ALLEN PARK, Michigan -- Matt Patricia was about two months into his tenure as Detroit Lions coach when he saw an opportunity to create a team-building situation similar to what he had experienced in the past.
As an up-and-coming assistant coach with the New England Patriots in 2008, Patricia remembered the club spending two full weeks on the West Coast -- separate stints between back-to-back road games in the Pacific time zone in October and December of that season. The team came together, using the time away to bond while rallying around backup quarterback Matt Cassel in an 11-5 season.