November 6, 2025
Opening Statement: “Can’t wait to get on the field. (Commanders Head Coach) Dan Quinn, this guy does a heck of a job. Knowing him before in the past when I was in San Francisco, going against him in Seattle a lot – him and (Raiders Head Coach) Pete Carroll. They’ve always done a great job. Sound football, they’re really detailed, get after the ball, they attack the ball, try to create turnovers. They’ve always done a great job. Dan’s – got a lot of respect for him. I’m looking forward to it.”
On what he can do as an offensive coordinator to help protect an offensive line that is struggling with injuries and may have some backup players in: “Yeah, I mean we’ve kind of been doing that all year. I mean we’re always trying to protect our guys and do the right thing, and we’ll just continue to do that. But if they can play, we’re going. We’re going to do what we do, that’s important. We don’t want to be handcuffed.”
On the worst part of watching the Minnesota film back: “The protection, that was the biggest thing. I mean we draw up all these plays we want, doesn’t matter. That was the biggest thing. Winning our one-on-one matchups, that was big. That set us back – second-and-long, third-and-long. We had a lot of third-and-longs. But when we did things right, we did really well. That was the biggest thing. It just – clogging the middle up, protection. You can’t do a lot of stuff with that. And we all have our hand in that gameplan, and we would do things differently next time.”
On what the biggest challenge is when looking at the mistakes from a previous game as a coordinator knowing that there is not a singular thing to focus on to fix: “Yeah, I mean I just told the guys, it’s all about us and making sure that you really study your opponent like the guy over next to you. Like if – this is the way I’ve always approached it and what I’ve always told when I was coaching wideouts or just coaching anybody – know the guy over you. The insides and outs, when is he turning it up, you’ve got to know everything. And we’ve been pretty good with that, I really think that. It’s just that we’re protecting, getting the blitz and everything and all of the sudden, the back, maybe he did this wrong. Or the tackle did this wrong, or the receiver didn’t run the right route. That’s what’s going on. It’s just doing it all together, 11 guys at the same time. I mean that’s where we have to get to because we’re not far away. I mean the score was still kind of close. That’s the biggest thing, just honing in on the details, refocus, OK do what you’re supposed to do. That’s the biggest thing. And we’ve got to fix this up front and protecting the quarterback. And we will and we’ve addressed it and working on it yesterday and today. We have to do it because if you don’t address it, they’re just going to keep doing what teams are going to – what we’ve seen on tape. So, that’s the important thing, make the corrections and go on and make sure it doesn’t happen again. If it does, then you’ve got to make some changes.”
On what the level of concern is about the offense: “I kind of just said it, it’s protecting. The protection and all of that. That’s the biggest thing. I can draw up all of these plays we wanted. If you don’t protect and have sound protection so the quarterback can throw the ball, it doesn’t matter. So, that’s the biggest thing. And listen, this is fixable, that’s the beauty of it. This is all fixable and we’ve addressed it.”
On if the problems with not being able to establish the run are protection-related: “Yeah. I mean, yeah. It happened. I mean just their movement up front and everything, it was tough. So, I mean we had things for it, we had chances. Again, I’m going back, ‘Oh, one guy didn’t do that. Nope, we didn’t get it and it could’ve been big.’ I mean you guys watch the game and when you watch it in detail and everything, ‘Man, if he would’ve got that. Oh, if we would’ve done this.’ That’s the biggest thing. We had a good scheme. So, that’s – when you break down, I mean it takes all 11, especially on offense. It takes all 11 guys and if you don’t do it, it could be tough.”
On if he thinks the decision to simplify the offensive line communication earlier this season has helped now that more depth pieces are moving into the group’s rotation: “Yeah, I think our communication has been really good. Ever since the Green Bay game, it’s been really good. It’s just a matter of some guys getting beat. That’s all it is. I’m just telling you that’s – when you look at it over and over and over, it’s one or two guys that are just breaking down. And we’ve got young guys and they’re still learning. And really, they shouldn’t be because we’re halfway through the season. I mean everybody’s a vet, and we’ve addressed it.”
On if he thinks the protection issues are strictly physical or if the identifications have been an issue as well: “No, the IDs have been good. I’m just saying guys are breaking down. And it’s one or two guys when you watch it. And we’ve got to collectively get it right.”
