LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD
WEEK 3: SUNDAY, SEPT. 22, 2019
The following are post-game notes and quotes from the Detroit Lions’ 27-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept.22, 2019.
POST-GAME NOTES
LIONS SCORING PLAYS
- First Quarter: CB Jamal Agnew returned the Eagles’ first kickoff of the game 100 yards for a touchdown with 11:14 left in the
quarter. K Matt Prater converted the extra point to give Detroit a 7-3 lead. - Second Quarter: RB Kerryon Johnson had a one-yard rush to give Detroit a 14-10 lead with 14:09 remaining in the half. K
Matt Prater converted the extra point. - Second Quarter: K Matt Prater converted a 25-yard field goal to give Detroit a 17-10 lead with 3:29 left in the quarter.
- Second Quarter: K Matt Prater hit a 33-yard field goal with 57 seconds left in the half to give Detroit a 20-10 lead.
- Fourth Quarter: QB Matthew Stafford threw a 12-yard touchdown to WR Marvin Jones Jr. to give Detroit a 27-17 lead with
14:53 left to play.
- TEAM NOTES
The Lions… - Are undefeated through the first three games of a season for the first time since 2011.
- Have scored at least 27 points in each of their last three road games. This marks the fifth such streak in franchise history and
first since doing so in Weeks 9-11 of the 2017 season. - Did not allow a sack for the second consecutive game. This marks the Lions’ first streak of games without allowing a sack since
doing so in Weeks 1-2 of the 2011 season. - Had their fourth different player produce a 100-yard game through the first three weeks of the season. This marks the first
time the Lions have ever had four players each produce a 100-yard game within the first three games of the season. - Had a different wide receiver record at least 100 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown for the third-straight week,
marking the first time in franchise history the team has had three different wide receivers do so in three-straight games. - Had a 100-yard receiver in each of the first three games of the season for the first time since 2013 when WR Calvin Johnson,
WR Nate Burleson and RB Reggie Bush did accomplished the feat. - Had a player (LB Jarrad Davis, Week 3; LB Jahlani Tavai, Week 2) record at least six tackles and a forced fumble in consecutive
weeks for the first time since LBs Stephen Tulloch and Josh Bynes did so in 2015. - Had two players (LB Jarrad Davis and DE Romeo Okwara) each finish the first half of a game with at least five tackles and one
forced fumble for the first time since doing so on Oct. 23, 1994 against the Bears. - Recorded sacks on consecutive plays for the first time since doing so in Week 2 of the 2018 season at San Francisco.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
CB JAMAL AGNEW- Finished with one kickoff return for a 100-yard touchdown and added a 24-yard punt return for 124 all-purpose yards.
- Returned the Lions’ opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. This marks the Lions’ first kickoff return touchdown since WR
Jeremy Ross did so at Philadelphia on Dec. 8, 2013. - Became the first player in the NFL to log a kickoff return touchdown this season.
- Became the fourth player in Lions history to have two punt return touchdowns and one kickoff return touchdown in his career.
- His 100-yard kickoff return touchdown marks the longest by a Lions player since RB Stefan Logan had a 105-yard kickoff return
touchdown vs. the Rams on Oct. 10, 2010. - Became the first Lions player to record a kickoff return touchdown on the first kickoff fielded in a game since WR Eddie
Drummond did so at Minnesota on Nov. 21, 2004. - Passed WR Jeremy Ross (527) for the seventh-most punt return yards a Lions player has had in his first three seasons.
CB JUSTIN COLEMAN
Logged three solo tackles and set a career high with three pass defenses.
LB JARRAD DAVIS
Finished with six tackles (three solo) and one forced fumble.
Became the first player in Lions history to record at least 200 tackles and 8.0 sacks within their first three NFL seasons.
Logged five total tackles and one forced fumble in the first half of the game, becoming the first Lions linebacker to do so since
LB Landon Johnson against Green Bay on Dec. 12, 2010.
DE TREY FLOWERS
Tied a career high with eight tackles (four solo) and produced 1.0 sack, his first as a Lion.
Became the first Lions defensive end to record eight tackles and 1.0 sack in a game since DE Cliff Avril did so vs. Minnesota on
Dec. 11, 2011.
Became 1-of-12 active players to record at least 165 tackles and 22.0 sacks within their first 48 career games.
LB CHRISTIAN JONES
Finished with six tackles (three solo) and 1.0 sack.
Became the first player in Lions history to accumulate at least 10 tackles, 2.0 sacks and three pass defenses through the first
three games of a season.
