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. The Lions are playing considerably more zone defense (76.9 percent)  vs. man to begin the season and that's a departure from what we've seen from the Lions over the years. Sheppard was asked about it Thursday, and he said it's been a trend around the league as defenses have played more zone and shell to limit the explosive plays in the pass game. This makes teams drive the ball instead of giving up a one-play, 75-yard score. Sheppard said playing more zone vs. man can also foster more opportunities for takeaways.

2. Carolina placed starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on Reserve/Injured this week. Petzing said it adds a little bit of the unknown to the matchup and preparation on his part. Will the Panthers run the same defense Detroit has studied on tape? Could there be variations to protect their corners? Will they change their coverages? Petzing said he'll be ready to adjust if what he sees on the field from Carolina doesn't match what he expects to see from the tape study.

3. The weather could be a factor in Charlotte Sunday night with rain expected in the forecast. That can impact the special teams operation. The Lions practiced out in the rain at the Meijer Performance Center on Thursday. Fipp said kicker Jake Bates’ power drive on the football and low trajectory is more conducive to kicking in wind and weather, so those elements don't impact him as much.

4. We could see third-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. starting opposite D.J. Reed in Carolina. How much Rakestraw ultimately plays in that contest is up to him, Sheppard said Thursday. It's never been about Rakestraw's ability. The Lions like his game. It's been more about availability. Despite this being Rakestraw's third season, Sunday will be just the 10th NFL game he's played in. Sheppard said he's excited to see how Rakestraw responds to the bigger role.

5. Juice Scruggs is currently the No. 4 graded center by Pro Football Focus heading into Week 4. He's done a really nice job to start the year, especially in the run game, where he's graded No. 2 among centers in run blocking. Petzing said he hasn't even started to think about what the plan could be for Scruggs when Cade Mays gets closer to returning from IR. It's a good problem to have.

6. One thing to watch Sunday night is Carolina's ability to get the ball on the ground in the kickoff game and give their coverage units some extra time to get down the field as returners corral the football. Add in potential wet conditions with the ball being able to skip around a little bit and Detroit's special teams returners will have to be very sound making sure they secure the football first.

7. Sheppard said he's trying to find more ways to get second-round pick Derrick Moore onto the field. Moore's rep count isn't high right now, having played just 44 snaps total on defense in three games.

"But who are you pulling off the field?" Sheppard said Thursday.

That's a good point. DJ Wonnum has played pretty good football to start the season. There has to be merit to why the Lions should play Moore more often moving forward, and it's on the rookie to force their hand with on-field production. Sheppard said he is confident that's coming with Moore.

8. Right tackle Blake Miller hasn't looked like a rookie at all to Petzing, and that's the best compliment Miller can probably receive. Miller's had some tough matchups to begin the year and has played with a veteran presence about him. Petzing said Miller is unfazed by the moment and has a maturity about him he doesn't see often from a rookie. These are all great things to hear about the Lions' 2026 first-round pick.

9. Fipp talked a lot on Thursday about reserve running back Jacob Saylors and how rewarding it was to watch him have a big game Sunday with 44- and 37-yard kickoff returns. These both helped Detroit set up scoring drives in the win. Saylors has traveled between NFL practice squads and the UFL before finding a kick returner/reserve running back role in Detroit. He's been a great story of perseverance over the early part of his career and it's easy to root for players like that.

10. Sione Vaki will continue to earn more reps spelling Jahmyr Gibbs if he continues playing like he did against the Jets, per Petzing. Vaki was terrific in pass pro, got some tough first downs in the run game and made a nice 11-yard reception in the pass game that moved the chains. It's a long season and spelling Gibbs here and there is big for this offense in the long run.