Matt Patricia Finally on Firing Block

It's taken 36 games and over two years of ineptitude to get here, but it appears the Lions are finally ready to fire head coach Matt Patricia.

According to multiple reports, there is pressure on Patricia and his 1-3 Lions to get a win against the 1-4 Jaguars today. The consequences of losing could be an immediate coaching change, according to a CBS report.

"Although it has not been expressly conveyed by ownership, several Lions sources believe Week 6 to be a must-win in order to stave off a coaching change. "

The Lions have gone 10-25-1 since Patricia took over for the 2018 season. There were reports the Lions were considering firing him last offseason but opted against it in part because they were undergoing an ownership transition from Martha Firestone Ford to Sheila Ford Hamp. Ultimately Patricia was retained, but it was under the presumption this was a playoffs-or-bust season.

The Lions have been plagued by the same issues as in the past under Patricia this year, blowing leads against the Bears, Packers and Saints. The Bears loss was the most egregious, as they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead, which featured two Bears touchdowns in the final three minutes. The Lions have blown eight double-digit leads under Patricia, which is the most in the NFL since the start of 2018.

After becoming a recognizable figure as the defensive coordinator for the Patriots, Patricia hasn't been able to transition that to defensive success with the Lions. They're 30th in the NFL in scoring defense this year, giving up 31.8 points per game. Last year they were 26th (26.4 points allowed per game) and in 2018 they were 17th (22.5 PPG).

At this point, it seems like it's only a matter of time before Patricia is fired. The Falcons and Texans have already fired their head coaches this season so there's mounting competition in the head coach hiring market. That could get even stiffer depending on what happens in Week 6.