Opening Statement: “Today will be really more, I guess, Colts-focused. We’ll do a little Detroit versus Detroit, but more of it’s going to be kind of—we’re getting ready for Indy on Friday, just for today. So, I’ll open it up for questions.” On emulating game prep during practice this week: “A little bit. Like I said, it’s a short week, so it’s hard to do. Normally we would do that but because we’re on a short week, we’ve had to kind of alter it just a tick. So, we’re trying to back the schedule down. They get out a little bit on a more normal time. They’ll be done 5:30-ish instead of 7:30 like camp is. So, we’re officially—I guess—kind of in in-season mode, if you will. But the practices will be a little bit different.” On if the team has begun preparation for San Francisco: “For the 49ers? Yeah, to me we’re not—our coaches have already begun. They’ve gathered thoughts, that’s the best way to say it. But like, I don’t even want us focusing on them right now. Like to me, that is—as far as our team is concerned—that major focus will come after the Colts. That’s when we’ll begin a little bit. And I’ll be honest with you, that might not even begin until the end of the week before they’re off, or maybe even when they get back. I want our focus to be Detroit versus Detroit. We need to get better at what we do before we worry about San Francisco.” On how many roster spots are still up for grabs: “Man, that’s a good question. There’s—I think receiver is really interesting right now. I think the receiver position within itself, for those spots, is very much in play right now. I think—I have a pretty good feel myself of most of the guys. There are still a few here and there. I would say probably 80% of the roster, of the 53, we have an idea about. But there’s still a lot at play at different positions, receiver being one of them.” On TE T.J. Hockenson’s preparation level for the season with limited reps in recent practices: “Yeah, I mean it is a little tricky and I do worry about it a little bit. But, I will say this – here’s the good news— Hockenson doesn’t worry me as much because he really got a good almost two weeks of training camp. So, he has a good base under him. I think he can get to where we need him to get to relatively quickly, especially once he comes off of this AC and we get him back next week. He’ll do a little bit today, but we get him back next week and will really load him up. And then they’ll have that three days off and we’ll get ready for San Francisco. So, I think he’ll be OK. The ones that concern me a little bit are the ones who haven’t got much practice. (D’Andre) Swift concerns me a little bit just with getting his wind back and being able to take a load, how much can he handle, where he’s at. He’ll be out here today too. He’ll be more involved than he’s been, but those are the ones to be honest with you. But it’s always a challenge, yes.” On how the team is doing with COVID-19 vaccinations with breakthrough cases popping up around the League: “Well, we’ve gotten a couple more done, so I guess if a couple—it’s better. It’s better but only by a couple. But it’s plateaued because we had a lot of guys that had gotten it done before that time. We’re still trending in the right way, but it’s not like we’ve had a huge number of guys who have—you know—gotten the vaccine since then.” On if he is concerned that COVID-19 restrictions will affect player availability during the season: “Well really, I feel pretty good because—what I think of is last year. That was—that’s where my baseline is at, like, ‘Oh my God.’ Last year, you have one guy and he tests positive and he’s been next to somebody who has no symptoms and you lose all those guys. I mean, we lost all of our running backs last game of the year, thank God it wasn’t to get into the playoffs or something. But we went in and our tight ends were playing halfback, and protection. So to me, when I see that and I think about this year and knowing that we have a ton of the team has been vaccinated, man it makes me feel pretty good. I’m like, ‘OK.’ I feel like we at least have—that we’re on level-playing ground with some of the other teams that have our vaccination numbers. So actually, I feel pretty good about it.” On if unvaccinated players are decided on not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: “I think that’s a good way to put it. If it hadn’t happened by now, they’re pretty dug in. That’s a good way to put it, and it’s just – listen, that’s their choice. That’s how they feel and their belief and we gave them all of the resources and all of the research and everything we could that had nothing to do with us, Detroit Lions, or not even the NFL. We try to give them the proper information to where they can make the best judgement possible. That’s up to them.” On the absence of DE Da’Shawn Hand: “He had gotten his groin a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, it ended up being a little more than we thought it would be. He’s going to be out here for a little bit. There again, we’re kind of hoping this thing – maybe we get him back before the season starts, but we will see where it goes.” On the progression of RB D’Andre Swift through his injury: “Having him back and some of those – yeah, look, I’ll state the obvious here; he’s got ability and there are things that we feel like we can do with him offensively that would really benefit us, but we don’t know if he’s going to be there. We don’t know if he will be there. We don’t know, even if he is, how much we’re going to be able to get out of him and until we can get him out to practice and on a consistent basis, we won’t know that. That’s just really the truth of it. That’s where we’re at.” On if he prefers his defense to be more aggressive than conservative in its play style: “I think that I would tend to be more aggressive than I would be conservative. I want those guys to cut it loose. Nobody wants to give up an explosive play. No head coach wants that for their defense, but if you’re asking me, I would rather them be aggressive, get in their face and let’s go to work and do what you’re coached to do. If we give up a couple here, and what I mean by that is penalties because we’re aggressive, then I’m willing to take that. With (Jeff) Okudah, he felt like there was a dagger coming and so he’s guessing. ‘Just play your keys. Do what (Defensive Backs/Pass Game Coordinator Aubrey Pleasant) AP taught you, what he taught you to do, and we’ll be just fine.’ He’ll do that and as long as he does that, we won’t have a problem. But I would rather be aggressive than conservative.” On how CB Jeff Okudah improved throughout the game after giving up a big play in last Saturday’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers: “One of the things I wrote in my notes, ‘The kid came back.’ That’s important. It’s huge because those guys have to have a short memory. Quarterbacks and cornerbacks have to have a short memory, because you know what? Plays are going to happen. You are going to get beat every once in a while. For him to come back, he made a hell of a tackle there at the end, which you are talking about, and then that break-up in the end zone. I thought that was a heck of a job coming back. That’s what you want, man. You don’t want to see your – I don’t want to see our defensive back sulking and kicking the dirt and – if that happens, ‘Next play, let’s go.’ All of the good ones do that. That’s like in basketball taking the last shot. Michael Jordan, he’s just going to take it one more. ‘I’m going to take it again. I’m going to take it again because I am the best.’ That’s what you want out of your guys.” On if he likes the new schedule for reducing the roster size: “I don’t like any of the cuts. It’s better, I guess, than the old system. (Expletive) I don’t know, I guess so. I don’t know, I guess it’s better. Here’s what I do like, I know that we’re going into the last preseason game and we’ll have 80 guys, an 80-man roster. That helps significantly, I know that.” |
