On what his increased involvement with the offense looks like: “I would say it involves spending a lot more time with the offense than maybe the other two phases, investment. I just want to be able to meet with the quarterback more, talk with him, just know that I feel like I have a handprint in it I guess if you will. It’s just investing a lot more time.” On his level of involvement in the offense this week compared to the first eight games of the season: “Really, the best way to say it is the fact that I’m – time-wise, I’m much more involved, or have been over these last couple of days since we got back. That would be the best way to say it right now.” On if involving himself more in the offense is due to him learning as a first-year head coach or because of the offense’s performance so far: “I think it’s just – look, I’m like anybody else, I want to help us and if maybe I’ve got something I feel like I can help us – everybody’s got pretty good ideas, but you never know when idea may help. So, I’m trying to do my part if you will. But yeah, some of this is learning, too, being a head coach, but doing that as well and just making the most of your time.” On Pistons Basketball Operations and Team Engagement Advisor and former player Ben Wallace speaking to the team yesterday: “It was outstanding. I mean, what a stud. He was great. I’ll tell you what was cool, before we even got out there to the team, just talking to him, little things about growing up, how he grew up, where he was from. You are always intrigued by – especially somebody like him, undrafted free agent, makes the Hall of Fame. He’s 6’ 8” and he would say, ‘I don’t know if I was really ever 6’ 8”.’ But, to be the player that he was just on the boards and playing defense, steals, everything, it embodies everything that I think this city is about. But also, that’s kind of what we want to be, right? That’s what you want to mold kind of your persona after is a guy like him. He was great and there were a couple of things he said, one I won’t repeat, one I will was the – how much he missed the struggle and loved the struggle. It was pretty good. It really resonated. He was awesome. The guys loved him. They ate it up. It was great.” On what WR Amon-Ra St. Brown could offer playing in the outside receiver spot: “I think Saint has some versatility and I know this, he’ll block. He’ll block and then I think there are some things that he can do inside or outside. And so, it’s just another way of maybe trying to get him the ball a little bit, but also knowing that he’ll do enough dirty work to where you can do some things off of it. I think it’s, ‘Let’s see where we can take him a little bit potentially.’” On if they will be in the market to claim WR Josh Reynolds off of waivers: “Honestly, (Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I haven’t even talked about it right now. So, that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t looked at it, but there again, he hasn’t brought anything to me to this point. And I know they’ve looked. He looks at all of it, sees all of it, and we did Josh when he was a free agent coming out last year. We’ve talked about him. We know the player well. Certainly, Brad knows him even better than I do, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not right now. It just means we haven’t talked about it.” On what he wants to work on with QB Jared Goff with his increased involvement in the offense: “I think just all-encompassing. I just think – I do think it’s important for your head coach and your quarterback to be on the same page. It’s not like we haven’t, but I just think – I think the more I can be around him, invest a little more time in there, I just think maybe it helps.” On working with QB Jared Goff to take more chances throwing it down the field: “I think some of it is just make sure that we’re giving clear direction and detail to take some pressure off of him. But not only him, but everybody else, too. There may be something to that. It’s like, ‘Hey man, as long as we’re all on the same page and you’re trying to do the things that we all want to do or we’re asking for, I think you’ve got no sweat. You’ve got no worries.’ So, I think it’s a little bit of that.” On if QB Jared Goff would be pressing about him trying to coach more explosive plays: “It’s a good question, but honestly I think he’ll embrace just the – he appreciates that. He more than anything just – he doesn’t care if you coach him hard. Like, he just wants to be told. He doesn’t want smoke blown up his you know what. So, he just wants it real and he appreciates that. And so, no, I’m not even worried about him pressing on something like that.” On what he expects from the Steelers in Sunday’s game: “Pressure. Pressure. I’ll tell you what, nobody has done it like they have for as long as they have in a very similar system. They built a culture and they play relentless defense. They find a way to get turnovers. They have a bully mentality. Look, we’ve got our hands full, but it’s why you play the game. We’re not going out there to just get punched in the face either, but we have to know what we’re getting ready to walk into, which I think we’re all very aware of. But, it’s tough and this team’s built off defense and they run it on offense. They’ve really invested a lot in this running back. Najee (Harris), it kind of goes through him right now. Of course, Ben (Roethlisberger) can always and still will hurt you. But yeah, this will be a tough matchup.” On Veterans Day tomorrow and if he has any connections to the military: “Actually, I do. I really kind of come from a long line of military background. My father, my grandfather, my brother, my great uncle, all have served in branches in the military. And so, I have a lot of respect for those men because I always think of that stuff and when you think you’re having a bad day, you think about, for example, being over there in the mountains of Afghanistan. You’re curled up on a rock or something being shot at. So yeah, I really appreciate those and I’ve got a lot of respect for those men and women who have served.” On how QB Jared Goff has improved through the first eight games of the season: “I think that there are number of things that he’s done just communication-wise that I think’s been pretty good, just with the offensive line up front and really with the receivers for that point. I think he’s done pretty good. I think particularly – there were a couple of early spots there where we felt like we had a lot of stuff in and that was on us, not him, but I think just being able to digest the offense, get it back out, some of those things. But there again – look, here’s the thing, you really think about – the guy’s made some throws and he’s done some