Lions mailbag podcast: How many wins is the new coaching staff worth?

How many wins can we expect simply from the change in coaching staff?

If player comments and win/loss stats are any indication, then the last coaching staff with the Detroit Lions was a complete disaster. Of course, you didn’t need me to tell you that. You saw what happened with the defense—and everything else short of special teams—with Matt Patricia at the helm.

Now the Lions have the spirited Dan Campbell running things, and the staff he’s built around him has created plenty of buzz in Detroit. The man has already become one of the most popular figures in Detroit, seeing as he has a ridiculous 97 percent approval rating for his first six months on the job.

Of course, we don’t know how much of an upgrade Campbell and company are over the previous regime. Technically, we don’t even know if this new set of coaches is an upgrade. But if they are as impressive as many seem to be suggesting, how can we quantify that on the field? In other words, how many wins is this new coaching staff worth? Or, as our live-caller humorously put it, how many “Wins Above Patricia” is Dan Campbell worth?

That’s one of the more interesting questions posed to us this week during our live Q&A session on the Spotify Greenroom app Saturday morning.

Other topics include:

• Why are T.J. Hockenson’s advanced statistics so pedestrian, and does his name truly belong with the likes of Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and George Kittle?
• What schematic things are we looking for in training camp?
• Which draft picks do the Lions need to hit on?
• Which players can the Lions not afford to lose on the waiver wire?

You can listen to our mailbag episode on any of your favorite podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio. If you want to join us for the next live Q&A session, download the Spotify Greenroom app and make sure you’re following @PrideOfDetroit (search “Jeremy Reisman).