On Sunday, the Detroit Lions fell to the Minnesota Vikings, moving their overall record to 5-10 with just one game remaining on the schedule.
http://gty.im/1083964080
Prior to the season, the Lions hired former New England Patriots defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. From most accounts, Patricia came in with an iron fist and it may have rubbed some of the Lions players the wrong way.
Whether it was making the team run excessively in Training Camp or forcing them to practice in the snow when they had an indoor game coming up, Patricia certainly made some questionable decisions.
Following the loss to the Vikings, defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois was asked about whether or not he thinks enough Lions players bought in this season.
As Kyle Meinke from MLive points out, Francois’ response is telling.
“That’s the million-dollar question, and we need an answer. I wish I knew.” Francois said.
Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois, when asked if he thinks enough players bought in this season: “That’s the million-dollar question, and we need an answer. I wish I knew."
Jesus that's a telling quote.
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) December 23, 2018
From MLive:
“I think I heard Gandhi say this in a book I read: The only way you can change the culture is you have to change the people within in,” Francois said. “I’m not finger-pointing on who needs to be changed or who needs to go somewhere, but if you want a different regime, if you want a different buy-in or system like that, the only way you get a different culture is to change the people that sit in it.”
“Excuse my french, but I’ll be damned if I go to work every week preparing myself, living inside of a training facility, doing everything that this coach asks me to come out here and keep displaying this,” Francois said. “It bothers me. If it doesn’t bother you, you don’t love football.”
Nation, do you think Matt Patricia lost the team before the season even started?
BONUS CONTENT:
LOOK AHEAD: Detroit Lions’ 2019 Regular season opponents
With just one game remaining for the Detroit Lions in the 2018 season, it’s time to start looking towards the offseason and the 2019 campaign.
That being said, I was surfing the web and happened to stumble across the Lions’ 2019 regular season schedule, at least what we know of it. This season, the Lions played the AFC East and the NFC West. In 2019, they will face the AFC West and the NFC East.
With that being said, here is a look at the Detroit Lions’ 2019 Regular season opponents, according to Pro Football Reference. The final two opponents will be determined based off of the 2018 regular season standings.
vs. Chicago Bears
@ Chicago Bears
vs. Green Bay Packers
@ Green Bay Packers
vs. Minnesota Vikings
@ Minnesota Vikings
@ Dallas Cowboys
@ New York Giants
vs. Philadelphia Eagles
