LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 26, 2025
On how important it is for the offense to be good on first down against the Browns defense: “Yeah, I mean it’s important. You could say it’s important every week, but particularly a defense like this because that’s – the more you get in these, what feel like passing situations, they’ll get after you. They can really cut it loose and with that front four, they play fast, penetrating-style defense. So, they know first down’s big for them, they’re looking for second-and-longs and that’s when they really have a lot of success. So yes, first down’s going to be big for us. We cannot get behind the sticks. We’ve got to stay in the green because if not it’ll be a long day.”
On what the week of game prep looks like when facing a team with a game wrecker like Browns DE Myles Garrett: “Well, they’ve got two game wreckers. (Browns DT) Maliek Collins is a game wrecker too now, he’s playing at a high level. But certainly, Myles is – he’s a guy that you’ve got to pay attention to him because that’s what he’s capable of. So, you have to use a lot of resources to make sure that you’re taking care of business. We’re fortunate here, we’ve got two really good tackles, that’s always going to help. But you still – you’ve got to pay attention to that. You could do everything right for 59 plays and play 60, that’s the one. So, we’ve got to be on point, everybody’s got to do your job. It’s more than just one person, I’m talking about using resources. Then if you are, it starts there and maybe that help works inside out. By helping on Myles, now we’re helping the guard too and then in turn it’s helped the tackle, and then so on and so forth. So, receivers are a big part of it in the pass game. Like you’ve got to outrun the rush, you’ve got to beat man coverage and you’ve got to beat the rush, that’s how fast you have to play. And so, it all goes hand in hand.”
On what makes Browns DE Myles Garrett so special as a player and rusher: “Well, I mean he’s got everything. It starts with his size, his length, his get-off, his flexibility, his ability to bend the edge. So you get a jump, you’ve got length and now you can touch your shoulder on the ground when you turn the corner. I mean that makes it very difficult. And so, he’s got power, he can counter, he’s got everything and so there’s not a weakness. You’re an elite athlete and you’ve got all these tricks and traits and craft and so he’s got it all. I mean that’s the bottom line.”
On the challenge for the young guards Lions OL Tate Ratledge and Lions OL Christian Mahogany when they face Browns DT Mason Graham: “It’ll be good. This guy is – he’s playing at a high level, he has for a number of years. But he just can get an edge and he’s not losing it. So, it’s going to be big for our guys to be fundamentally sound. We’re going to have to adjust to the speed of these guys, that’s why it was big for us to go against Houston in training camp – very similar style. But that’s somebody else we’ve got to take care of. But, like I said, we’ve gotten better every week, our guys have gotten better every week, those guards have gotten better every week, (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow)’s playing pretty good. So, I like where we’re going. I expect us to continue to get better every week.”
On if the routine for Lions T Taylor Decker of being limited in practice and then playing in the game is something that will continue throughout the entire season: “Well, no, we’d rather it not be the case but that’s just the way it is right now. And we’re just trying to get him to where he feels good and feels recovered as much as possible for the game. And it’s the right thing to do right now. And Decker’s giving us what he’s got and we’re all appreciative for that. But we’re just – we want him feeling good for the game and that’s the most important thing right now for him. And we’re fortunate he’s played a lot of ball. He’s played a ton of football, he’s our most veteran player that we have. And so, fortunately, walkthrough reps serve him well. He can visualize it, he can see it, he works his craft out there when we’re going through those and so he’s able to adapt. He’s been pretty good for us the last couple of weeks.”
On how important Lions DL DJ Reader has been for maintaining what he wants to do with the interior defensive line with Lions DL Alim McNeill out: “He’s been big. I mean he’s another one of those – he’s a steady force for us. He’s a consistent, productive player that always – he’s another one of those that sometimes flies under the radar because he does all this dirty work that not everybody sees, I think. But it goes a long way. I mean the things he’s able to do in the run game, but even in the pass game too – he keeps people off our backers and if not, then he’s the guy making the play. And he’s consistent, he’s just consistent and he’s a force in there. And it’s been big, I mean it really has. He’s another one of those players that’s like, ‘Man, don’t ever take that guy for granted,’ because he does a lot of things for us.”
