Lions coach taking it one game at a time after latest loss
Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia says he’s not focused on his future after the club’s seventh consecutive loss on Sunday.
“You know what, I have conversations all the time,” Patricia said Monday when asked if he has been told if he will return next season. “Like I said, I like to keep all that stuff private as I think it’s important to do.
“Again, for me, it’s just every day. It’s one day at a time. Just trying to go in and do everything I can to be a better coach today, a better coach tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”
The Lions were dominated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a 38-17 loss before the smallest crowd in more than three seasons at Ford Field at 56,515. The loss guarantees the Lions will have back-to-back losses in double figures for the first time since 2010 (6-10), 2009 (2-14) and 2008 (0-16).
“I think there are frustrating parts each week, I guess (that) would be the biggest part of that,” said Patricia, who is 9-20-1 in parts of two seasons with the team. “I think the guys feel the same way. I think it’s something different every week.”
Injuries have no doubt contributed to the Lions losing 10 of the last 11 games and the list grew on Monday. Defensive tackle Mike Daniels and guard Kenny Wiggins were both placed on reserve/injured list bringing the club’s total to 14 on the list. That does not include quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has missed the last six games with a back problem.
“Certainly we understand that, from that aspect of the game where injuries are going to occur, sometimes you get a lot more than not, and it just seems like we’ve had a lot,” said Patricia, whose team claimed guard Caleb Benenoch off waivers from Dallas on Monday.
Detroit was down two touchdowns in the first quarter and was outgained 236-1 in yards against the Buccaneers in that quarter.
“I think there were plays that were on the field to be made, and we didn’t execute them, I didn’t execute, to the best of our ability,” said Lions quarterback David Blough, who is another free agent in a starting position.
After falling behind 21-0, the Lions clawed back into the game and got to within 24-17 when free-agent running back Wes Hills, who was just activated from the practice squad on Saturday, ran in his second touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. But Tampa’s Sean Murphy-bunting picked off Blough and returned it 70 yards with a touchdown with just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the Lions never got closer.
“Can’t do it,” Blough said. “Obviously, it’s the play that we’ll come back to, that we’ll look at that ultimately was the dagger in the game.”
With a road game in Denver on Sunday before finishing the season at home against Green Bay, there appears to be little for the Lions to look forward to other than a potential top five pick in the NFL Draft.
“If you don’t win the Super Bowl, every season is tough,” said Lions receiver Danny Amendola, who had eight catches for 102 years. “There are 31 teams that go home disappointed and there’s one team at the end of the year that is happy and I know that from experience.
“We got a lot of guys who are beat up, banged up and injured and we got guys rolling in, next man up, trying to step up, trying to make plays.
“Everyone here is trying their best, everybody is fighting.”