Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter spoke to the media Thursday as they do every week during the regular season.
Here are 10 takeaways from those media sessions:
1. Graham Glasgow had one of the finest games of his young career in New York Monday night. He didn't allow a sack, hurry or quarterback hit, and was good plowing the way for the run game. Cooter said Glasgow is certainly trending in the right direction, and continues to improve.
2. When asked about the early success we've seen from Ziggy Ansah, Austin said Ziggy's always had the ability to impact a game, but his health has sometimes gotten in the way. He said Ansah is feeling good, and that's why we're seeing him play good early on this season.
3. Cooter explained why the play of Eric Ebron and the other tight ends on the roster is important to the overall success of his offense. The tight ends are connected to every facet of the offense in terms of catching the ball, and then being important blockers on the edge in the run game. Cooter said that position usually determines how versatile an offense can be.
4. The best defense Austin has had in his tenure as defensive coordinator with the Lions was in 2014. That year, the Lions led the NFL in rushing defense (69.3 yards per game). He reiterated Thursday that stopping the run is always goal No. 1 for him. Why is Detroit off to a good defensive start in 2017? They're fourth in the NFL against the run (53.5)
5. Fast. Athletic. Aggressive. Those are the three words Cooter used to describe Atlanta's defense.
6. It remains to be seen if MIKE linebacker Jarrad Davis (concussion) will be available on Sunday. If he's not, one player the Lions could use to help fill the void is fellow rookie Jalen Reeves-Maybin. When asked about Reeves-Maybin, Austin was most impressed with his speed. He said he moves like a big defensive back.
7. Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday in a conference call that Detroit's offense is hard to scheme against because they have a number of different weapons. Cooter admitted his offense can be hard on a defense that likes to utilize double teams because who do they double?
8. The Lions have received a lot of good play from a number of different players upfront the first two weeks of the season. Austin said he doesn't have a bunch of big-name guys upfront, but he has a bunch of guys that work really hard and are good technicians. So far that's a good formula for Detroit.
9. Cooter had a pretty good line when asked about some of the creative touchdown celebrations we've seen from Lions receivers thus far.
"You know what? I keep missing that meeting," he said. "I don't know when or where it occurs, I haven't been invited."
10. Austin thinks second-year safety Miles Killebrew is just scratching the surface of being a really good football player. Killebrew's already shown to be a playmaker, so that's obviously high praise from Austin to his young safety, who could have a bigger role this week if starting safety Tavon Wilson (shoulder) can't go.
