LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 26, 2024
Opening Statement: “This is a good opponent coming in. They’re playing complementary football over there right now. A very good defensive team. Really all the main categories, they’re outstanding at. A lot of two safety, get you in third down and they’re outstanding – third and fourth down, I mean they’re tops in the League. Redzone defense, obviously passing defense, they can create pressure up front, so they’re an issue. (Seahawks CB Riq Woolen) 27 out there, (Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon) 21, Witherspoon at the nickel, also plays outside, 99 (Seahawks DE Leonard) Williams, (Seahawks FS Julian) Love, the safety, (Seahawks SS Rayshawn) Jenkins comes down. Anyway, they’re a good unit. (Seahawks LB Boye) Mafe off the edge, I can keep going, I mean they have a good unit over there. Then offensively, like I said, they complement each other well. We would assume (Seahawks RB Kenneth) Walker (III)’s going to be back, he’s a heck of a back, so is (Seahawks SS K’Von Wallace) 24 though, 24 runs hard. Then we know about (Seahawks WR DK) Metcalf, (Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith) Njigba in the slot, and (Seahawks WR Tyler) Lockett is his go to guy when he needs it. And (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith) plays really good football. This scheme is good for him. It allows him to get up there, they do some no huddle and he can see what the defense is doing, get the best play available, calm, cool, collected, and as the game goes on, the longer you keep him in it, let them play with their rhythm. Geno’s going to find it and there’s been some confusion, different areas first three games in where they’ve hurt teams, gotten big plays to Metcalf. So, we have our hands full but we’re looking forward to it. Our place, Monday night, our guys are ready to go, they’ll be ready to go.”
On if not beating the Seahawks in 12 years gets into his head: “No, I wouldn’t say that. I would be lying though if I told you that I don’t know that we’ve lost to them three years in a row. I do know that. So, you get tired of that. You get tired of that after one loss, much less three. But no, I don’t look at that, that gets in our head or that’s some – that’s just you take each game as it comes. It’s a new game, a new year, and you have to play good clean football. You have to play team football, all three phases, and do whatever it takes to win.”
On Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald giving their offense fits as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore and if he can look at last season’s game against the Ravens to see what they need to do: “Honestly, no. That was so bad. Our game plan, really in all three phases, you could burn it by four minutes into that game. It was a waste of a week. You just chuck it right out of the window and we’re out of our game plan. So, there’s certainly things you look at that he did when he was in Baltimore – he’s doing a great job by the way, he really is. He did a great job out there, he’s doing a great job now. It’s one of the reasons they’re 3-0. Like I said, there are a number of things that he has taken that he did there with this team, but also, it’s different players. He’s got different players, different areas, different strengths than what they had in Baltimore. There’s a few things that are a little bit different in the way that they play, but for the most part, the scheme, the philosophy is very much intact. They want to get you in third down and then create issues. That’s where they can get you. Get you in third down and now they’re causing problems, attacking your protections. They have guys that can cover, they’re sticky. So, that’s – we have to be in third-and-manageable. We have to be very efficient, first and second down, and then honestly, I think we have to win the explosive battle. We have to get some explosive on offense, and we have to shut theirs down.”
On how it will feel for the team to play in the black uniforms that he wore as a player: “I like those uniforms. I know our players do too. It’ll be something different, it’s a changeup. Doesn’t mean you’re going to win a game, but I like them. They look good.”
On the differences in identity for the Seahawks when coached by former Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll and now by Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald: “Well, honestly not that much just in the fact that you always knew when you were getting ready for Coach Carroll’s teams, it was everything was built off of defense, and it started there and everything kind of – that was really their foundation and then everything was kind of built off of that. This team’s very much the same way. Now, I will say they air it out more. Now, how much of that is because (Seahawks RB Kenneth) Walker (III)’s been out? I don’t – but they’re throwing the ball. They’re putting it in the hands of (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith) and letting him – and really a lot of it is take what’s there, take what’s there, take what’s there, and then confusion, shock play. Big play like I talked about to (Seahawks WR DK) Metcalf, so they’re willing to take what’s there and buy their time until the explosive shows up and then they hurt you with it. That’s what they’ve done for three weeks. They make them count. So, that’s a little different, but even in that, it still plays – they’re very efficient with it. But I think that you’re still very much in that, ‘Hey man, it’s Seattle, it starts with defense.’ That’s a strength of this team and they’re playing complementary football in all three phases.”
On if this game has higher stakes due to the losing streak against the Seahawks and heading into the bye week: “No, I don’t think this is any – there’s nothing that’s – as a matter of fact, I told the team, ‘Everything’s about one this week. It’s about one and that’s today, one day. It’s about one rep, it’s one week, it’s one game, it’s one win and just focus on that.’ I think we have to get back to honing our craft a little bit. We’re going to do some one-on-ones and pad them up early and then take them off, but just so we get back in the – you start getting in the game plan four weeks and you start focusing so much on the plan. Sometimes you forget about the fundamentals. You don’t mean to, it just kind of – so this is a way to refocus ourselves, get back to the craft of what we do, the one-one-ones, running routes, covering, one-on-one pass pro in protection up front with the backs, tight ends, all of that. So, that’s the focus.”
On if he sees any quirks in Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense coming from coaching college to the pro level: “No, not necessarily. There are some things, and yes, I’m glad there’s three games. You are glad there’s three games, but nothing that necessarily is too quirky. There’s a few things they do and some of it comes in no-huddle to where they – if they feel like they can get a beat on you to figure out what you’re doing coverage-wise, it’s a little unique, but yet it’s not. A lot of teams will – you’re just trying to find ways to figure out what the defense is running against you. But no, I would say all-in-all, he’s doing a hell of a job over there. It’s a very efficient offense. They’re playing to the strength of their players, what they’re able to do, and putting a lot of it in (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith)’s hands and he’s playing well, really.”
