SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Detroit Lions got the snot beat out of them to open the season. Then they had a short week of practice to prepare for a cross-country trip to face the San Francisco 49ers in their home opener.
Oh, and players are openly talking about their problems with the new coach.
Yeah, it's difficult to imagine a worse start for the Matt Patricia era. We hit on that, the culture change that is underway and a whole lot more in this week's installment on the mailbag. As always, my deepest appreciation to everyone who participated. There's no way to get to everybody, but the 'bag will be back next week. You can submit questions via email here or Twitter here. (If you do email, it helps if you put "mailbag" somewhere in the subject line.)
All right, let's rock.
Q: Is Patricia losing the team or not? Do you expect Quinn to address media at any point during the season? -- @nuzach
A: I've gotten some version of this question throughout the week, so let's start there. No, I don't think Matt Patricia is losing the team. But the losing has exacerbated tensions that have been building for weeks.
Yes, the Lions endured a difficult training camp under Patricia. Far more difficult than any other I've seen in my days covering the team. They hit harder, ran longer and got fewer -- far, far, far fewer -- recovery days than they did under Jim Caldwell. Players were worn out by it, and have said as much.
Of course, football is a tough game, and plenty of teams have won after tough camps. Like, you know, New England. The place from which Matt Patricia hails. This system he's brought here isn't based in the abstract, which I think is important to remember. But running your players into the ground only works if the team wins.
Win, and players will buy into anything. Lose, though, and it's going to flesh out whatever grievances players already have. And I think that's what you're seeing now.
It's not just about practicing hard either. There are a bunch of new rules in place. Another thing players have mentioned quite a bit is the schedule itself, which has been all over the damn place. They sometimes don't know when a practice will be until hours before. They sometimes don't know when they'll be leaving the building.
That might not sound like a big deal, but you have to understand the NFL is a league of habits. This game is so brutal as it is, players find refuge in their routines. But right now, Patricia has made it more difficult for players to settle in because of the spastic schedule. And that has compounded the stresses and anxieties that already exist by the nature of the game.
Of course, none of this stuff is insurmountable. Other coaches have won with similar styles. But for those used to Jim Caldwell -- and remember, while he was polarizing among fans, he was universally beloved in the locker room -- it has been an adjustment. And it's going to take some winning to cure whatever ills some might be harboring toward the new coach.
As for your question about Bob Quinn meeting with the media during the season, I don't have an answer for you. He usually does something during the preseason, but skipped it this year. I've put in several requests, including during the trip to Oakland, but to no avail. And if memory serves, he hasn't spoken in-season before, so we might be looking at January as the next time we meet with him.
Q: How high do you think lions will pick in the NFL Draft in 2019, and where do you think they'll address shortcomings -- @Ont_DetLionsfan
A: One week, for those taking bets on how long it'd take for attention to turn to the draft. One bloody week.
To answer your question, I suspect they'll target the pass rush. They didn't do it last year, and hey, that thing has looked weak as hell heretofore. Ezekiel Ansah was good when healthy against New York, but was healthy for only 19 snaps and hasn't put in a full day of work since. There's no telling what Detroit will get out of him from week to week, let alone in 2019, when he is eligible to become a free agent.
That deepens the need at a critical position, especially if you're trying to win a division against guys like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins. You have to rush the passer. And the Lions don't have a whole lot of difference-makers there.
Elsewhere: Look out for offensive line, given that Bob Quinn has made so many efforts to rebuild there through the draft, and T.J. Lang will be entering a contract year, if he's around at all. And they desperately need a tight end, where Luke Willson and Levine Toiolo are playing on one-year deals and Michael Roberts is struggling to find his way.
Q: It seems like the offense plays much better in the hurry up/2 min style. Why don't the Lions try that more often? Is it just unsustainable? They have to see that Stafford and the offense works much better when they do that, right? -- @EthanNipT
A: I agree the Lions play better out of the no-huddle. I also agree they should consider using it more. But I'd also point out, it's not like they're not already using it a lot. They ran no-huddle looks 31.7 percent of the time last year, which was a league high. Last week, they ran no-huddle looks 49.3 percent of the time, also a league high.
An even better measure might be their average time between snaps, which was 22.84 seconds last week. That was fastest in the league.
Of course, a tradeoff of spending so much of your time calling out plays at the line of scrimmage is the potential for opponents to pick up cadences and signals. Which, you know, the Jets claim to have done.
Bottom line: Detroit is at its best playing up tempo, which it's already doing the most of in the league, and should continue to do so.