On if the protection issues can be resolved by making a personnel change if they are caused by one or two guys breaking down: “I don’t think that. I don’t think that because the guys have been doing a really good job. I mean that’s the head coach’s – he’s the one that makes that decision. But if a certain guy is making the same mistake over and over, then it has to be addressed – with anything. We’re in the performance business here, so.”
On if there are the same guys making the same mistakes or if it is one or two guys per play that break down: “Yeah. Yeah, when you look at it. And so, we’re addressing it.”
On what makes Lions TE Sam LaPorta such a valuable weapon for an offensive coordinator: “I just think he’s one of those tight ends, he’s real savvy and boy is he really good after the catch. Man, is he really good. I don’t know, something with those Iowa tight ends, they’re always pretty good after the catch. But I think – and his hands, and his ability, his athleticism to get open as a tight end, it’s big. You’ve got certain tight ends. You’ve got the bigger type of guys like the (former NFL TE Rob Gronkowski) Gronk’s that will bully you. I mean this guy’s like a wide receiver playing tight end. He’s really athletic, catches the ball and he’s really good. I’d be shocked – he might be one of the best tight ends after the catch with (49ers TE George) Kittle and those guys. That’s a plus now because we can catch it underneath and he can go get the first – I mean you saw what he did when that first touchdown. I was getting ready to call another play and all of the sudden, ‘Oh, you scored.’ So, that’s why I smile. It’s pretty impressive the things that he does. He’s a special player.”
On what the key is to running the ball more consistently up front: “Yeah, I mean I kind of already said it. So, that’s just like with the passing game, right? It’s just about being consistent. We’ve narrowed things down where you don’t have so many runs or so many passes, so the guys know what to do with all the different type of looks. I think that’s important. And we’ve been doing that. Listen, we’ve been doing that. That type of defense, it’s like, one, two, three and then all of the sudden you get one. But you get behind the eight ball, then your play-calling kind of changes. So, a lot of second-and-longs and third-and-longs, it’s hard.”
On where Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa is in his development and why he has not been used more on the field: “Yeah, I think – listen, he’s been doing a great job and he’s playing special teams. He does a really good job on special teams. We’re going to get him the ball more. And that helps with the other guys so they’re not always playing 65, 70 plays. But we’re real happy with where he’s at. (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf – all these guys have a different skillset and they’re all going to play. So, I think that’s important. And yeah, we’re going to get him more involved. It’s just sometimes when he’s in, does the read take him there? That’s just what happens.”
On the kind of player Commanders LB Frankie Luvu is and what the team has to look out for when he is on the field: “Yeah, I think he’s a solid player. He plays on the edge, he’s in the box and out playing backer. Really good blitzer, that’s his biggest thing. He really brings it and we have to be ready for his athleticism, what he brings. I remember going against him a couple years ago, he’s just a solid player. Really solid. Biggest thing is him, how he blitzes, how he comes off the edge. Really physical player.”
On if he has been able to get to play-action as much as he would like in games recently: “Yeah, we try. We try. Yeah. I mean there’s – when you look at our gameplan, there’s more play-action than there is drop back lots of times because that’s what this team is built on. Running the ball, play-action, movement game, not as much drop back unless we have to. I mean we had it but that’s kind of the things we do, we’ve always done here.”
On if he knew about Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland’s passing: “No, I didn’t know that. Wow. What happened? That sucks. Hate to hear that.”
LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR KELVIN SHEPPARD QUOTE SHEET
November 11, 2025
Opening Statement: “We can get started just recapping the Minnesota game really quick. Obviously, a tough loss, a loss that shouldn’t happen and can’t happen in my opinion. We’re not in a situation to be giving away games that we firmly believe that we should win, and that’s just honest transparency. But you look at it from a defensive perspective in that game, if you would’ve told me – we went into the game saying we weren’t going to let (Vikings WR Justin Jefferson) 18 beat us. And if you would’ve told me he wouldn’t even have 50 yards, (Vikings WR Jordan) Addison would have 40-something yards, quarterback passer rating would be around 80, I would say, ‘Oh, we played a dominant outfit in that game.’ And that’s why you can’t always look at the stat sheet, you’ve got to watch the tape. The run game, that’s kind of a façade, it’s not real, those numbers that showed up. Because I was trying to search for where were those yards, and then I found out they added a 31-yard screen in as a run play. You take that out, they’re at 3.9 on the day. And then there’s 24 to 34 yards in there that’s just inexcusable. You’ve got guys at the point of attack to stop the ball, if not a TFL for a two-yard gain. Those plays have to be made, and those guys understand that, took full accountability to it. So, then you say, ‘Then what happened? Why were there 27 points?’ And the area that we’ve been thriving in this year, sudden change, we didn’t thrive in to have our best outing. And that’s very unfortunate, because we could have. They got drive starts at the plus-36, plus-35 that equaled in 14 points. That cannot happen. One of those, especially the third-and-9 critical situation. Especially when you can get to the point of the game, third, fourth quarter, it looked like the team needed us to stand up and take control of the defense. We put that on our shoulders, and we need to stand up and make those plays. Third-and-9, had one of our players at the point of attack, he has to make the play. And more importantly, the D-line can’t let him out to his right. Going to the game with certain details that the guys understand, you’ve got to go out and execute it. And like I said, all this stuff’s been discussed, it’s been addressed, and moving forward we’ve just got to make these plays in a critical moment. And at the end of the play, I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I wouldn’t have no other guy, no other – you say, ‘Put this guy.’ No, I’m putting (Lions CB) Arthur Maulet on the guy, he was in phase, he was in the basket, and the guy made a play. Made a great play, credit to him, and we’ll see them again on Christmas.”
On why he trusts Lions CB Arthur Maulet: “Because of what he’s shown since he’s been here. I go off what my eyes see. Not narratives, not what round, not where you’re from, not what you look like. I go off when I hit play, what does that show me? And it shows a guy that’s been in here since day one, since we’ve had that player Arthur Maulet, put his head down and done everything we’ve asked. And he’s learned this playbook. He’s absolutely learned this playbook. One of the best disguises I’ve seen all year was on the free run when (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell) got through, should’ve been second-and-9 or something like, and Jack got a 15-yard penalty, which we worked so we could be in compliance with the NFL, rolling off to the side of the quarterback when we sack him. So, just things like that. He stood up when asked. I mean, he made a tremendous play in the Tampa game, everybody was talking about him like he was Deion Sanders. Then he gave up the pass, I’m seeing, ‘Why you do this, why that?’ No, if the game’s on the line, it’s going to be Arthur Maulet in press man and he’s going to find a way to get the ball out of the basket.”
On Lions CB Terrion Arnold and if he sees growth and development from him: “I absolutely see growth with the player in Terrion, absolutely. In pass coverage, it’s been outstanding. He’s cleaned up some of the stuff at the top of the route, and (Lions Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs) Deshea (Townsend)’s done an excellent job developing that player. But the part of TA’s game I need to see improve is the run game and run support. It’s unacceptable right now, and he knows that and I learned this from (Jets Head Coach) Aaron Glenn, one of my mentors. The identity of your defense shows up when your corner’s at the point of attack in the run game. If you really want to preach you’re a tough defense, you’re a physical outfit, show me your corners when they’re called upon in run support. And we’ve been good in that area. And if you want to be on the field, you have to be good in that area. We don’t believe in cover guys. Now obviously that’s a part of your job as a defensive back, but we don’t believe in that here. Our identity as a defense is tough, physical, violent mentality, and that has to show up in all aspects of the game.”
On if it is an effort or technique issue for Lions CB Terrion Arnold in the run game: “To me, it’s a technique issue, because he’s there at the point of attack. I know Terrion wants to do it, it’s not a will or anything like that. It’s just understanding you’ve got to run your feet in this League. You have to bring your feet, that’s everybody. Same thing, one of our best players at the point of attack on third-and-9, (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone), you cannot leave your feet. You can’t lunge. You have to bring your feet. The players in this League are too good nowadays to break down the shuffle and all that. If we’re going to go out. We’re going to go out swinging. Shooting our gun at the point of attack.”
