Patriots bringing Matt Patricia back to assist coaching staff?

In some cases, one really can go home again. 

Jim McBride of The Boston Globe and ESPN's Mike Reiss are reporting that former Detroit Lions head coach and former New England Patriots assistant Matt Patricia is returning to the Patriots to assist the club's coaching staff led by Bill Belichick. 

Patricia first started working under Belichick in 2004 and served as Patriots defensive coordinator from 2012 through 2017 before he accepted the job as Detroit head coach in February 2018. That experiment went poorly for all involved, as Detroit tallied an overall record of 13-29-1 until the club parted ways with Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn in late November following a loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving. 

Belichick, Patricia, and everyone else associated with the New England staff have quite the daunting task ahead of them. The Patriots finished the 2020 season at 7-9 and, by all accounts, are moving on from quarterback Cam Newton after only one year. Second-year pro Jarrett Stidham did nothing during the fall to earn the starting gig, and journeyman veteran Brian Hoyer isn't the answer at the position. 

The Patriots are viewed as long shots to acquire disgruntled Texans starter Deshaun Watson during the offseason.