Michael Clay

Q. Hey, how close were those three field goals in those conditions from K Jake Elliott? (Reuben Frank)

Michael Clay: Both for him and [Detroit Lions K] Jake Bates. Tough conditions, tough conditions for the specialists, but it was awesome. Kind of fortunate that we had a pretty windy day here on Thursday to kind of sense out what it was going to be. I mean that’s probably the windiest it’s been since I’ve been in Philadelphia, but huge kicks out of Jake. The operation from [LS] Cal [Adomitis] to [P] Braden [Mann] with the holds to the field goal pro team was really good and that 49-yarder kind of made it a two score game and kind of alleviated some of what was going on in a big defensive battle between Detroit. They’re a good unit. So all those points matter, especially when you get into these November and December games.

Q. Is there a home field advantage just kind of knowing the way the win whips around that stadium? (Dave Zangaro)

Michael Clay: Yeah, you would like to say that, but sometimes you get a gust, sometimes you don’t get a gust. The great thing about it, both teams got to play in it, which is awesome, but these guys, Jake, [P] Braden [Mann] and Cal and [LS] Charley [Hughlett], when he’s up, they do such a good job of getting themselves prepared for all these different scenarios. Understand we play in the northeast that you are going to have some conditions [that] aren’t favorable for the specialist group, but to rise up to the challenge and do what they did was very good for us and the team.

Q. And they went over to the stadium on Thursday? (Reuben Frank)

Michael Clay: Well, what had happened was we were just out here, they were trying to sneak in there, but obviously new sod and the paint and everything, we weren’t really able to get out there, but being able to play in some conditions from last year, then being here on the practice field just to feel the wind always helps us out.

Q. The big fourth down stop. What had you on alert there? (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: Yeah, I think it just goes a lot to the advance scouting. [Director of Football Operations/Pro Scout] Ameena [Soliman] I believe was on the road down to Washington, [she] alerted us. [Pro Scout] Terrence [Braxton] does a good job debriefing us on Mondays. The amount of fakes that Detroit had ran since 2021 – I think it was at 12 at that point. Just having kind of a sense what the game was going back and forth, kind of a defensive struggle, you always got to be prepared for that. Then on Friday, I usually get the entire team in here just to reiterate, ‘hey, they’ve ran this amount of fakes, not just at the midfield, but they ran it from the minus-21, the minus-22 and I thought it was an awesome job by [DT] Moro [Ojomo], [DT Jalen Carter] JC, [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt] looks really kind of collapsing that pocket in right there on that fake punt and obviously short field for offense, which is always great. So kudos to all the intel we get prior to the game. Then the guys paying attention come Friday and just understanding the severity of the game.

Q. What did Director of Football Operations/Pro Scout Ameena Soliman alert you to? (Jimmy Kempski)

Michael Clay: Obviously [Detroit Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp] Fipp had ran a wide amount of fakes, so it’s more of just understanding that they’re willing to gamble at any point in the field position, whether it’s minus 20, at the midfield line and just kind of having an inkling like, ‘hey, they’re not really moving the ball on our defense. They’re going to try and steal a possession.’ So just having that and just reiterating throughout the week to our players like ‘hey, they will gamble and try to get a free possession right here’ and the players answer the bell and again, I could say it till I’m blue in the face that they’re going to try and run a fake. The players out there do an unbelievable job of executing when that time comes because obviously I’m not doing anything on the field on game day because I can’t be between the white lines. So the players get all the credit because they’re able to respond to anything that they see or make a big play.

Q. Were you surprised that they ran it anyway, even though you have the defense out on the field? (Jimmy Kempski)

Michael Clay: Its the NFL, you could expect anything, expect the unexpected. I wasn’t really too shocked that they did run it because again, some guys take a play off when it is D-stay, our guys don’t. So for them to still try to run it, kudos to them trying to steal that extra possession, but we’re able to respond and stop them in their territory.

Q. It sounds like the advanced scouting was a big part of it, but is there any element of the familiarity that both you and the organization has with Detroit Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp that kind of plays into that too? (E.J. Smith)

Michael Clay: I think it just goes down to your scouting and what you do throughout the week. You always go back if there as a team that does a lot of fakes. When we used to play Dallas and [Tennessee Titans Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel] Bones was there. He ran a thousand fakes when he was with the Rams. So you always just go back and you always know that’s on your mind that they can try to steal possession. It’s not just a one-man job, it’s the whole organizational job to get us in the right spots.

Q. Was the wind a factor in the landing zone kicks because it seemed like more were going into the end zone than usual? (Bob Brookover)

Michael Clay: You know what? To be honest with you, when we were kicking into that open tunnel, we didn’t think the ball was going to travel that far, especially coming out the half. It kind of perplexed Jake, as you probably saw his body reaction right there, but it really didn’t have too much. These kickers are so strong and so skilled that we were still able to place it where we wanted it to based on our game plan and I thought our kickoff coverage did a really good job against a pretty dangerous returner in [Detroit Lions WR] Kalif Raymond when the ball did land in between the landing zone and kudos to those guys answering the bell against a really good returner.

