When will the Ford Family realize that "The Patriot Way" cannot be recreated

Another week came, another inept performance by the defense. This has been the normal for the Detroit Lions since the hiring of Matt Patricia 3 years ago. 

Taking over a 9-7 team, everyone involved with the organization wanted Patricia to succeed the respected Jim Caldwell. Patricia, the mastermind for Bill Belichick's defense in New England for six seasons, winning 3 Super Bowls in his time with the Patriots. 

With Bob Quinn at the helm of football operations and Patricia bringing his nuclear engineer intellect to the Lions, it looked as if they were the closest to emulating the formula that brought Belichick all his success in New England.

But remember, it's Detroit we're talking about. 

In 2 and a half seasons, Patricia has managed only 12 wins. Jim Caldwell, the man Quinn and the Fords believed "couldn't take Detroit to contender status", recorded 36 wins and 3 winning seasons. Defense, Patricia's "speciality", has been nonexistent in his time in Detroit, as the Lions have sat near the bottom in total defense and yards allowed since his arrival. 

When Patricia arrived, he said there was "a lot to improve" on a 9 win team that narrowly missed the playoffs the year before, and boasted 2 of the best ball hawks in safety Glover Quin and Pro Bowl corner Darius Slay. 

Quin and Slay immediately lost respect for Patricia following their initial interactions with their new coach. At the end of his first season in Detroit, Quin was released and subsequently retired after spending 6 years with the Lions. Slay tried to carry the secondary, but fell out with Patricia after his second season in charge, prompting the Lions to trade the All Pro corner to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Detroit's ineptitude to realize that "the Patriot Way" cannot be recreated will inevitably waste the rest of Matthew Stafford's prime, as well as that of star receiver Kenny Golladay. It's up to Sheila Ford Hamp to decide at the end of the 2020 season, if their failed attempt to create the Detroit Patriots will continue or not. Either way, Jim Caldwell's "mediocre" years of 9-7, giving Detroit hope that they would finally have a winner soon, look like distant memories now. And as usual around the Lions, dark times are ahead.