Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia had a poor inaugural season. He had continual spats with the media, some were concerned his message wasn’t being received in the locker room and, most importantly to the majority of fans, he took a 9-7 team on the verge of playoffs to a 6-10 season and last place in the NFC North for the first time in six years.
One of the most specific criticisms of Patricia was the accusation that he had lost the locker room as early as training camp. There were reports that suggested the longer practices and stricter locker room rules rubbed some of the veterans the wrong way, and Patricia was having a rough transition from the Jim Caldwell era.