Getty Matt Patricia looks on before Lions vs. Washington.
The Detroit Lions managed to win a game against the Washington Football Team barely by virtue of a last second field goal, but even that might not move the needle as it relates to Matt Patricia and his future.
As the coach and his team were busy falling apart during a blown 24-3 lead in the second half and then barely winning 30-27, folks were lining up to take their shots at Patricia. As Kevin Clark tweeted in the heat of the moment, he doesn’t think Patricia was the reason for any of the success in New England.
I’ll say it: Matt Patricia wasn’t the reason for the Patriots dynasty.
This might be a tepid take to some, but Patricia was often figured to be a defensive guru before taking the Detroit job. Since, there has been little evidence that is the case given how the team has struggled in such a big way on the field.
Obviously, it’s hard to ignore the success Patricia had in New England and discount it too much, but it’s more than likely Bill Belichick had the biggest hand in what the defense was able to do and the winning the team managed when all was said and done during Patricia’s run as defensive coordinator.
It’s a burn that would likely hurt Patricia given he, Belichick and the Patriots likely all feel in some way that he played a major hand in what the team did through the years.
Matt Patricia’s Hot Seat
Detroit, ironically, has seen their biggest struggles on defense during the run of Patricia in the Motor City. That is perhaps the biggest reason the coach could be on the hot seat moving forward. The Lions haven’t been able to win many close games or use their defense to get over the hump, and that’s what folks assumed they would do once they hired Patricia given his work in New England through the years.
Patricia more than likely needs a big time finish to the season in order to convince the Lions that he should stick around and is still the guy moving forward. Otherwise, the team might have to star thinking about more changes moving forward to their staff.
Matt Patricia’s Lions Tenure
Certainly, a 13-27-1 record isn’t a great way to build faith in a program long term, and to say that Patricia’s tenure has been a mess has been a massive understatement. He’s struggled with a few things outside his control such as 2019’s injury outbreak, but there is no reason Patricia should be struggling in year 3 considering he had plenty of his players in his scheme and theoretically, a blank slate with which to work. Worse, Patricia has become known for his team’s inability to finish games and not beat the better teams he faces on the roster. Certainly, that’s been the most obvious calling card in his tenure leading to questions about his overall effectiveness.
Will Patricia survive 2020? That remains anyone’s guess moving forward but it’s clear folks still aren’t entirely sold on what the coach can do in Detroit.
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