Coordinator recap: How Jacobs has impacted Packers, Fipp embarrassed, and attitude matters more than scoring marks

Slowing down running back Josh Jacobs will be a top priority for the Lions this Sunday. (Getty Images)

Allen Park — A couple of weeks back, after David Montgomery’s remarkable, tackle-breaking reception against the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell offered glowing praise for his running back.

“I mean this guy is unbelievable,” Campbell said. “I would never not block for that guy, ever, because the play is never over with him. It’s just not, it is not over. He’ll keep any play alive. He’s a strong runner. He can will himself to make things happen, and he’s tough, he’s relentless, he’s resilient, he’s everything you want in a back.”

I bring this quote back up because it came to mind when Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn discussed the impact Josh Jacobs has had in his first season with the Green Bay Packers.

“There’s something about acquiring a back that has (pelts) on the wall, that you know that’s a good runner, to change the mindset, I think, for the offensive lineman,” Glenn said. “I remember going to see his workout when he was at Alabama and I was impressed with him. Now, to be able to see how he is in the NFL, the violent, physical, runner that he is, you just know that their offensive line looks forward to blocking for that man. There’s a tick up on how they’re operating, as far as the violence and the physical nature of the game because of who they have running the ball.”

Jacobs, the NFL’s 2022 rushing leader, has more than met expectations after signing a four-year contract as a free agent this offseason. He’s fourth in the league in rushing and averaging 4.6 yards per carry, serving as a key cog for an offense averaging 27.0 points per game.

The Lions, meanwhile, have had some issues against the run the past couple of weeks, allowing their two highest single-game yardage totals against Minnesota and Dallas.

Glenn downplayed the concerns, noting they largely controlled Minnesota’s Aaron Jones after allowing a long gain to open the game, while Tennessee piled up meaningless yards in the closing stages of Detroit’s blowout victory. But the coordinator acknowledged slowing Jacobs is a top priority this week.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us and we have to do everything we can to make sure we stop that because if you let that happen, that’s not good for a defense to allow a team to run the ball and then be able to have (to defend) the play-action passes that they have with these receivers that they have.”

The Lions certainly understand the value of the play-action pass. No one has utilized it more or been better after a run fake than Jared Goff. Green Bay’s Jordan Love has also been sharp on those plays, posting a 108.5 rating on play-action throws.

Another honor

Not directly related to the coordinators, but certainly worthy of note — Goff became the third Lions player to win NFC Player of the Month, joining two-time winners Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders.

It’s actually Goff’s second time earning the honor, getting it in Sept. 2018, while still with the Rams.

Not that the numbers haven’t been repeated countless times during Goff’s recent run, but in October, he completed 80% of his passes with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions, posting a passer rating of 149.8 in the three games.

Back on track

Since going 1-for-7 in the red zone against Tampa Bay in Week 2, the Lions have been tough to stop, scoring 16 touchdowns with their last 18 trips inside the 20-yard line.

That’s helped them climb back near the top of the success rate rankings. They’re currently seventh after finishing second and fourth the past two seasons.

“I like to think that we’ve been pretty good over the last two-and-a-half years down there, being able to punch it in,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “That game (vs. Tampa), I think we talked about it after it happened, that was kind of an asterisk when we looked at it as a staff. I don’t know that, schematically, we’re doing much different, but we have a philosophy once we get it down there that we try to adhere to, and our guys did a heck of a job executing the plan last week.”

The Lions went 5-for-5 against the Titans, matching their Week 4 effort against Seattle.

Thanks, but no thanks

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp was awarded a game ball by Campbell in the locker room after Sunday’s win over Tennessee. How’d that feel for the veteran coach?

“Yeah, embarrassing,” Fipp said. “I really don’t like it. I mean, I’m very appreciative of that. My least favorite part of the whole game, honestly, is attention. I would rather just lay in the weeds and do my job.

“I said in there, I love being around the players,” Fipp said. “The players and the game of football really give me life and I love what I do. I enjoy being around them, I enjoy helping them. It’s my passion. Seeing them be successful is like the most important thing in the world to me. And so, really, for me, the game is about them. There was a time when I was a very young coach where I was excited about the game day environment and all that stuff, but that’s really come and gone. So, I’m grateful for the game ball. I really don’t like the attention.”

