Okay, so, let’s talk about the Matt Patricia era with the Lions. What a wild ride that was, huh?
Getting Started with Patricia
I remember when he first came in, fresh off that Super Bowl loss with the Patriots. Everyone thought, “Hey, this guy’s bringing that New England magic to Detroit!” I got caught up in the hype too, I’ll admit.
First thing I did was dive deep into his past. Like, really deep. I watched old Patriots games, read every article I could find about his coaching style, the whole nine yards. I even tried to break down some of his defensive schemes, though, let’s be real, I’m no football guru.
Tracking the Lions’ Performance
Then came the actual games. I made it a point to watch every single Lions game during his tenure. I started taking notes during each game – key plays, coaching decisions, player performances, you name it. I started to jot down everything in my notebook. It was messy, but it was my way of keeping track.
- Wins, losses, scores – the basics, obviously.
- Who played well, who didn’t.
- Any questionable calls by Patricia or the refs.
- My general feelings about how the team looked.
Analyzing the Data (or Trying To)
After each game, I’d try to make sense of my notes. Sometimes it felt like I was just staring at a bunch of scribbles. But other times, I’d start to see patterns. Like, maybe Patricia’s defense worked better against certain types of offenses, or maybe certain players just weren’t thriving under his system. I felt like a detective, but with way less exciting clues.
Then, I’d go online, read what other fans and analysts were saying, see if my observations lined up with theirs. A lot of times, it did. It was like we were all watching the same slow-motion train wreck together.
The Inevitable End
We all know how it ended. Patricia got the boot, and the Lions were back to square one. I kept all those notes, though. It was a rough few years. I think all of us, me included, wanted so badly for it to work out.
When they finally fired him, I felt… relieved, honestly. It was clear that things weren’t working. Looking back at my notes from those years, it’s kind of sad. All that potential, all that hope, just… gone.
Looking Back
Looking back, it was a learning experience, for sure. Not just about football, but about how organizations work, how personalities clash, and how even the best-laid plans can go off the rails. The whole Matt Patricia experience with the Lions was something else, that’s for sure. My notes are a reminder of a time that I, and probably a lot of other Lions fans, would rather forget. But hey, at least we got some stories out of it, right?
And that is how I watched, from the begining to the end, how Matt Patricia just didn’t work out for the Lions.
