Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp spoke to the media Thursday ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener vs. San Francisco at Ford Field.
Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from those media sessions:
1. Glenn said he was fired up for this week's matchup against a very good San Francisco offense coached by Kyle Shanahan and co. This will be Glenn's first game as a defensive coordinator and play caller, and he said he was excited to be able to compare himself against someone he considers one of the best offensive play callers in the league on the other side of the ball in Shanahan.
2. The defensive line is the strength of the 49ers' defense. Lynn said Nick Bosa has the potential to be a game breaker if they let him, and everything San Francisco does on defense falls in line behind a pass rush Lynn thinks is one of the best in the NFL. Lynn said getting their protections right upfront is key Sunday.
3. The Lions brought in Austin Seibert after final cuts to be their place kicker. Fipp said Seibert has really changed some of the things he did mechanically coming into the league and has really developed that part of his game. Seibert has a strong leg, and Fipp said he was making kicks from 61 yards this week.
4. Glenn said the Lions will have a plan for 49ers backup quarterback Trey Lance, if Shanahan has some packages in place for this year's No. 3 overall pick. Glenn mentioned the zone read stuff Lance did in the preseason as something he was impressed with and has had to prepare his defensive players for.
5. Lynn didn't seem too concerned about rookie right tackle Penei Sewell when asked about him Thursday. Lynn said the preseason is a time to learn and grow. Sewell hadn't played in a year, and Lynn admitted Sewell struggled some in the preseason, but he likes the improvement he made in pass protection and thinks he'll be fine Sunday.
6. Fipp didn't want to get into who will be returning kicks and punts on Sunday. We'll have to wait to see on that front, but don't be surprised if Kalif Raymond is in the mix in both spots early on.
7. Lynn said it's important to take some shots down the field to keep the 49ers' defense honest. Lynn thinks they have some weapons to make plays down the field, and expects to take some shots. Lynn categorized an explosive pass play for him as being 16-plus yards and an explosive run being 12-plus yards.
8. Tackling will be critical for the Lions on Sunday, according to Glenn. San Francisco has led the league in run after the catch for three years in a row. Glenn talked about talented 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel in particular. He called Samuel a running back with a receiver skillset. Detroit has to be good tackling in the open field.
9. Lynn admitted there were times in his past where he maybe got too stubborn trying to run the football. He wants to run, and thinks that can be a strength for Detroit's offense with their collection of offensive linemen and running backs, but he said he's evolved as a play caller and is striving for balance.
He referenced a play with the Chargers when they were in Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship. They got to the goal line, and when they got there all season long they ran 40 blast with 100 percent success. Pittsburgh knew they were running it and stuffed it in the backfield. Lynn said it was a hard lesson to learn, but it taught him he has to mix it up in this league to be successful on offense.
10. The Lions are pretty young in the secondary, but that's something Glenn is certainly used to. He said in 2017, when he was the defensive backs coach in New Orleans, his oldest starter was a second-year player. Glenn said a coach can't be afraid to play young players, and it's his job and the job of his defensive coaches to coach them up.
