LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN QUOTE SHEET

November 30, 2023

Opening Statement: “It’s been about two weeks since I’ve addressed you guys. Hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving also because I sure did. Man, we’re 8-3. Going to play a really good team, a team that I know well. A lot of the same players are still there. Some new players, obviously, going on three years. I know this head coach really well, I know that coaching staff really well. And man, I am looking forward to the challenge of playing this team, I really am. And this will be a good one.”

On the challenges a defensive coordinator faces when competing against a dynamic player like Saints QB Taysom Hill and his dominance in the red zone: “Here’s the thing about Taysom, and I want to just talk about him as a person, first off, he’s a really, really good person. He’s a God-fearing man. He’s a family man. He’s a player that’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s faster than what some people think. He’s built different than what some people think because he’s a thicker-bodied player and he has – he’s found a niche in this League where he can excel and I’m not just talking about on offense, on special teams also, because that was his first niche when I was there. But defending him, you really just don’t know where he’s going to line up a good amount of times, so you always have to be on cue on that. And we have certain defense that we’re going to play depending on where he’s at. And we’ve got to be on top of that. We’ve got to be on top of that from a personnel standpoint and then we have to be on top of it of where he’s at, as far as what position he’s going to be at, that standpoint. So it can be difficult, but I think our guys will be ready for it.”

On where he sees the defense right now and where he thinks they need to close the gap to finish the regular season out strong: “It’s funny you say that because that’s what we’ve talked about starting last week because I’ll tell guys, just from my time of playing, people remember what you do in November and December and you want to be peaking at that point. And when we look at – and that’s one of the first conversations we had last week, and when you look at last week, man there were a lot of things that doesn’t really show up statistically, but man when you look at it as a defense, there are some really good things that the guys did. Scoreboard wasn’t it, because we lost. But when you go out there and you have two turnovers and you get a ball back, you have some fourth-down stops and you get the ball back, I mean those are things that our guys have to look at and be like, ‘You know what? We took the field.’ And our motto is man listen, that’s more TV time for us any time we take the field. And man, those are the positives that I try to make sure I talk about with our guys, so we can start looking at the fact that we want to start trending, so was everything great? No, it wasn’t. And we have some things we have to work on, we all know that. So each week, I mean that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to make sure we’re trending in this direction. That’s in the run game, that’s in the pass game, that’s with our pass rush, that’s taking the ball away also. So those are some things that we have to make sure we do.”

On how the communication and leadership shifts on defense with Lions LB Alex Anzalone potentially out this Sunday: “Well, that’s the reason we got (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell). He’s a true MIKE backer. And he has to be the one that makes all those checks and he’s capable of doing that. Smart, heady guy that’s tough. He’s built for these moments. I’m looking forward for him to be the actual mouthpiece of the defense going into this game.”

On the value Saints RB Jamaal Williams brought to the defense off the field when he was on the team the last two seasons: “Well, we all know he has a different personality. We all know that, in a good way, in a good way. And he’s actually brought that – just from some of the guys I know, that he’s brought that personality there because he’s not going to change who he is. But here’s what we do know about him as a player, he’s tough, he’s competitive. Anywhere when it’s short yardage at goal line, man we have to be on top of it because he’s superb in those situations, so. And our guys know that from being here. The new guys are just finding that out just watching tape of him. And I know he’s going to be juiced up, just like I’m going to be juiced up, just like (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell)’s going to be juiced up. I mean he played here for a couple years and he wants to kick our ass just like we want to kick theirs. So, this will be a fun game for us to play against him and for me and Dan to go back to where we were, we were there for like five years, so looking forward to it.”