On how he would describe the team’s identity now that Week 3 is done: “Well, and I would say, I don’t know if I can quite get there just yet. I still say we need a couple of weeks here before you really, really know. But I would say it’s trending where we expect it to be, or what we’re looking for. We want to be able to establish the ground game, as always. We want to play-action pass, we want to get it in the hands of our playmakers. But I also think we’ve got to be a chameleon, and that’s kind of our offense. We’re able to play any type of game we need to play and that’s an important trait because not everybody can do that. And every game’s different and you have to play it differently. And no different than your defense – sometimes your defense has got to play a little different depending on the offense they’re facing or the defense across from them. But I like where we’re going, I do. I like where we’re going.”
On how he has seen the Browns offense improve since they acquired Browns RB Quinshon Judkins: “Yeah, well you can tell he’s getting better. I mean there were a couple of runs – it took him a minute, but I think what you saw late in the game, he hit two back-to-back runs. One of them, there was an unblocked defender on the edge and he just made him miss and he took off for whatever, 16 yards and the next one was over 30, 38-yard run. So, you can tell his confidence is growing, the O-line likes him over there and he is, he’s getting better and better. And I am sure they’re going to want to give him the ball and let him go. So, he’s a young, promising player in this League and he’s only going to get better too.”
On how to guard against a letdown game and how he makes sure that the team is fired up to play the Browns after a big win against the Ravens: “Yeah, what we talk about is our standards. We have to play to what we – the way we practice, the way we prepare, the way we play, it’s about our standards. Nothing else matters. And we’re very aware of what’s coming in here. That’s a big win those guys got. They had to fight their way back to get that W and they did everything right at the end of the game to get it done. And they willed that to happen, so they’ve got the fight in them. This defense, I’ve already mentioned, I think is the best that we will have faced. Green Bay was damn good, but this defense is really good. So, we’ve got our hands full over there. And offensively, they’re going to ball control, (Browns QB Joe) Flacco’s seen every look you could see, they’re going to lean on (Browns RB Quinshon Judkins) the rookie. And so, we know what’s coming in here.”
On how he has seen the character traits he seeks in players he acquires show up in Lions OL Tate Ratledge after struggling through Week 2: “Well, what I like is – the thing with young players is, look you’re going to get beat, things aren’t going to go your way. That’s how you get better. We’d all love to say, ‘Well, as you’re kicking ass, you’re going to get better as you grow.’ That’s not the case all the time, it takes a minute. I bring up (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown. It took St. Brown eight games before he really started clipping. I mean he started going, just took off. But he got better and better every week. But what they have in common is he didn’t go down in the dumps, he doesn’t lose confidence, he’s just, ‘I’ve got to go back to work.’ And he’s got everybody helping him. (Lions T Penei) Sewell’s helping him, (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow)’s helping him, obviously (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line) Hank (Fraley)’s coaching him up. And so, he just worries about the work and the fundamentals and that’s how you get better – and don’t get lost in your head, ‘Am I good enough? Is this for me?’ And so that’s what you love and that’s what all those young players that are able to grow and ascend, they have in common. They don’t get caught up in all the other stuff, they don’t lose confidence, they just look at it for what it is. Like, ‘I’ve got to be better with my feet, my get-off’s not good enough, my anchor here, my hands, my releases.’ Whatever that is, and that’s what it is.”
On if he drew inspiration from a play he ran with the Cowboys in 2002 as a backside blocker for the Lions’ toss touchdown play to Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs on Monday night: “That’s an old play. That’s been passed down. That was a (former Cowboys Head Coach) Coach (Bill) Parcells to (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) to me, so that’s been around a while. It’s a good play.”
On an injury update for Lions LB Zach Cunningham: “He’ll be out.”
