LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
January 19, 2024
Opening Statement: “Alright, last day of the week. Red zone, so it’s been good. Guys are locked in. We need to have a good one, another good one today and then we’ll be ready to go.”
On what makes the Buccaneers defense tough in the red zone: “Well, pressure. They pressure, pressure, but then once you get into third down, they calm things down and they do what they do and they’re really good at it. And so, it’s – there’s a lot of these, especially when you get in there really tight, they – they’ll play a couple of coverages, and they don’t care if you know what it is. They’re better at it than you are and they’ve done a great job of that. There again, I go back – they’ve got a veteran group. You’re talking about this secondary, (Buccaneers S Antoine) Winfield (Jr.), (Buccaneers LB) Lavonte David. I mean, it’s – so they communicate well. They have a really good understanding where their help is at and that’s – it’s one of the reasons why they do such a good job. And then they – just with what they do with the front, they shut down the run game. Most of the time, good red zone teams run the football, well they’re not going to allow you to run it. So, you want to get big, they get bigger than you get with packages. So, it’s just – (Buccaneers Head Coach Todd) Bowles has always been that way. He’s done a hell of a job with it and it’s going to be a test, it’ll be a major test for us.”
On what they expect Lions LB James Houston’s workload to be against the Buccaneers: “Yeah, I mean, we’ve still got to gauge if we feel like he will be ready. And I know this, he’s better, he’s a lot better this week than he was last week and that’s the progression of it, right? Is every week, he should start to get his legs back under him, feel good about it and we’ve got to decide if we really believe that if he goes, is it – are we going to get the production relative to who we’re sitting for the rest of the team? So, that’s kind of where we’re at. But I know this, he looks a ton better. I know he wants to go, I mean, who wouldn’t? So – but he’s done a nice job coming back.”
On if practice helps them determine if Lions LB James Houston will be ready to play against the Buccaneers: “Yeah, it’s everything is in practice. Everything’s practice related.”
On how far in advance he knows what he will say in his Saturday team meetings and if he has an idea of what he will tell the players this Saturday: “No.”On the balance they need to have knowing they are two games away from the Super Bowl while also focusing on the game in front of them: “Well, the guys – look, I mentioned something about it the other day, I mean they know we only have three left here and then you get a bye. Get a bye after two and then you get the third one. So, there’s only three left here, but it all starts with one. And that’s really the process all year. No matter where you’re at, if you lost one, you won five in a row, now you’re in the playoffs, man it’s all about the one in front of you. You have to stay focused on that, so everything we’ve got, full focus on this game, do your job one more time. For any of the butterflies, all of that, of the first playoff game ever for a lot of guys and get the monkey off your back, well now you’re in a second playoff game. Now, you’ve got experience in that. You understand the environment. You understand what our house is going to be like, which is electric, which should give you a surge of energy. And so, I think this is good, but it’s all focus on one.”
On how much he is thinking about his backup plan for coordinator positions if Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn get head coaching opportunities: “Nothing right now. I mean, that to me is done all in the offseason. And that’s the point at where you have to have an answer for the next year, if you lose coordinators for the following year. So, that thing’s been in motion, my head has been there back in the offseason. It’s not there right now at all, not even close. Everything is about right now. We’ve got our two coordinators here who are outstanding coaches, as well as (Lions Special Teams Coordinator) Dave Fipp. And they’re the biggest reasons why we’re sitting where we’re at. So, they’re here and they’re part of us. I’m glad they’re part of us. And that – we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
On how Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn have balanced interviews while preparing for the game: “Well, we’ll find out because it starts today. Here’s what I – I know this about both of them, they – man, they are 100 percent team-oriented. They’re all about the team, they’re all about this plan, they’re all about those players in that room and the other coaches around them and that’s where it all starts for them. They both understand they have an opportunity, but it’s – and so, they’re going to take these. But they also know, ‘Hey, if anything, what you’re going to get is, I’m going to tell you – you’re going to find out who I am.’ Right, and here’s the luxury that a lot of coaches have that do these that aren’t in the playoffs, they get to dive into the roster of, ‘Hey, I want to go in and you’re interviewing me, Washington. OK, I’m going to look at your roster up and down, tell you what you do well, what you don’t, what I’d do with it.’ They can’t do that. They don’t have time. They don’t have time. So, what they need to do is, and they will, just let them know who you are, what you’re about, why you feel like we had success here, the things you believe in. And either they like you, or you don’t. And that’s just – it’s a little unfair, but it’s also – it’s the business. And so, you do that, you move on, get ready for the game and here we go.”
