“Certainly I think when I came to Detroit there was a lot of work to do and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
This isn’t a new argument made by Lions coach Matt Patricia, trying to explain away his failures in Detroit. But with the state of the team being what it currently is, and coming off his third loss of the season, it’s not the most appropriate thing to say in a post-game press conference.
As this quote has made its way through social media, it’s caught the attention of several former Lions.
Glover Quin, who has limited his social media since mid-way through his final year in Detroit, took the time to log on and address Patricia’s comments, saying: “Don’t start this mess. You took over a 9 win team!! What do you mean a lot of work to do!!”
Another former Lion who was with the team pre-Patricia was ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who took to one of ESPN’s morning shows (Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin) to share his thoughts on Patricia’s comments:
“To come in and say that you had a lot of work to do is completely false. It’s a bunch of trash!”
Former Lions QB @danorlovsky7 RIPPED head coach Matt Patricia for his post-game comments about what the team was like that he inherited from Jim Caldwell. #KJZ pic.twitter.com/TigGSjI2WY
— Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin (@KeyJayandZ) October 5, 2020
Orlovsky immediately sticks up for Jim Caldwell — the Lions coach before Patricia — and after two-minutes of praise for the positive atmosphere Caldwell created for the team, Orlovsky admitted, they were a good football team — but not a great one.
That’s an important distinction. Good, but not great.
Orlovsky points out that when Patricia was hired, general manager Bob Quinn said that the Lions needed to take the next step as an organization and they believed Patricia would be able to take them there.
Then Orlovsky nails the point on why so many fans are upset and frustrated with Patricia’s 10-25-1 record:
“This team was built for growth, not regression, and they (Lions) have regressed — massively.”
Caldwell may have taken the team as far as it could go, but it’s hard to argue Patricia has helped them take the next step, and it’s even harder to argue that they have not regressed.
While many fans will be calling for Patricia’s job during the Lions bye week, there’s a real chance ownership will give him a shot to prove himself through Thanksgiving.
After the bye, the Lions next seven opponents have a combined 8-19 record. If Patricia can’t right the ship by the holiday, it’s probably all she wrote.