October 9, 2024
Opening Statement: “Really can speak on yesterday was, like I said, it was base, second down, getting ready for Dallas, and then today they’re off recovering. We’re beginning on third down and red zone, and we’ll have it ready for them tomorrow and we’ll get a couple of good days left and then we roll out to Dallas.”
On if Lions WR Tim Patrick has solidified the wide receiver corps: “He gets better and better every week and one of the things I love about Tim Patrick, and I’d put (Lions WR) Allen Robinson (II) in the same boat – I’m glad both of those guys are here by the way – is they act like, just in the way that they handle their business, that they’re still young players. And what I mean by that is they want – ‘Give me the coaching. Well, how do you want it? What is this? What’s the – just give me all the little details to this, tell me exactly how you want it.’ They’re very coachable. There’s no, ‘You know I’ve played in this League eight years, 10 years, I know what I’m doing, I don’t need you.’ There’s no entitlement whatsoever. These guys just come in and they work their rear off, and they want it. They help out across the board not only for us, but also on the scout team. But to your point with Tim, yeah, I feel like he’s gotten better and better every week. He brings a skillset that we need in that room that’s different and there’s a place for him here. I know he’s gaining the trust of us offensively but also (Lions QB Jared) Goff. And yes, you asked, yes, the trust is getting there quickly.”
On what the next three weeks look like for Lions OL Christian Mahogany and how much ground he has to make up: “Yeah, I think, I answered this a minute ago. I think we just need to see improvement. We need to see that he’s improving every day, every week. He’s got 21 days here and like I said yesterday, he looked like that was his first day to practice. It’s like his first practice and his first NFL practice, which you would expect. So, tomorrow, just a little bit better. Friday, a little bit better. Then we just need to see this improvement from him and then we’ll assess it after that. But I think if he shows that he’s just taking these steady steps it may be hard not to want to put him on the roster, but we’ll see. I can’t answer that just right now.”
On how Lions LB Trevor Nowaske fits into the SAM linebacker role with Lions LB Derrick Barnes being on Reserve/Injured: “Yep, we like Now. We were fired up to get him back here. And certainly, that’s the role that we see him in is that SAM linebacker, some of the X on the third down position. So, I think yes there’s a place for him there and we just keep working with him. That’s the best way to say it. He’s still a young player, he’s a developing player, and I think the best way to answer – we’re going to need all those guys and we’re going to use everything in our arsenal, especially in the linebacker room.”
On if Lions G Kayode Awosika’s performance in Week 4 refreshed their confidence in the offensive line depth: “Yeah, it’s always good to be able to verify that we trust Yode, we feel like he can step in when we need him, and he did it once again. For (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow) to go in at center and not miss a beat, I mean he was 100 percent on the calls, thought he went in there and produced for us. And then for Yode to step up and guard. But like I said, Yode’s played in as big a game as anybody has here. He’s played in the playoff games that we had here. And so, I thought he went in and did a solid job for us. So that does give you comfort, makes you feel good that the depth is real, it’s still there and next man up and here we go.”
On the benefit of having a player’s day off on Wednesday instead of Tuesday this week: “Well it only comes up on these. We had more of them last year because you had those, you start the season on a Thursday game and then you come off a bye, and then it’s – and so when you’re able to have these longer weeks, that’s really where it comes up. After Thanksgiving, something like that. I just think it – for us as a staff, we’re going to have plenty of time to prepare, so you don’t need to worry about that, and for the players, you get a day to prime them back up off a lot of days off, a few days off, and so you’ve primed them up and then the next day you’re ready to give them the install or get them ready for the opponent, and so you’ve got two good days of work, and one of those like yesterday was a padded day for us. A longer practice, pads, we get real good looks, and then you get a day off. So, I just think it helps their recovery so you just – it’s better-quality work, it’s more efficient, but it helps recovery. And we just can’t do it all the time, but I like it, and I think the players like it.”
On what makes Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb tough to defend and how important it is to keep him in check: “It’s very important. He’s a point of emphasis. Everything starts with this quarterback and with him. That’s the – that’s what it starts with their offense, that’s what it starts with their team. And so yeah, we have got to keep him in check. We cannot let him go off because he’s a dangerous receiver. And I will tell you I think what makes him – first of all, he’s – you can tell by the way he plays, he’s highly intelligent. They move him everywhere, like he understands ball. He understands it. He’s crafty, but I think he’s got body control and balance and everything about what he – it’s very smooth, it’s very efficient. You don’t know just – he runs these routes, these stems, and you don’t know, ‘Is he going in? Is he going out?’ Makes a play. You saw him on the sideline on the toe tap over there in the Pittsburgh game, but he’s just got this rare body control. And then, he’s very aware of his surroundings, so he makes this play, and he knows where you’re at and so then his run after catch, his transition, very much like (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint in that way. He’s very aware of where you’re at, where the tackler’s at and he’s got eyes in the back of his head. So, to be able to avoid the tackler and make something happen, and that’s where he’s dangerous on the stems and the routes, he’s dangerous in run after catch and that’s why. It’s two-fold.”
On what he sees out of the Cowboys’ secondary and what makes them difficult to beat: “I think what you see is an improving defense, that’s what makes them dangerous. Every week, you heard all this stuff early in the year, and I get it. Baltimore, New Orleans, but what you’ve seen in the last two weeks – this is a stingy defense and they play hard, they’re gap sound, everybody plays their responsibilities, it’s a run and hit defense, you have (Cowboys LB Eric Kendricks) 50 there in the middle who runs the show, he and (Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer) Zim go way back, they know each other, he knows what he wants in that defense. I’ve talked about (Cowboys LB DeMarvion) Overshown, (Cowboys S Donovan Wilson) number six is an aggressive player, (Cowboys S Malik) Hooker, you have (Cowboys CB Trevon) Diggs outside. Then this D-line, I know they’ve been hurt but man, these guys over the last two weeks, just watch them play. And they play hard. So, they’re out working people is what they’re doing. That’s what they’ve been doing the last two weeks.”
On if Cowboys DE Micah Parsons not playing impacts the Cowboys: “Yes it impacts them. But I would say it’s – you have to have an answer for Parsons. You have to have an answer for him, but if he’s not there, he really hasn’t been there the last two weeks and they’re playing pretty dang good. So, it takes that threat out of there but yet what I’m telling you is just turn on the tape. Watch the tape, look at the stats. I mean, they’re playing good ball. You better be ready is the point. We have to be ready.”
| On what it was like playing against Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense in practice when he played for Dallas: “It’s what you would think. Those guys play hard, they’re physical, they’re violent, he gets after them. And third down, he’s the master of manipulating protections. He’s always been that way. To me, he was one of the geneses of the Double A. He kind of, this whole third down package, seven threats, Double A, where’s is coming from, so he’s always been able to do that is beat them back, shut down the run game, get them in third down and then let’s make them overload the protection and you get a free runner, you hit the quarterback and bad things happen.” |
