Matt Patricia’s first year as head coach of the Detroit Lions has not exactly been great. He has been late to team meetings, tardy to media sessions and, most importantly, the Lions will enter the final game of the regular season on Sunday with a record of 5-10.
However, in spite of all of that, Patricia’s job appears to be safe, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Rapoport states that Patricia’s job is “not in question,” and that players seemed to buy in more during the second half of the season than over the first half, meaning Patricia may have gotten their attention.
Of course, it also doesn’t help matters that the Lions have 12 players on the injured reserve list, so I’m sure Detroit’s front office is also taking that into consideration when evaluating Patricia’s inaugural season.
While the Lions still haven’t been winning games, Rapoport adds that practices “dramatically improved” over the course of the year.
That being said, just because Patricia will be back next year does not mean Detroit’s entire coaching staff with remain the same. Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter’s contract is up after this season, and Rapoport says he will likely be coveted by other teams.
It has been a rough 30 years or so for the Lions.
Detroit has made the playoffs just three times since 2000 and has not won a playoff game since the 1991-92 campaign when it made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before falling to the Washington Redskins in blowout fashion.
