LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL AND LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
October 5, 2022
Opening Statement: “So, good opponent this week. They’re physical. They’re going to try to control the football, wear us out on defense, and then offensively, they’re going to give us multiple looks and change the coverages and things that (Patriots Head) Coach (Bill) Belichick’s always done, so this will be a tough one for us, but we’re going to put in the work.”
On if Lions DL Josh Paschal and Lions CB Jerry Jacobs will return to practice today: “Yes, we’re starting their clock.”
On the boost Lions DL Josh Paschal and Lions CB Jerry Jacobs will give once they are ready to play: “Yeah, I mean we like both of those players. It’s the reason why Jerry was a starter for us at one point last year and the reason we drafted Paschal, so yeah, it’ll be good to get them back and let them begin to work into practice, see where they’re at.”
On the status of the remaining injured players: “We’re going to give a number of guys rest today, particularly offensively. (Lions WR DJ) Chark feels a little bit better today. (Lions WR Josh) Reynolds feels better. (Lions RB D’Andre) Swift’s a little bit better. I would say everybody’s a little bit better. (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown’s a little bit better, so. (Lions G) Jonah (Jackson) I think is going to give it a little bit of a go today just to see where he’s at. So yeah, but we’re still day-to-day.”
On if he is hopeful to be full strength offensively Sunday: “Yeah, we don’t really know. I just know they’re better, and so that’s a good sign.”
On the injury status of Lions DL Romeo Okwara and Lions WR Jameson Williams and how close they are to returning: “Tough to say. Both of those guys are really improving. I know (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo really over the last three weeks is – it’s really picking up in a good way. So, it’s hard to put a deadline as to when they’d be out there, but I mean, I think you’re still looking at a while. I mean certainly a good time after the bye before we can think about it.”
On if there was anything he could take away from coaching Patriots QB Bailey Zappe in the 2022 Senior Bowl: “Yeah, well, highly intelligent. I mean he picked up the offense very quickly, very composed, just had a good command of the huddle. Teammates respected him. You could tell they listened to him, and he kind of plays that way. So, I thought they did a good job with him of just trying to get him settled in and being smart and not putting him in a bind, continue to run the football, do things to get the ball out, and then a little play-action, but I thought (Patriots Senior Football Advisor/Offensive Line) Coach (Matt) Patricia called a good game, getting them in there. And I know, if he’s the guy, he’ll be much more settled. That’s hard for a rookie, to just go in there and there you go, you’re rolling, so they’ll have a good plan for him. But he’s certainly – he’s got the FBI for sure, so.”
On how the conversations with the staff and Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn went after the game Sunday: “Yeah, really good, really good. And he’s no different than any of us, man. It’s all about moving forward and getting it right. And so, that’s what we’ve done. We turned the page. It’s a new week, and we’ll be ready to go. Going to be ready to go.”
On the difficulties of transitioning from coaching defense to offense like Patriots Senior Football Advisor/Offensive Line Matt Patricia: “I think it’s tough. I think it’s tough, but I also know if you know football and you’re a good coach, you can adapt, and that’s what I see. He’s adapting quickly, and every week it’s gotten – it’s better, and better and better and there’re attacking their opponents. They’re putting together good game plans. They’re using the roster well, so it’s – he’s doing a good job. He really is.”
On his evaluation of the offense and Lions QB Jared Goff’s performance four weeks into the season even amidst injuries to the offensive group: “Well, first of all, Goff is playing at a very high level. He’s certainly given us a chance to win these games. And he’s – so I can’t say enough good things about him. The fact that he’s built a camaraderie with these receivers, he trusts them, they’re all on the same page. That goes a long way, and so man, he’s in a good place. We’ve got to keep him there and continue to give him things that he can excel at and give him guys that’ll do and be where they need to be for him. Now, the O-line, I think it all starts there, the fact that (Lions T Taylor) Decker and (Lions T Penei) Sewell and (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow), that’s where it’s all kind of started. They’ve kept us anchored in there, and (Lions T Dan Skipper) Skip’s stepped in, done a good job. (Lions C) Evan Brown, same. And so, those guys are really keeping everything efficient for us because that’s really where I believe it starts. And then (Lions RB) Jamaal (Williams) has just been – Jamaal is what Jamaal is. He’s steady, and he gets better the more you give him, so that’s good. (Lions WR) Josh Reynolds I kind of mentioned the other day, the fact that he goes from Z to X with another injury, doesn’t miss a beat, no MAs, playing productive. And then, (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf and (Lions WR Tom Kennedy) T.K., I mean, it’s – and then (Lions WR Quintez Cephus) Q before he got hurt. I think a lot of it is, man, there was a lot of carry overs with these guys from last year, and it was – I told everybody in there that was on the practice squad, ‘At some point, we’re going to need you.’ I didn’t know it’d be this early, but there’s a reason why they were in there, and it’s just for these moments because there is a there is a trust level there.”