On the difference between Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Commanders QB Marcus Mariota: “Absolutely no difference at all. That offense is that offense, and they have full trust in Marcus Mariota. If anything, he’s bigger and a little more physical. Now Jayden, I’m not saying you’re not physical. He’s going to be like, ‘Dang big bro, it’s like that?’ I’m not saying that. But Mariota’s 220, 230. He’s a physical player, and he’s not looking to slide a lot. He’s looking to convert, get first down. And you see the team, just watch three full games of them. You see the team rally around him. You watched that Las Vegas game, just go turn it on and just be a common fan watching that Vegas game. You’re like, ‘Wow.’ Up-tempo, right at your face, not hiding anything about it. You see him at the end of half in those games. They trust this player. It’s not a conservative approach to it. They’re down the field, striking just like if five was back there. So, we’re looking at it all the same, and we know it’s a great chance for us to bounce back after what they did to us in the NFC Divisional game last year.”
On what is working for the defensive blitzing success: “It’s the players understanding the whys behind why we’re asking, and to align a certain way. Why we’re asking them to disguise certain things. Why we’re asking them to use certain rush techniques this year. Because at first you go into this thing, you’ve got to get belief in the players. Schematically and all this, I’ve talked to you guys about this. You can be a guru all you want. If you don’t have full belief in your players – because they have to have belief to really go out and take the real effort to do the little minute details. And that’s what’s the uptick this year, just the details within everything. It may be one jab step here, one step here to sell this here, to open it up for the next man. And these guys have been all in, it’s a selfless approach. That’s why you see the stats scattered how they are. Obviously (Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch is the leader of all this still with the attention he garnishes on these second-and-longs, third-and-longs. But it’s all the other guys, and Hutch will tell you that, man. And then you combine that with the effort that these guys play with. A lot of this stuff is second effort, a guy breaks contain, here comes the guy wrapping around to go get him on the ground. So, I credit the players, man. It’s detailed, it’s structured. I credit (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line) Kacy Rodgers for a lot of this stuff. He’s opened my eyes to different ways, creative styles of how to change things up, but it’s all the same to the players because he knows that’s my beliefs philosophically, and philosophy-wise as a defense. So, just outstanding job by the staff, and outstanding job by the players, but we’ve got to push forward and continue to get better.”
On the moment that he realized Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell was the real deal: “Well I probably have a more unique outlook on that than anybody in this building, outside of (Lions Senior Defensive Assistant/Outside Linebackers) Dave Corrao probably, because I saw it in 2015 when I was a player. And that’s when it really hits you. So, I know what those guys in that locker room are feeling because I felt it. Listen, I love (former Dolphins Head Coach) Joe Philbin. But in the Miami Dolphins facility, all the lights were off. We didn’t pay the electric bill all year. And then when Dan took over, he paid the whole six months that were unpaid. Because guys had a fire. You went to practice with a purpose. I’ll say it, I was one of those guys, shame on us as players to let the environment or the situation dictate how we put forth to our profession. But it just shows you the quality of a head coach. It’s not a guru, which Dan is. It’s a leader of men, and guys that believe in what you’re saying and follow you, and that’s the coaching staff as well. I wouldn’t be who I was if I didn’t get mentored and I didn’t watch Dan Campbell every day for the last five years of my coaching career. But it was when I was a player, man, I knew. I believed. I believed every game, we’re going to win, because of the way we prepared during the week. So, that’s why I remember in 2021 starting off, you get some get some guys carried over from the last regime, all that stuff. And you hear the whispers, especially me because they’re a little more comfortable talking to me. And I’m like, ‘Just believe in it guys, trust me.’ It’s the same thing, the first day he took over in 2015, he told me and (former Dolphins C) Mike Pouncey, ‘Go line up.’ He put a circle around us. That’s illegal to do now I guess in the League, but, ‘Go.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean go?’ ‘Go.’ And it was mono y mono. And it set the standard for how we played the rest of the year, and it’s just carried over here to him getting the ultimate chance at it. And you see kind of the fruits of the labor of Dan Campbell.”
