Locker Room Buzz:
Trick play design, Melifonwu on return, Mahogany on first start, Gibbs on workload and more
Chicago — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 34-17 win over the Bears.
Tripping with purpose
The unquestionable highlight from Sunday’s victory was a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to tight end Sam LaPorta on the opening drive of the third quarter, where Goff appeared to stumble after taking the snap.
But the trip was intentional and all part of the plan, with running back Jahmyr Gibbs diving as if he was trying to recover a loose ball and someone shouting fumble.
The deception worked as LaPorta came wide open and Goff gathered himself and delivered a dime for his 33rd touchdown.
“That was one of (offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s) brain childs,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It started that way, and then we massaged it and worked it. How do we make this thing better? And then just Goff and Gibby and LaPorta and the O-line making it work. We cooked it all week, and they did a heck of a job. They really did.”
According to Goff and Gibbs, the Lions ran the play approximately four times during practice this week. They called it twice during Sunday's game and waived it off the first time because the Bears gave them a defensive look that could have derailed the design.
The genesis of the call developed from an actual fumble, when Packers quarterback Jordan Love dropped a snap against the Bears before hitting an open receiver last season.
“At first it started on Monday with Ben Johnson asking me if he thought I could actually fumble on purpose and pick it back up,” Goff said. “I said, ‘I don't know about that’. We kind of got off that pretty quickly, and we were just like, let's just pretend we're falling or pretend I'm fumbling, but I'm holding on to the ball. I think that part with Gibbs where he dives really sells the play. I'm only doing half of it. It worked like a charm, and it was nice to score there.”
Long road back
It’s been a long road back for Ifeatu Melifonwu. He missed the first 14 games this season, first with an ankle injury, then a hand injury he suffered after initially returning to practice.
Against the Bears, he got the start and saw extensive playing time in the contest, logging four tackles and a sack.
“That was everything,” Melifonwu said. “I try to thank God for letting me come back healthy and just to be in a position to play significant snaps and be back on the field, it's just a blessing.
“Obviously, you've got to keep the faith and I had a lot of people supporting me, my family and my friends,” Melifonwu said. “It was a lot at first, but with that support, it got better.”
The defender was especially appreciative of the coaches who continued to have faith in him and trusted him to start on Sunday. Melifonwu said he was most proud of the way he fought through some early rust and was able to handle the sizeable workload without too much trouble.
The only trouble he had was corralling shifty Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who escaped Melifonwu’s grasp on a blitz early in the game.
“I missed in the first quarter,” he said. “Yeah, I need that, honestly. I needed that. That should help me. I fixed it and I got one later.”
No beef between budding rivals
Less than a month after Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was fined for tripping Jameson Williams on the sideline, and the Lions receiver was flagged for flipping the ball into Stevenson’s face in retaliation, the two went head-to-head several times on Sunday.
Williams got flagged for taunting in the early going for spinning the ball on the Bears sideline after making a catch against Stevenson. But both said they have no personal animosity toward each other following the contest.
“I didn't say nothing to him and he didn't say nothing to me,” Williams said. “I just spun the ball. I think the flag came from the overreaction from their sideline. Everybody was like, 'Oh, oh, oh.' But people spin the ball when they make big catches. You probably watch the game and see the ball get spun 12-plus times today. We didn't say nothing to each other today. And last game, it's just football. There ain't no static or no beef, none of that. We just go out there and play football and emotions run high when you're in the game. He wants to win, I want to win, so we're going to do everything possible to win.”
Stevenson echoed those comments.
“There’s no bad blood, no nothing,” Stevenson said. “It’s a game of football. Attitudes and testosterone take a part of it, but other than that, nothing. I don’t know him. I don’t want to get to know him. That’s it. We just — he plays for the Lions. I play for the Bears. That’s it.”
Record-breaking misfire
While there were many smiling faces in Detroit’s locker room, kicker Jake Bates had a more somber tone. He was still beating himself up after missing a potential franchise-record 65-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half.
“It was cool to get in range, obviously,” Bates said. “It just sucks that I don't feel like I put my best ball out there. I just didn't hit a great ball. That part kind of sucks. But it's cool to go out there and know the trust is there, but it's up to me to do my job and today I didn't.”
Bates believes he toed the ball, causing it to spin too much, which sent the effort wide right. What’s interesting is he said he swings just as hard at a 65-yarder as he does an extra point, preferring to maintain consistency with his approach.
“I would say I'm always swinging as hard as I can,” Bates said. “I think what I do is normally enough from most distance. My thing is don't change because if I miss a long kick because I changed something, I'd be more mad than if I missed a kick because I just mishit the ball on my normal swing. That's the approach I take with those.”
Bates admitted it was much easier to stomach the miss in a win than a loss. As for having another shot to set the franchise record in the future, he said that will always take a backseat to winning.
“The franchise record that sounds the best right now is the wins,” Bates said. “Whatever comes with that, this season has been awesome. I'm just here to help this team in any way.”
Size of the fight, not size of the man
Needing to replace Carlton Davis III at cornerback after he suffered what looks to be a season-ending jaw injury, the Lions turned to slot cornerback Amik Robertson.
Robertson has played on the outside before, and arguably has been better in that role during his pro career, but he acknowledged he was getting reacclimated on Sunday.
Regardless, he was thrilled with the opportunity and the expanded playing time that comes with it.
“I felt very good playing outside, man,” Robertson said. “I know I'm a football player. Wherever they put me on the field, I try to be the best version of myself, the best player on the field. I think on the outside, I'll get more opportunities. Certain guys, they see a 5-8 guy, a 5-9 guy, they think, '****, sweet.' It ain't sweet, man. I want those opportunities. What people don't know, I like tackling. I like those things. I like tackling more than I like covering. Overall, it felt good out there.
“…I'm a very confident guy, man,” Robertson said. “When I'm out there, I feel like I'm the motherf______ biggest. I feel like I'm the biggest guy out there.”
Robertson was one of the few defensive bright spots last week against Buffalo and acquitted himself well against the Bears, racking up eight tackles and two pass breakups.
“I try be a factor, just try to be myself, do my job within the scheme,” Robertson said. “Still got a lot of little things (to clean up), trying to get my feet warmed up, things I've got to get better at. It's never perfect, but overall, I felt good out there.”
Blessed with a little help
Several players in Detroit’s locker room watched the dramatic ending to the Philadelphia and Washington games on their phones. Before the room opened to the media, a loud cheer could be heard after Washington scored a go-ahead score in the final seconds, providing Detroit some added buffer in their pursuit of the top seed in the NFC.
“I had it on my phone,” Goff said. “Everyone else seemed to have it on their phone, too. There was no TV in there.”
“Shoutout Daniels, man,” Robertson said. “Proud of him. Happy for him.”
Of course, every Lions player realizes they still have business to handle over the next couple of weeks.
“It's definitely good, but we've got to take care of business on our end,” linebacker Ben Niemann said. “If we don't take care of business on our end these next two weeks, it doesn't matter. Obviously nice to get some help, we'll take it, but we need to keep working.”
