Things may get worse for the Lions before they get better so far this season.
According to various reports this week, Lions veterans have been unhappy with the intense workload during training camp as well as some new team rules implemented by head coach Matt Patricia. This perhaps may be some insight into the ass-kicking the Lions suffered Monday night at the hands of the New York Jets.
Here’s Mike Garafolo of NFL Network discussing the potential issue the other day on Good Morning Football.
We talked the other day on @gmfb Weekend about the #Lions’ veterans being unhappy with how hard Matt Patricia has worked them and all the rules in place there. Results like last night’s blowout loss to the #Jets could bring things to a head … both ways. pic.twitter.com/wCImJnLFlg
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 11, 2018
It’s probably important to note that Garafolo didn’t want to jump to conclusions in what he’s heard and that if winning doesn’t come with what Patricia is trying to do, the head coach won’t hesitate to find replacements who’ll buy into his program.
Furthermore, agents of players on the Lions predicted that the team would be ‘out of gas’ come week one because of the intensity of training camp and the preseason.
Obviously being a new head coach Matt Patricia is going to have some learning to do himself in order to find that happy ratio of workload to results. Patricia also made it known when he was hired that he’d be looking to ‘change the culture’ in Detroit which I’m sure everyone whether it’s ownership or the fans can get on board with.
So with that said who really has the balls to bitch and complain about workload when it comes to this particular organization? We railed against the dump Patricia and his coaching staff took Monday night in that utterly embarrassing loss to the Jets, which they wholeheartedly deserved.
But seriously, players are going to bitch about workload and an attempted change of culture on a team that has won one playoff game in over half a century? Or a team that has celebrated playoff appearances with banners at Ford Field?
Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit.
If players are upset with the workload or the fact that they aren’t being coddled anymore like they presumably were under Jim Caldwell or the way they ran amok under Jim Schwartz then I really cannot blame Patricia for potentially looking for replacements if said players are buying in. Not to mention, no one on this team, whether it’s Matt Stafford, Golden Tate or TJ Lang have the credentials to try to dictate what’s necessary when it comes to workload and a possible prelude to winning football games.
