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Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell – Conference Call – 12/9/15
(On how they’ve been able to get back after a tough loss against Green Bay last week)
“It’s been a little while for us now. It was the Thursday night game. It wasn’t like it was just this past Sunday, so we’ve been able certainly re-focus. This team has been able to do that week-in and week-out.”
(On if it’s more difficult to get them back now than it was after the five game losing streak to start the year)
“There’s nothing easy in this business, but I do think we have a good group of guys that has resilience under disappointment.”
(On how much that resilience has been tested with the way the year has gone with coaching and front office changes)
“There’s been a lot. I think these guys have done as good a job as anyone of dealing with the multitude of changes. I think what most people fail to realize is that players go through that every single week. They have guys that are cut. That locker is empty next to them one day, and then one day it’s occupied by someone else. They go through it on a daily, weekly basis. But for those of us that are in administration and coaching and things of that nature, perhaps the changes aren’t as frequent. I think people underestimate their ability to adjust.”
(On how tough it is when members of his coaching staff are let go)
“It’s not an easy thing because there’s families attached to that. There’s children, there’s wives. It’s always a difficult task. I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been fired a few times myself. But we also know it’s kind of the nature of the business. That’s just the way it is in our business. It’s subject to change at any point, any time. Since you got into this business and understand that the ups and downs have great rewards, but there’s also some risk involved as well.”
(On how the move to make Jim Bob Cooter offensive coordinator changes things around)
“It’s one of those things that the changes don’t happen overnight. We’ve been kind of moving our way, progressing and I think he’s doing a nice job handling the different translations that need to be done moving from one system to another. I think, I’ve known him a long time. He works at it. He’s smart. He can adjust well.”
(On what a change at coordinator can do for a team moving forward)
“Every place is different. I can’t speak to that. I’ve been part of one when I was in Baltimore where Cam Cameron was released and I took over the coordinator’s job and I can tell you it wasn’t easy. It was difficult, but the biggest thing is our players came through and did a tremendous job down the stretch and got us into the Super Bowl and we won it. Every situation is different. Nevertheless, with our situation, we’re still scrambling and working our way through it. It’s not easy.”
(On what was the cause of their rough start this year after being a playoff team last year)
“Every year is different. Circumstances change. You have to be able to win games different ways early on in the season. We weren’t playing as well as we’re capable in this last quarter of the season. The last quarter we had we were playing a little bit closer where we think we can be. We’re not nearly close to where we should be at this point, but I think we’re moving in the right direction. We’re playing pretty good in phases that we weren’t playing well in early in the year.”
(On how much QB Matthew Stafford’s game has evolved over the season)
“I think it all kind of works hand-in-hand. I think we’re doing a lot of things better in terms of protecting him. I think he’s doing a little bit better a job of getting the ball out of his hands. I think we’re doing a better job of running the ball. We’re not so one-dimensional. I think we’re doing a better job stopping the run on defense, which is giving us more opportunities on offense. There’s a lot of things I think that play into that, but I think there’s a number of guys, I think Matthew is coming along, but like we know and understand, each week we have to prove it all over again. We’ve got a real challenge ahead of us against a very, very good defensive unit with a lot of talent and certainly on the other side of the ball we’re going to have our challenges with a great running back and receivers that can run and give you some problems. So, we’ve got our hands full.”
(On what RB Ameer Abdullah has done to help out the offense)
“The change, I think, often times I think that kind of see in practice, we’re getting a little bit better, it’s fundamentals and technique. When we were getting better in our fundamentals and our techniques, we started to be able to carry from the practice field onto the field of play, our running game prospered a bit. Lately it’s moved forward. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re moving in the right direction. I think you can see that, not only in Abdullah’s numbers, but then also with (RB) Joique Bell and (RB) Theo (Riddick) as well.”
(On what makes WR Calvin Johnson so great)
“Size, speed, athleticism, hands with dexterity, and great work habits. Not average, not good - great work habits. To top that off, he’s even a better person. He’s just tremendous in every aspect. It’s difficult to find a guy that’s a complete package and he’s one of those rare individuals.”