On if there is any unit on defense the team could rally behind or build around similarly to the offensive line on offense: “Yeah, I mean look, at some point, you always want the players to take accountability and ownership in their own crew, and I feel like our guys are going to do that. And look, nobody wants it more than they do and that we do in this locker room, and I can tell you this, they’re locked in. We just finished our walkthrough. I was in the morning meetings, we’re out in the walkthrough, these guys were locked in. And we’re going to give them a plan that they can succeed in and play fast, and all hands on deck.”
On if Lions CB Will Harris is someone he wants to get into the lineup this week: “Yeah, look he’s a guy we do have a lot of trust in and I could see him playing this weekend. I think he’s going to play. I think there’s going to be a lot of guys that are going to play though. I wouldn’t say we’re just going to hone in on, ‘These are the only guys and that’s it.’ But certainly, that’s – we’re looking for the right combination of players that they can all kind of feed off of each other and guys that can make some plays and be where they need to be. And so, it was a step in the right direction so far.”
On what stands out about New England the most this season under Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick: “Well, his teams are always going to – they’re never going to let the best player beat you on either side of the ball. That’s what – that is 100 percent – whatever you do well is what they’re going to try to take away first. First and foremost and if you can find a way to win it without that, then OK, he’s playing the odds. So, he’s always been that way. I know his defenses are always, man, they’re opportunistic, man. So, they’re grabbing balls, they’re punching them out, shoot they had a pick and a punch out – pull out, really by the same player. But they do it, it’s all over the tape, they’ve always been that way, find a way to get the turnovers. And it’s really – they’re going to make you beat yourself. They’ll play the long game here and make you make a mistake, and then capitalize on it. I mean, that’s what they did last week. Now, I know they were down to the third quarterback, but they took it all the way to the very end, and they were just waiting for that one to capitalize on. And he called a good game, they played a heck of a game.”
On the one thing that they will have to take away from the Patriots on Sunday: “Run, but yeah, I would say the run game certainly. But I think with that it’s – they have the ability to play multiple fronts out of the same personnel and they can mix it and shift it. They’re big, they’ve got pressure off the edge with (Patriots LB Matthew) Judon and (Patriots DL Deatrich) Wise over there. So, and they can push the pocket. So, there’s things that they’re going to be able to do to just mix it up, and I know this, you have too much stuff in with all that they can do defensively, and it can really cloud you up and get you stuck a little bit. So, that’s just – that’s one and then, inevitably he’ll do some things that we haven’t seen yet. He always does. He’ll have something that we haven’t worked on. You try to prepare for everything, yet you just – I mean, he’s got a ton of stuff that he’s had over the years. So, we have to be able to adapt and hit it on the run, make good adjustments. And there again, we can’t turn the ball over, that’ll be big.”
On if he has a personal connection with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick through former NFL Head Coach Bill Parcells: “Yeah, I just – I don’t have a personal relationship with him. But I obviously respect the heck out of him and I just – I know what he’s about. And he’s arguably the best coach that ever coached this game. So, I mean it’s hard to argue with what he’s done.”
On if he has any personal relationship with Patriots Senior Football Advisor/Offensive Line Coach Matt Patricia and if he has had any communication with him since he became head coach: “No. But I didn’t – I mean, I didn’t reach out or anything like that. And I’ve met him a couple of times and he’s been great, he was great. But no I haven’t talked to him or anything since this.”

LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
October 5, 2022
On how the offensive unit has performed so far this season: “We’ve been doing some good stuff offensively, but we’ve got not much to feel great about right now except for the Washington win. And there’s a lot of room to grow offensively. I felt comfortable but at the same time, I’ve made a couple of costly mistakes that I’d like to fix and get better from.”
On if it is difficult to face a team coached by Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick that likes to take away what an opponent does best: “Oh, I don’t know, yeah, he’ll have something, man. He’s by all accounts the best if not one of the best. And I’ve had my experiences against him and it’s always been a tough game and he’ll always have something for us. So, we’ll see what it is, but we’ll be ready.”
On how much he thinks about Super Bowl LIII when he faced the Patriots while he was with the Rams: “That was a long time ago. Yeah, I don’t know, I mean I think you think about it in the fact that – what I just said is how good he is and how much respect you have and how you have to be ready for anything.”
