ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Detroit Lions are gearing up to retake the field as they’re preparing to host the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 of the preseason inside Ford Field.
Some of the players spoke to the media on Wednesday (Aug. 13) following practice in Allen Park to discuss a variety of topics.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown reflected on a strong day at joint practice against the Dolphins, highlighting the excitement of competing against a new team.
“Finally get to go against someone else. So, that was a lot of fun,” St. Brown said. “You go against the same guys every day in camp. They start to know the routes, the concepts, and what we like to run. To go against someone new, it felt good. They don’t really know what’s coming. That’s always the fun part.”
St. Brown praised the offense’s progress, saying the team is improving daily despite new coaches and staff.
“We just keep getting better each day in camp,” St. Brown said. “The coaches are doing a great job adjusting, and we’re listening and coming together trying to make things right. We showed up today. We had a few too many penalties, but having refs out there for the first time was different. We just want to compete and stay focused.”
St. Brown also noted the challenge of facing the same defense daily in practice and the benefit of seeing a different opponent.
“We’ve been the same team for a few years, so it’s refreshing to go against different guys and defenses,” St. Brown said. “We have to get used to it now because we’ll face different teams all year.”
Taylor Decker echos positive vibes from practice
Taylor Decker, offensive tackle, echoed the positive vibe from practice but emphasized room for improvement.
“It felt good. We usually get a general vibe of how it went,” said Decker. “Ball security still wasn’t there. That’s something we’ve been preaching. We need to do better. But overall, the execution, physicality, and finish seemed to be there. It was probably the best spell we’ve had.”
Decker praised St. Brown’s work ethic and consistency.
“He (St. Brown) embodies what our team’s supposed to be about,” Decker said. “He goes full speed on everything, blocking, one-on-ones. He’s incredible.”
Decker acknowledged the offense isn’t where it wants to be for Week 1, but is confident in progress.
“We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’ve got time,” Decker said. “This was a good one to build on. We’ve got to come out and do it again tomorrow.”
On physicality and composure, Decker praised young players like Isaac TeSlaa in their willingness to compete hard.
“You love to see young guys compete,” Decker said. “Isaac’s putting his head in there, blocking. That’s what we respect. He’s going to put his life on the line on Sundays.”
Derrick Barnes talks depth
Defensive linebacker Derrick Barnes highlighted the defense’s strong showing and depth.
“It feels good to have a healthy defense,” said Barnes. “We have depth, and there’s never a drop-off. We’re aggressive, and our standard is really high. We want to clean up some things, but it’s a good day.”
Barnes said the defense is even more aggressive this year than before.
“We have guys who can rush, pressure, cover tight ends and running backs,” Barnes said. “We’re a little more aggressive this year, and I love it.”
Barnes praised the chemistry among linebackers Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and himself.
“All three of us can do everything—pass rush, cover, run, hit,” Barnes said. “We always know what each other’s thinking. The whole linebacker room has great chemistry.”
Barnes said the defense expects to continue dominating.
“Our standard is to get a three-and-out every time,” Barnes said. “We want to limit points. I’m excited to see where we go this year.”
Grant Stuard talks competitive energy
Grant Stuard, another linebacker, talked about the competitive energy during practice.
“I’m a teammate who gets excited when my teammates make plays,” said Stuard. “I try to fly around, hit folks, do my job.”
Stuard said the defense’s effort was phenomenal, but acknowledged small things to clean up.
“We want to stop every time, especially on the practice field,” Stuard said. “We can improve communication and details tomorrow.”
Stuard also noted the challenge of adjusting to unfamiliar opponents in joint practices.
“You get to see your skill against theirs,” Stuard said. “It’s brand new. Tomorrow will feel more like normal practice.”