LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON QUOTE SHEET
January 11, 2024
On what it means to have five head coach interview requests and be acknowledged by teams: “It’s – it’s awesome. Quite an honor. But honestly, I haven’t thought about it beyond anything that’s going on this week, so just leave it at that for right now.”
On if he will take all five head coach interview requests: “Don’t know, yeah.”
On what he has learned from Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell about being a good head coach: “That’s a great one. Listen, he’s the best leader I’ve been around, I think regardless of whichever sport I’ve been a part of. It’s really impressive what he’s been able to do. Being true to himself, demanding, he’s results-driven, but yet his way of delivering a message and getting it across, what to say, how to say it at the right time. I mean, it’s really unique and it’s special. I think it’s hard to replicate, to be honest with you. But more than anything, it’s really just being comfortable in his own skin and trusting and empowering those around him. He’s created an environment here as coordinators, as position coaches, as players that we’re very comfortable and it helps us be the best that we can be at our jobs.”
On the key to preparing for defensive tackles like Rams DT Aaron Donald and how he differs from a player who is all over like Cowboys LB Micah Parsons: “Yeah, so this one is – it’s different because most of the guys we faced this year that were super dynamic, like Donald, were edge guys that would sometimes line up inside. And then this week, it’s certainly, he’s at a three-technique quite a bit. Third down, they’ll move him around. But the combination of him with this rookie has been probably the best defensive tackle tandem we’ve faced all year, so it is, it’s different. Feel good about the plan that we have going in right now. And listen, you try to minimize his opportunities to get one-on-ones, but it’s hard, it’s hard. I think that’s – he feasts almost every week by getting one-on-one matchups and beating the guy across from him, so we will be very much aware of where he is on the field and try to adjust accordingly.”
On how much Rams DB Jordan Fuller means to their defense: “Yeah, I don’t know exactly. But certainly, he has had a lot of ball production that we’re conscious of. He’s in the poster, he’s the high safety more often than not and (Rams DB John Johnson III) 43 is the one that comes down, so he does have great vision. He understands patterns and gets a jump on routes ahead of time, so we’ve got to be conscious – if he is out there, I know he’ll know what we’ve put on tape so far and he’ll be a step ahead of us.”
On how he feels the run game finished the season: “Last game wasn’t quite where we wanted it and then the week before against Dallas was a little bit disappointing. For the second half of this season, really since the bye week, we’ve been trending the right direction. Last two games were not what we want. Last week, we were mistargeted and not – our communication was off too much and so we’re looking to fix that right now.”
On how they can fix the issues they have had in the run game the last few weeks: “Gameplan-wise, maybe it’s a little bit less complexity and then volume certainly plays a part in that. We feel like we have a good number going into each game and we’re just conscious if defense presents us with a lot of looks, maybe we need to scale back that number just a little bit, so as a coaching staff, that’s what we’re looking at. The guys up front, they’re pros. They take a lot of pride in being right and being targeted correctly each and every time. And so, it’s really on us as a coaching staff just to get the right mix.”
On if anything changes in the offensive gameplan with Lions TEs Brock Wright and James Mitchell if Lions TE Sam LaPorta is unable to play: “Yeah, I mean we’re always going to do what those guys do best. Whoever we have out there. LaPorta’s got a little bit different skillset than the rest of those guys. And really, frankly, with the rest of the League he’s – he’s awesome. So, yeah, if he can’t go, then those other guys, they’ll have to step up and maybe we just ask them to do a little bit different jobs than what we’ve done with Sam, but it’ll be great potentially getting Brock back here this week. He has been a – quietly, over the last few years, a key cog in what we do offensively.”
On what he has seen in Lions TE James Mitchell’s development: “Shoot, he’s like all the rest of these young guys. It’s every single game, the more reps he’s getting, he’s getting better each and every week. So, the arrow’s pointing up with him and it’s just been a matter of getting him reps. He’s had (Lions TE) Sam (LaPorta) and he’s had (Lions TE) Brock (Wright) ahead of him, so it’s been a little bit challenging early in the season.”
On what he has seen on film from Rams LB Ernest Jones and what he brings to the Rams defense: “Those guys are playing really good ball. And so, I think that’s really the strength of their defense is between the backers and between the two defensive tackles, those are the guys that jump off the tape the most. The defensive tackles wreak enough havoc to where those linebackers are playing sideline-to-sideline. They’re really well-coached. This is a really good scheme that (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Raheem (Morris)’s got going on with them, so they make everything look the same, for the most part, pre-snap. It’s hard to get too many tells on them. And so, you can tell the backers are really feasting on that system.”
