POSTGAME QUOTES
GREEN BAY PACKERS vs. DETROIT LIONS, Nov. 6, 2017, at Green Bay, Wis.
WIDE RECEIVER MARVIN JONES JR.
(on overall performance) “I mean, it’s just execution all around the board. We had a great week of practice. A great week of preparation. Obviously, our focus was on scoring touchdowns, helping our defense and winning this game. It was a good day.”
(on consistency over the last few weeks) “Obviously, I want to be the guy that’s going to make the plays, make all the plays I need to help this team. And in our room, that’s what we all want to be. We are all doing that right now. It’s just great to be a part of it. And we still have more work to do. So we will get back to the drawing board and this will go away and we will focus on Cleveland.”
(on the importance of this game) “It was very important. Obviously, I sound like Coach, it was the most important game because it was the next game. But we really needed this win to catapult us into the last half of the season. So, it was a big game for us and obviously it was a division game. So, we needed to get it and like I said, our practice was great all week. It showed out there tonight.”
(on his two touchdowns tonight) “Matt (Stafford) had some great throws and I just did what I love to do - go up there and get them. It’s just good execution, good play calling. He put it where it needed to be and I just catch it and make sure my feet are in.”
(on giving Matthew Stafford time in the pocket) “When you give a quarterback like Matt time to go through his progressions, you know how his arm is. He can make every throw in the field. Give that guy some time and it’s very dangerous. You saw it out there today.”
(on the Green Bay defense) “It wasn’t so much them, it was just us executing what our plan was. We had a great plan on all cylinders and we got it done. It wasn’t anything where I could say, ‘This is what they’re doing so let’s pick on them this way.’ It was just a great effort all-around offensively. It was a great scheme and we executed.”
(on playing with Matthew Stafford) “He can sling it anywhere, and you just have to be there to catch it. When he’s on, there’s no other quarterback that I’d rather play with just overall, just how he makes plays. Bad times or good times, you already know he is going to come out. He’s going to fight. He’s going to throw the ball. It’s a pleasure.”
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL
(on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s performance) “Yeah, I felt he played well. And obviously the guys caught the ball well for him all across the board – Marvin (Jones, Jr.) with over 100 yards, Golden (Tate) with over 100, (Eric) Ebron had some nice catches. Obviously, Theo does what Theo (Riddick) does when he catches it and makes some things happen. There were a lot of good plays and the offensive line blocked for him. When he does have time he can deliver it from all angles and make a number of big throws. He was on tonight and played well.”
(on practice during the week) “I think I mentioned to you they have been practicing well the last couple of weeks. I mean, you can see it in how we’re practicing. We’re not making a whole lot of mistakes and we’re getting better. Some of our younger guys are getting a little bit better. I think you can see that was reflected tonight on offense, defense and in our kicking game.”
(on this being Stafford’s best performance) “Well, he’s had some really good ones. It’s hard to distinguish, He had a string of them there a couple of years ago that were pretty strong and last year, too. But this one, well, you don’t get a whole lot better than this. But I thought he played well.”
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(on the defense’s performance) “Defense did a nice job, just in terms of, they were able to hold the run down, held them below a 100 yards - a team that can really run the ball with really good backs and a good offensive line. So, I think our guys across the board, our down linemen, our linebackers in the perimeter that’s involved, did a nice job. A couple of plays popped out there on us, some big plays. But overall, defensively, we played well.”
(on the importance of the game) “This was an important game for us. It was extremely important. It was very important because it’s the next game and it’s a division game. It was big for us. So it was good to get one this time.”
QUARTERBACK MATTHEW STAFFORD
(on the game as a whole) “I think we executed well tonight. We weren’t perfect, left some points out there, turned it over. But, our guys showed up and played really well. The offensive line did a great job blocking. Our guys on the outside were winning and making plays.”
(on the explosiveness of the offense) “No question. Those guys on the outside were doing a great job of winning. I was just trying to get it to the open guy. All sorts of guys were winning. And when we can spread people out and use a bunch of weapons like we did tonight, we are at our best.”
