LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 20, 2024
Opening Statement: “Colts, good team, very much in the mix. We talked about playoffs and that division. This team plays hard, they’ve got talent. I think (Colts Head Coach) Shane (Steichen)’s done a heck of a job over there. We had a lot of crossover tape over two years, I think they do a real good job, and then what they’ve done with (Colts QB Anthony) Richardson now that he’s come back, especially last week against the Jets, they’ve really opened up Richardson, so he’s got the ability to throw it downfield, he’s strong, he’s big, he can run, and these receivers are dangerous and, obviously, the back. Obviously, the back, I think it all starts with him. And then (Colts Defensive Coordinator) Gus (Bradley), got a lot of respect for Gus Bradley, he’s done it for a long time, every time you play his defenses, they’re disciplined, they play hard, they’re smart and they create takeaways, and that’s what they’re doing this year. So, it really starts with that D-line, particularly (Colts DT Grover) Stewart and (Colts DT) DeForest (Buckner) up front, (Colts LB Zaire Franklin) 44’s an issue, run-and-hit, smart, aggressive, and (Colts CB) Kenny Moore (II), among others. Special teams, they’ve got a couple of playmakers over there too, (Colts WR Ashton Dulin) 16, (Colts LB Grant Stuard) 41, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’re looking forward to this challenge and on to the next one.”
On what he gets out of his relationship with his dogs and how they have contributed to Detroit’s performance thus far: “Yeah, I would rather not answer that. I was not expecting that one. Yeah, look I like my dogs, alright? That’s probably the best way to say it, I like my dogs. We’ve had some good ones, these are a couple of characters, and they’re totally different. They go with me on coffee runs, that’s probably the best way to say it.”
On if his dogs have helped calm him and regulate his stress: “Well, I think it’s like kids, right? When you’ve got little kids, they don’t care, they don’t care what’s going on. I remember my son and my daughter, both of them, when they were young and you come home from a loss, they don’t know any different, they’re just happy to see you and they don’t know the outside world, they don’t know the stress, the pressure, and you appreciate that, and dogs are the same way, right? I mean, they just love you, they love you for what you are, and they don’t have bad days, so it’s pretty cool.”
On holding walkthrough practices on Wednesdays in recent weeks and the importance of load management: “Yeah, I think it’s been good for us, and we’ve – every year has been different for us, and you’ve got to go with what you feel like is best for your team in that moment, in that year, and so every year it’s kind of evolved. I mean, last year we were still going, we were still practicing pretty good Wednesdays, Thursdays, but we also had a different schedule, we were a little bit younger. Our core of this team is older now, more mature, we’re not old but we’ve played a lot of football together and so they kind of know what to expect, played with each other long enough, the staff’s been together, myself, the whole thing, so I feel like it was something we can handle, and if you can handle it, it does help. I feel like it helps you bounce back just a little bit quicker for these games, it gives you just a little more juice, and it doesn’t mean that it’s going to make the difference in the game. What you realize is, it doesn’t matter. We could pad up for three days in a row and still go win a game, if you believe you’re going to win it, you do things right, but this is the right thing to do, and it’s been good for us. So, if you can take a little bit off, it’s good, and really the flip side of that is, ‘OK, but tomorrow when we come in, we’re smoking.’ Just like we did last week, that practice should look like game time. We were flying and we were competing, and it will.”
On what he learned about having a great running back duo from his time with former Saints RB Mark Ingram II and Saints RB Alvin Kamara: “I just – number one, they were both great teammates and AK was the young guy that came in, he had the electric juice, man, he was – is the player he is now, he was just young, he was raw, and Mark was – he wasn’t old, but he was a savvy veteran in his prime, was more of our hammer, but could do everything. I mean, he could run choice routes out of the backfield, he could run inside zone, wide zone, you could toss it to him, he had enough breakaway speed to finish down the field, in the end zone on runs. So, he had this all-encompassing – protections, the whole thing, and so AK was able to learn kind of around him, under him, watch him, and develop his game a little bit, gravitated more towards Mark, but yet he had what he’s got. He’s got the other things that Mark never had, and so, I just think it makes you well-rounded and they kind of – you begin to mesh, you begin to take each other’s abilities and try to use them as your own a little bit and it just elevates each one of them. And they’re also competing, they’re friends, and I think that’s what we’ve got here. I think (Lions RB) David (Montgomery) and (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs are like brothers, I really do, and I think David’s big brother and he’s not going to let anybody mess with him, that’s his guy. Now, he’ll mess with him, and if he does something wrong he’s going to let him know, but that’s his, he takes him under his wing and I think they’ve elevated each other and he’s made Gibbs better and I think has helped him too, and when you have that and you have that competition, you have that love for one another, just the whole thing – to me, they’re the perfect combination. It doesn’t come any better, in my opinion. You’ve got everything you need out of those two players, run or pass game.”
