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

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 9, 2022
Opening Statement: “This team is a challenge. They play hard on defense, they’re sound, they go after the football. Offensively, I mean they’ve kind of revamped what they’ve done over the last three weeks, so. Averaging probably 30 points a game there about and over 40 carries rushing and 245 yards on the ground. So, it’s a big challenge for us, for our defense. So, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
On Lions S Kerby Joseph winning NFC Defensive Player of Week and what that says about his development: “Yeah, I mean it’s good to see Kerby – to come along because really since he’s – since he started, which has been about four weeks now, he’s just every week gotten a little bit better and I think that’s what it says is that he’s putting in the work and he’s growing. And that’s – just as far as the players, it continues to trend that way is the whole idea, but that’s a credit to (Lions Executive Vice President/General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and our scouting staff, to be able to project a player like that and hopefully he continues to trend that way.”
On what he has seen Chicago do with Bears QB Justin Fields to get him comfortable in their offense: “Yeah, it’s just – there’s a lot more exclusive – I would say, it feels like a hybrid between – I feel like you’re watching a little bit of (Browns QB) DeShaun Watson in Houston, you’re watching (Ravens QB) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore. There’s a little bit of (Eagles QB) Jalen Hurts, just very quarterback driven. Quarterback-driven runs, guard tackle pulls, read the end, hand it off, these backs are running hard, they’re downhill. And then, there’s enough of the keepers off of it. There’s enough misdirection to the receivers. And then, certainly his ability on third down, that’s where they really got Miami was man, there’s a number of – third-and-8, third-and-10, third-and – there’s an opening in there and he takes it and he’s gone. And one of them for 60 something yards. So, that’s where he’s very lethal, but it’s very much built around him. So, I think the starting point is obviously (Bears RB David Montgomery) 32 and (Bears RB Khalil Herbert) 24. But then, it’s him because he’s very dangerous.”
On what the defense could use to counter a mobile quarterback if it does not use a spy element: “Well, I think you’ve got to use a little bit of everything. Really, I think there’s a place to spy, I think there’s a place to pressure, I think there’s a place to really play more coverage and keep everything in front of you and then rally to it. So, I think it’s all encompassing and a lot of that’ll have to do with third down which will come tonight, tomorrow. But I think there’s no easy answer to playing this guy because you see it all over the tape week after week. But it’s certainly something that we’re preaching and it’s the cast the net, close the net. And man, you talk about you have to be as unselfish as you’ve ever been as a rusher against this guy on third down because it’s – you give him even a crease, you get pinned in the A-gap, he rushes high up field, your defensive end and the B-gap’s open and now look out. He’s got a lot of grass and he can run, so.”
On containing Ravens QB Lamar Jackson well last year and what they got away from in preparing for mobile quarterbacks this year: “Yeah, we just – we focused on our gap responsibilities, man. Worked it all week, made sure we were supposed to be, and it takes a lot of trust, it takes time, effort and trust. Each guy’s got to believe that the guy next to him is going to do his job. Don’t try to do somebody else’s job, that’ll be vital. And it happens fast, there’s a lot of eye candy with it. There’s – you’re getting the turbo motion, you’re getting the guard tackle pull, and he’s reading the end, then he takes off. And there’s times where you give him a handoff read and he still will pull it and out run the defensive end. I mean, he did it last week to a really good player, he’s done it a couple of times. So, he’s – he’s a talented player.”
On if the changes he has made with the coaching staff gives him confidence in his decision-making: “Well, look it’s – you just – I would just say, I wouldn’t have made the move if I didn’t believe if it was the right thing for us moving forward in its totality. So, it’s hard but I believe it’s right and hopefully time will tell that it is.”
On if he leans on anyone when he has to make tough decisions regarding the team: “Yeah, I mean certainly I talk to my wife. Just – she’s easy to talk to, talk things out with because she’ll tell me straight up. I mean, she’s not sugar coating anything believe me. So, but also there’s – I’ve spent enough time with some really good coaches, and I know that advice and I know what it is. And then, certainly before I do anything I always talk to (Lions Executive Vice President/General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and just bounce things off of him and tell him what I’m thinking. And then, you talk to – for example (former Lions Defensive Backs/Pass Game Coordinator Aubrey Pleasant) AP, I sat down and talked to (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG for a long time because I just wanted to know his input just as far as everything. And then, you make the best decision possible, and you move on.”
On the best advice he has gotten when it comes to coaching in the League: “Yeah, well it’s always about – I mean, usually it’s a – man, if it’s hard and it hurts it’s probably right. So, that one – that and trust your gut and it’s usually can’t go wrong. If it feels like it’s going to be a real hard thing to do, it probably ends up being the right thing. So, there again you just you trust in the information, you trust what your eyes are telling you and what your heart tells you and you move on.”
On Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez’s injury status: “No, I mean we’ll see where he is. He’s a little bit beat up, but we’ll probably – we may move him around a little bit, but I don’t know how much he would do today, and we’ll just gauge it day-to-day.”
On the effect a win has on the mood around the building: “It’s just – look, it’s a win. It’s the business we’re in, and win is the name of the game, so it’s a good thing. It feels good because it’s a win. And that’s it in its simplest form.”