RB KERRYON JOHNSON
Recorded touchdowns in consecutive games for the second time in his career.
Passed RB Mikel Leshoure (741) for the fifth-most rushing yards a Lions player has had in his first 13 career games.
Becomes the fifth player in team history to record at least four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns through
their first 13 career games. The most recent player to do so was RB Billy Sims in 1980.
Became the sixth player in franchise history to tally at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns through their first
13 career games. The most recent to do so was RB Barry Sanders in 1989.
WR MARVIN JONES JR.
Logged six receptions for 101 yards (16.8 avg.) and one touchdown.
Produced his seventh 100-yard game with the Lions, tying WR Cloyce Box for the 10th-most 100-yard games in Lions history.
Registered his fifth game with 100 yards and one touchdown, tying WR Germane Crowell for the 10th-most in team history.
DT DAMON HARRISON SR.
Finished with five tackles (one solo), 1.0 sack and one pass defense on the day.
Notched one pass defense on the day to tie his single-season career high with three pass defenses on the season.
Became the first Lions defensive tackle to finish a game with five tackles, 1.0 sack and one pass defense since DT Ndamukong
Suh did so vs. Indianapolis on Dec. 2, 2012.
Recorded career sack No. 10.0 on the day. He is one-of-two defensive tackles in the NFL to have career totals of at least 400
tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.
QB MATTHEW STAFFORD
Finished 18-of-32 passing for 201 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 85.5.
Passed QB Philip Rivers (19,106) for the sixth-most passing yards a player has had in road games through their first 11 seasons.
Tied QB Tony Romo (243) for the 11th-most passing touchdowns a player has had in their first 11 seasons in NFL history.
DE ROMEO OKWARA
Finished the game with five total tackles and one forced fumble.
He became the fourth Lions defensive lineman, and first since DE Cliff Avril in 2011, to post at least five tackles and one forced
fumble in the first half of a game.
RB J.D. McKISSIC
Set a career-long with a 44-yard rush. This marks the Lions’ longest rush since RB Kerryon Johnson’s 71-yard run at Miami on Oct. 21, 2018.
CB DARIUS SLAY
– Produced one solo tackle and a fumble recovery.
Recorded takeaways in consecutive games after recovering a fumble in the second quarter (INT in Week 2 vs. LAC).
K MATT PRATER
Finished two-of-three on field goal attempts and three-of-three on extra points to total nine points on the day.
Passed WR Jerry Rice (1,256) for the 38th-most points scored in NFL history.
POST-GAME QUOTES
Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia
Opening statement: “Obviously, an extremely tough game. Philly, they’re so well coached. I give [Eagles head] Coach [Doug] Pederson a lot of credit. He always has his team ready to go. I knew they were going to come back strong the second half. They just continually do that. They’ve shown that time and time again. Really hard to stop defensively. They have an outstanding defense and it’s an extremely tough game. Special teams is always solid by these guys. Just really proud of our players. Give them a lot of credit, give them credit for an extremely difficult game, a tough game. I think there’s obviously a lot of swings or emotional plays in that game that go back and forth and you just have to stay in the moment and play that play and play the next play and just try to execute to the best of our ability. I’m just really proud of the team today. I think they had another good week of work. I think they understand every single week we put everything in to it we can to try and give ourselves a chance to win. We know how hard it is to win in the NFL. It’s so tough. Every single team we play each week is so good and we thought we had a good week and I’m just really proud of them today. We’re going to enjoy it. That’s a hard win. It’s hard to win on the road. It’s really hard to win on the road especially in this place. It’s a hostile environment, it’s loud, their fans are great, they’re screaming and yelling, and we have to just go out there and execute. It’s good to see.
On the way the defense hung in there to make a huge defensive play down the stretch:
“I’m really proud of those guys. Give the credit to the players that were on the field. Those guys are the ones that are out there working and playing really hard. All three phases – whenever it’s our time to go out there and play in those phases – we expect everybody to go out and execute the best they can. I thought it was good on that series for the defense to be able to make those plays. I think they did a really good job. It’s a combination of everybody. [Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Paul] Pasqualoni and his staff just putting together a great game plan there in that situation and the players going out and executing at a high level. Honestly, the players do a great job on the sidelines coming over and giving us feedback and giving us information and helping us to be able to adjust within the game which is something we had to do. I was real proud of them at the end. That’s a hard offense, that’s a really good team.”
