Legend of Jim Caldwell Has Grown Because Matt Patricia Has Failed

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has made Detroit fans miss Jim Caldwell

When Matt Patricia was hired, the goal was to take a roster that had gone 9-7 the previous two seasons and take it to the next level. 

Instead, the disastrous tenure of the current coaching regime has only forced supporters to harken back to the days of 9-7 seasons and playoff appearances with Jim Caldwell at the helm.

In Caldwell's first season in Detroit, the team went 11-5, and earned a playoff berth as a wild card team in 2014.

The Lions were defeated, 24-20, by the Cowboys in a game that was filled with controversial calls made against Detroit.

In his NFL head coaching career, Caldwell has a 62-50 record.

With Detroit, he coached four seasons, and amassed a 36-28 mark, including two playoff appearances.

In just over two seasons, Patricia's record of 10-25-1 is a far cry from when Caldwell was in charge. 

Former Lions quarterback and current ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky even came to the defense of his former head coach when Patricia stated on Sunday, "When I came to Detroit, there was a lot of work to do."

"To come in and say that you had a lot of work to do is completely false. It’s a bunch of trash! This team was built for growth, not regression," Orlovsky said Monday on ESPN Radio.

With each disastrous performance with Patricia at the helm, the argument that firing Caldwell was the correct move becomes more and more difficult to justify.

A 9-7 record may not have been good enough for Detroit general manager Bob Quinn. But, it sure sounds a lot better than what the present regime is bringing to the table.

You think Sheila Ford Hamp has Caldwell's number on file?

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!