Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of Detroit's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from those media sessions:
1. The bye week is a chance for coordinators to do self-scouting. Glenn said the one thing that showed up too much for his defense the first month is the number of penalties. Of Detroit's 31 penalties, 20 have been on the defense. Detroit's eight defensive pass interference penalties are tied for the most in the NFL. The double-edged sword for Glenn is that Detroit is also top seven in passes defended, which is something he's emphasized for a long time.
"I know a lot of times that can be back-and-forth because now, when you're not challenging, then you're playing too soft, when you are challenging, you're getting those," Glenn said. "So, the thing is, I'm going to ride with the fact that our guys are out there challenging and we're going to continue to do what we do."
2. Glenn also said they are working to limit the penalties. They are going back to doing one-on-one drills in pads in practice and defensive backs are going against receivers trying to work through some of the technique issues that have been associated with those penalties, especially from young players like rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold (eight penalties in four games).
3. Johnson grew up in North Carolina and went to high school in Asheville, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene last week. Johnson said his immediate family is OK, but he has friends who lost family members and businesses, and his thoughts are still very much with them.
4. Lions kicker Jake Bates and Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey didn't have a ton of place-kicking experience before starting professional careers in football. Fipp said it's opened some eyes of special teams coordinators around the league when looking to the future of the position.
"They're definitely ball strikers before, they're playing soccer, they're doing a lot of other sports," Fipp said. "These guys are good athletes, they're good players, they're super talented, and I think those guys have a – they can get better, and they can improve."
5. Johnson said he and quarterback Jared Goff are in a really nice groove right now as a play caller and quarterback, and we've seen that on the field with the way Goff's played the last two games against Arizona and Seattle. Johnson said the thing that's really impressed him about Goff lately is when Johnson makes a bad play call against a certain look or doesn't have the protections right, Goff is making up for it by fixing the protections and then extending and making plays to beat those looks.
6. Fipp has a lot of respect for Dallas' dynamic returner KaVontae Turpin. The Cowboys have an aggressive special teams unit. Fipp said his players are really looking forward to the challenge on teams this week. Don't be surprised if a big special teams play has an impact on Sunday's outcome.
7. Obviously job No. 1 for Glenn is to stop Dallas' run game and then try to limit All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, but one player Glenn talked about Thursday that's jumped out to him watching Dallas' tape this week is tight end Jake Ferguson, who is second behind Lamb with 22 receptions for the Cowboys.
"I think he's doing a really good job and people don't really talk about that player," Glenn said. "I think he's physical, I think he's tough. You watch him on these seam balls, he does a good job of contorting his body and going up and catching the ball. So, this is not going to be an easy out, we know that. Every time we play Dallas, it's going to be a dogfight, and we're ready for it."
8. Johnson called Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer 'the godfather of the double A gap blitz.' He said Zimmer always has a knack for finding a weakness or opening along an opponent's offensive line and finds a way to get an unblocked defender to the quarterback. That's been a point of emphasis for Johnson, offensive line coach Hank Fraley and center Frank Ragnow this week.
Dallas' defense is especially good on third down (31.7 percent), ranking sixth in the NFL. The Cowboys defense' has been playing some really good football the last two weeks, even with all the injuries they've suffered on that side of the ball.
9. The Lions had an opportunity to return a missed long field goal against Seattle. Fipp said Thursday he wished he would have coached the play better. He looked to put in Kalif Raymond, but because the clock was running and Raymond wasn't standing next to him, he didn't want to get a penalty and move Seattle five yards up. He had the call side cornerback, Khalil Dorsey, go back to return the missed field goal. Fipp said moving forward if they get in that opportunity again they'd like either Raymond, Jameson Williams or Jahmyr Gibbs back there to give them an opportunity for a big return.
10. Don't be surprised if second-year linebacker Trevor Nowaske plays a little bit more of the SAM linebacker role moving forward. Glenn said Nowaske 'does open our eyes on some things that he can do.' Nowaske had three pressures in just eight snaps against Seattle. That's a good ratio of pressure per snaps played.
