LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
December 16, 2022
On if anything changes after finding out Jets QB Zach Wilson will be the starter on Sunday: “Nothing. I mean, we kind of had an idea. So, we’re ready. We knew he was going in the game anyway, so we figured they were going to play him. So, it’s really – same thing, man, it’s about being disciplined and we know what kind of game this will be, what they’re going to want to do offensively. So, we’ve got to play our keys, we’ve got to be disciplined. We’ve got to run, we’ve got to hit, all the same things that we know here.”
On if he has ever been around a quarterback situation like the one with the Jets: “Not like that. I mean, I’m sure – he’s a competitor like most players in this League, so he’ll want to go out there and play well. And he’s certainly talented and they’ll have a good gameplan designed for him to where he can succeed and they can get it to their weapons and they can control the game and play good defense. So, they’re going to try to take the pressure of him as much as possible and just let him be him, use his talents, his skills.”
On if the players listed with illness are dealing with the same bug: “It’s a little different. All of our guys are – they’re all kind of different. We’ve been hit from all sides. But we’re in a pretty good spot right now, I’d hate to say anything and it makes it worse, but we’re not bad, but it is – it’s not all the same illnesses. Certainly, guys don’t feel real good, but we’re bouncing back. (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch’s out here today, feels pretty good. So, hopefully we can keep it contained.”
On how Lions C/G Evan Brown has looked in practice this week and if he will play on Sunday: “Yeah, he looks pretty good right now. So, hopefully today if he looks alright he’ll be ready to go, but he’s had a good week.”
On what it would mean to have the starting offensive line play on Sunday: “Sure, it is big, especially those five I think it’s a lot like your O-line and your secondary all playing together I think is big. There’s – to have the continuity and those guys communicate and working with each other, understand where your leverage is at and all those things I think is big. So, to get him back is a – that gives us a little bit of a boost for sure.”
On what Jets DL Quinnen Williams does for their defense: “Well, he – because he is – because he’s a monster that’s why he’s – yeah, not having him that takes some juice out of that defense. Now, it’s still a good defense believe me, they still have plenty over there, but he is a – he’s a difference maker. So, that – I don’t want any player to be hurt, but that would certainly help us.”
On if he watched the 49ers-Seahawks scoreboard last night: “I looked at the final on the way home. I did. I just wanted to see what the final was, so I was – that was nice. But I didn’t watch the game.”
On if the playoff race is something they keep an eye on and if the Seahawks’ loss was a pick-me-up: “I think the pick-me-up has still been the fact that we are where we are, that we know that we’ve got a chance. But we also know we feel like we need to win out here and it all starts with the Jets. We don’t handle our business it’s all for naught. But no it does – it’s nice to be able to look up there and see that’s a team that’s in front of us that did get a loss. So, it’s hard to ignore that. But also, we know, our guys know, we have to do our part.”
On if there is an advantage to playing in MetLife Stadium twice in one season: “I don’t know if it’s an advantage, I guess you could say you’re – you do have some comfort in the locker room and just the stadium itself. I guess there’s a little bit of that, but not enough to say that’s an advantage.”
On if there is an advantage in the kicking game in terms of knowing the MetLife Stadium and what to expect: “That’ll help. That’ll help a little bit, and now those wins swirl in there anyway. But yeah, it’s -anytime you’re a little more familiar with where you’ve been and you’ve had success that helps, but I don’t feel like it’s a big advantage or anything.”
On how the players looked in practice on Thursday: “Yeah, it was real good yesterday. They were flying. They were flying. They were locked in. It was good. It was what we hoped it would be. So, we’ve got to close today out good. And then, even then there’s still 48 hours until the game, so there’s a lot of little things. A lot of details, the learning aspect that we can still get better at and learn from and all that. But it’s good to this point, it feels good.” |
