To say that Matt Patricia is having a tough “go at it” as the Detroit Lions head coach would be an understatement.

In the movie Forrest Gump, actor Tom Hanks portrayed the character, Forrest Gump. He recited one of the most iconic lines in history.

“A Detroit Lions fan is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Ok, so maybe the line didn’t go exactly like that. However, when the conversation centers around the Lions playoff hopes and Matt Patricia it’s all over the place. There is a segment of Lions fans that want them to make the playoffs at all costs. After all, it has nearly been four years since the team has sniffed the postseason. On January 7th, 2017, their last playoff appearance was losing 26-6 to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wildcard.

Then there’s the other segment of fans.

No, they aren’t the fans who want the team to “strategically tank” the rest of this. Nor are they they ones who have a lot to say about Matthew Stafford. Instead, they are a different group.They want the Lions to lose in every embarrassing way possible. Even in ways that can be imagined (and unimagined). And it all boils down to one sentiment.

It’s the hope that another epic collapse will trigger Lions owner Sheila Ford-Hamp to finally fire general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia.

And to be honest, there isn’t a wrong way for both groups of fans to feel.

Matt Patricia’s optimism is strong.

Although, after the Lions stomped the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 34-16 victory, Patricia doesn’t seem ready to wave his white flag. Reports were swirling before Sunday’s game that team would fire him if the team somehow lost to a depleted Jaguars team. After meeting with reporters via Zoom on Monday, Patricia feels he can turn the ship around, with the team carrying the momentum over to the next week.

“I think you try to stay – you stay consistent, you stay even all the way through,” said Matt Patricia.

“But certainly you want to take what we were able to do yesterday and build on that. I think that’s good for everybody just to have a little bit of confidence in some of the things we were doing and be able to see it – and honestly see what I would call ‘two weeks of work’ really show up in a game. I thought that was really great. The bye weeks are never easy.”

“We thought it was a really good time for us to grind it out and really take a look at what the first four games looked at. We really didn’t have much of an opportunity to do that with the preseason, so we needed to do it. I thought the guys took two weeks, which is always hard to do, and focused on how do we get better. That was really good to see. Hopefully we carry that over and try to string another good week of work in behind it.”

Where to go from here?

For fans that want to see the “Quinntricia” launched out of a canon into the stratosphere, this is the same ole tired tune. This quote of optimism is music to the fans who want playoff football in Detroit on the flip side. Four of the Lions’ next six opponents only having one win so far (Falcons, Vikings, Washington, and Texans). A string of wins can position themselves for playoff contention.

As always though, the question is, will they rise to the occasion, or will they be the “Same Ole’ Lions.”