Matt Patricia didn’t waste any time making Ohio State’s defense feel his presence.
When the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator arrived last year, Caleb Downs said the first meeting set the tone fast. On his podcast, Downs2Business, with his brother Josh and former quarterback Cam Newton, Downs talked through that opening session and the unusual reaction Patricia drew right away.
Downs said Patricia’s name already came with a strange kind of buzz when he was hired, and Ryan Day’s decision looked like a swing outside the usual lane. Then Patricia walked into the room and put the entire defense on the spot.
"First day he got in the meeting, and he said, 'Hey guys... I want you to write the best five players on this defense and the worst five players on this defense.
If you say yourself and the coach doesn't say you, you're lying...' There were a couple of dudes sitting there like 'ohh!'"
That blunt start fit what Ohio State got once the season began. Patricia’s deployment of the Buckeyes helped power what became the best defense in the country, and the fit showed up especially clearly with Downs.
Patricia used Downs in a way that mirrored the demands placed on top NFL safeties. He worked near the line of scrimmage, covered in the post, matched up in man coverage against receivers and tight ends, and handled the full range of responsibilities that come with that role.
That usage helped set Downs up for the next step in his career. He went 11th overall and now has a chance to be a major part of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense as they look toward a playoff run.
However his NFL career unfolds, his year at Ohio State already gave him a strong foundation. And as for that first meeting sheet?
The only real mystery is whether Downs wrote his own name down. He wouldn’t have been wrong if he did.
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