Detroit Lions players meet with the media | September 11, 2024

Jared Goff taking away St Brown making it hard to go there how rewarding is it that that work jmo is paying off when it matters most yeah absolutely I mean that's gonna happen and um I think you know what makes us a good offense in the past is that you know last week it was Jameson and this week it could be him again but it could be anyone it could be Sam it could be khif it could be you know obviously St Brown is is a big part of it but it could be anyone and that's what's good about our offense I mentioned earlier today that he's never had a running back coach T up got it I mentioned that he never had two running back stab do the same thing so well in two different styles just your thoughts like uh being the playback that has like these two running backs that both run well on just different sure uh yeah I I think they they are both very unique in their own way but um we're lucky to have them both I mean you look around the league I don't know how many guys have two guys that you feel so confident in and um they do both bring a little different style and and that's what makes it dangerous is you can't really prepare for just one of them you got to prepare for both of them and um you know sometimes we're able to get both of them on the field and that makes it even harder but yeah it's it's fun to have thems the league mostek there's some Rust there I don't know R is the right ter it just takes a to Rhythm how how do you evaluate yourself early in the season you know still try way all pie yeah I think we've had a ton of practices up to this point to get into that Rhythm and um yeah the the week one stuff there there are things that happen I I think you know for us I said in the postgame it was more operational pre- snap procedural um the stuff post Snap we can we can fix and and and we will fix the stuff pre- snap too but the stuff post Snap was just execution better and um we weren't at our best in the past game certainly I wasn't at my best and um I don't think it's a uh you know can attribute it to just being week one I think it's just sometimes that happens and try to improve the next week and and not do it again how is it to not be your best yeah sure still win the game yeah it's huge it's huge and and I think you know there's there's certain teams that can't say that that you know that where the offense is struggling you kind of lose a game because of that and um you know we were struggling defense had our back I mean think about at the end there we give them the ball back with four minutes or so and for us to get the ball back in our hands prior to the two-minute warning like that's kind of unheard of in in that situation it's huge and your preparation a standard for itself obviously not his best game that he's had since he's been here how how was he the next day you guys got the win obviously but how was he he's fine man he's he's incredible he's he's a captain on the team he's he's a leader um he knows he's going to get his it's just a matter of time it just wasn't that game for whatever a multiple a multitude of reasons um you know it's It's just sometimes that happens but uh he knows he'll get his about players in those moments I mean we see success but what what do you learn about him when he's not getting the targets and things aren't necessarily how you character wise yeah he's a leader he's a captain he's got the C CH for a reason and um I think I know he I know he still wants the ball of course he does all those receivers want the ball but I think he understands when we're able to win a game game and he doesn't get as involved as maybe he'd like he's he's good with it we're winning the game and we're trying to win a Super Bowl this year um you know it's it's one week at a time and he knows that and like I said he'll get his and he also knows that it's not often the shakes out the way it does but to have an opponent that you saw just a few months ago one of the last games that you did play how much do you go back to that divisional game just from either a schematic standpoint or something just to yeah kind of yeah you look at it you do and and you see you know you can play the game all day long of okay we did this and they did that so how are they going to counter and then we got to counter that and and that's you know that's a long Rabbit Hole you can go down so you just you know try to prepare for it like it's another game and um watch that tape as if it's another game and understand there are some certain things that they were trying to take away from us but at the same time you know I'm sure they'll try to take away something else this game so we'll have to adjust as we go a lot of K St well with the amount of Blitz packages that the top bll Springs you have with who with top blls just the the pressure packages you've dealt with them pretty well through your career why do you think you you know why have you had success do you think he's got me too though so I mean we were able to play pretty well the last two times but I've played him a handful of times in my career and he's got he's gotten me too so um he's a great coach they'll have some good blitzes dialed up I'm sure they will they're a pressure team and um we'll be ready to handle them do you see a lot of variation every time just the types of pressure receiv rings by them yeah yeah certainly I mean they've got a ton of them they really do and um they'll probably have one for us next week that they haven't shown on film and uh we'll