It felt like a scene from “Hard Knocks,” or a look at some of the behind-the-scenes footage the HBO cameras have been capturing in coaches meetings.
Before practice Monday, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell gave as unvarnished an assessment of his team’s kicking competition as I can remember any coach sharing about a position battle during training camp.
Campbell’s comments jibe with what we’ve been seeing every day for the last two weeks (and what I’ve written), that Austin Seibert is ahead of Riley Patterson in their quest for the job.
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Still, it was interesting to hear Campbell’s honest appraisal of a position that could go a long way towards determining the Lions’ record this fall.
“I thought they both did a good job (in Saturday’s practice at Ford Field), but I felt really good about Seibert,” Campbell said. “I feel like he is, just right now, if you’re asking me today, he’s a tick better. And I thought he did a hell of a job in there, just kicking. His kickoffs were outstanding. Now that being said, Patterson, Patterson’s still not (going) away. It’s not like he’s not in there. And we still got a long camp to go, so Patterson’s doing a good job, but I really like where Seibert’s at.”
Seibert, who made 10 of 12 field goals for the Lions last season before missing the final 11 games with a core muscle injury, makes noticeably longer kicks than Patterson.
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Over the weekend, Seibert made all four of his field goals during the Lions’ live kicking period with a long of 54 yards, and hit kicks of 41 and about 63 yards (off the crossbar) after situational drives. Patterson missed his 54-yard kick wide right in the kicking period, and was well short on his 63-yard attempt.
Field goals aren’t the only thing the Lions will ask their kickers to do this fall. In all likelihood, whoever wins the placekicking job also will handle kickoffs (instead of punter Jack Fox).
Campbell said both elements are “vital” to the position, but it’s no surprise which one is more important.
“To be able to, on kickoffs, to (have) depth, hangtime and pinpoint right or left really, really helps your kickoff team immensely,” Campbell said. “But the same token, you also want to know, 3 seconds left in the game and you’re down by two that, that guy’s going to be able to nail it. So I think there’s a little bit of, it’s all-encompassing.
“Now, here’s what we do know, we do know we have a punter that can kick off. He’s got the leg. He did it for us last year and so at least we got a little insurance right there. So, I guess I’m just going round and round, but I think it’s got to be who’s the guy who can help us seal the game kicking field goals. When it comes time to get three, and we know he’s going to make those kicks, that’s what you’re looking for.”
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It’s clear the Lions feel good about both kickers, but even though Campbell said Seibert is only “a tick” ahead in the competition, I’m not sure what Patterson can do to close the gap, short of Seibert getting the yips in preseason games.
Seibert and Patterson are friends; have been since high school. And both look like NFL kickers. But as things stand in early August, it’s tough to see anyone but Seibert kicking for the Lions this fall.
“We’re constantly talking about offense,” Campbell said. “We get in those end-of-game situations. ‘Hey, we got to get the 35. We got to get to the 30.’
“It’s one thing to say, ‘Hey, he’s pretty good even at 40,’ which, that’s a long kick, man, 58 (yards), but yet he’s pretty good at 40. Or, ‘Man if we can get to the 42, 43, he’s got a chance to swing away and give us a chance.’ It just, it does make life a little bit easier. Now, let me say this about Patterson, if you get inside of 50 yards, that kid is golden. I mean, he just doesn’t miss, so there’s some comfort in that, too.”
The Lions had a light practice Monday that focused heavily on special teams, so observations are a little light today. But here’s some thoughts about practice No. 11:
• Monday’s practice was closed to the public because of intermittent rain showers, but the Lions got their entire practice in outdoors. The rain held off for the first hour or so of practice, and things cleared up for the final period after about a 15-minute shower.
• As he’s done on most light days this summer, Campbell gave left tackle Taylor Decker and running back D’Andre Swift the day off. Decker has missed four practices, none of which has been in full pads.
Julian Okwara, Quintez Cephus, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Johnson remain sidelined by injuries. Melifonwu and Johnson are dealing with relatively new ailments, but I can’t imagine the other three play in Friday’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
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• The Lions only had one 10-play team period Monday, so there’s not much to report there. Michael Brockers did get his hand on a Goff pass at the line of scrimmage, and Goff made nice throws to Amon-Ra St. Brown down the sideline (on a free play when Brockers jumped offsides) and DJ Chark over the middle. Chark had a couple-yard cushion on Amani Oruwariye when he made his catch.
TV cameras caught Chark receiving medical attention on a finger on his left hand during individual drills, but it’s probably a good sign he returned for the team portion. During the Lions’ extended special teams periods at the end of practice, Chark also was working on the side field with Goff, Josh Reynolds, T.J. Hockenson and quarterbacks David Blough and Tim Boyle.
• Campbell praised Oruwariye earlier in camp, but the Lions’ No. 1 cornerback had a couple rough plays Monday. Oruwariye lost badly in his first rep against St. Brown in one-on-one red zone drills and gave Kalif Raymond too easy of a release on another, though he did force an incompletion to Josh Reynolds at the start of the period when Reynolds slipped on his route.
The Lions need Oruwariye to anchor their secondary this fall. If he struggles, they could be in for some long days defensively when the pass rush is not getting home.
• Elsewhere in one-on-one drills, I continue to marvel at Raymond’s route running. He is so slippery when he gets a free release off the line of scrimmage and he had his way with Cedric Boswell in one rep Monday.
Chase Lucas got a pass breakup on a Goff pass to St. Brown in the drill, and Chark caught two of three passes against Jeff Okudah.
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Lucas worked as a return man during one of the Lions’ special teams periods, which appeared to focus on one-on-one blocking and defeating those blocks. When long snapper Scott Daly tagged Lucas as the rookie tried to shake him, Aubrey Pleasant fell to the ground laughing at Lucas’ attempt.
• Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El had “Hard Knocks” cameras trained on his every move Monday, so you can expect to see him featured in an episode some time soon. At one point, while he was talking with offensive assistant John Morton, Randle El looked up at the boom mic hanging over his head.
• Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders and ex-Lions safety Glover Quin were among the alumni in attendance Monday.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.