LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
December 13, 2024
Opening Statement: “So, looks like (Lions DL Josh) Paschal’s gotten through the week pretty good thus far, (Lions DL DJ) Reader as well, (Lions DL) Levi (Onwuzurike) as well, (Lions T Taylor) Decker as well, (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac cleared protocol so I think we’re trending the right way with all those guys. Today will certainly be the icing on the cake with those guys, but they all look pretty good right now, so that’s good. It’s been a good week for us just to get back, really haven’t – felt like a little bit of a mini bye, catch your breath for a minute, but we were able to get back and do some of the things that we were doing before we got into the stretch that we were in, got some critical work. We know the opponent we’re getting ready to face, this is a really good team, mentioned it earlier. They play high level football and so we have to be on our game, but we’re looking forward to it.”
On if the offense will need to take control of this game: “Well look, I think certainly we need to score points. If you just look at it on paper, this offense scores points, they do every week. They have a pretty good recipe, we talked about it, they run the ball, they’ve got receivers that can make something happen and certainly this quarterback, he’s dynamic with the football in his hands. But yeah, but I would also say our defense – we’re going to put a lot on our defense this week. Our defense and special teams is going to play a critical factor in this game. So, yeah, it’s critical, but it’s going to take all three phases here and I expect our defense to play well.”
On how much of a good fit Lions DL Za’Darius Smith has been: “Yes, he’s been a great fit for us and I think you saw last week, even with the injuries that we had, we took some reps off of him in some areas to where we could really use him at his best, really showcase a few of those reps, the third down reps, second-and-long. He still played base downs, and his production was really good. So, we’re trying to be smart with him and maximize the reps that we get out of him, but he’s been really good for us. He fits the room, fits the guys, our players have embraced him and yeah – there again, I mentioned this before, it’s like offense. Of course, you love having players that produce, but it’s really the bring something different than the guy next to you. It’s why you like having different receivers, it’s why you like having defensive backs, different rushers, different D-linemen, backers, because it just enables you to do more and that’s what he does for us.”
On what sort of measuring stick this game is for what they want to be and where they need to go: “Yeah I don’t know if I – look, we know this is a big game because it’s a really good opponent and it’s the next one in front of us, but we just played a big game. Green Bay was – that’s a big game against a really good opponent. So, to me, this is just the next one, it’s the next big game, it’s not, ‘Oh this is going to bigger than the one we just played.’ That’s how I view it, and I think our players view it that way. It’s a very good opponent but we just keep playing big games, so we need to play clean football. I mentioned this before, there’s little things on offense, defense and special teams, just little things, that are creeping up that we hadn’t quite snuffed out yet, that we haven’t quite cleaned up that are putting us in a couple of bad positions and we need to just completely disinfect all of that, let’s get it out of there. That’s what I’m really looking for, how clean of a game can we play, and that will serve us well.”
On if they need to play high level football when facing playoff teams: “You need to be playing your best football and you don’t know what it’s going to take to beat the team that you’re getting ready to play. You don’t know what that’s going to be. We know that this is a good football team, I don’t know what it’s going to take. We know that Green Bay is a damn good team. We did just enough, but you don’t know what it’s going to take with the rest of these teams down the line and you don’t know exactly who’s going to be in, you don’t know – and so are you willing to say that it’s good enough right now? I’m not. I don’t want to take that chance, so we have to clean some things up and we will.”
On the thought process behind starting on offense in the first half or deferring to the second half if they win the coin toss: “I would tell you it changes every week, it really does with me. It changes every week. I don’t want to give you exactly my whole thought process, but sometimes it’s the way I feel about our offense, sometimes it’s what I feel about their offense, sometimes it’s what I feel about our defense, sometimes it’s every time they take the ball or they defer, this is what happens. So, it’s just, every week it’s different and it’s kind of been that way, that we take the ball lately, but that doesn’t mean that we will do it every week.”
On if he knows what he will choose if he wins the coin toss: “I have a good idea, yeah.”
On the impact that Bills DE Greg Rousseau has on their gameplan: “Yeah, I feel like he’s a power rusher with length. Now, he does have speed, he’s got speed to get up field, but I think what gets on you and where a lot of people have problems with him is his length with the power. He’s a long, linear guy and he’s got a good first step and so you’re trying to match that initial speed and then he comes down on you with that long arm power and he opens these tackles up. That’s where he’s really dangerous and he gets a lot of guys with it. So, it is a little something different but it’s not so much different than a lot of things that somebody like (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch does, those kind of power rushers, they can crush it down. Hutch has got a spin and stuff too, but this guy is really good at what he does, and he does, every week, you see him get guys and he’s a pressure player. You can’t let him get started and you certainly can’t let him beat you with a first step up field.”
On the hallmarks of Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott’s defense: “Here’s the obvious, it’s a very disciplined defense. They are gap sound in the run game, they’re aggressive, they fly to the football, they traditionally get takeaways, which they’re doing it again, they’re an opportunistic defense, they create pressure which gets picks, they punch out. We were looking at some last night where the guy’s going to the ground, his elbow’s almost down and the defender is – you can see the punch out from underneath, that takes – that’s a conscious effort to see the football, go after the football with the runner go almost down the ground. Fast, explosive, speed, run to the football, I think those are always things you think of. And then third down, very aggressive, traditionally. He’s going to make you earn everything you get first, second down, third down, he’s going to bring it and see if you can handle some pressure. That’s kind of been traditionally what he’s been. He came from the (former NFL Head Coach) Jimmy Johnson era, he was a hell of a coordinator back in the day, but kind of built off of that. But he’s been damn good wherever he’s been. His defenses are always top defenses.”
On how much the Bills losing a day of practice affects things: “I don’t put anything into that. I think one day – in COVID, I don’t even know if we practiced at New Orleans one week and we went out and put up 30, I don’t know what that was but I’m like – no I put nothing into that. That team will be ready. So, all good. And guess what, if we couldn’t practice, we’d be ready, we’ll find a way. So, they’re going to be good, they’ll be ready, they’ll trim the plan to where they can play fast and allow their guys to do what they need to or use what they did last week. They’ll be fine, so we know that we’re going to get their best shot, we’ll have a team that’s ready to go.”
On if Lions LB Trevor Nowaske can clear concussion protocol in time for the Bills game: “No, I don’t see Nowaske playing this week. That crept up on us. That was something that he didn’t feel good and so he’s in protocol and he’ll be good.”