On how much confidence he gets in the offense having the most veteran experience on the offensive line and at the quarterback position: “Yeah, I mean, (Lions QB) Jared (Goff)’s played in big games throughout his career and so he really doesn’t bat an eye as we transition into the postseason now. And then the guys upfront, they’ve played a ton of games, whether national championships in college, or now the postseason in the NFL, but feel really good about having solidified that offensive line over the course of the season and getting those guys to where they feel gelled and on the same page with whatever we ask them to do.”
On what this opportunity to coach in the playoffs means to him and how he makes sure he takes advantage of this opportunity: “Yeah, I think (Lions Head) Coach (Dan Campbell) made the comment earlier this week that it’s important that we don’t press, but we still are looking to be productive. So, I think that’s the biggest thing, it’s still – it’s just our next game on our schedule right now and not to try to squeeze too tight to where it backfires on us. So, I think the urgency and the intensity is right where it needs to be, but yet we still have the looseness about us right now, at least what I’m observing at practice and walkthrough and meetings that we’ll be able to play and have some fun.”
On why it was important for him to get Lions WR Josh Reynolds his contract incentive on Sunday: “Yeah, I mean, it was something we had talked about early in the week. Truthfully, I thought it would be a little bit easier. I mean, (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown makes an incredible play, the 70-yard touchdown. I have never been more disappointed on a 70-yard touchdown in my life. I mean, I’m walking away and I’ve got half the team, they’re like, ‘What’s his problem?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, well I was trying to get Josh the ball to—.’ So, we had practiced the play all week with Josh on the outside and Saint on the inside and then I’m thinking, ‘Oh, well let’s get him as a primary receiver to get us there.’ And then they give us a coverage that was a little bit different and (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) did a heck of a job adjusting. And so, no, it’s awesome. It starts with the head coach. He knows how important that is for those guys. Particularly, I think he mentioned it after the game, Josh has flown under the radar all season long and doesn’t bat an eye. Is he the top target? No, but is he the two? Is he the three? And it really doesn’t matter to him. He comes out, he plays hard, we know what we’re going to get in the run game each and every day with him. And as much as I wish he had 1,000 yards, he got 600 and it’s a great incentive for him, so I’m really happy for him.”
LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN QUOTE SHEET
January 11, 2024
Opening Statement: “Really good way to end a season last week, beating a really good team. Coming out, hopefully guys that are nicked up will be ready to go, so man we’re looking forward to this, we’re looking forward to it. It’s new to some guys, but it’s a walk in the park for other guys that have been there, so our guys – our young guys are leaning on that, leaning on the older guys that have been there. And again, like I said, we’re looking forward to it.”
On how it feels to have multiple teams request him for head coach interviews and be acknowledged: “Well, listen, I’m flattered by the interview requests, I really am. And man, I do not want this to sound like coach-speak, but I try to focus on the main thing for this team, for this organization, because this is a big deal for us. And to be able to go out there and beat this team, which is a good team, is huge. So, I will be honest – I’m going to be honest with you, man I’m really, really focused on how we’re going to play defensively against this team and then, as a whole, alright, as an overall team, how do we make sure we complement each other and go out there and try to win this game. Because we’re in the tournament and we all know it. It doesn’t matter. Just get in the tournament. We’re at where we’re at. I’ve always learned that under (former Cowboys Head Coach) Bill Parcells, just in the freaking tournament and anything can happen after that. We’re in it and we’re ready to go.”
On if he will take all four of his interview requests: “Will I take them all? I mean, yeah.”
On the biggest thing he learned about being a head coach from Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell: “The number one thing I think is important is, man just the collaboration with the GM and the owner. And making sure that, that vision, that collective vision is the same because once that’s intact and you keep – all three of you guys, or women, are saying the same thing, that feeds down to the staff, then that feeds down to the players. And man, they just hear the same vision over and over again and you talk about coach. A coach is about people, and you bring the right people in, you’re going to have the right culture.”