Q. It’s a delayed question because we didn’t speak to you last week. If you think about your coaching, what role does Detroit Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp have in that in terms of how you operate, how you view special teams? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: Yeah, Fipp was the first special teams coordinator I was able to work under and to learn a lot from him the one year that I was his assistant. Just seeing how he operates from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, all the way through until game time to getting yourself prepared for all that. I owe a lot to him and all the coordinators that I worked for, [Chicago Bears Special Teams Coordinator] Richard Hightower, [Interim Special Teams Coordinator] Darius Swinton, [Former NFL coach] Stan Kwan, all those guys that I worked for. Fipp was the first guy to kind of take me under his wing and kind of show me how special teams is broken down, tendencies, things like that. So I owe a lot to Fipp and anytime I’m able to go against guys that I hold in high regard and be able to step up to the challenge or be on their level in terms of coaching, it’s just an honor and just a blessing really to go against a guy like that.

Q. We saw TE Cam Latu make a nice play on that first kick return. What makes him a good special teams player? (Jeff McLane)

Michael Clay: I think a lot of it has to do with the belief that the belief in Cam — [he was] kind of a journeyman a little bit early on in his career, but having the opportunity and he’s rose to the occasion, but you get a guy that’s what, 6’3, 6’4, 260 that could run, move, bend like that and have the want to go know that he can go make a play for us and help our team out. A lot of special teams comes down to want to and energy and I think he brings a lot of that and not just him. You see [S] Sidney [Brown] out there, you see [TE] Kylen Granson and [RB] Will Shipley when they make plays they get excited and I want them to be excited because that third phase is a huge task to help out the team in the field position battle. So I think Cam has done an unbelievable job of rising to the occasion and he’s so intent. I think he sits right there in that back corner and he asks questions [about] who he’s blocking, who’s going to try and block him and he’s trying to work after practice, what can I do better? That’s the cool thing about he always asks, ‘Hey, what can I do better?’ What can I do better? So it’s one of those things where he really wants to be a very good special teams player and just a good teammate all around.\

Q. After three games. What has WR Xavier Gipson brought in terms of punt return? (Andrew DiCecco)

Michael Clay: Yeah, obviously Xavier had some reps with the Jets. He brings some explosiveness, you saw in the Green Bay game catching that ball in the game [and making that a] 21-yard return and even that last punt or second to last punt return. People think he was just heady enough that he didn’t know if it hit Sidney or not or hit him, but him able to bat it out of bounds to at least save us a possession that brings some intelligence to the field in a high pressure situation to stay calm and just kind of bat it out, then be able to play the next play and he’s so intent on wanting to give the ball back to the offense and still the ball security. We do a ball of security drill, myself and [Running Backs/Assistant Head Coach] Jamal Singleton every day with him after practice. He wants to do so well for the team and give us a little spark. He has done a really good job in the last three games that we’ve had him.

Q. Between the Rams game and this one. We know of two examples of starting defensive linemen, being tuned into the special teams sort of suggestions in the week and then executing them. What goes into that? Both the message that’s being delivered and the fact that some of these starting players are receiving them and executing? (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: When it comes down to that, me personally as a coach is try to make it as clear and possible and give them a rail light like hey, ‘I could change the game in some sort of capacity,’ whether it’s a field goal block, a punt block with [TE] Cam [Latu] in Tampa Bay or that big play by Moro. It’s just showing them the picture of like, hey, ‘there is this tendency or this is somewhere where we can attack and exploit,’ no different than offense or defense finding a weak spot in the coverage or a weak spot in the protection. It’s the same for special teams, we’re just trying to find any ways we could get an advantage and all the accolades should go to the players, because they’re the ones performing it. It is just one of those things where if you could get something where it clicks in their mind that they can make a play in this situation, all power to them.

Q. How deep do you think Dallas Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey can kick it from home? What are you anticipating? (Jeff McLane)

Michael Clay: I wouldn’t be shocked if he trotted out there for a 70-plus yarder. He’s a damn good kicker. He’s been doing a really good job this year. So we just got to be ready to be able to go out there and defend a long field goal. You have a kicker like that by all means, use him as a weapon.

Q. We saw LS Cal Adomitis get down the field and make a couple tackles. Is that kind of a bonus to have a long snapper be able to do that? (Dave Zangaro)

Michael Clay: Yeah, you’re always having a long snapper that can protect and get down the field is always a bonus right there. Now they have to account for everyone. They can’t just account for nine, they got to count for 10 in terms of that. Cal has done a really good job stepping in while Charley’s [Hughlett] getting back to getting healthy out here, in protection and field goal snaps and getting down and making some plays and we showed him making a couple plays. The other players, they get little oohs and ahs for him to go make a play. It’s always an added luxury when you have a long snapper to go out there and make a play against a really good returner.