Look at the bright side, if you want: at least the Lions are quick off the blocks.
That's what Matt Patricia pointed to after his team blew yet another big lead in a Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Packers.
“Well, we’re doing a good job of starting fast. I think that’s something that’s happening for our team, and that's a good thing," Patricia said. "We gotta use that momentum and we gotta keep it going. That energy, that focus, all of it. It’s just gotta come through for 60 minutes."
Under Patricia, it tends to come through for 45 minutes. Or 30. Or, as we saw Sunday in Green Bay, 15. The Lions led 14-3 after the first quarter, only to be outscored 39-7 the rest of the way.
It's the fourth straight game dating back to last season that Detroit has blown a double-digit lead. That's an NFL record, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The Lions led 10-0 against the Broncos in Week 16 last season, then lost 27-17. They led 14-0 against the Packers in Week 17, then lost 23-20. They led 23-6 against the Bears in Week 1 this season, then lost 27-23. They led 14-3 on Sunday, then lost 42-21.
All told, Patricia's Lions have been outscored 110-23 after establishing a double-digit lead over their last four games. That's ... well ... unprecedented.
"We can’t ride the wave of the game," Patricia said. "The ebbs and flows of the game, we have to ignore that. We have to stay consistent. We have to not think about the end result before we get to the end result. We have to think about that play at that moment and stay in that moment. That’s something we have to do."