LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON QUOTE SHEET
September 19, 2024
Opening Statement: “Always better coming up after a victory than a loss, but a lot of good things there on tape from our crew. We actually had more winning grades as individuals than we had the week prior, so, just like coach is saying, our focus is on getting better. Individually that certainly happened as an offense. We moved the ball better, we didn’t have the three-and-outs that we had Week 1, but clearly, we didn’t finish the drives like we needed to. A thing that’s kind of popped up for two weeks in a row now is not playing complementary football. The three-and-outs Week 1 kind of put unneeded stress on our defense, and then last week special teams comes through to extend a drive and we don’t end up with points, then our defense is coming through with – in the fourth quarter with multiple stops, and we don’t come up with points for us, so we’ve got to do a better job complementing the rest of the team, they’re doing a phenomenal job right now. So, lots of accountability to be taken, I’ve got to do a better job with the red zone plan, I talked to the guys about that, and the good plays that we did have last week, we’ve got to have a little bit cleaner execution. So, we’ll get that all cleaned up and move on and focus on getting a little bit better this week.”
On if the struggles in the red zone against the Buccaneers highlight the importance of having success on early downs: “Yeah, there’s a number of things you can look at from that game. The thing I came away with is, there’s always an importance on third down in the red zone, that’s the difference between three points and seven points, we talk about that as an offense, and so our third downs down there weren’t good enough, I believe we only had the one conversion there, which was a big one and resulted in a touchdown because of that. So, we have to be better there, that’ll be our starting point here this week on red zone night. The thing that showed up to me is, of our six runs in the red area last week, only two were really positive plays for us or efficient plays as we would call it. The first one that we had, I think we got seven yards and, I would argue, should score if we’re a little bit cleaner with our perimeter blocking, and then we scored on the one-yard line. But other than that, we either had a three-yard, a zero-yard, a minus-four-yard gain, or a holding for minus-10, and we were going backwards more than we were going forwards in terms of the run game. So, something that we’ve leaned heavily on there in the past down in the red area and it wasn’t clicking quite the same last week for whatever reason.”
On if it is not necessarily a bad thing to have a little bit of adversity early in the season and what they can learn from that: “Yeah, I mean, nothing – as much as we want rainbows and sunshine all the time, this happens. It’s not always going to be smooth sailing. Shoot, the last couple years I think of the New England game and the Dallas game early in the season where we didn’t get it rolling a couple years ago, and then last year we had some bumps in the road as well. So those things happen, we want to minimize those as much as possible, and I think that’s the mark of a good/great team is, each week we find a way to put enough points on the board to get us down to win the game at the end of it. We fell short last week, hopefully that’s the only hiccup here we have this season, but that’s life in the NFL. That’s a damn good red zone defense too, by the way. They were number three in the League last year, we struggled against them game one last year, we were 0-2 and then we found a way in the playoffs to get enough points on the board, and clearly, we fell below the mark here on Sunday.”
On if using less play-action in Week 2 was dictated by the flow of the game or if it was something they prepared to do: “Yeah, each week, we as a staff, we go in there and we talk about how we want to attack that defense. Just last week in particular it was a completion-driven game where we were going to use our pass game as an extension of our run game to an extent and use focus on run-after-catch, exploit the zones they were – and then try to generate some explosives versus man-to-man, which you saw second play of the game, I believe, they tried to play man Cover 0 and (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo had the 50-yard gain. So that was our plan early on and as the game goes, we decide whether to stay the course or we adjust. So early in that game we were thinking pass, whether it was play-action or drop-back, we were good with either one, and then towards the second half going into the fourth quarter, (Buccaneers NT Vita) Vea’s out and we want to lean heavily on the run, well, if you look at those runs there in the fourth quarter, take the third down, third and fourth down runs out of it because those are designer runs against specific looks, our first and second down runs in the fourth quarter, seven of them and I think we totaled three yards in those seven. So, it’s hard to switch course from what had been working moving the ball at that point in the game when we just weren’t getting the four, the five to bigger plays. Contrast that with the Rams in overtime, OK. Well, that makes it easy when you’re getting those gasher-type runs and the back’s running the way he’s running and they’re blocking the way they’re blocking. So, it’s a little bit of a feel in momentum too. I know the O-line loves to run the ball and I told (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) – he’s asking for us to lean on him in the run game, well, first-and-10 go for zero, second-and-10 we go for three and now it’s a third-and-7 and we’re off schedule again. So, it’s a two-way street there, I want to call runs, we need some production out of them, and as we said last week, that’s the beauty about what we do here on offense is, we believe we can beat teams any number of ways. So, if that means run it 50 times, great, if that means throw it 50 times, great. It does not matter to us. The disappointment last week was not getting points when we were in the red zone.”
