CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Matt Patricia has a simple philosophy when it comes to being on the coaching hot seat.
“I go to work every day to try to earn my job,” he said.
After Sunday’s 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, it’s fair to ask whether Patricia has earned the right to stay employed.
The Lions played their worst all-around game of the Patricia era Sunday, losing to a Panthers team that started an XFL refugee at quarterback and totaling a measly 185 yards of offense — their lowest total since Week 1 of the 2010 season, the “process of the catch” game, when Matthew Stafford injured his shoulder in the first half — against a defense that ranked in the bottom third of the NFL by just about every measure.