| LIONS HEAD COACH MATT PATRICIA QUOTE SHEET Opening statement: “Obviously, a huge week for us. A very busy week to get back at it, which is good. It’ll be great to go out and practice today. We’re excited to do that. We have a long week here, so kind of a similar program to what we did – I would say – to start the season. We will practice today and tomorrow, see what it looks like on Friday, and then back on the field on Saturday. We’ll try to get into as much of a normal routine as possible as we get ready for the game next Monday. From that standpoint, pretty much everybody is going to go out and try to do what they can do today, so I think Mike Daniels is the only one that’s out right now. We know we have a little bit of extra time here to progress as the week goes, so we’re going to try and take advantage of all of that before we get to the game. Obviously, it being a night game, we have a little bit of extra time. We’ll use all of that, but we’ll see how it goes as everybody gets back out there today. It’s been a little bit of time off here, so we’ll see what it looks like when we get on the field. Meetings are good. We’re rolling. We’re grinding. We know we have a huge challenge. They have a great team, great players and (are) well-coached. It’ll be a big opportunity in front of us.” On if TE T.J. Hockenson is out of concussion protocol: “Nope. It just means he’ll be out there doing part of whatever that is right now in wherever stage they’re at.” On how pre-snap movement puts stress on a defense: “I think one of the things that teams do when they do different types of motions, different types of formations, alignments – whether it is wide alignments and they move a particular receiver or a tight end or a back – sometimes it’s to gather information at the line of scrimmage for a quarterback. Sometimes they’re trying to identify maybe different fronts, different coverage, different adjustments from that standpoint. It gives them information. I think sometimes when they condense the formations down and they give some of that faster motion going across the ball – a lot of times with that when it’s combined with the run game you can wind up with maybe players not in the proper gap, wrong responsibility gaps and (they) create extra space in the run game that way, too. Also (they use it) to create space in the zone coverages. Once you condense everything down, things become a little bit more difficult from that standpoint, whether it is zone drops and getting your spacing correct or also man coverage and trying to work through traffic. They do it for a lot of different reasons. I think when they mix combinations of all of it, that’s when it becomes tricky from that standpoint. You’re trying to do everything you can defensively not to get caught in a bad situation there. Definitely pre-snap, they used ID’s for the quarterback, which is good, and then also to try to get gap displacement in the run game. Those are kind of two of the biggest things.” On how to ensure the defense does not overreact to pre-snap movement: “I think the biggest thing for that is just to try to get familiar with it through the course of the week and understand why they’re doing it, and what they’re doing it for. Once you can get a good grasp of that with the players, then I think it slows everything down from that aspect of it. Again, one of the things (why) teams do that – with the personnel’s and the motions and the shifts, is just to keep the speed of the game at a high level. We all know that when we can get the game to slow down a little bit, everybody can play a little faster. That’s the challenge with that.” On what makes Lambeau Field unique: “Obviously, the history and the tradition of that organization, that franchise – you feel it when you walk into the stadium. You just kind of have that sense of the history of the game. I think they’re the third-oldest franchise in the NFL right now, so that’s pretty awesome. It’s pretty great to walk into a rivalry like we have with the two organizations and be a part of that. I think it’s super cool. Like I said, if you love the game and love the history of the game, that’s where you want to be. You just have that feeling when you walk in. It’s no different than when I remember walking into the (Miami) Orange Bowl back in the day and seeing clips of walking into the spots where you’d see (1969) Super Bowl highlights. That nostalgia just throws you right back into those old tapes and those old games that you’ve seen through the years.” On if they use the overall record of a rivalry matchup as a source of motivation: “I think for us, it’s just one game at a time right now. If you try to bring too much of that in, you’re going to lose focus on what’s really important, and that’s just getting ready to play this game this week. Certainly, that has enough of a challenge in and of itself. Whatever has been in the past is in the past. I’m worried about the Packers now. They’re different players, different guys, different coaches, different schemes and that’s what we have to prepare for. It’s certainly cool when you can sit back and look at all of that stuff and reminisce and have those nostalgic feelings about it, but in the moment of preparation and in the moment of the game, it’s just about that game.” On why the history of football is so important to him: “I think that’s where you fall in love with the game, when you’re young. I think all of us have a different love for the game, but for me in particular, I just love the history of the game. Probably love history just in general, and then when you tie it in to a game like football, something that I’m obviously extremely passionate about, it just goes from there. Just understanding all that, seeing all that, it’s just really neat. It’s really cool, and knowing who walked and who came before you, tying that all together, I think is pretty awesome.” On how Packers S Adrian Amos and S Darnell Savage have changed their defense: “I think Amos, he’s playing at a really good level. I think he’s really – his recognition in the backend, I think, has improved a lot. I think he can play down, he can play aggressive, he can do all those things. We know he can tackle extremely well, but I would say his communication, his awareness in the backend really looks at a very high-level right now. I think in combination with (Jaire) Alexander out on the edge and (Kevin) King on the edge, those are guys that are doing