Hunt Report: Lions Must Go All the Way With Swift Changes

Getty Matt Patricia during Lions vs. Texans.

The Detroit Lions tried their best for a half, but in the end, it was merely another embarrassing performance on Thanksgiving Day in what’s been an embarrassing tenure for Matt Patricia.

Despite another early lead and hanging around most of the early stages, the Lions collapsed in the second half and didn’t seem to give much of a rip when doing so. The same mistakes were made. A 23-14 game at halftime turned into an ugly 41-25 loss, and what should be the end of Patricia’s tenure as coach.

It’s got to be the end of Bob Quinn in the front office as well. A coach can only do so much with a team, and Quinn beat Patricia to the job by a pair of seasons. Blame in this case is 50-50. His ability to draft and develop talent has the Lions in the mess they are in at this very moment, and that fact shouldn’t be lost on the decision makers when the day of reckoning comes.

That day of reckoning should come fast for both Patricia and Quinn. The Lions looked sloppy, undisciplined and unprepared. It’s a reflection of the staff and front office combining to put a bad product on the field. It’s time for change to come, and it’s time for that change to be deep. Nobody should be exempt after a loss like this.

As it was last week, the time to start over is now. A complete reset is needed in Detroit, and that’s clear after one of the ugliest Thanksgiving losses in recent memory. This is no time to be haphazard. Even though the Lions don’t operate swiftly, a swift move is just what is needed this time.

The Lions Lacked Fire

While the Texans were fired up, engaged and throwing the ball all over the place, the Lions were conservative and unengaged. It’s not the way to coach a team and it’s not the way to play, either. Games like this have become far too routine for the team, and it could get ugly the rest of the way if the staff stays intact and there is not a major sea change within the organization. The lack of passion and organization 3 years into a tenure is quite startling for all those who pay attention.

This Might Have Been Detroit’s Worst Thanksgiving Loss Ever

There’s been plenty to choose from over the years, but the Lions may have jumped their own bar with this defeat. Though they’ve seen bigger blowouts, the fact that the Lions were giving up the game so easily is troubling. The turnovers seemed to take the wind out of the sails and the Lions did not deal with any adversity well. Combine everything and it made for one depressing holiday in Detroit. The team was hardly competitive in the second half.

Lions MVP vs. Texans: Adrian Peterson, RB

Peterson was one of the only players playing with spirit and getting the job done. He ran hard and accounted for 2 touchdowns on the day, which was a nice total. Peterson did his best to carry the load on offense, but the Lions did not match his effort the rest of the way across the roster. Credit Peterson for playing well, but question why nobody else joined the veteran player in showing toughness and spirit.

Lions Lamb vs. Texans: Matt Patricia

The body language for Patricia was bad all day long and the team has taken on the personality of its head coach. That’s not a good sign. While plenty of players struggled, Patricia is giving off the feel of a dead man walking, and it can’t help but impact the team. The Lions aren’t good, but their coaching staff isn’t any better at the moment or helping them look improved. Patricia takes home this mantle this week.

Lions Stat to Note

388, the number of yards Detroit had on the afternoon. That was remarkably 4 more yards than the Texans had. Detroit also ran more plays and led in time of possession. None of that mattered when their defense was being gashed and giving up touchdowns, though. Detroit also had 3 turnovers which killed all of their momentum. Just another notch in the belt of a so called defensive guru.

Lions Quote to Note

“My thoughts are with the team right now.” -Matt Patricia. Predictably, Patricia wasn’t worried about getting fired after the game, simply saying he was only thinking about the team. We’ll see how long that remains the case through what could be a contentious weekend.

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