On the Detroit Tigers being on the cusp of going to the playoffs and if it means anything to share the identity of grit with them: “Yeah, it’s awesome, dude. Tigers were written off in July, I heard it. It was like these guys are done, right? And now look at them. It’s awesome. I don’t get to watch a lot of it, obviously with where I’m at. I keep up just knowing what’s going on and hearing, ‘Hey man, they won again, they won again.’ So, for that, I’m rooting for those guys. I do, I love it. I think when you sit in these seats and you do what they’re doing at a professional level, it doesn’t matter where you’re at. You just have to keep improving and you just improve, improve, improve, improve, work, work, work, and that’s what they’ve done, and you just don’t know how many different kinks you’re working through that you’re trying to work out and find the best rotation and figure this out and work on this and work with this and what about this and the lineup and the – and pretty soon you find it, and then you just get better and better and better, and that’s what they’ve done. They’re playing really good right now so yeah, I’m fired up for them.”
On the Detroit Tigers winning late in the season like the Lions have in previous seasons: “It’s good to be hot late. It’s good to be hot late.”
On an injury update for Lions DL Alim McNeill and Lions C Frank Ragnow: “Yeah, I don’t think – we’re going to put Frank down this week. I don’t think it – so I‘ll go ahead and get that out of the way. We can go round and round if we want, we’re not even going to mess with that. Look, Frank’s tough. He’s just tough as nails. If anybody can play through it, it’s him. I think we have to be smart. It’s early in the year, we have a lot of football left. Alim’s doing better, he’s day-to-day. He’ll be out there running around today, so we’re pretty good there.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
September 26, 2024
On how tough the challenge of Seattle’s pass defense is: “Yeah, it’s tough. They’ve got good players, they’ve got good schemes. (Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon) 21, Witherspoon, just flies around, he’s a great player. I think (Seahawks CB Riq) Woolen’s been a great player for a long time. They’ve got a lot of good players over there, man. They’re really well-coached, you can tell, and they play hard.”
On how different Seattle’s defense looks from last season: “A ton different. Completely different staff, so it’s going to change entirely what they’re doing, and he does a good job.”
On if Seattle’s pressure on quarterbacks will force them to get the ball out early: “No, I don’t think so. We’ve got to diagnose the pressures and try to pick them up and, like I said, I think (Seahawks Head Coach Mike) MacDonald’s as good as it gets at generating that pressure and finding a way to get free rushers and we’ve got to find a way to not have free rushers.”
On how nice it is to have a veteran like Lions OL Graham Glasgow who can fill in for Lions C Frank Ragnow: “Yeah, he’s the Swiss army knife. He can kind of do it all. He’s played right guard, he’s played left guard this year, and now he’s playing center and it’s a luxury for us to have him, for sure.”
On if Seattle not having a lot of change in personnel can help in his preparation for the game or if it is completely different: “It’s a completely different scheme. I’m sure there’s a couple players that are still there, but as far as what you’re looking at schematically, it’s entirely different.”
On his scrambling and if he has been hiding his speed: “That’s right, I’ve been hiding it for eight years and now in my ninth I’ve decided to pull it out. No, we do joke about it, but I do think if I can get one a game, one first down with my legs a game, maybe it’s two, that’s kind of a big thing for us on third down if I can scramble and pick one up. I’ve gotten one in the first three games, so I try to do that every game, find a way to get one. It certainly helps us.”
On if he tried to work on his mobility in the offseason: “Yeah, I think so. I think just speed in general, if you don’t run, you’ll lose it. I’m not getting any younger and as time goes on, you’re fighting that battle of making sure you’re still running, especially as a quarterback, running and actively running and doing it in the offseason, doing it in-season because at practice I really don’t, so I have to actively put myself into some drills that make me run and get those fibers and those fast-twitch muscles going, as many as I have.”
On what his running drills look like: “Just running. Running out there and doing something that’s somewhat football-related, but just opening it up and, like I said, getting those two fast-twitch muscles going and feeling good.”
On what his 40-yard dash time was at the NFL Combine: “4.82.”
On if he thinks he is faster now than he was at the NFL Combine: “You train for that for so long, so I was at my peak speed at that point. I don’t know, I know (former QB Tom) Brady ended up running his faster, right? Maybe when I’m – 10 years from now, it’ll be faster, like he is, but I don’t know, maybe.”
On the plays at Arizona where they dropped defensive linemen into coverage and if he has to tip his hat to the defense: “No, I got – I mean, if you’re talking about the interception, I’ve got to see out in front of that and notice that guy’s there. I did kind of get a bit tunnel visioned on that and just saw (Lions TE) Brock (Wright) and was trying to hit him and never saw him. But that’s entirely on me, that’s not a pressure or scheme that’s unique to Arizona, a lot of teams do that, so it’s something I need to be aware of.”
On his throw to Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown that was disrupted at Arizona: “That was completely different. Different type of situation.”
On how much time of possession is important to the gameplan given the injuries the Lions have: “I’m not really concerned about that. I’m sure the coaching staff may be thinking about ways to control the clock, but that’s not any different for this week or any other week. I think you always would love to win kind of the possession battle, and if we play our game, stay on the field and convert on third downs, it’ll usually take care of itself.”
