Tracking former Lions

[edindetroit]

Broncos interview Matt Patricia for defensive coordinator

Matt Patricia is the latest candidate for the Broncos’ defensive coordinator vacancy.
Patricia is in Denver interviewing with Sean Payton and the Broncos today, according to NFL Network.

The 48-year-old Patricia previously served as defensive coordinator for the Patriots from 2012 to 2017. He then had an unsuccessful stint as head coach of the Lions from 2018 to 2020 before returning to the Patriots. Last year he was the Patriots’ de facto offensive coordinator, and the result was a mess that led Bill Belichick to bring back Bill O’Brien to run the offense. It’s unclear whether Patricia could return to the Patriots this year in some capacity.

Other candidate for the Broncos’ defensive coordinator job include Rex Ryan and Vance Joseph.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...e-coordinator/

[Futureshock]

The DETROIT Panthers...

Dom Capers will have “his hands on a lot of things” with Panthers

Posted by Josh Alper on February 23, 2023, 6:38 AM EST

Getty Images

The Panthers have added a lot of experienced assistants to head coach Frank Reich‘s staff and senior defensive assistant Dom Capers is at the top of that list.

Capers has been coaching in the NFL since 1986 and he was Reich’s head coach during the Panthers’ inaugural season in 1996. He also served as defensive Ejiro Evero’s boss with the Packers during the 2016 season, but Reich said this week that Capers is not a “sentimental hire” because of what he still brings to the table as a coach.

On Wednesday, Capers said he approaches his job by asking “how can I be the most help to” Evero and Reich while Evero discussed some of what the Panthers will be asking of Capers in 2023.

“He does everything,” Evero said, via the team’s website. “He’s somebody I can bounce ideas off. He’s someone that gives ideas and input on the game plan. He helps us with a lot of our tendencies. And he does some motivational things with the team as well. So he’s got his hands on a lot of things.”

The experience of this Panthers staff is a big difference from what was in place in Carolina and the hope is that the results change along with the makeup of the staff.

[edindetroit]

Former Lions HC Matt Patricia misses out on Broncos DC job


Matt Patricia got an interview for a defensive coordinator job, but the Broncos went in another direction.


Matt Patricia may be making his way back to the defensive side of the ball. The former Detroit Lions head coach interviewed for the Broncos defensive coordinator job on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Patricia has spent the past two years back with the New England Patriots after a disastrous run as the Lions head coach. Detroit went just 13-29-1 under Patricia, but Bill Belichick welcomed Patricia back with open arms.

That turned out to be a mistake, though. After a year in a variety of roles in Foxborough as the “senior football advisor,” Patricia became the de facto Patriots offensive coordinator in 2022—although his official title was football advisor and offensive line coach. New England’s offense was an absolute mess under Patricia. Quarterback Mac Jones took a huge step back, and there were reports of dysfunction on that side of the ball all season long.

Despite those struggles, the Denver Broncos and new coach Sean Payton are interested in Patricia’s services. And to be fair, Patricia had a few very productive years as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator between 2012-2017.

Still, Patricia would be an... interesting choice for the Broncos. Per various reports, Denver is also considering Vance Joseph and Rex Ryan for the position.

UPDATE: As first reported by Peter Schrager, Patricia has been passed over in favor of Joseph.

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/2/22/23611171/former-lions-hc-matt-patricia-not-hired-for-broncos-dc-job?fbclid=IwAR3mNJVlb8cBABUBH90yABV7hqnyE66wCIazNRptLrUDt-CV8QgLT3PV4Bo

Nobody wants you loser. Go find a job calculating rocket trajectories.

[whatever_gong82]

Former Lions HC Matt Patricia misses out on Broncos DC job


Matt Patricia got an interview for a defensive coordinator job, but the Broncos went in another direction.


Matt Patricia may be making his way back to the defensive side of the ball. The former Detroit Lions head coach interviewed for the Broncos defensive coordinator job on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Patricia has spent the past two years back with the New England Patriots after a disastrous run as the Lions head coach. Detroit went just 13-29-1 under Patricia, but Bill Belichick welcomed Patricia back with open arms.

That turned out to be a mistake, though. After a year in a variety of roles in Foxborough as the “senior football advisor,” Patricia became the de facto Patriots offensive coordinator in 2022—although his official title was football advisor and offensive line coach. New England’s offense was an absolute mess under Patricia. Quarterback Mac Jones took a huge step back, and there were reports of dysfunction on that side of the ball all season long.

Despite those struggles, the Denver Broncos and new coach Sean Payton are interested in Patricia’s services. And to be fair, Patricia had a few very productive years as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator between 2012-2017.

