Defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter spoke to the media one last time this season on Friday.
Here are 10 takeaways from those media sessions:
1. Cooter has taken a lot of criticism for how the Lions' offense has played – currently 24th overall and 27th in scoring. He's heard the criticism and was asked about his future Friday. He said he's focused on the Packers right now, and that the time to deal with the future will be in the future.
2. Pasqualoni was a defensive coach in the 2010 Pro Bowl on the same team as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He said it was a great experience to be around him in practice to see his work ethic close up. He called Rodgers one of the best to ever do it.
3. Give Cooter credit for taking full ownership of the trouble Detroit's had the last five weeks to put the ball in the end zone. The Lions haven't scored more than 17 points in their last five games. Cooter said it was on him, despite the fact the Lions are without just about every skill position starter from the beginning of the year.
4. Speaking of playing with a lot of reserves on offense, Cooter made no excuses there either. Every team would love to have all the players that start Week 1 play throughout the course of the year, but that's not the reality of the NFL. He said this league is about adjusting. It's up to coaches to get it done with whoever is in the lineup.
5. Defensive end Romeo Okwara has given the Lions a lot this year (6.5 sacks) as free agent pickup in September on a waiver claim. Pasqualoni's seen growth in Okwara throughout the course of the year, and expects more of the same as he continues to bulk up and add muscle.
6. Lions cornerback Darius Slay considers Davante Adams and Keenan Allen the two best receivers in the game releasing off the line of scrimmage. They're both very shifty. It will be important for Detroit's cornerbacks to be technically sound Sunday when facing Adams, according to Pasqualoni, and to be very conscious of not letting him turn their bodies so they aren't able to stay in front of him.
7. Cooter said he's "learned a bunch" this year. He thinks he's improved as a coach. He pointed to the progress they've made with the run game and some of the blocking upfront as examples.
8. The Lions have gotten pressure on the quarterback at times this season, but not consistently enough. Pasqualoni admitted they can always do better in that regard.
9. Cooter is expecting the Packers to play a number of their younger players on defense Sunday.
10. My final takeaway from a season's worth of doing these conference calls is that it's been a long year for both Cooter and Pasqualoni, but I got a strong sense from both coordinators Friday they are looking forward to coaching this 2018 team one last time Sunday in one of the best environments in football: Lambeau Field.
