LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
January 7, 2025
Opening Statement: “Let’s start with our fans, that was a great environment. We knew it would be, but it was electric in there and our fans, they play a factor in that. They played a factor the other day and it’s hard to communicate and you can feel it in there and we appreciate it, and I do believe it really is an advantage. It’s a home field advantage and not everybody gets it, and we do and I’m glad that we earned that. So, fired up for us, fired up for the fans, we get two more here so that’s exciting. Start there, start with the next thing would be – first of all, defense. What an unbelievable job. That was one of the best performances I think we’ve had all year, you could argue it was the best performance. (Lions Defensive Coordinator) Aaron Glenn is – he’s as good a coach as you’re going to find, he’s an even better human being. Look, if nobody wants him, I’ll take him again. I can tell you that right now. The thought of going through another cycle and he’s not somebody’s head coach is ridiculous. I mean this guy is as good as they come, and he can do it all. He understands how to manage a game, he understands offense, defense, special teams, he knows how to communicate, he understands discipline of players and he’s motivating, he’s inspiring. Anyway, I just – I don’t want to lose him, but I also root for the guy because I just think he’s a hell of a coach. But what he did the other day and what that defensive staff did and what our players did to have the plan in place of what we knew we needed to do and to watch them bring it to life, our players brought that plan to life and they did it and it speaks for itself. Three-of-13 on third down, oh-of-three on fourth down, oh-of-four in the redzone, only gave up five explosives. Three sudden changes really defensively had to go out there and were able to hold them back. That’s significant, that’s significant. So, just can’t say enough good things. That whole defense, top to bottom, it really is more about who didn’t play well than who played well because we had so many guys that played outstanding and they’re all getting the game ball over there. Offensively, once we hit the second half, really got going and I felt like one of the biggest plays was what happened right before halftime. We get to get the ball at the 40-yard line and offensively, end of half situation, two plays and there we are within (Lions K Jake) Bates’s range, use the timeout, he goes out there and nails it and that was pretty significant to go in at halftime with an extra three points there. And then we got the run game going. (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs was outstanding in the run and the pass game, the O-line really came through for us, and (Lions QB Jared) Goff after the second pick, he did some high level – there were some high-level throws, high-level technique fundamentals that was really good to see. You could tell that it aggravated him, and he made huge plays for us. (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown was big for us, (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta was big, I thought (Lions WR) Tim Patrick played really well. So, those guys showed up, special teams, it was good to have (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf back. Leaf, we didn’t pop these big ones, but you can just tell we’re this close and it’s good to have him back, 14-yarder, nine-yarder. (Lions RB Sione) Vaki was really good, coverage and then the return aspect. (Lions LB Ben) Niemann did some good things and then (Lions LS) Hogan Hatten, a young guy for us that continues to get better and better. So, it’s just a hell of a win, proud of the guys, it’s not easy to do. I mentioned this the other day, you get back-to-back division wins, we got the one seed so we knocked out two of our goals this year and we have one more to go.”
On what he learned from getting the number one seed bye week in 2018 with the Saints and how he sets up the schedule to keep players sharp while making sure they get rest: “Well, enjoy it. Just sit back for a minute and it’s really one of those things where for the players, you just want to keep the engine idling, that’s probably the best way to say it. So, you don’t want to turn it off, but let’s just leave it in idle and really tomorrow they’re going to have off, we’re going to bring them in Thursday, we’re going to go good-on-good, practice. Most of it will be situations, end of half, end of game, we’ll come back Friday and do a full game, all out, three hours, full hitting, goal line, short yardage. Thursday, we’ll practice, it won’t be in pads but it will be end of game situations, probably an hour just to stay in flow and little things that we need, little detail work that we can get and that’s for the guys that we know can go out there and move and work. And then after that, giving them three days off and then they’ll be back in Monday and by then, hopefully we know the opponent and we’ll be ready to go.”
On the prep work that the coaches do during a bye week where they do not know their opponent: “Yeah, it’s really tough because here’s what I don’t want to do, and I’ve been a part of it as a player and a coach, you don’t know who you’re playing so then you start doing – you do leg work on another opponent and then you find out it’s not that opponent and so I would rather – I don’t want to do that to the coaches. So, my plan is to give them off three days this weekend, refresh, get your sleep, get your rest, we’re going to know hopefully by Sunday night, and then we come in and we’ll know the opponent. Then we are full force on that, full game plan, we’ll know who we face, we’ve really faced all of these teams with the exception of – as far as this one coming up – Washington, we haven’t faced Washington this year so they would be the one that we – and we’ll work on breakdowns, we’ll have those, and then we’ll go from there. I hate the thought of doing work on somebody you might not even play.”
On if Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn are in demand for head coaching interviews because he empowers them and how he has learned to empower his coordinators: “Well, look, their work speaks for itself. It has nothing to do with me. Both of those guys, they’re smart, they’re grinders, they’re strategic, they understand how to teach, communicate, motivate and so their work speaks for itself. Both of those guys are more than worthy of being head coaches, they’re ready, they ask the right questions. I’ve tried to give them everything I think they need to be head coaches and I believe that both of those guys are more than ready. Those two guys do a hell of a job and so does (Lions Special Team Coordinator Dave) Fipp, Dave Fipp, our special teams coordinator, and so does (Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs) Scottie Montgomery, the assistant head coach who stands in front of the room for us every week. So, he’s a hell of a coach too, and I don’t want to lose any of those guys, but believe me, he’s a head coach candidate. But yeah, those guys, I can’t say enough great things about those coaches and the way they work, the way they grind, and have our players prepared to play the way we need to play going in on Sundays.”
