LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL AND LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 28, 2022
Opening Statement: “Just injuries, practice today, (Lions G) Jonah (Jackson) will not practice. (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) won’t practice, (Lions TE T.J. Hockenson) Hock won’t practice. (Lions WR DJ) Chark we’ll see how he feels. We just did a walkthrough, so we’ll see where he’s at. (Lions WR Josh) Reynolds no practice, (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint no practice, (Lions RB D’Andre) Swift no practice. That’s kind of the – for the most part, the list. But we’re obviously optimistic with Frank, just giving him a breather there. Chark I think will be OK. I think Reynolds will be OK, we’ll take it day-to-day and see where we’re at. Same with Saint, Saint’s really day-to-day. He’s a little farther than Reynolds, but we’ll see. And kind of the same with Swift. Swift and Saint kind of fall in that same boat. So, that’s the list.”
On how not having multiple skill players practice today will impact what they can do this week: “Yeah, that’s kind of today we really went and did what we did last Wednesday. So, that’s why this day’s been pushed a little bit. So, more of a mental emphasis, walkthrough and then, we’ll go out and practice here in an hour and just – we get some timing with the receivers, and (Lions QB Jared) Goff. And then, defensively we’re a little healthy over there. So, we’ll get a little bit more, but it won’t be – we won’t be out there long. So, it’s the same as it’s been and next man up. We’re ready to roll.”
On how much confidence he has in Lions RB Jamaal Williams and Lions RB Craig Reynolds to keep the offense headed in the right direction: “Yeah, real confident. I mean, for the most part (Lions RB D’Andre) Swift was – he didn’t get a lot of work last week, he got a little bit, but obviously he was a little banged up. So, we leaned on Jamaal and he did a hell of a job and Craig will take a little bit more and so will (Lions RB Justin) Jackson. So, it’s a – it’ll be by committee and we’re confident, very confident. Trust those guys.”
On if Lions RB D’Andre Swift is doing better this week in terms of his injuries: “He’s better today. But I mean, it’s still – I’m just putting him in the same boat as (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint as in, ‘Hey, we’ll see where it’s at.’ They’re farther away than (Lions WR) Reynolds is, Josh Reynolds. Swift it had to be significantly better probably to play. I mean, it’d have to be this – the sky’s opened up and the bright light comes out and, ‘I’m good to go, and it feels unbelievable and here we go.’”
On how tough it would be to not have Lions RB D’Andre Swift this week given the success he has had early in the season: “I mean, look it’s certainly – we all know he’s a weapon for us, but I mean we’re prepared for this. We knew it would be hard to get through a full season with him being healthy, that’s just the nature of the position and Swift’s – man, he’s different. And I mean that in a good way. He’s just – that’s the way it goes, and so we’re prepared for this and those backs will do a good job. And we’ll find touches for other guys. I mean, all those guys got to step up. (Lions WR DJ) Chark’s going to have a big week, (Lions TE) T.J. (Hockenson)’s going to have a big week. (Lions RB) Jamaal (Williams)’s got to be steady like he’s been and all of them. Chark and (Lions WR Quintez) Cephus has got to step up and (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf’s going to have a little bit bigger role. So, we just – we spread it around.”
On how the injuries that some of the players are dealing with impact the playbook: “Yeah, it’s not the easiest thing, but you just – you kind of play the odds. And who do we think has the best chance of playing and you start to lean that way with your game plan early. And then, you’re prepared to shift if you need to later. But I think you – for the most part, you go with what your gut tells you with the guys who are going to play. And then, how do we work them into the game plan and give them a chance to have success?”
On where he is in his evaluation of the team’s training processes given the amount of injuries so early in the season: “No, I – look, I don’t feel like it’s something that we did different. I mean, I don’t feel like it’s because of the way that we went about stuff. And I think things happen in this game and I mean, some teams they don’t – they don’t put everybody on these injury reports or – and some of them will practice, they don’t practice. So, I’m just trying to be open and put everybody on here. So, I know it obviously looks worse than maybe it is at times, but we look at everything and it’s not like I’m just blind to the fact that we have injuries. But man, I pay a lot of attention to all that, I look at all the data. We’ve got GPS, we’ve got – the way we train, man, I look at it all and I just – I don’t feel like it’s something that we’re doing at this point. Look, we look and I’m going to continue to look. I mean, I’m not going to just totally turn a blind eye.”
On if there is any reason that there have been multiple Achilles injuries to the defense in the past year: “Yeah, I mean we looked at it last year and we could never find anything that – one way or another. And then, (Lions S) Tracy (Walker) had this one, so that’s a tough one.”
