Back in late September, Matt Patricia had the Detroit Lions in about as strong a situation as anyone could’ve realistically asked for against the dynamo that is Patrick Mahomes and the nearly impossible cover that is the Kansas City Chiefs. Late fourth quarter, the Lions — playing without top corner Darius Slay — had managed to bother the league’s most lethal arm long enough to hold a 3-point edge with time ticking away.



This situation wasn’t born from a series of game-altering defensive innovations or calls conjured up by Patricia or then-defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni. The whole thing was pretty simple, actually. The Lions played a ton of man coverage. They took away deep shots at all costs. They doubled star tight end Travis Kelce (one of the toughest covers in football). And, for the bulk of that game, Patricia’s unit — warts and all — simply did its job. That sounds corny; I can feel your eyes rolling. But...