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The 2017 NFL season has come to a close and the Detroit Lions are finally free to hire whoever they’d like as head coach. Unless something unforeseen and disastrous happens, that person will be New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Sunday was not a good day for Matt Patricia. His defense was lit up to the tune of 538 total yards, 41 points and an average of 7.6 yards per play. Despite the fact that Tom Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards, and the Patriots didn’t even punt once during the game, Patricia couldn’t get his defense to mount one stop late to help his team win the game.
For Detroit Lions fans, it was a sobering reminder that Matt Patricia is not, as we had hoped, 100 percent infallible. He isn’t going to simply flip a switch in Detroit and make a top defense out of them.
But did Sunday’s performance really change your perception of him? Today’s Question of the Day is:
Are you feeling better, worse or the same about the Matt Patricia hire after Super Bowl 52?
My answer: We asked this same question after the Patriots defeated the Jaguars in the AFC Championship game. 56 percent of you said “the same,” while 41 percent of you felt better.
I’ll repeat what I said two weeks ago: One performance won’t change my opinion one bit. I feel the same. If I feel anything, it’s excitement that the Lions can finally hire their guy, but my opinion of their choice remains unchanged: I’m cautiously optimistic.
For more thoughts on Patricia’s performance in the Super Bowl, check out my quick reactions post from Sunday night.
However, I am interested to hear more about the Malcolm Butler stuff. We still don’t really know why the Patriots cornerback was benched in the Super Bowl. It was a baffling choice, but until I know why and who was responsible for that decision, I’m withholding my judgement.
Your turn.
Poll
How do you feel about the Matt Patricia hire after Super Bowl LII?
This poll is closed
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4%
Much better
-
2%
A little better
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60%
The same
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18%
A little worse
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12%
A lot worse