On if the offensive line’s play makes him feel better going into the game despite the amount of injuries to the skill players: “Yeah, I like those guys, man. I think those guys work well together. Our tackles are playing at a high level right now, it’s good to have (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) back, and then (Lions T Dan Skipper) Skip is doing a good job for us. And those guys upfront trust him, they know how to work together and I thought (Lions C) Evan (Brown) stepped up and played pretty good in there at guard. So, it’s a good unit, they’re smart, they know how to work together. Look, you’re going to have some things that come up, but yeah it does, it helps you because you know they’ll – at the end of the day they’re going to be able to hold up and protection. And they understand the run game and they’re smart guys and they’re tough so, and they finish. So, yeah that helps, kind of all starts there. It always started there for us. It always started with the O-line.”
On what the foundation of the defense is that can help turn the unit around: “Well, I think we can be disruptive. When we – when we’re disruptive on first down or second down to get them in third we can be pretty good. Look, I think losing (Lions DL John) Cominsky a week ago hurt because he’s a – he’s kind of a guy who sets up all of our stunts. He’s unselfish and plays hard, and that sets some things up that – but we’re adjusting off of that and we’ve got enough to do that. And there again, I think last week, the thing that was a little tough is we weren’t as disruptive as we’ve been on first and second down. But I do think that we can do those things. We hit a stumbling block last week. But I think that’s the way we have to play. If we can’t get them behind the sticks on first or second down, it can be hard on us just with where we’re at. But I think our defense is going to bounce back this week.”
On what he thinks about Lions DL Alim McNeill as a pass rusher: “Listen, he can – there again, Alim’s got a quick first step and he can push the pocket. If he gets in the edge, he can take the edge and he can also push the pocket, so he doesn’t allow that quarterback to step up. He’s got to have a big week that way with it. But we’ve got a few things in that we’ll use. We’re going to try to maximize what we’ve got over there roster-wise, but I think those guys will step up this week.”
On what he has learned about Lions CB Jeff Okudah over the first three games: “Yeah, I mean the more that you feel like he can get over there and you tell him that, ‘We need you to go play this receiver and, man, just get up there and go compete. Use your ability, be aggressive, finish at the catch point.’ Those are the things he does well. And he’s playing at – he is playing at a high level and he’s got a lot of confidence right now as it pertains to those things. So, from that regard he’s really – he’s really come a long way. And it helps because now you can start to do some things coverage-wise that take pressure off other areas.”
On if he has a plan for how Lions CB Jeff Okudah will be used against the Seahawks’ wide receivers: “Yeah, I’d rather not divulge that this time.”
On how the Seahawks are different without Broncos QB Russell Wilson and what they can do offensively: “Yeah, look it’s still everything starts with the run game. They’re a strong unit there. Man, this O-line will lean on you and I think (Seahawks RB Rashaad) Penny’s one of the better backs in this League. He’s up there, I think this guy’s dangerous. He’s real dangerous, and so, man, he can find the creases, he’s got vision and this O-line will move you. They’ve got some tight ends that’ll block on the perimeter, and so everything starts there, just as it always has. But I think (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith) has done a really good job of rallying the troops, man, you really feel those guys playing for him. And I think he’s got great command of that huddle, and he’s picking up pressures, he’s seeing it, he’s re-IDing his completion percentage has been on point. They’re checking into the right plays versus the right coverage to get explosive plays. I know we say it every week, but this week is huge. If we don’t stop the run and then you let (Seahawks WR DK) Metcalf go, and then there goes (Seahawks WR Tyler) Lockett, that’s where you can get in trouble. So, but I think Geno has really pulled that unit together and it just – they’re playing at a high level right now.”

LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
September 28, 2022
On if there are other players on offense that can pick up the slack if Lions RB D’Andre Swift cannot play: “Yeah, of course. He’s been obviously tremendous for us, but we’ve got guys that we trust. (Lions RB) Jamaal (Williams)’s obviously first up and then, (Lions RB) Craig (Reynolds) and everyone else. But Swift is going to be fine and whenever he’s back we’ll be ready for him.”
On what goes into the leadership role of the quarterback position: “Yeah, hopefully someone that guys can look to when things are bad is kind of what I try to stick with and be that steady voice. And that guy that they can see every day that’s kind of consistent and doing the same thing and can provide clarity when things are kind of chaotic.”
On how the leadership role of the quarterback plays into the games: “Sure, yeah I mean like in last week when it’s loud and chaotic I try to stay as steady as possible and be that constant for those guys and at the same time lead by example when we’re in the building. And just be the best guy you can be.”
On how confident he feels in the offense so far this season: “Sure, yeah I think we all do. But yeah, I’ve got a good feel for it and I think (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s made it easy for us to learn and we’re kind of getting to the point where we’ve ran a lot of things more than once now. So, we can bank reps on it and we know what it looks like and we know what we like, we know what we don’t like. And so, we can kind of move forward a little bit more confidently.”
