LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
December 22, 2025
Opening Statement: “Alright. So, Minnesota, short week. These guys have won three in a row, finding ways to win. Playing really good defense and controlling the ball over there offensively, a little more ground and pound and play-action. So, got our hands full, but that’s what we’re charged with. Next one up.”
On the point of emphasis when you play an opponent twice in a season: “Well, we had some penalties that killed us. We had a lot of MAs, and we turned the ball over. Had a blocked field goal. So, there were a number of things we did in that game that were self-induced. So, we’ve got to be really disciplined, play disciplined football on the road. It’s going to be loud there, and the things we can control, we have to control. Let’s take care of that, and then we can play Minnesota.”
On the severity of Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s knee irritation: “Not sure. We’ll know more a little bit later, but this was just something that just popped up when he came in today. So, hopeful this is something – some type of irritation from the game. That’s what I’m hoping, but I’ll know more later. I’ll know more tonight.”
On why the run game was not clicking yesterday: “Yeah, there were a couple of them that were – schematically didn’t give our guys a chance there. One of them, they run it down backside, can’t get away from that one. And then it was our execution, and we just kind of took our turns with how that went. As you guys know, I think you know, it takes all 11 guys to get the run game going. Everybody’s got to be on par. One time it’s one player here, whether it’s in the O-line or at another spot, it’s not just there. The backs are involved, receivers, tight ends. So, we just kind of took turns with – whether it was some of the combinations or we’re not honoring the ID, or maybe it’s not the right read. But yeah, there were a couple in there. Wish I could have had the calls back, couple of calls back.”
On what goes into the decision of playing a guy that is not at 100 percent injury-wise: “I think it’s the type of injury. What is that, and can it get worse, significantly worse? Of course, there’s a chance for it to feel worse but is it structurally – are we talking about something that’s going to be a career ender if we keep playing, well that’s totally different. But the things where it’s not going to have that type of effect – doesn’t mean it won’t feel good but you feel ready to go, I’m hearing from everybody that you’re healed, you’re 100 percent healed, and now it’s just about getting your feet back under you, you’ve just got to play. They’ve done all they can do, and all you can do now is play the game. And that’s the best thing for you to get you back. So, as long as we check the box on all those, we try to make it go.”
On how he can explain the way the defense has played over the last five games with a relatively healthy front seven: “As you guys know, the rush and coverage always go together. And we have not worked in unison for a number of plays. We’ve gotten hit on a number of plays. Some of that is – we play a certain style, right? And then if you feel like you’re not executing there, then you try to give some help in areas. Well, I kind of mentioned this last week. When you do that, then you expose yourself and others. And that happened a little bit yesterday, we tried to play with a lighter box, and then we got hit in the run game. Some of them we missed some tackles that showed up. Where we fit, who the support player is, that showed. It’s obviously – it’s too much, man, it’s not sustainable. Listen, you live and you learn. We’ve had some young guys that are getting valuable reps right now, and they’re going to learn from them and grow from them.”
On the team comments about losing their identity and how they can work on getting it back: “Well I’m always going to put that on myself, I’m the head coach. So, I think that comes from me.”
On if he buys into the fact that one game can change the course of a season: “Not necessarily. I mean, there were other games that we were in that we weren’t able to get a grasp of. We had opportunities to get back in that Philly game and we couldn’t close. We were down in the red zone and defense got us the ball back there and we weren’t able to do anything with it. Now certainly we did a number of things wrong against Minnesota game one. I mean, everything you can do wrong in all three phases, we did them and then some. So, that was probably collectively our worst game that we’ve played of the season. And everybody had a hand in that, significant hand in that. So, no, you don’t want those to happen, but it happened. And then at some point you’ve got to find a way to make up for it in another one of those games.”
On his clock management near the end of the first half in yesterday’s game and if there is anything he would have done differently: “It’s hard because I had just told the guys, I told (Lions QB Jared) Goff to tell them to stay inbounds. But then you’re sitting there and you feel like you have a real good feeling of what you’re about to get coverage-wise, and you like the play that you got, so it’s hard not to take the shot. And Goff made a hell of throw, (Lions WR Isaac) TeSlaa. It’s a hell of a play, hell of a catch. So yeah, I mean ideally – man, if you can have both. And so, you do, you weigh it and chose to go for the shot and left a little bit of time out there.”
On if he could have taken the third-down play before the two-minute warning and ran it after the two-minute warning to waste more time: “Yeah, sure. Sure, I think we could’ve done that. Could’ve done that.”
On what he thought about Lions OL Kingsley Eguakun’s debut as a starter yesterday: “I thought it was really encouraging, I really did. For his first game to go out there, I thought he competed, I thought he fought, I thought he played fast. It was very encouraging.”
On how important it is for the team to reimpose itself in the trenches over the last two games: “It’s vital, it’s vital. Because it’s very difficult to control anything if you can’t control the run game. The pass game’s one thing, and nobody likes that either. But if we can’t get the run game in our favor it becomes very, very difficult.”
On what his message to the team was today: “Move forward. We’ve got three days here of practice for these guys to get the mental work, to recover. Make sure they get rest when they leave here and get back to work. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, nobody cares. We’ve got a gameplan ready for them, they’ve got to go out there and digest it as fast as they can and be ready to go, man. Emotionally, psychologically, physically by the time Thursday hits. That’s the message.”
On if he feels that there is a way that the team can reclaim its identity in the final two games of the season: “I think you just do it. You just do it.”