On if he felt that Lions RB David Montgomery had a big brother mentality when he was acquired: “Well, I think that’s hard to say because he’s coming in as a free agent and I think he wants to make his own mark first. That’s important like, ‘Hey man, these guys are taking a chance on me.’ Free agency, he wants to prove his own worth and let us know, ‘Hey, what you signed on is – you’re about to see and then some.’ And so, I think so much of it started there, but man, once we acquired (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs it didn’t take long, and that’s just how David is, even if he wanted to hide that, he can’t hide it. He wants to help and he’s all about – he really is a team first guy, he really is. I mean, he’d lay it on the line for those guys, and if it meant he didn’t get the touch, but it meant somebody else is getting that for us to win the game, he’s all for it, and that’s not an easy thing to do, put your ego aside. So, I’ll tell you what, he’s been an unbelievable addition for us, though. I mean, he fits us perfect. I am – I’m so thankful we got him here, that worked out great.”
On if he is optimistic that Lions TE Sam LaPorta will play this week and how he felt the tight end room stepped up against Jacksonville: “Yeah, so, there again, walkthrough today, but I feel – I think it’s trending. It’s questionable to above for LaPorta, I think it’s trending the right way. And yeah, those guys didn’t miss a beat, we got (Lions TE) James Mitchell up off of the practice squad, he showed up, played for us, I thought he played a solid game, certainly wasn’t too big for him, he’s played for us before, that was good. I thought (Lions TE) Brock (Wright) carried the load for us, man, played a lot of reps, lot of snaps, and he really had to do a lot of different jobs. We all know he does the dirty work, the run game, the protection, which, he was outstanding in protection, but then the number of routes he had to run that you don’t even notice, and they’re clear-outs, and then he’s blocking downfield, so he really bailed us out and helped us out a ton there. And then (Lions TE Shane) Zylstra, too, Zylstra’s been kind of a staple for us going on four weeks or whatever that is and just quietly goes about his business and does the job. So, it’s been a good group and (Lions Tight Ends Coach) Steve (Heiden)’s doing a good job with them.”
On what Lions LB David Long Jr. could offer the team: “Well, he’s played football, he’s played the linebacker position, he’s banked a lot of reps and played really good football. He’s really one of those guys, got a knack for finding the ball, he’s an aggressive player, run-and-hit, and so, it gave us a chance to have somebody that, if we need it, and he can acclimate to what we do, how we do things here, get on top of the playbook, then if we can use him, we’ll use him. And, in the meantime, it’s special teams and it’s insurance, is really the role right now. But it was – we’re excited to have him here and just see what he can do, let him compete like everybody else.”
On Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s performance last week and what makes his style of football unique: “Well, I think what you saw was, last week, really, at his best. I’m not even sure you can go back to earlier in the year because I feel like they’ve taken the handcuffs off of him and allowed him to just go, and I think it’s, there’s a lot of things to where, you’ve got to be careful, that’s your guy. You run him too much, he gets hit, he gets injured, he gets – and I think now, all bets are off and we’ve got to get first downs, we’ve got to score touchdowns, and you’ve got to lead us to it. And so, when you run him the way you run him and with the different schemes that they’re doing it with, I mean, they’ve got quarterback power, they’ve got the RPO, they’ve got the read run, they’ve got the play-action off of that, and then he can scramble, and then, if he is in the pocket and you’ve got your arms around him, trying to bring him to the ground, he’ll just stiff arm you off of him, he’ll just press you off, and then throw it down the field. And it’s rare, his strength, his ability to run, and he really does have a nice deep ball, he’s an accurate passer down the field, and I mean deep. So, that’s what makes him dangerous, it’s all-encompassing is what it is, and when you accompany that by getting this halfback going, you get (Colts RB Jonathan) Taylor going and all of a sudden, this becomes a very dangerous offense. So, it’s really no different than anything else, we cannot allow them to get this run game going, because if they do it’s going to be tough.”
On how important the role Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez plays will be in the absence of Lions LB Alex Anzalone: “Yeah, it’s very important. I mean, he really does become somewhat the next man up. I mean, he and (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell) are going to take on the – Jack’s been playing with Alex in a heavy load, but it’s really Jack and Malcolm. I mean, those are the two that are – they’re going to take on the heaviest load of that whole room. And so, yeah, he knows that, but he’s ready for it. I mean, Malcolm’s a football player, man, and he embraces this, and some of this stuff – this week is right in his wheelhouse, this fits him perfect, and Jack too, for that matter. So, he’ll be big for us and he’s going to be big the rest of the season, it doesn’t matter who we get back, we’re going to use him. He helps us there on defense and he helps us on special teams.”
