FORD FIELD
WEEK 8: SUNDAY, OCT. 31, 2021
The following are post-game notes and quotes from the Detroit Lions’ 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021.
POST-GAME NOTES
LIONS SCORING PLAYS
- Fourth Quarter: RB Jermar Jefferson rushed for an eight-yard touchdown with 7:14 to play.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB JARED GOFF - Finished 25-of-34 passing (73.5%) for 222 yards and a 90.6 passer rating.
- Reached 20,000 passing yards in only his 77th
-career game, the sixth fewest needed to hit 20,000 in NFL history. - Completed 20-or-more passes for the eighth-straight game this season and 10th-straight dating back to the 2020 season. He is the third player in franchise history to open the season with 20-plus completions in each of the first eight games of the season.
o Goff is also the fourth player in NFL history to complete at least 20 passes in each of his first eight games with a team.
TE T.J. HOCKENSON - Registered a career-high 10 receptions for 89 yards (8.9 avg.), hauling in a long of 18 yards.
- His 10 receptions tie for the second-most by a tight end in franchise history.
- Hockenson’s 48 receptions and 448 receiving yards this season are the most by a Lions tight end through the first eight games of a season.
- Produced at least six receptions for the third-straight game, tied for the franchise’s longest streak by a tight end and the first such streak by a Lions tight end since 2010.
RB GODWIN IGWEBUIKE - Recorded three rushes for 18 yards (6.0 avg.), three receptions for 40 yards (13.3 avg.) and four kickoff returns for 126 yards (31.5 avg.) to produce 184 all-purpose yards on the day.
- Became the first player in franchise history to record 125 kickoff return yards, 40 receiving yards and 15 rushing yards in a game. The last NFL player to do so was Saints RB Alvin Kamara in 2017.
- Became the first Lions player to produce at least 184 all-purpose yards in a game since WR Marvin Jones Jr. in 2016.
- His 126 kickoff return yards are the most by a Lions player in a home game since WR Stefan Logan had 141 yards on Oct. 23, 2011 vs. Atlanta.
RB JERMAR JEFFERSON - Produced two rushes for six yards (3.0 avg.) and a touchdown and added four receptions for 23 yards (5.8 avg.). His first-career touchdown came on an eight-yard rush.
WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN - Tallied three receptions for 46 yards (15.3 avg.), hauling in a game-long and career-long 34-yard reception.
LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
Opening statement: “We got pushed around bad. We got pushed around bad. We weren’t ready and so ultimately that does—you guys asked it earlier in the week. It did, it happened again. And so, I felt like we got out coached today, we got out played, across the board. And that does, that starts with me, man. Starts with me. It really does. You don’t play that
bad with a number of guys in areas, and turn the ball over and penalties, and it’s the low energy, and it’s just—you don’t do that unless that comes from the top. So that’s on me. I did not set the tone or the tempo properly, obviously, because that was bad. That was bad. We didn’t even give ourselves a chance.”
On how much losing is taking a toll on the team: “Yeah, but I—you would like to think—that’s what I think some of this is, that’s why I can’t wait to watch the tape tomorrow because what you see—I’ll use a great example. As I’m watching this, and it’s brutal and it’s five minutes left in the game, but whatever that is. And you look at the score board and you look out on the field and you’re watching your defense and I’m watching Jalen Reeves-Maybin like all out. All out every play, trying to get a turnover, running through a gap, trying to make a play, running behind, making a tackle, running to the sideline. That’s what I’m looking for, because when we get enough of those guys that are all out all the time—I just think back to whenever I was part of a loser or even some of the best I’ve been around, it should really be, it should really make
you burn. It should really make you burn to where you’re just—it makes you go that much harder, is what it should do. But look, it could be a reality, but we’ll—that’s what part of this is. You’re looking to find out who those guys are that maybe don’t respond too well to this. But look, I have a lot to look at. Here’s the good news—the good news is we’re at a bye and
I have about a week now where I can really, really dive into this and just take it for what it is. We know a lot of the issues, but now I can sit back and say, ‘Alright, let me look at all of it. Let me look at exactly where we’re deficient, where we’re not, what we can help’. And I go back to this, ‘Where can we, where can we help ourselves schematically, where can we help these players we have be better than they are. Where are we better suited to put some players than where they’re at right now or ask what we’re asking them to do’.”
On how much of the roster he thinks responds well to adversity and why LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin stood out to him today: “No, I just brought him (Jalen Reeves-Maybin) up because I noticed him. In that sea of trash that we were in, that we had dug ourselves into, that we were floating in, he stuck out. Like, ‘Wow’. He was—he stuck out. And that’s why I’m saying that, I’m not—until I can watch the film I just know that—I don’t, I don’t ever doubt what he is and what he’s trying to do. And I just know the way he’s made, and the way he’s cut and everything. That’s all I’m saying.”
