It’s not a big secret that Matt Patricia’s rookie campaign as head coach will be judged on a different scale than his recent predecessors in Detroit. Jim Schwartz’s mission in year one was about as low as you can get: just to win a couple of games. Jim Caldwell’s first task was steadying a volatile roster and getting some on-field consistency (which was an immediate success, although it plateaued in the following years).
Whether fair or not, Matt Patricia’s marching orders out of the gates are notably higher than those for Caldwell and Schwartz. This time around, seven to ten wins and contention for a playoff spot will not be considered good enough, from management or fans.