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. The Packers have a very aggressive defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Johnson said watching them on tape, they are all about quarterback destruction. They have the seventh most sacks in the NFL (21.0). He said their 19 takeaways start with their defensive line and front seven disruption.
2. Glenn came right back to the Meijer Performance Center following last week's win over Tennessee to start watching film on the Packers after he saw that Packers quarterback Jordan Love left their game with an injury. He wanted to get familiar with Malik Willis and how the Packers' offense operates with him vs. Love at quarterback. What did he learn? He said the biggest difference we will see with their offense is they are more run-oriented with Willis, 'and we'll have a plan for that.'
3. Fipp received a game ball from head coach Dan Campbell for the performance of the special teams last week. He was honored, but he said he's the kind of coach who likes to lay in the weeds, do his job and amplify the players. He said he was a little embarrassed seeing the video of his locker room speech going viral.
4. Johnson has been really happy with Detroit's run efficiency. They measure run efficiency by getting a third of the distance needed for a first down on first down, half the distance on second down and converting the first down on third down. He said they are at 55 percent efficiency in the run game on the year, which is higher than they've been in previous years.
5. Glenn said Green Bay has the best set of skill position weapons the Lions will face all year.
6. The Lions are going to need another good performance this week on special teams against a good Packers special teams unit. Fipp highlighted wide receiver Jayden Reed, cornerback Keisean Nixon, defensive lineman Arron Mosby, defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare, wide receiver Bo Melton and defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness as standout rushers or returners Detroit will have to account for on special teams Sunday.
7. Detroit's allowed 14 sacks over their last four games which is a little high from what we've been used to around here the last couple years. Some of that, according to Johnson, has been Jared Goff holding the ball a little longer waiting for some windows to open to take less chances with the football, which he'll take, but he said they might have to create less one-on-one situations where his guys are on an island.
8. Al-Quadin Muhammad debuted for the Lions last week against Tennessee and led the team with six pressures. Glenn said he really liked the rushes by Muhammad and called it a 'solid performance,' but there were some areas in the run game he can improve on this week.
9. Fipp raved about the effort some of the defensive players made on Kalif Raymond's 90-yard punt return touchdown as Detroit was playing for the fake and left a majority of their defensive players on the field for that return. Linebacker Alex Anzalone made a critical block, but he also highlighted the block James Houston didn't make that probably would have been a block in the back if he did. Smart football all around on that play.
10. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs knows that every game he's going to have a couple opportunities to get to the safety untouched and it's on him to beat him. He did it with his speed last week and with a terrific juke move two weeks ago in Minnesota. Johnson is really happy with the way Gibbs is running the ball and taking advantage of those matchups with the safety.
