The 7 best quotes from Detroit Lions coordinators this week

The Detroit Lions are preparing for a big showdown against the Houston Texans this week. Thursday's press conferences were packed with information about the upcoming game against the Texans and a look back at their win over the Green Bay Packers.

Here are the seven best quotes from Lions coordinators this week.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

On Za'Darius Smith's suitability for the program:

“The first thing everyone sees about this player is his strong presence. He's tough, he's been doing it for a long time, he's tough in the run game, he can create a lead, which we're really excited to see him do, but then he has a knack for really getting inside and him gaining an advantage on third down against the guards. So, listen, (Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch can do it, but you Z and the body type that he has, man, he's really good at it, and then you actually see on tape how he can make plays in that situation.”

It's interesting to hear that Smith could be an interior presence on third downs. That's certainly something Smith did a lot in Cleveland, and it could make for a lethal duo with Alim McNeill in certain subpackages.

About the safety duo Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph

“Both of those guys are doing a hell of a job for us and the thing is they're not even close to where they're going to be and when I talk about it it's just about understanding the game when they get older “We understand the things that we want to do with them technically and that we need to master better.”

If that doesn't send shivers down your spine, you might want to check your pulse. Branch and Joseph play like the best safety duo in football, and if they're really just scratching the surface of their potential, that's scary.

On his wet glasses in Green Bay becoming a meme:

“Despite all the memes or whatever that people sent me about this topic, and I had no idea, I really didn't know. Man, I just tried to play the best game possible even though I knew they were a good opponent. The best one I ever saw was the one that (Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint put together where he had his Green Bay shirt on or whatever and put my face on his. But things are getting out of control, folks. But it’s cool.”

It's nice to see Glenn loosen up a bit – he said his wife likes it when he smiles at press players – so that was a pretty funny response from the Lions' defensive coordinator. If you're wondering about St. Brown's meme, here's what he's referring to:

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp

To Perfection by Jake Bates:

“He's got such a big leg that even in wind and weather and all that stuff, he really only has to hit one ball, and if he can just hit that one shot, right down the middle, he's going to be very consistent. He's going to be a lot Succeed and be consistent. He owes a large part of his success to his talent. He's so talented and hits the ball so hard and powerfully that he'll go straight in any condition as long as he hits it right, and he's getting better at that. We kept his focus very narrow and he did a good job of staying focused on that.”

I thought this was a really good insight into her development process with Bates. While any kicker shoots a 40-yard field goal differently than a 55-yard field goal, it sounds like the Lions simply told him, “Send the crap out, because then it's straight away.” I can't argue with statistics. He is 12 of 12 on field goals and 30 of 31 on extra points.

About Houston's special teams:

“This group is very explosive. They have a lot of quick, quick athletes, their returners are very good, physical kick returners and punt returners are very explosive players. They have a lot of experience in their group. Their linebackers run really well, they run and hit. Their safeties and their corners can fly to the outside, so their gunners are very fast, and their jammers are very fast. Overall a very talented group.”

Notable: The Texans rank second in the league in kickoff return average (31.3). So don't be surprised if the Lions just make it to the end zone this week.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

On the Texans' pass rush, both inside and on the edges:

“They're really good at it, they disrupt the quarterback, they make it difficult for the offensive linemen, they make it difficult for the tight ends, with the defensive ends going right through the V of their neck half the time, so it's a lot going on .” on and, like you said, the edge guys get a lot of attention, but inside they can push the pocket and get into the quarterback’s lap quickly. In my opinion, proof of this would be a third of seven to ten this week. I have, let's say, 27 clips on my average, just three conversions and eight sacks. I really haven’t seen anything like that, so they’re doing a phenomenal job, not just on third down but throughout the game.”

First, it's impressive that Johnson pulled that stat out of the bag, but I think it underscores Detroit's desire to stay out of the third-and-long season this week.

From going from one of the worst teams to one of the best:

“I think if you look at the number of different stats sites, a year ago we were consistently in the bottom five in terms of catching the football, we had a number of declines. And so (we) highlighted this in the spring and made it known to every position group. They were all at fault, receivers, quarterback at times for ball placement, tight ends, running backs, it was literally everyone. That's why we put a lot of emphasis on it and have seen some results from it so far. But in this particular game (against the Packers), I expected before the game that we would have a little more difficulty, but they worked their way between wearing the right shoes, avoiding slips, focusing on the football and that Securing the ball decided after the catch I mean, I thought they did a phenomenal job.”

Last year, the Lions had 35 total drops (2.1 per game), which was the fifth-highest in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. This year, the Lions have just four (0.5 per game), ranking second in the NFL. Coaching is important.