(on the importance of getting to .500) “Every game is huge, especially a division game on the road in a tough place to play like Lambeau. It was a game we were excited about - a Monday Nighter. I’m just glad we came out and performed. It was a total team win. Our defense played great, our special teams was great as well. If we keep having performances like that together, we will give ourselves a good chance to win.”
(on Marvin Jones’ performance) “No question, he played great. Marv’s a really talented guy; he’s got great body control. He’s made some really tough, contesting catches like he did tonight. All the guys played well, I thought. I didn’t think anybody was off their game. So, it was nice.”
(on coming off the bye) “Yeah, I feel a whole lot better physically. That week was huge for me, not only me, but for a lot of people. A lot of guys on our team have come out on the other side of it feeling a lot better. We’ve just got to continue to get better. Like I said, we weren’t perfect. We left some points out there. Got down to the red zone and stalled there a couple of times again. But, it was an efficient night.”
(on the offensive line) “Sacks and hits and all of that isn’t just an offensive line thing. It’s an everybody thing. Our guys outside are doing a great job of getting open. I’m getting it out. Our backs are doing a nice job of picking up perimeter-type blitzes and guys up the middle, whatever it is. And the guys up front are blocking great. You get that combination - it takes all of that to be efficient in the passing game and not get negative plays and sacks and hits and hurries and all of that. It was an effort that everybody knew they needed to do a little bit better with and we have.”
WIDE RECEIVER GOLDEN TATE:
(on the win) "We went into this game thinking that this needed to be a statement game. We needed to click collectively and I think that is what we did for the most part. It felt good to just have things rolling, especially on the road in a very tough environment."
(on Marvin Jones Jr.) "Marvin has been playing at a very high level. He has been catching five-yard routes and taking them for 10 or 15. He is catching some down the field. He has been very reliable in the red zone. I love it. He has been playing at a high level and that is what we expect from him. He loves the game and wants to be great; and that is what he is doing. He is a complete receiver for sure."
(on Matthew Stafford) "This guy brings it every single week no matter how he is feeling. He has taken a lot of hits this year. There are some times where I thought he might miss a few weeks too, but he just finds a way. He finds a way and brings it every single day. Mentally he is incredibly strong. Physically he can do anything. That is enough to motivate me to be really, really good for him. This is a guy who deserves to thrive in this league, experience playoff games, playoff wins, NFC Championship games and even the Super Bowl. He deserves it. He is that type of quarterback and I want to be a part of it and help him get there. I think we are working in the right direction. We just need to keep grinding week in and week out."
CORNERBACK DARIUS SLAY:
(on the winning a tough road game) "It is great. Weare trying to win our division and take over. That is our job. We came out here and played our game like we needed to."
(on not having to face Aaron Rodgers) "We just knew that he (Hundley) wouldn't be able to do the stuff that Aaron does at the line of scrimmage, so we just wanted to go out there and make it tough for him. He is a talented guy. He is an NFL quarterback for sure, but we just knew it would tough for him to make all the checks like 12 (Rodgers) does."
(on the offense helping the defense) "We did a good job of getting the offense the ball to take all that time off the clock. They did a good thing with managing the ball and we did a good job of getting them (Green Bay) off the field. It was a good team effort right there."
(on Green Bay's talented receivers) "We did a good job of not letting those guys get open. A lot of those throws would have had to have been perfect throws. Guys like 12 (Rodgers) can make plays like that, but you aren't going to beat us all the time by throwing perfect balls."
RUNNING BACK AMEER ABDULLAH:
(on his touchdown run) "It was a heck of a call. We got the leverage on the play, TJ Lang,former Packer, was in front of me and got the block."
(on the duo of he and TheoRiddick) "That is my guy. I feel like when we are together that this offense is vintage. When we are both making plays it makes our offense go."
(on his individual performance) "I am feeling good. There are some opportunities that I think I have missed. Once I see the film and break it down I will continue to improve. That is the main thing for me. I just like to see improvement because that is encouraging. I will go into next week with a better attitude towards working and being better."