On the challenges a young defense faces when competing against offenses who use turbo-motion: “The communication, first and foremost, and exactly how do you want to handle those turbos. And everybody handles them different. And we actually handle those by week because we want to make sure we put ourselves in the best position on how to handle those. But what they do a really good job of, they use that to protect the edge of the defense for the most part. So, any type of edge pressure either slows you down, or they’re going to end up blocking you for the most part. So, we have to be smart in exactly how we operate and how we attack this team. And also, they condense you to get you out – to get out in the perimeter also. So, once they condense you, then they condense, then you condense and then they just create space. In the passing game for deep-overs and in the run game for any type of toss plays. So, we have to understand that, first and foremost, and understand how we’re going to attack that and be good and be effective in what we do.”
On what Rams RB Kyren Williams brings to the Rams offense and his ability to run the football and execute play-action off his run game: “Well, for him himself, I actually showed couple of clips to all the defense. Even though he’s a guy that’s – some people say smaller stature, he’s not just a small guy. He does a really good job of breaking tackles. That’s why we have to be the best tackling team throughout these playoffs, because of that. Every team that you’re playing is a team that does a really good job of breaking tackles. But this team in particular, with the receivers and with the running back, that we’ve got to do a good job of. So, he’s tough. He’s powerful. He has this stiff arm that’s effective and we’ve got to understand that. So, we have to make sure that we wrap up and have population to the ball with this player.”
On how the Rams offense has evolved throughout the season with the consistency of Rams WR Puka Nacua alongside Rams WR Cooper Kupp: “Well, they have two good players. And when you’re a good player, you don’t really see the drop off as much. So, he’s here to stay and we have to deal with him, which we will, alright with all those guys. And that’s just what it is. Listen, we’ve played against good players throughout this season. It’s no different than these guys, so we’re going to attack him the way we attack him and we’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
On if the number of snaps Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson took against the Vikings is because they were trying to break him in after injury or if it will be the number of snaps he will play going forward: “Well, it’s probably a lot of snaps for him, but he was ready to play. And I think, between all three of our safeties, all averaged around that 47 plays, which is, I think, is a really good deal to have good players in the game. So, listen, we have wrinkles for all those guys and you’ll see how it all plays out.”
On how much his coaching style has grown over the past two years: “Listen, I – I feel like I grow every year in different aspects of just the NFL in general. Number one, as a play-caller, number two, of understanding the big picture from, not just a coordinator perspective, but from a head coach. And (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) does a really good job of filling me in and allowing me to (give) my thoughts to him on different situations that are happening and how would I handle it. So, just hats off to him. And it’s a reason why, that you have a coaching staff like we do. With even our younger guys are ascending because of the way that he operates. And a lot of that comes from how (Broncos Head) Coach (Sean) Payton used to handle us back in New Orleans. So, man, there are a lot of different ways that I’ve grown and it’s too much to actually sit here and talk about, but understanding how to collaborate with the GM, understanding how to speak with your owner and more or less, understanding how to relate with your players, which is not an issue for me at all, because I’m just going to be myself. And I think that’s one thing that the players see is listen, I’m no fake. And the thing that players do, they can point out a fake and there’s nothing fake about me.”
On what he has to see in Lions LB James Houston to feel confident that he is ready to come back from his injury: “Practice. That’s it, go out and practice and see how effective you can be. If you’re effective, then we’ll put you in there and let you play.”
On how he feels they have handled tackling throughout the season: “Listen, I think we’ve been a pretty good tackling team, for the most part. But when you see teams like – when you see players like, (Rams WR) Puka (Nacua), you see players like, (Rams RB Kyren) Williams, man we just have to emphasize that and let it be known. Because sometimes, when you don’t really just think about it for the most part because you’re really – you’re pretty good at it, sometimes that can be – it can slip away. Alright, so I want to make sure that’s emphasized and show these clips. Listen, look at these guys now. Just because he’s a smaller-stature guy, man he has a strong lower body, same thing with Puka, a strong lower body. And everybody that I’ve talked to, that’s the number one thing that they say is, ‘Man don’t be surprised by the way that these guys break tackles.’ And it shows up on tape.”
On how important it is that the linebackers are able to diagnose a run play quickly to attack running backs: “Well, that’s one thing that we do and we talk about all the time, as far as, man how does their offensive line block? Are they showing us drop back? Are they showing us play-action? And they do a good job because I’ll tell you what, those two guards they have, I mean they’re powerful men and they do come off the ball. So, you’re right, we have to be really good at being able to diagnose that, get back into our zones and being able to read the quarterback in play. But listen, we’re always going to mix up our coverages. We’re not just always going to be in zone coverage. We have man concepts that we utilize quite a bit, and we do everything we can to try to affect this quarterback.”
