LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
December 14, 2022
On what stood out about the Jets’ defense after watching the tape: “Yeah, just – they’re aggressive. They’re aggressive and they’re very disruptive especially that front. They have physical safeties, the corners will challenge, (Jets CB) Sauce (Gardner)’s having a good year, so is (Jets CB D.J.) Reed, he’ll fight you over there on the other side too. So, this is a defense that makes you earn anything you can get. So, our offense, we’ve got our work cut out for us. I mean, these guys are – it’s the strength of this team.”
On what the balance is between taking what the defense gives you and sticking to the gameplan when it comes to a matchup like this: “I think it’s got to be – I think you’ve got to be able to try to do both. I think you’re going to need to go good-on-good. You’re going to need to challenge them because they’re going to challenge us. It’s something we do well, they do well, but we also have to have – we’ve got to be able to do other things too. And certainly, there is going – we’re going to need to be able to do some things where we take what they’re willing to give up. So, we’ve got to be able to – sometimes you’ve got to take the completions that are there and you’ve got to do something with it. You’ve got to tuck the ball away, but this is a run and hit defense, multiple coverages, they’re not afraid to play man. They’ll change it up and just play man and make you earn everything off the line of scrimmage. So, I mean our – top to bottom our receivers are going to have to fight to get off the ball. They’re going to have to fight for separation and our O-line’s going to have to finish in the pass game and in the run game.”
On the style of defense that the Jets play compared to when Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was in San Francisco: “Well, the style at which they play is exactly what I see out of Coach Saleh. I mean, they do and – but they were mixing a lot more coverages than I remember. And a lot of that is – Coach (Jets Defensive Coordinator Jeff) Ulbrich over there, who’s done it while he was at Atlanta and played a number of years. I’ve known him from afar a long time, I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and so his influence on it too is certainly the – it’s kept the foundation of, man, get up field, create disruption, don’t allow the double teams. And then, run and hit, man. Let him dump it down, that’s fine. You want to throw it for a four-yard gain? We’ll come up and pepper you and see if we get the ball out, but they’re not going to let you hit them over the top. You want to throw a screen, they’re going to rally to it. So, it’s a – look, they’re playing really good football.”
On what it was like being around Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh this past summer in Alabama at the Senior Bowl: “Yeah, he was great. He was great. He’s an unbelievable human being and – but just his own take over. His take on things went and just things that, man, these are some things I needed to do and this is kind of what we – so, yeah we talked a little bit. I wouldn’t say we went real far in depth as to what we did, but just kind of the similarities to our squads and things that you didn’t necessarily expect or things you did expect and the way they went. So, it was good. It was – you always get somebody’s – and of course where he’s at is a little different than where I’m at too. But it’s good, it’s interesting.”
On if he got to know Jets CB Sauce Gardner before the Draft: “You’re talking about Sauce? Honestly, I didn’t really get to know him that well. Now, I watched a lot of tape, I’ve got to see him play, but just the person I didn’t get to really – I didn’t really get much of that. We were going to bring him out here and that didn’t work out, but I know that he’s a heck of a football player. And we loved his length, we thought he was pretty smart, pretty crafty, he was aggressive, runs pretty good. Obviously, had a – his resume in college, covering pretty good receivers was – it was about as good as you can get. But he fits perfect for that defense. I mean, he’d fit perfect in just about any defense, but he’s really grown. He’s really grown. He’s become a pretty dang good corner out there.”
On how much he considered drafting Jets CB Sauce Gardner: “Well, we thought about a lot of different guys. But I don’t – I never really felt like it went there for (Lions Executive Vice President/General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and myself. We felt pretty comfortable with where we wanted to go with it.”
On what Jets CB Sauce Gardner excels at that makes him a prolific cornerback: “Well, you wish you could just say it’s one – ‘Well, he’s really doing this with his feet,’ it’s confidence. He came in, believed in himself, and you can just tell, man. He believes that he can compete, and he’s not worried about – like he doesn’t get frazzled if something happens. Those things are going to happen on the perimeter. Every once in a while, corners are going to get beat, and you can see that, man, he just goes back for the next one, and that’s what you want in a corner, and he’s got that. So, he’s got the skillset, but he’s got the right demeanor and the right attitude, and that shows up.”