On whether a comfort is developing in his team to respond in situations when things get tough:
“We try to practice those situations, but honestly, until you’re in the game you can’t really simulate it. It’s really three games in a row I think there’s been some really difficult situations that we’ve responded to and at least tried to execute at a high level. We learn from them, we keep pushing forward, and like I said, that’s a resilient group, that’s a tough group in there. Give the players credit. Just give them credit for the work that they do throughout the course of the week to have the confidence to go out and execute in those situations. It’s tough in the NFL. It’s real though. We’re going to have good days with it and we’re going to have not so good days with it. We’re just trying to make as many of them as we can positive.”
On his perspective on how the team is doing with playing complimentary football and responding to situations:
“It’s week to week. It’s week to week when we evaluate it and we’ll look at it. There’s certainly moments in the game where we’re all on the headsets and we’re all talking to the players and saying, ‘Hey, this is this situation, this is the moment we’re in right now, be alert for this’. Sometimes those situations come up, sometimes they don’t. We’re constantly going through that mental communication, that mental routine of if-then. It’s basically if-then statements. If this happens, then we’re going to do this. If this happens, then we’re going to do this. As much as we can try to talk about it ahead of time, if one of those situations hits then at least we have a plan and we’re ready to go. Sometimes there’s things that come up that we don’t expect to happen. In those situations then we have to respond, which happened at the end of the game. It wasn’t really what we thought we were going to be in, but it did and we had to adjust and we had to be able to go execute. Like I said, give the players credit to be able to adjust in those situations.”
On seeing early success for a young program and being 2-0-1 and how that bills for a team trying to get something done:
“It’s one week seasons for us. That’s really where we are. We understand September is kind of its own little entity of itself and we’re trying to win every game we can. I’m proud of the players for their work ethic right now, their habits that they’re creating, the way that they’re approaching each week. I would say that’s probably the most important thing for us going forward, that consistent approach, that consistent routine and being consistent every single day in the building. I think that’s what’s most important so we can try to improve. We have a lot of improving to do. There’s a lot of areas that we need to get better at. That’s the biggest positive for me from that standpoint.”
On what it does for the team getting the win without DT Mike Daniels and CB Darius Slay on the field:
“I think for our guys, they’re used to that next guy – whoever it is – stepping in and doing their job and preparing. We try to practice the week like that and make sure everybody understands, ‘Hey, your role, whenever it comes up, whenever that situation is, we expect you to execute at a high level in those situations’. For us, again, give the players credit for what they were able to do on the field. I think that’s the most important thing.”
On practicing all situations and what it says about their defense being put in tough situations and coming up with the win:
“Certainly, the blocked field goal is not one that we’re trying to have happen to us, but it’s one that we certainly go over and we cover. We do a lot of situational work depending on the day. We might walk through some situation stuff – maybe not necessarily practice at full speed – but walk through, ‘Hey, this is what happens, this is where we go, these are the leans, this is where everyone overlaps, this is kind of where we have to force the ball’. Just all those little details. Sometimes you don’t get them in full speed and when it happens full speed you’re kind of holding your breath as you go through the play and hope that everybody executes at a high level. We do try to address as many as we can. There’s certainly situations that come up in the NFL every single week that we try to learn from other teams. Each week we’ll take a look at those and try to explain it and teach it to the team. Until you’re kind of in some of those situations, you just hope that those guys can execute really well.”
On whether he has injury updates:
“I don’t. I didn’t get a chance to catch them. I know the doctors were talking to those guys, so I did not get a chance to talk to them.”
On the significance of Daniels not having a brace on his foot:
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything there. You guys have better info than I do.”
On his confidence in CB Jamal Agnew and his performance this game:
“I told you guys after the game last week, he will just go back to work. That’s really our mantra – just go back to work. He did. He was in and was grinding all throughout the week. When players do that and they grind and they work and they practice, your confidence is as high as ever and you trust them. I just had a feeling that something good was going to happen with everything he did and what he does and his approach and I give him all the credit in the world for putting himself back out there in that situation. Man, that was a nice play, right?”
On challenging the defensive non-pass interference call:
“It was kind of in front of me. The defender didn’t turn around. He pulled back, he pulled a little bit on the jersey. There’s kind of an impediment of the catch. That’s what we were trying to find out with that situation. Personally, I think [Lions WR] Danny Amendola would have caught that ball if somebody wasn’t right in his face. Along those lines, I just thought it was a good opportunity for us. It’s a big play. It’s a really, really big play. We were trying to get going fast. The officials obviously did a great job. They did a great job of controlling the game all the way through. The crew did a phenomenal job, but I thought it was a good opportunity for us to take a shot at that. I thought it would be a good momentum swing for us. Knowing how aggressive their team is in the second half, I just thought we had to be aggressive too.”
