Getty Matt Patricia at his introductory press conference.
The Detroit Lions might soon have a decision to make with their head coach, but according to an ESPN host, that might not turn out to be the case at all.
During a recent episode of Pardon The Interruption, host Michael Wilbon implied that even in spite of the struggles the team has gone through thus far, the Lions might elect to keep Matt Patricia into 2021. As he said, he doesn’t feel the coach is on that hot of a seat at this point in time, and he may have a good chance at returning to the team next year.
Mike Wilbon says on PTI Matt Patricia isn’t particularly on a hot seat. He thinks Patricia has a good shot to be back in 2021.
He did add: “Jim Caldwell, pick up the phone. ‘We never should have fired you anyways.'”
It would be interesting to hear if Wilbon is basing that on any direct knowledge, or rather, a hunch that things will be as they always have been for the Lions through the years.
So far, Patricia is off to a rocky start in the 2020 season, and any more slippage would likely set the coach and his team back dramatically this season. Essentially, the expectation in Detroit was playoffs or else, so it would be fascinating if the Lions decided to go back on that and keep Patricia regardless.
Odds Favoring Matt Patricia’s Firing
Patricia has evolved from an exciting new hire destined for greatness to a guy that simply needs more time to public enemy No. 1 in terms of Detroit football and beyond in the last few years. Now, that frustration is culminating in him being named one of the most obvious bets to get the axe first this season in the NFL.
A look at some new odds fresh off Week 2 shows that while Patricia isn’t the current odds on favorite to be fired first, he’s not far off the current pace. Adam Gase and Dan Quinn have slightly better odds thus far to lose their job first, but Patricia checks in at a +600 in close third position.
A number of complicating factors exist which could actually push Patricia higher on the list soon. First off, the Lions have a new member of the Ford family that has recently taken over ownership in Shiela Ford Hamp. Nobody knows what she might be thinking as it relates to a change or her feelings on the season. Additionally, the Lions have already suffered through a few miserable seasons with Patricia at the helm and 2020 was supposed to be different with a ‘playoffs or bust’ mandate. So far, the same types of errors keep being made by the team in losses, which is always a bad look for a staff.
With a loss in Week 3, Patricia’s team certainly wouldn’t be eliminated from postseason contention, but it would be very tough duty for them to climb back into the picture, perhaps making it easier to make an eventual move with the coach when all is said and done.
9-24-1 is an ugly mark for a coach no matter what metrics are used, and if that number gets worse, Patricia could only find himself in more trouble than he is already. If the Lions keep up the losing, he could sit atop this list easily in the coming weeks.
The best move for Patricia to avoid all this heat? No matter the current odds, just win, baby.
Terry Bradshaw Roasts Matt Patricia
That’s something which former NFL quarterback turned Fox Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw would agree with. Speaking on Sunday, Bradshaw admitted that he doesn’t understand how Patricia has made the Lions any better than the team he took over from Jim Caldwell. Additionally, Bradshaw said the Lions are wasting Matthew Stafford’s prime as a result of this.
Terry Bradshaw brought up Jim Caldwell on FOX’s pregame show. He criticized Matt Patricia.
“If you ask me, it’s pretty simple. When a coach comes in, he makes a difference. This guy has not made a difference. This quarterback is being wasted.”
Patricia is 9-24-1 as coach of the Lions and has had the team close to competing and winning games, but close doesn’t get the job done whatsoever in the NFL. Stafford has taken some steps forward within Darrell Bevell’s offense, but Patricia’s bread and butter was defense. So far, Detroit’s defense has only gotten worse during his entire tenure as head coach.
Will the Lions elect to make a move if Patricia continues to struggle? It’s more than possible, and if they do, it would represent the team starting over yet again, just like they did when they hired Patricia.
That’s what happens when a plan doesn’t come together, something Bradshaw would admit is happening.
Even in spite of that, many see Patricia perhaps hanging around for another season when all is said and done with 2020.
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