November 13, 2025
Opening Statement: “Start off with Philadelphia. I know (Eagles Defensive Coordinator) Vic (Fangio) very well, worked with him at the Niners. Have a lot of respect for him, what he does. He’s been well-renowned in this business for a long time. It was good that he got a Super Bowl for the first time last year, I texted him as soon as it happened. But listen, we’ve got a lot of work to do handling these guys up front, that’s the biggest thing. Their rush, their front. Man, they really get after it. It was the same thing when I was in San Francisco, we had a great front seven. That’s what he really relies on. They don’t do a lot of stuff, they really rely on that front. The backend, they do a really good job, they’re really disciplined. They don’t do a lot of stuff, so they know exactly what they’re doing. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
On how the conversation with Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell went when he decided to take over offensive play-calling last week: “I’m not going to say exactly how it went down because that’s private, but I fully support it. Listen man, I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers, so I’m used to that. I feel very prideful, the things that I was doing. There are some things that I’ve got to learn no doubt, just like everybody else. Listen, I want to do whatever it takes to win. As soon as he said it, I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go. What have we got to do?’ That’s the way I’ve always been in this business. I’ve been cut six times, I’ve been fired. Man, you just march on, because it’s always about the team, it always is. It’s not about me, goals and this and that. No, the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl. So, I didn’t even blink twice, because I know my role here. The only thing that’s changed is that he’s calling it on game day, everything else is still the same. So, I don’t blink twice when things happen in this business. You always expect the unexpected and then you move on, that’s the way I’ve been taught, that’s the way I’ve always done it. So, I like where we’re at. I mean, I’m going to help him as much as I can, just like I did last week during the game. Getting the feel of how he does things, how they’ve done it here. And that’s good, I need to see that. And I’m helping him with things that he doesn’t – because he doesn’t call plays a lot, and neither have I. But I tell you what, the collaboration that we have, we always have great communication. Every day we always talk, and it’s been great. It’s been great. And like I said, man, I just move forward. I just want to win, I’ll do whatever it takes to help this team to win. So, I have a role, I know what it is. And if he wants me to be ready again, I’ll be ready. That’s the way I’ve approached it. Because I’ve always approached every game – I’ve helped (Broncos Head Coach Sean) Coach Payton on game day, and (former Raiders Head Coach) John Gruden, I’ve helped them on game day. So, I’ve always approached the game like I’m calling it, that’s the way I’ve always done it. I’ve always prepared like a coordinator. So, I think that’s helped me, and I continue to do the same stuff.”
On how much he respects Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell for approaching him head-on: “We always talk about it. I think it’s great, because there’s things that maybe – he’s always asking me questions. I’m really heavily in the passing game, obviously, and then I help him. In the run game, I have questions. Just that communication every single day, along with (Lions QB) Jared (Goff), man, it’s just been awesome. It’s been awesome. Like I said, man, I don’t blink. Let’s just go on, we’re moving on. How do we beat Philadelphia? What’s the best way of doing it? And we just keep marching forward, man.”
On how he will approach the rest of the season knowing he could be asked to start calling plays again: “I observe what’s going on during the game, and I just prepare like I’m doing it. Like I did last week, I‘m preparing like I’m calling the game. Because in the game, I’m like, ‘OK, you’re getting this, you’re getting that, OK be ready for this.’ I help him with that. So, I’m approaching it like I’m still calling it. And then I’m kind of watching how he does things a certain way to get in the flow. There was a good flow last week. The players felt it too. So, that’s me observing that and looking at that.”
On if there is a process that he can take away from observing another play-caller: “I don’t want to go into it, give the opponent something now, but I can see certain calls, set up, this and that. That’s the thing that I’m learning a little bit. How they’ve done it here, which has worked really well. And I’m not saying – I tried to do that, but I can see how it goes. That’s the biggest thing I caught from it.”