On how much leeway the coordinators have and if he ever overrules their strategies: “We cover everything together, we cover everything together and it is rare for me to overrule something. It’s rare.”
On if having the bye week allows the coordinators more time to interview for head coaching positions: “Yeah, I think that helps. I think that’s actually better. I mean, this time last year, they’re trying to do it, we didn’t have a bye or anything and so you’re trying to get things – they’re trying to figure out ways to fit this in and you’d love to have the opportunity to go to the next thing, but you also have an obligation with the team you’re with. That’s impossible, that’s an impossible task. Whereas this, we put this game to bed, we have the players in today, we don’t know who we’re playing yet, it’s time to kind of rest, relax for now, a little bit of that focus for those guys can go to, ‘OK, here’s the interviews that I’m getting ready for, let me look at their rosters, let me figure out what’s going on over at those other teams, who I can call, who I can –‘ I just think that it’s really good for everybody.”
On if he expects Lions RB David Montgomery to play next week: “I do, I do.”
On an injury update on Lions DL Pat O’Connor, Lions G Kevin Zeitler and Lions CB Terrion Arnold: “We got better news on Zeitler and Arnold. I can’t guarantee that they’re playing, but it’s much better than it appeared to be when the injuries happened. So, it’s positive news. O’Connor is not as positive. That’s the best way to say that for those three.”
On if Lions LB Derrick Barnes and Lions CB Carlton Davis III are progressing with their injuries: “They’re doing great, I don’t see them coming back at all. Those players won’t, I don’t see them coming back at all.”
On an injury update on Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson: “Same thing, I’m going to say it again. He has a season-ending injury, but if anybody can come back from this, it would be Aidan. That’s the best way to say it.”
On their fourth-down success and the players being conditioned to execute fourth down plays: “Well, I think there’s something to the fact that because we do it and we do it in real time, real games, you are in that – you’re under those elements, you do it enough that it does – I do think it can help. I do think it helps and I do think our guys, for the most part, look at it as it’s just the next down as opposed to this is do or die, this is the last chance, if we don’t get this, this is – that’s not how they look at it. They look at it as, ‘Well, this is the next down. That was third down, this was fourth down. What’s the difference. We just –‘ So, I do think there is a benefit to that and they understand that, they view it – and they’ve figured out a little bit of who I am over time now. This didn’t just pop up, so I think they have a pretty good grasp of when we’re going to do it, when we’re not. Some games we go in saying that we’re going to be more aggressive than others. Sometimes it just flows that way.”
On if he thinks their fourth down aggressiveness makes teams anticipate they will typically go for it on fourth down: “I do think there is some of that where teams know coming in that they may need to be more aggressive because of the fact that we’re going to be. Yeah, I do think there is some of that, I really do and it does help. I do think it is – when you’re able to do it as much as we’ve done it, it just validates the fact that you’re going to go for it on fourth and you have to decide if you want to play that game with us or not. Because I also know that there are plenty of coaches that are telling their guys, ‘Look, he’s going to mess this up. That head coach over there is going to make a decision that’s going to cost their team and we’ll just stay true to what we do.’ And you can’t argue with that either. There’s no right or wrong to it in my opinion, I just know my right.”
On if he thinks he forces other teams to get out of their comfort zone and go for it on fourth down: “Possibly, yeah possibly, but I think you also know going into the game that you’re probably going to need to be that way. So, I think you probably practiced that and kind of talked about that. So, I think it could have a little bit of an effect, but I don’t know how much.”
On players not being afraid to show their emotions about one another: “I’ve said it all along, this is a special group of guys and we’ve just – I think when you bring in the kind of players and coaches that we have that are made a certain way, you have to be made a certain way or you’re not even coming here anyway. That’s just not who we are. But then, when a majority of us or the biggest collection of these guys have been, I’ll just mention it again, have been through what we’ve been through since ’21 – I mean (Lions QB Jared) Goff and I went through all of that in ’21. (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown, (Lions T Penei) Sewell, (Lions T Taylor) Decker, (Lions C Frank) Ragnow, (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone), and so that’s kind of the – it’s just that we have a whole different perspective on things and we know what it was like when it wasn’t good and the fact that you’re doubted, ‘You’re not good enough, you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re not very smart, you can’t process, you’re throwing the ball out of bounds on fourth down, your coach is a meathead.’ You go through this whole deal, but yet you look at each other and you trust each other. Even in the bad times, you know that you can win with that guy. You can look at each other and say, ‘We’re doing things right, it’s going to happen.’ And they trust it and we all believe in each other, and I think that’s where it all starts and everybody that we brought in are our type of guys and they’ve added to that, they’ve fueled that, and I think they really love the guys they’re next to. I think they really appreciate the guys they are next to, and we talk about it all the time, you come in here, endear yourself to your teammates. That’s big, that’s a big thing for us because if you don’t endear yourself to your teammates, I’m not going to have to do anything, they’ll cut you out of here. And it’s just big, we have a special group.”
On what the bye week will look like for him as someone who eats, sleeps and breaths the game: “I have to drink the game. I’m going to get a little bit of work over the next two days. Like I said, we’ll practice and then I plan on getting out of here a little bit. I’ll have stuff with me and there will be some little things that I’m working on, things I know that I can do better, get better at, things that I want to look at, do my own checklist as it pertains to us like over the last call it five weeks, six weeks. But other than that, I want to spend time with my family and just sit back for a minute and just charge back up and be ready to go.”
On if he saw the reaction that Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn got at the Pistons game last night: “I heard, (Lions Director of Football Communications) Eamonn (Reynolds) told me. It’s awesome. It’s the best.”
On if he expects Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw to return from Reserve/Injured this season: “I do think there’s a chance that we get Rake back. He’s trending the right way too.”
