| September 6, 2024 On if he watched the Chiefs vs. Ravens game: “I did not, but I heard.” On if he had a conversation with Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson or the offensive line after the Ravens received multiple penalties for tackles lining up in the backfield: “Yeah, you do absolutely. So, I made that point this morning because I knew it had come up. I didn’t see it, but I heard about it. And really, that was something that – I know as of the last preseason game this year, they were going to make a point of that. They’ll warn you once and that’s it. There are no more and then they’ll just start flagging them. Our guys know that, and we’ll be ready for it.” On an injury update on Lions DL DJ Reader: “Yeah, he looked pretty good. Now, it’s just a matter of, if he plays, how many can he play? By doing that, will he have the ability to get a little bit more next week, or is it just a setback, or are we just kind of even right now? Which, that’ll be a lot of talking to (Lions Director of Player Health and Performance Brett Fischer) Fisch and (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark, and then certainly Reader himself to see where we’re at. But he’s continuing to get better every day. He took a lot more yesterday which was good.” On if they plan to bring up Lions DL Kyle Peko from the practice squad if Lions DL DJ Reader is limited in the game: “Yeah, we’ll be ready. We have that ability to bring somebody up depending on what happens with Reader, yeah.” On what he saw from Rams DE Braden Fiske in the pre-Draft process: “Yeah, he’s an active, high motor, powerful, explosive player, and he was that in college. That’s what he showed. I mean, he’s a football player. We didn’t see any of the preseason, but the way he plays translates in this League, so I would anticipate a better player already than what we saw on his college tape. There’s a good D-line coach over there, (Rams Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator) Giff (Smith) does a great job and so he’s going to bring it. That whole D-line’s going to bring it. I do, I think it’s a pretty good young unit. You’ve heard me say it already, we’re on day three or four now and I mention them every day, so it’s a talented group. I think he’s going to give you everything he’s got and if you sleep on a play or you don’t give it your all, he can sneak up on you.” On how he has seen the Lions fan base and atmosphere grow over the last several years: “Well I think it correlates certainly with wins. Success, wins, you feel like you’re taking the right steps and I think our fans have seen that. I think they want to know you’re competing, right? You’re competitive and you’re getting better, a little bit better every week, every year, and that gives everybody hope. Then you’re starting to see the fruits of that labor, so that’s where it is now. It’s our job to continue to excite our fan base. I’ve said it before, they’re going to do their part, they’re going to do their part. As long as we handle our business, it’ll be a – this place for us, this city, that stadium, it will be home field advantage. It will, and not every team can say that in this League at their own place.” On what Lions TE Parker Hesse brings to the offense: “Yeah, Hesse’s a – he’s just kind of a – he’s your lunch pail guy. Blue collar, he’s going to do what you ask him to do, he’s going to give it what he’s got, he’s physical, he’s tough, he’s got some versatility. I really do like that room because we know what (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta is and what he brings in the pass game, but there’s so much that he brings in that H-back role too in the run game. Then (Lions TE) Brock (Wright), our blocking Y, he’s going to come up with a big play in the pass game once a game and do all of the other dirty work, protection, things on the line of scrimmage. Then you got Hesse who’s really that traditional fullback, run, H-back, but yet you can put him on the line of scrimmage, kind of run game versatility is what he brings. And then there’s some things on special teams that he can do for us. So, we like him a lot.” On what he thought of Rams RB Blake Corum coming out of college: “Another player we really loved. We had a lot of love for Corum. Brought him in here, we had the local day and all that, got to sit down with him, and of course he was in our backyard, so we certainly got to see a lot of him. A lot of respect for the way he plays the game, his background – he’s just another one of those football playing dudes. Runs hard, he’s smart, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s quick, and he’ll suit them well. He’s going to fit right in over there. Those two backs they got, I think, are going to be a handful.” On what he loves about Lions RB David Montgomery and what he can do to catapult himself to the next echelon: “I would say that could be outside this building, not in this building. That guy, for us offensively, we know the value that he brings for us. This guy is a legit back in this League. It’s that he can do it all. That’s what makes him what he is. The way that he works, he’s all business. You talk about urgency and preparing to play, the way he practices, the way he studies, then every day – he’s the same guy every day out at practice. He works his craft, he gives you all he’s got, he finishes every run, he works on protection, he’s just gotten better and better. He’s a workhorse. He’s a workhorse. He’s going to be there when you need him the most. He’s going to finish games out for you. He can start the game out and give you the tempo you need and the demeanor, set the tone, and then he can finish it out for you as well. I think, for me and for this offense, you have to have two backs that – you need a D-Mo and you need a (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, and if you got that, then you’re cooking with gas.” On his eagerness to see the defense play on Sunday night: “Yeah, I’m very eager, I’m very eager. There’s a lot of excitement with myself, I know the defensive stuff – look, I know the whole team, the whole squad, I know those guys in the locker room that are on that defensive side. They’re ready to show the work that’s been put in and the pieces that have been added and how they all work together. I am. I think this D-line can be the engine that we’ve desperately needed, and I think they will be. With the backers that we’ve got, we got them all back and they’re all damn good players, and then we’ve made the additions in the backend that I think are good for us. I’m pretty excited to see where this team goes. Now look, we know we have a good opponent, we know this quarterback. He’s done it for a long time and he’s one of the best that plays behind center. It’ll be a challenge, but I really do like our match up and I love where our defense is at right now.” On what he sees in Lions LB Jack Campbell that he was not seeing last season: “Just growth, growth and development. I think so much of, when you’re a rookie – look he’s always been a smart player. He was a smart player when he came in this building. But just because you’re smart, you still have to live through a few growing pains as a rookie. Things happen fast and it takes a minute to adapt to the speed and everything that goes along with it. What you see is the game has slowed down for him. Then he’s continued to grow on top of that. Speeds slowed down, he’s been able to take it up another notch in his learning of the game and what offenses are trying to do, and communication piece between he and the guys next to him, the front, the backend. He’s just – he’s another one of those guys that when you talk about, it’s like (Lions RB) David (Montgomery), it’s like (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint, he’s the same guy every day. You watch him practice, you’re going to get everything that he’s got and he’s urgent about it. There’s nothing laughing moments for him. He’s out there for business. It’s all business and he plays that way. We like the steps he’s taken. He’s another guy that’s growing.” On an injury update on Lions S Ifeatu Melifonwu: “He’s better, he’s better. We’ll see. I’m not as optimistic about him, but we’ll see.” |
