Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp spoke to the media Thursday. Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from those media sessions:
1. This is a little bit of unfamiliar territory for Johnson in terms of already clinching a playoff spot and developing a game plan with the potential that some players rest. In his 12 years coaching in the NFL, Johnson has been to the playoffs just once and that wasn't decided until the final week.
2. Glenn was pretty coy, as expected, about his plan for the secondary rotation when defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson gets the all clear to return to game action. Gardner-Johnson has been a full participant in practice this week for the first time since returning from a torn pectoral muscle suffered Week 2.
"Will they all three (Gardner-Johnson, Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu) be on the field at the same time? Possibly," Glenn said. "Will somebody be down? Possibly. But they're all going to play and you'll see that."
3. Fipp joked Thursday that he feels like he's game planning against the same special teams unit for a third straight week. Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels was the assistant special teams coordinator in Dallas before taking over in Minnesota, and Fipp said the two units play very similarly.
4. How has rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker been coming along? Johnson said he's getting better every week taking what he learns in the classroom and applying it to the practice field. The arm talent is obvious, according to Johnson, but where he thinks Hooker has come a long way is with calling the plays in the huddle and his cadence and operating all the pre-snap motions.
5. Detroit's generated six takeaways the last two games. Glenn hopes it's something that's becoming part of the permanent makeup of his defense the rest of the season.
"They're looking to punch the football out at any given time. And it's a mentality," he said. "And I told our guys the other day, man it's becoming the DNA of ours because it happened last year, probably about mid-season. Now, we started a little late, alright, it happened about the last five games, but man our guys really understand that. When we win that turnover battle, usually we come out with a win, so we want to continue to do that."
6. In his seventh season, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is going to his first Pro Bowl. Fipp said he was thrilled to death for Reeves-Maybin who he says does everything for his special teams units and deserves the recognition.
7. The Lions are the first team in NFL history to have four players with at least 850 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns – running back David Montgomery, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta. Johnson was quick to give general manager Brad Holmes and his team credit for assembling so much talent on offense for him to work with.
8. Expect the Lions to try to be much more physical with Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who had 141 yards and a touchdown in the first matchup against Detroit Week 16. Glenn said they have to be physical at the line of scrimmage and he plans to be more attacking with his defensive play calls. He also said when there are times they send pressure and it's one-on-one, they have to win more of those matchups.
9. Montgomery (975) and Gibbs (915) have a chance to each reach 1,000 yards rushing on the season. They would be just the sixth running back duo to accomplish the feat in league history. Johnson said he has been a part of feeding a player the football to achieve a personal goal in the past. In this case winning comes first and foremost, and if they can accomplish the feat with that in mind then it's a bonus.
10. Glenn made an interesting comparison when asked about the development of rookies Brodric Martin and Steven Gilmore. He made the point that some players take time to develop. He used Melifonwu as an example being in his third season and now starting to see the fruits of his labor and development. Glenn said they are going to continue to work with those players and he thinks both are going to be good players in this league in time.