On how much of the lack of production from Lions TE Sam LaPorta is from opponents still doubting Lions WR Jameson Williams: “Last week it was (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown, this week it’s LaPorta, next week it’s going to be somebody else. That’s just the nature of the beast. That’s what we’ve got right now. We’ve got a lot of weapons and it’s hard to guarantee someone five to eight targets every single game, that’s not how it works. I think back to last year (former Lions WR) Josh Reynolds was on the cusp of getting his incentives in the contract and we were trying to force the ball to him, and the coverage just didn’t dictate that. So it’s the same message it’s always been, the guys that are active on gameday, we have plays in for all of them where they’re primary receivers, all of them, and when we call that number, it really depends on what defense we get aligned with and (Lions QB) Jared (Goff)’s going to – he’s not worrying about getting a certain guy the ball, he’s worrying about executing that particular play.”
On if it is important to have players with good character that can understand that they may not get a lot of targets every week: “It’s unique with our group. We have a bunch of unselfish guys that, they play hard for each other. Having been a former receiver coach, I am very conscious of those guys wanting to be involved, but, at the same time, as a staff, if we do this thing right, it’s exactly – (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown has an off game, alright? (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta has an off game, maybe (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo – we just cycle that around, and so we just don’t want a drought for an extended period of time with anybody.”
On the challenges that the Cardinals defense present to their passing game: “I think they are completely different, not schematically, but they’re a different defense than they were a year ago. When you turn on the tape, teams were able to run the ball on them last year, and you can see those guys – you can see the line of scrimmage get displaced, this year it’s different. They imported some guys through free agency that we have a lot of respect for, much stouter up front against the run, and when they’re healthy on the back end, which they are right now, they can match concepts in the passing game, they’re extremely tight in coverage. I think the games that I was watching from last year, when they had explosives in the passing game, they didn’t have their main guys out there, so something we’re very conscious of. I think the game wrecker, if you will, that’s (Cardinals S) Budda (Baker), he’s all over the place and they do a great job within that scheme trying to free him up and allow his instincts to take over.”
On how getting Lions WR Tim Patrick more involved helps the offense: “Who do you want to take targets away from? That’s what I’m asking you. Yeah, we would love to get him the ball as well, but, once again, we’re getting everyone going. He’s doing a great job, he’s learning the offense. We’ll see where we can get him involved.”
On what having a player with Lions WR Tim Patrick’s body type and skillset opens up for him: “Yeah, he’s – red zone threat, I guess. He’s got some length in the red zone, but we’re still learning each other right now. It’s still a – he hasn’t been here for super long to where we know exactly what his best routes are, but we’re moving around and he’s growing that trust here with (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) every single day.”
On if they have plans in place for Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Lions RB David Montgomery for later weeks or if their usage is just based on gameplan: “It’s based on gameplan. We had stuff up in training camp this summer that, with Gibby’s unavailability we didn’t get to rep as much as we wanted to, but we’ve got plenty of plans.”
On how he prepares for a player like Cardinals S Budda Baker who is unpredictable and if there is a way to get in his head: “We’ll find out on Sunday.”
LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN QUOTE SHEET
September 19, 2024
Opening Statement: “Obviously we didn’t get the desired result that we expect from last week, but here’s what I do know about this team, it’s been like this since I’ve been here is, each of them after every game, win or lose, man, we are in the improvement business, and we looked improved. So, what we’ve done and what we’re going to continue to do for this week is, number one, improve on those things that we feel like we made mistakes at, and then also make sure we hone in on this team that we’re about to play. This is a good team, this team kind of reminds me of how we started, and you see the different mentality within this team, you see the different attitude within this team, so we have to be on our Ps and Qs playing against this team because you definitely see a different mindset with this team. So, again, every day, including yesterday, we look to improve and we’re going to continue that today on to the weekend to play this team.”
