The Detroit Lions were able to test themselves this week in a pair of joint practices against a Miami Dolphins team that went 8-9 last season.
“I told the guys man, my focus was I want to make sure we’re all on the same page, that we come out of this and there’s clear communication. We don’t have these mental errors, ‘I thought, you thought, well who called this?’ That we were on point and that our fundamentals show up,” said Dan Campbell. “The things that we do in individual, in group, in one-on-ones, they needed to show up against a different opponent and man, as a whole, I thought we did that. The coaching and the teaching I thought transferred yesterday and it’s got to do that again today.”
Detroit’s offensive line is starting to gain confidence and two guards, Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge, have turned heads due to their growth and consistency.
“We’re not where we want to be for Week 1 of the season for sure and there’s been some moving parts,” Taylor Decker said. “I haven’t even really practiced until a couple of days ago was my first team reps in practice, and I’ve played with a lot of these guys a lot. So there’s a level of continuity and there’s been a little bit of a Rolodex of players at left tackle and stuff like that.
“So having guys in and out and then, like I said, we were playing against a really good defense. Our defense has a lot of good players and they’re playing at a high level, so we’re definitely not where we want to be Week 1, but we got time,” Decker explained further. “We’re going to get there and we’re going to continue to get better. And this was a good one to build on and we got to come on and just do it again tomorrow.”
Among the most important lessons learned is that the two new coordinators are starting to answer questions regarding their ability to lead a Lions’ team that has quality starters and depth in many key spots.
Both Kelvin Sheppard and John Morton earned praise this week for having their units comunicating and executing at a high level.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was simply unstoppable over the course of two days.
The talented wideout has showcased repeatedly he is among the most dominant offensive weapons in the National Football League.
“Nothing surprises me about him, it just doesn’t because that guy, he’s got the ability, but his work ethic and the way he is wired, he’s got this can-do, won’t-lose, won’t-miss, give it to me in criticals,” said Dan Campbell. “So no, I’m not surprised. I thought he was outstanding yesterday, and I think he can be even better, I do.”
Rookie Isaac TeSlaa is a first-year player that has garnered serious consideration to be utilized in a starting capacity, as soon as Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
It will be intriguing to monitor his progression the remainder of camp, as general manager Brad Holmes is not taking as much criticism for trading up so many spots to select him.
The latest ‘Lone Wolves’ podcast recaps the joint practices and breaks down more key takeaways from the joint practices this week.
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