The Detroit Lions’ defense are definitely aware of what they are facing, when Ben Johnson leads the Chicago Bears into Ford Field for a highly-anticipated Week 2 contest.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard delivered an intense, WWE-style message to reporters about the team’s performance against the Packers and what he is expecting when the team faces the Bears.
“First thing I told the guys, ‘It’s going to be training camp practice, guys. It’s training camp day.’ D.A. (Dennis Allen) I know them a while. A.G. came from that system. So, it’s all the same, not only offensively, but defensively,” said Sheppard. “You turn the tape over and look at it deeper. It’s a lot of the same. I told the guys, ‘This is training camp.'”
Johnson quickly became one of the hottest-rising coaches in the league, largely due to his work with Jared Goff and for turning Detroit’s offense into a powerhouse.
“Don’t go chasing ghosts. Don’t go worrying about if he brings in an eligible, and he’s at receiver. And listen, we all understand and respect Ben Johnson as a person, more importantly. But also as a play-caller. It’s why he got afforded the opportunity he’s in, and we all understand this,” said Sheppard. “But I clearly want to make this about the players. They’re the ones going to play. Ben will tell you the same thing. They’re the ones going to play and executing all these things we’re drawing up.”
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Despite having matched up against Johnson when he served as a Lions linebackers coach, Sheppard explained what he is expecting from the roster.
“So, I want to keep this about them, and they just need to understand, you only got a one game sample size of Ben being a new play-caller. Is that enough to say, ‘Oh they’re going to do this, they’re going to do that?’ No it’s not. So we are going in with a tight wound plan, where these guys understand we have adjustments, we have certain things we’re going to do.
“It’s about us. And understanding that stuff and making sure, as long as we go out and execute, not say, ‘Well, if you take out that play, you take out that play, we would have played dominant.’ No, let’s put in all the plays and play a dominant brand of football, like I believe we’re capable of doing as a defense.”