On how to unlock pressures from other edge defenders in a slump when Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson is blocked: “You know what? That’s one thing, as coaches, that we’ve got to continue to try to figure out on – and I guess I can’t figure out, keep coaching our guys on how do we generate these pressures, especially the way teams are playing us now. Because teams now, they’re blocking everything up because they know that Aidan’s a guy, so they’re putting two guys on him. And usually with the other guys, when you watch the tape, they have guys maxed out. And a guy, whoever’s in one-on-one, that guy has got to be able to win. And that’s us, as coaches, continuing to teach these guys how to make sure you always get on edges in those situations. It’s not the easiest thing, but man we are coaching our ass off to try to get those guys to be able to do that and I think the guys are trying their butts off, we just have to continue emphasizing those things. I think – going into last week, I think (Lions DL Josh) Paschal did some pretty good things as far as getting on the edges, so we’ve got to continue to work with that player in that situation.”

On if they are focusing on improvement in the red zone going against a proficient red zone team like the Saints: “Absolutely, and that’s a situation where there’s really a lot of one-on-one situations where you’ve got to win because there’s not a lot of space and you can’t really just play zone, so you have to really match up with guys. And we’ve got to understand where our help’s at also, alright. So that goes in with the players just executing and that’s us making sure we put those guys in the right positions, so any time you’re in the red zone, it is basically one-on-one. We know the ball’s coming out quick, or you’ve got to hunker down because the best teams that happen in the red zone are the teams that can run the ball, so we know we have to be better in that area.”

On how the quarterback pressures Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson produces in games can turn into sacks: “Well, that’s just finishing, that’s just finishing and I think sometimes people put so much into sacks that they get away from understanding that this player is affecting the quarterback at a pretty high rate for us. We just have to get everybody else to be able to affect the quarterback just as much as he is, alright. And I think once that happens, the sack totals will come up. And we’ve been in situations where, man sacks have come in bunches for us and that happened all last year. Even this year it’s been in that situation. Man, we’ve just got to try to unlock that, as you say, not with just him, but with the other guys too. That’s really the focal point, to be honest with you. Everybody knows what Hutch can do. It’s just getting all of our other guys. And even our second-level rushers to be able to create some pressure like that. And last week, man we actually blitzed quite a bit and we have to. I mean, that’s just who we are. You all say cut me open, I mean I like to be in man coverage in blitz. But man, I think our guys do a really good job being able to play zone then being able to play man, because that’s who we are as a defense.”

On if there is a need for tighter coverage to give the defenders up front a better opportunity to produce stops: “Man, that’s always the plan when you’re playing against a team that’s getting the ball out quick because the rusher is not going to get there. So now, when you’re in man coverage, you’ve got to win those one-on-one battles. And that’s what happens with any team that tries to get the ball out quick like that.”

On how much he has heard Lions LB Jack Campbell’s voice grow as a leader: “Here’s what I will tell you, when we’re in meetings, and sometimes I tell (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone) don’t say anything because it’s easier for him for the most part, the next voice that you’re going to hear is Jack and that’s encouraging because what he does in the meeting actually translates to what he’s going to do on the field. And he understands this defense like the back of his hands now. Just the fact of him knowing that he’s the guy, he's the mouth, but he’s a guy that the whole defense is looking at to make sure we get into the right checks. And for him to have this opportunity right now, man I think it’s outstanding.”

On what they have to do to be more efficient at the start of games to eliminate touchdowns on opening drives: “Just play better, play better. I think everybody would say that.”

On what he has seen from Lions DL Josh Paschal in games and practices that shows his growth and where he can improve: “Exactly what you saw in that game film. The thing now is, man he has to take it to another level. I mean, we drafted this player in the second round and he’s had glimpses of what you saw that last game. Now, man, it’s time to – the run game, man he’ll become a really, really good player as far as setting the edge and being able to do things like that. Now, we have to unlock the pass rush part of it to be able to transition from run, man to pass. And that’s when he’s busting his butt to be able to do that. Because that player, I mean that’s just who he is, and you guys have talked to him before, because that player, we need that player to be able to do that. Because besides (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac, I mean Paschal has to be that guy, because he has that ability.”