On the challenges of road games and what it takes to be successful on the road: “Yeah, well, I think composure, discipline and composure when you go on the road. You know it’s going to be loud. There will be things that are going to happen, momentum will shift and not to buckle under that pressure is big. And then I think from a coaching standpoint, we’ve got to keep it – we’ve got to have enough ammo, but we’ve got to keep it simple enough to where we don’t put ourselves in a bind. You put in too much stuff, for example offense, man it’s good. You’ve got all these things you want to attack, but yet, man, if it’s a lot of kills and shifts and motions to the extent where it takes away from you getting lined up, and just doing your job playing fast, playing efficient. That’s where you’ve got to be careful. So, I think that’s a lot of it is just keeping your composure, and then when momentum shifts, you’ve got to get it back in a hurry.”
On if he breaks the schedule into halves and if the win against the Packers will help build momentum into the second half of the schedule: “No, I’ve been around coaches, it was always the – you break them into quarters, and this is what you’ve got to get this quarter, or this quarter. And the bottom line is like man, listen, the most important game is the next one, so we’ll do everything we have to do. We’ve got to be detailed. We’ve got to hustle like we talked about last week. The next rep’s the most important, the next game’s the most important, and you attack that one, and then you move on after that. So, it’s another opportunity. It’s another challenge, and let’s see if we can get another one.”

LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
On what a win on the road against a division opponent would mean for the team: “Yeah, it’d be big. It’d be really big. It would be important for our second one, second one on the road kind of get us on a little bit of a roll. And that’s the hope, we’ve got to come out and play well and do a lot of good things. But I feel like if we play our best, we should come out victorious.”
On what he notices most about Chicago’s defense: “Yeah, they play really hard, really, really hard and they’re sound. And I think you can tell they’ve got some young guys in there that are just playing really hard, really – doing their best and really flying around.”
On what Lions WR Trinity Benson brings to the offense: “Yeah, he gives us a little shot in the arm. He’s a guy that knows the offense and has good speed and can spell some of those guys at times when we need it. And a guy that I’ve had a lot of reps with, so there’s a trust factor there already built a little bit and I know he’ll be active this week and we’ll see how much he gets in there.”
On if he feels the chemistry with Lions WR Trinity Benson coming back: “Yeah, it’s a guy – like I said, have a lot of reps with. So, threw him a couple of balls today in practice and picking up where we left off a little bit.”
On what it is like playing at Soldier Field and the challenges it presents: “It’s great. Yeah, weather can be a factor there at times in Chicago, but it’s a passionate fanbase and fun to play in front of and can get loud at times. And it’s a cool place to play.”
On how dangerous Bears S Eddie Jackson can be in Chicago’s secondary: “Eddie’s good. Eddie’s a good player and a guy I’ve played against a bunch and a guy that’s always around the ball, is always trying to make plays. Plays downhill extremely well and is a very instinctive player.”
On if the leadership Bears S Eddie Jackson brings to Chicago helps steady out the entire secondary: “I’m sure it may. Yeah, I’m not sure. I know he’s a good player and I’m sure he’s a great leader as well.”
On the biggest challenges of facing a similar team that has a scrappy and underdog mentality: “Yeah, we both kind of have our backs against the wall a little bit, so there will be that fight and that fight to the bitter end, and you have to prepared for that. There are some teams that you don’t get that with, but we’re both kind of in the mix of this adversity, trying to pull our ways out of it. It’s going to be a fight. It’ll be a good one, and we’ll be ready.”
On his confidence in the defense to be able to step up in wake of an offensive mistake: “Yeah, it was huge. It was really big. I think especially after I had the turnover, them getting one immediately. That’s huge. I’ve certainly got a lot of things to clean up, but when I don’t feel like I don’t have to play perfect, and I can make a mistake, and the defense can have my back as we do have theirs, that makes things a whole lot smoother, and a whole lot easier for us to overcome. So, it’s big. It’s really big when they can cause turnovers like they were last week and be around the ball, sacks, negative plays for their offense, penalties, whatever it may me. It was really big.”
On if the offense and defense can work together or if the two units work independently from each other: “You know I think it’s just trying to understand when those moments are. For example, I throw the interception, they know, ‘OK, here’s our chance to kind of styme this and make that play.’ And then on the flip side, ‘Hey, they get an interception. Hey boys, like this is our chance. Points off turnover we talk about a lot, like this is our chance to kind of make an impact in the game and make this turnover matter.’ And so, just being cognizant of it and aware of when those moments are.”
On if there are challenges in finding a rhythm with Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown as he plays in multiple receiver spots: “Yeah, I think there’s always challenges when you have injuries, and for us, we’ve been banged up there pretty much all year and for most of last year as well. So, I don’t want to say I’m used to it, but there’s a part of us that we’ve been kind of dealing with it for a couple years now. It’s just what it is. You try not to focus on it, you try not to put too much weight into it. We’ve got faith in those guys that are coming in now and stepping up for the missing places there, but at the same time, you’d love to have your horses back and healthy, and hopefully that will be sometime soon.”
On if he has reached out to Vikings T.J. Hockenson after Sunday’s game: “Yeah, I texted him, said great job, and he said the same thing. I’m close with that staff over there and some of those guys, and I know he’s doing a great job.”