Getty Bob Quinn and Rod Wood look on before a game.
Most everyone in Michigan can agree that the Detroit Lions need to make some huge changes soon if they want to contend for the future and change their franchise, and most can agree on how deep those changes need to go.
If the Lions are going to hold folks accountable for the mess they’re in, it will have to be Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia who go. But the tea leaves are not currently pointing to Quinn being in much danger of losing his job. Add former Detroit News columnist Terry Foster to the list of folks predicting the Lions only go halfway with their changes that are eventually made.
After the Lions were thrashed on Thanksgiving Day, Foster said he did some checking around with sources and found that Patricia is likely done, but Quinn and Rod Wood have formed a duo and could be safe from the axe.
I got bad news for some of you. Did some checking today. The chances of Matt Patricia losing his job at the end of the season are high. However, GM Bob Quinn could survive. He and Rod Wood are a tandem.
There is no Quintricia with the Lions. There is Patricia and QuWood.
It’s tough to understand the team’s potential logic on how Quinn and Wood have distanced themselves from Patricia. Patricia was Quinn’s hand picked coach who has delivered one of the worst eras of Detroit football on record. The management’s moves have been just as sloppy as it relates to providing Patricia players. If this is the direction the Lions go, they will only prove they are not serious about an overhaul, and are once again valuing relationships and factions over winning.
Matt Patricia Deserves to be Fired
There’s no doubting that Patricia deserves to go at this point in time. Patricia’s below .500 record in Detroit has been an ugly spot as is the way the team looks underprepared and struggles to beat good teams as well as bad teams. Patricia’s never seen anything but last place in December during his career which will not change in 2020, and that’s been bad news as it relates to his future. The Lions have needed wins late in seasons before, and they have struggled to deliver. Patricia has statistically been one of the worst coaches in Detroit over that span, and he’s running out of time to prove he deserves to stick around. As a result, it won’t be a shock to see him lose his job when all is said and done.
Bob Quinn, Rod Wood’s Role With Lions
Quinn came to the Lions in 2016 after a major house cleaning during the 2015 season that was presided over by Martha Ford. A search turned up Quinn, who worked in the front office in New England. He was quickly tapped to run the Detroit franchise. Quinn elected to keep Jim Caldwell and his first full season as general manager was 9-7 with a playoff defeat. Caldwell stayed under Quinn again and went 9-7 but missed the playoffs in 2017-18 season, leading Quinn to tap Matt Patricia to be his head coach. Since, it’s been downhill for the franchise as Patricia’s record is 13-29-1, an ugly mark. At the same time, Rod Wood took over as team president despite not having a football background and was involved in hiring Quinn. While he’s done well with marketing and the business side, he probably shouldn’t be involved in the football side considering his lack of experience.
As the team’s general manager, Quinn’s moves have been hit or miss. For every good move he’s produced, there’s been a bad one. For instance, the Lions did discover wideout Kenny Golladay, but also selected linebacker Jahlani Tavai over elite wideouts A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. He signed wideout Marvin Jones who’s been very productive, but also handed out a big deal to struggling guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Quinn picked center Frank Ragnow, but also whiffed on linebacker Jarrad Davis. For every fifth round pick making a difference like cornerback Amani Oruwariye or wideout and return man Jamal Agnew, there’s one like running back Jason Huntley who’s been given up on fast.
If Quinn survives to pick another coach with Wood, it might not be the complete reset that many fans crave. That could be what plays out in the end according to some in the know.
READ NEXT: How John Dorsey Perfectly Fits Plan for Lions Change