improvising. Now, turnovers are part of it, but you think about some of those games, pretty good games and you get a sack fumble and it certainly takes away some of the luster that was there. But, you eliminate those and the guy has proven that he can throw the football and if you can get him in a rhythm, he can make those throws. I think to that point, we’ve got to get him in a rhythm and we’ve got to find a way to get our guys involved. It’s got to be more than just one or two guys. Like, we’ve got to get all of our guys involved and see where they can help us.” On the ideas he has brought to the offense with his increased involvement: “Well, I think we’re going to put (Jack) Fox on offense. We’ll put him out there and throw him a hitch. We’ll use anybody. We’ll use (Alim McNeill) Mac at fullback. But no, look, I just think that we’re trying to get all of our guys involved. That’s really the best way to put it. They all have a hand in this. They’re going to have a piece. We’re going to ask them to do some things they do well, both in the run and pass game. I think everybody needs some nuggets, and so we’ll see if we can drop some nuggets and see how these guys respond a little bit, give them a little air and a little confidence.” On if it is a goal for coaches to have a consistent identity: “I think it is. I’ve got a ton of respect for (Steelers Head Coach) Mike Tomlin, I really do. I think when you’ve done what they’ve done for all of those years and he’s just consistently been the same coach, it is. They’re competitive every year, year in and year out. You know when you go to play them, you know what kind of game it’s going to be, it doesn’t matter. Man, I do. For me, it is. It’s like you would love to be sitting here down the road saying, ‘Alright man, this is the type of program we have.’ I do, absolutely.” On his vision for a long-term cultural identity: “We would be built on defense and an explosive run and pass game. That’s what it would be, but the first thing you would think of is defense and then from there we would be an explosive run and pass team. That’s probably it in a nutshell. That’s the way I would think of it.” On how close the team will monitor T Taylor Decker in practice: “We’ll be very mindful. Look, he’s going to go today and he’s got to prove to us that he can until we decide that we’re not doing that. But as far as we’re concerned, we’re going to go out, he’s going to go out there and practice. If he feels good, then we’ll see what tomorrow looks like and we’ll just go from there. But, I think we also – I know he’s ready to go and I know he wants to get out there and he wants to test it, he wants to use it. But, until we test it, we’re not going to know and it’s time to test it. He’ll know. I think he’ll be able to tell pretty quickly how it feels.” LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET November 10, 2021 On Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell being more present in offensive meetings: “It’s been good. It’s been really good. He’s taking a bigger hand in it absolutely, and wants to. He’s the head coach and gets to make those decisions obviously and we’re excited to have him be a little bit more a part of it.” On if Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell has brought any ideas to the offensive meetings: “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. He’s got a background in some success on offense and has been around some really good players and coaches and has some great ideas himself.” On playing the Steelers in Heinz Field Sunday: “It won’t be easy. This is a good team, tough environment. We’ve got to come ready. I thought today was a great first step in that direction. I thought we practiced well today, came out with some juice, refreshed off the bye week, fresh start in some ways. It’s going to take all of us to win this game and we know that. They’ve got a good defense and they’ve got a hostile environment, but we’ll be ready and it will be a fun one.” On what he did during his off time in the bye week: “A lot of time to refresh, relaxed, saw some friends. Sat on the couch mostly, but relaxed.” On if being refreshed after the bye helps get players back into a rhythm: “Yeah, I think so. I think just any time you can kind of get away and refresh in any situation, if it was 8-0 or where we’re at, it’s good to be able to step back, reflect, catch your breath a little bit, and come back recharged.” On Steelers LB T.J. Watt: “His get off is as good as anyone in the League I think. Obviously, he’s special physically with what he can do, his speed, his strength. He can play coverage as well. He’s got decent hands for a guy who’s a rusher. So yeah, he’s as good as it gets.” On T Taylor Decker returning to practice: “Awesome. Really awesome. Really good to have his energy back and have his – just his presence out there. A guy who’s seen it, a guy who’s done it, and a guy who loves football and we’re excited to have him back.” On what it would mean to him if the team claims WR Josh Reynolds off of waivers: “Josh is a great player. I saw he’s available. Obviously, it’s up to (Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and (Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) on that, but I’m a fan of Josh and wherever he lands, I’m sure he’ll be great.” On what WR Amon-Ra St. Brown could do playing as an outside receiver rather than in the slot: “It would give him a chance to kind of showcase his whole game I think. We do love him in the slot, but I think he’s a special player and getting separation for himself inside or outside. If we do get him out there, it will give him a good chance to showcase that playing with it a little bit, but we’ll see how we want to move forward.” On how he believes the offense needs to change to get more success in the red zone: “Probably the same stuff that needs to change for overall success. Typically, positive gains and staying on track will result in points in the red zone and touchdowns. I think the biggest killer is penalties. If you are first-and-goal on the nine and then you’re first-and-goal on the 19, it’s tough and I don’t know how many times we’ve done that to ourselves, but I’m sure a couple. Just eliminating self-inflicted wounds and staying on track.” On how T Penei Sewell has handled practicing at both the right and left tackle positions: “He handled it great. He really handled it great. I know we kind of moved him around quite a bit now and I’m sure he’d like to get comfortable on either side and I think he has really gotten comfortable on both sides. I think he’s handled it really well from his standpoint where he could be like complaining and (expletive) about it like, ‘They keep moving me around.’ But he’s a pro and has handled it really well.” |
