| Opening Statement: “Obviously, I’m very happy with the job that the players did defensively this past week. There were a lot of things that we wanted to make sure we accomplish coming out of this game, and the players did. They accomplished a lot of the goals that we had in mind, especially against a team like the Cardinals. They are a good team, they’re explosive, they have a lot of good players. The thing that we didn’t want to do and we don’t do is worrying about, ‘Who’s in and who’s out? Who’s playing? Who’s not?’ We just play the game and I think that’s how this game should be played, and the guys responded. They understood the plan and they executed the plan. And, as a coach, that’s one of things that you’re really proud of is something that you put together and you and your staff, you think about – you’re in there for 12 hours in a day sometimes and you try to figure out a plan of how you think you’re going to stop this team, especially that team we just played. And then, you see as it all comes to fruition and the guys actually understand it and you follow it to a tee. I’m happy with the outcome, but we’re on to next week now.” On if CB Amani Oruwariye has natural ball skills or if it is a trait he has developed: “I would say this, just knowing him in college, he had ball skills then, so we knew that. But, getting a chance to actually be with him and be around him, you really have a new appreciation for how that player attacks the ball and has hands like a receiver. To me, I think the most impressive play that he made was the other interception when he was out of bounds. The way that he went up and caught that ball, not just that he snagged it and tried to keep himself in bounds, that’s a trait that is hard to find in a lot of DBs with ball skills like that. He can be a special player, he really can. There are other things that he has to improve on true enough, but he understands that and continues to improve. With the way he’s improving, he can be a special player.” On the challenge of scheming to face Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson: “I think this one thing that this team has done in particular is utilize their talent to help those guys be successful. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I think I’m dead on, this is probably the most productive he’s been – I’m talking about offensively – throughout his career. You have to give a lot of credit to that head coach (Arthur Smith), offensive coordinator (Dave Ragone), as far as putting him in those positions. But, you’re right because they have a lot of different personnel packages and we have to make sure that we don’t get so lost in all of the different personnel packages, which allows our guys to just go out there and play and just be aware of where he’s at and understand he’s a threat. That’s what we always do each week, ‘Who are the guys that are threats to make sure we can try to take those guys out?’” On the next step CB Amani Oruwariye can take his game to: “Shutdown corner. Shutdown corner as far as his man skills, as far as his off-man skills. We already know that he can go and get the ball. Can you put him on the best guy? Can he take that guy out? And, I think that’s what every corner wants to be able to do.” On how CB Amani Oruwariye can become a shutdown cornerback: “It’s all about work. That’s everybody. You don’t get anywhere in this League without working and I don’t think I have to tell him that. So, if he wants to be one of the best guys, he has to put it in his head that he’ll just have to work.” On how many shutdown cornerbacks there are in the NFL today: “That’s hard to say because I don’t know them all. I do think there is such a thing – and I know that’s people saying that there is no such thing as a shutdown corner – I do think there are guys that people shy away from. I think (Jalen) Ramsey is one of them. I think Marshon Lattimore is one of them. Those guys are dynamic players, dynamic athletes and they have a mentality that’s different than a lot of other corners. Like, that’s what really put those guys over the top is just the mentality. And, you have a number of those guys in this League. I do believe in that, I think Amani (Oruwariye) can get to that point, but again he has to put the work in.” On if CB Amani Oruwariye has the mentality needed to become a shutdown cornerback: “You don’t have to talk to have that mentality. Just because (Jalen) Ramsey does it – because (Marshon) Lattimore, he’s not a big talker, but he’s one of the tougher guys I’ve been around. As long as you go out there and you shut a guy down, that’s your talking.” On if he has had conversations with CB Amani Oruwariye about becoming a shutdown corner: “We’ve had several conversations, several conversations on him just growing because I want Amani to be Amani. I don’t want him to be (Jalen) Ramsey. I don’t want him to be (Marshon) Lattimore. I want him to be who he is and whatever that is, whatever we can get out of him, I’ll be happy with that. Right now, we’re getting a lot out of him.” LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ANTHONY LYNN QUOTE SHEET December 23, 2021 On if QB Tim Boyle is more prepared to play Sunday than he was for the Browns game: “I’ll tell you, he looked good in practice. There was some concern the first time around because he was coming off that injury, but he’s had three good weeks of practice since then and I’m excited to see – if he’s the guy, I’m excited to see him play.” On RBs Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift returning to practice this week: “It was good to see Jamaal and Swift back on the practice field. Jamaal looked like himself and Swift is still – he increases his reps every day. So, we’ll see if he’ll be ready to go and if not, I think we have a pretty good stable of backs.” On if it is a good problem to have a crowded running backs room with RBs Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift back at practice: “Absolutely. Swift, he’s so dynamic. We missed those explosives, but our young backs have done a heck of a job going in and keeping us on schedule.” On how TEs Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra have responded to their increased roles after TE T.J. Hockenson’s injury: “I’ll tell you what, both, they’re growing like weeds, but we’re living with their mistakes right now, but their mistakes are full speed. We can live with those aggressive mistakes. But, they’re getting better every single week.” On how valuable G Jonah Jackson is to the offensive line: “He’s been very valuable, just his whole mentality that he brings to the offensive line room. His mindset, he’s very aggressive and on game day, he plays very – I mean, he plays really aggressive. I don’t want to say dirty, but he plays really aggressive. He just brings that grit that you want in the offensive line. That’s part of his intangibles and his leadership.” On if he loves G Jonah Jackson’s aggressiveness: “Absolutely. I mean, you look for that and that stuff is contagious to a football team.” On if he thinks the offensive line has played with passion and aggressiveness: “Yeah, I do. I think the offensive line has done an outstanding job no matter who is in. We haven’t played with the starting five yet, but no matter who is, next-man up mentality. That’s how they go about it in that room and they’ve gotten the job done.” On if he believes there is depth on the offensive line: “Absolutely. I mean, there are times when I looked at the backups here that would have been starters somewhere else. There is some good depth in this offensive line.” On if WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has developed more over the last few weeks: “He really is. I think that whole receiving group, I think they’ve gotten better and they work at it. It’s good to see them work every day in practice. But Saint, like I’ve said before, he’s more patient, he’s reading coverage. He’s not doing as much. Quarterbacks are trusting him more. With his skillset inside, it’s easier for him to be a high-target guy because he blocks so well in the run game. So many times, he’s gone in to make a hard block and in the passing he’s going in and they think it’s going to be a hard block and he’s slipping by people getting open. So, it goes hand in hand.” On if it is hard to teach a rookie like WR Amon-Ra St. Brown less so he can learn more on his own: “Sometimes that is the case. With Saint, he’s a fast learner. So, he picked up on it pretty quick and he studies the game. He studies other receivers. So, he’s coming along just fine though.” On if WR Amon-Ra St. Brown can start to receive more carries in the future: “I wouldn’t quite go that far. I actually tried to put him between the tackles one or two times and he looked at me sideways. But, he can just do so many things. You look at his physicality in the run game, blocking, so you’re sure he can run the ball. So far it’s been on the perimeter and things like that, but we’ll see.” On which former players WR Amon-Ra St. Brown reminds him of: “He’s his own kind of guy, but there are also other players that he reminds me of. I’m just trying to think of my man in Pittsburgh right now – Hines Ward. Oh my goodness, just the way he blocks and Hines was so crafty with his footwork and Saint is learning when to be crafty and when not to be. So, that would be the first comparison I would make.” |
