NEW ENGLAND ASST. PATRICIA NAMED LIONS’ HEAD COACH
Former defensive coordinator takes over for Caldwell.
The Detroit Lions hired Matt Patricia on Monday, doubling down on the franchise’s hope it can copy the New England Patriots’ formula for success.
The expected hiring of the defensive coordinator came a day after the Patriots lost 41-33 to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
“This position comes with great responsibility, and I will commit every ounce of my energy to this football team, starting today,” Patricia said in a statement released by the team.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn made the move, reuniting with someone he worked with in New England for more than a decade.
“He has been preparing for this opportunity his entire career, and he’s ready for the responsibility and its challenges,” Quinn said.
Quinn fired coach Jim Caldwell last month with a record eight games above .500 over four years and postseason appearances in 2016 and 2014. The Lions went 9-7 this season and missed the playoffs.
Patricia was the Patriots’ defensive coordinator for six seasons, ending with his unit giving up 41 points and 538 yards to the Eagles.
“Obviously, I didn’t do a good enough job here with the defense,” he said Sunday night.
Patricia, 43, was on Bill Belichick’s staff for 14 seasons, overlapping with Quinn for many years. Quinn was a part of the Patriots’ personnel department for 16 years before Detroit gave him his first shot to be an NFL GM.
He cuts a distinctive figure on the sideline, with a bushy beard, backward ball cap and a pencil above his right ear.
Patricia earned an aeronautical engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he played center and guard, and later went to the University of Massachusetts for his master’s degree. While trying to figure out which career path to follow, he was an aeronautical engineer for two years.
His climb includes being a graduate assistant at RPI and Syracuse and coaching the defensive line at Amherst College.
Belichick hired Patricia in 2004 as a coaching assistant, was an assistant offensive line coach the next season and worked his way up, leading linebackers and safeties, before being to defensive coordinator in 2012.
Raiders: Cornerback David Amerson was released, saving some $6 million against the salary cap.
Amerson, 26, played in six games (all starts) last season and missed the final eight with a foot injury. He made 33 starts for the Raiders in three seasons, recording six interceptions with 46 passes defensed.
He had signed a four-year contract extension before the 2016 season.
Amerson’s $5.5 million base salary for 2018 would have become guaranteed if he were on the team’s roster Wednesday.
Police say suspect in Jackson’s death was deported twice: A man being held in a suspected drunken-driving crash that killed Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver has been twice deported from the U.S. — a revelation an Indiana congressman said Monday should anger “all Americans.”
Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, remained jailed Monday but has not been charged in Sunday’s crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis.
State Police said Monday that he’s a citizen of Guatemala who gave officers a fake name when he was arrested following the predawn crash.
Investigators said he was deported in 2007 and 2009, and was again living illegally in the U.S.
Police said Jackson and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe, 54, were standing outside Monroe’s car along I-70 after Jackson became ill while Monroe was transporting him. Both men were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala, police said. Investigators said they believe Orrego-Savala, who lives in Indianapolis, was intoxicated and driving without a license.
A breath test administered at the crash scene found that Orrego-Savala’s blood-alcohol content was 0.239 percent, or nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jackson, 26, started eight games for the Colts during the 2016 season, finishing third on the team with 61 tackles. He missed the 2-17 season after suffering an injury during training camp.
Sunday’s Games Monday’s Games
(At) Pistons 111, Trail Blazers 91: Andre Drummond had 17 points and 17 rebounds in Detroit’s fourth straight victory. The Pistons have won three in a row with Blake Griffin in the lineup. The victory over Portland pulled the Pistons even with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Wizards 111, (at) Pacers 102: All-Star guard Bradley Beal scored 21 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 for Washington. The Wizards have won five straight overall, all without John Wall, and four in a row over Indiana. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 29 points for Indiana.
Magic at Heat: Late
Jazz at Pelicans: Late
Hornets at Nuggets: Late
Bulls at Kings: Late
Mavericks at Clippers: Late
NBA notes
Jazz: Rookie Donovan Mitchell will compete in the Slam Dunk contest during NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles after Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon was ruled out because of a hip injury.
Knicks: Rookie guard Ron Baker will have right shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season. According to the team, the expected recovery time is four to six months.
Hornets: Point guard Kemba Walker set a franchise record for 3-point baskets in Sunday’s victory over Phoenix. Walker now has 930 career 3s, topping Dell Curry, who is still with the franchise as a television analyst.
Lakers: Rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has missed 10 consecutive games with a knee injury, and there’s no indication he’ll return soon.
Nets-Bucks trade: Brooklyn traded center Tyler Zeller to Milwaukee for guard Rashad Vaughn and a second-round pick. The Nets will get the pick this June if it falls between Nos. 31-47. If not, it will go to Brooklyn in 2020.