On what it looks and feels like to him to be in an offensive flow: “Well you saw it last week. And for one series, we had all first downs. I talk about CFL football. For a second it wasn’t even that, it might have been Tecmo. You can feel it. It’s just first down, second down, first down, second down, first down, second down. And we had those moments this year, but it’s just like everything was clicking last week. I just thought that was really cool seeing that. And the players feed off of that. So, that’s the thing I’ve learned from it. Because when I was calling it, I’m like, ‘OK, you want this, you want that?’ So, I’m waiting at times for a call at times. Now, (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell)’s just calling it, and then he’ll say, ‘Give me a pass, what are you thinking?’ And boom, I’m ready. During a game, I’m ready. I’m ready, whatever the down and distance is, whatever it is, I’m ready for the pass. As soon as he says, I’m giving it to him. So, that’s kind of how I’m approaching it.”
On how he is still positive despite having one of his responsibilities taken away from him: “I’m still doing everything, but I’m not calling the game. So, you always have to be positive. It’s not about me, it’s about the team. It always is. I keep saying that, but it really is. I want to do whatever it takes. Why mope around so players can see that? What good does that do? To me, that’s the way I’ve been taught, just growing up and the coaches that I’ve been around, you always be positive. You do whatever it takes to win the game and to prepare the team. And that’s what I’m still doing, because then it’s about me if I just mope around and players see that. I’ll never do that. Never.”
On if there is a shot to his pride for his play calling responsibility being taken away: “No. I don’t see it. That’s just like, ‘OK, I was a starter and now I’m not. OK, what do I have to do to become a starter again?’ Someone tells you you’re demoted, you’re not going to be here anymore, you’re going to work for high school games. What are you going to do? You’re going to keep fighting. Right? That’s what we do. That’s what the Lions do. This organization’s been awesome, and they live off grit, adversity, fighting through it. That’s me. Like I said, my dad worked for GM for 30-something years. I saw him work on the assembly line forever. So, that’s all I know. Like I said, I was cut six times as a player, been fired plenty of times, what have I got to do to get better? That’s the way you approach it, that’s the way we tell our players. Player loses his starting position, what is he going to do? He’s just going to mope around and quit? No, he’s not, because we don’t hire guys like that. Or we don’t draft players like that. We hire guys that are fighters and will do whatever it takes.”
On if he has seen an increase in teams double covering Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and how that can open things up for other players: “Yeah, we’ve been seeing it. And they’ve also doubled (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo at the same time, a couple teams have done that. Every team’s different. Some people do it, some people don’t, some people play zone and double it that way, or they cloud. Last week, we didn’t really see any of that. I mean, we were taking advantage of what they were doing, it was pretty simple. But yeah, we know that going – usually it happens on third down, right? So, that’s my job to figure out ways, OK, how do I get him open a certain way? And I love that. I love the game planning aspect of that, I live for this week. I live for it because it’s a little chess match that you play to get guys open, and then you show them this is why we’re doing this, ‘OK, you’re going to get doubled. Well let’s do this, so you can’t.’ There are certain ways to do it. Like I said, I’ve done it for a long time. When I’m looking at how to get guys open, I’m thinking of all the plays and guys I’ve been around, how we’ve done it, the coaches I’ve been around. I just love that whole aspect of just the grind during the week and figuring out things. And then game day, they go and make it work, and it’s cool when it does work. Every once in a while, they get you.”
On Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and how he has seen him evolve over the years: “He’s been the same, I’m just telling you. You can be the same. And that’s the way Vic has been. I mean, there’s been plenty of guys – Vic has this tree of these certain coordinators, they all do the same thing. That’s why I say he relies on the front. I mean, these guys get after it and they make it tough. It’s hard to get big plays against these guys. But the way the gameplan is set up, we’ll see what we can do. If it’s there, we check the ball down, we move forward. He’s always been – they’ve always gotten a lot of turnovers, and that’s something that they haven’t done this year. Because he’s always been a top team when I was at the Niners. Best defense, why? Because they got a lot of turnovers. Wherever he’s been, they’ve gotten a lot of turnovers. That has not been the case, and we do a really good job protecting the ball. But Vic does what he does. Are there going to be a few wrinkles? Yeah, there’ll be something. When you look at the prior games and stuff, there might be, ‘Oh, well maybe we should do this if they didn’t fix that.’ But that won’t be the case.”
