The Detroit Lions have named former Green Bay Packers QB coach Darrell Bevell as the team’s interim head coach.
#Lions OC Darrell Bevell is the interim coach, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2020
This announcement comes after the Lions fired head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn.
In three seasons with the franchise, Patricia was 13-29-1, failing to lead the team to success on the field.
This season, the Lions are last in the NFC North with a 4-7 record.
Their offense ranks towards the bottom of the league, a major disappointment from Patricia.
The former Patriots offensive coordinator was brought to Detroit to provide a boost to the team’s offense and give support to QB Matthew Stafford.
Instead, Stafford’s last three seasons have been down years.
Patricia joins a list of coaching failures that stem from coach Bill Belichick, including Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels.
The decision to fire Patricia and Quinn comes after the team was blown out in back-to-back weeks.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Lions dropped a game 41-25 against the Houston Texans.
This was the last straw.
This forced the Lions’ hand, making them pull the trigger on the rare midseason firing.
The Lions have fired head coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn pic.twitter.com/Ly7HWErUDP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 28, 2020
The good news for the Lions is that they’re getting an interim coach with a good resumé who can hope to help going forward.
A Track Record of Success
Bevell is entering his 20th season as an NFL coach, and his second with the Lions.
The first six of these seasons were spent in Green Bay, where he coached Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.
His time with the Packers was followed by five years with the Minnesota Vikings and seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, all as an offensive coordinator.
With the Seahawks, he saw success in his coaching of star QB Russell Wilson.
Over this time, he was able to get experience coaching well-rounded and skilled teams deep into the playoffs, including the 2014 Seahawks championship.
He was serving as the Lion’s offensive coordinator before being promoted to the new position.
This move is a long-time coming for Bevell, who has been a staple offensive coordinator in the league.
When the Packers made the decision to move on from Mike McCarthy, some suggested Bevell for the vacancy.
However, they passed on him, letting him go to the Lions.
Outlook for the Lions
With Bevell’s promotion to interim head coach, the Lions hope to have damage control for this season.
Many times, interim coaches have mixed success in the NFL.
When getting promoted during the season, it can be hard for them to make any shift for a team in a short period of time.
For the Lions, their biggest struggle has been on defense this year where they rank 30th in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed.
While their passing game has carried their offense, the running game has been one of the league’s worst.
Though their offense has typically been able to score, they are unable to limit teams on defense.
For Bevell, this will be a perfect opportunity to display prowess as a coach, especially on defense.
While his history proves his success in leading an offense, this season can give teams a glimpse at a potential coaching candidate.
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