
That story, according to Patricia, is false. Speaking on Monday with the media, Patricia was asked about this exact report and said that while most scouting conversations are kept in house for a reason, he wanted to clearly come out and squash this particular rumor going around.
Matt Patricia said the report that there was major division on draft day and Bob Quinn went against the wishes of personnel/Patricia to draft Okudah is blatantly not true.
Okudah, for his part, had a rough debut game on Sunday which certainly helps stories like this to surface. While it might be easy to pick on the rookie after his tough first career start, it’s still not wise to do so at this point in his young career.
What really goes on behind the scenes during drafts will likely always remain a mystery in nearly every NFL circle in the league, but Patricia wants folks to know that according to him, this particular rumor is not the most accurate version of recent events.
Peter King: Matt Patricia Looking ‘Done Already’
Patricia was said to be on a short leash entering 2020 where the understanding was his team needed to compete for the postseason in order for him to keep his job. So far, that doesn’t look close to happening after the start to the season, and as a result, Patricia’s tenure could be taking on water quickly.
Veteran NFL analyst Peter King had plenty to say about this in a recent Football Morning in America piece following Detroit’s blowout loss on the road in Week 2. As he admitted, a major theme to emerge already in 2020 is the fact that it’s merely September and Patricia looks finished in Detroit.
King wrote:
“The Lions have lost 11 in a row, and they’re the worst finishers since 2019 Edwin Diaz. In Week 1, they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to the Mitchell Trubisky Bears. In Week 2, they blew an early 14-3 lead in Green Bay and lost by 21. Predictably, all the Lions stuck by their coach in the aftermath, but what are they going to say? The most troublesome thing about the Lions is that Patricia was considered a brilliant defensive mind and tactician in New England, and he just can’t get the defense right in Detroit.
The next two weeks likely won’t help. Detroit is at the 2-0 Cardinals, with the 1-0 Saints (playing tonight) coming to Detroit in Week 4. Then Detroit has its bye. There’s no way the franchise would fire him at 0-4 this year and 9-26-1 in his tenure, is there? Doubtful, but clearly, Patricia doesn’t have a lot of time to save his job, not when the Cleveland Browns have five more wins than Patricia since opening day 2018.”
Patricia might not lose his job early in the season, but if the losing continues, King is right in his notion that it might be difficult to keep him long term as a result of what has gone on during the games. The blown leads are piling up, and making it look like an epidemic this staff cannot get out of their locker room. At 9-24-1, Patricia doesn’t have the record to inspire confidence in a quick turnaround, either.
2020 was supposed to be a fresh start for Patricia and his Lions, but the only constant has been more ugly losses. These trends, if they continue, don’t point to the Lions climbing out of their current hole enough to save Patricia from his eventual doom.
Lions Players Back Matt Patricia
After Sunday’s 42-21 loss to the Packers, which was equally as frustrating as Detroit’s Week 1 defeat albeit for different reasons, players spoke after the game and admitted that they’re not fractured whatsoever when it comes to Matt Patricia.
According to running back Kerryon Johnson, he doesn’t just back his coach 100 percent, but 200 percent thanks to the time they put in for preparation’s sake and all the hard work they do.
Kerryon Johnson also backs Patricia, said he has 200 percent confidence in the coaching staff. Said this staff works unbelievable hours, they can’t work any harder. Said it’s about players fulfilling what the coaching staff wants/expects.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford agreed, ignoring the question totally and saying the team simply has to start to play better and execute better on the field, implying it’s not an issue of coaching whatsoever.
Asked about confidence in Matt Patricia, Matthew Stafford said he’s confident, the team just needs to play better.
About what you’d expect from Stafford.
Patricia’s future is going to come into focus the rest of the season if the Lions continue to lose games and their struggles mount. That will really be the case if the team begins to lose games in which it looks like the team gave up.
In the meantime, the coach wants everyone to know not to believe every rumor they hear.