Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell met the press for his weekly press conference on Monday.
The full press conference is available on the team’s website.
Here are some of the highlights:
When asked about a general overview of the game, the embattled coach mentioned several things. One which stood out,
“Certainly haven’t stopped the run as well as we like”.
For a team keeping 10 defensive linemen active on game days, this is a damning statement. The defensive tackles aren’t getting any semblance of a pass rush, and here is the coach acknowledging they’re not stopping the run either.
Inconsistent play was a recurring theme. Coach Caldwell hit this point several times throughout the presser in a variety of ways.
He mentioned how the defense is not getting turnovers. Detroit has just one takeaway in four games, while turning the ball over 4 times.
When asked about communication issues that led to Matthew Stafford’s interception, Caldwell expanded upon the question. He brought up how critical communication is at all positions across the field, from offensive line to special teams. It was his least clichéd answer and perhaps the most illuminating response he’s given all year.
"“I’m a guy that believes in results. Results aren’t good, plain and simple”"
Later, Jennifer Hammond asked about the perceived disconnect between Golden Tate and Stafford. He weakly ducked it by spinning it back as a shot against media criticism. He animatedly (for Caldwell) refuted any disconnect, citing the individual matchups in specific games being a factor in ball distribution. His point here is not wrong but it didn’t answer the question.
The reporters continued to hammer on the Tate issue, and Caldwell continued to evade any real answer.
Positives
Trying to be upbeat, Caldwell noted that “some guys are playing well.” He singled out Glover Quin but said the good play “needs to be contagious”.
Someone asked about the offensive line and if it was progressing as quickly as he expected. Caldwell correctly noted it takes time for the young players up front to get to NFL proficiency and that four weeks isn’t long enough to make that judgment.
The coach did single out rookie left tackle Taylor Decker,
“He is coming along, making good progress”. He praised the technical side of the offensive line development while taking a shot at reporters for daring to cite actual on-field results.
Caldwell refused to talk about any injuries, repeating “we refuse to comment on anything that isn’t on the injury report”. The next injury report comes out Wednesday.
“We need to get it turned around quickly”. This is Jim Caldwell stating the obvious.