Former Lions Player: HC Matt Patricia Was Consistently Late to Team Meetings

A former Detroit Lions player told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that head coach Matt Patricia was "consistently late" to team meetings.

Birkett also noted that Patricia has been late to media sessions.

Provided the ex-Lion's account is true, that fact adds to a long list of issues during Patricia's first year in Detroit.

The 5-10 Lions are guaranteed to finish in the NFC North cellar. Detroit ranks in the bottom half of the league in points scored and points allowed per game.

Off the field, Patricia hasn't gotten along particularly well with the media. That isn't a big deal when you're winning, but his team is not. He's also been asked whether he's confident in his 2019 return.

As Birkett also wrote, there's a question as to whether the team "bought" in to Patricia to begin with. Defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois had the following response when asked that after his team's 27-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. 

"That's the million-dollar question, and we need an answer," Francois said. "I wish I knew. If I knew, I could give you an answer better, but I don't know."

Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire reported that Francois elaborated in a way that placed the blame more on his teammates than on his head coach, but as Risdon said, it's still "not a good sign for coach Patricia's ability to unify the team."

The Lions close the season with a road game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.