On how Lions DB Brian Branch and Lions S Kerby Joseph’s skillsets complement each other: “I would say this, because both of those guys – and you’re right, they do complement each other really, really well, especially for the things we ask those guys to do, and we know that Kerby – his super power is being in the back end and being able to track the ball and being able to read the quarterback and go make plays. BB’s superpower is being down, being back, being at dime, being at nickel, being at backer every now and then and being – let him go find the ball and go make plays. But it’s the communication, to me, that’s really honing in on those two men that’s really important for us that you’re starting to see really flourish for us in back end, and we’re going to have to continue that. I think I said last week, man, these men haven’t had a chance to really – all five of these guys, including (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson), haven’t had a chance to really just work together from OTAs all into training camp and we’re finally starting to get that now – and I’m talking about the corners also. But you’re right, they complement each other really, really well and we have to take advantage of the skillsets those guys have.”
On what has changed in how he feels about Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson after his performance against the Buccaneers: “Nothing has changed in what I feel about that player from the beginning when we talked. I know what his mindset is, I think you men know where his mindset is – and ladies. So that speaks for itself.”
On how much he is looking forward to having a healthy defensive line back with Lions DL Marcus Davenport’s potential return and how he felt Lions DL DJ Reader played in his first game for the Lions: “Well, we’ll see if he’s going to be back. But I would say this, he played 25 plays last week and nothing has changed. I mean, he is a man’s man and I’m sure you guys have seen some of the plays that he made. When it comes to someone that can take up blocks, when it comes to someone that can actually push the pocket, and I’m sure you guys have seen – I mean, he was close to a sack maybe twice in that situation, so that sneaky athleticism that he has, that showed up. Man, when that man really gets to start rolling, I think it’s going to be something to tell with these guys. And you’re right, when we have all those guys together, I expect those guys to be top in the League at some point.”
On if a QB spy is in play this week against Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and if he is comfortable keeping him contained: “Why do you guys always ask that? Did you see Buffalo do it? What happened? I’m asking. We have to do a really good job keeping him contained. That could be quarterback spy, that could be rushing five, that can be rushing six. The fact of the matter is, you have to keep him contained, and I know that’s the in-vogue thing that everyone talks about – it’s quarterback spy, quarterback spy. I wish you guys would actually look at the film and see what happens when that happens, for the most part.”
On Arizona’s run game and if Cardinals QB Kyler Murray adds to its threat: “Absolutely it does. I mean, you see some of the college offense within this team, and I think this coordinator does a really, really good job because in passing situations he does a really good job of continuing to run the ball, so you have to really play true. That’s what I talk to our defensive guys about, this is not a team where you can just say, ‘OK, we’re putting in our pass defense.’ And then they’ll gut you by running the ball on those situations because they really feel good about their run game. And you hear those guys talk, you heard the receiver talk the other day, I’m listening to their running back, (Cardinals RB James) Conner, talk today and, man, I like the mentality that they have. The thing is, we have to make sure we go and match or exceed the mentality that they have as far as being tough. But they’re not getting away from the run. But that’s the one thing we specialize in is, stopping the run.”
On why it seems that the Lions’ run defense has gotten better even with how good their run defense has been in the past: “Well, I think the first thing is players. Everything is based around who you have as players, and then I think my staff does a really good job of coaching up exactly what we want to do to be able to stop the run. And it goes hand-in-hand when it comes to stopping the run and then being able to play pass defense, too. And that’s one area that I think we’re actually improving on because we have all these five guys that are playing together, and communication is getting better. So, I want to make sure that I point that out – that, ‘Listen, we’re good against the run, but we’re proven against the pass, also.’”
