The Lions have not been a well-coached team this season. One of the few bright spots has been special teams coordinator Bradyen Coombs.
Naturally, Coombs was fired on Monday.
A surprising move, to say the least. In his first season with the Lions, Coombs helped developed a potential Pro Bowler punter in Jack Fox, who ranks second in the NFL in net punting average, and re-established Jamal Agnew as one of the best return men in the league. That's just to start.
Speaking of Angew, his thoughts on the move:
One of the youngest coordinators in the NFL at the age of 34, Coombs is considered a rising name in the coaching ranks.
So why let him go?
Dave Birkett of the Free Press reports it 'was an organizational move that had been building, and culminated yesterday with his decision to call for a fake punt.' The call was not approved by interim head coach Darrell Bevell, and it was reportedly Bevell's decision to fire Coombs.
With the Lions down 32-18 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's blowout loss to the Titans, Coombs called for a fake punt on 4th and 4 from Detroit's 31-yard line. Saftey CJ Moore took a direct snap and was stopped one yard short of the first down.
From a wider perspective, kicker Matt Prater has had a down season, connecting on just 74 percent of his field goals. He's also 36 years old and in the 14th season of his career. Decline happens with age.
Coombs was brought in by Matt Patricia, so maybe the Lions are simply purging everyone from the prior regime. Firing Coombs was 'more about culture fit than performance,' according to the Free Press. Of course, the prior regime also includes Bevell, along with defensive coordinator Cory Undlin.
Assistant special teams coach Marquice Williams, in his second season with the Lions, will take over for Coombs for the rest of the season.
