Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp spoke to the media Thursday as they do every week during the regular season.
Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from those media sessions:
1. In back-to-back games, the Lions' defense hit on the three major keys they identified the week leading up to Sunday, per Sheppard. First, they didn't let wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden get behind them. Second, dominate in the run game so they could play some of the coverages they wanted. The Packers had 60 rushing yards with a 3.2-yard average per carry. Three, force takeaways. Defensive back Brian Branch had a critical fourth quarter interception.
2. What makes Minnesota's defense so challenging to play against? Petzing said it's the uniqueness of Brian Flores' defense from the sheer volume of blitzing to some of the coverages behind it and just the overall scheme itself. There's nothing like it around the league. Petzing said the Vikings do a good job making things look complicated to opponents that are simple to them because of their experience and knowledge on defense.
3. Early in last week's contest, Fipp called a field goal rush that nearly got home. He said linebacker Trevor Nowaske came up to him after the play to say he really liked the rush call. Fipp went back to the same call late and it resulted in edge rusher DJ Wonnum’s huge field goal block that helped propel the Lions to victory.
4. The Lions had eight players in their secondary, five cornerbacks, play at least 14 snaps against the Packers. Sheppard said it was passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend's idea to rotate players against Green Bay.
Sheppard said there were some players on the scout team the last couple weeks who caught their eye with the way they covered wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in practice. The rotation Sunday allowed the defense to keep some players fresher than normal and utilize some different skillsets. It's something we could continue seeing moving forward.
5. Jahmyr Gibbs leads the NFL in touches and is on pace to have the most by any running back dating back to the 1980s. Is there a number that is too much for Gibbs? Short answer from Petzing: No. He said Gibbs would probably argue for more touches if asked. Petzing said Gibbs is such a dynamic and unique player with the ball in his hands, and they want to utilize that as much as they can.
6. Fipp loved the energy wide receiver DeAndre Carter brought to the return units last week. He had a 15-yard punt return he nearly broke and a 26-yard kickoff return he almost got loose on too.
"He's going to take it passionately and we got to help him out. And that always helps. The great returners get great blockers, but part of it's because what they do with the ball in their hand and that helps motivate the blockers," Fipp said.
7. The return of Branch last week was a big boost for the entire defense. When great players return, it makes everyone around them better. Sheppard said when watching the film back from Sunday's game, he saw safety Chuck Clark raise one arm in the air on Branch's fourth-quarter interception when Branch was back-peddling and Packers quarterback Jordan Love was taking a shot to Watson down the deep middle of the field. Sheppard said as soon as Branch turned his hips and went for the ball, Clark lifted both arms in the air like he knew what was about to happen.
"I mean, I've never seen that. I'm like, '(Clark), you run to the ball.' Nope, the play's over," he said. "And just what that does for teammates, what that did, the swagger it brings, knowing you have an enforcer who can go cover the number one receiver. (Branch is) a rare player in this league. We're all happy to have him back."
8. Petzing was Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray's offensive coordinator in Arizona the last three years. He knows Murray's strengths and weaknesses. So it was smart for Sheppard and some of the defensive coaches to ask Petzing about Murray this week in preparation for Sunday's matchup. Petzing hopes he gave some good nuggets the defense can use but didn't know just how helpful he could be given Murray's in a new system with different weapons.
9. Vikings returner Myles Price is the only player in the NFL with a punt return touchdown this season. He's averaging a whopping 19.2 yards per punt return. He's third in kickoff return average (30.7).
He's dynamic. Price can start and stop, change direction and get to full speed very quick. That makes him tough to defend in space. Fipp said his coverage units will have to play well Sunday to try and limit Price.
10. Like everyone else out on the practice field Wednesday at the Meijer Performance Center, Sheppard was excited to see safety Kerby Joseph.
"I know it's kind of sound like a tape recorder right now from what, three weeks ago, three, four weeks ago with (Branch) coming back, but it's the same process, trusting the player," Sheppard said. "Now he's going to fight somebody for anything like, '(Joseph) no, you're not taking that rep backup'. But he wants it all."
