Coach Matt Patricia stood on the 40-yard line, alone, staring out onto the field. His Detroit Lions had simply given up one other touchdown, pushing Houston’s double-digit result to 24 after a fourth-quarter trick play.
At that moment — in so many moments during Houston’s 41-25 waxing of Detroit on Thanksgiving Day — one factor turned clear: It’s time. That is over. Patricia needs to go. Now.
Progress won’t ever come. This crew — Patricia’s crew — won’t ever enhance. All of the Lions do below his steerage is play the dangerous soccer that was on the show Thursday.
At this level there’s no purpose for Patricia to return in 2021. Realistically, there’s little purpose for Patricia to be Detroit’s coach subsequent week.
Patricia, when requested Thursday if he felt he was going to be the crew’s coach subsequent week, stated he’s specializing in the current.
“I focus at some point at a time. That hasn’t modified,” Patricia stated. “We’ll deal with at the moment and go from there.”
Lions tight finish T.J. Hockenson and quarterback Matthew Stafford each didn’t need to touch upon the standing of their head coach.
“Obviously I can’t say, I’m not going to comment on somebody else’s job, I’m simply here to do mine,” Hockenson stated. “Matt Patricia gave me an opportunity to come back into this group so for that, I owe him. So clearly, that’s as much as the entrance office, all that different player, you guys can discuss that. However, , he’s nonetheless my head coach, he’s nonetheless my head coach. And if he’s not, he’s nonetheless the man who gave me a chance to a Detroit Lion so for that I’ll ceaselessly be grateful.”
Patricia wouldn’t say when he’s scheduled to have his typical assembly with possession or speak with normal supervisor Bob Quinn – he stated he simply met with the gamers at this level and that was it.
However Patricia did as he normally does, stayed targeted on the fast previous and fast future when requested about something associated to his job, the toll it takes or why it hasn’t labored.
“Yeah, simply targeted on proper now. Simply acquired performed with that locker room,” Patricia stated. “Love these guys. They played actually laborious. They’re hurting and we know we acquired loads of work to do. That’s my focus now. On at the moment.”
The issues for the Lions on Thursday mirrored the problems Detroit has had all through his tenure.
Patricia’s love of man-to-man defense continually noticed receivers open on crossing routes as a result of Detroit may muster little-to-no strain from its defensive entrance. Its linebackers appeared out of place usually. The offense was inconsistent and largely cussed — through Thursday the Lions at the very least pulled out a few tricks performs to make issues mildly fascinating.
With Patricia, it has been the identical again and again, making an attempt to primarily do the identical factor with the identical gamers, hoping for different results that can never come.
This whole tenure has been a multitude. The Lions, in nearly three seasons, have but to win three games in a row at any level. With loss No. 7 this season, Patricia must win out to equal the report of Jim Caldwell, the person he changed, throughout his last season.
And there’s no actual tangible purpose for him to even be allowed to get that likelihood. At 13-29-1, Patricia has lost extra games in lower than three seasons than Caldwell misplaced in 4. And for the Lions, Caldwell’s three profitable seasons in 4 years was not ok. What Patricia has performed shouldn’t be, both.
Lion’s owner Sheila Ford Hamp said in June “main improvement” was the goal. Back in December, when Ford Hamp and her mom, then-owner Martha Ford, determined to maintain Patricia and normal supervisor Bob Quinn, they stated they wanted to be playing significant video games in December.
Detroit’s final 4 losses have come by double-digits. Their subsequent recreation is in December. It won’t have much meaning for the postseason. There isn’t any main improvement right here. Not even minor improvement, actually. In some ways, there’s stagnation and regression.
And that is why it is time for Patricia to go.
Describe the game in two words:
A humiliation. Detroit, taking part in with the faintest hope of the postseason obtainable, was run out of its personal constructing on nationwide tv by a Houston crew with an interim head coach.
Sell Detroit’s non-D’Andre Swift run game:
The Lions confirmed some dashing promise against the Texans with Adrian Peterson gaining 55 yards and Kerryon Johnson 46 yards. But it’s seemingly a mirage. Houston entered the sport permitting 159.three dashing yards per game and the Lions couldn’t even attain that common. Detroit wants Swift again to offer itself any consistent offensive steadiness.
the biggest hole in the game plan:
The same one Detroit has had below Patricia — taking part in man protection with little-to-no defensive strain up front against speedy receivers. This left the center of the field huge open for crossing routes and for the Texans to benefit from favorable matchups, together with Duke Johnson’s 33-yard landing reception from Deshaun Watson, which got here with him lined up in man protection against a linebacker.
Eye-popping stat:
The Lions had turnovers on three straight possessions within the first half against Houston, the first time Detroit has turned it over on three straight possessions since Week 11 of the 2012 season, a 24-20 loss to Green Bay, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Data.
