LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET November 21, 2022
On the lessons that have carried over from going against different mobile quarterbacks and how they plan to prepare for Bills QB Josh Allen: “Well, they’re all – all of them are a little bit different. Yes, they are mobile, but they’re all a little different and so I think it’s just the emphasis on keeping those guys contained as much as possible is big. (Bears QB Justin) Fields was kind of a whole different set of challenges, but this guy is very much like Fields. Can certainly throw in the pocket, throw on the run, can break tackles, run you over, has a quick release, he’s accurate. I mean, he just – he can do it all. He can do everything and does it very well. So, everything starts with him. We talked about (Giants RB Saquon) Barkley last week, everything starts with this guy. So, to say that you’re going to completely shut that down is hard for any defense, but certainly we’ve got to contain him as much as we possibly can. And I think that a lot of that comes on challenging the perimeter. And there again, a little bit like Chicago we’ve got to – these rush plans – we have to control the rush plans or have a controlled rush plan with him. But they do a lot of things and certainly it all runs through him.” On what it does for the team to have Lions WR Jameson Williams return to practice: “Yeah, I mean I think really I just – I don’t – I think they’re in the mode of, ‘Hey, who’s playing? Who’s next to me? And let’s go.’ And so, they’ll take it as it comes. Jamo’s been around them, he’s been in the meetings and there’s a good rapport. And when that time comes, he’ll earn the respect from his teammates like the rest of those guys have.” On why it made sense to let Lions WR Jameson Williams start practicing this week: “Yeah, just to get him involved, get him around, see where he can go with it. I mean, he’s going to run some routes here in a minute. He and a few of our receivers, we’re going to let them – let them run a little bit and have (Lions QB Tim) Boyle throw to them. And just get his legs under him from a football aspect.” On if Lions WR Jameson Williams will need the full three weeks to prepare to play in a game: “Yeah, it’s a good question. I mean, I think it’s just let’s see where he’s at because really the rehab that he’s done now that even though this is technically not practice if you will it’s more walkthrough mode. But the things that he’ll do starting today out there live are much more football oriented. So, I think we – we’ll just see where he can go and see how fast he can get there.” On how much Lions WR Jameson Williams can help the team realistically given that he is a rookie: “I know this, he can run. He can run. So, and that’s not hard to do. You either got it or you don’t, and he’s got it. So, that – in that regard he can help.” On Lions WR Jameson Williams and the amount of work he has to catch up on: “Yeah, sure I mean there’ll be a learning curve as it is with all those guys. But anything we ask them to do is going to be things that we feel like he does well, and he can help us with that are also – that’ll set him up to have success as well.” On how it was for him to coach in his first Thanksgiving game last season as the head coach and how it has helped prepare him for the game against the Bills: “A lot just because I mean last year it was literally you’ve heard the term that it was – it’s drinking out of a fire hose. I mean, that’s what it was last year, I mean it was – I’ve done it before as a player and as a coach, but not as a head coach. And so, it was – man, it gets on you in a hurry. And so, I do feel like – me personally – is much more prepared for getting us prepared for this week and the coordinators. But there’s no easy way to do it. There’s not. It’s – however you cut it, it’s hard on the players, it’s hard on the coaches. But man, it’s – you just you have to go back to work. And it’s all about the little details like we talk about all the time, but they’ve got to understand that there is no full speed work. It’s not, so everything we get is mental. Coaches got to be on point on minimal sleep and the players have to be on point from – with sore bodies. I mean, that’s – and they’ve got to get themselves ready to go, recover, and be ready to roll on Thursday.” On how long the process is to get prepared for the Thanksgiving game against the Bills: “Yeah, well really, we all were – we all came in last night. So, we got in pretty late, and the assistants pretty much already had a lot of the research done, thoughts, ideas. And they were able to last night begin to present that to the coordinators, and then late into the night at some point you go to bed for an hour or two. And then, you wake up and you start working again and putting it together, and then have a plan ready for the players. Make sure you’ve got everything updated on the iPad, and then there you go. But it’s – whatever you do at this point doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. I mean, there’ll be things – they come in tomorrow that we will have tweaked or even taken out and added some things. So, it’s a little bit different. Normally, your base, your third down, redzone, and so tomorrow will be even more base, with some third down and vice versa. And you’ll just kind of try to spread this all out over three days and some it all the way up until gameday. I mean, they’ll get it in the morning.” On how he splits up the responsibilities among the assistant coaches: “That’s usually how it goes. We a – the coordinators have given everybody assignments on kind of their priorities. So, they’ll have their own areas. But like, (Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs) Duce (Staley) for example would be, yes run game with (Lions Offensive Line) Hank (Fraley), but also screens, things of that nature. And (Lions Passing Game Coordinator/Tight Ends) Tanner (Engstrand)’s got run play-action pass and he’s involved in both areas, run and pass game. But they all have an area that they’ve got to get done.” On if he allows himself to look at the NFL standings: “No. Nope. Nope, I’m not. I mean, that’s – because there again it was, man, we got to enjoy that game on the flight last night and it was done. When I got back here at the office it was already Buffalo, so that would’ve been nice to have a long week to enjoy at least maybe a few hours longer. But that’s the nature of it, man, we’re rolling, we’re going – and none of it matters in my opinion if we don’t win this next one. So, we’re in a good place, the guys understand what – the