(On how DE Ezekiel Ansah has progressed and what has made him so successful recently)
“I think it’s been one of those things where you knew that he was moving forward. Week after week last year, he was making plays for us, becoming the player we think he can be. He’s got size. He’s got speed. He’s almost a 280-pounder and he runs extremely well. But, he’s got the work habits and the desire to really be good. He really just scratched the surface. Everybody knows his story. He didn’t play a whole lot of football in college and that kind of stuff. Every single week you can seem him getting better and better and better. It’s because of the way he works. It’s because of the way he concentrates and the desire to be great. He’s heading that way.”
(On the challenges DT Aaron Donald presents)
“He’s got speed, quickness, power. He’s like John Randall. Sort of an effect on a team on the inside. He can rush the passer. Any time you hav,e you’re bordering double-digit sacks from the interior rush, it’s outstanding. He gives you problems in the run game and in the pass game. He can be extremely disruptive because of his speed and his ability. He’s tough to handle.”
(On if they’ve seen enough film on QB Case Keenum to know what to expect)
“Obviously they’ve played towards an individual skill level and talent and I’m sure they’ve adjusted according to his, but obviously he’s got some guys that can certainly make plays for him. Gurley is as fine of a back as you’ll see and (WR) Tavon Austin has got speed, (WR Kenny) Britt on the outside. There’s a lot of talent that goes along with it. One of the things that you find, regardless of who’s playing quarterback for you, is that you’re going to be trying to get it to guys who can do something with it and he’s got a lot of them.”
(On the key to defending both Austin and Gurley)
“I’m not certain anybody’s found the key to that yet. And that’s why teams are having a tough time with them.”
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford – Conference Call – 12/9/15
(On the team bouncing back after last week’s loss)
“We had a couple days off. Obviously, watched the tape right after the game on Friday and put it to bed. We understand we have a big challenge going on the road, playing a team with a really good defense and some playmakers on offense. So, it’s been easy to kind of put that one behind us and move forward when you have an opponent like St. Louis.”
(On what has been the difference having Jim Bob Cooter as the Lions new offensive coordinator)
“I think we’ve just been playing better as a team. Our defense is playing at a really high level. Offensively, we’ve been taking care of the football and putting points on the board - that’s the name of the game in NFL football. Winning games is protecting the ball and then putting points on the board on offense, so we’ve been able to do that.”
(On if he takes on some of the responsibility for the firing of their offensive coordinator during the season)
“Well, I think the biggest challenge for us once we did make that change was trying to adapt and learn as much of this new system as we possibly can. That’s where the players come in, the coaches as well; just they give us the information, we have to soak it up as quickly as possible and go execute it.”
(On if the team still has a good feel for what they’re doing going into these last few games of the season)
“This is a week-to-week business. If you start looking ahead or behind, you’re going to get in trouble. We played well at times last week. At times, we didn’t play well. We have to do that more consistently, play as good as we possibly can for as much of the game as we possibly can. We do that, we give ourselves the best chance to win. That’s every week, no matter who we’re playing or what we did the week before.”
(On how much of a surprise it was to start the season the way it did coming off the success of last season)
“Obviously, we didn’t start the season the way we wanted to - there’s no question. We turned the ball over. We didn’t play well, in really any phase. You do that and you’re not going to win a bunch of games. So, we’re looking to week-by-week chip away and play as good as we possibly can this week.”
(On the difficulty of keeping his spirits up at the beginning of the season)
“We have a mentally tough group of guys. We understand what it takes to win in this league. We understand we weren’t doing it at a consistent enough basis. So, we’ve been doing that the last couple of weeks. It’s always difficult losing, there’s no question. It’s much more fun, much better to win, but you have to put a bunch of effort in to make that happen.”
(On how much easier it is on him as a quarterback to have a wide receiver like Calvin Johnson to throw to)
“It’s obviously nice to have a big time player at the receiver position. We have a few. It helps. At the same time, you’re seeing a bunch of different coverages that other teams probably don’t get. So, there’s give and take. Obviously, playing with a great player is awesome.”
(On some of the skills that make Johnson a good receiver)
“Well, he’s big, fast and can catch the ball. Pretty much everything you want in a receiver.”
