| LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET October 7, 2022 Opening Statement: “Today will be big just with the injuries. I know you guys are going to want to ask, but it will come into focus a lot better after we get through this practice here in a little bit. But normal Friday for us, kind of red-zone day, and then it’ll be it, get ready for these guys.” On which players who are dealing with injuries plan on practicing today: “Where do we begin here? Who do you want to know about? (Lions C) Evan Brown is – he should be good. He’s going to go out there and practice. (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint’s going to give it a go today.” On which players who did not practice this week plan to return to practice today: “(Lions LB Chris) Board, yes. (Lions WR Quintez) Cephus, no. (Lions T Matt Nelson) No. (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Yes. (Lions RB D’Andre Swift) No.” On if he expects Patriots QB Mac Jones to play in Sunday’s game: “Yeah, I mean, we’re prepared – we’ve prepared as if Mac’s playing, but knowing that if it’s (Patriots QB Bailey) Zappe, that it’ll be a little crisper, a little cleaner package. But they’re kind of settled in what they do regardless who’s at quarterback honestly. I mean they’ve kind of got a road map as to what they do, and we know everything starts with the run, and it’s downhill, and it’s, ‘Get latched on our guys.’ And it’s double teams, and so matter who they have playing quarterback, that’ll never change. That’s not going to change what they do, so we know that’s where it all starts.” On what Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown could bring to the offense if he can play Sunday: “I mean, well certainly. Any time you can get a player like him back, it helps from production but also just what he brings. He’s a spark plug, he’s a leader, he’s a hardhat guy. He’s going to bring his lunch pail and go to work, so just to have him in any capacity would be very helpful.” On how a team prepares for a rookie quarterback like Patriots QB Bailey Zappe and if they will use his college film to study: “Yeah, we have a pretty good idea of what he was there, but certainly, I could see them mixing in a few things that he did well, and he’s comfortable with, but I think it also is very much what they’ve been doing. There again, they have things they hang their hat on. They’ll be very quarterback-friendly. And you look at Green Bay, the three or four drives they had, they had a lot of success, even with Zappe. I mean it was – they were very, very efficient in the run game. It was – they had some drives first-and-10, first-and-10, first-and-10, second-and-5, first-and-10, second-and-3, I mean they were – so if they can do that – and it all started with the run game, quick screens, play actions, once they just make you have to come up one more time and play the run, so I don’t think those things will change necessarily.” On the matchup between Lions T Penei Sewell and Lions T Taylor Decker versus Patriots LB Matt Judon and Patriots DL Deatrich Wise: “It’s a big matchup, and – it’s a big matchup. I like our tackles. They’ve – both of those guys, Decker and Sewell, have played at a high level all year. Sewell continues to get better and really get into a groove, and I would say Decker is playing some of the best ball that I’ve seen. I mean, he really is. He’s playing at a high level, run and pass. So, I like our matchups. Now let me say this, Judon is – I think he’s gotten better every year, and just when you think he’s a menace, he takes it up another notch, so he’s somebody we’ve got to pay close attention to. We can’t let him wreck this game.” On what he has seen from the defense in practice and if they are prepared to respond to the challenge: “It’s been good. They’ve been locked in. There’s a sense of urgency over there. It’s been cleaner. It’s been crisper, and so it hadn’t been perfect, but it’s certainly been much more in tune. Our guys got a lot of pride, and they want to clean this up as much as anybody does, so I like where we’re at. We’ve got a good plan, and then this will be the last day of work to get ready for them.” On which defensive players are stepping up as vocal leaders and holding other players accountable: “Yeah, well look, I think (Lions DL Michael) Brockers has been that guy for us. Brockers is a big voice. He leads by example, but he’s also – I mean he holds guys accountable. He’s one of those guys, I would say (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone) is another one. Alex Anzalone is that way, and it goes without saying, to really get to where you want to go, and make it what you want to make it, it can only go so far, and those players have to, man, they have to hold each other accountable and lift themselves up. And when somebody needs to be carried, you’ve got to carry them and vice versa. If they need to be pushed, you’ve got to push them. So, that’s the next step. But we’ve got some guys in there that are doing that for us.” On the benefit of having an early bye week in regards to having more time for players to recover from injuries: “You know what’s interesting is normally when you think about the bye, you would love to have it right in the middle of the season, literally Week 10-ish, somewhere in there, but it couldn’t have come at a better time for us. I mean it actually is a blessing, and so it’ll be huge to have this bye next week because we will get a significant amount of our players back and very good players back. And so, it’s a blessing. The