a really good job. You have (Tramon) Williams in at the slot in the nickel position who’s a veteran, fast, quick, playing at a high level right now. I think all those guys working together, and of course Savage in the deep part of the field. Those guys I just think are all on the same page. I think it’s – again, we talk about defense all the time, the combination of rush and coverage and the marriage of those two together. I think right now that’s where they’re at. They’re at a really high-level where they know, whether it’s zone or man, the front is going to get there in a certain amount of time. The ball is coming out, and whether it’s zone and they have to go top-down and read the quarterback hard and fast and go make really impactful plays that way, or it’s going to be man coverage and things may be going vertical or across field. I just think they are doing a great job with that overall, but to me the biggest thing right now is the communication. It’s at a high level, and I think the safeties are driving that.” On if they will prepare for WR Davante Adams to play: “I think for us, knowing that it’s a long week and knowing that he didn’t participate last week, I would anticipate for us that he’s going to be out there, and he’s going to play. We’ll push forward with that and obviously talk about it if he doesn’t, but right now, go forward like he is.” On what he has seen from QB Aaron Rodgers this season: “Obviously the guy has been doing it for a long time at a high level. It’s pretty impressive. It’s pretty amazing actually – one of the fiercest competitors with just this calmness about him that’s pretty amazing. I think, when you step on the field and see what he can do and operate at such a high level – just really unphased by so many things that are happening around him and just continues to make these great plays. It’s pretty unbelievable. One of the things that they are doing that they’ve been known for, but I think he’s just doing a great job this year – are some of the free plays that he’s getting. Whether it’s substitutions or – his cadence is amazing, so he gets the hard counts, he gets guys to jump. They’re really converting those in to touchdowns. They’re converting them into major points. They’ve done that a couple times this year. Those are really hard to do and really hard to execute just to be able to gain yardage, let alone score on top of that. Still operating at the line of scrimmage, you know, the check-with-me system, full control over the offense. You’ll see that all the way through, trying to get them in the best place possible. Just really, I would say, through the progression of the year, looks much more comfortable, much more calm in everything that is going on around him. I know sometimes with that offense there is a lot of verbiage initially, and some of the play calls may be a little bit long, but it looks like he’s handling all that really well. Certainly, put them in their home stadium where he has complete control with the communication, makes it much more difficult.” LIONS QB MATTHEW STAFFORD QUOTE SHEET On something he liked and disliked from the offense after self-evaluating during the bye week: “I thought we were explosive in the first half, which was good – both in the run and the pass. We had some big plays and those lead to points in this league no question about it. Things that we’re looking to improve on – obviously, ball security always. We’re trying to not turn the ball over at all, as much as we possibly can. For me, just being as efficient as possible. Making sure that we’re completing as many balls as we can possibly complete, and then in the run game, getting us in the right check every single time and letting us go play.” On if the offense is beginning to feel comfortable: “Yeah, I think we’re going to continue to grow. It’s the first year in the system. It’s brand new to a lot of us. We’re doing a great job of doing everything we can to learn it. That’s what it’s all about is going out there and getting reps out of it in practice and then taking it over to Sundays. (It’s) something we’ve been decent at. There is obviously always room from improvement, but I think guys are feeling more and more comfortable every rep they get.” On how the offense has been explosive and how to continue that against Green Bay: “Yeah, I mean they’re a really good defense. They’ve got guys up front that wreak havoc on the game and guys in the backend that are really sticky in coverage and do a great job when the ball is in there of going and making plays on it. We’ll have our work cut out for us. It’s always a tough environment to go play there. It’s a lot of fun playing there. It’s a great stadium, but they’re a really good football team.” On how important it is to limit turnovers against Green Bay: “It’s hugely important. Every single game you go play in, turnovers are the number one leading stat in determining the outcome of the game. The more that we can retain the ball and then get it back from their offense, the better we’re going to be. They’re really good at – I think their front four or front five, however many guys they want to rush, do a great job of affecting the quarterback’s pocket. They’ve been stripping the ball from the quarterback. They’ve also been getting interceptions in the backend. That’s both scheme and players.” On how LB Za’Darius Smith and LB Preston Smith have changed the Packers defense: “Yeah, they’re both physical guys, athletic and great motors on both of those guys. They play extremely hard. I think that their scheme lends to some of their skill set. Let those guys go play attacking-style football, and they’re doing a nice job.” On how disrespectful he found the Bleacher Report video of him: “I didn’t see it. Somebody disrespecting us? Do I need to check it out? I’ll not look at it some other time.” On if the bye week came at a good time for the team: “I think the bye week coming at a good time or a bad time, is really kind of what you do after it. If you play well after it, it came at a great time. If you play bad after it, everybody wants to tell you it didn’t come at the right time. You just do everything you can to play well after it, and obviously we have a long stretch of games ahead, so we’ll just take it one at a time and go from there.” On how his hip feels: “Feels good. Feels better.” On what the hip injury was: “You can ask coach about all of that kind of stuff. He handles all of the injury