On if Jets QB Mike White is a lunch-pail-type player: “He sure is. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I mean I’m watching Buffalo last week, and I mean those two hits, I say two, there was more than two, but two that got him out of the game for a minute before he came back. Those were significant hits, and he stood in there and just took it right in the ribs. And I’ll tell you what – because the first thing you’re looking for, let’s see how he comes back in the game, and I mean he didn’t bat an eye. He just sat in there, and the first throw back, I thought was – you could tell he’s just affected. And the same thing after the second time, he comes back in the game, and he’s just unfazed. You know it didn’t feel good, so I’ve got a lot of respect watching him. I was impressed. I’m like, ‘OK, this guy’s – it doesn’t matter.’ He just needed a breather just to make sure everything’s still intact, but once he came back in, you can see when those guys rally around him. I mean he’s tough. He’s tough.”
On Lions WR Jameson Williams’ increased workload against the Vikings and his block to assist in Lions RB Justin Jackson’s touchdown run against the Vikings: “Yeah, it was good. It was real good. That’s what he’s got in him. He’s not afraid to do that stuff. Certainly, getting the touchdown with him was good. It’s what you would expect. It was better than the week before, but he’s got a little ways to go, and like anybody would who hadn’t a ton of football in this League yet, and he will. I mean he wants to – he’s very coachable, and shoot, there was a couple of things he came off and I know that he knew immediately, ‘Ah man, I’ve got to do – I should have done this.’ But certainly, we like where he’s going. It was better, and we expect him to be even better this week.”
On the point of emphasis for Lions WR Jameson Williams this week: “Speed. All the time.”
On if Sunday’s game against a team like the Jets that plays hard defensively will be a test of the team’s gritty identity: “Yeah, I think it’s a huge test because I know that this team we’re getting ready to face is very much like we are in that sense I would say. I think (Jets Head) Coach (Robert) Saleh’s a – he’s about the toughness and overcoming adversity, all these things, and you’re built a certain way. And so, I think that, I think what you said, we’re going up to their place, we’re out in the elements, though I don’t think it’ll be too bad. And we’re both jocking for playoff positions here. I think this is critical for both of us. And so, this is a heavy-weight fight because I love our O-line, and this is a worthy, quality opponent, man, especially their front. So, it’s going to be pretty fun.”
On if playing outside in the elements for a meaningful December game is as enjoyable as a home game: “If you’re asking me, yeah, I think it is, but I’m not playing anymore, so the only thing that you wish is it was grass because I love the grass stains. I’m a big grass stain guy. I just think it looks great. But yeah, I think there’s something about playing in the elements. It’s December. Certainly, if you get them in January, and it’s just nasty, and it won’t be quite that way out there, but I do think it adds to everything, and I don’t know. It’s fun. That’s the way it was – that’s how it began. I don’t know.”
On why he changed today’s schedule to be a later into the day: “Only because we just felt like this is the right time to cycle down this week. We kind of, we’ve been doing things a certain way for a number of weeks, and this was the time to change it up, and so that’s really all it had to do with. This was more than where we’re at, when, but I’d already had this in my head, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ For the most part, talked to (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark, who deals with a lot of this for us. And we felt like this was the right time to pull back on Wednesday, really get back and just hit the mental, and then we’re going to come back. It’ll be a little extended tomorrow, and really push the intensity.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
December 14, 2022
On what jumps out about the Jets’ defense when he turns on the tape: “Yeah, they’re really good at every level. Their pass rush is good. They’ve got really good linebackers. (Jets LB) C.J. Mosley’s one of the great linebackers in the League, and then their back end’s really good too. They’re well-coached and I’ve played against (Jets Head) Coach (Robert) Saleh a bunch and they’re typically well-coached and these guys are no different.”
On the strength-versus-strength battle between the Lions offense and Jets defense: “Yeah, sure they’re good and we’re good and it’ll be a good battle. It’ll be fun.”
