Defensive end Trey Flowers offered support for Lions head coach Matt Patricia’s style in a conference call on Wednesday and another Lions player who knew Patricia in New England did the same thing during his own session with reporters.
Wide receiver Danny Amendola didn’t pick apart criticisms of Patricia made by players like Damon Harrison and Darius Slay earlier this year, but did explain why he believes the coach’s methods are the right ones for him.
“I want it to be as tough as possible in practice,” Amendola said, via John Niyo of the Detroit News. “So when I get to the games, it’s . . . I’ve been there before, and I understand what it feels like to be tired in a game because I was tired in practice and I understand what my body can go through and how I can push my body mentally and physically. That’s something that, personally, I really relate to. That’s something I look for.This is my sixth NFL team in 13 seasons and I’ve played for all different types of coaches, all different types of offenses, and methods. So what Coach Patricia has to offer is something that I eagerly look for, because I know that I’ll get the best version of me.”
Amendola had one of his most productive seasons with the Lions in 2019, which supports his belief that playing for Patricia results in good things for him on the field. That hasn’t happened across the board for the team in Patricia’s two seasons, but perhaps the message will resonate further with this year’s club.