stuff.” On how the hip injury limited him and how much pain it caused: “Tough to say. I was out there. I’m going to be out there as much as I possibly can, you guys know that. I was just out there playing. It felt good enough to go out there and play and execute at a decent level.” On if the hip injury will continue to be an issue going forward: “(I) hope not.” On how fun the explosive plays have been for the offense: “Yeah, it has. We’ve been kind of doing it a bunch of different ways – throwing the ball down the field, throwing it short and letting those guys run with it. Really, I feel like all position groups have been a part of it. We’ve thrown screen passes to Kerryon (Johnson) that went for 30-plus (yards) and a touchdown, balls to the tight end that are going for 30, receivers that are going for a bunch, so it’s fun to spread it around. I think we do a great job of getting everybody involved and guys are having a good time.” On how the additions of Packers S Adrian Amos and S Darnell Savage make the defense different: “They’re both fast and physical. Amos obviously had some time playing against him in Chicago – a little bit different of a scheme. They’re asking him to do a little bit different stuff here, but he’s still a really talented player and a good tackler. Obviously, the young kid is flying around back there. He’s extremely fast. He trusts what he sees, and he goes and plays, and he’s done a nice job for them.” On if he can sense when a player is starting to trust the offense more: “Tough for me to do that, but I think guys are doing everything they can to get as many reps and feel as comfortable as possible.” On how much of a boost it is to have WR Danny Amendola back: “He’s a talented player for us. A guy that brings a ton of energy. He’s great both on the field and in practice time. He’s a smart, veteran player who has played a lot. He’s a guy that is obviously very valuable to our team.” On what he thought of DE Romeo Okwara’s photography exhibit in New York City: “I did. It was awesome. It was really cool. I had talked to him a little bit about photography some. I had just seen him with the camera and wondered what was going on, and he told me. I told him I was going to New York and he told me he had an exhibit out there, and I thought I’d go check it out. I was staying right around the corner, so I got to check it out. Pretty amazing. Guys are talented at more than football around here – at least some guys, not me. It was cool to go check it out and see your teammate do something pretty special.” On how much easier it is to manage the offense when the offensive line is protecting him well: “I think obviously that’s a big part of the game, keeping the quarterback upright. Our guys do a great job fighting tooth and nail to make sure I’m upright. Our guys on the outside getting open on time. (Lions Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell) ‘Bev’ creating a game plan that is working for us. Those guys feel comfortable in it. I feel comfortable in it. Each week is kind of a new challenge. Sometimes it is (an) interior rusher, sometimes it’s outside rushers, sometimes it’s everybody. It’s just one of those things you have to deep-dive every single week and figure out how you’re going to execute in the pass game and our guys have done a nice job upfront, which is great.” On how important this game is: “All the games count. No doubt a division game against a really good football team. It’s going to be a fun atmosphere. Monday night will be a whole bunch of fun. We’ll have some young guys that I’m sure, first time playing on Monday night, will remember it for a long time at Lambeau. It’s pretty cool for them. I’m just excited to get out there and play again. The week off is great, but it’s football season. I’m ready to go play.” On if he was getting antsy during bye week: “Yeah, sometimes.” On if he watches football in his free time: “Yeah, I do. I get away during the week, and then if there are good games on college football, I’ll watch a little bit of that, then maybe a little bit of pro football as well.” On playing at Lambeau Field: “I think we have to go play good football. The toughest part of playing at Lambeau, I say it all the time, is playing the Packers. It’s not the environment, it’s not the – you have to go play the Packers. They’re a good football team. They have a really good defense this year, have a good offense that’s explosive, have a great quarterback. They do a great job of playing well at home. It’s on us to go play a little bit better.” On if he watched the Cowboys vs. Packers game: “I did, yeah. I was watching that game just as a casual fan as much as I could, then obviously peeked at the film version of it when we got back here.” On if he picked up things when he watched NFL games live or if he is more relaxed: “Sometimes, I was watching a little bit of (Cowboys Offensive Coordinator) Kellen Moore’s offense, old buddy of mine. It was cool to watch that and then watching the Packers. You don’t get a ton scheme-wise from the type that we get, but just watching their players play, watching their style and how they play.” On if Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense is similar to what he did with the Lions: “Yeah, he did some creative stuff, some cool stuff in there that reminded me of Kellen Moore.” On if he saw Packers QB Aaron Rogers pat his coach on the back and say “relax”: “I did not see that. I was kind of in and out of that game. I was kind of bouncing around to all the division opponents.” On his relationship with Packers QB Aaron Rogers: “Obviously, played against him a bunch. Talk to him every once and a while in the offseason. Have a lot of respect for him, really good player, been a really good player for a long time and obviously extremely talented.” On if he still talks to Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore: “Every once in a while. It’s fun to see him on the sideline. Still looks super young, but he’s doing a great job. They had some opportunities in that game to put up some points early and didn’t do it, but they were moving the ball well.” On if he always knew Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore would coach: “Yeah, he was obviously a really smart kid, creative kid, and he just had that quality about him – good leader, and you could tell he was going to be able to stand up in front of a room and put a game plan together. I’m happy for him.” |