On what kind of schematic advantage it is to have five linemen against a mobile quarterback like Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: “Well, I will tell you this, each week we try to be different. Either that’s five-down, like you say we are, or four-down, like we can be, or make it look like five-down, but we’re actually in four-down because we’re dropping a guy out. So anytime you can give an offense different looks like that, I think it gives them a little hesitation on how they have to block and how they have to target these blocks. So, any time each week, we go out, I try to get an advantage in that aspect, which is by watching those guys, how they block it, and making sure we put our guys in position to make sure we can stop the run and then make sure we get in the passing game.”
On how confident he is in Lions LB Jack Campbell and Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez in being able to step in for Lions LB Alex Anzalone if he is not able to play this week: “Well, I’ve said this all along, but I have plenty of trust in that linebacker room. Jack has done a good job for us, going from OTAs and training camp, of backing Alex up and being able to make the calls and stand in front of that huddle, so I have no issue with that. Rigo was a starter for us for quite some time, so I am very comfortable with him coming in and getting those reps too. So that’s a room that I have the utmost confidence in regardless of who plays, even if (Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin) Germ has to play, I expect him to go out there and play up to the same level as every other linebacker that we have. So, I’m confident in those guys.”
On what kinds of things have stood out to him about Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. so far: “First off, obviously, he was a top pick, so that means a lot. The first week you could see he was trying to get his legs underneath him as far as, ‘How are these guys going to play me, what are the coverages, how am I going to adjust to these different coverages?’ And then I think you saw the week – this last week, man, he had some one-on-one opportunities to go out there and make some wins, and he did that. So, the 50-50 ball was one of the first things that stood out. Man, you’re going to have to go up there and you’re going to have to defend it because he’s going up there to get it. He’s a great high-point catcher, he doesn’t stop when the play is dead, which most receivers or running backs in that system have to understand because – as much as (Cardinals QB) Kyler (Murray) moves around. I think they’re doing a good job of teaching him how to play with the quarterback and understanding what the quarterback’s skills are so it can help him get open.”
On how he feels knowing he has a former linebacker in Lions LS Hogan Hatten in another part of the roster: “Well, I would hope that he doesn’t have to play defense for us – not that it means he’s a bad player. But I tell you what, you saw him actually get some snaps in during the preseason with us and I thought that was fun because he has a defensive mentality. And I tell you what, he’s doing a heck of a job for us as a deep snapper and he’s athletic enough to get down the field, and you guys have seen that. He gets down the field and he makes tackles for us, so it’s always a plus when you have a guy like that, that has that defensive mindset and has the athleticism to be able to play in space and be able to make tackles like he’s doing.”
On how long it normally takes for a young player like Lions CB Terrion Arnold to acclimate to his zone principles: “You know what, I just think, in general, as a defensive back, it just takes time. It doesn’t matter if it’s zone, man – it’s just the rules are different, you’re looked at different as far as just a defensive player knowing this is an offensive League. I think those are things that are more important than anything else, of, ‘Man, listen. You put your hands on these guys when you’re at a certain part down the field, man, it’s a good chance the ref’s going to call it.’ And that’s just what it is, and he has to learn that. And the thing is, I have the ultimate confidence in that player and I’m good with learning – him learning as we go through this process. He’s going to be a damn good player for us.”
On the comparison between former WR Marvin Harrison and his son Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: “Well, I would say he’s bigger than his dad, I don’t think he’s faster than his dad. The same type of movement skills, he’s very elusive, body control, he has all those same skillsets as his dad, so I’m hoping (Lions CB) Terrion (Arnold) does a good job on him and getting a couple of those picks like you’ve seen I got on his dad, too.”
On how he ranks Lions CB Carlton Davis III and Lions CB Terrion Arnold: “1a and 1aa. There you go.”
LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET
September 19, 2024
On the evolution of kicking accuracy and distance: “Yeah, I think – I would just say in general I think every year, it kind of goes up just a little bit and guys get better and better, which is probably reflective of every phase of the game. The numbers – I know that the 50 numbers are obviously highly accurate right now, probably the biggest comment I would have on that is just sample size. Small sample size is going to change before the end of the season. The numbers in the 40s are a lot lower than the 50s right now. You can’t tell me that a 40-yard kick’s harder than a 50-yard kick, I know that. So, some of that is probably who is being asked to kick those kicks. Some good players are kicking it from further back, obviously, so that’s probably reflective a little bit, but I would also say as the season goes on, I would expect that to kind of go back to what it normally is there.”
