Super Bowl is likely Patricia’s last with Pats
Coordinator will reportedly become next Lions coach.
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. — It may have been his last game in New England, and Matt Patri- cia wasn’t ready for it to end.
The Patriots defensive coor- dinator went back onto the field long after the AFC Cham- pionship was over and the team advanced to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in his tenure.
There, he tossed around a football with his son before flopping onto his back on the confetti that had fallen during the team’s celebration.
“(It was) just fun to have him out there running around and just seeing the excite- ment that he had to be out on the field,” Patricia said March, giving him an $11 milhas become a valuable addi- this week as he tried to main- lion, two-year deal to provide tion. tain his focus on the Super insurance behind Wentz. “We found ourselves in an Bowl and not his expected
Foles shredded the Vikings interesting situation where next step: as coach of the and their top-ranked defense this is Year 2 of the plan but Detroit Lions. “That’s always last week. we have a quarterback that just kind of a special little
“It’s a credit to Howie and was advancing by leaps and moment for myself and him Joe to bring a guy like that in bounds and a team that was and my wife.” here who is very capable of playing great, great defense, Most identifiable by his getting the job done,” Pedand an offensive line that bushy beard, backward-fac- erson said. was really good,” Lurie said. ing ball cap and cargo shorts
Many of the players Rose“We thought: ‘Why can’t or cutoff sweatpants no matman acquired before the seawe win it all?’ We took an ter what the weather, Patricia son made big plays in the approach where we were will be on the Patriots side- 38-7 rout over Minnesota. He going to do everything possi- line Feb. 4, when they face signed wide receivers Alshon ble that could help our team the Philadelphia Eagles in Jeffery and Torrey Smith, run- this year.” an attempt to win their sixth ning back LeGarrette Blount Other key starters Rose- NFL championship. and cornerback Patrick Robman acquired in trades or Then he will reportedly inson to team-friendly confree agency since reclaim- be hired as the Lions coach. tracts in free agency. They ing his role as personnel Patricia has declined to combined to score Phila- boss: defensive tackle Tim comment on the Detroit delphia’s five touchdowns Jernigan, cornerback Ronjob other than to confirm against the Vikings. ald Darby, safety Rodney he “went through the pro
“He’s a very, very smart McLeod, Pro Bowl right cess that the NFL allows us guy,” Lurie said. “In the role guard Brandon Brooks, left to go through during the bye today to be in charge of foot- guard Stefen Wisniewski week.” ball operations, it is so much and kicker Jake Elliott. He The Lions confirmed more than simply what has also drafted starting corner- they interviewed Patricia been in the past decades back Jalen Mills in the sevwith scouting. Scouting is a enth round and starting left big part of it, but you have tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai to manage in so many ways in the fifth round in 2016. short-term needs, midterm The Eagles have overcome needs, long-term needs.” season-ending injuries to
The Eagles entered the Wentz, nine-time Pro Bowl season with modest expecleft tackle Jason Peters, midtations, but Wentz was spec- dle linebacker Jordan Hicks, tacular and the defense was return specialist/running excellent. After a 7-1 start, back Darren Sproles, special Roseman b olstered the teams captain Chris Maraoffense by getting running gos and kicker Caleb Sturgis back Jay Ajayi from Miami because of the depth Rosefor a fourth-round pick. Ajayi man put together. and reportedly informed the unsuccessful candidates, but they cannot make it official until after the Patriots are done playing.
“We’re just trying to get the win,” defensive lineman Trey Flowers said on Friday. “That’s all it’s about here.”
But for Patricia, that’s not all it’s about.
Players say he takes a special interest in them, talking to them not just as players but also asking about their families.
“It’s not just to coach you up,” linebacker Elandon Roberts said. “That’s a must for him. That shows what kind of man he is outside of the building. He takes pride in us as players, but he also takes pride in us as people.”
Taking a rarely followed path to the NFL, Patricia graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with four varsity letters and an aeronautical engineering degree.
He bounced around a few colleges in the Northeast before landing on Bill Belichick’s staff with the then-defending Super Bowl champs.
Moving up through the team’s coaching ranks, he became the defensive coordinator in 2012.
Before most every game, Patricia walks up to every player on the sideline and shakes his hand.
“It just lets us know he has our back,” safety Duron Harmon said. “He has our back; we’ve got his back. It’s nothing more than just a relationship that he’s built with everybody throughout the defense.
“And when you’ve got that from your coach, knowing that he’s going to go down for you and you’re going to go down for him, it makes you want to go out there and lay it down for him.”