we'll react accordingly thank you guys Aiden when you dominate game in Aidan Hutchinson that facet where you're pressuring a QB all game long how much did you need that sack at the end to just you know put it over the top for you you know I think it just um I think it just came to me at the end and uh I was just I was working for it all game and finally held the ball a little bit so I got my opportunity and uh you know it felt great it felt great how do you do you deal at all with with frustration when you're you know winning your one-onone ones throughout the course of the game and uh you know you're just not getting the the reward um in in the Box Score I guess yeah yeah I I feel like that's what last year taught me a little bit so I feel like this year my mentality has become a little bit different and I think I can deal with that kind of adversity better um just been going through last year a little bit of it so I think I think last year helped and I think every year you grow as a player and feel like my mentor growth has helped me in that aspect we know the value of pressure I mean it still matters there was even the interception there was was pressure there 26 I think across the board for the defensive line what did you like about the not just your performance but the the collective group's ability to impact the quarterback yeah you know I think it's it's always very important you know that's that's that's our main job description is to get pressure pressure pressure and I think we did that and I think we got a lot of you know our Personnel we got a lot lot of a lot of guys who can create pressure and um we just got DJ back too so I think it's only uh you know the sky is really the limit for us and I think we're just going to continue to get better as a group and um continue to affect the quarterback can you feel the benefits of of David port and and Levi I mean the impact that they had can you feel that where you're you know when you're coming off the edge definitely definitely I think uh I mean Marcus is he's uh just one of those guys that he's just like a specimen of a human being and um he's just I I just knew he was going to I mean in Camp I saw it and I just knew I was I was ready for him to just kind of pop off a little bit and he missed a couple but you know the opportunities were there for him you know and that's that's that's big how does DJ make you guys more dangerous um I think it's pretty self-explanatory I think he's a he's a dog you know I think he's he's going to stop the run he's going to push the pocket um he's really just gonna he's gonna be great for it you know DJ is just such a good player so I'm really excited to have him back Dan was talking about the importance of playing against teams that that have the capability to win a division how important is it stacking these wins up against against playoff teams that you faced just a year ago yeah you know I I think these NFC teams that we're beating it's it's huge you know we got to keep beating them and we got to keep uh just I mean I mean that's I think I was talking to Alex and we we just kind of split it up in these little four game these four game little series and you know 3 and one 4-0 like that's that's really the goal and all these little uh 4 game uh I don't even know what you call it a little Bunch so uh yeah I think we're ready I think mentally this team is prepared for adversity and prepared to handle all the pressure and expectation I know it's been one game it's been one game but uh how do you feel like you're better as a pass rusher you know I I think every year I take a big step and it's it's I I think I've I've definitely found more ways to be three-dimensional as a pass pressure as in having a counter having a power having an edge and I think when you can have all those three things um you can be pretty dangerous as a pass pressure overall Tampa Bay offense hasn't changed that much since you saw him last in that divisional round how much do you take from a game like that heading into this one because the circumstances are completely different but still a very similar type team that you're going to face again yeah I mean they're a good team you know we knew we were going to start the start the year off with these good playoff caliber teams and uh you know the expectation doesn't change though you know it's it's um we got to we got to go and dominate as a defense and and get the job done and and uh you know the plan is to go home Sunday two and0 you spoke to you said kind of the mindset is for you guys to become violent you feel like that's like a strength for you guys like we talk about just the mindset of this defense how n do you guys want to be you know heading into this seon just the season period yeah I mean that's been the goal all all Camp long you know is um whenever we're all on the field it's we're all just crashing out and we're all just uh selling out for each other and I think I think we've done that all year we showed it in week one and we're going to continue to improve on it you get to go against than you thought I know you saw him last year but it seemed like he evaded a potential sack a few times and you see to happen in your grasp yeah yeah he's a he's a little slippery but I feel like I could I could have still made it but it's it's all good um yeah it's it is what it is you guys were John back I mean I'll say this it looked like he had a fun time John back and forth with you have do you feel like you've talked more in your career as you've gotten older here or