Matt Patricia, Lions Reportedly 'Feeling the Heat Internally' amid 2-3 Start

The Detroit Lions and head coach Matt Patricia are reportedly "feeling the heat internally" after a 2-3 start to the season.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, some of the tension was eased by the Lions' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, but the pressure is still on since those within the team's front office want Patricia to work out as head coach.

Patricia is just 11-25-1 in parts of three seasons as the Lions' head coach with no playoff appearances, and it may be difficult for him to keep his job if Detroit misses out on the postseason once again in 2020.

While the Lions held on to beat the Jaguars 34-16 last week, Fowler and Graziano noted that there is concern within the organization over the team's penchant for blowing leads.

Detroit led by double digits in each of the three games it has lost this season.

The Lions were up 23-6 on the Chicago Bears in Week 1 before allowing 21 unanswered points and losing 27-23. One week later, they led the Green Bay Packers 14-3 after one quarter only to lose 42-21. Two weeks after that, the Lions led the New Orleans Saints 14-0 in the first quarter, but they lost 35-29.

Patricia is a defense-first coach after serving as the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator, but the Lions have struggled in that area this season, especially late in games.

Detroit is 21st in total defense with 379 yards allowed per game, and 22nd in points allowed at 28.6 per contest.

The Lions are also a middling team offensively, as their 26.6 points per game are good for 15th in the NFL, meaning they don't do anything spectacularly well.

Detroit also finds itself in a tough spot in the NFC North. The Chicago Bears are in first at 5-1, followed by the Packers at 4-1. The Lions are in third and are trailed only by the 1-5 Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears are playing some of the best defense in the NFL, the Packers are likely the most-talented team in the division with the best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, and the Vikings have too much talent offensively to stay down for long.

Even with the NFL adding a seventh playoff spot in each conference this season, the Lions will likely be hard-pressed to contend, especially with all of the NFC West and most of the NFC South being very much in the playoff race.

No Lions head coach has lasted more than five seasons since Wayne Fontes from 1988-1996, and Patricia is very much in danger of falling short of that mark as well.