On if it is frustrating for him to not see his preseason initiatives such as deep ball plays and 21-personnel packages come to fruition yet: “No, it’s not tough. I mean, we’ve done it. Defenses play our packages differently sometimes, so you can’t do it. We’re not just going to go out there and bang our head against the wall. We don’t get a certain defense versus a certain personnel grouping, there’s no reason to do it. I mean, that’s what you do. So, what do they do? What do they do with this personnel grouping? OK, let’s do this. It’s not like we’re trying to take shots. And we’ve had some. We’ve had someone else calling the plays. So, it’s just about what the defense is doing, guys, and how the progression goes, and how (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) sees it. If it’s not there, we check the ball down. We’re not going to force a ball. So, we’ve had those packages. We’ve had plenty of packages. They’re always in, guys are always ready for it. But if they’re playing something different, we’re not going to do it.”
On what type of value Lions RB Craig Reynolds and Lions RB Sione Vaki bring to the run game: “Good question. When those two guys are in – you’re talking about when they’re in at the same time or just when they’re in? Some defenses, like if that back is in, they’re thinking this. They think that way, and that’s what we have to figure. But we don’t look at it like that, our backs can really do everything. So, we just move forward with Vaki and Reynolds. They’re always ready in case they have to show up. They do a good job in practice, they’re veterans, they’ve done this. There are certain runs that we want this guy to do and that guy to do, but really both our backs, they can just do it all. That’s a cool thing to have so the defenses can’t catch up on that.”
On who in his life taught him to have a positive mindset: “Like I said, my dad, he worked all the time on the assembly for 30 years. I mean, you work on an assembly line, that’s pretty tough. He didn’t want to elevate. He just wanted – because that’s all he knew was just the grease and everything, but (former Raiders Head Coach) Jon Gruden, that’s all I’ve learned. I’ve learned everything through him and how you approach the game and your team and how you prepare. Everything’s been through him, and that’s what he’s always told me. So, he’s just like, ‘Man, if you’re ever freaking sick, you just fake it. You don’t ever let them know. You’re miserable, you’re in a bad attitude, you don’t ever let them know.’ Because the players feed off of you, just like we all feed off (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell). We all feed off Dan. If he just went up there and was like, ‘OK guys, let’s make sure we go win.’ No, that’s not what you want. That’s what the head coach should do, he’s a leader. That’s all I know. Like I just said, I know I’m saying the same thing over and over. All that matters is the team. I mean, (former Michigan Football Coach) Bo Schembechler said it back in the day, right? It’s always about the team, it’s always about the team. It’s not about individuals, it’s about us together. So, how do we do that? Let’s fight, whatever we’ve got to do to make this thing work, that’s what we’re going to do. Because the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, and the only way you’re going to win a Super Bowl is if you win it as a team. That’s it. It’s not individuals, it never has been. So, that’s the way I’ve approached it. (Broncos Head Coach) Coach (Sean) Payton, he taught me the same thing. The people skills I learned with Coach Payton have just been awesome, and (Raiders Head Coach) Pete Carroll when I was at USC. And that’s a lot of pretty good coaches right there. Each one of those guys has their strengths that I’ve kind of learned from, which is a cool thing to be around those guys and watch them and see how they do things. But the way Dan makes this team work, the way the look at him, man. It is really awesome, man. He’s got it. He’s got it. The players feed off of that, and it’s really cool to see that.”
LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR KELVIN SHEPPARD QUOTE SHEET
November 13, 2025
Opening Statement: “Alright, quick recap of the Washington game. So, obviously it was a great team win. It was a collective effort, all three units. But again, I left that game – and again, I try to kind of glass half full. I want to be appreciative of every win, but I left that game feeling like we should’ve played a more dominant brand of defense than we did. And I know I said that coming out of the Vikings game. And there’s a lot of things we did do well, starting with the run game. We knew going in Washington was going to make the concerted effort to run the football, just like we’re dealing with again this week, and I think we had them right around 3.4 per attempt which is good run defense in this League. Still some runs in there that I would like to have back but that is what it is. It’s the pass game that we’ve got to clean up. Giving up these explosives that shouldn’t be there. I’d say these 50-50 balls, that’s the thing that has to improve upon the back seven linebackers and especially the backend. When the ball’s in the air traveling over 30 yards, it has to be our ball. And that’s the mentality I want our DBs to take on, and I know they will because I know who coaches that room. On third down, they were two-of-10, 20 percent – that’s a really, really good day. Excellent job, that’s a collective effort front and backend. But it’s the fourth down that has to improve – critical situations, critical moments in the game. It’s now two weeks in a row where we need to stand up and make those plays. All three touchdowns came off of fourth down conversions in the Washington game. Had a fourth-and-1 in the low red, (Lions DB) Avonte Maddox was there at the point of attack. Bang-bang play, he has to find a way to make that play. Fourth-and-3, inexcusable mental error. Got (Commanders WR) Deebo Samuel (Sr.) a route we’ve practiced since training camp. Everybody runs that route. Inexcusable to give up that touchdown. And then fourth-and-5, my man (Lions CB Arthur) Art Maulet – I told you I’d put him right back there in that situation. I mean that was déjà vu because it was damn near the exact same route, exact same everything. But I felt like he was in even better position this time and Deebo made a phenomenal catch behind his back. But I told Art – and he knows this, ultra-competitive guy. I told not only Art, I told the whole room, ‘Being in position, that’s good in training camp. That’s good maybe Week 1, Week 2, Week 3. But where we’re at right now in this season, being in position isn’t good enough. You’re paid to be in position. Now, you’ve got to go make those plays in critical moments in games like we’re getting ourselves into. The down – this back stretch of November, December, January, you have to make those plays because that will dictate the outcome of the game.’ So, a lot of good to take from it but also a lot to learn from, which I know our guys will. I can tell you by the way they practiced yesterday – it was outstanding. Attention to detail, guys understanding the waters we’re going into this weekend. And I’m looking forward to it.”
On what he sees from Philadelphia’s offensive line and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley: “Yeah, probably one of the most violent units I’ve seen, as far as the offensive line. Obviously coached by one of, if not, the best – no slight to (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line) Hank (Fraley), they’re right there at 1A, 1B, whatever you want to call it. But (Eagles Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Jeff Stoutland) Stout is the man and it’s for a reason. You turn on the tape – I talk to you all about this all the time, everybody wants to say, ‘What makes a good coach?’ You’ve got to turn their players’ film on and that’s what makes a good coach, not somebody that could stand up here and give a dissertation about their scheme and their schematics. Let me see what your players do when I turn the tape on. And his players have performed at a high level and always have and they still are. I don’t care about the numbers and what they say, I know what that tape says. And if you give 26 a lane, he’s going to find it and he has homerun ability. He’s one of the most elite backs in this League, in this game and that has been. He’s a generational talent – we have one that we see every day in this building here with (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs and he’s in the same boat, same territory. So, we understand it’s a tall task, but it’s one that I’m looking forward to see up front stand up to, to really see where we stand as far as the physicality standpoint, gap integrity standpoint. You have to be gap-sound against this running back because like I said, he’ll find it and he’ll hurt you if he finds it.”