has that always been part of your game no he was I didn't talk to him he was talking to me just to get that and I just you know I was kind of just on to the next one but no he's he's a great competitor and it's always fun playing against quarterbacks that really want to win and you can you know they want to win and um he was had some big throws in a lot of high press situations where he's getting hit so it's you kind of just you know say good throw and then you move on and it's first intent you know and you're kind of you reset the whole thing so I I love playing against him I just think he's uh just playing against other guys who want to compete it's fun when you get a guy of that caliber though jawing back and forth with you does it show how like how big of a factor you're becoming in the NFL when a guy of that caliber is kind of yeah you know I don't know I'm I'm not too much into the chatter on the field I kind of just I'm my own little world in my head so yeah I mean it's fun though it's it's competitive you have this great benefit of going against pan and Decker to to sharpen your game daily you're going to face one of the best in this league in in wors this week what what is your you know Scouting Report from from battling him twice last year what makes him exceptional at his position you know again I think he's just you know like a freak of a human being you know he's he's you just look at him he's massive he's got these huge arms you know and he's he's going to try to punch you so it's it's uh feel like I've been going against wors now since I the Iowa days I played him back at Iowa so I feel like we've we've seen each other a lot and it's always again playing against good competition it's fun you know cuz I know he's going to give me his best and I'm going to give him my best and then we see how the cards fall um it's like it's like Carlton Davis III another game it's just the next game up um I'm not too I'm not going to be get too personal about it or emotional about it it's just business and they just the next opponents on our way you keep in contact with either Mike or Chris or no not really uh when I see him it's all love uh I'm going forever have love for those guys but uh you know Sunday is business you said you you won't let it get too personal when Sunday comes you see that uniform across you though for the first time how hard is it going to be to fight that emotion that's that is so human in so many of us yeah I don't know I don't know yet I haven't experienced it yet so um I guess we'll see what happens when it happen but uh for now I'm not trying to feed into the emotions of it or like the personal no um relationships or anything like that um at the end of the day it's a business and we got a game and somebody got to win somebody got to lose so it's my job to make sure we win how much you looking forward to that secretary getting a second round at it too and it just they so close to so many different plays yourself yeah Brian and just see know kind of wh ifs from the tape you excited to maybe get back out there again yeah man it was a uh something to build off of for sure uh and it was fun playing with those guys for the first time in live action man uh we got a lot of talent around us I'm excited um so to get out there again this week in front of our home crowd is going to be really fun and uh I'm excited to see what we all do and just capitalize on the plays that we could have made is this a giant step a giant step in like improv forward you talked about how you know you're comfortable with the guys last week and all that this week is it a giant step or just a baby step to continue that well you know like coach says man we just got to keep going doing this uh and getting better every week whether it's a little bit or a lot uh we just want to get better in some sort of fashion so we'll see how big that step is next week uh or this week coming up but uh you know we just want to build off of what we did make some plays that we probably missed and uh just capitalize on any um opportunities we have now now you look at the film can you just ask how comfortable actually terrion did look out there especially for this first game oh yeah he did he he uh he did look comfortable um obviously he was a rookie so you know first game it's going to be whatever it is they you know gave him some calls that I didn't agree with but uh it's just all a part of the game and them getting to know you as a player walking up a little late but just how much did Mike sharpen you early in your career just going against him da oh yeah he he uh sharpened me a lot going up against Mike uh for six years has definitely made me a better Corner um I always love going up against him and Chris uh and uh I'm forever like forever respect those guys and got a lot of uh got a lot of respect for him and forever thankful for them he had a pretty big week one going up against commanders yeah what makes Mike such a specialer from going up against him in practice to face him I mean he just got good body control uh his mentality is different the way he approaches the game um and he he's always been a great player always been a playmaker always been somebody you can uh depend on but uh yeah I don't really want to talk too much about how good he is like what was it like was like being on this side of the noise wearing H the blue and silver inside Fort field it was it was so electrifying I almost went to the other sideline cuz I was so used to going over there I got messed up and I was like oh I'm over