LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
December 26, 2024
Opening Statement: “Mentioned this the other day, this is a prideful team, still have plenty of weapons on this team, good coaching, so we know we’ve got our hands full Monday night out there, but it’s something we’re looking forward to. So, hope everybody had a good Christmas.”
On the thought process behind signing Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater and how long it has been in the works: “I’ve been in contact with Teddy for a while, and it was something that was always potentially a possibility. We all know what Teddy’s been doing down there in giving back to his community. They won a championship down there, so his debut in coaching worked out pretty dang good. But just to be able to add somebody back here that’s got experience, he’s staying in shape, he’s been throwing, just get him worked back in here a little bit, it just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence, somebody that’s great for our team, he’s great for the position. Doesn’t mean we’re disappointed in (Lions QB Hendon) Hooker, that’s not what this means, it just means this gives us somebody that’s played a lot in the NFL, we’re getting ready for the playoffs. And so, it’ll be good to get him back in the fold with us.”
On Lions QB Hendon Hooker’s development and people potentially reading into signing Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater as an indication of Hooker’s readiness: “Yeah, and look, he’s improved, he really has. We feel like every week he’s gotten a little bit better. And this does not mean that Hooker is out, that’s not what this means. If it comes to that, Hooker’s going to play for us, but Teddy probably will too. So, I understand what it looks like, but it’s just a different world that we’re getting ready to walk into, and I just – we felt like this was the right thing to do, especially with somebody that I have a tremendous amount of trust with and for. He understands our offense well, the guys know him well, the coaches know him well, and he brings a certain level of comfort to us.”
On if signing Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater gives them comfort as an emergency option in the playoffs: “Absolutely. Absolutely it does. Now you don’t have to be concerned with that, and depending on who’s inactive, you don’t have to – you can get the guy to the game that you want, and if something happens, you’ve got your third ready to roll.”
On how much mentorship is a bonus with Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater: “Yeah, I think it’s great. It’s great for our team. I think everybody in that locker room respects Teddy and what he stands for and the type of human being he is, but also the type of player. I mean, he’s – whenever he gets his sea legs back under him, he’s going to – he’ll test those guys a little bit defensively, which is good in practice. And I just feel like when you get guys that you feel like make everybody around them a little bit better, it’s hard not to have those guys around or add them if you can.”
On if Lions QB Hendon Hooker was in the loop on signing Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater or if he opted to tell him as it comes: “No, tell him as it comes. Look, he’ll be just fine, he’s a pro. Hooker’s a pro, he’s been working, and this isn’t like we brought in a rookie free agent who’s going to just jump him right now. This guy’s got skins on the wall and he’s somebody that Hooker learned under as well as (Lions QB Jared) Goff, and this will be fine.”
On if anyone other than Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin will start their return-to-practice clock today: “It’s too early to say. We’re going to start (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond)’s clock – I guess you guys saw that, so he’ll start practicing. We’ll see where he’s at, I don’t feel as confident with him as I do Germ, but it’s good to have him back out practicing. It will be good to get him back out there running around.”
On how much the team has grown since the 2023 NFC Championship game and if he sees this game as an opportunity to get closure: “Well, I think we’re really more mature, I guess, would probably be the best way to say that. I’ve mentioned every year, you kind of learn something about winning and losing, and when you take an L like we did last year, you learn from that. There were a number of things we did wrong and a number of things they did right, and I think you understand how the game can go and where it can swing and just about keeping your composure and making the most of any rep that comes, because the one that happened in the second quarter could change the game. So, I think we’re much more prepared than we were, potentially, even that time. You feel like you are, but until you get into that with a heavyweight, real champion who’d been there numerous times, you don’t always know. And so, I think that experience, as difficult as it was, served us well moving forward into this year, and it’s like anything else, you just – you don’t like to lose, so you’ve got an opportunity with a team that got the best of you, and so you just want to go out and find a way to get a win.”