On what has been the heart of the team’s success on third- and fourth-and-1 situations: “The players. Has nothing to do with scheme, it’s the players. When you talk about the game of inches, they take pride in it and they’ve thrived in those situations. But I credit the players and it starts with that interior. (Lions DL) DJ Reader, you turn on all of those, he’s a force, you can’t move him. (Lions DL) Tyleik Williams, (Lions DL) Roy Lopez – who by the way popped off the tape. You talk about a guy popping off the tape and making the most of your opportunities. That’s why I say, ‘Don’t sulk and feel sorry for yourself. No matter if you get five or 50 plays, what are you going to do with those?’ And he got 12 and I felt him on all 12 and he popped. So like I told the room, when you pop off the tape like that, your role’s going to expand. And it’s up to the guy to look next to you and say, ‘We play the same position and his role’s expanding, so what’s happening with mine?’ And that’s what you want. That’s when you talk championship-caliber defenses. It’s that type of conversations that, ‘How are we going to get this guy on the field? How are we going to do this because of the way they’re playing?’ And that breeds competition within the season and that’s what we have right now.”
On when Lions DL Roy Lopez first caught his eye as someone who could fit with the team and defense and what he likes most about what he adds to the defensive line: “When we played Arizona and I heard the way that (former Lions C) Frank Ragnow talked about him. Kind of a guy that we’d never heard of. If I’m being honest, I never really knew much about Roy until we played the Cardinals. And when I heard (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line) Hank Fraley and Frank Ragnow say, ‘That dude’s real and that’s one of the best noses I’ve gone against this year.’ And it’s like, ‘Woah, who are they talking about?’ And you turn on his tape and you turn on the Arizona tape, he doesn’t – nose tackles don’t get a lot of praise and that’s what he played primarily in Arizona was straight nose tackle over the center and he wore him out. He doesn’t get the credit that he deserves as far as his athleticism and his first step quickness I think that you guys got to see on display in Washington. But yeah, he’s been phenomenal and you’re talking about ultra-team guy, selfless. He doesn’t care if he plays one or 50 snaps, he’s going to make the most of his opportunities.”
On how Lions DL Tyleik Williams has responded to his diminished role in the last couple of games: “Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s diminished. I think he understood what he was getting himself into when he was drafted and what it would look like when (Lions DL) Alim (McNeill) came back. So, I don’t think he’s surprised by any stretch. We’re completely transparent here. It’s no knock against him. But I would like to see Tyleik play more with what he was doing early in the year. Now, I’m not saying he’s Warren Sapp or anything by any stretch. It’s a lot of growth with him and he knows where I need him to continue to grow and strive. But he should be playing more than eight to 10 snaps, and we’ll make sure that happens. But at the same time, you don’t want to just start keeping rep counts and tally sheets. That’s what I tell everybody, don’t get into that business. We’re going to go with the guy that’s kind of hot that day. And if that’s (Lions DL) Roy (Lopez), well Roy’s going to play more. If that’s (Lions DL DJ) Reader, Reader’s going to play more. If that’s Alim – and then that’s how we operate here and always have. We don’t try to please anyone. We’re going to please this team and do right by this team and that’s going with the best guy on that day.”
On how good the organization is about acknowledging the stakes of playing in a game against a team like the Eagles: “Yeah, I just think it’s from a standpoint of – I’ll tell you what I was taught and continue to learn from our head coach, is that you better treat them all the same because that’s how you end up walking away from games, ‘How did we do that? How did we lose that game?’ But I’ll also be kidding you to say that we are not aware that we’re walking into the Super Bowl Champions’ house. They’ve won a lot of games the last three, four years and there’s a standard that’s been set over there. Walking into that stadium – Lincoln Financial – is going to be an explosive atmosphere and you want to see how your players respond in those situations. But for me, it’s not just the players. I want to see how our coaches respond whether we go in there and go up three touchdowns or we fall into an adverse situation when you’re playing an elite opponent like this across the board. O-line – there’s no deficiency in their team, so that’s why you say it’s kind of different. There’s no deficiency – show me what it is. So, when you’re dealing with something like that on the road, I think that’s what adds a little more to it. You kind of want to see where you really stand in these hostile moments, so now when you get into January it’s no surprise to you or your players, the staff of what you would do in those situations. So, I think that’s more the excitement, not that this game is different than the Vikings game or that game’s different. I think it’s just the situation dictates kind of the circumstance of why this is a tick bigger.”
