Offensive Coordinator John Morton On Isaac TeSlaa<\/h3>\r\n
Offensive Coordinator John Morton<\/a> was asked about TeSlaa’s<\/a> role and his development in the preseason. Morton agreed, \u201cYeah, I think TeSlaa did a great job in training camp, here in practice, and he made plays. He got better every single day, carried over to the game, we thought he did an unbelievable job. He\u2019s a smart kid, he\u2019s tough, there are some good things that he can do that\u2019s going to help us this year. He took advantage of the opportunity when Tim (Patrick) was out.”\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp<\/a> was also asked about TeSlaa. Did he see the rookie wide receiver contributing on special teams? Fipp responded with enthusiasm. \u201cYeah, he\u2019s a good body type, he\u2019s got some size and some length, he\u2019s got some speed, so that\u2019s huge. I mean, for us on special teams, sometimes there\u2019s just nothing you can do if a guy can just flat run, and a guy just can\u2019t run, it\u2019s hard for the guy who can\u2019t run to match the guy who can run. And he can run, so that gives him a chance to play some of these positions on the outside, gunner, hold-up guy, and some of that stuff. And then I would say competitive spirit, like he\u2019s not afraid of contact, he likes using his hands, he likes being physical – we saw that with the block there during training camp, blocking on offense. So definitely a guy that obviously we\u2019d like to get involved.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Although TeSlaa remained out of practice earlier this week, coach Dan Campbell<\/a> was quick to reassure the media that TeSlaa wasn’t injured and has been dealing with \u201ca little bug.<\/a>” The expectation is that he will be active for Sunday’s game. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n Another rookie Fipp is excited about is Dominic Lovett<\/a>, the Lions\u2019 seventh-round draft pick. Lovett impressed Fipp with his heads-up play in the Miami Dolphins<\/a> preseason game. He recovered a muffed punt return that led to a 33-yard field goal by Jake Bates<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n Transferring to Georgia from Missouri for his final two years of eligibility, the 5’10” 187 lb. Lovett had 59 receptions for 607 yards with six touchdowns. But his combine speed of 4.40 caught Brad Holmes\u2019 attention.<\/p>\r\n Fipp was asked if he saw both TeSlaa and Lovett contributing on special teams. Fipp declared, \u201cYeah, so Lovett\u2019s the same type of thing. I mean, he\u2019s got speed, he was a gunner at Georgia all last year, really – his last year in college, played well for them as a gunner. Anyway, he\u2019s got speed, he can run, he can find the ball in coverage, make tackles. He\u2019s a little bit smaller body type, a little bit different than TeSlaa.”<\/p>\r\n Describing TeSlaa, he continued, “…a little bit bigger, little more physical, so maybe he plays more perimeter positions, not quite as far inside in the return game, hold-up game. He\u2019s got return value as a punt returner and a kick returner, obviously, so he brings a lot to the table. It\u2019ll end up being, kind of like it comes down to every year is here\u2019s the whatever, 48 guys you get to work with on game day and then how can you make the best group out of those 48, managing their volume on offense and defense and making sure you\u2019re not wearing anyone out.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Much has been said about the fact that the Lions have two new coordinators. However, Kelvin Sheppard<\/a> doesn’t feel like a first-time DC. \u00a0Working closely with Aaron Glenn, the past few seasons, Sheppard is very confident in his ability to call the plays. \u201cAbsolutely, because I know the big question is that this is my first game calling it. But, that\u2019s not how I\u2019m thinking or preparing for this.” \u00a0Sheppard went on to explain how he’d been preparing for the role. He’d practiced calling plays in his head in case he suddenly had to step in for Glenn.<\/p>\r\n Sheppard explained, “I know the D’s and D’s (downs and distance), I know the plan, I know what we\u2019ve said we\u2019re going to do here. I know what we\u2019ve said we\u2019re going to do there, and not deviate from it, no matter what. It\u2019s the same thing we do in call-it periods in practice. I go against one of the most high prolific offenses every single day for the last six weeks, and I\u2019ve had that task at hand. Dan (Campbell) has put me in in-game situations already, and that\u2019s just a credit to him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n The Lions have high expectations for their rookie defensive lineman, first-round draft pick Tyleik Williams. <\/a>\u00a0The 6\u20193\u201d 334 lbs. Williams possesses explosive speed and bulldozing strength. In his youth, he was the fastest kid on the field as an oversized running back.\u00a0Surrounded by elite talent on Ohio State’s number one college defense, Williams<\/a> recorded 136 tackles (27 TFLs for 97 yards), 11.5 quarterback sacks, 10 pass break-ups, and four quarterback pressures. Praising Williams\u2019 power, bend, and agility, Holmes stated, \u201cI do think he\u2019s got a lot of versatility in his game.<\/a> He has the physical skillset\u2026The thing about it is he\u2019s incredibly instinctive as well.\u201d \u00a0Regarded as a \u201cbig-bodied bruiser with a talent for pushing interior linemen back,” Williams was seen as a player who can make an immediate impact.<\/p>\r\n Sheppard didn’t mince words when it came to his expectations of Williams. \u201cI\u2019m expecting to see a violent, physical, big man striking and knocking people back. We know his playmaking ability, but I just keep reminding him, D-tackles don\u2019t necessarily make plays that show up on the stat sheet. And you have to remind him of that, because he was a dominant player at Ohio State, and he\u2019s used to racking up stats on the stat sheet. Just understanding what we need from him, and that\u2019s to be who he is within our system and what we\u2019re asking him to do. But first and foremost, if you play on our defensive line, we expect you to knock people back violently, be able to sit down against double teams, hold in there thick and firm. And he\u2019s shown that all camp, I\u2019m very excited for that player and to see him out there in Lambeau.\u201d<\/p>\r\nSpecial Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp On Isaac TeSlaa<\/h3>\r\n
Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp On Dominic Lovett<\/h3>\r\n
Lovett’s Speed Makes Him A Special Teams Asset\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n
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Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard On Play Calling<\/h3>\r\n
Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard On Tyleik Williams<\/h3>\r\n
Will Lions Rookies Play Week 1?<\/h3>\r\n