On if San Francisco being ranked highly in yards and yards allowed is indicative of a team playing better than their record suggests: “Yeah, I mean, this team is – I mean, we talked to the team earlier, I mean, for the most part, they’ve got their whole defense out there. And certainly with (49ers DL Nick) Bosa on one edge and you’ve got (49ers LB Fred Warner) 54 right there in the middle, I mean, these guys are as good of players as you’re going to find in this League at those positions, not to mention the others. I mean, they’re got corners, they’ve got the nickel, they’ve got two safeties, they’ve got plenty up front, so this is a potent defense, and they do – they’ve always played good defense and that hasn’t changed. They’re like anybody else, they’ve dealt with a number of injuries at tough times in a season and those are – on offense and defense and it’s been tough to overcome those, but now you’re seeing they’re getting some of these guys back, and they’ll miss – they have some offensive linemen out, but they’ve still got (49ers TE George) Kittle, they’ve got (49ers WR) Deebo (Samuel Sr.), they’ve got (49ers QB Brock) Purdy, (49ers WR Jauan Jennings) 15’s playing good out there, I think the back will be back. So, they’ve got plenty, and with the scheme they run, the coaching, I mean, they’re going to – this is not going to be an easy task whatsoever, so our guys understand that. We’re going to have to play our best ball to go out there and get a win.”
On what it is about 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme that makes their run game so dangerous: “I think they do as good as anybody in the League, if not the best, at – they know what they have, but then they find your weaknesses and they exploit them in numerous ways, particularly in the run game, but then the play-pass off of that. And so, it’s just there’s – they kind of have a core that they run, core scheme, but then inside of those, they’re able to adjust, a lot of them on the run, with what they’re able to do with some of the motions. It helps when one of your best weapons is one of your best blockers in (49ers TE George) Kittle, that makes things a lot different too on the perimeter, (49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk) 44, they still use him that way in that regard, and then the fact that (49ers WR) Deebo (Samuel Sr.) can be – he’s a receiver one minute and now he’s your running back the next, and he’s a legit runner. They just – they create some matchups that make it hard on you defensively.”
On who came up with the idea for the sweaters that he wore with his family on Christmas that went viral: “That would be my wife, every year she’s got an idea. We always wear Christmas shirts that are a little unique, so that was definitely her.”
On what his introductory press conference meant to him in terms of setting a tone for his tenure with Detroit: “Well, I mean, I think any time you come in, that’s your first chance to, I guess, give everybody your – what, I guess, your vision of how you see things and where you see yourself being when it’s all said and done and what you want it to look like from the people that don’t know you in the organization, but more importantly, the team, the players that are out there that you haven’t had the chance to talk to. And so, that’s exactly who I was talking to, the fans to give them an idea of a little bit of who you are and where you see this going and your vision, and so I felt like I did that for me. I mean, that was the whole point of it, and I did it and it was weird because it was Covid, I mean, you’re just looking on these screens. But yeah, I did that.”
On if he wrote the viral kneecap part of his introductory press conference: “No, nope.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
December 26, 2024
On the present that he got the offensive linemen for Christmas: “See, it’s hard when you have guys giving out Toyota trucks to try to keep up with that, but I got them a nice Yeti package with a ton of wagyu and steaks and beef and a bunch of stuff. I hope they like it.”
On where he feels like the team has grown from going through the loss at the NFC Championship together: “Yeah, a ton. Anytime you go deep in the playoffs, and you go through a game like that, you learn, you grow, you get better, you get closer, all that stuff comes into play. We felt so close to winning that game and we came up short, but yeah, it served us well this season and hopefully as we go into the postseason.”
On how different the 49ers defense is compared to last season: “Yeah, there’s differences, there’s slight difference but a lot of it’s the same and we’re slightly different and a lot of what we do is the same, so we’ll see if we change much or add some things and I’m sure they will as well. You always expect a little bit of a wrinkle when the game comes.”
On signing Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater: “Yeah, it’s fun, it’s cool. I’m glad I have him back here, state champ Teddy Bridgewater is what we call him now, but yeah, he’s a valuable asset to our team and I love having him in the quarterback room and he’s great to have around.”