Still, Patricia would be an... interesting choice for the Broncos. Per various reports, Denver is also considering Vance Joseph and Rex Ryan for the position.

UPDATE: As first reported by Peter Schrager, Patricia has been passed over in favor of Joseph.

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/2/22/23611171/former-lions-hc-matt-patricia-not-hired-for-broncos-dc-job?fbclid=IwAR3mNJVlb8cBABUBH90yABV7hqnyE66wCIazNRptLrUDt-CV8QgLT3PV4Bo

Nobody wants you loser. Go find a job calculating rocket trajectories.

Couldn't happen to a 'nicer' guy.



He (Patricia) couldn't lead a group of young kids in kindergarten without messing that up somehow.

[Mainevent]

Beat writers would say he was good dude to sit down and have a beer with and talk football, but his poor-man’s Belichick act just made him out to be an arrogant prick without any reason to be. Makes me dislike him about as much as any coach they’ve ever had.

[froot loops]

The.New England coaches all learned the same wrong lesson, they all thought the secret sauce was to be the hard ass to the players like Belichick was. That only works if you win big and I contend it's a flaw that Belichick overcame because he was.really good at everything else and he had Brady. Not necessarily in that order.

[whatever_gong82]

Here's a wild story for those who remember Alex Karras (I was too young to remember the very end of his career):


Flashback: Alex Karras' publicity stunt went awry at Detroit bar

By Bill Dow Special to the Free Press



Long before becoming known as an actor who punched out a horse while playing Mongo in the satirical western “Blazing Saddles,” Alex Karras was a Detroit Lion who got into a lot of trouble off the field.

Karras, one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, was part of the Lions’ “Fearsome Foursome” of the 1960s, with Darris McCord, Sam Williams and Roger Brown.

Karras captured national headlines in April 1963 when the NFL suspended him for gambling. A parttime bartender who had done some wrestling, he was scheduled to take on well-known pro wrestler Dick the Bruiser in a much-hyped exhibition when a publicity stunt for the match degenerated into a barroom brawl.

Karras’ troubles began in April 1963 when newspapers across the country ran banner headlines with the news that NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had indefinitely suspended Karras and Green Bay’s Paul Hornung for betting on football games, though not against their own teams.

Five other Lions were fined $2,000 each for placing $50 bets on the 1962 title game. The club was fined $4,000 for neglecting to take appropriate action on a Detroit police report that revealed “player associations with known hoodlums.”

Karras acted surprised.

“This is a real shock,” he told the Free Press. “I didn’t think it would be that bad. I’m still a bartender and I have a wrestling match coming up with Dick the Bruiser. From the sounds of Rozelle’s decision, I may be wrestling for the rest of my life.”



Karras and Bruiser hatch a plot


Karras bartended at the Lindell AC at Cass and Bagley, a celebrated hangout for athletes, celebrities, gamblers and organized crime figures. The bar was owned by two Detroiters, Jimmy and Johnny Butsicaris. Karras reportedly had invested $40,000 to become a third co-owner, and the trio were waiting approval for the ownership change and a move to new digs at Cass and Michigan. Lions’ management and Rozelle frowned upon Karras’ association with the saloon.

Despite the notoriety surrounding the suspension of one of Detroit’s favorite athletes, ticket sales were weaker than expected for his April 27 match with William Afflis, aka Dick the Bruiser, a former Green Bay Packer lineman who was then a popular “villain” on the pro wrestling circuit, known for his buzz cut, growly voice and put-on scowl.

“Dick called me one night and said, ‘Alex, we’re not doing very good at the box office so maybe we could stir it up a bit at the Lindell,’ ” Karras told the Free Press in a 2003 interview.

The publicity stunt went awry quickly.

According to police and eyewitnesses, around 1 a.m. the Bruiser walked into the Lindell and confronted Jimmy Butsicaris. While pointing to Karras, the wrestler said, “I want that fat, four-eyed bartender to serve me.”

When Butsicaris told him to calm down, Bruiser grabbed the owner. According to legend, just as the fake confrontation ensued, a Butsicaris uncle walked into the bar not knowing the script. He grabbed a cue stick and smacked Bruiser in the face.

All hell broke loose. It quickly exploded into one of the most publicized saloon donnybrooks in Detroit history.

Although Karras did not participate in the melee, five patrons did, and, in the end, it took eight police officers to subdue and handcuff Bruiser. He received five stitches under his left eye at Detroit Receiving Hospital and then was charged with assault and battery. One officer suffered a fractured wrist and another a torn elbow ligament.



Teeth marks on his bicep


A month later, Recorder’s Court Judge Joseph Gillis characterized the fight as “an advertising stunt” and surprisingly dismissed charges against Bruiser, but ordered him to pay $400 to the Detroit Police Pension Fund. In turn, Gillis received a scathing editorial from the Free Press for failing to treat Dick the Bruiser like a real defendant.

