| Opening statement: “All right, I hope everybody is doing well. Obviously full speed ahead here on Green Bay. They had an impressive game last night. I thought that team really played well in all three phases, kind of working together to play an extremely difficult Vikings team up there in a hostile environment. It was really impressive, so we have our work cut out for us. We’re just grinding away and getting ready to go, and we’ll go from there. What questions do we have?” On the schedule changes they have made this week with the holidays and if it creates any challenges for the players: “We always try to just take a look and see when the holidays come around and what we can do to work our schedule out. We know everybody has family and trying to celebrate the holidays together. We just basically flip – today’s Wednesday in our world, tomorrow will be Tuesday – if that makes any sense to anybody. We had a good day today just working on the things that we normally do gameplan-wise as far as that’s concerned. Then tomorrow everybody gets a chance to spend some time with their families, and then we’ll be back at it Thursday back in our normal routine.” On if he will spend time with his family tomorrow: “Yes. I will definitely be trying to spend some time with my family.” On why CB Amani Oruwariye has seen his snaps decrease in the past few weeks: “Well, certainly obviously, Rashaan Melvin, Justin Coleman and (Darius) Slay are out there. We roll Amani through based on certain packages that we have. We’ve also played Mike Ford in some certain instances and in some games, we have different safety packages that we use. For all of that it’s just trying to do what we think is best that particular week in the gameplan that we’re in, and some of the packages that we have to try to handle the different offensive looks that we see.” On a New Orleans car dealership offering QB David Blough a car if they beat Green Bay on Sunday: “You got me there. (I’m) totally unaware of any of that – no idea. Probably just for us – I really don’t have any comment on that at all.” LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL CONFERENCE CALL QUOTE SHEETOn what he liked about RB Kerryon Johnson and RB Bo Scarbrough in the backfield together: “I thought in the run game, we were able to do a nice job. I think it might’ve been our best rushing average on the season. There were a couple times – that drive right after half, that we came out and scored a touchdown. I really felt like we were starting to take over the line of scrimmage. I thought both of them ran well. It was really great to see Kerryon back out there. He fought hard to be able to return for us. IT was good to see him – made some nice, had some nice runs for us. I think it’s good for him and good for the future, as well as having Bo.” On G Beau Benzschawel’s growth this season: “He’s kind of got put in that position when you have limited number of guys at that point, that they have to take on more added responsibility. He’s done a nice job with the adjustments that he had to make. I think between (Offensive Line Coach Jeff Davidson) ‘JD’ and Hank (Fraley, Assistant Offensive Line Coach) – I think those guys have worked really well with them. Beau has worked hard at it. He definitely has made himself a viable option in obviously, more than one position now. I think that only helps yourself now for your future.” On what he envisions as the offense’s continuous evolution: “I like to have the full complement of all the guys. I think that’s the first thing – I mean, it’s pretty obvious there. But there’s been changes through the whole season. After Matthew (Stafford) went down, it was definitely different levels of where those guys were at in their development. Jeff (Driskel) has been in the League for a little bit, and then we have David (Blough), who is an undrafted rookie. So you’re not able to do the same things with those guys as you’re able to do with Matt. You’re still trying to help them be put in situations where they could be successful, that they can handle the playbook implementation. It is what it is. Obviously it was a fluid situation for us, to have to make all those adjustments, but not only adjustments with the quarterback but then we had other players go down: running back, receivers, tight ends, linemen. So just trying to make sure to put the best 11 guys out there, get them all playing together and hope we’ll be able to move the ball down the field – however that may be.” On if there are levels of the playbook where they can expand upon it next season: “Yeah, I think that’s how it works. You’re evolving all the time, and you’re evolving really with the players and what their level is and what they can handle. Obviously, with a guy like Matthew (Stafford), he really opens up a lot of things for you just because of the experience that he has, the things that he’s seen from the defensive side of the ball. He can make great adjustments and checks for you, so it all just depends on who you have out there. But yes, there are definitely different levels and things that you’re allowed to do with different players.” On what he has seen from C/G Graham Glasgow this season and what he has brought to the offensive line: “He brings some grumpiness to us up there. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing for the offensive line. It was an adjustment for him moving to guard, but I think he’s handled the position well, and I think it’s been good for Frank (Ragnow) as well moving into the center spot. We had those guys for a while playing together, I thought they were playing pretty well, and Graham is no different. Obviously, there are still things that we’re working on in terms of footwork or things in pass protection – where your help is and who you help. Overall, I think he’s done a nice job.” On what he has seen from QB Kyle Sloter since they signed him: “You know, I’ve seen a guy that’s really just come in and tried to catch up to be able to pick up the things that he needs to pick up, so that if in the event that he had to go in, he would be able to handle those things. I can tell over the last few weeks that the progression has gone well for him because there is a different game plan for him as well if something were to happen to David (Blough), and then he has to go in. We pick and choose those things. We talk to him about what we have in, what he’s comfortable with, so that has grown over the past few weeks. The first week it was a handful of things, now basically he probably can handle the whole game plan that goes in. (He’s done) a nice job there of continuing to improve and learn what we’re doing. I don’t know if we’ll necessarily get to get him in a game situation. We want to continue with David and work with his progression, but Kyle will definitely be ready to go.” On the positives and negatives of having a backup quarterback with a different skill set than the starter: “Yeah, that’s a good question. I think it really is just – obviously, as the coach, you need to understand what the strengths and weaknesses are of your guys and what they’re capable of doing. Then in the event that something happens, that you’re able to make those adjustments, but not only you, obviously there are adjustments for the players as well. You’d like to have obviously the same clone guys, but it doesn’t work that way. When we went from Matthew (Stafford) to Jeff (Driskel), there were obviously skill sets that he had, particularly in the area of running and the things that he could do with his legs, so we tried to accentuate that and bring those out. David’s not in that category in terms of being able to run like Jeff, so you just make those adjustments as well, and try to put David in a position to help him be successful. We’re still continuing to do that – maybe some subtle adjustments even this week that we feel like will put him even in a better position.” On if he likes to have players with similar skill sets: “Well no, I wouldn’t say that. Obviously, it’s easier because the changes are seamless, but I’ve had the same thing in a lot of different places. I want the best players, and whoever those best players are – whether it’s a guy like Russell Wilson or it’s a guy like (Lions) Matthew Stafford, it’s my job to be able to make the necessary adjustments and put those guys in the situation to be successful. That’s a challenge that I enjoy. That’s a challenge that I really like to undertake. I want whoever is going to be the best play for us.” LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR PAUL PASQUALONI CONFERENCE CALL QUOTE SHEETOn how Green Bay has changed since they played them in Week 6: “I think they’re probably quite similar other than the fact that they’re playing so well right now and with so much confidence. I think that since we played them last, they’ve really, really built momentum and confidence. They play together. It’s like they know each other very, very well. That probably wasn’t quite the case when we played them the first time, just based on number of games they have under their belt right now. I think the difference probably would be (that) they were playing at a pretty high level then, they’ll play even better now.” On LB Jahlani Tavai’s rookie season: “He really got better each week. He got better almost every practice. You could see him developing confidence, becoming comfortable in the system, taking over some communication, getting better with technique, fundamentals, getting better with seeing things. He has good vision. When we took him – in the evaluation of him as a college player, we thought he had really good vision. That’s a crucial factor for a linebacker. It’s like the tailback. You can’t have narrow vision. You have to have peripheral vision. He has that, and that was clearly becoming very evident. So we’re very pleased with the progress he’s made, and we’ll look forward to getting him back in the offseason program, and we’ll pick up. He’ll pick up where he left off.” |
