| Opening Statement: “Getting ready for Atlanta. They’ve done a good job out there. You can see they’re kind of in the mold of Tennessee is what they’re trying to build and feel like they’re going to give you multiple looks, but also see if you’ll mess it up yourselves. They play pretty smart ball, so this will be a good one for us.” On if the team has any new positive tests for COVID-19: “Nothing new. The day is still early. Nothing new.” On if there is a contingency plan in place if any members of the coaching staff were to test positive for COVID-19: “We’ve got pretty much everything set up as to who is next in line. Certainly, (Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs) Duce (Staley) would take my role over if it was me. Play-calling, (Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn) A-Lynn would handle it and defensively (Senior Defensive Assistant) Coach (Dom) Capers would and so on. And hopefully if you get into the third level of that, then we’ve got plans for that, too. My assistant (Chief of Staff/Head Coach Administration) Kevin Anderson is ready to call the whole game if needed to. That happened last year, but yeah, we’re prepared if it comes to that.” On if the coaching staff is social distancing to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19: “We’re trying to be as smart as possible. We still congregate, but we’re trying to be mindful, staying away from each other. We’re still masking up even though technically it’s not required because we’re all vaccinated and boostered, but we’re trying to be mindful of it, and when we’re around our players too just to hopefully eliminate some of that because certainly you’re still – you can still have symptoms and get sick and then, ‘Man, I need to test,’ and now you’re down and then you potentially spread it and it affects everybody differently.” On how QB Jared Goff is feeling and how he can stay involved in game planning: “He’s feeling pretty good. He’s feeling pretty good. He was in the meeting today with his – the iPad was there for him. We have a seat laid out, his seat and there’s the iPad, so it’s like he’s there I guess. Congratulated him on the last game, gave him a game ball, ‘Good job.’ And then, same thing in the meetings. It’s like he’s there. He’s got the plan at home right now. He’s looking at it and it’s kind of like when he had the flu a couple of weeks ago. We had the iPad out there as the plays are being called and run. So, it’s like he’s here as much as he can be without actually being in the building. So, he’s preparing that way and then we’ll see where it goes.” On if QB Jared Goff has access to a live feed of practice to keep him updated: “Oh yeah, he’s got access to all of that stuff. He’s got access to our whole system, so he’s got all of the games and cut-ups and everything that he needs.” On how QB Jared Goff can stay in shape while he is quarantining: “(Head Athletic Trainer) Kevin Bastin and those guys have given him a treatment plan. We delivered everything that we needed to. We had some of our trainers go over with masks just to his doorstep like this with a trash bag and drop it off and run out of there so nothing was – and so, he’s got everything he needs. Look, we’re making the most of it and he’s certainly attacking it as much as he can like, ‘I’m going to get back. Health-wise I’m good as far as it pertains to my knee and then certainly COVID.’ He’s pretty good. It’s just a matter of becoming negative.” On if QB Jared Goff will be throwing against his garage door as practice: “I don’t know about that one yet. I haven’t asked him that.” On what he wants to see from RB D’Andre Swift on Sunday if he plays: “I want to know that he’s not thinking about the shoulder. That’s really the last part of this is that he has confidence in himself to take a shot. That’s what you’re going to be looking for and I wouldn’t expect to see that today, but you hope every day it looks – you just see more confidence as he begins to practice. It’s a little bit like (Jalen) Reeves-Maybin last week. The first couple of days he looked a little gingerly if you will just because he was trying to feel it out and then he went out Friday and kind of banged around on the sled and we did some different things with him and he was great. And then he knew, ‘I’m good. This will be fine. I can handle this.’ And then, he was able to go in there and play great for us. That’s what we’re looking for out of Swift.” On what it says about QB Jared Goff that he self-reported COVID-19 symptoms: “Look, we still have guys now that – we’ve already had a couple of guys that have tested. They don’t quite know, ‘Is it a cold? Is it –’ because they have a child on the way, worried about their wife. And so, those are the things you don’t want to lose sight of. I mean, there is still that, ‘Hey man, it’s one thing for me to get it, but I’m thinking about my family, too.’ So, that’s a real thing, and so I think what Goff did, I think that was the first thing he thought of. It wasn’t the fact that, ‘Man, I feel sick and I don’t feel good.’ I think it was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to spread this to somebody that’s really worried about this or could affect them or their family.’ Look, I think that’s good.” On who will play quarterback Sunday if QB Jared Goff has to miss the game because of COVID-19: “Just to that point, if Goff is not able to play, it’ll either be Tim Blough or David Boyle. One of those two guys will play. Just to answer that question – here is what kind of fires us up is Tim (Boyle)’s been in it now four weeks. He’s been practicing and he was kind of fresh right back from the injury, really a week off the injury. And now, he’s had another four weeks of being in there and he’s taking most of the scout team reps. And then, he had to take a day there when Goff had the flu that one day and run the offense and go through the game plan. So, he’s got his feet back under him. He’s got his rhythm back to him. He’s throwing it well. And now, he’s got a game under his belt. So, I think this will be good and I don’t feel like we’re going to be hindered. Certainly, we’ll have a plan to where he can succeed as the offense will, but I don’t think we’re going to be hindered. I don’t feel that way.” On S Tracy Walker’s status for Sunday’s game and why he had to miss the Cardinals game: “He’s good to go, he’s back, he’s ready to roll. We were just crossing our fingers. We left that one last spot open hoping he would be negative the morning of and it didn’t work out. He was still positive, so that’s what that was. But, he’s good. He’s back in the building. Shoot, I saw him yesterday. He was running around up there all fired, ready to go. It’s good to have him back.” On the challenges that an opposing defense has when facing a jumbo package on offense: “Well, there’s more beef. A lot of times – I would say this, when you’ve got a pretty good offensive line, which we do, and you can move people up front, that’s good. But, there are times in these schemes where just because you can push people in the middle, some of these end up kicking out a little bit and if you can’t push the perimeter as well, then it’s kind of all for naught. And so, just to have (Matt) Nelson in there some in the jumbo role has really helped at a minimum clean up the line of scrimmage and create some push and keep our backs to where they can go downhill, they’re not having to run backwards to go forward. So, I just think it brings an element and there is certainly a lot of things you can do off of it. You don’t just run it. You can play action off of it. And there again, it helps because we’ve seen a ton of Nelson. He was our starting tackle for all of those weeks, and so he is very capable and you know he can do it and he’s been going. And so, it’s a pretty good fit is what it’s been.” On if the team is starting to gain more momentum: “I’d like to think that. We’ve got to carry it over this week, but we’re starting to play a little bit better. Things are coming together the way you want them to. And now, we’ve got to keep getting better. As good as some things were the other day, there is still a lot we have to clean up. And so now, ‘Let’s clean those things up and then be prepared.’ This is a totally different opponent that we’re playing than what we just faced. It’s a whole other set of challenges, but yeah, you’d like to think we can continue down this road.” On if a coach can teach blocking to a wide receiver or if the skill is naturally instilled in a player: “I think you have to be willing. I think you can – if they’re willing, you can certainly teach them because it’s – that goes with any position. If you’re willing, you’ll find a way because it’s all between the ears really. And so, we knew that about (Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint when we drafted him, he was tough. And, it’s not just about that, that is a big thing, but when it comes to catching the ball when somebody is draped on you and, ‘I’m going to make a catch when I’m about to get hit,’ and now it’s about blocking a DB or, ‘I’ll block a defensive end.’ Like, Saint takes that stuff personal. If you tell him he’s got to block a D-end on the back side, like he takes that stuff personal because he wants to prove that, ‘I can do that.’ And, (Kalif Raymond) Lif is the same way. Lif is cut that way. So, I think you have to have it in you and once you do, you can really help those guys get even better.” On if a play-caller has to have patience when calling a game: “You do, and you are always thinking that way, but you’ve got to be careful because there is a right time for every play. And, if you call it at the wrong time, you did just waste it. And so, that’s hard, but at the same time, if you hold it too long and then you end up in a spot where now it’s going to do you no good if you did call it, you’re going to regret it. So, you’re playing that game constantly as to when to call something. What time? Where are we at? What hash? And so yeah, you just get in a rhythm. And I stated this, when you’re able to convert on third downs, it really opens up all of the things you can do in your playbook.” LIONS QB TIM BOYLE QUOTE SHEET December 22, 2021 On if it is important to be ready at a moment’s notice as a backup in the NFL: “It is, but that’s quarterback in the NFL. I think that’s every position in the NFL. It’s such a violent, physical sport that you really don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s unfortunate that Jared’s got COVID and obviously he took a shot there in the game, but his toughness came through. But yeah, that’s just kind of the name of the game in the NFL is staying ready. I don’t know who said it, but, ‘You don’t have to mentally get ready if you stay ready.’ I’ve been fortunate to be around some really good quarterbacks who prepare the right way and that’s kind of how I’ve prepared every game moving forward in the NFL.” On the difference in preparation between his first start against the Browns and this week’s game against the Falcons: “In my opinion, it’s kind of night and day. I came off of I think 11 weeks of not throwing a football. And, I was just telling one of our media guys, just the gripping of the football, the confidence in the grip, and you kind of feel some aches and some tightness. But as every week kind of progresses and every day progresses, it gets better and better. So, even today and the past few weeks, just being able to have the confidence in my ability and go out there and get back into the flow of the game and see the coverage and move in the pocket. I mean it’s definitely not doing it for 10 weeks and jumping into a game, not as an excuse, but it really was difficult now being able to reflect on now how I’m out there practicing and how I feel. In my opinion, night and day.” On how he hopes to perform Sunday if he gets the opportunity to start: “I want to win. If I throw for 77 yards again and we win, I don’t really care. I know that’s kind of, ‘Does he actually mean that?’ I mean, yeah. I’m fighting for my first win, as well as our third win, as a starter if I were to be the starter. Yeah, I think Coach (Dan) Campbell put in a great game plan this week. We just put in first and second downs. I love the plan so far. But yeah, I think as I get more reps and I see my ability and it kind of changes a little bit due to my confidence in my throwing ability now that my thumb is getting better. Hopefully, it changes a little bit, but kind of out of my control. So, I’m going to call in the huddle what he calls.” On how much of his first start against the Browns he remembers: “Every snap. Every snap. Every snap is in my head and it’s all – I told you guys after the game, you build on the good and you learn from the bad. I’m certainly – the next time I enter a football game, I’ll certainly have those things at the forefront of my mind moving into the game.” On if he feels like the quarterback who starts Sunday will be auditioning for a starting role: “I don’t necessarily think it’s auditions. I think whoever plays quarterback is expected to go in there and play well and lead the team to a win. That’s my expectation, that’s Jared (Goff)’s expectation, that’s David (Blough)’s expectation, that’s Steven Montez’s expectation. So, whoever gets the opportunity to go play, it’s up to us to go make it happen and go get the win.” On if there is pressure to keep the recent success of the team going: “No, it’s no pressure I don’t think. Unfortunately, we put ourselves in a little bit of a hole from a record standpoint. So, I think we’re going out there right now and just having fun and seeing our potential as a team. I think you guys saw that last week against a really good Cardinals team. And, Coach (Dan) Campbell said that after the game, ‘Now you guys know what it looks like.’ We have key starters all across our roster who are out and we go out and beat the Cardinals. It’s the beautiful part about football is you don’t have to be – the Cardinals are a better team on paper than us, but we were a better team on game day and that’s the beautiful part about football. We’re going to go out there and expect to win against the Falcons. That’s just how football goes and we’re not going in there doing anything different. We’re going to stick to our game plan and go try to win a game.” On if there are any specific areas that he feels he needs to get better in: “I think sticking in the pocket a little bit longer. There were a few situations where it felt like I could have hung in there a little bit more and delivered the ball and progress a little bit. And, just kind of settling into the two-minute and understanding the situation and kind of getting to good plays that I like and making sure that we’re getting completions, we’re trying to put ourselves in a position to get points. I think moving forward, I have a few other things. It’s run checks. It’s mixing up cadence. There are just so many things that I’ve jotted down through that start that I kind of revisit and going to revisit moving forward.” On if he keeps his thoughts in a notebook: “Yeah, all of the positives I think I did that I think I should build on, all of the things where I think I should improve, and those are definitely going to be at the forefront of my mind with my next opportunity.” On how exciting it is as a player to see the playbook develop and see it executed during games: “It’s awesome. (Tight Ends) Coach (Ben) Johnson is awesome, he really is. He’s just a natural football mind. He gets football, he gets soft spots of zones and how to attack certain coverages. But, I think what you’re seeing from our end on offense is just really good game planning. I think our staff does a good job Monday and Tuesday of creating a really good plan that they think can attack. And, I think our head coach said it this morning in our team meeting, ‘Nothing brings more joy to a coach than having the game plan that they create in the long hours of the day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, than have the players bring it to life and go win a football game.’ I can definitely appreciate that as hopefully a future coach. What I think you’re seeing is a lot of creativity, a lot of really good timed play-calls by Coach (Dan) Campbell. But yeah, our staff is doing a really good job. (Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn) A-Lynn, Coach Johnson, (Offensive Quality Control) Tanner (Engstrand) is doing a really good job with the tight ends and obviously our quarterback coach, Coach (Mark) Brunell, has got us locked in. It’s a cumulative effort on everyone’s part.” On how much QB Jared Goff has grown this season: “Jared’s been playing super efficient. I think he was over 80 percent completions last game, which is obviously – when you’re doing that, that’s accurate, that’s good decisions. We talk about in the quarterback room – decision, timing and accuracy. So, I think Jared’s done a really good job I think all season really. I don’t think he’s had a horrible year. I know our record doesn’t reflect that unfortunately, but Jared is a really talented quarterback. And to be honest with you, I really didn’t know what I was coming to when I came to Detroit and getting myself acclimated with Jared. But, the one thing that’s really impressed me with him is his attention to detail every week. It’s tough when you’re on a losing team and it’s week after week and it’s unfortunate and bad bounces here and there, and he’s attacked every week like a true professional and that’s earned my respect, but also his accuracy. He’s a very accurate quarterback and you see it in practice, you see it in games, and any time you complete 80 percent or more, it’s impressive. But yeah, it’s a testament to him. I know he’s going through a lot right now and I know he wishes he was out here. We certainly miss him, but he’s a talented quarterback, he really is.” On if he agrees with the idea that the way teams play is more important than the talent teams play with: “100 percent, and that’s the beauty of football, it really is. You can have – I think Jared (Goff) actually was reminiscing on – I think he played the Jacksonville Jaguars when he was with the Rams maybe a year or two ago, and similar circumstance. Maybe a one or two – I don’t even know the circumstance really, but a one or two-win team with the Jags and they went out to LA and I think they beat the Rams. That’s the beautiful part. Paper doesn’t always match up on game day. We had a lot of heart on Sunday, we really did. We fought, Jared fought, I think Craig (Reynolds) really played a really good game and our coaches pulled together to get us a really good game plan.” On if there are any lingering feelings from his thumb injury: “There’s not a whole lot I’m feeling. It’s more so range of motion. It’s just being able to touch different parts of my hand. That’s kind of how I gauge it. But, definitely affected my grip a little bit on the football. The weird part about the body is when you kind of mess your grip up, then another part of your body that’s not used to gripping the ball like that triggers something else and then that part triggers something else. So, it’s just working through those – re-strengthen, kind of get my range of motion back. I’m feeling really good.” On if his thumb is feeling 100 percent: “Yeah, to be quite honest with you, I don’t think it’s going to be back to normal for probably another year. It’s just how it goes. It’s just how the thumbs go. You guys probably had thumb surgery or thumb injuries, it’s an interesting finger. I’m probably 98 percent. I’m being nitpicky with the pain and all of that stuff, but it’s nothing that’s ever going to hold me back. But, I feel it if that makes sense. I feel it, but it’s not going to hold me back.” On if the quarterbacks have bought Christmas gifts for the offensive line: “In my past, we have. I know it’s been a discussion, but I think there’s a white elephant going down. That will be a fun time, but definitely going to be an interesting few days with all of the interesting personalities we have in this locker room.” On how his thumb felt against the Cleveland Browns: “That’s tough. I probably couldn’t put a number on it. It’s kind of – maybe 95, 96. It’s to a point where it’s not going to hold me back. And, the example I use to people is you know this turf field out here, you get those little rubber beads in your shoe. You walk around and you run around and you feel the beads and they’re annoying and it’s like, ‘I want these beads out of my shoe.’ But, it’s not going to hold you back from running and doing that kind of stuff. So, you see it, you feel it, but it’s not going to hold you back when you do that much.” |