On how much more complete their play-calling is when Lions DB Brian Branch plays: “It helps significantly. He’s done a great job. Now, I’ll say this, getting (Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson) Ducey back brings a lot of flexibility back to what we’re able to do. Whereas we didn’t have that luxury earlier, so when we did lose Branch, it – it does handcuff you a little bit. And so, just – look, one of the best things (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG did and I was talking about it was, ‘Let’s just put him at nickel, leave him there and let him grow from there.’ No different than what we did with Ducey at New Orleans and he’s really just taken off and the things that he’s able to do, what he brings to the table, his blitz ability, his coverage ability, the fits in the run game, all of that, it does help us, it does help AG, along with all those other guys. So, it’ll be – it’s good. Yeah, we didn’t have him last time. This’ll be good.”
On the most underappreciated part of Lions QB Jared Goff’s toughness: “Well, I don’t know what the – what is out there that would be viewed as what people don’t really see. Look, I just go back to this all the time, I don’t think – for me, it’ll always be, if you’re an outsider, do you really understand just how resilient he is? I think sometimes that doesn’t always – it’s not always seen. His ability to bounce back from things that don’t go well, I think – and I always felt this way about him. Now that I’m around him, it’s been three years and I felt this early, man, he’s at his best when his back’s against the wall. And now, it hasn’t been against the wall, but he’s doing well. And I just think that’s something that has always impressed me, and man when it’s, things don’t look good and we’re not moving the ball or you have a couple of turnovers and you feel like the world’s kind of coming in on you, man he’s really at his best. He comes out of that because he can – to him, he can look at it and he can take the coaching and he can look at himself and say, ‘Well, yeah, that’s because of my footwork. That’s because of my –.’ It’s simply that. It’s not anything else. It’s not, ‘Oh, well, he just can’t play anymore. He’s lost his mojo.’ No, it’s, ‘It’s my right foot. It’s where I start with my eyes. It’s my –’ And I think that’s crucial. I think that’s – he’s very process-oriented and that’s what pros do. That’s how pros get better. That’s how they play consistently in this League.”
On how long into his first year with the team it took him to figure out that Lions QB Jared Goff is at his best when his ‘back is against the wall’: “Well, I think that when you’re in the middle of that year, I think somewhere around the bye, that’s when you really notice it because look, none of us are and we’re all under heat. And, ‘I’m not a very good coach and he’s not a very good quarterback and (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes)’s not a very good evaluator of talent. Can’t get enough pieces.’ It’s the whole thing and so you can’t listen to all that. But I just know that when all that stuff was surfacing, man, he was – I mean that’s about as bad as it gets, and he never got frazzled by it. And I just think that’s impressive. And look, I told those guys this, he’s one of those – it’s easy to find out – it’s easy when everything’s going right, you’re winning games, guys are around, they all love you, want to be a part of it, but when you are 0-10-1, you find out about people. You find out about players and coaches, people in the organization. And so, that’s why you have the best perception of what those people are and how they’re made and what drives them and what they’re willing to do for those around them. That’s a much better viewpoint and look at people than when everything’s going great, you’ve got 12 wins. So, he’s one of those guys. I know exactly what he is when it’s at its worst, and I’ll take that guy any day.”
On how Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson’s decision to come back another season at the end of last season made him a better coordinator: “Well, I think it’s made him a better coach. Yeah, he’s grown as a coordinator, gotten a little bit better. You learn things as you would being in that position again, but I think yes, there’s that, but I think it’s made him a more well-rounded coach. I just think everything has grown. I think he’s got a very good grasp of what we do, roster management. I think when you do that and you get in that and it’s like, ‘OK, there could be a next step, I’m not ready for that. In my head, I don’t want to do that yet. Yes, I’m a better coordinator.’ But it’s also, he knows – he’s starting to look for and ask these questions about those, roster, gameday, building a team, what you’re looking for, front of the room. And I think it’s served him well and it’s a credit to him. Not many people would do that, but that’s how he viewed it. It’s an experience for him. It’s a chance to grow, and it’s a chance to grow with people that he appreciates being around, those players, the coaches, everybody in this building.”
On the keys for the defense in beating Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield in the pass game: “(Buccaneers WR Mike Evans) 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. We’ve got to find a way to squeeze this in on Baker. If you let him sit back there and play with rhythm and a hitch, it’s dangerous because he will get it up to his guys and he’s going to give them a chance to make a play, but Evans is – man, he’s an issue. And our guys know that. We can’t let him go off. You’re watching the New Orleans game from a couple weeks ago, they’re going, New Orleans is kind of up, and then all of a sudden, under two minutes, man, three shot plays. Bam, bam, bam. And just like that, they’re back within a one-score game possibly under two minutes with a chance to onside kick and get the ball back. I mean, so they’re never out of this even if you’re able to do some things early because of those receivers and his ability to give them a chance to make a play on the ball.” |