things that we’re doing that are allowing us to win. And we’ve got to continue to do that, and I know we can’t start thinking other things and get ourselves out of the mold of what we’ve been the last three weeks, how we’ve been. We’ve got to stay the course just like we have.” On if things get more challenging with a player like Bills WR Stefon Diggs on the outside: “It is. It is, he’s a good player, I mean they – listen, this is a talented team and a talented team that’s playing good football. They know how to win, they’ve been in big games, it’s an aggressive defense. Just by the nature of the way they play it’s not a huge pressure team, no pressure, but it’s more just – man, the nature of the disruption that they have. But as far as that yeah, they’ve got receivers and it starts with Diggs. I mean, he is – he’s versatile, he’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s got a vast route tree. And yeah, we’ve got our work cut out for us.” On how important it is for the defense to force turnovers against the Bills on Thursday: “It’s huge. It’s huge, we will a – we desperately will need them. We’re going to need them and look, that’s been part of the secret sauce for us. We are getting them and that’s – and that means we’re turning a corner because we are getting them out. And so, we’ve got to continue that trend and if we can put him in a position to where he feels like he needs to get rid of the ball and we get our hands on it. We have to capitalize, so it’s going to be big for us. It’s been big for us.” On if going on a winning streak manifests itself throughout the building: “I mean, yeah, I think there’s certainly makes everybody feel good. They understand – I think they know what the guy next to them was doing and everybody’s doing their job and you gain confidence. Not only in yourself, but each other and I think it just – it snowballs. It does and it happens with the player to player, players to coach, coach to players, the building, everything. And as long as you just stay true to what you are and what you do every week good things will happen.” On injury updates for Lions C Evan Brown and Lions G Tommy Kraemer: “Kraemer’s getting better. Evan – there again, it’s too close to tell with him. It’s going to be tough on the injury deal this week trying to figure out who will be ready, who won’t.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET November 21, 2022
On being back home at Ford Field after playing in outdoor stadiums the last two weeks: “Yeah, it’s nice. We were joking about that, it’ll be nice to be indoors for now, we’ve got three in a row, and then we’ll have outdoor games after that. But yeah, certainly, cold and windy, tough but you deal with it, and we play indoors here. It’s nice.” On how it felt to throw some passes to Lions WR Jameson Williams in walkthrough today as his practice window was opened: “We didn’t throw the ball today, but yeah, he was involved a little bit and yeah, it’s good to see him out there.” On what Lions WR Jameson Williams can bring to the team once he is able to play: “He’s got so much speed, and he’s got so much ability, and any way that we can end up using him whenever that time is he comes back will give us a boost someway, somehow, however many snaps that ends up being, however many balls he ends up catching. Just having him on the field and having his ability to threaten people vertically and to turn a five-yard throw into a 60-yard gain, that type of stuff, is dangerous.” On if he ever played in a Thanksgiving game prior to last year: “No.” On having a short week to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Bills: “Yeah, shortest week in football, and we’ll be prepared. It’s my second time doing it, and I have a lot of fun doing it.” On when he started watching film of the Bills: “Yeah, on the plane home we’re able to get a little bit of a start on it. I know the coaches were really getting into it all the way through last night, but on the plane home, getting the head start on it, and getting ready for them is a tough, tough opponent. It’ll be fun and a good challenge.” On how reassuring it feels to have Lions T Penei Sewell blocking on the side of the field where Bills LB Von Miller plays: “Yeah, always helpful to have those guys. Both him and (Lions T Taylor) Decker have had such a great year and done such a great job, but Von continues to show up. Over his whole career, it’s really amazing. He’s still doing it at a high level this late in his career, and he’ll be a guy we’ll be aware of.” On using a spin move against the Giants: “Yeah, the spin move. I don’t want to pull it out too often, but when I have to, it’s there.” On what the environment will be like at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day coming out of a three-game winning streak: “Yeah, we were talking about it last night. Yeah, coming off a three-game win streak at home, I know what this game means to the city of Detroit. It’s been here every year, and playing a good opponent, yeah, it’ll be fun. It’ll be really fun, and we look forward to seeing those guys out there.” On what the Bills do well defensively: “They do a lot of stuff defensively. They do damn near everything well defensively. They obviously rush the passer well, (Bills LB) Von (Miller), and a handful of those guys over there, and they’re just extremely sound. I think it’s got to be the top linebacker duo in the :eague if (Bills LB Tremaine) Edmunds is able to play, and (Lions LB Matt) Milano, and on the backend, they’re sharp as well. They’re really sound and do a good job and pressure when they need to and create chaos.” On the defense building confidence after beating the Giants on the road: “Yeah, it’s huge. I think just getting a win against a good team on the road is always a good boost. And yeah, we came into that game, all we heard about was how good they were in the red zone, how good they were on third down. And we said, ‘Well, we’re pretty good in the red zone too, and we’re pretty good on third down.’ And being able to prove that against a good team on the road is a lot of fun, and hopefully that carries over.” On keeping Lions RB D’Andre Swift involved in the game and healthy: “Yeah, I think he knows, and we keep telling him this, but he knows that he’s got game-breaking ability whenever he touches the ball, whether that’s one time a game or hopefully a lot more than that, 10 to 20 times a game. But anytime he touches the ball, he can take it to the house, and he knows that, and we know that, so getting him as involved as we can always helps us and then making sure he stays in it.” | |