On if QB Jared Goff has started carrying more weight: “Well it was hard for him to carry weight today. We couldn’t get in (any) rhythm. Today, we wanted to be more aggressive. We actually did. That was going to be the whole thing, man. We started off the game, we’re going to rip it all go, see if we can hard count them. They didn’t jump, which is fine. We hit Hock (T.J. Hockenson) on a big play, now we’re flowing. Then it’s just—man, we couldn’t even—I wanted to be aggressive on third down but we weren’t close enough to get in a manageable fourth down. It’s you wanting to do these things. I mean, look—before halftime, we’re going down, man. We had a huge play to (Amon-Ra) St. Brown and it’s illegal formation. That’s like—but there again, that’s on me. For them that to do that, then obviously we didn’t teach it well
enough because that is a day one deal there. And so I didn’t—I didn’t coach it well enough. Here’s the other thing—I hate what I did before halftime, freaking hate it. I hate it. I hate—now, I don’t hate going for it, but I should’ve used a timeout going into third-and-one. So that didn’t help either. Look, I got out coached, man. I got out coached. I didn’t help these guys.”
On if the offensive line is starting to be a concern with four sacks in the first half: “To me, here’s what a lot of that is—he’s (Jared Goff) trying to make a play. He’s trying to hold it a little longer, he’s trying to—when you start getting down like that or you’re lacking production, you really—my message to him was to really cut it loose, cut it loose. But the problem is—I mean the first time, I don’t want to tell you when it was, but we had one where we were doubling moving
early. And now, the guy did a good job covering it, but I was, ‘Hey, throw it.’ Well, he’s got somebody right in his face. We got a blitzer and we’re—it’s—there’s nowhere to go. I don’t care who’s in there. I mean, I guess Tom Brady might throw it, but I doubt it, just with the look that it was. So, I just—I don’t see it. I didn’t feel like—aside from the fact that on the fourth down he threw it into the stands, which yeah, that’s not a good decision, I don’t know what he’s supposed to do, I really don’t, as far as the way that game went. He—I don’t look at him and go, ‘Oh, well he’s a problem.’ That’s just not where I see it. I do see this, offensively we are very anemic. And so, if you were going to ask me, “Where are you going to look this week?’, That’s the first place I’m looking. I’m going to look at it three times before I look anywhere else.”
On if he is questioning the team’s effort and if they understand his message: “I really felt like we were flat. I really feel like—I’m not worried about my message. Now—well, I guess maybe I should be worried about my message, right?
When you come out and play like this, that’s why you’re asking that, right? I’m not worried about losing this team. I’m not worried about that. I am worried about that I didn’t deliver the right message to get them ready to go. That’s what I’m worried—that’s what concerns me about what I did. Not that I don’t have the right message, or that I can’t get this team
back up or that I don’t—that’s not what I’m concerned about. My concern was that I did think I had them and now hindsight, I obviously didn’t, so it’s a lesson learned. It’s a lesson learned.”
On how he will attempt to correct the offense’s slow season so far with the current personnel: “Well, look, I think we need to look long and hard at (Amon-Ra) St. Brown. There, for example, are there things that we can use him, that we can do that really will help him help us. Maybe that’s the best way to put it. We have to start looking at some of these guys. We know that ‘Lif (Kalif Raymond) can help us in certain things. Where do we, is there a better way to do it? Is there a better place to put him? Are there more targets that we should be getting to some of these guys, maybe? Are we— there’s no secret that (Jared) Goff trusts (T.J.) Hockenson. That’s no—Hockenson gets open, and he makes plays and he’s reliable. But everybody knows that, so every team we play knows that and you can only go back to that well so long.
And we know (D’Andre) Swift can help us, we just—we couldn’t get him going. For whatever—we tried and we just, we couldn’t get him going the way we want to get him going, let’s put it that way. Now you have to find some production from your receivers and I just go back to—I still don’t think we’ve turned over every leaf. To be able to look at it as a whole now
that we’re eight weeks in and see where we’re at—should we quit shying away from some things and actually go the other way with it. Maybe we need to—that’s all. I mean we’re going to look at everything.”
