| November 17, 2020 LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL CONFERENCE CALL QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM) On if the way RB D’Andre Swift was utilized on Sunday, the way he envisioned using him when Swift was drafted: “Yeah, I think it’s kind of been a process for him. Coming in – he wasn’t able to get as many reps as we hoped that he would of at the start of training camp with some of the things that he was working through. So, feel like we’ve got him up to speed. He’s in a good spot and then showed up in the game. He did a great job with the run game. We were able to get him involved in the pass game as well. As you watched the games prior, I think you can kind of see some of the things that were coming and how we were using him. He stepped up.” On what the offensive line has done to play so consistent this season: “Thanks for asking that question. We really need to give these guys props. I came in here last week – I mean, the big concern was (Washington’s) front four – actually their front five I think they said. They go five deep with first rounders, former first-round draft picks. They just did a great job. I think some of the things that they’re doing in practice, some of the time that they get to spend with one another, playing next to each other – like you said, it’s been a mix. We’ve had to move guys around a lot, but with that, I think it made each and every guy more comfortable with the guy that plays next to them. We’re moving it around in practice all the time, trying to keep the guys – one, trying to keep them healthy, and two, trying to give them some good looks with guys next to them. I think they’ve really done a good job of gelling as a group, whether it’s the five, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth and ninth lineman. I think it speaks volumes to what they’re doing, what Hank (Fraley, offensive line coach) and Billy (Yates, assistant offensive line coach) are doing with those guys, and they’ve all stepped up. That was a huge game for us last week. To keep the quarterback that clean was a good job.” On if T Taylor Decker and OL Frank Ragnow are playing at a Pro Bowl level: “They should be (in that conversation). I think they’re playing at a really high level. Hopefully the people around them see it. I think their peers see it, the guys that they have to go up against every week. We’ve faced some good fronts, and there’s some good fronts in our division, but again, that one is probably as good as it can get. To hold the quarterback fairly clean throughout the game, again, speaks well for those guys.” LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR CORY UNDLIN CONFERENCE CALL QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM) On if the defense is still learning how to play certain schemes when trying to preserve a lead: “No, I don’t think we’re struggling to play together. We just got to play better. I don’t know if it has anything to do with us – I think we play together whatever it has been, nine weeks now, I think we’ve got a good feel for that. Not that we played perfect in those nine weeks, but if I had an answer for – I wish I had the answer for having a lead and then kind of turning down the dial, game plan didn’t really change that much from the first half to the second half. We played lights out in the first half, kind of (un)played exactly how we talk about it all week. We’re going to have to tackle the check downs. They might get some yards, but proud of them how they stepped up down there once they crossed the 50 in that first half. Made some plays and then held them to three points, and then we came out in the second half and tempo got us. Probably didn’t do a good enough job preparing them for that. We talked about it, but probably didn’t do a good enough job there because that obviously got us on our heels and then we were kind of holding on there for a little bit, and then finally found a way right there at the end of the game on that last drive to make them kick a field goal there, which kept us in the game. So, I was proud of them playing until the end. We’re going to just keep fighting and keep coming out trying to play 60 minutes of football there.” On how much fatigue played a part in the defensive performance against Washington: “I don’t know if I really felt a fatigue part of it from them. You might have to ask the players that. I never got that. We do try to do a pretty good job of keeping those guys rolling and getting them on and off. But you know, one, they have three drives in a row there that go multiple plays. That can obviously, maybe have an effect on it, but we’re not going to use that as an excuse. We practice very hard around here. We work very hard. Those guys do a great job of trying to keep themselves in shape and doing all the extra running. So, I’d like to say we’re built for that. We’ve just got to play better in those situations.” On why the defense went from predominantly zone defense in the first half against Washington to predominantly man coverage in the second half: “I don’t know exactly what the numbers are, but yeah, we played a lot of zone in the first half and I played a lot of zone starting the second half. I probably should’ve played more man in the second half, kind of stayed with the plan there as they kind of went through the no-huddle and then Alex (Smith) was ripping that ball out super quick. Stayed with some zone and it wasn’t really