After Two Years, Patricia Hopes He Is a Better NFL Coach

Matt Patricia is striving to get better daily in coaching the Detroit Lions

Lions head coach Matt Patricia, like many of us, is slowly but surely adjusting to living and working virtually.

Gone are in-person meetings, and in are ones that are held via Zoom and other digital meeting platforms.

Patricia was excited simply to see his team during his first video conference with the players.

"I just wanted to give a bunch of bear hugs out and do all that stuff and we couldn’t," Patricia said during a Zoom conference Tuesday morning. "I think that just making sure that I’m as authentic as I can be and making sure that they understand all of that that we do have when we’re in the same room, that that care, that level of compassion, that level of just how much I appreciate them, just to make sure that that really comes through and to make sure that that message comes across."

Patricia believes that conducting the meetings virtually does hinder the ability to convey teaching points as effectively as possible.

He commented, "I do think there is a limit with some of this virtual teaching and being able to get right to the point on some things because everybody’s environment is a little bit different, and certainly there are distractions when we’re not in a normal classroom setting and things might come up that they might have to address. Just trying to make sure that the most important thing is that the information is out there appropriately, whatever they need from that learning standpoint, but also to make sure that the natural side of what we would get from being in that classroom setting comes through, too.”

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The teaching is an integral element for bettering the Lions, but so is improving the play on the field.

This upcoming season, the lessons from Patricia and his coaching staff will have to translate to positive results in the win-loss column.

A season ago, the Lions finished a dismal 3-12-1 and in last place in the NFC North.

Subsequently, ownership mandated Patricia & Co. to turn the franchise into a playoff contender in 2020.

If that doesn't happen, Patricia and Detroit general manager Bob Quinn will likely be out of jobs at season's end.

In Patricia's defense, he realizes that the onus is on him to improve as a head man going into his third year on the job.

"I would hope, being a head coach, my goal is certainly to get better every year," he said. "I really hope I’m a better head coach than I was two years ago because that’s the goal. I hope I try to get better every week."

He added, "Certainly, these are new challenges. This is different, and I think all the head coaches in the league are trying to figure out the same thing. It’s really good. I’m very lucky to have some great friends and friendships throughout the league to be able to talk about different ideas and thoughts, which is cool. From that aspect of it, I’m always trying to grow and get better. I always put myself first and foremost in that list of guys that need to improve on the team."

There's no better time than now for Patricia to take the next step as an NFL head man and to help the Lions become a winner.

If he doesn't, there's likely going to be another coach that's given the chance to do so a season from now.

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