On how he thinks Rams QB Matthew Stafford has evolved: “He’s a good player, that’s it. And we’ve got good players too. So, good player against good player, let’s go.”
On why he thinks Rams WR Puka Nacua has been able to have success his rookie season: “You’ve got to go ask their staff. He’ll tell you that – the thing I just know, he’s been breaking tackles and been catching a lot of balls and the quarterback trusts him. So, that’s all we need to know. And he’s a guy that we have to target, and we will target that player.”
On what he has seen from Lions LB Jack Campbell the last month: “The same thing I’ve been telling you guys every week about this player. He’s a damn good player, it’s the reason why we drafted him. And he’s going to be a good player for us for a long time.”
On why Lions DL Romeo Okwara has done well these past few weeks and has been able to overcome his injury: “You know what? I think that’s a good point. I think that has a lot to do with it. I think he’s feeling much better from the injury. And listen, everybody’s different and they talk about that Achilles injury, sometimes it takes you a year – maybe a year and a half to really get over that and get moving and I’ll tell you what, he’s helping us out a lot. And you see his rep count really go up. And then putting him into packages to where he can be free, try to go one-on-one and get to the quarterback. So, we’ll continue to do that, and man I’m happy for that player. I really am, because he’s starting to see himself as a guy that can affect the game and we’re going to put him in position to do that.”
LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET
January 11, 2024
On how he can explain what is takes to win in the playoffs having won a Super Bowl: “Yeah, I think my favorite thing about the playoffs, and really I think this is what it takes is – my favorite thing about the playoffs and everybody, every coach says it every single year, and they say it most games that they play in, but the truth in this one is you’ve got to find a way to win one game. And it’s against those guys, it’s going to be Sunday night at eight o’clock and you’ve only got to play them one time and you’ve just got to find a way to win that one game. And I think it’s really what makes this time of great because you get to – I mean you’re not worried about, ‘What look did I show this week? What look do I want to show the next week?’ None of that. You’re just worried about, ‘OK, how can we do this one game on this one night.’ And I really think that’s the key to the playoffs is just take it one game at a time and then as soon as you take care of that game, you get a chance to play again and then everything goes. And you feel it, it’s everything from every coach, every player, the building, I mean it’s all in on that one game. And so, I think there’s just a real fine focus and I think when you treat it that way then all of a sudden, you’re looking up and you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ And it’s come, it’s gone, and you reached your dreams or whatever.”
On how to tell the players to look at the big picture in the playoffs: “Yeah, I think – the other thing for me, this time of year, this is like – I said this to the players the other day, but this time of year to me is great. It’s not like I ever prepared for a test when I was in college, you guys know that. But maybe when I was taking that test to become a private pilot and I said, ‘OK.’ I mean I was ready, and it was like, OK, now it’s time to take the test, well, you’re ready to go. When you know you’re prepared and you’re ready, you’re fired up, you can’t wait. You’re excited to do it, let’s go and let’s take the test and knock it out. And I think to me, that’s what this time of year is. We build up and we learn lessons throughout the course of the year and the whole goal every week is to try to get a little bit better and improve individually and collectively as a whole and learn lessons along the way and learn lessons from other teams in the League on other plays that you’ve seen that are out there. And then this time of year to me is like, ‘Hey, man, now it’s time to just cut it loose and go have fun and play, and really enjoy the moment.’ And you’ve got to execute, but you have to do that every single week and you’ve got to focus on your job, and I think sometimes that can get guys. I had a player tell me one time who had won a Super Bowl before we had and he said, ‘Really it comes down to it’s the team that executes the best that wins the game. And it’s that one play where one guy didn’t do it right and it’s really the team that can make the fewest mistakes.’”
On if a decision has been made of who will return punts if Lions WR Kalif Raymond is out with an injury: “No, I mean I think there’s still some things with the roster depending on injures and whatnot and who can come up, who could come down for us. Obviously, we’ve got (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta is well-documented, Leaf’s situation. Where is he at? For us, it’ll be the best player for our football team that we have available to us to use that we think can also manage the roles. So, guys like (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown, could he do that? It’s possible. He’s been an emergency returner for us all season long. Obviously, we’ve got (Lions WR) Donovan (Peoples-Jones) who did it in Cleveland, so that could be an option. And then you’ve got (Lions WR Maurice) Mo Alexander on the practice squad if we’re able to get him up, he’d be a great option. He’s a great player. So, anyway, it’ll be one of those.”