good Lord’s looking after us.” On Lions DL Charles Harris’ injury status after being limited in practice yesterday: “Yeah, we’ll see what he looks like. We’re doing some stuff to warm him up. He just had a little bit of a groin there, so we won’t – he’s another guy we won’t know until after today exactly where he’s at, and it happened really kind of towards the end of practice.” On how the USFL and similar leagues prepare their players to succeed in the NFL: “Yeah, listen, I think it’s great. I think these – to the way that you put it, I mean it gives you a sneak peak at guys with a certain talent level. There are better players in there, and to then to be able to watch them and compete and see – (Lions WR Maurice) Alexander, I mean he’s got some – he’s got a knack in the return game, and then in the meantime, he’s grown as a receiver. So, I think anything like that, those leagues certainly help you. And it gives them a chance to play football. You can watch them in action against more than college talent, so it’s good.” On Lions CB Jerry Jacobs’ demeanor during his injury rehab: “Jerry’s been unbelievable, man. I mean, the amount of work that he’s put in, I mean, he’s a guy since the time he had the injury and began his rehab, that we’ve had to push him away at times to give him a break. I mean, he has been relentless in his process to get better, and he’s been all in. He’s done everything we’ve asked, and so, I see him coming back better than ever, stronger than ever. Now he’s going to have to get his legs under him. He just started practice this week, and so he’s good. And once he gets the flow of football again, it’ll take a little bit, but he’s been outstanding. He really has.” LIONS ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/RUNNING BACKS DUCE STALEY QUOTE SHEET October 7, 2022 On how Lions RB Jamaal Williams has responded and stepped up after Lions RB D’Andre Swift’s injury: “Yeah, we need those guys to step up every week. It doesn’t matter who’s down, who’s up. As a group we take pride in that, we take pride in just going out there doing our job and making plays. And Jamaal’s been that guy since he’s gotten here. So, he works hard during practice, he dedicates himself in the meeting room. He helps others and just to see him go out there and have some success is good.” On what else he likes about Lions RB Jamaal Williams besides the stiff-arm against Seattle: “Everything else. Everything else, but that’s a good – I’m glad you highlighted that. We work on that drill, if you ever see me over there with that big ball and them kind of putting their hands down, that’s the stiff-arm drill. Just the little things when it comes to getting extra yards after contact and a lot of it is having the ball in the correct hand. It depends on which sideline that you’re running on and he had the ball in the correct hand where he could use his weapon and his weapon was inside and he was able to use it.” On how important Lions T Taylor Decker and Lions T Penei Sewell have been to the running back room and the run game in general: “Yeah, man, very consistent, super important. Very important and those guys – you tip your hat off to the line as running backs because they get beat up throughout the year just like us. And I’m pretty sure like, those guys can share stories of how they’re hurting, but still go out there and play at a high level. Well, you look at those two tackles, man, they’re playing at a high level and of course, have a little nicks here, nicks there, able to play through it and still go out there and dominate. So, I point that out to them. I make sure that they see it and they do. So, when it comes to helping and protection if they have to, no matter if it’s chipping or whatever, those guys are happy to do it because they know how hard those linemen work.” On if playing outdoors Sunday changes the dynamic of the run game: “No, it does not. And we don’t look for excuses, we’re going to go out there and just do what we do best. And of course, imposing our will is one of those things.” On if he has seen the full scope of how successful the run game can be: “I mean, that’s hard to say. Each week is a different challenge, of course, and you look at these teams, man, these defensive fronts and some of the guys that’s up there. I mean, they’re warriors now and the Patriots along with everybody else is going to take that challenge each and every week when you play a team that runs the ball. So, we get ready for that, we get ready for the different fronts. We get ready for the matchups and we try to go out there and take advantage.” On what the Patriots did in the game against the Steelers to help them be successful: “They’re just being the Patriots, man. They accept that challenge and (Patriots Head Coach) Bill (Belichick) does a great job with that. Getting those guys up, getting ready to play, each and every week the gameplan changes of course and of course it’ll be same thing for us. It’ll be a couple wrinkles here, a couple wrinkles there and that’s been that Patriot way for a long time and I respect that.” On if the running backs embrace the offense’s goal of scoring more: “Every time we touch the ball, that’s what we want to do as an offense. And it’s not just the individual group, just us as a whole, we want to score every time. And some of the things we talk about as coaches – and of course, when you see last week, you put up some points. And you’re looking at that, of course I guess why you asked the question. You’re saying how much more can you score? Yeah, every time.” |
