Matthew Stafford refuses to back Matt Patricia after Lions' loss

It’s no secret that Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia is on the hot seat. His quarterback turned up the heat on Thursday because of what he said — or didn’t say.

Matthew Stafford was asked after the Lions 41-25 loss whether Patricia should remain the team’s head coach. Stafford pointedly refused to give his coach that backing.

“It’s not my decision,” Stafford said, via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. “That’s for somebody else. If you want to ask me about the game, you ask me about the game.”

Stafford was drafted by the Lions in 2009. He’s been through his share of coaching changes. He’s 32 years old now, and if he’s going to win with the Lions, it has to happen soon. It’s clearly not happening under Patricia, which might underscore his frustration.

Patricia himself avoided the inevitable questions after the loss. One has to wonder if everyone in the organization sees the writing on the wall.