Danny Amendola Gets "Best Version" of Himself through Matt Patricia
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Lions veteran wideout Danny Amendola and head coach Matt Patricia are "two peas in a pod. "
Or at least that's what Amendola made local and national reporters believe during a Zoom video conference Wednesday.
Much has been said about ex-Lions Damon "Snacks" Harrison and Darius Slay having problems with the present regime led by Patricia.
For Amendola, though, Patricia's coaching tactics -- i.e. his intense practice regiment and desire to create and sustain a tight-lipped locker room atmosphere -- have never gotten in the way of him excelling on the field.
"The way I operate as a football player and the product that I put on the field in relation to the business that I conduct, I want it to be as tough as possible in practice so when I get into the games I've been there before," Amendola said. "I understand what it feels like to be tired in a game because I was tired in practice, and I understand what my body can go through and how I can push my body mentally and physically, and that's something I really relate to. That's something I look for."
Amendola has had some of his best seasons while being part of a team in which Patricia was a member of the coaching staff. The two of them were both with the New England Patriots from 2013-17.
Example A is Amendola's 2019 campaign with the Lions.
It was a season in which the now 12th-year receiver produced 678 receiving yards -- the second-most for Amendola in a single season -- and 10.9 yards per reception -- also the second-highest mark of his career (he accounted for 11.7 yards per catch in 2013 with the Patriots).
"This is my sixth NFL team in 13 seasons, and (I've) played for all different types of coaches and in all different types of offenses and methods," Amendola commented. "So, what Coach Patricia has to offer is something that I eagerly look for because I know I'll get the best version of me."
If Amendola can produce in 2020 the numbers he did a season ago, Patricia & Co. will be more than satisfied with the veteran receiver's production in his second year in the Motor City.
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