Noteable Quotes: Defensive Issues and Fourth Down Call Addressed

Following the Lions' 31-24 loss to the Raiders Sunday, the discussion centered on the Lions' defensive struggles and the reactions to the fourth down and goal play call late in the game that was unsuccessful.

Here are some notable quotes from Sunday's Lions-Raiders game:

Lions head coach Matt Patricia

On the thought process of the last play on offense: “For us, we will go back and take a look at it, but we thought we had a play in there that was pretty influential at that standpoint. We thought we were going to be able to get them an opportunity, knowing that they were probably going to bring in pressure, or at least they had a lot of big guys out there to deal with. So, from that standpoint we thought that play had a good chance in practice, and thought we had a good chance with it today. We just didn’t execute it very well, and they played it very well.”

On why a play was called that did not involves noteable players: “We always have a couple plays on the sheet that we can go to, and in that situation that was the one. Being so close down in there, we thought that one drew the most attention.”

On what's the issue with the rush defense: “There’s a lot, obviously, you know that kind of run yardage from them. They are a big run team. They have a great back. He’s a tough guy to tackle, and we missed a lot of tackles out there, too. I think that we didn’t finish some of those run fits very well. I thought we had some good initial alignments, some good initial lock back. Tried to get rid of the offensive guys too soon and they did a good job of staying on it. Being the back that he is, he was able to dip in, dip out, bounce out, get out to force. Didn’t do a good enough job, I would say, out on the edge, getting off on some of those blocks out there, and setting the inside we just got too much knock back. For us, inconsistency would be the problem there too because we had some good runs plays too. We had some good reads, some good run fits, and we had some really bad ones. We have got to coach it to be more consistent.”

On whats next: “I am going to go back and look at the tape first and see what it is that we can coach better and try and get it taught in a different way if we have to or there are probably some things in there that are probably okay and we can’t see right now because we are focusing on the really negative things from that standpoint. Make sure that we don’t do anything before we go through and evaluate the film first and go through that and see what adjustments or what changes we have from there. A lot of times games like this — unfortunately we have been in a couple of them — it’s up and down like that. It’s usually just inconsistency all the way around, so I have got to try figure a way to get that out of there.”

QB Matthew Stafford

On the fourth down and goal play: “Yeah they were in goal line defense and we were in goal line offense. We were a yard away from the end line. It was a play we’ve worked on quite a bit, and they defended it well.”

On why the Lions did not go down swinging with some of the best players on the field: “You know we’re on the one-yard line. That’s the plays that we run in practice all the time from the one and the two. That’s one of them, and it didn’t work. You know we didn’t convert, we didn’t score, we didn’t win the game. So, you can look at it all you want from that perspective. Had we scored there, you know, I wouldn’t be fielding these questions. So, we just got to execute the play better and score.”

On what did Lions specifically see in there defense during the week that made coaches think that that play would work on the goal line: “It’s just, I mean we had a 1-on-1 shot. We had a chance. We had one of our big guys on one of their not so big guys and a chance to go up and make it. You know I got to give him a better chance and a better ball. We got a little stuffed up on the side there. Jesse (James) trying to get out, but Logan (Thomas) did a nice job on the back end line.”

On if he has a say on what play is called in that situation at the goal-line: “No I’m on the field, they’re on the sideline. I was going to get to something you know had they not called the timeout. We had no back in the game so I was going to have to get to a little something there, but they called the timeout. I stayed out there and once he ran the personnel out there. I had a pretty good feeling of what the call was going to be and we just didn’t execute it.”

CB Darius Slay

On what is the biggest problem with the defense right now: “The whole thing. There’s 11 of us out there so there’s 11 problems that need to be fixed. All of us in here know we have to stop the offense and we’re not doing that right now.”

On what was the biggest problem for the Lions against the Raiders: “It was rough. We have a great team and all the right pieces but it’s just not sticking together right now. We might be putting the pieces in the wrong spots so we need to change something.”

On how difficulties can get fixed: “That’s not a question for me. I don’t know too much about the defensive line, linebacker, or even safety stuff. I play cornerback so I can talk about that if you want.”

On how it feels when two of the better wide receivers are on the sideline for 4th and goal: “I don’t know. I’m with the offensive coordinator with whatever he calls.”

WR Kenny Golladay

On how it feels when they take you and Marvin Jones off the field for that 4th and goal play at the end: “I have all the trust in our coaches and all of the faith in the world for those guys on the field for that last play. At that point I just cheer on those guys on the field and hope for the best.”

On people thinking ‘why not go down swinging with your best guys on the field': “Those guys don’t play football, so it is what it is.”

WR Marvin Jones

On not being out there on the fourth down and goal call: “That is what it is. We have a great plethora of plays that we can get to and that was the call. It doesn’t matter who is out there. We all expect to make the big plays.”

On if he wished he could have been out there with the game on the line and on the road: “That is just what it was. That was not in my control. We trust all of our guys.”

On how offense can convert more drives into touchdowns instead of field goals: “Execute. To execute when we get down there. We have been doing a good job doing that and getting those touchdowns but obviously we fell short today. We have to keep the mindset that every time we touch the ball, we have to put it in. I think we have been doing a good job but we have to do it more and better.”

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