Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was so punctual that he once fined players for being a few minutes early to a team meeting, saying they needed to arrive even earlier.

"Meetings start five minutes early," Coughlin told the New York Times more than a decade ago.

First-year Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia, it seems, does not subscribe to the same theory.

Matt Kartozian, USA TODAY Sports

Patricia, who has routinely showed up late for his media availability sessions in his first year as head coach, was asked about the importance of punctuality for a head coach at his weekly news conference Wednesday — a session that was pushed back 30 minutes from its original scheduled time, and then started 15 or so minutes after that.

“I think it just depends on the situation really," Patricia said. "It depends. There’s a pretty busy schedule from those situations I think for everybody. I think fluidity is probably the best answer for you."

Patricia's lack of punctuality also has been an issue in team meetings this year, where one former player said the coach was consistently late during his months with the Lions.

The player, who spoke to the Free Press via text message, was granted anonymity so as to avoid reprisal from other coaches or teams in the league.

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Patricia, whose time management at the end of halves and games has also come into question at times this year, attributed his tardiness Wednesday to the change in schedule due to Christmas week.

The Lions gave players Monday and Tuesday off, and had a compressed schedule for coaches game-planning during the holiday.

"I think we definitely, in the game of football you have to be able to adapt and I think that’s a great kind of important way to just be able to handle all the situations that come up, is just kind of be fluid in all them," Patricia said.

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Injury report

Adrian Kraus, AP

Five key starters were among at least six players who missed practice for the Lions on Wednesday.

Defensive tackles A'Shawn Robinson (knee) and Damon Harrison (ankle), wide receiver Kenny Golladay (chest), tight end Luke Willson (concussion), cornerback DeShawn Shead (knee) and safety Quandre Diggs (undisclosed) did not practice.

Robinson, Willson and Shead all left last week's 27-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with their injuries.

Patricia said no determinations have been made yet if any of those players will go on injured reserve before Sunday's season finale against the Green Bay Packers.

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.