| Opening Statement: “The one thing that I’m really, really happy about after this game was, the things that we stressed during the week, during the bye week with the players in practice, in practice before this game, was to get better in the red zone and our guys went out there and performed. As a coach, it makes you feel really, really good when you demanded on a situation in the game and you showed the players exactly how we need to get better and the things we need to do to get better and they show up. That makes a coach feel really, really good. It makes your staff feel good and plus it makes the players feel good because they trust in the scheme that you’re putting together for them to go out there and be successful. I’m really happy about that and I expect as a goal for us to continue to improve in that area and be good in that area. The second thing that I think was the most real about this game was when you go to the end of the game in a crucial, crucial situation, which is overtime, the last three drives ended in a fumble, punt, fumble. That’s hard for a defense to do something like that. So, that just gives you the character of these players, knowing that we’re still improving. But I’ll tell you what, as a coach to see that, to see the strain, the grit, the want to, it can’t get no better than that.” On CB Amani Oruwariye: “In the secondary, especially in the day of communication, the more consistency you have back there, it only makes it better. So, he’s been a consistent figure for us back there and I’m sure throughout his career he’s been consistent here. The thing that we want to continue to do with Amani is to continue helping him, just continue to go forward and move up as a top corner in this League because that’s what he wants to be. So, it’s our job to help him do that and he has the mentality to be able to do that. As much as we continue to be demanding on him and he continues to be available, that only shows that he can only get better.” On CB Amani Oruwariye playing 87 snaps last Sunday against the Steelers: “That’s NFL football. You never know how many plays you’re going to play and your body has to be ready to play that many plays. So, that’s a credit to him and how he takes care of his body. And there are other players that played a number of plays also. Defensively, you never want to be in those situations, but you have to at times and he came through fine.” On if the defense’s struggle to get to the quarterback is affecting their production on third down: “I’ll tell you what, when you look at the film, teams are really trying to max things up on us because they know how we pressure in that situation. We just have to figure out some ways to be able to overcome some of the max protection, and then some of these guys are checking the ball down trying to get run and catch situations on us. So, that’s what’s been happening lately is teams are now actually just getting the ball downfield. They are throwing it short and allowing guys to try to run and catch. So, we just have to be really, really smart in that area, not trying to run our guys into a brick wall on some of these pressures, but be able to understand how we have to double guys in situations like that because when you just keep guys in, in the backend that creates more doubles because you have less receivers going out. We just have to do a better job in that situation and also just be relentless. There are times when you have three-man rushes and guys are relentless and they still get to the quarterback. We’ve just got to keep preaching to our guys, ‘Listen, even though that they’re maxing us up, you’ve just go to keep fighting and keep being relentless trying to get to the quarterback.’” On if the Steelers’ first touchdown last Sunday was due to a breakdown in coverage: “They are a good team. That doesn’t mean there was a breakdown. They are a good team. They’ve scored touchdowns in this League. There are a lot of teams that have scored touchdowns. That doesn’t mean breakdowns. There are good players in this League. It won’t be the last touchdown we give up. I can promise you that and I promise you that doesn’t mean it’s a breakdown in defense. That just means they are good players that make plays and we didn’t.” LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ANTHONY LYNN QUOTE SHEET November 18, 2021 On what he has seen from QB Tim Boyle that gives him confidence in his abilities if he has to start Sunday: “Even though he couldn’t go out and practice physically, he’s been in it mentally. He’s a pretty sharp kid. He threw well yesterday and if he has to go, then we have full confidence in him that he gets the job done.” On if the difference between QB Tim Boyle and QB Jared Goff and their abilities would close or open parts of the playbook if Boyle started: “It definitely doesn’t close any of the playbook. He can handle it all. He’s just been out for a while. He saw some rush yesterday, but don’t expect to see those today and if we have to go with him, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” On being in the coaches booth last Sunday without being the primary play-caller: “It was different, but I was probably busier last week than I’ve been all season because I’m trying to assist the head coach and I’m looking at tendencies and writing charts and providing information. At the same time, I did call some plays as well.” On if he views Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell calling plays last Sunday as a demotion for him: “I wouldn’t say that. I don’t know, I don’t see it as a demotion. I’ve been in Dan’s shoes and if I was 0-8 and I need to spark my team, then as an offensive guy, I probably would’ve done the same thing to be honest with you, and I have. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t agree with what he did. I thought it worked well. I thought we worked well together last week. He asked me my opinion on certain things, and he makes those calls, but he wanted to talk to the quarterback. That was the main thing. He wanted to communicate with the quarterback and only one person can do that, so he’s got the headset and I will call plays. I’ll call it through him, and I’ll assist him and do whatever he wants me to do.” On the percentage of plays he called against the Steelers: “I couldn’t tell you that, but I just know that it is a collaborative effort. How long we do that I don’t know.” On how he would describe Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell’s play-calling: “Dan knows football. Dan is sharp as hell. He’s been in New Orleans with a high-power offense. He brings a lot of good ideas to the table throughout the week when we game plan. I thought he called the game last week that gave us the best chance to win the game. We had to run the ball 40 times in those conditions, and I haven’t had any problem with that.” On if the plan going forward is for Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell to take over offensive play calling full-time: “Not necessarily. We’ll see. I’ve got to be ready at any time. So, I’m probably busier now than I’ve ever been.” On his role in the offensive game plan that relied heavily on the run game against the Steelers: “Our whole offensive staff – receivers blocking downfield opening up explosive runs for the backs, (Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs) Duce Staley getting those guys in the right hole. As an offense, I felt like we ran the football well. It’s just something that I feel like we were able to do with the personnel that we had. Having Taylor Decker back made a big difference, I think. There were some good things in the run game.” On what WR Josh Reynolds has done in practice to show he is ready to play Sunday: “He’s getting in football shape. He’s shown strong hands. He’s pretty sharp. He’s picking up the offense pretty quickly, but I believe he can help us.” |