On his one-on-one moments with former teammate Mike Pouncey: “Pouncey’s my brother. To this day, I talk to Pouncey for sure every other week. He coaches youth football down in south Florida. Doing a tremendous job with that team down there. But it was mono y mono, and Pouncey’s cut from the same cloth, so it wasn’t any brother-in-law to it, it wasn’t nothing. Like, we were opponents facing each other. And we knew why he put us two up there because everybody looked to us in that locker room. So, if those guys see us do it, on a Wednesday when in the League back then, it’s, ‘Aye man, chill.’ No, go. Then the next guy has no choice. It’s no different than here, when (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown and (Lions T) Penei (Sewell), when (Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchison) Hutch is out there every day, no days off, ‘Well why are you taking a day off? Because you don’t play more than them, you don’t contribute more than them.’ So, it’s just Dan’s ability to understand who within a coaching staff, who within a locker room, to make sure he has reach on, and to extend that leadership role within them and let them go kind of carry the torch for him is something I’ve definitely learned from him.”
On Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland’s passing and what he remembers about him from his visit with the Lions: “I just saw that, man. We had him for a Top 30 visit. Special kid, that’s very unfortunate. I have no idea about the details of anything, but I just remember there was something about that kid, a special kid. I think he had something with his upbringing. I don’t want to misspeak obviously on something, but I know he had dealt with something coming up through adversity and things like that. But whether you deal with anything or you live a joyous life your whole life, you never want to see a kid at the age of 24 to pass away. So, my condolences with his family, loved ones, and everybody involved.”
On allowing the fewest rushing yards in the League since 2023 and how much it is an emphasis to get back to that this week after last week’s performance: “I wouldn’t use the word gashed last week, but from the standpoint – yeah, you take the 31-yard flare screen, I don’t know where that became a run, but OK got it. They averaged 3.9 a carry on 28 attempts, but moving forward, the standard is the standard. Not just in the run game, I repeat, in totality. We are a physical outfit, and I refuse to ever get run out of a stadium. That’s just point-blank period. And we’ll use any resources that we have out there. If we have to go with a 10-man box and play with one post safety, those guys in the room, the coaching staff, everybody knows. If there’s one thing I believe in, it’s the physical identity of our defense. And that starts with the run game and our front seven.”
On Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt and who he reminds him of: “He reminds me of (Lions LB) Malcolm (Rodriguez), I said that the other day. Kind of a late-round guy that snuck in the room and nobody really knew about him, but I actually have a little background because he’s from kind of surrounding areas that (Lions Linebackers Coach) Shaun Dion Hamilton is from, and I know that player’s upbringing now. So, it’s no surprise to me when I turn on the tape of why he runs hungry. Why he went in there and got a player like (49ers RB) Brian Robinson traded out of there. The caliber of player that is, to trade him away and have trust in this guy kind of was eye opening. But then you watch the tape. I have ultimate respect for that player. Ultimate. They have a lot of YAC yardage, actually. Him and (Commanders WR) Deebo Samuels, it’s one of the better things they do. You can include (Commanders TE) Zach Ertz in that as well. It’s a lot of quick passing, getting the ball out. But that’s when they hurt you, when the ball’s in their hands. So, ultimate respect, man. Shoutout to that kid, a seventh-round pick that went in there and got it out the mud. I’ll always respect guys like that in this League.”
On the effect Lions DL Alim McNeill has had on the pass rush: “It’s a no brainer that if you leave your guard one-on-one with Mac, he can create issues as far as the interior push. But I don’t want to take away from the guys we’ve already had out there and make it seem like we’ve just taken a tremendous jump because of one player. How about (Lions EDGE Al-Quadin) Muhammad at the three tech? How about (Lions DL) Tyleik (Williams), some critical PBUs out there. How about (Lions DL) Roy Lopez coming in here as a nose tackle and showing us that he can edge O-linemen. So, obviously I love Mac. He’s a high-level three technique. But I don’t want to make it seem like it’s just jumped so significantly like other guys haven’t been contributing to a dynamic rush plan as well.”
LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET
November 6, 2025
On the performance of the special teams unit on Sunday: “Really, to be honest with you, three phases actually played pretty well. Our punt return played well, kickoff return drive start was good and our punt was actually very good. But obviously we had those two huge plays. Blocked field goal was just a low kick. There’s people who could’ve protected maybe a touch better but at the end of the day, the ball just came off low. If you hit a ball that low, usually it’s going to be blocked as long as they put their hand up and their guy did a good job of getting his hand up there. And then the kickoff return – their kick return, our kick cover – it’s a group that we had been playing pretty well in that phase, to be honest with you. And then, we obviously gave up the play. The biggest challenge with the play for me would be if we give up a play like that, we’ve got to tackle them at like the 40 and not let them run all the way back to our side of the field. So, we’ve just got to try to minimize the damage on those plays and so that we’re not giving up so much. But there’s probably a lot of guys that could’ve been a little bit better on that play, no one person on that. And I would also say, starting with myself, I could’ve helped them out a little bit more. And they did a nice job. They had a good little scheme and they got us a little bit, so it was good by them too.”
On the main issue with the trajectory of Lions K Jake Bates’ blocked kick on Sunday: “Yeah, so anytime you hit a low ball like that, you see it go around the League – I think you guys asked me what was it with some of these blocks early in the season and some of them I said it was just low balls. But anyway – that sounds weird. But anyway, the kick was low and the trajectory came off low. Anytime that happens, what’s really going on is the kicker’s hitting the ball just a fraction higher up on the ball with his foot and so it comes off flat and low. It’s kind of a similar thing that would happen on a mishit on a kickoff that ends up being a squib – he hits a little high on the ball and it looked like his foot caught the turf a little bit before the ball and probably hit off the ground and ricochetted up a little bit. So, he hit it high on the ball, which obviously is unfortunate.”
On if the Vikings kick return scheme was something that he had not seen before: “No. I mean it’s nothing super dynamic. They did a good job executing. I mean it comes down to fractions. It’s inches. That’s why every week I stand up here I’m like, ‘Gosh.’ Or a couple weeks ago I told you those plays – before every one of those kicks, you’re nervous about the outcome just because it can go one way or the other. Really the second one that was called back on a penalty, I mean we had hands on the guy back there – whatever, at the 25-yard line – and the guy slid off the tackle and then it turns into a huge play. And then the first one, we had a guy have his hands on a guy at the 40-yard line and he got off that tackle and made a big play. But ultimately, it’s my responsibility. I’ve got to do a better job of getting these guys in a better position so that they can get better contact on the ball and bring them down. But yeah, I mean going into the game, I think we were – the way I calculate it out – sixth-best in drive start in the National Football League on kickoff, just in terms of those guys covering. So, not adding in, well the ball went out of bounds or the ball landed inside the landing zone and went for a touchback and they got the ball at the 20. Not counting that stuff, just grading the coverage units across the League, we were probably sixth going into the game and coming out of it we’re 12th. So, it’s not like, ‘Oh man, you guys have been terrible.’ There are 20 teams that would like to be in our shoes right now. So anyway, I think you’ve got to take it with some perspective. Now that being said, we obviously have to get better – we can’t let that happen again. We’ve got to be urgent about it, but just like you do on anything all season.”
On how the team is doing in the rest of his rankings: “I would say fairly decent. I’m not going to go into all of it, but I look at a lot of different things. I mean there’s – and it just depends on stuff like that. I’ll give you another example. Kickoff coverage, I think we have fourth or fifth most drive starts with our opponent inside the 20-yard line. Now, in the NFL, I think our kickoff return we’re like fourth in terms of fewest number of drive starts inside our own 20-yard line. I think we’re roughly like 10th-best when we’re returning the ball on our kickoff return. So, stuff like that. But yeah, we’re doing alright. Could we be better? For sure. We have a high standard and a high bar. We played really well around here for a long time and we’ve got to continue to improve. Just like I said at the beginning of the year, just keep getting better and better.”