(On if things have changed for him under Cooter)
“We made quite a few changes. I’m not going to get into it as far as scheme goes, but there’s been quite a few changes. The guys have adapted and done a really good job of going out there and executing. We’re not playing perfect football by any means, but consistently playing at a higher level.”
(On if he feels more confident in this new offense)
“I have a ton of confidence in myself no matter who’s calling the plays, to tell you the truth. I feel good about my abilities and really the guys around me. At quarterback, it’s about trusting the guys around you and understanding they’re going to do their job. It’s your job to just get the ball in the hands of the playmakers. I’ve just been trying to do that as much as I possibly can.”
(On some of the challenges the Rams defense presents)
“They have about 10 first-round draft picks. Everywhere I look, there’s first-round draft picks, guys with a ton of talent - five of them on the defensive line. They’ve got guys in the secondary. They’ve got linebackers, a bunch of top-notch quality NFL football players and a good scheme to go with it. So, we’ll have our work cut out for us. They obviously get after the passer extremely well and turn the ball over well, too. So, it’s going be on us to try and negate that as much as we can.”
(On what he sees from Rams DT Aaron Donald on film)
“He’s extremely quick twitch. He’s a powerful guy, plays with a lot of leverage, quickness. When he wins, he wins quick. He’s got a great motor, heavy hands. He’s a really, really good player.”
(On if he feels like he’s lived up to the expectations as a high draft pick throughout his career)
“Honestly, to tell you the truth, the day after I was drafted, I didn’t think about being the first pick of the draft. From then on, I’m a quarterback in this league trying to help my team win as much as I possibly can and play as high quality football as I possibly can. The first-round pick, first pick, second pick, tenth pick that’s for all you guys to talk about.”
(On the difficulty of living up to those expectations)
“Yeah, I’m always trying to win. Always trying to do as good a job as I possibly can to help our team win. Like I said, I don’t think too much about being the first overall pick. I just go out there, play football and try and win.”
(On if he has any history with Rams QB Case Keenum)
“I don’t. No.”
(On how they’ve been able to get back after a tough loss against Green Bay last week)
“It’s been a little while for us now. It was the Thursday night game. It wasn’t like it was just this past Sunday, so we’ve been able certainly re-focus. This team has been able to do that week-in and week-out.”
(On if it’s more difficult to get them back now than it was after the five game losing streak to start the year)
“There’s nothing easy in this business, but I do think we have a good group of guys that has resilience under disappointment.”
(On how much that resilience has been tested with the way the year has gone with coaching and front office changes)
“There’s been a lot. I think these guys have done as good a job as anyone of dealing with the multitude of changes. I think what most people fail to realize is that players go through that every single week. They have guys that are cut. That locker is empty next to them one day, and then one day it’s occupied by someone else. They go through it on a daily, weekly basis. But for those of us that are in administration and coaching and things of that nature, perhaps the changes aren’t as frequent. I think people underestimate their ability to adjust.”
(On how tough it is when members of his coaching staff are let go)
“It’s not an easy thing because there’s families attached to that. There’s children, there’s wives. It’s always a difficult task. I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been fired a few times myself. But we also know it’s kind of the nature of the business. That’s just the way it is in our business. It’s subject to change at any point, any time. Since you got into this business and understand that the ups and downs have great rewards, but there’s also some risk involved as well.”
(On how the move to make Jim Bob Cooter offensive coordinator changes things around)
“It’s one of those things that the changes don’t happen overnight. We’ve been kind of moving our way, progressing and I think he’s doing a nice job handling the different translations that need to be done moving from one system to another. I think, I’ve known him a long time. He works at it. He’s smart. He can adjust well.”
(On what a change at coordinator can do for a team moving forward)
“Every place is different. I can’t speak to that. I’ve been part of one when I was in Baltimore where Cam Cameron was released and I took over the coordinator’s job and I can tell you it wasn’t easy. It was difficult, but the biggest thing is our players came through and did a tremendous job down the stretch and got us into the Super Bowl and we won it. Every situation is different. Nevertheless, with our situation, we’re still scrambling and working our way through it. It’s not easy.”
