In a recent interview, Willie McGinest says Detroiit Lions coach Matt Patricia “knows how to win” and that it takes time to build a team with a winning culture.
After two lackluster seasons as coach of the Detroit Lions, Matt Patricia is on the hot seat. Many have started to doubt if he is the right man to lead the Lions out of football futility and there is plenty of speculation surrounding if the Lions should show him — and general manager Bob Quinn — the door and start anew.
Even though the Lions recently went through a change in principal ownership, Shelia Ford Hamp has stayed committed to the Patricia/Quinn duo for another season — and maybe more due to the current COVID environment — to see if they can improve from the down years.
Some of the issues fans/players/analysts have had with Patricia include his ability to communicate effectively, perceived inability to recruit some highly toughed free agents, an abrasive coaching style, and being too aggressive with the players early in his tenure, creating some animosity in the locker room.
Most would agree Patricia’s rookie season was not the greatest on or off the field — including in the media room –, but those same people will tell you they saw a complete turnaround with Patricia in his second season. You could see the adjustments made by Patricia in his sophomore season and it became clearer what he is trying to build.
Unfortunately, after losing Matthew Stafford for the back half of 2019, it was a rough go for his second season, but I am not alone in believing Patricia is on the right path to building a successful organization.
Recently, long-time New England Patriot linebacker and NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest was on the Pardon My Take podcast, where he discussed some of the nuances of the Patriot Way and how Patricia needs time to build.
McGinest talked about the system and how it could be a hard sell to players — especially when they haven’t been to the Super Bowl and seen the results. He also noted how players often expect instant success and are not willing to put in the work to get the ultimate prize.
One particular statement that caught my attention was when McGinest talked about how Bill Belichick only kept a few players that fit the criteria and the mold he was looking for in players and build around those guys. That sounds eerily familiar to how Patricia is building the team with jettisoning players that don’t fit the style and mold he is looking to develop in the locker room, i.e., Darius Slay and Quandre Diggs. McGinest also stated that the philosophy is not about having the best players, but the right ones. The ones who are willing to buy into the system and willing to put in the effort to achieve results.
McGinest would go on to say that Patricia “knows how to win”, is an astute individual who has been in a lot of different systems, and with his extensive knowledge of players, he knows what he needs to build the culture of a winning team.
Additionally, McGinest commented that it is vital to have a GM and coach who is on the same page — and with all intent and purpose, Patricia and Quinn are intertwined in their approach to being competitive week in and week out.
Everybody wants to win right now and many were expecting to be on top from day one when Patricia took over as coach. But these things take time to build, especially in a system where there is a team mentality and not a me mentality.
Patricia has spent the last two and a half years retooling the coaching staff and roster, bringing in individuals who fit the system. Good things take time to build and with the right mentality/work ethic, the Lions could see those dividends pay off very soon.