“Recorder’s Court reaped no glory with the People versus Richard Afflis,” the paper scolded.

Despite the buildup after the Lindell brawl, the wrestling match between Karras and the Bruiser — part of a 10-bout card — was a dud.

A smaller than expected crowd of 10,000 fans saw Bruiser pin Karras in only 11 minutes and 21 seconds. The Associated Press wrote: “The Bruiser surprised Karras when he jumped off the top rope and knocked him down for a three count.”

Earlier, “the 250-pound Karras tossed the Bruiser out of the ring three times and smashed a wound over the Bruiser’s right eye,” the AP said.

Added the Free Press: “If the battle was as phony as wrestling matches supposedly are, Karras and Bruiser were convincing in their act. Karras gave Bruiser a thorough going over but lost in the end when he turned his back on Bruiser to wave his handlers off.

“Karras later bore tell-tale marks of the Bruiser with heavy teeth marks on his left bicep and scratches over his chest.”

Karras soon announced his retirement from wrestling as he became a co-owner of the Lindell.



Playing Webster’s dad


It was later reported that Karras was planning to sell his interest in the bar in a good faith gesture to Rozelle to help pave the way for a possible reinstatement.

Eleven months after Karras and Hornung were banned, Rozelle lifted the suspensions, allowing Karras to resume his stellar career with the Lions, which lasted until 1970. (Years later Karras revealed that he actually didn’t sell his interest in the Lindell until five years after his suspension.)

In 1968, Karras got the acting bug when he received positive reviews playing himself in “Paper Lion,” a Hollywood film based upon journalist George Plimpton’s 1966 nonfiction book that depicted the writer’s staged tryout for Lions’ quarterback. With his quick wit and acting chops, Karras soon became a guest on the popular “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

Before long, Karras would permanently change careers.

In September 1971, days before the start of the season, Lions’ head coach Joe Schmidt released the 36-year-old Karras, just hours after Karras had completed a taping of the “Tonight Show” in New York. Embittered by his release, Karras continued his acting career and began appearing in television shows and movies. From 1974 to 1976 he served as a commentator on “ABC Monday Night Football.”

In perhaps his best-known drama other than “Blazing Saddles,” Karras starred as retired football player George Papadopolis in the 1980’s television sitcom, “Webster.” It was the story of a white couple who adopt the Black son of one of Papadopolis’ teammates, who was killed in a car accident. Susan Clark, Karras’ wife in real life, played his fictional spouse.

Karras died at age 77 in his Los Angeles home in 2012 after suffering from kidney failure, dementia, heart disease and cancer. The four-time All Pro was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Afflis, who still wrestled as Dick the Bruiser into his 60s, died in Florida in 1991 from internal bleeding after rupturing a blood vessel in his esophagus while weightlifting. He was 62.

Bill Dow is a metro Detroit freelancer who specializes in sports

[Trickalicious]

Former Lions HC Matt Patricia misses out on Broncos DC job


Matt Patricia got an interview for a defensive coordinator job, but the Broncos went in another direction.


Matt Patricia may be making his way back to the defensive side of the ball. The former Detroit Lions head coach interviewed for the Broncos defensive coordinator job on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Apparently black isn't slimming for everyone. Even his beard has a double chin. If you've failed at offense, defense, and HMFIC, perhaps tryout for Rodger's life coach? Also, the pencil in the ear schtick ain't working. Try schticking it in your ass if you can reach back that far.

All our love, Detroit.

[DeanUK]

If you haven't read "Mad Ducks and Bears" the George Plimpton follow up to Paper Lion then I'd recommend it. It focuses on Alex Karras and John Gordy, very funny in places.

[Futureshock]

He should go play with MS. Get his career rejuvenated...

Report: Giants to release Kenny Golladay on first day of league year

Posted by Josh Alper on February 28, 2023, 10:46 AM EST

Getty Images

Wide receiver Kenny Golladay‘s time with the Giants is reportedly coming to an end.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Giants will cut Golladay when the new league year begins on March 15. That release would end a disastrous tenure with the NFC East team for their one-time free agent prize.

The Giants signed Golladay to a four-year, $72 million deal in 2021 in one of the final and worst decisions made by former General Manager Dave Gettleman. Golladay caught 37 passes for 521 yards and no touchdowns in his first year with the team and then spent most of the 2022 season watching players plucked off the scrap heap play in front of him at wide receiver.

Releasing Golladay will clear $6.7 million in cap space while leaving $14.7 million in dead money on the cap.

