| December 24, 2020 Opening Statement: “Good morning, everyone. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the reports, so I told you we’d get you this information and how all the communication with the League has come back. So unfortunately for the game, myself, Cory Undlin, the defensive coordinator, (Defensive Line Coach) Bo Davis, (Defensive Backs Coach) Steve Gregory and (Linebackers Coach) Ty McKenzie will not be able to coach in the game due to the contact tracing protocols. I know the big questions after that is like, who’s taking over what? So what’s going to happen is Robert Prince, who’s our wide receivers coach, he will take over the head coaching duties, as far as the game management. Our Quarterbacks Coach Sean Ryan, he will call the plays for the offense. (Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis) Evan Rothstein, who has been here for nine years as the head coach assistant and research analyst, will be calling the plays for the defense, and then different guys will be stepping up. Tony Carter, our defensive assistant he’ll work with the defensive backs, which is who he works with now. Our Director of Football Research Dave Corrao will work with the linebackers, and Ty Warren, who is our William Clay Ford Minority Coaching Assistant, he will work with the defensive line. “So obviously, kind of disappointed with how this information came back to us. It’s kind of the times that we’re living in right now, so it was not unexpected, have to be ready for everything, be ready to adjust. We’ll be working with that going into the game on Saturday.” On why Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis Evan Rothstein is calling the defense on Saturday: “Evan has been here for nine years. I think he’s our second-longest tenured guy. As the head coach assistant, he has worked, really, on the offensive side, defensive side and with special teams. But the last couple years with Coach (Matt) Patricia, he’s basically on the defensive side of the ball. He is probably – not probably, he is our most knowledgeable in terms of our defense, what we’re doing really all the way across the board. He is very involved in gameday already, so he’s been in tough situations on gameday, helping with information and communication. So felt that he is the most experienced and will be able to get that done at a high level for us.” On if there’s something about letting the other coaches coach their positions that matters on gameday versus letting one of the defensive coaches call plays: “It really comes down to, just as we look at it – we do have a lot of guys that have a lot of playing experience and some of those guys are young in their coaching experience. But as far as all the orchestration, communication, the knowledge of the ins-and-outs of everything that we’re doing, Evan (Rothstein) has a great feel for that and a great understanding of that. We’ll be able to communicate adjustments that we need. He’ll also be calling it from the box, just so you’re aware there. I think he’ll do a great job.” On if the coaches who are not present on gameday cannot communicate with staff at the game: “There is none of that allowed. No communication at all.” On if he will address the team virtually before the game: “As far as the day-to-day, all the way up to gameday, we’ll be doing our same roles. Again, today I did our normal red-(zone) area installs today. We’re watching practice virtually, we’re talking, making corrections with the coaches after, still have all our meetings, everything is exactly the same. Tomorrow’s meetings will be the same, just will not be able to be there on gameday.” On explaining how the coaches fall into a high-risk close contact category: “Good question there as well. No, it does not mean that we did not have our masks on. Like I said, as far as the contact tracing, particularly on an away game, I think that’s what makes it a challenge. When you’re with the tracers or whatever, it’s the contact time, is basically what they’re going off of. Sometimes obviously, it does depend on the mask – that’s why they make the rule where when we’re on the plan, on the busses, we’re at the hotel, those kinds of things, you’re wearing actually that N-95 (mask) – so some of that. There’s an interview process that the League will call every individual that has been in contact with them, and then they’ll give you those questions, and the questions are: Were you wearing a mask, how long was your time (together), and those kinds of things. A lot of information to be able sift through to get to this.” On if they were wearing masks and it was proximity that caused them to be high-risk close contacts: “I will say, yes. I was wearing my mask, absolutely I was.” On if the other members of his staff were wearing masks: “I think it was all varying different degrees. So I don’t want to speak for those guys.” On if Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis Evan Rothstein being the defensive play caller on Saturday is a result of him being familiar with the defense: “Well I think that’s just the most important part of it. Who’s going to be able to communicate clearly, who has the best handle on the information? Some of that other stuff doesn’t necessarily come into play. Evan is very, very knowledgeable. He’s involved in the gameday operations already, the communication is very crisp and clear with him with some of the game management things that he’s been doing already. So he’s been in some very high-pressure situations already helping, so it felt like a natural one for him.” On what the conversation is like when he tells Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis Evan Rothstein that he will be calling the defensive plays this weekend: “I think there’s probably a lot of emotions that you go through. I mean, I can take you back to when I first got my opportunity to call plays for the first time. At first, you’re super excited, and then all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Well wait a minute, I’m calling plays in an NFL game. I haven’t done this before.’ So, the guys that will be doing it, Sean (Ryan, quarterbacks coach) and Evan, I mean they prepare, and they’ll prepare all the way up to the minute of the game. I’m going to meet with Sean these next couple of days as well to continue even ours – Sean hasn’t called plays in a game as well, but I’m confident in what those guys know and how they’ll be able to handle this.” On if there was consideration into making Wide Receivers Coach Robert Prince the offensive coordinator since he has experience there and making another assistant coach the interim head coach: “Truthfully, I have a great offensive staff, number one, and there’s a lot of guys on the offensive side of the ball that I have total confidence in. Really, to me, what it came down to was I’ve been prepping Sean (Ryan, quarterbacks coach) for this for a little while. Sean and I work hand-in-hand in terms of the day-to-day operation, and I think the communication with the quarterback is super important in this. That’s a guy that speaks to him every day, so he already hears that voice (and) that kind of familiarity with that. Obviously, I think Robert Prince would do a great job in there as well and that’s why he’s going to be making the decisions on gameday and not calling the plays. He’s in that head coach role where going for it and those kind of things, ‘Are we going to no-huddle this situation? Are we going to go for it on fourth down? Are we going to do any fakes?’ Those kinds of decisions will come down to Robert.” On what gameday will look like for him: “I might need to find a place to watch it by myself. I mean, I can’t even tell you what it’s going to be like. I know what it was like sitting out but sitting out and knowing that I’m just totally disappointed that I can’t be there, and I want to be there for my guys and all the respect that I have for these players. I’ll be a mad man, I think. I’ll be jumping up and down. I’ll be less calm than I am on gameday.” On what missing this game is like on a personal level: “Like I said, it’s super disappointing. I’m frustrated. Since we’ve started, I’ve tested negative. So, there’s that whole part of it. You don’t quite understand all the stuff that goes along with it, then there’s that drive that you want to be there. I feel exactly as Matthew (Stafford) does; I want to be there for my guys. I feel like I’m letting them down by not being there and all those emotions are things that you’re going through.” On if the Lions tried to postpone the game and if the team is surprised the NFL did not allow them to do so: “I know that we did push to have things that could help us. Again, it’s between the League and the club on that. Like I said, I am disappointed. I know if the game was on Sunday I would be there because the timeframe would be up, and really, all these coaches would be able to be there. So, I think that’s the most disappointing part. But we’ve got to go with what they’re telling us.” On if he thinks the Lions’ record had anything to do with the NFL not postponing the game: “I really couldn’t speculate on that.” On what the team is doing this week to prepare coaches for roles that they’ve never had: “Well, all of those guys have been on headsets. All of those guys have communicated on gamedays, so that specific part of it won’t be an issue. Obviously during this week during practice, calling plays into the walkie-talkie that we have, which will convert to the headset on gameday. So, doing that kind of stuff. But the preparation is really behind the scenes. We still have to game-plan within these next two days. I know that Cory’s (Undlin) been meeting with Evan (Rothstein, head coach assistant/research & analysis). I’ll be meeting with Sean (Ryan, quarterbacks coach), and then at the end of the week – actually, tomorrow night – I will meet with Evan and ‘RP’ (Wide Receivers Coach Robert Prince) and Sean, all of us together, like a coordinators meeting and we’ll go over all game situations. We’ll talk through all the scenarios; we’ll talk through the communication. There’s going to be some things that I’m going to do with Sean to help him. It’s almost like practice calling a game, and I know that Cory’s doing the same deal. So, we’ll make sure these guys are as prepared as they can be.” On the decision to put specific coaches in new roles this week: “Yeah, I had communication with Rod (Wood, President & CEO) and the leadership group. They did ask, obviously, my opinion and then I also met with Cory (Undlin) and the defensive staff. These are important decisions, to be able to put guys in those roles that will give us a chance to be successful and help us the most on gameday. This is what we thought was the best for all those guys and for the team in those roles.” |