On if there is a story or moment where he first knew Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell would become the figure he is today: “Yeah, I don’t know if I have a moment like that. But I would just say, from the very beginning, I mean you talk about a guy who believes in what he’s doing and how he’s doing it and he’s always being convicted and committed. And you’ve always felt like he’s had a plan and he believes in the plan that he has and all of us certainly have believed in him, for sure. And I would say he’s never wavered, he’s always stayed the course. I think a lot of times in this business, especially in that position, you get hit from a lot of different angles and areas in different directions and he’s never wavered, not one bit. I mean a lot of it comes from the outside world – the media, people outside the building talking about it. And he’s always been true to himself, he’s been who he is. And I think he’s done a terrific job at that, which is very difficult to do, especially when you’re not having success. I think in this League, anybody can coach any position when you’re playing great. It’s when you’re not playing great or you’re going through those ups and downs that you really find out who can really coach in this League. And he obviously did that at the beginning of our time here. He stayed the course, he stayed true to the players. Players believed in him, he was honest with them, told them the truth. So, I mean I’ve always said, I can never speak highly enough. His intelligence on what’s going on in the locker room and how the players are feeling and what they’re going through and how they’re handling it and what he needs to say to them at the right times is incredible. His vision for what’s going to play out in the course of a game is exceptional. He knows going into every game – I think he’s already built a vision of how that game’s going to go down, what’s it going to take to win, if he needs to be more aggressive, less aggressive and he’s always stayed the course with that. And he’s really always pretty much right on. So, yeah, he’s incredible. I love working for him. Been fortunate to be around him. But yeah, I don’t know if that helps you out.”
On how he goes about identifying what he is looking for in an assistant coach and how Lions Assistant Special Teams Jett Modkins has grown in the last five years: “Yeah, Jett – I mean what we were looking for is a guy who obviously really hungry about coaching football. My assistant needs to have a lot of computer skills. They end up putting a lot of stuff into a computer. So, I mean probably what he does most for me to be honest is just putting together PowerPoints. Like the format’s there, but every week, you’ve got to put in all the new pictures, all the new drawings, where the other team’s kicking the ball on the kick charts and just a lot of data information that we end up presenting to the players or using to build a plan. And so he does a ton of that stuff, so obviously being able to handle the computer stuff was a big part of it. We wanted somebody who was young and hungry to grow and learn and who was all in, committed. I think anytime you’re an assistant, I think the best thing you can do is really just put yourself in the coordinator’s shoes and say, ‘What does this guy need me to do?’ I think what happened to me is when I coached college football for 10 years, I was the defensive coordinator for eight of them. And then I left that and I went to the NFL and when I got in the NFL, I became an assistant again to the special teams coordinator. And it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I had been a coordinator and it was like, ‘I know exactly what this guy wants. He doesn’t need a ton of help with ideas. He doesn’t need this. He just needs me to bust my ass with all these things, help him out with that and get that done.’ So, that’s really kind of to me, what we’re looking for, what I’m looking for. And then you want high motor, energy, energetic, bright future ahead of them, good person, honest, direct. You want a guy who can handle the players and not acquiesce to those guys but be able to tell them what they need to do and be able to project my word and message or our word and message. And he’s done a great job since he’s been here.”
On how excited he is to get Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez back to his unit: “Yeah, it’ll be great. I mean obviously guys have been coming and going all season long. But him, just like getting (Lions RB Sione) Vaki back is huge. These guys are great players for us on special teams.”
On if there is something that can be done to try to get Lions RB Sione Vaki the ball on kickoff return: “Yeah, so I think actually it’s a good question just because of going into Washington this week. A year ago when we played in the playoffs, we had (Lions RB) Craig (Reynolds) and we had (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond) back there deep. And yeah, we were trying to move them around, but ultimately, the team that’s kicking the ball really controls the play. And you could try to – I mean, you could line up with one guy back there and have them cover the field. If the kicker can hit the ball on the ground, then maybe that’s hard to do. Or a low-line shot in a corner or something like that, maybe that would be hard to do – put one guy back there. So, some of that depends on who’s kicking the ball off. Which these guys kick the ball low, sometimes it would be hard to put one returner back there. You can try to guess which side he’s kicking to, but ultimately, if that guy can move the ball around, they can control kind of who’s going to get the ball on the return.”
On if there are tells in the kicking team’s formation that indicate which side of the field they plan to kick to: “All sorts of tells. It can be a tell by formation, by alignment, the width they kick, the stance – one foot’s forward – the angle of the player, the kicker set up, the kicker’s approach you can tell on. But ultimately, sometimes you can’t and they can throw that off and they can break those tendencies and all that.”
