Lions hire Patriots’ defensive coordinator as head coach
The Detroit Lions hired New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as their new head coach on Monday, doubling down on the franchise’s hope it can copy the Patriots’ formula for success.
The expected hiring of Patricia came a day after the Patriots lost 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.
The Lions plan to formally introduce him at a news conference Wednesday.
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.
Belichick mum on Butler benching
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn’t saying why he benched one-time Super Bowl star Malcolm Butler in this year’s championship game.
Speaking on a conference call the day after the Patriots blew their chance at a sixth NFL title with a 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Belichick said “there are a lot of things that go into that.” He declined to be specific about the defensive back.
Butler’s interception in the end zone in the final minute of the Super Bowl against Seattle clinched New England’s 2014 NFL title.
But he didn’t take a defensive snap against the Eagles on Sunday.
Super Bowl sees dip in ratings
An estimated 103.4 million people watched the Super Bowl on NBC, a 7 percent drop from last year that indicates that television’s biggest event may have peaked in popularity.
The Nielsen company said it’s the smallest Super Bowl audience on television since 2009 despite the underdog Philadelphia Eagles beating the New England Patriots in a thrilling game that was close from start to finish.
Last year’s PatriotsFalcons game reached 111.3 million viewers. The all-time Super Bowl record — and record for any television event in the United States — was the 114.4 million who watched the Patriots against the Seahawks in 2015.
The NFL’s viewership has been down this year, with experts citing factors like increased injuries, some confusing rules changes and anger at players protesting police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. Similarly, fewer people have cable than they did a few years ago, with streaming onto hand-held devices becoming more popular.