Lions Counterpoint: What Should The Team Do With Matt Patricia?

8 of 8

Lions /

Teams change their regime because they lose, not the other way around. The Patriots, Seahawks, and Steelers haven’t changed their coaching staff or front office because those units are successful.

Teams indeed do change regimes because they lose; I thought that was a given. What I was saying is a lot of time franchise is consistently losing because they’re continually changing regimes with a revolving door of philosophies which leads to assorted rosters always in flux instead of building a foundation.

More from Detroit Jock City

Thank you for listing teams as examples for me to, by the way, I’ll start by using some of their best examples.

Patriots: Bill Belichick went 5-11 in his first season at New England with a -62 point differential. We all know how that continues.

Seahawks: Pete Carroll had two losing seasons in Seattle to start his tenure going 7-9 back to back before making the playoffs 6 out of 7 seasons with (2) Super Bowl appearances.

Steelers: Chuck Noll started 1-13, 5-9 and 6-8 before making the playoffs in 11 of the next 13 seasons with 4 Super Bowls wins. Chuck Noll was the coach for 22 seasons.

One of my favorite examples is from a franchise with a similar stigma as Detroit, with the mentor of Patricia himself, it’s Belichick again, this time with Cleveland at his first head coaching job he went 6-10, 7-9, 7-9, 11-5 & 5-11 before getting canned. Cleveland was so close to greatness.

How about most of the dynasty’s we know as well? Like the great Dallas run with Jimmy Johnson in the ’90s? Dallas went 1-15 in his first season before winning (2) Super Bowls. How about the great San Francisco run with Bill Walsh in the ’80s? San Francisco went 2-14 then 6-10 in his first two seasons.

Though a lot of the statistics on defense do not show it, I don’t think this team has had some big regression from last season. I know Colton wants to focus everything on defense, but Patricia is the head coach, and this team has improved. We can use the eyeball test, SRS, DVOA – where they’re ranked 13th in the NFL, the Detroit Lions are a better football team in 2019 than in 2018.

The Lions have been in every single game this season, against the best competition in the NFL with KC and GB as well. As much as Colton tries to paint of picture of total collapse with no end in sight, that’s not what the Lions are. They are an injury riddles team in the wrong places while in philosophy and roster flux with a first-time head coach who has made some mistakes and is going to have some growing pains as well.

You also have to take into consideration your franchise quarterback. I don’t think Matthew Stafford makes it through another regime change as the same player by the time the Lions would even have a chance at winning again, as it would setback back winning at least 3-4 years. You’re also not doing a complete regime change without getting rid of Darrell Bevell, which had a top-five offense with Stafford playing at an MVP level with a broken back.

Thank you for trying Colton, it was an admiral effort, but you did not sway my belief on Matt Patricia needing another season as Lions head coach. If anything, all this research has cemented my stance even further.

Next. 4 Free Agent Running Backs to Target this Offseason. dark

If next Thanksgiving we are in the same boat halfway through year three with no progress, I want him gone at seasons end too and more than likely Bob Quinn as well.

Home/Detroit Lions