The Detroit Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell after four seasons with the franchise. Caldwell, who went 36-28 during his stint in Detroit, went to the playoffs twice but failed to win a postseason game.

After an early exit from the playoffs last season, rumors swirled around Caldwell being on the hot seat. But the Lions signed him to a contract extension. Unfortunately for Detroit, it just missed the playoffs in 2017. So the Lions decided to pull the plug on Caldwell.

Why did the Lions fire Caldwell?

Detroit was always competitive with Caldwell at the helm, which is something the franchise hasn’t been able to do consistently since Caldwell arrived. But the Lions never won the NFC North under him.

What plagued the Lions during Caldwell’s stint were inconsistent defenses and terrible rushing attacks. Detroit finished with the second-ranked defense in 2014 but failed to reach the top 10 during the following three seasons.

Offensively, the Lions relied heavily on quarterback Matthew Stafford, turning the offense into a one-dimensional attack. Their rushing attack has never ranked above 28th over the past four seasons. Detroit has drafted only two running backs since 2014, including Ameer Abdullah in the second round in 2015.

This abysmal rushing attack plagued the team during its Week 16 matchup against the Bengals, averaging only 3.9 yards per carry. The Lions laid an egg against Cincinnati, which ended their playoff hopes.

They had a chance to beat teams like the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers. A questionable decision to go for it on fourth down hurt Detroit’s chances of beating Minnesota. Then, Caldwell decided to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line against the Steelers, which cost the Lions.

What’s next for Detroit?

Detroit will want to find a coach who can reinvigorate its defense and rushing offense. This defense already has some great players, like cornerback Darius Slay, safety Glover Quin, and defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is expected to interview for the job, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. If Patricia were to take it, he could wind up keeping the offensive staff headed by incumbent coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

On offense, the Lions have one of the best passing attacks in the NFL, and a strong run game will take tons of pressure off Stafford. Bob Quinn, the Lions general manager, has been in Detroit for only two seasons. Obviously, he didn’t hire Caldwell. But now that Caldwell is gone, Quinn will finally get the opportunity to handpick his own Caldwell