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Detroit Lions

10-6, 3-3 NFC North (2nd)
Team RankingOverallRushingPassing
Offense5th95.2 (29th)300.9 (4th)
Defense22nd128.1 (23rd)239.4 (22nd)
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Lions report: Notes, quotes

 
Notes, quotes · Strategy and personnel · Inside slant
 

--There are always unlikely stories around the NFL of underdogs making a team's roster. But rarely does an undrafted free agent miss a large part of training camp with an injury and still make the team.

Yet, that's what happened with Lions CB Aaron Berry. He missed most of camp with a hamstring injury, but was able to get back on the practice field for the last week of camp work and the final preseason game.

He had a good game, and one hit on a pass play led to an interception. A few days later Berry got the word

Asked about the pressure of playing cornerback, he said, "I really don't believe in pressure. I don't think about it like that. I just go out there and stay within my technique and just play hard and play how I know how to play. That should lead me to doing the right things and playing well.

"I had an injury that I couldn't rush. You rush a hamstring and you'll be out even longer. It was good being able to sit by the coaches in practice and watching guys and just being able to learn. The biggest thing for me was being able to learn and pick up on concepts."

Said general manager Martin Mayhew, "He had really good OTAs; a really good early training camp. We've seen a lot of good things from him in coverage. "The question for me with him was his ability to go out there and perform in a game. I wish I had more to look at, but he did good in the final game he played. So, we're going to go with that. He has an opportunity to help us, I think."

--Amari Spievey was drafted in the third round this year as a cornerback, but has played better at safety.

Said Mayhew, "I think he's both -- he can do both. I think that's his value; he's a multi-dimensional guy. He's showing better at safety right now. He has an opportunity to be a pretty good player in the secondary somewhere."

--For Sunday's game, the Lions will have eight defensive starters different than those that started in the first game of the 2009 season.

Said coach Jim Schwartz, "I mean, for good reason. I think that what you saw is us build around a couple young players: Louis Delmas (and) DeAndre Levy. You saw us go out and retool the defensive line -- draft Ndamukong Suh high, and trade for Corey Williams, and bring in Kyle Vanden Bosch. You know, there needed to be turnover."

BY THE NUMBERS
26 -- Percentage of the Bears total points in 2009 amassed in two games against the Lions.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"We need wins; more than anything else. Our guys have to start playing together and trusting each other and learning how to win." -- GM Martin Mayhew.

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