On if his role changes given some of the starting wide receivers did not practice today and how he operates with different players: “Yeah, it really doesn’t much. Obviously, we may or may not have a couple of those guys, but we’ll see as the week goes. But the guys that would step in I feel comfortable with. I’ve had a lot of reps with all those guys. I think last year, as brutal as it was, there was a lot of valuable reps with a lot of those guys that would potentially need to step in. So, it’s guys that I all feel comfortable with.”
On how much of a weapon Lions TE T.J. Hockenson is to the offense: “Yeah, certainly he should be for us. I mean, he’s a hell of a player and we want to get him involved as possible. He’s a mismatch whenever he’s on the field and he can have a safety on him, a linebacker on him, it’s an advantage for us. So, certainly with guys down potentially he will be a big part of it.”
On what he is seeing from the Seahawks secondary and how dangerous they can be: “Yeah, I think the first guy you see is (Seahawks CB Quandre) Diggs, and I’ve always had so much respect for him, and he’s been such a good player for so long. I’ve played him a handful of times with the Rams and he’s the first guy that jumps out as how good he is. And then, those other guys are young, but they’re playing well and they’re athletic, and they make good plays on the ball and do a good job. And yeah, they’ll be a challenge for us.”
On what he has seen from the Seahawks defense in the redzone and how important it is for the offense to be efficient in that area: “Sure, yeah it’s always important, right? It’s a four-point swing, so it’ll be an emphasis for us definitely this week. I think in my experience playing Seattle, they’ve always been kind of ‘bend don’t break’ mentality on defense. They’ve always been really good in the redzone where they’re looking for turnovers, looking to make plays, looking to stop touchdowns and I’m sure it’s the same this year.”
On what makes a team more successful in the redzone: “That’s a good question. Yeah, often mentality, often just how it’s coached, how it’s taught and typically the coverages are relatively the same around the League. So, it’s who’s executing the best and who is believing in the ‘bend don’t break’ true mentality.”
On how Lions WR Quintez Cephus has looked in practice and their connection: “Yeah, he was doing a good job. Yeah, he was doing a really good job, and if he’s needed this week, I know he’ll be ready to go and a guy I’ve always had a lot of trust in. He always competes for the ball, always is able to make a play on the ball down the field, and it’s always – you’ve got strong hands, runs into traffic. He’s very consistent in that way, and a guy I have confidence in.”
On his connection with Lions WR Josh Reynolds before joining the Lions and now: “Sure, yeah, I’ve had a lot of reps with him, so me and him are comfortable and understand each other and are great at communicating what we want, where he wants the ball, where I want to throw it, and he’s always a valuable guy to have for us.”
On the advantage of playing at home in front of fans against Seattle: “Huge advantage, especially on defense, right? And even for us on offense, just when it’s quiet. It’s a little bit easier, but for us on defense, man, it’s a huge advantage. It allows the offense to – or allows the defense to be able to communicate and the offense not really be able to communicate quite as much. And it’s always – and it’s fun. It’s energy. It’s passion. Big plays happen, turnovers, and it’s all – feeds off the crowd, and it’s fun.”
On if the team has noticed the crowd engagement and noise this year: “Hell yeah, we’ve noticed it. It’s been fun.”
On if he has talked to Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell about him being more vocal with play-call decisions late in the game: “No. He knows – he is hard enough on himself, like we know that he wishes he would maybe have done it differently, and again, if we make the kick and stop them, it doesn’t – I’m sure he has a little bit of a different tune, but I think I was saying that more so like moving forward, I’d like to step in there. And in the right situation, I won’t step in if I don’t think it’s the right decision, but if I do truly believe in it and want to stand behind it, I will.”
On if he has any familiarity with the current Seahawks roster from his time facing them while on the Rams: “Yeah, not much, it’s a completely different scheme now. The overall mentality that they’ve always had is turnovers, and it’s always been something that (Seahawks Head) Coach (Pete) Carroll’s always preached, and I think all the way back to his time at USC is going for the ball. It’s all about the ball, finding a way to get the ball out. We’re aware of that, and they’re good at it, so be aware of that. I think (Seahawks LB) Jordyn Brooks was there when I was in LA. (Seahawks S Quandre) Diggs was there when I was in LA. (Seahawks CB Justin) Coleman was there when I was in LA, but besides that, I believe it’s mostly turned over, but it still is a lot of the same mentality.”
On bouncing back from the loss against the Vikings: “Very important, yeah. No doubt. It’ll be a good one for us to get our feet back underneath and feel good about one hopefully.”
On what factors contributed to the team’s success converting fourth downs: “Yeah, it’s typically good play-calls. They did a good job getting ready for what they were going to do on fourth down. They were playing a lot of man, and we had a lot of good man play-calls and made a few plays down the field.”