On giving credit to his secondary for controlling Eagles TE Zach Ertz:
“Give credit to the players. He’s a phenomenal player. He’s one of those awesome tight ends in this league that continually every single week shows up. I’m glad our guys did a good job, but he’s someone I have a lot of respect for.”
On what he saw happen on the blocked field goal play:
“I think we had a little bit of an edge issue there. I’m not really sure. I kind of saw what they were doing. They have a phenomenal block team. They really do. They’ve been very close, they have some schemes that are really difficult on the edge. We talked about those all the way through the week. I didn’t really see exactly, but I saw where it came from, so I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. It was a similar scheme that they’ve been running in that little space there off the edge.”
On developing faith in Lions QB Matt Stafford and his receivers late in the game:
“I don’t think that was ever not developing. I’ve always had trust in everybody that we put out there. That’s why we put them out there, because we trust them. It’s hard to play in this league. The players have a tough job. I’m just trying to make sure I don’t screw it up from a coaching standpoint and let them go play. Danny Amendola made an unbelievable catch right in front of our sideline. That was a toe tapper and he just put everything on the line to make that catch so those are great players making great plays in great situations. Great throw, great catch, and really important play for us.”
Lions QB Matthew Stafford
On the offense tonight:
“It was good. I think we just missed on some plays today. We weren’t as efficient as we could have been, but I thought we did have some nice balance. This was a team that was third or fourth in the league against the rush on defense. They were giving up 40 yards a game or something close to that. I don’t know how many we had – yeah, around 90 which is doubling what they are normally giving out, which is great. I’m proud of the guys up front. They kept me clean. I was able to move the ball. [Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim] Schwartz was doing a great job trying to mix up a bunch of coverages, and a bunch of stuff from a bunch of different looks. We were close on some, but just didn’t hit as many big ones as maybe we could have.”
On his connection down the middle to WR Marvin Jones Jr.:
[Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz] brought everybody, and I just tried to back up and buy as much time as I possibly could. Guys got open and [Lions WR] Marvin [Jones Jr.] made a good catch.
On the performance from his receivers:
“I thought they did a good job, and I think we were close on some others. Hock [Lions TE T.J. Hockenson] had two that were really close, they were close to being touchdowns. [Lions WR] Kenny [Golladay] had one down the left sideline that was close. We were on the verge of making some big ones. We made a couple of them, obviously enough of them to win, but I wish we could have played a little bit better on offense. A win is a win. We will take it.”
On playing in tight games down the stretch:
“We practice that all the time. We are always put in uncomfortable situations in practice and try to go out there and perform, and I think it helps get us ready for those situations in the game. Then obviously the more you succeed in those situations, the more confidence you have. There is a lot to clean up from the end of the game. I just need to hit Marv [Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.] for a first down and keep the drive going. I was mad at myself for that one. We can’t give up blocked field goals, but great job of getting him on the ground. Obviously, we had some great defensive stops. That’s the way the NFL is. It’s a tough game. It was up and down, but I was happy we got the win.”
On Lions CB Jamal Agnew’s kickoff return:
“I was so happy for him. Obviously, he had a tough one last week and I tried to talk to him after the game last week and just build him up, let him know we were going to need him, and I was fired up for him. It was a great return and he had another really good punt return that we kind of stumbled on as an offense after that, but he got us across the 50 another time, so I was proud of him and happy for him.”
On if it was out of excitement that he made a block during the Lions RB J.D. McKissic run:
“A little bit. I’m really supposed to seal the end on that play. We only had 10 guys because there was no end over there, so I just kept moving and found the next guy. I’m sure he’s been hit a lot harder than that, but I tried to get in the way.”
On the defensive effort:
“It’s been great. Like I said, I wish we didn’t have to put them back out there. I wish we could have iced that game on offense and either gone down and scored a touchdown or kicked a field goal with minimal time left, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. I am really proud of them for stepping up and making some big, clutch plays late.”
On winning despite making mistakes during the game:
“Well, I think it’s good to get wins when not playing your best football. I know that we haven’t played our best football. I think we had too many procedure penalties on offense. I think we gave them two first downs on defense with procedural penalties. But we just kept battling. Finding ways to win while getting better as a football team is a good thing. We are doing it against good football teams too. Every team in the NFL is a good team. When you go on the road and beat a team like Philly [Philadelphia Eagles] in their place, in a tough fashion like that, we’ll take it.”
