3 Ways Matt Patricia Gets Off the Hot Seat
There will be a tangible amount of tension in the air when the 2020 version of the Detroit Lions take the field for their home opener against the Chicago Bears.
Although coaches and players often proclaim, "It's just one game," Detroit's opener won't be just another game.
Detroit's head coach Matt Patricia is entering his third season on the job, and ownership has mandated he produce at a much higher level than his first two campaigns.
As Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report explained,
"Patricia has a 9-22-1 record as a head coach. Based on Ford's statement, a sluggish start may prompt early change with the hope that a new voice can turn the team's season around."
Here are three ways Patricia can get off the hot seat in 2020:
1.) Improve across several defensive metrics
Detroit's defense ranked poorly across several defensive metrics in 2019.
Arguably among the worst in franchise history, it is still quite difficult to fathom a Super Bowl-winning coach having such a poor defense.
With several new coaches and players on the roster that he is more familiar with, Patricia's defense must take several leaps forward in 2020.
2.) Adapt to the players on the roster
There have been multiple rumblings from former players that Patricia's scheme doesn't suit the players on the roster.
Patricia & Co. must be flexible in allowing players to excel at what they do best.
For example, prior to ever stepping on the field for Detroit, Damon "Snacks" Harrison expressed nervousness about playing for Patricia.
“When I got there, I didn’t know anything about the scheme. I was a nose tackle my entire career -- 1-technique, shade, zero, some 2-wide. I get there, and it’s 2-and-3-techniques. Now, for me, in my career, the most frightening thing was playing 3-technique because of how far back the guards would sit," Harrison said on a recent edition of the "Green Light Podcast."
If Patricia continues to attempt to force players into adapting to him instead of the other way around, his time in Detroit will surely be ending soon.
3.) Make the playoffs
The majority of critics will be silenced if Detroit makes the playoffs in 2020.
If Detroit's ownership has mandated the team must be in playoff contention, then securing a playoff berth would certainly please those making the decisions on Patricia's future.
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