here but uh it was uh fun to be on that side to be on the uh the side of the crowd and uh just seeing how much these fans love this team and how much the city comes out and support this team is amazing idty are you starting to see being built in that can you repeat that again I'm sorry what kind of identity man we just got Playmakers man we want to be locked down we want to be able to make plays uh all throughout the game man we just want to be known as Playmakers we want to be known as guys who change the game and uh guys that this team can depend on uh in any down or situation I also walked up a little bit late so I'm sure they asked about the trade can you just take me through again like the moment that you found out what goes through your head you know are you on a human level even you know like are you mad you get traded or you happy you come here what's how did that whole thing it's just all uh an emotional roller coaster um obviously it's like very random don't expect it um uh but then you start to realize what opportunity lies ahead with the Detroit lons and how uh good of a team this is and the culture here so you know you buy into it and uh it's a it's a process just a gested um you know being so familiar with Tampa and being there for so long and then coming here and having that change but uh buying into it and having teammates and and people around you that's helping you buy in and that's welcoming you into this organization that's that wants you here so you know that's that's what it's all about is uh you know being a family and growing with these guys and growing chemistry so um we've been doing that so far and uh the change has been uh a good change for me it's been a good Pace um I like the guys around me and I'm happy to be here just given the personal nature of it does this what does this game mean to you yeah it's not personal for me at all I could never really um get personal with these type of games because it's all business um they're just like the next opponent in our way um and it's a long journey so uh like I said man it's a business uh I do have a lot of love for those guys over there but on Sunday it's it's football man there's no friends on the field and it won't be on Sunday from what you saw what led to Baker Mayfield's kind of resurgence uh I don't know I don't yeah honestly I can't even tell you I'm not even I mean I guess he's always been kind of good I don't know if it was situations for him but um he came into Tampa and did what he had to do just last when the schedule dropped and you saw bucks week two did you Circle it what was your reaction that DFC and those guys kind of right off the bat it was uh definitely like a shocker to be able to see them early but um you know it's the NFL like it we was bound to play them whether they made the playoffs or at some point we would have had to see them and would have had to face them as my former team but um like I said man honestly this isn't something that I'm circling this isn't something that's like personal for me um it's more so business I more so want to win this game for the 2024 Detroit Lions than I am uh trying to get payback or anything like that um I'm I'm not bitter about anything that's going on I'm happy I'm here and I'm just moving forward and DJ Reader looking forward it's tougher mentally than physically and I don't know like when was the point where you cleared that mental hurdle where I think the first 6 weeks are the hardest part just cuz you got to keep your leg completely straight like you can't move it so you're sitting in bed sitting there every single day with a straight leg obviously it's my second time doing then you get to start moving it just a little bit then you just start being able to strengthen it then that's a whole process so it's just I think it's hard both physically and mentally I think the mental part is just not being able to do what you used to be able to do right off rip when you're starting to feel better and can't necessarily you don't warm up the same it takes you a little bit longer these things you know everything's a just a little bit more but you know you you learn about a lot about yourself in those times and um about who you are and I kind of sit out on this rehab process I knew you know I wasn't had no plans of stopping until I was back to where I felt good and so that's just what it is you got to take it a day at a time and go out there and put your best foot forward every day and let those ships fall in in feel like you're ready to roll on Sunday oh sorry feel like you're ready to roll on Sund I feel good feel good I'm excited about where I'm at um excited just to get out there with the guys out there play around crowd was amazing last week uh energy is great so I'm just I'm excited go into that Crow energy you were probably going to turn around in cincin yeah yeah seeing this was it was it different than what you expected just that week one it was great man you know just how loud it was it just I love that type of energy you know the crowds in it you feed off of it I'm a I'm a real energy player especially on Sundays I'm kind of pretty even kill throughout the week on Sundays I'm pretty turned up when it comes like energy wise so I love that the crowds in it um you know they're gritty people my son was in the stands last week and he loved it so I'm just excited man you know you feel that when you go out there on another team feels it so you know you need it especially being a home it should be your advantage having that crowd so it's dope