On how he has taken an off-field coaching role with Lions CB Terrion Arnold and what conversations they have had: “Oh, he’s upright as ever. A little too upright for me for not playing this week. But I say, ‘You’re not practicing. Why are you so excited today?’ That’s just him, seriously. Kind of little brother, father figure, whatever you want to call it. He’s given me no choice but to take that role on and I love him. The thing I love most about him, seriously, is that I challenge that player and I challenged him publicly and a lot of guys can’t take that. And I know he’s one that can because of the relationship we have. He knows I’m not being demeaning towards him. I’m being very demanding though because I see something in him. I see what he can be and I fully expect him to not only reach that, but usurp it and I think he will. But he responded. You look down, he had a play in the tight red – probably my most proudest play. His coverage speaks for itself, but I told you the part of the game I was looking for. And you look down in the tight red, they ran a sweep to him, he had a blocker on him. He beats the blocker and goes under to make the play. That was probably my most proud play in that game with Terrion. A player that’s responding in an adverse situation – coach calling me out. He could take that so wrong and go down in the dumps, but he did the opposite. So, I’ll be very excited knowing when I get that player back. And it’ll also be good to see him finish a game here. But, no, I love Terrion. He’s doing a phenomenal job and (Lions Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs) Deshea (Townsend)’s continuing to develop that player each and every day.”
On how he see Lions EDGE Josh Paschal fitting into the defensive rotation when he gets back on the field: “Yeah, just another player that can help us. Like I said, it’s about to be fun when the rabbit gets the gun back. Where a guy – I’ve got (Lions EDGE Marcus) Davenport out on the grass, when I look up and see (Lions CB) D.J. Reed, I see Paschal out on the grass, I see (Lions S) Kerby (Joseph) progressing on the grass. Listen, this is no slight to anybody we’ve had up, but those guys have played a lot of ball for us. I know exactly what Paschal brings to the table. I know exactly how he can help us. And like I told him a month ago, as soon as he’s available, he’ll be right back plug-and-play exactly where I see fit for him. And you guys just got to wait and see where that is.”
On how long he has been wanting to call the Lions defense against the Eagles offense: “I think last time we played them I think it was 2022 Week 1. So, I really haven’t had any thoughts really. Obviously, the past couple of years there’s been kind of early conversations because once you get into postseason, you’ve got to try to start to plan for who it could be for your breakdown guys and things like that. So, it’s been things that pop in mind, so to say. But all I remember is the last time we played these guys, I think they ran for over 200 yards. So, I’m just really, really excited for the opportunity of our guys to go out again. It’s a great litmus test for us. A dominant front they have, a dominant running back and to see where we stand as far as the front seven in the physicality department this Sunday night.”
On what he is noticing from Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein since his return: “Oh, even before he was back the paragraph texts he sent after the game and, ‘Just thrilled to have the opportunity to be coached by you guys.’ I mean he’s a very unique individual from a standpoint of I don’t know if he’s ever had a bad day. I’m serious. It’s unbelievable. His energy’s contagious, almost comes off at first – people saw him at the Combine yelling before the drill – like is this fake? Is this – is he seriously being serious when he says, ‘Coach, I absolutely love you. No, I’m serious.’ I’m like, ‘Love you too?’ But he’s serious, he means it. The kid’s passionate, he’s appreciative of these opportunities that he’s getting afforded. I mean this kid, again, six years ago he had no idea he would be living this kind of dream of his. He thought it was out of the realm of comprehension that he could be in the NFL. So, it just reminds you – that guy reminds me to appreciate each and every moment, don’t take things for granted. And it’s good to have that type of energy back around the guys and in the locker room.”