On how important it is to have Lions K Jake Bates’ ability to kick long field goals: “Yeah, I think it obviously helps the offense quite a bit to know that you have a guy who can hit it from further back there, especially in situations late in game where must have, you need the points and you’re willing to take some risk to get those points. Obviously, that helps quite a bit. Our guy can certainly do that from back there deep, so we feel good about that.”
On if the teams that are kicking for returns have made him reevaluate if they should kick for returns: “Yeah, I do think that it’s an ongoing process of whether you should kickoff to force them to return it, not to force them to return it. I think there’s a lot of things that are going on with the play. It’s an art, not a science, I always say that. But you get numbers that are thrown at you, and you have to really look into those. Do those include penalty yards on drive starts or not and does that include kicks that are returned from way back in the back of the end zone or is that just the ones that are in the field of play, so there’s a lot to that. So, I think there’s a lot of different ways to look at the thing. We’re continuing to evaluate it, we’ll keep on watching it. We feel good about our coverage group. So anyway, I think there’s a place there at some point for hitting more ‘returnable’ balls, but I would also say, what does that mean? Does that mean two yards deep in the endzone and they chose to return it, or does that mean at the 10-yard line? I mean Arizona’s opened up and they hit two returnable kicks and both of them came running back at them to the 50, which is also another part of the equation. It’s not just, can you cover them, but it’s also the volatility of the play and it’s like, how much is that worth it? So, there’s some teams that have done a nice job, some teams have gone against some schemes that I don’t think are as good on the return side and they’ve had success, and so that might look good right now, but maybe something else is coming for them. There’s a whole lot of ways to look at it. The other thing I’ll say on the field goals just with the long field goals, I think I said a handful of weeks back that with that drive start moving out to the 30 on the touchbacks on the kickoffs, that ball’s in the middle of the field a lot more often, and so you’re looking at that ball being around that 40-yard line or area a lot more frequently, which is probably going to put a heightened emphasis on kickers that can kick the ball further.”
On if kicking returnable balls frequently to prepare for bad weather is the same dynamic with the new kickoff rules: “Yeah, I think it is the same to some degree. To some degree, it’s a little bit different. Number one, for us, I think, we play like 14 games indoors, so we’re not looking at being outside a whole lot. The Super Bowl is in New Orleans so that’s another indoor game. But I do think that’s a part of it. I also think that the dynamic has changed a little bit, and what do I mean by that, if hang time’s really not important, so you can drive the ball now. Well, most of these guys, even in wind or weather or rain or colder conditions, if they’re driving the ball, they can still drive the ball deep into the endzone no matter what the conditions are, where in the old days you couldn’t hit a line drive kick down there because your coverage group would be so far away because they’re standing back there with the kicker and now they’re already lined up down there. So, hang time doesn’t matter, so now you can get away with driving the ball deeper even in weather and all of that stuff and still hitting a deeper kick.”
On what makes Arizona a good special teams unit: “These guys do a great job. They’re well-coached. Truth be told, their (Cardinals) Special Teams Coordinator (Jeff Rodgers), him and I both worked underneath the same guy a long time ago, so we have kind of a very similar background. There’s a lot of similarities between the two teams. Punt formation, footwork, technique, field goal block, technique scheme, just a lot of things that are similar on both sides. They’re very aggressive with running fakes and sneaking personnel in there and throwing throws and all that type of stuff with their punt team and their field goal team, so they’re very active that way. So yeah, and then ultimately, it really comes down to – this game comes down to players. They have good players that play hard, they’re motivated, they’re playing with a lot of energy and passion, they have a point to prove, so it’ll be a good matchup. I know our guys are excited for it.”
On his confidence in Lions P Jack Fox to handle throwing a fake punt pass: “The one thing we think about Fox, or one of the million things that we think about him is he’s a ball player and if you put the ball in his hands, he elevates his game under pressure situations. We would never do that if he didn’t do that repetitively over and over in practice. Those guys practiced that play or a similar play for a long time. Then as soon as Birkett put it up on Twitter, then we knew we were going to have to run it. We knew we were going to have to run it because it was like the perfect smoke screen. You said we were going to do it, well then of course we can’t, but then it was like – so, we have to get together on the next one here. But, they do it over and over and when you see a guy throw it over and over and them catch it over and over again, it’s the same thing with the big sample size and a lot of success and you feel pretty confident with him doing it in a game.”
