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Odds Say Lions Won’t Fire Matt Patricia After 2019 Season

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Mar 27, 2020 · 10:04 AM PDT

Matthew Stafford in shotgun
Matthew Stafford's back injury has contributed to the dismal 1-7 slide that has put Matt Patricia's job on the line. Photo by Mike Morbeck (Flickr).
  • Matt Patricia took over as Detroit Lions head coach in 2018 after 14 seasons in New England
  • Lions have compiled a dismal 9-17-1 record on Patricia’s watch
  • Injuries have decimated the Lions, including to quarterback Matthew Stafford

The Detroit Lions continued their march to yet another losing season with last weekend’s 19-16 loss in Washington, dumping their record to a dismal 3-7-1.

With Detroit sporting just one victory in the past eight games, the calls for head coach Matt Patricia to be fired have steadily increased in volume. Despite leading the Lions to an unimpressive 9-17-1 record through his first two seasons at the helm, Patricia remains favored to be back with the squad next season, sporting short -250 odds.

Odds Matt Patricia Is Lions Head Coach in Week 1, 2020

Yes No
-250 +170

Odds taken Nov. 27.

Patriots Magic Yet to Follow Patricia to Detroit

A long-time protégé of Bill Belichick, Patricia was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams during his 14 seasons as a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff. However, the 45-year-old has not yet been able to bring any of Belichick’s magic touch to the long-suffering Lions’ squad he took over ahead of the 2018 NFL season.

The Lions have been consistently awful during a two-decade run that has featured just two playoff appearances, and zero playoff game victories. The squad has produced losing seasons in 14 of 18 seasons since 2000, but optimism was high as Patricia took over the reins, inheriting a team coming off consecutive 9-6 campaigns.

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Lions Dogged by Underperforming Defense

The Lions have regressed under Patricia’s watch, stumbling to a 6-9 record in 2018, and falling flat after opening the current season on a 2-0-1 run. The team has continued to be the doormat of the NFC North since Patricia’s arrival. His record against divisional opponents is an awful 2-7 heading into Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Chicago Bears.

The Lions’ dismal performance on defense, Patricia’s specialty, is emerging as a big problem. Detroit ranks fourth-last in the NFL after surrendering 396.2 yards per game through 11 outings, and has also allowed a 25th-ranked 26.5 points per game, including 31 or more points in three of the teams past six outings.

But while the focus in Detroit has turned to his future with the Lions, Patricia can take some comfort in knowing he is not the only NFL coach on the hot seat, with speculation heating up that Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett may also be at risk of losing his job.

Injuries Taking Their Toll

Under Patricia, the Lions have managed to keep things close, with six of the team’s seven losses coming by just a single possession. Injuries have also taken a massive toll on a team trying to stick to “the process”, forcing the Lions to start 11 rookies in last Sunday’s loss to the Redskins as four-point road favorites.

Most notable among players in the clinic is quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is sidelined indefinitely with a bone fracture in his back. The Detroit offense has stalled without Stafford under center, averaging just 18.7 points per game over the past three outings, a dramatic drop from the 27.3 points per game the Lions averaged over their previous six contests.

The Detroit offense has stalled without Stafford under center, averaging just 18.7 points per game over the past three outings, a dramatic drop from the 27.3 points per game the Lions averaged over their previous six contests

Other Lions spending time on the shelf include center Frank Ragnow, defensive linemen Trey Flower and Da’Shawn Hand, tight end TJ Hockenson, receiver Marvin Hall, and cornerback Rashaan Melvin.

Searching for Positives

There are positives in Detroit. The squad has surrendered 230 or fewer total yards in two of their past three games, and would have won last weekend had it not been for a pair of game-changing interceptions tossed by backup quarterback Jeff Driskel in the fourth quarter.

While the urge among Lions fans and ownership may be to make a coaching change for the ninth time since 2000, it remains more realistic to expect the Lions to endure the pain and give Patricia and his process one more chance next season.

Pick: Patricia returns for 2020 season (-250)

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