On if he felt good about going into the game and on electing to receive the opening kickoff: “Yeah, I felt really good. Here’s the thing—when you stall out—we get it, you go back, missed field goal. They go down, they score. Then you stall out, you get a penalty, and then they go down and score a touchdown. Before you know it, it’s—whether it is or isn’t, it’s almost is—I don’t know, I just think that maybe the fact that we’re not moving the ball, I think that affects our team a little bit. I just think it does. I think it—there again, it kind of becomes contagious. And I think—we have to find a way to generate some type of momentum and flow out of our offense because we’re—it’s hard to dink and dunk down the field, and try to run it, and they stuff you. And then you’re—it’s just—that’s a hard way to live right now. The problem is when
you try to push the ball down the field and you don’t get anything out of it, now you’re second-and-10. Well, you go back to the run or shorter pass, or you—OK, now you’re third-and-eight. It’s just hard sledding. Then you get a turnover, or you get a—excuse me—you get a penalty, or someone misses a block or—hell, at one point today, we had a nudge. We’re trying to help (Matt) Nelson out, we step on his foot. How’s that helping? He gets run over and now we get sacked. I mean it’s like—it’s like the Bad News Bears on some stuff, man. And there again, that’s on me, man. You don’t play that bad unless your head coach did not did not have you ready to go, so I did not. That’s very evident. I think we all know that.”
LIONS DE MICHAEL BROCKERS POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
On if he was frustrated playing on the defensive line today: “Yeah, defensive line play wasn’t very good today. From us, our technique wasn’t really well. Just hand placement—little things. It wasn’t—that’s the crazy thing about this game is it doesn’t take a lot for an offense to take advantage of whatever you give them. So if that’s—personally for me—playing my block, me not being in my gap and their back hits my gap, that’s on me. I told the team that. I told a lot of guys that I have to be better for them and each person in this locker room has to look at their selves and feel that same way. We have to be better for each other. Special teams have been playing amazing. They’ve been playing championship-effort football, according to me in my opinion. For everybody else man, we have to be better for each other. And I think, if we
feel that way going into this bye week and the last, the back-half of this season, I think we’ll be better off.”
On if he feels like the Eagles changed their offensive identity today by running the ball so much: “Honestly, I think it was. On film, like you said, they weren’t really running the ball a lot. They were a lot of 11 personnel. Today they were a lot of 12 personnel, 13 personnel. They ran the ball a lot more than they have in the past, but that’s not an excuse for us. We have to be better no matter what, how the game goes, how they’re playing offensive. We have to be on our keys at all times. So for us, there’s no excuse. We have to be better defensively.”
On the emotional toll this is taking: “It’s definitely emotional because I love this game, man. I love this game. I love playing this game, I love winning, even though I haven’t this year, but I know what it takes to get there. I know what it takes to win, I know what it takes to turn it around, and it goes back to what I said earlier, man. We have to not think about, ‘Oh man, that’s on me,’ or whatever. We have to be better for each other and we have to think that way. If we feel like, ‘We have to be better for our group,’ or whatever, I don’t think that’s enough. But if you go out there feeling like— Man, today for me personally, I had a penalty. I felt like I messed over the defense, I messed over the team because I had a penalty, and that was a pre-snap penalty, so that’s all mental and focus for me personally. We have to be better, I have
to be more focused, more locked in. I have to lead this team better.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
On his thoughts of today’s game: “Yeah, tough. One of the tougher ones I’ve been a part of. Tough to swallow, man. It wasn’t good in any phase and I know we know that. I thought what (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) said to the team after was right on. We need to be better.”
On the Eagles’ defense sacking him five times today: “They did some good things up front. They’ve got a good pass rush. We knew that coming into the game and they showed up. I love our guys up front, they fight, but I’m sure they’d be the first to say that they’d like to have some of those back. But at the same time, we can all improve on little things and get better. They were good up front on defense.”
On throwing the ball away on a fourth down in the third quarter for the second time this season: “That was a misfire. I was not trying to throw that ball away. That ball came out high. I knew what the situation was and that was a mistake physically, not mentally. I explained the first one, though. I thought there was a holding call.”
On if it is frustrating to not be able to execute the offensive game plan: “Very frustrating. Very frustrating. The whole day is frustrating. The whole year has been frustrating. We say a lot of things, we want to do a lot of things and then we’re unable to execute. One week at a time each week. Over and over again we just – we can say things all we want. We can say, ‘We need to do this. We need to do that. We can say this. We can say that.’ Until we change our habits and until we change who we are, nothing will change.”
On him taking criticism for the offensive performance in games despite the personnel around him: “My job is to do my job every day. I trust those guys up top, but my job is to do my job on every play and every day, be the best leader I can be, be the best teammate I can be, be the best person I can be, be the best player I can be. At times, I’m going to bear the brunt of a lot of this and that’s my job.”
