Detroit Lions to retain head coach Matt Patricia, GM Bob Quinn

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Despite another losing season, the Detroit Lions will retain head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn for the 2020 season, the team announced Tuesday.

In a statement released by Lions owner Martha Ford, team ownership expects drastic improvement next season, which will be Quinn's fifth as general manager and Patricia's third as head coach.

"We expect to be a playoff contender and those are our expectations," Ford said Tuesday. "Which we've expressed to both Bob and to Matt. We expect to be a playoff contender. That means playing meaningful games in December."

The Lions started the season with a 2-0-1 record, but suffered close losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers before tumbling to a 3-10-1 mark. Detroit's last win was Oct. 27 against the New York Giants.

Due to the Lions' struggles and the team's current seven-game losing streak, discussions about the job security of Quinn and Patricia heated up over the past month. Patricia told reporters Tuesday "it means the world to me" that he would return to the team in 2020.

"I appreciate Mrs. Ford and her family so much, and [team president] Rod [Wood], and Bob, and everything that we're trying to do here, and what we're trying to accomplish and where we're trying to lead this organization.

"It's a process that we're trying to go through to get the team to a highly competitive level that can sustain, and be consistent, and handle the ebbs and flows of an NFL season, and injuries and the rest of it. It's something that we're trying to lay a foundation for. I think we've seen some strides that we've made with the team this year, but we obviously need to build and improve upon that going forward."

The Lions have struggled since Patricia took over in February 2018 after spending 14 seasons with the New England Patriots. Detroit posted a 6-10 record in his first season, and the team is on pace for a top-five pick in the NFL Draft this year.

Patricia's winning percentage (.317) is slightly above Darryl Rogers (.310), Rod Marinelli (.208) and Marty Mornhinweg (.156) among full-time Lions head coaches in the modern era. Detroit finished with back-to-back 9-7 seasons under former coach Jim Caldwell before Patricia was hired.