Keep your flowers, Fipp is all about business.

Maximizing talent

Even though Jameson Williams isn’t directly under Glenn’s purview, the veteran coach and longtime player was asked about the coaching staff’s role in working with players from wildly different backgrounds, particularly when they’re running into some issues off the field.

Glenn’s answer was thoughtful, both from a big-picture standpoint and in direct reference to Williams.

“Nowadays, there’s so much that’s going out with social media, things like that, that it’s tough,” Glenn said. “And you just have to remind them that times are different. When I grew up, when you guys grew up, and what he’s going through now, there’s just no room for it. What you’re doing is you’re not allowing yourself to capitalize on everything that you can capitalize on.

“Listen, we all know Jamo is a talent,” Glenn continued. “He’s a talent and I want to be able to see him capitalize on everything that he can because of the talent that he has and because of the person that he is. If you don’t really know him, you should get to know him, because he’s a really, really good person. To me, that’s how I look at that is the relationship part of it that you speak to. Sometimes, that’s not even the football part, that’s more of the relationship of what I went through and how can I help him.”

Protective secrets

Johnson said he was approached by a Titans coach after Sunday’s game regarding strategies for reducing turnovers. The Lions have been among the best at protecting the ball this season, while the Titans’ four giveaways brought them to 16 on the still-young season.

Johnson said he didn’t give away any secrets during the interaction but praised running back’s coach Scottie Montgomery for emphasizing ball security with his group, as well as Goff's steady decision-making.

“It’s constant harping on it as coaches,” Johnson said. “It gets old, it gets redundant, but at some point, these guys, I think they just hear it in the back of their minds when they’re carrying the ball down the field.

“It’s each and every week we just attack that portion of it, and we have a quarterback right now that is playing very smart, sound football,” Johnson continued. “He’s taking care of the ball. If it presents it to him down the field, he’ll throw it. He’s got no problem ripping a dagger or throwing a post down the field, but teams that we keep seeing get all this depth and he’ll check it down. He’s just being very smart and deliberate with how he’s attacking coverages right now.”

One area where Goff hasn’t been as secure is maintaining possession of the ball when hit in the pocket. He’s put it on the ground four times in the past two games and has been fortunate he or a teammate has recovered each of those fumbles.

“Usually, whatever we emphasize early in the week and in practice, it carries over to the game,” Johnson said. “That’s what we found at least with our guys. They’re very conscientious that way, and so (quarterbacks) coach (Mark) Brunell’s been on him in individual periods, just in terms of what it should look like in the pocket when we get pressure.”

Aggression wins again

Fipp was able to cycle back to a comment he made last week, about the value of not being passive, to highlight why punt returner Kalif Raymond was able to have so much success against the Titans.

“Kalif was playing really fast and he’s on the attack,” Fipp said. “It’s kind of like I said to you guys a week ago, when you play on the attack in this game, good things happen to you. So you’re always trying to stay on the attack, no matter what the unit is, and Leaf did a great job of that.”

On the opposite end of that spectrum, Fipp praised defensive end James Houston for reeling in his aggression in favor of being smart.

“Houston came down there (on Raymond’s touchdown return) and didn’t block a guy because he might’ve blocked him in the back, which was good to see,” Fipp said. “I always say sometimes the best plays are the ones you don’t make. The decision not to block the guy or try to make it ends up being, really, one of the best plays out there.”

Attitude, not records

The Lions fell three points shy of matching the franchise’s single-game scoring record against Tennessee, impressively doing all the damage in the first three quarters.

I asked Johnson if he was aware they were close to the mark and whether it would have been meaningful to achieve it.

“The records don’t matter, it’s just the mentality of when we step on the field, until the head coach tells us to let off the gas, we’re trying to score a touchdown every time,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re up by five scores, down by five scores, that’s just who we are and that’s what we believe in. It’s been that way since Coach Campbell got here.”