until the end of that last drive that we had to change it up. Looking back on it I could’ve probably changed it up faster than that just to give them another look. We’re going to play man, or we’re going to play zone, whatever I think is going to be the best key to win the game. So, if I can do it again, I probably would’ve played some more man faster in the second half. I don’t know what your numbers are. I don’t know where you guys get the stats, whatever you get it from, but I can look at my call sheet, so I know. But probably held on to it a little bit too long because he was getting the ball out quick and there was some space in there in a couple. We didn’t get off the ball in time. We were short in a couple of our drops and the ball got floated over the top of us there. We ended up playing man at the end, like I said and ended up getting in some third downs and some fourth downs and we just couldn’t make a play. They threw a flag on us there a couple times, which is not an excuse. We can’t have that when we could’ve been off the field in both of those situations. It wouldn’t have come down to the end of the game, but it is what it is. You’ve got to keep fighting and I would say I’m very proud of those guys. They fought there at the end. It wasn’t pretty, but we found a way to get them stopped there so we could have a chance there at the end to win a game.” LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR BRAYDEN COOMBS CONFERENCE CALL QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM) On WR Marvin Hall potentially returning kicks this week and the luxury that having three returners brings: “Yeah, I think – obviously, the returner position’s a little bit of a niche deal. It’s not something where you’re necessarily always having a bunch of guys who can just go out there and do it. So, we’re definitely fortunate to have another option there that we feel confident in. Not just going out there and being able to field kicks and catch punts, but still being able to go out there and make plays. Obviously, we always want to be as close to full strength as we can, but definitely good to have guys who are ready to step in and seize the opportunities if they come – just like Marvin’s been doing a great job offensively.” On why the return game hasn’t clicked on an elite level yet and how close it is to doing so: “I think, to be perfectly honest, it’s just opportunity. If you look at the last two, three, maybe more than that – couple of games – we haven’t really had many kickoffs. It’s either been touchbacks, or the Minnesota game was squib and pooch kicks, whatever it is. I think, honestly, that’s the biggest part of it, is just opportunity. Same thing with the punt return. The downside of blocking kicks, I guess, is you don’t really get as many opportunities to return. The other day, they had two punts and the one was the plus-50 deal. I would say, me personally, I definitely get jumping at the bit a little bit and want to be out there and making plays to help the team. But the biggest thing is just being patient. The last thing you ever want to do in any sport is press, because that’s usually when you open yourselves up to vulnerability. We’ve just got to keep being patient, letting the game come to us. I certainly don’t have any less confidence in our return game than I did earlier in the year. I think at one point we were No. 1 or 2 in both phases, and that was just based on two or three returns. Obviously when your numbers are lower, the averages are going to jump around. Hopefully that will come. A lot of times when they come, they come in bunches. We’ve just got to stay ready, keep preparing the way that we have been. Getting ready to play another team this week that likes to kick touchbacks, so if that’s what they choose to do, then we’ve just got to go out there and make the most of the opportunities that we get in other areas of the game. We’ll continue to prepare, continue to try to put together decent game-plans. Our guys are always ready to make plays when we get them in position to.” On when he would like to receive the opening kickoff or defer: “I think it’s, like you said, that’s obviously Matt (Patricia’s) call. I think it’s a week-to-week thing based on your strengths versus your opponent’s. I would say in general, we like to start the game by setting a tone with a positive play, whether that’s covering a kick or retuning a kick. So, a lot of times if you’re playing a team that you know is going to kick touchbacks, you just go out there, and for me, personally, that’s kind of a downer way to start the game. I’d rather go out there and make a play. That’s really a much bigger-picture question in terms of how do we see the game playing out? Can we steal an extra possession with the halftime swing? We did a great job of the other day scoring at the end of the first (half), and then to start the second. That’s really the one thing that kind of comes into play. We’re usually a dome team, so there’s not as much consideration there with the weather as my background in the AFC North. That was always a big part of it, ‘How’s the weather going to change over the course of the game?’ So, there’s a lot of different things that go into it over a week-to-week basis, but my job really is just to have our kickoff or kickoff return unit ready to go, guns blazing, with whatever coach decides. Obviously, if you lose the toss, then you’ve got to be ready to react that way as well.” |