(On what was the cause of their rough start this year after being a playoff team last year)
“Every year is different. Circumstances change. You have to be able to win games different ways early on in the season. We weren’t playing as well as we’re capable in this last quarter of the season. The last quarter we had we were playing a little bit closer where we think we can be. We’re not nearly close to where we should be at this point, but I think we’re moving in the right direction. We’re playing pretty good in phases that we weren’t playing well in early in the year.”
(On how much QB Matthew Stafford’s game has evolved over the season)
“I think it all kind of works hand-in-hand. I think we’re doing a lot of things better in terms of protecting him. I think he’s doing a little bit better a job of getting the ball out of his hands. I think we’re doing a better job of running the ball. We’re not so one-dimensional. I think we’re doing a better job stopping the run on defense, which is giving us more opportunities on offense. There’s a lot of things I think that play into that, but I think there’s a number of guys, I think Matthew is coming along, but like we know and understand, each week we have to prove it all over again. We’ve got a real challenge ahead of us against a very, very good defensive unit with a lot of talent and certainly on the other side of the ball we’re going to have our challenges with a great running back and receivers that can run and give you some problems. So, we’ve got our hands full.”
(On what RB Ameer Abdullah has done to help out the offense)
“The change, I think, often times I think that kind of see in practice, we’re getting a little bit better, it’s fundamentals and technique. When we were getting better in our fundamentals and our techniques, we started to be able to carry from the practice field onto the field of play, our running game prospered a bit. Lately it’s moved forward. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re moving in the right direction. I think you can see that, not only in Abdullah’s numbers, but then also with (RB) Joique Bell and (RB) Theo (Riddick) as well.”
(On what makes WR Calvin Johnson so great)
“Size, speed, athleticism, hands with dexterity, and great work habits. Not average, not good - great work habits. To top that off, he’s even a better person. He’s just tremendous in every aspect. It’s difficult to find a guy that’s a complete package and he’s one of those rare individuals.”
(On how DE Ezekiel Ansah has progressed and what has made him so successful recently)
“I think it’s been one of those things where you knew that he was moving forward. Week after week last year, he was making plays for us, becoming the player we think he can be. He’s got size. He’s got speed. He’s almost a 280-pounder and he runs extremely well. But, he’s got the work habits and the desire to really be good. He really just scratched the surface. Everybody knows his story. He didn’t play a whole lot of football in college and that kind of stuff. Every single week you can seem him getting better and better and better. It’s because of the way he works. It’s because of the way he concentrates and the desire to be great. He’s heading that way.”
(On the challenges DT Aaron Donald presents)
“He’s got speed, quickness, power. He’s like John Randall. Sort of an effect on a team on the inside. He can rush the passer. Any time you hav,e you’re bordering double-digit sacks from the interior rush, it’s outstanding. He gives you problems in the run game and in the pass game. He can be extremely disruptive because of his speed and his ability. He’s tough to handle.”
(On if they’ve seen enough film on QB Case Keenum to know what to expect)
“Obviously they’ve played towards an individual skill level and talent and I’m sure they’ve adjusted according to his, but obviously he’s got some guys that can certainly make plays for him. Gurley is as fine of a back as you’ll see and (WR) Tavon Austin has got speed, (WR Kenny) Britt on the outside. There’s a lot of talent that goes along with it. One of the things that you find, regardless of who’s playing quarterback for you, is that you’re going to be trying to get it to guys who can do something with it and he’s got a lot of them.”
(On the key to defending both Austin and Gurley)
“I’m not certain anybody’s found the key to that yet. And that’s why teams are having a tough time with them.”
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford – Conference Call – 12/9/15
(On the team bouncing back after last week’s loss)
“We had a couple days off. Obviously, watched the tape right after the game on Friday and put it to bed. We understand we have a big challenge going on the road, playing a team with a really good defense and some playmakers on offense. So, it’s been easy to kind of put that one behind us and move forward when you have an opponent like St. Louis.”
