Matt Patricia has not produced positive results with the Detroit Lions since they hired him as head coach back in 2018, and Sunday could reportedly be his last day on the job if things don’t go well.
Several Lions sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that they believe Patricia could be fired if Detroit loses to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The Lions are 1-3 coming off their bye and have lost games in disappointing fashion this season, and Patricia and his staff were put on notice entering the year. Because of that, one source told La Canfora Sunday’s game “feels like do or die.”
The Lions are 10-25-1 since hiring Patricia prior to the 2018 season. Patricia made a name for himself as a defensive assistant under Bill Belichick, but his defense has left plenty to be desired. Detroit has allowed 31.8 points and 405 yards per game this season, which both rank in the bottom five of the NFL. The Lions also blew a huge lead earlier this year when Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears scored 21 points against them in the fourth quarter.
Ownership began expressing its concerns to Patricia around Thanksgiving last year, according to La Canfora. Some within the organization felt a coaching change should have been made before this season, but Patricia’s job may have been saved by an ownership transition. Whatever the case, it is clear the Lions need to start winning now.
When you make the kind of history the Lions have made this year, it usually isn’t long before the head coach is looking for work elsewhere.