On whom Lions RB David Montgomery reminds him of with his running style: “Man, to me, he’s a throwback. There are throwback principles about him, and I mean that with all due respect. His running style is – it’s rare. Look, we were watching clips this morning, I think (Texans RB Joe) Mixon at Houston runs really hard in today’s football too. He’s an aggressive style, but I think David is just different and he’s downhill, doesn’t give up, first guy, he’s not going to let him tackle him, continues to churn his legs, and just violent, violent, never give up, never going down. When I watch him, it just reminds me of some of the great ones, man, back in the heyday. I mean, they just – they don’t go down. So, freaking (former Hall of Fame RB) Earl Campbell, man, Earl Campbell ran like crazy, (former Hall of Fame RB) Walter Payton ran like crazy and would not go down. So, anyway, I think he’s rare, I think we’re fortunate to have him, and I can tell you this, the O-line loves blocking for that guy and anybody that plays with him, I mean, you want to talk about inspiring? That inspires you to want to block.”
LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET
November 20, 2024
On his biggest concern about facing the Colts: “Yeah, it’s another good challenge for us. I think this team has some really good players, a good scheme, it’s well-coached and they’ve been playing well as of late and being on the road, it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
On having to play harder with the Colts being in the playoff hunt: “Of course, yeah, I think that’s every week. Every team’s going to want to beat the other team that they’re playing and I guess it just happens that we’re going into their place and absolutely, they’re fighting for the playoffs, so are we. So, we have to get a win too.”
On the process of creating team history on offense and how important it is to them: “I think we just have a group of guys that are so dang talented that we know what our potential can be. So, it becomes a waste if you’re not trying to reach perfection, strive for that. It’s really never obtainable, but that’s what you’re going for. I think we have a group of guys, like I said, that are so dang talented but also are such hard workers and want that greatness and want to try to be some of the best ever. It’s fun to work with those guys.”
On if the mindset of striving for greatness helps make it easier during the week: “No, none of this is easy. I keep getting that question, it kind of makes me a little upset. You’re not upset – I got it on the radio the other day, I got it after the game, none of this is easy. I know we scored 52 but it’s freaking hard in this League and we’ve been playing well, we’ve been doing a lot of good things on offense, but by no means would I ever characterize anything we’re doing as easy or without effort. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of time. The games are obviously very hard always and tough to win and just rewind a week ago at Houston, how hard that win was. It’s never easy.”
On if the perception of winning being easy is because of the talent on the team: “I don’t know why that’s the perception. It’s not. We’re working, everyone who watches on Sunday sees what happens, but we’re in here Monday through Saturday working, our coaches are working around the clock, our bodies aren’t where you’d like them to be, no one is in this League right now, so none of this is easy. We’re doing some good things right now offensively and defensively, but none of it is easy at all.”
On if he has ever been around a better holder than Lions P Jack Fox: “He’s the best holder in the League. Gotta be. He does a great job.”
On what goes into the art form of holding the ball on a kick: “I was a holder in high school for a whole year and it’s hard. It is hard. We had a block then, so I had to put it on the block which you can argue is harder. But (Lions P) Jack (Fox) does a hell of a job and I haven’t seen any issues with him there. He’s obviously a hell of a punter too.”
On what it is like having multiple players step up and make history each week: “It’s fun. It’s really fun, it really is. It’s fun to be around guys that are – I think I referenced earlier there – that are chasing that, that really want that. To be able to lead them and go out and practice with a group of guys that we did what we did last week and we just want to get better, we just want to improve and just want to try and do it again this week and see what limits we can reach. At the same time, every week is a challenge in its own right and going out and finding a way to beat the Colts this week is going to be the biggest challenge.”
On if there is any play that Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown cannot make: “Pretty good, I can rely on him for really everything and I think at some point during that game, it felt like, ‘Hey, call anything and let’s let St. Brown just go work.’ He’s as good as they get and I love playing with him.”
On if he looks at his numerical stats as a measurement of how well he is playing: “Yeah, I think I’m definitely aware of completion percentage and sacks. Those are the two that really matter to me. The other stuff’s fun too, obviously the bigger numbers, but if my completion percentage is high and I’m not taking sacks, then we’re in pretty good shape.”
On if there was a point where working on his mobility inside the pocket was a primary focus: “I think I’m always working on it, but I think when you get a lot of clean pockets, it makes it easier when there is a little bit of mess to avoid that because it’s so obviously different. Our O-line is so dang good and I’m back there pretty scot-free a lot of times so that when a guy does get through, I can tell the difference on that and I’m able to react to it, as opposed to – when you look around the League, some of these guys are having to move on almost every dropb ack and that becomes hard.”
On the hallmarks of Colts Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley and why they are able to generate takeaways at the rate they do: “Yeah, extremely well-coached and he’s been doing it for a long time in this League with obviously a lot of success. I have a lot of respect for him and the way that he coaches. Like you said, the turnovers really jumps off the tape. They’re very aware of where the ball is, they’re punching the ball, making plays on the ball, they’re a good group and I think it’s at all three levels that they’re trying to get the ball out.”