On what happened at the end of the second quarter in Week 2 with the field goal unit running out early and what they are doing to ensure it does not happen again: “Yeah, I would say, ultimately, I don’t want to comment a ton on it. I know (Lions Head) Coach (Dan Campbell) hit it a little bit, but there’s a lot that goes into those situations. Like I said to the players, those things are not a big deal until all of a sudden, they’re a huge deal, all these situational plays like that. It’s the same thing as a long field goal. They put a returner back deep, you have to cover it. It’s not a big deal until all of a sudden you have to cover that kick, and that guy makes a play. But anyways, situations like that, there’s a lot that goes into it, they’re all critical, they come at critical moments in the game, that one certainly was for us, and the only thing I will say is any time I’m a part of something, I definitely feel a responsibility for not getting the job done so I take a lot of the responsibility for that also. I know for a fact there’s a lot of things that I could have done different and would do different if I could do it again today, so I feel like I need to take my share of the ownership and responsibility also, certainly.”
On if he sends the field goal unit onto the field: “Yeah, I won’t get into all of that, but it kind of depends on the situation. I would just say it like that.”
On if he hopes that the touchback yard placement will be reconsidered next offseason: “Yeah, well I hope they incentivize the kick cover team more than they’re incentivized right now, for sure. I think one way to do that is by moving the touchback to the 35, but another way to do that is also to push the coverage group up five yards forward and that would incentivize them. Keep the touchback at the 30, push the coverage group up five more yards and then theoretically, their drive start should be five-yards worse and then the touchback would be five yards further back than it is now, but still remain at the 30. Offenses wouldn’t like that as much. So, there’s a way to make (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG happy and still get the play going.”
On the NFL not liking anything that penalizes the offense: “Yeah, they want the ball. The truth of the whole thing, they want the ball to start as far forward as they can get it to start, they want to have teams go for it on fourth down which they do more in that middle of the field area, they want teams to not punt it as much, they want teams to kick long field goals, all that stuff. They want points.”
On if Arizona is as aggressive on special teams as the Lions: “Yeah, they run a bunch.”
On how that aggressiveness on both sides plays out in the game: “Yeah, I think if you feel like you can get something on them, you feel like you can get something on them. If there’s something there that you like, then you’re going for it. If not, you’re not. Then maybe some of it also has to do with situation in the game. Do we go into the game thinking, ‘Hey, in order to win this thing, we’re going to need to steal a possession from them.’ And maybe then, you’re a little bit more aggressive going into the game and playing it more aggressive early, versus maybe, ‘Hey, we feel pretty good about where we match up in this game, we don’t maybe need to be quite as aggressive.’ I think that plays into it too, especially early in the game. A lot of their fakes have been run early in the game, not just late when they’re behind and they need a play. I think all of that factors into it.”
On Lions LS Hogan Hatten’s impact this season: “Yeah, I feel like Hogan has done a good job for us. I’ve been really pleased with his performance. Obviously, there’s a lot – a long way to go for him. He’s still going to get tested in a lot of ways he hasn’t been tested in yet, but I really am not concerned with him. I would say I’m very confident in what I think he’s going to do and how he’s going to respond to the situations he’s going to get, and I’m really pleased with what he’s done so far up to this point. I think him and I both know that he’s got a lot of room for improvement, and he should continue to grow throughout the course of the season. I think he has done a nice job. The other one that goes unnoticed, but his field goal snaps have been very good. He’s got good velocity on it, he gets it back there for (Lions P Jack) Fox right away, and Fox has done a great job. I know when I got here, Fox was not a very good holder in my opinion and I said that, and he’s come a long way. So, that whole operation has been very beneficial for (Lions K Jake) Bates, and I think some of Bates’ early season success here is just a good operation around him, makes the job of the kicker a lot easier.”