On winning close games:
“We are doing just enough. We are making those critical plays in games. I think our defense is doing a great job getting off the field, third or fourth down, whatever it was today. We have a lot to clean up on offense. We were moving the ball well but didn’t score enough touchdowns. I think we got down in the RedZone and didn’t put 7’s on the board enough. But guys were making enough plays, guys believe in each other, guys were sticking together, and we pulled it out.
On playing in close games:
“It’s great. Obviously, we would love to be up three scores and all have a bunch of sunflower seeds in our cheek just having a good time, but it doesn’t happen that way all the time. We have to go out there and play, finish these games off, and our team has done it a number of different ways throughout the first couple of weeks, so it’s been good.”
On what he saw during his touchdown pass to Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr:
“All out blitz, again, we don’t have enough to block with all those guys coming, but we had enough window dressing on the
play to kind of slow them down and then the adders came late, but I knew I had to get that ball out early. I put a ton of air on it and he walked it down, which was sweet.”
On the confidence he has in his receivers:
“I’m not going into a game saying, ‘I need to get the ball to this guy a bunch.’ I’m just calling plays, and going out there and trying to run them the best I can. Marv [Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.] did a great job. He’s been a really good receiver here for quite a few years and I’ve got a lot of trust and reps with him. I have a lot of comfort with him and really all of those guys. I’m just proud of him for stepping up and making some really tough catches and big plays today.
On if he likes facing a blitz:
“Yeah, I do. It’s a chance to go after them. I tried to do it again late in the game with the ball to [Lions WR] Kenny [Golladay]. I tried to end it with a touchdown. I wish I had thrown it a yard further and maybe he would have walked in the endzone with it. So yeah, I like it.”
On having a clean pocket to play with:
“It’s awesome. I know those guys take a bunch of pride in it. It’s really everybody. Receivers getting open on time, running backs picking up blitzes, tight ends blocking in the pass game, and guys up front just being tough and resilient. I think they do a great job of allowing me to move around throughout the game. I’m not just sitting in the backfield the whole game and I’m in some different spot, but when I need to sit back there and drop back for a pass on third-and-long, those guys are doing a great job of keeping me clean and it’s making a difference for us.”
Lions RB Kerryon Johnson
On how tough it was to run against the Eagles defense:
“Yeah they’re pretty stout. We knew that going in. We knew it was going to be some tough yards. We just had to do our part and try to help the offense as a whole and I think we did that enough to come out with the [win] because of it.”
On what was going through his mind during his leap into the end zone for a touchdown:
“Hang on to the ball for the most part. That’s something I don’t want to do which is why I didn’t do it the first time because it’s very risky. Like I said, they’re very stout. They had a lot of guys in there and it was the only way to get in.”
On the one word he would use to describe today’s win:
“Tough. I mean, we had to fight. They never gave up. They had like three turnovers. They kept coming. We had to keep coming. They kept coming again. We had to keep coming. We thought we had a field goal. They blocked it. They thought they had it. You know it was just a bunch of emotional ups and downs and we came out on top. I mean they battled the whole time. It was a tough game between two good teams.”
On the resilience of this team to come out on top:
“That’s how we approach every day. You know we approach every day tough. Every practice is tough. Every meeting is tough. Every practice and meeting is tough. For things like this we could have given up when they started storming up. They could’ve given up when we got up. Neither team did. That’s why they were in the Super Bowl not too long ago. Which is why we are winning games right now.”
On how risky it is to give himself up during the leap into the end zone:
“Yeah it’s scary, but you know I’m trying to win. If that’s what I have to do to win then I’m all up for that. I put my body on the line for every play anyways so I might as well do it scoring a touchdown.”
On why he decided to leap into the end zone:
“The first one I found out that staying on the ground wasn’t going to work. I got stuffed on the first one. They give you two tries down there. The offensive coordinator is expecting you to get it in no matter what. They can miss every block up front. It’s like half a yard. They expect you to get it in.”
Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.
On his touchdown catch:
“[Lions QB Matthew Stafford] made a great play. He threw me a great ball, held it up there and I just ran under it.”
On his 27-yard, third-down catch late in the third quarter:
“You just have to have an answer for everything. [Stafford] is great at diagnosing [the blitz], and he just saw me one-on- one. It was all one-on-one across the board. I just had to run the route and make the play. It was a good one, and [Stafford] once again threw a nice ball so I could run under it. That was big.”