On what the Rams do well on special teams beyond what the stats show: “Yeah, well, number one I would say in any given game anything can happen. We all know that. So really, throw out the numbers. In all these games, it just comes down to any one play and at any moment, any guy can make a play. And then I do think, not to go on forever about it, I know we’ve talked statistics in here, but I really do think statistically – the traditional statistics on special teams are not worth a whole lot right. Kickoff, kickoff return, these numbers, they’re influenced by – somebody’s drive start is based off, well they had a post-safety play, and they were kicking off from the 20. Well, the average drive start after that play is the 40 and they only had 10 returns on the season and one of them they got back to the 40, well then it looks like they did a good job. In the old days, when there were a bunch of plays that played out, well then that would average out of there and kind of help alleviate that or make that dissipate. And it’s the same thing with the punt game, so I do feel like the statistics aren’t necessarily a great indicator of how a team is. I know this, they’ve got some big rushers on their punt team. They’ve got a bunch of big guys. They run a 3-4 system, so they’ve got a bunch of outside linebackers, big-body types. That’s a challenge. On the inside for us, we’ve got to do a great job in protection. They rush hard and they sometimes have got (Rams DT Aaron) Donald rushing. And 91 (Rams NT Kobie Turner) and 99 on the inside there, we’ve got to make sure we handle them. I think (Rams WR Austin Trammell) 81 does a good job getting downhill with the ball in his hand as a returner, both phases for them. You go back to our Chicago game, that’s kind of what their returner did to us, got downhill in a hurry. So, we’ve got to make sure we do a good job handling him on the perimeter. Their gunners, I feel like (Rams DB Duke Shelley) 26 is coming back and (Rams DB Tre Tomlinson) number 6, a good player. They’re quick and they can cover the field, so we’ve got to take care of those guys on the outside. And they rush hard on their field goal block. They’ve got a bunch of good defensive linemen I’m pretty sure on that side of the ball. They do a good job there and we’ve got to make sure that we protect. And our return game, they’ve kicked a decent number of touchbacks, but in the last couple weeks, they’ve kicked some more returnable balls, so we’ve got to be ready for that on kickoff return. Not to mention, surprise onside kick and all those things that you’ve got to take care of and the plays that you’ve got to eliminate that no one sees. We’ve got to do a good job there with that. And then same thing with our punt return. So, there’s a number of challenges the way I see it, but yeah.”
On Rams WR Ben Skowronek: Yeah, number 18, he does a great job. He’s a personal protector, he’s been a good player for them. Obviously, the last time – I think the last time we played him he might’ve been a rookie out there, but he’s become a really good player, productive for them in coverage for sure. So, they’ve got a number of good players and they present a challenge for us in a lot of different ways. We’ve got to make sure we’re on-spot.”
On if Lions WR Jameson Williams would be considered for the punt returner role if Lions WR Kalif Raymond is out with injury: “Yeah, I see him a little further down the line than those other guys I mentioned, but obviously, he’s done a great job. Even I see the development from him.”
On what he has seen from Lions WR Maurice Alexander and his background as a returner: “Yeah, Mo, I mean the great thing about Mo is he’s quick. He’s a very quick starter, he’s a good ball catcher, he’s a very quick starter and he can make a lot of guys miss, especially in short areas and tight spaces. And then he does a good job of attacking the coverage and opening up running lanes or holes and moving people, moving defenders and helping make the blockers look a little bit better, and maybe they are, by creating some space for himself. So, obviously, the challenge there is the whole roster management. You can bring two practice squad guys up. Who are those two guys going to be? Where do you need the help the most? What’s going to make the team the best? And it’s not just any one phase but making sure that we’re doing the best thing for the whole team, and I think that’s where (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and (Lions Executive Vice President) Brad (Holmes) and those guys, that’s the challenge that they have in front of them. So, it’s not necessarily who’s the next best returner necessarily, but also, what’s the best combination for the whole football team and in this game and what’s going to help us win the most.”
