Matt Patricia criticized a reporter's posture for not being professional during a press conference
- The Detroit Lions are just one game out of the NFC North with a 3-4 record on the season.
- In a surprise move, the Lions traded star receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round draft pick just before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday.
- While explaining the decision at a press conference Wednesday, Detroit head coach Matt Patricia called out a reporter's posture before eventually answering the question.
Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia was a bit snippy with the media during Wednesday's press conference.
In a surprise move, the Lions traded star receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round draft pick just before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday. Patricia was speaking about the trade and its implications for his team - which sits at the bottom of the NFC North with a 3-4 record - when a reporter asked a fairly straightforward question, according to the Detroit Free Press:
Reporter: "Why do you think this move makes your franchise better?"
Patricia: "Ah, well, you know. Do me a favor just kinda sit up, just like, have a little respect for the process. Every day you come and ask me questions and you're just kinda like you know, 'gimme this.' "
Reporter: "I'm sitting ..."
Patricia: "I'm asking just to be a little respectful in this whole process."
Reporter: "Okay, that's fine."
Patricia: "So ask me a question professionally and I'll answer it for you."
Reporter: "Okay. Why do you feel like this move makes your franchise better?"
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Perhaps Patricia's snarky response came from the pressure of Detroit's upcoming schedule. The Lions will head to Minnesota to take on Adam Thielen and the Vikings before facing the Chicago Bears on the road the following week. Detroit will then play host to the Carolina Panthers, Bears, and undefeated Los Angeles Rams to round out an absolute gauntlet.
The Lions are just one game out of an extremely tight division race, but without one of their most productive players in Tate, they could struggle to overcome that deficit.
"For us, again, it's the whole picture," Patricia said of the Tate trade, per NFL.com's Austin Knoblauch. "Taking a look at what's best for us to do as a team. Those situations, they are not easy decisions. They're difficult decisions. ... It's not about one player, it's about team. We have a lot of guys who are really good on this team and can produce and, honestly, for me, we have confidence in everybody that they can go out and do their job."