On how the other quarterbacks on the roster help prepare him for a game: “They all do a ton, whether it’s breaking down the stuff early percentage wise, like getting the percentages and (Lions QB) Jake (Fromm) does a lot of that weekly of, what’s the percentages of what they play on certain downs, and then through the week, just little quizzes here and there, making sure we’re on our stuff. The night before the game, we’ll go through the whole thing, and they’ll keep me on my toes. Now, (Lions QB) Teddy (Bridgewater) is a guy that I mentioned last year, a guy who’s played, a guy who’s played in big games, he’s had that experience, and I can kind of lean on him for some of those things as well. He’s a veteran and he’s got great insight.”
On facing 49ers DL Nick Bosa and 49ers LB Fred Warner: “Of course, yeah, those two guys are great players, All-Pro players, played them for a long time now. They’re great players, they’re tough to beat every week you play them and those two guys in particular, you have to be aware of where they are and as well as a bunch of the other guys on defense.”
On if there is anything different with 49ers Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen’s scheme: “Yeah, slightly, there’s some different things just like anyone else after a year of tape, there’s some differences but a lot of it’s the same as well. But yeah, there are some slight things.”
On if there is any closure they can get from beating the 49ers this season: “No, not really. If it was NFC Championship, maybe, but no this is a regular season game, one we need to win, one we want to win. They’re a good team, I don’t care that they’re eliminated, they have a lot of great players on that team that have played in big games and they’re going to want to beat us, so we have to come out ready to go. It’ll be hard on the road, good atmosphere, I get a lot of family there which will be nice, but it’ll be a good one.”
On if it will be tough to root for the Packers when they play the Vikings this Sunday: “Yeah, I don’t know. Whatever happens in that game, it doesn’t dictate much for us. We want to win this one just because it is the next one. We’ll get there to next one when it comes, but we want to beat these guys.”
On if it is nice to know that if the Vikings lose to the Packers they can clinch the number one seed in the playoffs if they beat the 49ers: “We know the scenario, but we certainly don’t want to overlook anything or try to hope something happens. Whatever happens, happens, so we’ll see.”
On if this week is where standing on an even keel becomes more important: “Sure, yeah, yes and that’s every week. At this point in the season, we’re going to play San Francisco and then after that we play Minnesota and then after that the playoffs start. So, those two teams right there, there’s no breaks. We have a lot of tough teams ahead of us. (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) said it great, ‘It’s now, playoffs kind of start now.’ It’s a bunch of good teams we’re going to play and go on the road again this week to a hard atmosphere and have to try to find a way to win.”
On how important Lions WR Jameson Williams has been this season: “Tremendously. He’s provided an element to our offense that we hadn’t really had previously. Last year, we had him, but we missed him for part of that. It’s nice, it’s really good what he’s done and being able to get better every week and improve and like you said, his maturity has grown and he pushes himself really hard, he really does, and he holds himself to a high standard and he wants to get better and he wants to improve. He’s constantly communicating with me, it’s a lot of fun to work with him and when he makes plays like that, you see all the work pay off and he’ll just continue to get better.”
On seeing Lions WR Kalif Raymond return to practice: “Yeah, it was good, I told him, ‘Man I thought you were going to shut it down this year?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh I could never.’ It was good to see him out there and we love him and love to have him back and as soon as he can get back, I know we’ll be able to use him and yeah, he’s a hell of a teammate, hell of a player and I’m happy he’s back out there.”
On watching Lions K Jake Bates grow throughout the season: “Yeah, it’s been great. He’s grown up as well and it’s fun to see him make those plays, it’s fun to see him make those kicks and make them in big spots this year, he really has. He’s got such an even keel about him that you can’t seem to rattle him and that’s what you want in your kicker. You don’t want a guy that’s high or low and I know he’s very confident in himself and we’re confident in him and expect him to make some big kicks as we go on.”
On if Lions WR Jameson Williams can run a 4.1 40-yard dash: “Yeah, I guess if he says so, I don’t know. We’ll have to go measure it sometime. He’s hard to track down if we want to measure his 40, but he says 4.1, we have to hold him accountable.”
