ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia walked on crutches for the first time Sunday as he rehabilitates from an left Achilles injury that required surgery over the summer. How that will affect him for Week 1 against Arizona remains to be seen.

"I did walk with crutches yesterday so that was good. We're very slowly day-by-day with it," Patricia said. "It is really, just, honestly a safety thing for me and for the players. That's really just my biggest concern.

"I kind of do my own rehab, but in the end, you know, for the game itself, we'll just gauge that when we get to it."

Patricia still has to get around on his pushcart for the moment -- he did a lap around the hall of the office in his first crutching adventure -- and is on his ATV for practices. During games, he is elevated behind the benches, sort of like on a perch so he can see all the action.

Matt Patricia has coached Lions preseason games from a raised platform positioned in the back of the team's sideline. Tim Fuller/USA Today Sports

Throughout the preseason, Patricia has described his situation as "day-by-day." When he first addressed his injury last month, Patricia said he had cleaned "some stuff up in there." He was specifically concerned then about any potential setbacks and said he would be overly cautious about it because he knows how long the season can be.

With him on the ATV and on his perch, he has not been able to be as hands-on as he typically tries to be when he's coaching.

The Lions play at Cleveland on Thursday and then travel to the season opener in Arizona on Sept. 8.