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The Detroit Lions have not performed up to expectations thus far this season, and as a result, some swift changes have come to the team.
Saturday afternoon, the Lions revealed they had fired both head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn. The duo had presided over what is a 4-7 season in Detroit, and what looks to be another last place year for Motor City football.
Quinn and Patricia were tied at the hip from the start given the general manager waited a few years to hand pick the coach he wanted, but it was clear things were not working on both fronts. Patricia had a woeful 29 losses in Detroit, and Quinn himself was inconsistent at best putting the roster together since he started in 2016.
The move means the Lions will be searching for a new general manager as well as head coach this offseason. It’s the first time since 2015 the Lions have fired their general manager and the first time since 2018 that they have fired a coach. In terms of changed in-season, this move is a first from Detroit in quite some time as well. The last time a coach was fired in the middle of the season was Steve Mariucci in 2005.
Matt Patricia Record Led to Firing
There’s no doubting that Patricia deserves to go after the seasons he had on the field. After having modest success in a 6-10 year as a rookie coach, Patricia fell flat in 2019 winning only three games. As a result, 2020 was pointed to as the year, but things never materialized on the field. 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. Patricia has statistically been one of the worst coaches in Detroit over this span, and as a result, it’s not a shock to see him lose his job when all is said and done.
Bob Quinn’s Role With Lions
Quinn came to the Lions in 2016 after a similar 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 which he will finish with.
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.
Changes start now for the Lions, who will be major players on the offseason coaching and front office carousel starting now. The firings give them a chance to get a head start.
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