Pressers recap: Lions struggle to find comps for RB duo; d-line workloads and Peko added to roster

Editor’s note: Wednesdays can get a little busy at the facility, and I found I already had a full boat of quotes before heading into the locker room, so let’s just start with a recap of the three coaches who met with the media this afternoon.

Allen Park — It took an overtime period to level the scale, but Detroit Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery finished with nearly identical workloads in the season opener, with one seeing 31 snaps and the other logging 30. 

Since joining forces last season, the tandem has drawn comparisons to how Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara used to operate in New Orleans. Still, Lions running back coach Scottie Montgomery wonders if there are really any pairings like his duo, given their uniquely overlapping skill sets and abilities. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had guys that can do the same things so well, but it looks completely different,” Scottie Montgomery said. “A lot of those guys — some of those guys that you’re talking about, they have high expertise in just catching the ball or high expertise in inside-the-tackle runs. Some of the most impressive things that Gibby did this week was the interior runs. That one run down there on the goal line, not the one he scored, but the one that got us the first down, that looked like a back (where) we’re supposed to see the Christian Okoyes of the world running the ball.”

Sorry, was that a Nigerian Nightmare reference attached to Gibbs and not Montgomery? Love it. 

“It’s different for me, because I don’t know comparable (duos) that I’ve seen,” the coach continued. “A back like Gibby that has the ability to have short-yardage runs, and then I don’t know that I’ve seen a back like David, his size and his body type, that can make the play that he made at the Giants in practice there that was just an unbelievable down-the-field, over-the-shoulder contested catch. Those skill sets are unique, and I just don’t know that I’ve thought about a collection of backs playing together that can do the same things, but just do it a little bit differently.”

As far as their playing time, David Montgomery went a lengthy stretch in the opener without a carry — including the entire fourth quarter — before taking over in overtime. Scottie Montgomery said the playing rotation is dictated by feel, making sure both backs are getting work and riding the hot hand, which is exactly what the team did in OT. 

I asked how much consideration the team has given to having the backs share the field more frequently, and Scottie Montgomery was careful about revealing too much of the team’s future plans. 

Absolutely, it’s a thought that we have to weigh it both ways, and that’s what we’re constantly doing,” Montgomery said. “But, yeah, like I said earlier, we’re trying to get our best players — without saying too much — on the field together. 

"And then making sure that we can finish," Montgomery continued. "We have to finish games in this league. As you guys know, the last five, 10 years there have been so many games that have been decided by one touchdown or one drive or one opportunity . So in these settings, we need to make sure that when we get there, we’ve got the horses and carries to cross the finish line.”

Of course, that’s how it played out it against the Rams. 

“It's really good to have those guys and look at them on the sideline and both are energized (in overtime),” Scottie Montgomery said. “You don't have a guy on a knee with a water bottle just exhausted when you know you have to go win the football game.”

● There aren’t many defensive linemen who can handle the workload Aidan Hutchinson does on a weekly and annual basis. The edge rusher played 91% of the team’s defensive snaps last season and logged 90% in the season opener. Not far behind was defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who was on the field for a career-high 87.2% of the reps vs. the Rams.

Both of those linemen have elite conditioning for their positions and can handle an abnormally high workload, but fans often debate the can vs. the should. They reasonably wonder if the two young stars might be more effective if their playing time was reduced 10-20%. I brought the question of balance to defensive line coach Terrell Williams on Wednesday.

“It's a feel thing,” Williams said. “We have very capable backups that can go in there and play. That's one of the things I'm excited about. (Hutchinson) normally plays 91% of the snaps. I think he was at 88 this week, but the problem is we played so many defensive snaps, so he was actually below his percentage, but he played the most snaps he played in a game because we played so many defensive snaps. We just have to find ways to get off the field when we have opportunities to get off the field. I mean, when the game is on the line, you're going to have your best guys out there. That's just part of the job.”

Reading it back, Williams didn’t really answer the question, but knowing the coach likes what he has behind the starters, namely Josh Paschal on the edge, could eventually lead to a slight reduction in what the Lions are asking of Hutchinson.

● Also from Williams, he praised his group’s ability to affect the quarterback in the season opener even if they only managed to sack Matthew Stafford twice in the victory.

“I told our guys, 'When the quarterback is getting rid of the ball quick, that's hats off to you, because that means they know they can't hold the football,’” Williams said. “When they did hold the football, we hit them, and that's how it has to be every week.”

Still, there were a couple of times Stafford escaped the grasp of Detroit’s pass rush. I asked Williams what his coaching points were this week to translate some of that pressure into more sacks.

“You always have to take one more step,” Williams said. “It's funny, I was talking to one of my former players who is a coach now, Ryan Kerrigan — I coached him at Purdue a long, long time ago. The players always remember the sacks they missed. When you watch them, there are a lot of missed sacks. And the common theme there is take one more step.

“And then there are quarterbacks that are elusive,” Williams continued. “This quarterback we're playing this week, (Baker) Mayfield, is one of those guys. You like to see them all finish, but what happens, if a guy misses, the second guy has got to go clean him up. I think we have to do a better job of that going into this football game.”

● The Lions predictably filled their 53rd roster spot with veteran defensive tackle Kyle Peko. For whatever reason, the team was reluctant to have him on the Week 1 roster, which would have guaranteed his salary as a vested veteran.

Peko played a lot in the opener, and even with DJ Reader expected to return this weekend, Peko will have a role as the backup nose tackle, at least as long as Brodric Martin is on injured reserve to start the season.

In addition to that move, the Lions signed defensive tackle Chris Smith and kicker Greg Joseph to the practice squad. Smith had been on the active roster for the opener, logging eight defensive snaps in the win. As for Joseph, he fulfills coach Dan Campbell’s stated desire to have a veteran kicker on the practice squad.

The 30-year-old Joseph has had a solid career, making 82.6% of his career field-goal attempts with a long of 61 yards. That’s a slightly better conversion rate than Michael Badgley (and Jason Hanson, for that matter).

● Campbell was asked about the practice squad receivers, particularly Tim Patrick, and whether the former Broncos standout was trending positively toward appearing in a game anytime soon.

“All of those guys are competing,” Campbell said. “When you’re on the vet squad, every day you put in the work and our eyes are open. I told them all that last week and so we’re paying close attention to him and (Allen) Robinson, as well. So, all options are on the table, and we’ll just take it as it comes.”

In other words, no one has pulled away in the competition quite yet.

● Campbell was also asked about James Houston — who was a healthy scratch for the opener — and what he needs to do to get on the field. For anyone who has been paying attention to what the coach has been saying about Houston’s lack of versatility this offseason, the response was in line with those previous comments.

“Well, so much of it is it could be him or it’s the defensive back,” Campbell said. “What’s going to bring more to you and what plays into that? Special teams is a big one. What about injuries in other areas? So, maybe you need the insurance. Some of it is, what kind of production is that going to bring or how many snaps is he going to get? So, I can’t answer that clearly, but he’s another guy, I mean he’s here, he’s working. We’d love to get him up if the possibility presents itself.”