Soon, Matt Patricia will leave the only nest he's ever known with Bill Belichick in New England to come coach a Lions team that needs both a sense of the ascending defenses they've run as well as a taste of what it's like to win a division title. The Patriots have won 13 in the 14 years that Patricia has been on staff, including all six when he's served as defensive coordinator. The Lions haven't won one since 1993.
The need to end that drought was one of the biggest reasons the Lions made a change after back-to-back 9-7 seasons, and for Patricia, it will start with beating the teams that reside in the NFC North.