On if he believes he has proved himself as a quarterback so far this season: “I don’t think I’ve ever needed to prove it. I always kind of knew it and have been in some good situations and (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s done a great job getting me ready to play. And we’ve had some good receivers out there and I’ve made some good throws and done some good things, but like I kind of alluded to, it’s been just short a couple of times. And I’m sure I’d have a little bit of a better attitude if it was the other way, if we made those plays and we’re looking at 3-1 or 4-0. But we’ve been one play away a couple of times, and how do we make that one play or how do we eliminate those costly mistakes?”
On why the receivers who stepped in and played Sunday were so successful: “Yeah, those guys, they’re ready to go, man, they’re really ready to go and I think it was so cool – it’s always so cool when a guy’s – not cool when guys go down, but when there are guys that have to step up and (Lions WR Quintez) Cephus goes down mid-game, and now you have (Lions WR) Josh (Reynolds), (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond), and (Lions WR Tom Kennedy) TK as really the three, and then (Lions WR) Maurice (Alexander) was subbing in a little bit. But really those three guys had to kind of in some ways figure it out on the fly. And the communication in the huddle and making things work on the run and seeing them communicate, and seeing Josh go to play X. He has zero reps at X all week and he just picks it up seamlessly. It’s fun, man, it makes it a lot of fun and those are the days that you always remember.”
On what makes it so difficult for a player to switch positions like what Lions WR Josh Reynolds did on Sunday against the Seahawks: “It’s just practice reps. He’s been practicing at not X, he’s been practicing at Z last week. And we had our X go down and he had to slide over to X. And with a guy like him, it’s not as hard as it would be for other guys maybe, he’s pretty smart and can handle all that stuff. It’s still a testament to his work ethic and just how much he knows what we’re trying to do on offense.”
On what jumps out to him about the Patriots’ defense: “Yeah, always physical, always physical and extremely sound. They’re going to challenge you at all levels upfront, second level, third level, they’re gap sound. They do a lot and it’ll be a challenge.”
On if there is a gameplan to face a coach like Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick similar to game planning for players: “No, I don’t think so. I think you prepare to face the team and I know he’ll have a plan and he’s a great coach, but he won’t be on the field. So, he’ll be calling it from the sideline or having his influence in some way or another and he’ll have a good plan for us and we’ll have one for him.”
On what the staples of a Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick defense are from his experiences with them in the past: “Kind of what I was just saying the other – just very sound and very well coached always and very disciplined and gap sound and don’t make many mistakes, so you have to take advantage of them when you do get the look you want and can go get it.”
On what Lions G Jonah Jackson would provide once he is ready to make his return: “Yeah, he’s a great player, man. He’s a great player and a guy that we rely on up there, so if we do get him back, it’d be big. We’ll see if it’s this week or after the bye, but hopefully he can get back.”
On how comforting is it to maintain a balance of the run and pass game despite all the injuries: “Yeah, it’s the plan that we’re trying to do, is be balanced, and we have been up to this point, and every game’s different though. It totally depends on the flow of the game. Typically, you want to establish the run. Everyone does, but sometimes you don’t have the chance to or sometimes you don’t – there’s some things in the pass game that present themselves, so it totally depends on the week and what we’re trying to do.”
On what it is like being the quarterback behind the current offensive line: “It’s fun. Yeah, they’ve done a great job. It’s really been cool to see the guys step in and still do a great job. I think (Lions Offensive Line Coach) Hank (Fraley) does a great job coaching those guys, but having guys like (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow), (Lions T Taylor Decker) Deck, and even (Lions C) Evan (Brown)’s got a lot of snaps under his belt. (Lions G) Jonah (Jackson) and (Lions T) Penei (Sewell)’s come a long way in his second year, but they’ve got a lot of reps together now, and it’s starting to gel a little bit, and it’s been good.”
On if there is a sense of urgency going into the Patriots game with a 1-3 record and with the bye week approaching: “Sure, yeah, I think there always is. Yeah, no doubt, but we know what we’re up against and want to feel good going into the bye week for sure, but they all count the same, and – but yeah, it’s one we’d like to have, absolutely.”
On if he feels like the team is better than the 1-3 record: “We are as good as your record says you are, so maybe we’ve done some good things that reflect otherwise in some areas, but at the same time, it’s been three games not good enough, and one that was. So, hopefully, this one we can get things in order and be ready to go, but I think to answer your question, there’s been enough positives and enough good things to make us feel encouraged and confident that that won’t be a trend for us.”
On expecting the unexpected with a Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick gameplan and if there is anything the team can do to prepare for it: “No. No, adjust in game. I don’t know if I’ve watched every one of Bill Belichick’s career games, but I’m sure there’s been games where he has done the same thing, and there’s been some where he hasn’t, so we will see. He’s a great coach, and there’s a reason for it. Whatever they want to throw at us, we’ll be ready or adjust accordingly.”