[Futureshock]

Broncos hire Lions assistant coach John Morton as their new passing game coordinator

[Futureshock]

Duce Staley talks about leaving the Lions for the Panthers



Jeff Risdon
February 25, 2023 3:45 pm ET
For the first time since he made a lateral career move, Duce Staley addressed the media. The new assistant head coach and RB coach of the Carolina Panthers explained why he left those same roles with the Detroit Lions last month.

Staley was with the Lions for both of Dan Campbell’s seasons as head coach in Detroit. He opted to join new head coach Frank Reich’s staff in Carolina, a move that raised some eyebrows both in Detroit and around the league.

During his introductory press conference in Charlotte this week, Staley shed more light on why the made the move.

“It feels good to be back close to home,” Staley said on Thursday. “Just growing up as a kid being in South Carolina during the time (of) ’95, ‘96 the Panthers got going there. As a kid you always dream about if you’re playing in the NFL; you want to play close to home. So the Panthers were definitely one of those teams that I thought about hopefully drafting me. Didn’t happen, but here I am now.”

Staley did confirm that moving back to the Carolinas and being closer to his mother, who is battling health issues, was a factor. So was reuniting with Reich, who he coached under in Philadelphia for two years.

“Being able to spend those years in Philadelphia with Frank Reich and win a Super Bowl, just to see him go out there and affect young men the way he did was awesome,” Staley stated. “I said to myself, I would love to have the opportunity to coach with him again.”

[Futureshock]

Sean Payton says Matt Patricia could still join Broncos staff

Posted by Josh Alper on February 28, 2023, 11:13 AM EST

Getty Images

The Broncos hired Vance Joseph as their defensive coordinator, but they haven’t closed the door on finding a role for another coach who interviewed for that position.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed at his Scouting Combine press conference Tuesday that he interviewed Matt Patricia for that job and called him an “outstanding” candidate who could still factor into the mix for the team in 2023.

“It’s a little early to answer that. We just got here,” Payton said. “He and I are going to talk this week. I wouldn’t rule that out. If that possibly came to fruition, it would be for a few things. I’d certainly want to talk to Vance and our defensive coaches, but I know Matt well enough to how smart he is and what he can contribute so we’ll see.”

Patricia spent six years as the Patriots defensive coordinator before becoming the Lions head coach in 2018. He returned to New England after going 13-27-1 in Detroit, but moved over to calling plays on the offensive side of the ball with poor results during the 2022 season.

[Futureshock]

Martin Mayhew: Sam Howell has the skills to be a starter

Posted by Josh Alper on March 2, 2023, 6:43 AM EST

Getty Images

The Commanders traded for a veteran quarterback last year, but Carson Wentz proved to be just as disappointing as he was in his previous stops and he has already been released.

Taylor Heinicke is now a free agent after also starting games last year, which leaves 2022 fifth-rounder Sam Howell as the de facto No. 1 quarterback in Washington. Head coach Ron Rivera resisted calling him the starter earlier this week and General Manager Martin Mayhew did the same on Wednesday, but he did add that he sees the skillset of a starter when he watches Howell play.

“Sam will have every opportunity to win that starting job,” Mayhew said. “I was very impressed with the way that he played and practiced last year. Obviously very small sample, he only played in one game, but we got to see him the whole offseason. We gotta see him all through training camp, every week in practice. He has the skills that it takes to be a starter in this league, in my opinion.”

While the small sample size limited the ability to evaluate Howell in game action, Mayhew doesn’t think the lack of playing time is a negative. He believes an area “where we really have failed” as a league is developing quarterbacks because young players are forced into the lineup too early and he feels Howell will benefit from his time on the bench last season.

Mayhew and Rivera both said the team will continue to look at other quarterback options and the moves the team does or doesn’t make at quarterback in the coming weeks will show just how much they believe Howell has benefitted from that approach.

[Futureshock]

Matt Patricia in play for role on Eagles’ coaching staff

Posted by Mike Florio on March 5, 2023, 3:06 PM EST

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Veteran Patriots assistant Matt Patricia, who served as offensive coordinator last year without the title, could be headed to an unfamiliar team, but with a more familiar role.

Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports that Patricia has a shot to land on the Eagles’ coaching staff. He would be, per the report, “presumably” the linebackers coach.

Patricia spent 14 years with the Patriots before becoming head coach of the Lions in 2018. He returned to the Patriots in 2021 in a jack-of-all-trades role, before emerging as the de facto offensive coordinator in 2022.

The Patriots haven’t officially severed ties with Patriots, but there’s a nagging sense that he won’t be back.

The Eagles hired Sean Desai to serve as defensive coordinator following the departure of Jonathan Gannon, who is now the head coach of the Cardinals.