On making tough catches throughout the game:
“That’s just what I do whenever that thing is up in the air. I don’t hear anything, it’s just me and the ball. That’s what we have to do at the wide receiver position.”
On the team hanging tough through adversity:
“We’re resilient and we’re fighters. We fight until the end. Obviously, we want the outcome to be a little less stressful, but it’s football. We just played two tough teams that have had some success. It’s going to be a battle when you go against teams like that. At the same time, it’s all about us and what we can do to get better. It comes down to how we fight. Everyone fought. The defense did a hell of a job when we needed them. We answered when the defense needed us as well. Being tough and resilient is what won us this game today.”
On improving the red zone offense:
“We just need communication and need to up the level of concentration. Those were on us, but at the same time, those are things we can fix. Obviously, every time we go down there we want to get points. We just have to keep it going. We want those to be touchdowns and not field goals.”
Lions LB Jarrad Davis
On leaving the game with an injury and coming back in the game:
“I felt like I had been out long enough, so it was time to come back and really fight with my teammates and work with my brothers. I love being out there with them and just being able to get out there today. Thank God for healing me and getting me right so that I could step out there on the field today.”
On how tough it is to stay focused and make sure you get the job done under pressure after the play made by Lions CB Rashaan Melvin on the last play of the game:
“Honestly, I think it’s easier. The work that we have been putting in with [Head] Coach Patricia all summer long, all in OTAs, and minicamp and everything like that. Just to be able to do the repetitions and being able to really lock in and focus on what we need to focus on in those moments, it makes the game so much easier. So, it was not that hard at all. We just came out and we knew we had to play our technique and at the end of the day, when the ball comes your way, you have to make a play. That is what Mel did today and we are forever grateful for that and to end the game like that.”
On having two fumble recoveries and how much more that was emphasized that going into this season:
“It is definitely everything. The ball is everything. You get the ball and you can win. The more we can get it, the more chances you have of winning. So, just going out there and being aggressive on tackles and making sure we are going after the ball is a huge emphasis for us this week and every week. We watch tape on their ball carriers, seeing how they carry the ball and then it is just something we practice. We have to continue to work on it, because it is a skill. It is not something that is just going to show up. You have to have ball awareness, you have to be able to make plays on the ball.”
On his emotions finally being able to return to the field after being out with an injury:
“It was awesome. It felt very familiar. It was not too crazy. But, there were a lot of signs that showed that I had not played a lot of football in a while. I definitely have to put a lot of work in the next few weeks to make sure my condition is there, make sure my eyes are right and that I am in the right spots to make plays.”
Lions CB Rashaan Melvin
On whether there was anything they saw from Eagles QB Carson Wentz that allowed them to feel like they would have success in today’s game:
“No, we know that he has a strong arm and that he can extend plays. We harp on as a secondary to win your one on one’s, win your matchups, and get off of the football field on third downs. Those guys that play opposite of me, in the slot, and at safety, they’re going to go out there and do a great job and compete at a high level each and every week.”
On whether it was different with Eagles WRs DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery not playing:
“I’m not sure, I’m just glad that we got the win. We’re going to move on to next week, get better each and every week and continue to be the best team that we can be and continue to get wins.”
On how it feels to get the team’s first road win and how to continue to build upon the win:
“Anytime you get a win on the road is crucial. We come back home next week and it’s going to be a great game and continue to go out there and compete each and every weekend and put our best foot forward to win the games.”
On the rest of the secondary stepping up when Lions CB Darius Slay left the game with an injury:
“At the end of the day, when you’re out there on the football field you have to compete at a high level and winning your downs like I said before. It’s all about winning your downs and winning the game of football.”
On what happened during the last play of the game:
“I saw 10 other guys doing their job on the football field and I didn’t want to be the 11th one not doing his job. So hats off to those guys. They were in position to make the plays and to have the quarterback throw it deep down the field and I was able to make the play.”
On how critical it was for the defense to be out on the field and save the game and preserve the win:
“No games are going to be perfect. We know that each and every week it is going to be a dog fight. Special teams, offense, and defense all have to come in and make plays. You saw that today, all three phases made plays. [Lions CB] Jamal Agnew had a big return at the beginning of the game. [Lions QB] Matthew Stafford, [Lions RBs] Kerryon Johnson and TJ [Ty Johnson], [Lions WRs] Marvin [Jones Jr.] and Kenny Golladay. All those guys made plays. And the offensive line gave the protection to allow those guys to make plays down the field. So it was a team effort.”