On if the intangible energy that Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein brings is a boost to the unit: “Absolutely. The guys love (Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein) Hass. He does a great job and I know the O-line is looking forward to him getting back out there giving them those dynamic looks.”
On the most hostile road environment he played in during college or his professional career: “In college, 2010, Auburn, against Cam Newton probably. It was a huge game. Huge, huge game. It cost us the championship.”
LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET
November 13, 2025
On getting Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez back and what his presence could mean for the special teams unit: “He’s a great player, or has been a very good player on teams, I’ll say that for sure. Anytime you get a good player back, that obviously helps the whole group. So, it’ll be good. The better player that’s out there, the less load everyone else has to carry. So, it helps pass the load or share the load around.”
On his first return to Philadelphia since being a coach there: “Yeah, it’ll be incredible. I mean, I love the place. It was an incredible experience there, I was there for eight years. We have a lot of friends, my kids spent a lot of their childhood years growing up there. They love it, they’ve got a lot of friends there. We had a lot of success as a team, individually also for us on special teams, so that was good. And then obviously winning the Super Bowl, incredible. So, going back there will be epic, I can’t wait. I’m fired up. I look forward to being on the other side of it, just to see that side of it too. Those fans are incredible, they’re very fanatic and passionate about the game, and they’re very manageable too. So, it’ll be fun.”
On how his life changed after being a part of the team when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII: “I don’t know, I think those people will appreciate you forever no matter what there when you win it. That’s what we’ve got to make sure we find a way to get done here. But yeah, I mean, it was great. I don’t know if it changes a whole lot for me individually other than you know deep down at the end of the day, it’s probably a reward maybe more than anything for my parents, the sacrifices and commitment that they made to helping get me through high school and junior high school and all that stuff. Maybe they feel like, ‘Hey, he actually did something.’ And it was worth all the struggle that they went through. Other than that, I have one ring. So, I have three kids, one of them gets it. We’ve got to get two more so we can give them each one.”
On how the special teams unit adapted from the Vikings game to the Commanders game: “Vikings to Commanders, some good some bad. Obviously, some of the same things showed up. We had the low trajectory kick, we really had two of them in the Washington game, one of them that got blocked. So, obviously something we have to get fixed. I think I’ve said every year since (Lions K Jake) Bates has been here, that he’s going to have some ups and downs. We really haven’t seen the downs so much. We’re seeing them right now a little bit. At the end of the day, I think that anytime you’re in a situation like this, this game will humble you. But in a situation like this, it gives you an opportunity to grow and get better. And I think he’ll do that, probably in multiple ways. Maybe a little bit of technique stuff, also mindset stuff. I think 15 years down the road, he’ll probably look back and say, ‘It was good for me, it made me better.’ So, he’s got to attack that the right way and he’s got to respond obviously and get better. I’ve got to help him out, certainly my job too. I do know this, he is a great player. I won’t waiver one bit with him. It’s hard to find good kickers in this League, and he’s certainly one of those. So, we’ve just got to work through it together and come out on the other side of it. So, that wasn’t great, obviously. I thought from a coverage standpoint – it’s interesting. It drives me crazy when you see the ball get past the 40-yard line when you’re covering a kickoff, but I would say also because of that – and I’m certainly not making any excuse, it’s definitely not my standard, I would tell you that for sure. I like the ball inside the 30, but their drive start at the end of the game was at the 28-yard line. To me, that’s the most important thing, probably at the end of that play. Well, there were only three other teams that had a better drive start around the League after that play last week. And then if you look at on the season, I think the fourth-best team on drive start, their drive start is the 28-yard line. So, ultimately, you’d say like that performance was actually top four in the League or something like that on that day, even though the ball got past the 40-yard line. And then you look more into the numbers at that, and you see that, ‘Well, there’s actually like 90 of those things that have crossed the 40-yard line.’ So, 30 teams, 32 teams, that’s three a team on average. So, this is happening. And then you go through and you see, ‘Well, it’s happening to a lot of people or most people.’ So, I’m not saying it’s normal, but the play’s a volatile play. A long time ago, I was coaching 2004 at the University of Nevada, and this coach said to me, ‘Is perception reality or is reality reality?’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean? I don’t really know.’ Well, I think our perception of the kickoff is the old play. And on the old play, if the ball came back past the 35 or something, you would say, ‘Hey man, that wasn’t very good.’ On this play, I hate to say it, but there’s a lot of them that do that. So, it’s a volatile play. We’ve got to find a way to cover it up and do a better job and not letting it get so far down the field. At the end of the day, I think this play’s different than what the kickoff used to be, and it’s happening to everybody a little bit. So, overall, you look at it and say, ‘Well, the performance was better than you thought, or your gut felt.’ Certainly, mine at the end of the play. And I’m definitely not making an excuse, but at the same time you’ve got to dive down into it and find out what is going on and what is normal for this play. And I think normal is different than what it used to be.”
On the strategy of kicking the ball out of bounds after penalties and if that is something that needs to be looked at to change to force a kickoff: “I feel like the League looks at the rules, and then we just play by whatever they make. But the rule on the play is if the ball goes out of bounds, provided that it’s out of bounds further than 25 yards down the field from where the ball is kicked, then the placement of the ball would be 25 yards from where the ball’s kicked. So, we kicked it past the 25-yard line out of bounds, and we were kicking off from the 50. So, then that puts it at the 25. Had we kicked the ball out of bounds, let’s say at the 30, then the ball would have gone to the 30. So, if you’re short of the line, it doesn’t matter but if you’re further than the line. So ultimately, it’s like 25-yard drive start and there’s not a lot of risk to it, obviously. You eliminate the risk. Some people are finding a way on that kick to get the ball down on the ground, so if they can get a touchback to the 20, something like that, or recover it and tackle the guy. But for us, the best play with (Lions K Jake) Bates is to kick it out of bounds.”
On how much he appreciates Lions LB Jack Campbell’s contributions to the special teams unit: “He’s awesome. He’ll do whatever it takes. Obviously, I think he knows. First two years, he played for us on punt. He was out there on every punt as he was growing as a linebacker. And then really second year starting as a linebacker, he’s still playing on punt. So, he’s been great. He plays on that, (Lions LB Derrick) Barnes really plays on punt for us this year. So, we have a number of guys that have to play. Ultimately, we only have so many, so everyone’s got to take a role. But the great thing about him is he does it, he has a smile on his face, he’s trying to be great at it, and really helps. And he helps our unit. I always feel like if they start at the 35 after the kickoff, that’s good. But they get one first down against your defense, well now it’s at the 45. Well, I mean, what’s the difference between giving up that 10 yards on defense or giving up that 10 yards on special teams? But it’s the same thing. We’re all fighting for yards on every play, whether it happens in one phase or the other, to me it really doesn’t make a difference. So, ultimately, you really should be putting your best players out there to help your team the best you can. Field position’s important.”
On if Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell is good about being real about the stakes of certain games: “I don’t know that we talk a lot about the stakes or he talks about the stakes, but I think he talks a lot about each individual opponent. And he articulates very, very well exactly what it’s going to take to win that game. And whether that’s – in all three phases, really, and then within all three phases, how it’s going to go down, what type of temperament, mentality, attitude we have to have. So, he’s incredible with predicting what’s going to go down in the course of a game.”
On what it is like when you are facing a team like Philadelphia and the stakes surrounding it: “Yeah, I’ll let him answer all that stuff. But yeah, I’ll stay out of that.”