(On what has been the difference having Jim Bob Cooter as the Lions new offensive coordinator)
“I think we’ve just been playing better as a team. Our defense is playing at a really high level. Offensively, we’ve been taking care of the football and putting points on the board - that’s the name of the game in NFL football. Winning games is protecting the ball and then putting points on the board on offense, so we’ve been able to do that.”
(On if he takes on some of the responsibility for the firing of their offensive coordinator during the season)
“Well, I think the biggest challenge for us once we did make that change was trying to adapt and learn as much of this new system as we possibly can. That’s where the players come in, the coaches as well; just they give us the information, we have to soak it up as quickly as possible and go execute it.”
(On if the team still has a good feel for what they’re doing going into these last few games of the season)
“This is a week-to-week business. If you start looking ahead or behind, you’re going to get in trouble. We played well at times last week. At times, we didn’t play well. We have to do that more consistently, play as good as we possibly can for as much of the game as we possibly can. We do that, we give ourselves the best chance to win. That’s every week, no matter who we’re playing or what we did the week before.”
(On how much of a surprise it was to start the season the way it did coming off the success of last season)
“Obviously, we didn’t start the season the way we wanted to - there’s no question. We turned the ball over. We didn’t play well, in really any phase. You do that and you’re not going to win a bunch of games. So, we’re looking to week-by-week chip away and play as good as we possibly can this week.”
(On the difficulty of keeping his spirits up at the beginning of the season)
“We have a mentally tough group of guys. We understand what it takes to win in this league. We understand we weren’t doing it at a consistent enough basis. So, we’ve been doing that the last couple of weeks. It’s always difficult losing, there’s no question. It’s much more fun, much better to win, but you have to put a bunch of effort in to make that happen.”
(On how much easier it is on him as a quarterback to have a wide receiver like Calvin Johnson to throw to)
“It’s obviously nice to have a big time player at the receiver position. We have a few. It helps. At the same time, you’re seeing a bunch of different coverages that other teams probably don’t get. So, there’s give and take. Obviously, playing with a great player is awesome.”
(On some of the skills that make Johnson a good receiver)
“Well, he’s big, fast and can catch the ball. Pretty much everything you want in a receiver.”
(On if things have changed for him under Cooter)
“We made quite a few changes. I’m not going to get into it as far as scheme goes, but there’s been quite a few changes. The guys have adapted and done a really good job of going out there and executing. We’re not playing perfect football by any means, but consistently playing at a higher level.”
(On if he feels more confident in this new offense)
“I have a ton of confidence in myself no matter who’s calling the plays, to tell you the truth. I feel good about my abilities and really the guys around me. At quarterback, it’s about trusting the guys around you and understanding they’re going to do their job. It’s your job to just get the ball in the hands of the playmakers. I’ve just been trying to do that as much as I possibly can.”
(On some of the challenges the Rams defense presents)
“They have about 10 first-round draft picks. Everywhere I look, there’s first-round draft picks, guys with a ton of talent - five of them on the defensive line. They’ve got guys in the secondary. They’ve got linebackers, a bunch of top-notch quality NFL football players and a good scheme to go with it. So, we’ll have our work cut out for us. They obviously get after the passer extremely well and turn the ball over well, too. So, it’s going be on us to try and negate that as much as we can.”
(On what he sees from Rams DT Aaron Donald on film)
“He’s extremely quick twitch. He’s a powerful guy, plays with a lot of leverage, quickness. When he wins, he wins quick. He’s got a great motor, heavy hands. He’s a really, really good player.”
(On if he feels like he’s lived up to the expectations as a high draft pick throughout his career)
“Honestly, to tell you the truth, the day after I was drafted, I didn’t think about being the first pick of the draft. From then on, I’m a quarterback in this league trying to help my team win as much as I possibly can and play as high quality football as I possibly can. The first-round pick, first pick, second pick, tenth pick that’s for all you guys to talk about.”
(On the difficulty of living up to those expectations)
“Yeah, I’m always trying to win. Always trying to do as good a job as I possibly can to help our team win. Like I said, I don’t think too much about being the first overall pick. I just go out there, play football and try and win.”
(On if he has any history with Rams QB Case Keenum)
“I don’t. No.”