Q: Do you still giggle a little bit inside when you have to type "Jim Bob Cooter"? -- @JohnFraser31
A:
Q: It seemed like the Jets had Riddick's number and Blount had a minor injury. How much, if any, do you see the workload shift to KJ this week? -- @bjesus1358
A: The Lions were blown out so badly in the opener, and there's so much drama flowing out of the locker room, we really haven't had time or inclination to nitpick more minor decisions. Like, for example, only giving your best back four carries.
OK, I know LeGarrette Blount is the veteran of the group. And in power situations, that man should be out there. But based on what I've seen since he got here, Kerryon Johnson is the most talented back on this roster. His lack of experience means he'll surely make mistakes, and again, Blount is a better choice for certain situations. But Johnson clearly has the highest ceiling, and he's the one guy here for the long haul. So why isn't he touching the ball more?
And for godsakes, what are you doing giving the ball to Theo Riddick inside the 10-yard line?
Riddick is a really nice pass-catcher. But he's not a runner. We've established that, haven't we? It's part of the reason Detroit brought in Blount and Johnson in the first place, and did so at the expense of, say, stockpiling pass rushers. So why go through all that trouble, only to open the season by handing the ball to Riddick more than anyone else? Including inside the 10-yard line?
Anyway. Climbing off my soapbox for a second, and yes, I expect Johnson to touch the ball more than four times, even if Blount plays (and he will play).
Q: At what point do fans start yelling about T.J. Lang's contract more than Stafford's...or did I just start it? -- @WildboarCJD
A: If my inbox is any indication, I'd say about four days ago. Listen, Lang is a good player. He was a Pro Bowler last year even though he dealt with a grab-bag of injuries. He missed games with foot, brain and back injuries. He was limited in so many others. And he still made the Pro Bowl. Props.
But his near-constant unavailability really held back the line. These guys need to practice, especially up front, and he was missing practice nearly every week. There was just no telling what you'd get out of him from week to week.
After the season, he said he was optimistic about 2018 because he didn't require surgery for the first time in three years. Just rest. But now here we are, in Week 2 of the season, and he's missing more time because of another back injury. And who knows what next week holds, let alone next year.
The Lions would save $9 million in cap space by cutting him after the season. Just saying. You don't cut a guy like that if he's on the field, but another injury-plagued campaign, and Detroit will have some hard questions to answer here.
Q: Your thoughts/ expectations on the TE group, performance wise and snap count wise from what you saw in game 1? @sweta2311
A: Well, they didn't do much, and I don't expect much. The Lions are loaded at receiver. Just look at Kenny Golladay, your No. 3 receiver, going out there on Monday Night Football and leading the way with 114 yards. He was the best offensive player on the field that night. And he's your No. 3 receiver. That's depth. Add what Theo Riddick can do as a pass-catcher, and the Lions really don't need to lean that heavily on their tight ends.
Which is good news, because their tight ends haven't looked like they're worth leaning on.
Based on what I've seen in practice, Luke Willson does have some nice length and soft hands. I suspect we'll see him pop in the passing game before it's all over. He's just not going to be as involved as a guy like, say, Eric Ebron, who was a top-10 guy at the position last year.
Levine Toiolo played the most snaps in Week 1, and he'll continue to play a large role because of his capabilities in the blocking game.
Behind those guys are wild cards. I like Hakeem Valles, who had a terrific preseason, but there's just no track record there. And I have no idea at all what to expect out of Michael Roberts. One day, he looks like a guy worth a fourth-round pick. Other days, you barely realize he's on the roster. He's young still, but I'm highly discouraged by his lack of growth in Year 2.
Q: What in the f'ing F is f'ing going on with this f'ing team? -- @ngelfond
A:
Q: Can you think of what made A'Shawn Robinson, a healthy scratch on Monday night? What would need to change in order him to play going forward? -- @thedrocks1280
A: I actually asked defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni about that on Friday afternoon. Asked what Robinson has to do to see the field, he said: "I really like A'Shawn. I think that he's working very hard and he's doing a good job. We're excited about him and excited to have him on the team. And he's working very well. We like having him here."
When you ask a coach what a player has to do to see the field, and he offers nothing but platitudes, be worried.
I don't know if it's scheme fit or just a general lack of production or what-have-you, but it's clear that barring injury, Robinson isn't seeing the field this year. Coaches like Ricky Jean-Francois and Sylvester Williams a lot more. And since they're running a lot of three-man fronts these days, or four-man fronts with at least one linebacker, there's not much need to dress another tackle. So Robinson is the odd man out.
Q: Crown or Jack to go with my feels looking at the holes on this roster? -- @TripleOGJamie
A: Allow me to sign off with a bit of advice for y'all. If you haven't tried Detroit City Distillery, fix that. Now. It's one of my favorite spots in the city, and their bourbon is just fantastic. Especially if you're looking to bury your feelings someplace where they can't hurt you anymore.