On if managing Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s workload would be a factor in deciding if he would return punts if Lions WR Kalif Raymond cannot play: “Yeah, so that definitely is a part of that conversation there. Obviously, this discussion, hopefully is not a long-term thing with Leaf if he’s not able to go. But hopefully it’s not long-term so that maybe it’s not quite as important any one game, but yeah, that’s definitely a part of it.”
On what gives him confidence in Lions K Michael Badgley to perform as the pressure increases despite a missed extra point against Minnesota: “Yeah, for me, it’s just seeing him every day. If – that miss, he had – he mishit the ball. It wasn’t a good strike on the ball by him obviously. I definitely don’t like that, but I would be more concerned if it was something that I saw repeating itself over and over, then I would be much more concerned about it. And the one thing about him is – and that’s really why we went with him is he’s just been so consistent in how he strikes the ball, practice, game, all that stuff for us.”
On what it means to get recognized by the players as one of the top five special teams coordinators on an NFLPA survey: “Yeah, well, I would say this, I respect the players immensely and it’s really what I do it for and where I see all my fulfillment or enjoyment in doing what I do, really comes through them. So, I definitely appreciate and respect that, but I would also say, probably my least favorite things is attention like that. So, I really like staying under the radar and away from all that talk and discussion.”
On if he would create an ‘Amon-Ra St. Brown list’ of the special teams coordinators that ranked ahead of him on the NFLPA coaches survey: “No, but I would say if I ever end up on the top three of (former Patriots General Manager and Head Coach Bill) Belichick’s list, let me know.”
On if he has any desires to become a head coach in the future: “No, when I was a young coach, I definitely wanted to do that. I think most guys start out that way, that’s kind of the top and the ultimate goal. And it’s funny that over time there’s been a shift for me just being around it. I love what I do more than anything in the world. I love my role, I love coaching special teams, I love being able to meet with every guy on the roster. This morning we had even the offensive linemen in there, field goal, field goal block. So, I get to work with pretty much the whole team and develop a relationship and rapport with those guys. I love that more than anything. There are some things that I think that come along with the head coach job that are probably my least favorite things to do and be a part of. And so, for me, I love what I do and I really don’t have any interest. At one point I did. I definitely don’t. I’m definitely excited for (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) and (Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG and those guys. I mean Ben and I go back to Miami when he was quality control, banging around trying to make it. I went to Philly, he was trying to hang in there, they brought in Adam Gase, he hadn’t gotten a job yet with him. He was hoping to stay on, get something, he was out, and Matt Patricia gave him a chance here. They were going to make him the tight end coach, maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not, maybe not, and then they did. And so, seeing him go through that whole process is just incredible and then seeing him now today, he’s King Kong and everyone wants him. And it’s great though, it’s great to see because he’s always been incredible in my book. I mean the guy’s an amazing coach, he’s a great person, he’s extremely gifted and talented in what he does. And he does it the right way and he’s had to go the hard route which I think is only going to make him better when he gets his opportunity.”
On his reaction to the news that the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick are parting ways: “Oh, man it’s just crazy. For me, I sat up here and shared with you guys when we played Seattle, what a great team those guys are. And I think these coaches, obviously, (former Seahawks Head) Coach (Pete) Carroll in Seattle and Coach Belichick in New England, I mean when you play against them as an assistant coach, you know you’re going against a team that embodies their personality. Whether that’s Carroll and is energy and those guys are going to play hard as can be, high motor, high effort, run and hit, those types of teams. Or it’s Belichick where it’s like, ‘Man, you better have every ‘I’ dotted and ‘T’ crossed because he’s going to challenge you every way schematically that you can find, and if there’s a weakness out there on film, he’s going to find it and he’s going to expose you. And so, when you coach against those guys, just the amount of respect you have for them, which is really my affection for them is really just comes out of respect for the job that they do. I mean these guys are two of the best coaches ever in the game. I mean certainly Belichick. And it’s been fun to watch them. I’ve learned a lot from them, and it’s been fun to watch them. Obviously, it’s just crazy to see that going on right now, but that’s the nature of the profession. And anyway, I look forward to seeing what both those guys are going to do next because I’m sure neither of them can stop, so. Maybe Belichick will take me fishing.”
On Nick Saban retiring from being the head coach of Alabama: “I know, Saban. Golly, shocking. My daughter sent me the text. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Crazy, man. Three titans.” | |