On how the offense can do more in the game to produce points: “That’s the question, right? I thought there were times where we did good things. First play of the game was awesome, right, 20-yard gain to T.J. (Hockenson), stalled out there. Can you point to it? I don’t know. I’ll have to watch the film, but – finding ways to get guys in positions to make plays and me being able to find them and put the ball on them. And I know that’s a simple answer, but that really is.”
On if he sees the team starting to lose confidence with an 0-8 record: “I don’t. I don’t. I really don’t and I think that’s been kind of the theme of the whole year is, as bad as it’s been, the efforts there. We’ve got young guys who are fighting. We’ve got veteran guys who are fighting and we love each other.”
On if the team will be able to rest and recover during the bye week while thinking about the 0-8 record: “No. I mean, not if we were the opposite, right? You’d like to be able to rest a little bit. We’ve got some work to do. That’s the bottom line and it’s the challenge we’re tasked with right now. It’s just what we need to handle.”
On the team’s plan to rest and recover during the bye week: “We’ll try to rest and recover, but like you said, in the back of your mind is 0-8 and what can you improve on? You don’t fully get to do that, but it’s what we’ve done to ourselves.”
On if the team is thinking about an 0-17 record: “No, no, no.”
LIONS TE T.J. HOCKENSON POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
On the mood in the locker room after the game: “I mean yeah obviously it’s real tough. I mean, everyone in that locker room—you never get used to it. That’s just one thing that, all the guys in there, we’re all down. We’ve all got a pit in our stomach. We’ve just got to come back—we’ve got a bye week in front of us, learn from and be able to reflect a little bit on the first eight games. Just kind of come back and prove.”
On if he has a sense for why the offense was flat across the board today: “You know, I’m not 100 percent sure. I mean you try to come out fast and that’s what we always talk about is coming out in the first quarter and just being able to put it on them, and we weren’t able to do that. I mean obviously, we had a drive stall out and we’ve just got to keep pushing. We’ve got to figure out a way. It’s not anybody’s fault, it’s just you’ve got to have that little inner drive and be able to get yourself going.”
On why the offense is stalling out badly and often: “I mean, that’s a tough one. I think situations, we hurt ourselves in a few, penalties, different things. We’ve got to be able to overcome things like that. That’s what good offenses do is be able to keep moving the ball and overcome mistakes that you make on yourself. I put a lot of that on me, on myself, in just
trying to improve and get guys going and keep moving the ball.”
LIONS T MATT NELSON POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
On his foot being stepped on before QB Jared Goff was sacked: “It was just kind of, feet tangled up and everything like that. Just tried to bail out Jared for a little bit, but couldn’t get to it.”
On the mood in the locker room right now: “We’re still trying to improve. There are a lot of self-inflicted wounds that we’ve been doing, just trying to battle through all of those. We just didn’t do enough today. We’ve just got to come back
and reload after the bye week and get after it again.”
On if their effort today was where it needed to be: “Coach (Dan) Campbell said it wasn’t, so I’m going to take his word for it. I’m trying to do my job on the field as best I can. He said it wasn’t good enough, so I’m going to have to take his word for it.”
On if the offense was excited to get the ball first to start the game: “Yeah, we kind of wanted to set the tone. We kind of fell flat a little bit. The self-inflicted wounds kind of caught us a little bit, and we’ve just got to flush those and move on. We just felt like we couldn’t get anything going.”
LIONS S TRACY WALKER POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
On how frustrating it feels for the defense to be pushed around today: “It’s very frustrating. Honestly, you see on the emotions on my face that I’m not too happy, so at the end of the day we’ve got to get better. Bottom line we’ve just got to be better. I know it’s kind of getting repetitive, we keep coming up here saying that, but we’ve got to get way better as a
team.”
On if the team is feeling weighed down by the losses: “I feel like we’re going to get better. I personally feel that we are going to do better, and we are going to pick this up in the second half. That’s my goal. That’s what I am going to demand and, like I said for me and my perspective, you’re going to get a better me. I promise you a better 21 will be out there and
like I said I will help lead these guys to be better. So that’s the best answer I can give you on that.”
On if the offense is letting down the defense: “I feel like at the end of the day, this is a complementary game regardless of if offense goes out there and they’re not doing the best that they could possibly be doing. At the end of the day, defense we’ve got to hold the offense. At the end of the day, we work hand-in-hand, but like you said I can’t see him putting all of the blame on offense when they ran for 230-something on us. At the end of the day, we’ve got a job to do as well. It’s not like we went out there and shut their offense out. So, at the end of the day we’ve all got to be better. That’s what it all boils down to.
