By
Mike Petraglia
Matt Patricia was finally put on the defensive Tuesday.
During his weekly conference call with reporters – and just minutes after Bill Belichick said every head coaching vacancy list should include Patricia – the Patriots defensive coordinator was asked by CSNNE’s Tom Curran if he is at all disappointed in himself since the defense hasn’t gotten the most out of some of its higher profile talent.
Namely, Curran brought up the trade of Jamie Collins and the benching of Jabaal Sheard, both players in the final years of contracts.
The exchange began with Curran asking Patricia if he’s looking at his own job performance as a possible reason for the ups and downs of the defense and the inconsistencies of personnel.
“The defense hasn’t panned out,” Curran began. “Do you feel at all disappointed in yourself that you weren’t able to get more from those players and the way it’s kind of panned out. What level of introspection that you’re still trying to figure things out this deep in the year?
“That’s a pretty negative question there, Tom. I’m going to try to put the positive spin on that.”
“Let’s try to spin it positive if that’s the way you feel. I mean, it’s two good players,” Curran answered.
“Try to look at the good side of it,” Patricia replied. “We really try to make sure that we coach everything that really comes our way. I would say, for us, every year is different. To go into a season with expectations for certain things and to be hard core into those, I don’t really think that’s applicable. Each team are [thought] to be the best team that year and very rarely does it ever work out that way. We kind of deal with the season as it goes and the guys that we have and we do the best we can with it.
“Our expectations are the same every week. We’re going to go out and compete and do the best we can and try to improve week in and week out with whoever’s out there, and that’s what we try to do. I think that part of the season in the NFL that is great is that it’s a long season. It’s a season that’s continually evolving. If you look at the teams through the course of the different seasons that have played and wound up in the end where you want to be. I’m sure those teams have gone through a lot of different things throughout the season.
“We’re just kind of in that mix. It’s getting toward Thanksgiving. We’re going to try to play our best football here moving forward with whoever’s out there and try to get better, no matter what.
“Me as a coach, I’ll answer that one, I certainly always look at myself first and always try to make sure I’m doing everything I can to help our team prepare to win and do the best job I can, week in and week out, which is what I really try to do. From that standpoint, those guys know that. We’re always committed to try to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
Then Curran followed up: “I think the onus is on us to let you answer directly questions about personnel that hasn’t panned out instead of us throwing stuff against the wall so that’s why it’s negative but in my estimation, fair. Do you have a problem with things that are negative? Why?”
“I think to answer it fairly I would say go back to spring when we get those questions that come up in regards to what’s the team going to be, what are they going to look like and where do guys go [in positions]? The answers that I give you are very truthful,” Patricia said. “No one has any idea when we come into spring. We’re just trying to get better by the particular day. So, those expectations for the team, each individual player, the coaches, whatever is put out there is not made by us. It’s made… what we’re trying to do is get better, and that’s what we’re focused on.