On what he sees on the tape from Jets CB Sauce Gardner: “Yeah, he’s a good player. He’s a good player. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s athletic, makes a lot of plays in transition. He’s a good, solid player especially as a rookie.”
On if he is surprised that the Jets’ physicality comes on every level of the defense: “No, not really. No, again I’ve played against San Francisco enough times to know what they bring and typically a good, well-coached team who is aggressive upfront and tries to get home.”
On what he sees from the run game heading into Sunday against the Jets: “Yeah, it’s important. It’s always important. I think the last two weeks called for throwing it a little bit more and that’s what we did. And what does this week call for? We’ll see, but certainly something we want to do a little better job on.”
On what it feels like to be recognized for his play and how important that is to him: “It’s fun to be on a team that’s winning games, that’s all. I mean, sure I’m doing some good things, but we’ve won some – a lot of big games recently with the same guys that were a part of the 1-6 and a part of last year’s team and that’s the most satisfying.”
On how fun the last six weeks have been: “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a lot of fun especially at home. The last three games at home, I know we didn’t win the Bills game but that energy in there for the last three weeks has been electric. It’s been a lot of fun and we hit two on the road now and get back in front of those guys. But it was really fun with the fans and everyone there to be able to win for them.”
On if it is hard not to lash out after receiving a lot of criticism from the media and the fans: “What would I lash out about? (Buccaneers QB) Tom Brady gets criticized, everyone gets criticized, we all get criticized. So, part of this business especially when you play quarterback, you’re going to see it. It’s not the first time, probably won’t be the last and I’ll handle it just the same way as I handle success. It’s good and bad, and you go with it and move on.”
On if he feels that he proved the critics from early on in the season wrong with his recent performances: “I don’t really care. Yeah, I don’t. I really just enjoy winning with these guys, and whatever people may have said earlier on in the year, they were probably justified in some ways. We were 1-6, not playing very well. Now, we are playing pretty well, and everyone seems to have changed their minds on us, and we tried to stay right in the middle. I think that’s the biggest challenge for us now is show our maturity, show that we can handle a little bit of praise and handle a little bit of people thinking that we’re good, and not change the way we’re approaching each week.”
On if the mental toughness is there for the team: “Absolutely, yeah. No doubt, yeah. If we can handle the flipside of it, this side’s the easy side.”
On if this week’s matchup against the Jets feels bigger than the Vikings game last Sunday: “They’re all big now. Yeah, they’re all big, and yeah, Minnesota felt as big as Jacksonville, as big as the Bills, as big as any before that. When you’re losing some games early on, they all become pretty big, so this one is equally as big, yeah.”
On how similar the Jets’ defensive scheme is to the 49ers’ defensive scheme he previously faced: “In some ways it is, and in some ways it isn’t. Again, I think the way that they’re coached and the way that their front seven plays is probably pretty similar, but there are some things that are different in coverage, but they’re a well-coached group, and do a good job.”
On what Jets DL Quinnen Williams means to New York’s defense: “Yeah, he’s really good. He’s really good, and what capacity he’ll be in this week, we’ll see, but he definitely helps them when he’s on the field and is a wrecker.”
On what quality he possesses that helps him deal with outside criticism: “It’s mental toughness. Yeah, it’s mental toughness, but to be on both sides of it. Like I said, you can’t let praise and criticism get to you. Like either way it all doesn’t matter, and it’s all very fickle, and our League’s very week to week, and you play poorly one week, you play better the next week, and you’ll be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it’s the way our League goes, and it’s the way I’ve really approached this since I’ve gotten in the League. And sure, yeah, you take that mental rollercoaster at times, and you try not to, but we are human. And you try not to, but at the same time, it is every week, it will change, no matter what. If you play well, they’ll love you, if you don’t, they won’t, so try to play well.”
On the biggest area of improvement for Lions WR Jameson Williams: “Yeah, I think he’s really starting to settle into it a little bit, starting to settle into the offense and understand what plays are going to be his and understand where he fits on certain plays, and he’s done a good job. It’s probably somewhat frustrating that it has kind of been slower to get out there, but I think he’s done a good job of keeping his head down, working, and hopefully, as we go, his progression on offense will continue to grow as well.” | |
