On Monday afternoon, Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia addressed local Detroit media following a shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers. In usual Patricia fashion, he opens up the presser with a short statement then allows the media to ask questions.

Unlike other pressers, the tone was different this time.

With a now 13-28-1 record as head the Lions’ head coach, one would expect Patricia to face many questions surrounding the team’s current state. And after having a former XFL quarterback made a mockery of his teams’ defense, he had to address many. In a nearly 12-minute session with the media, Patricia had to field as many as seven questions surrounding the subject.

There weren’t many questions regarding Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Along with that, there weren’t many questions about the Thanksgiving game on Thursday vs. the Houston Texans.

Of those seven questions mentioned above, Patricia had to answer ones regarding his job security, the proper timeframe to evaluate coaches, and whether he regrets getting rid of key veterans. He even had to field questions regarding what Lions owner Shelia Ford-Hamp may have said to him about his performance.

Borrowing the same tone from his former boss Bill Belichick, Patricia dodged and deflecting, saying, “We’re on to Houston.” without actually saying it.

Patricia was asked if he understood why he was receiving questions on his performance. He offered, “Yeah, there’s questions that come up every week. I just try to do the best I can to answer them. Right now, it’s about Houston.”

For Lions fans, what does this even mean?

Patricia could be fired if history repeats itself if the Lions lose on Thanksgiving.

Matt Patricia can act insulted that he has to field questions about his job performance, there’s precedent for it not being an issue moving forward.

If Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans come out and punch the Lions in the mouth on national television, we could see Matt Patricia relieved of his duties. For those who don’t catch my drift, yes, the Lions could fire him.

Let’s take a trip in the Delorean back to 2005.

Under then-head coach Steve Mariucci, the Detroit Lions went into the Thanksgiving game with a 4-6 record. After a 27-7 butt-kicking by the Atlanta Falcons, the Lions decided to let Mariucci go. To be fair to Mariucci, he had a raw deal with the roster he inherited. He did not come to a Lions team that was on the verge of being a playoff contender.

That’s not the case with Patricia.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn hired Patricia as the guy to lead the Lions over the hump that former head coach Jim Caldwell couldn’t. In three of the four seasons Caldwell coached in Detroit, the Lions finished second in the NFC North. And even with the one losing season under Caldwell, the Lions finished with a 7-9 record. In addition to that, they were never in the last place in the division under Caldwell.

Under Patricia, the Lions are on pace to finish last place for the third consecutive season.

There is no word on whether Patricia’s job is on the Lions in Thursday’s matchup vs. the Texans. For Lions fans, that may not be music to their ears. Fortunately for them, if the team keeps up its current trend, Matt Patricia could get the boot very soon.