GREEN BAY – The Packers' three coordinators met with the media on Thursday. Here's a sampling of their key comments.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
On Keisean Nixon's TD return:
I think he's brought a little sense of urgency to all the blocking. I think we talked about even after the Philly game, if I remember correctly. We've had some pretty well-blocked plays the last few weeks. We've had some well-blocked plays with two holding penalties, too, I believe. It was exciting to see, but like I tell those guys, we can't live in yesterday's news. Yesterday's newspaper is on the bottom of somebody's birdcage somewhere. So it was an exciting play, it was certainly helpful to us, and we've moved on to the challenge we have ahead with Detroit.
On the confidence level with Mason Crosby trying a long FG in January:
I think he just proved the degree of confidence went up a little bit. I've said it before, I met Mason all the way back in '07 at the Senior Bowl, but being with him now on a daily basis going back to OTAs, he is one of the most competitive professional football players I've ever been around. Certainly he understands how to strike the football, and he understands what he needs to do to get prepared for a game. So he'll let us know after pregame what he feels, and what he feels he can get done during the course of the game.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry
On getting input from the players about a game plan or approach:
I think that's our overall culture, not only on the defensive side of the ball but just in our building. I think our players feel very comfortable and they're never out of line or vigilante, but I think they feel that they can always at least come to us with their ideas and their thoughts. I think it's important from a player to coach or coach to player that you've got to have that collaboration. As a coach, you've got to be able to say, no, this is what we're doing. I appreciate your thought. I appreciate your input, but this is the direction we're going. But also they have to feel that and see that and trust that as the player to be able to say, I said something and they listened and they agreed. I think when you have that, then collaboration leads to great things, but I don't think that was a one-time thing last week. I think that's just the way we operate and that's kind of our overall philosophy and culture.
On Lions QB Jared Goff's strong run:
We had four great years together in L.A. and I've seen Jared play at an elite, elite level and he's playing very good right now. They're not turning the ball over, which I think is a sign of any really good offense and quarterback. I'm almost positive that the last interception he threw was against us, however long ago that was, six or seven weeks ago. I think they only have three turnovers total in the last eight games. You can see that a quarterback's playing well when you have statistics like that. So he's got a great group around him, he's got a lot of skill, arguably one of the best offensive lines, if not the best offensive line in football, so I've got a ton of respect for Jared. I'm not surprised that he's playing this well.
On Jaire Alexander's performance vs. Minnesota:
Ja is a character. I think we all enjoy Ja. He's colorful and he's a funny guy. I tell you what, as a competitor, I'd go down a dark alley with Jaire Alexander any day having my back because he gets after it. When those lights come on and the ball's snapped, he's exactly what you want from a mindset standpoint. It's cool that he has fun with it, with the things that he does, sometimes during the game but postgame. He's as detailed and wired-in as a competitor as I've ever been around.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich
On Lions rookie pass rusher James Houston:
He's got really good get-off, and really good change of direction. He does a good job getting up the field and getting the tackles to flip their hips and then he can dip underneath. He's very slippery so when guys go to punch, he does a good job dipping underneath that. Really good motor, just running around the hump, chasing down plays and getting sacks that way. So he's been impressive to watch. Obviously he wasn't anyone that was on our radar the last time we played them and now he's done what he's done so far, so he's an impressive player.
On the production with the outside running game:
I think we're just trying to generate more explosive plays in the run game than we did in previous years, where we kind of leaned on the passing game for that. We tried to be a little more conservative in the run game because we knew we had some weapons on the edge where (we said), 'Hey, we're just going to open it up.' This year, I think, it's been a little bit different scenario and I like what we're doing this year from that aspect because it threatens the entire field. Defenses have to cover sideline-to-sideline. So I think we're just getting more of those plays called, and that's why it's kind of opening up and you're seeing what you're seeing.
On David Bakhtiari's return to the lineup:
I would definitely say our offensive line is much different with Dave in there. Just from a stability standpoint, pass protection, just holding that side down, him and Elgton (Jenkins) over there, that's a big luxury that we have when we get those two guys in. They're two premier players and you can kind of (say), 'All right, that's side's good,' and piece together the other side. Just having him on the field, his leadership, his intelligence, getting everyone on the same page, he does a great job with that. But yeah, it's a big difference for us that not many people probably notice.
