The three Detroit Lions coordinator, Drew Petzing, Kelvin Sheppard, and Dave Fipp—all met with the media on Thursday to discuss the upcoming season and Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Here are my nine biggest takeaways from each session.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
What he likes about Ben Bartch, guard rotations
We still don’t know who will line up at left guard to start the season: Ben Bartch or Christian Mahogany. Petzing was asked specifically about Bartch, and here’s what he had to offer about the veteran lineman.
“We talk about the physicality and the communication,
probably the two most important things for an offensive lineman as a starting point outside of just winning your one-on-one. I think he’s done a really nice job of that,” Petzing said. “He’s a really smart player. He’s played in a couple different offenses and communicates well. The physicality is there, the finish is there, the attitude is there.”
As for the guard rotation, Petzing downplayed the panic over it. He said he’s been a part of it in Arizona, and while it’s not ideal, he thinks they’ll be fine if that’s the route they go.
“It’s an opportunity for those guys to continue to compete and earn their reps and to help this team win games,” Petzing said.
Juice Scruggs improving with play, confidence
The other key to Detroit’s offensive line is Scruggs, who is expected to step in for injured Cade Mays at center. Petzing said he challenged Scruggs early on to get louder and have more conviction in his pre-snap calls, and he’s risen to the occasion.
“If you don’t say anything or you’re too quiet, that’s where problems arise,” Petzing said. “Hey, at the end of the day, if all 11 people on the field are doing the same thing, we got a chance. Might not be the perfect thing, but as long as we’re on the same page, we got a chance to play good football. And I think he’s really embraced that. I think he’s done a nice job of that here really these last couple of weeks.”
Sam LaPorta can do everyting
One of the most anticipated developments with Petzing is how he’ll utilized Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta. He helped Cardinals tight end Trey McBride set NFL records, and with LaPorta’s game already so developed, the sky is the limit. Unsurprisingly, Petzing has come away impressed by the vast amount of things LaPorta can already do—well beyond just catching the football.
“He’s very dynamic in the passing game, big body, great body control, great hands, really good route runner, uses his body at the top of routes,” Petzing said. “But, I think his ability to do pass pro, to play in the run game, to play off the ball and on the move or outside the core is really impressive. I think there’s very few guys in the league that can do all of those jobs at such a high level. And I think when you have a guy like that, it does put a lot of stress on a defense.”
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard
Veteran safeties will give Lions MORE versatility than last year
Earlier this week, Lions coach Dan Campbell hyped up the secondary, with a particular emphasis on starting safeties Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox. Sheppard followed suit, noting that their extensive experience—16 seasons combined—will give Detroit the knowledge base to expand their defensive playlist.
“I have all the confidence in the world in these guys because—and, hell—we’re actually going to be able to do things that we weren’t able to do before,” Sheppard said.
He was asked to clarify if that meant more than what Detroit could do with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, to which he said he meant more generally last season.
He can’t wait to see Alim McNeill
A common theme of Sheppard’s press conference was to not hype up anyone or anything until the team actually takes the field on Sunday. There are too many unknowns. However, when it came to Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill, Sheppard couldn’t hold in his enthusiasm.
“I’m so excited for that player,” Sheppard said. “When I say it, it’s almost emotional because I know what he wanted to be last year and he just couldn’t. And it had nothing to do with, ‘Why isn’t Mac doing’ — no, he just couldn’t. A lot of that tape, he couldn’t even put his foot in the ground and plant, but he was still out there for his brothers. So I’m just telling you right here, September 13th, I cannot wait to see number 54.”
Don’t expect a ton of simulated pressure
One of the more trendy strategies on defense is what is known as “simulated pressure.” In short, it’s a defense feigning a lot of pressure pre-snap, only to have many players—sometimes unexpected players like defensive linemen—drop into coverage. The purpose is to speed up the opposing quarterback into a mistake while disguising both the coverage and pressure looks.
Sheppard said the versatility of DJ Wonnum and Derrick Moore being able to potentially drop into coverage does give them the versatility to utilize this strategy—while making a wise crack about the criticism he’s received for dropping Aidan Hutchinson into coverage.
“Yeah, it gives a lot of flex,” Sheppard said. “Hutch dropped two times and you’d have thought he dropped 20 from the word around the street. ‘Why is he in coverage?’ He dropped twice, guys. Let’s relax. But no, it gives you a lot of flexibility. You may see a d-tackle, d-end. These guys are so versatile now.”
But he did warn that it’s not his favorite strategy to use.
“I’m actually not a huge simulated guy,” Sheppard said. “So, it’s a time and a place for it, but I’m not just hell bent on simulating pressure.”
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp
Returners more or less confirmed
We already knew that Tom Kennedy was going to be the team’s starting punt returner after coach Dan Campbell spilled the beans earlier in the week.
When it comes to the kick returners, it certainly sounds like it’s going to be Kennedy and running back Jacob Saylors.
“We feel good about both those guys being back there,” Fipp said. “They both have experience doing it. Obviously, Saylors (did) a bunch a year ago.”
Last year, the Lions’ leading kick returners were Saylors (33 for 897 yards), Kennedy (16 for 447), and Kalif Raymond (six for 161).
As for why the Lions chose Kennedy over veteran Greg Dortch, who was cut by the team, Fipp passed the buck and said that was not his decision. He offered generic praise for both players.
Challenge of starting all over on scheme
I thought Fipp made a really good point about how job is much different from the other coordinators. While the offense and defense can start building their scheme in the spring—knowing which players they can rely on—the same can’t be said of Fipp. He often has to wait until after roster cuts to know which players he’ll have on special teams, and so when I asked him if he’s going to do anything different on kickoff this year, he said he needs to figure out what this newly formed unit can do well together.
“We don’t spend a lot of time on scheme in the preseason,” Fipp said. “It’s the last thing I’m worried about because you build something for this group of players, all of a sudden that group changes, that cut down day, and now you have a totally different group. So, ultimately for us, it’s putting these guys in as good a spot as we can do it going into the first game and then figuring out as we go the best way to put this thing together.”
Not worried about Jake Bates
Bates had a very up-and-down training camp and some of that spilled over to the preseason, where he missed two extra points in the finale. Fipp staunchly defended Bates, noting that every kicker goes through a process in the league that sometimes takes until Year 6 to really click.
“I feel good about Jake. I think a couple years ago I said there’s going to be a process of some ups and downs. I think historically, if you look at kickers, it doesn’t matter really who, but if you look at those guys, I mean, it takes some time to really develop and to lock into or get into a really good stride. When I say that, I—like he’s only missed three kicks under 50-yards since he’s been here, so he’s played pretty well for us. I think historically, if you look at some of the kickers who played, these guys like year six is when they’re starting to hit..”
