LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
October 23, 2023
Opening Statement: “After watching that, thinking about it, you see what it is. We – ultimately, when you step back and you look at a number of performances that were very much subpar across the board, it’s not coincidence and so that’s where, man, I did not do a good job of getting them ready. I did not, I did not. And it’d be one thing if there were just a couple of guys here or there, but ultimately, it was that I didn’t have them ready and I’ve got to do a much better job of getting them prepared, which I will this week. We’ll be ready for the Raiders. But we just certainly didn’t play – they did everything right over there and we did everything wrong. The other thing I would say is as good as they played on that side, which they earned that win, man, we certainly helped them and served it up on a platter for them. I kind of came out of that game last night saying, ‘Man, (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson) single-handedly,’ – it was not the case. We took that shotgun right to the foot a number of times, so. Anyway, didn’t play good enough, didn’t make enough plays. Our guys that get one-on-ones, our dudes, the guys that we really count on, when they get their one-on-ones, they’ve got to win them. But man, I am 100 percent responsible for that.”
On what he believes he failed to do to prepare the team to play the Ravens: “Well, I have to just think about, man, are some of the things that we did on Wednesday, maybe it wasn’t. What about Thursday? I think there’s a couple of things that come up. I think we need a little – we need to get back to some of our fundamental work, our one-on-one work, our technique work, good-on-good, just one-on-one pass rush. Good one-on-one man-to-man coverage, one-on-one getting open on routes, our releases, our handwork. I think just getting back to some of that, man. Protection, tight ends, LBs, tight ends, D-ends, running backs, linebackers. Just a little bit. I think it’s – we do a number of those and as it goes, you start shaving some practice to get a little bit more of the scheme and you’re hoping you’ve gotten enough fundamentals through camp, and you know what? We’ve got to go back to it. And I know that’s where I can help. And then just a couple of things of – it’s a little more intensity, a little urgency, which I can deliver myself, so I can help these guys. I know I can.”
On if having a walkthrough instead of full practice last week could have affected the team’s preparedness: “Yeah, maybe a little bit of it. And it doesn’t mean – look, I think that was the right time to back off, but we probably needed to do a little bit more. We probably should’ve gone out and done just a little bit of full speed. We threw routes, those things, but just – when you’re playing a physical opponent and you’re playing that style of run game, some of the things they do, the eye candy that they have, you need more full-speed work. And those are some things I look back and I’m like, ‘Ah.’”
On if being considered one of the elite teams in the League and then failing to execute in a game is part of a learning curve as a coach: “I think what’s disappointing, I don’t know if I’m going to answer this, what’s disappointing is it’s – look, losing itself really stings. But the fact we were never even in that game, that’s what really burns. That’s the burn of it, that’s the burn of it. And so, that more than anything, you just want to know you’re in the fight and when you weren’t, then it’s like, ‘Oh man.’ That’s a real bitter pill. So, I think, look here’s what I know, we won our first game this season. Seattle comes in here and it’s a dog fight and they beat us, and we didn’t play well enough to win that game. And then we played pretty good football. And all I know is we’ve got to bounce back. That’s the most important thing because at the end of the day, we’re 5-2. And where we’re going to have a problem is we back it up with another loss, that’s where the problem is. To me, there’s a ton to learn of off this tape for myself, for the coaches and for these players and – but we’ve got to own it. I mean, we’ve got to own it. We’ve got to look at it and say, ‘Man, this is –’ there can’t be excuses. You can’t fight us on it. It is what it is, the tape doesn’t lie. And we will all have a hand in it.”
On if this loss against Baltimore stings more than their loss against them last season that came down to a last-minute field goal: “This one, because it just that, that to me, it’s not us. That’s not what we’re about. It’s not what we’re about and we just didn’t, we just didn’t have it, we didn’t have it. So, look, neither one of them feel good, to be honest with you. But I just – the thought that you’re not even in it, that stings.”
On if he still feels confident in the schematic gameplan they came up with for the Ravens: “Yeah, no, look, are there things we could’ve done better? Yes. But, I mean, the plan, honestly, was simple. I thought it allowed them to play fast. We needed to challenge these receivers. Make him throw in tight windows and we called those, we just didn’t execute, we didn’t execute. Look, would (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG like some calls back? Yeah, absolutely, so would (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson). Are there things I’d like to – shoot, the first fourth down of the game, I got that in so late to Ben, I mean we’re scrambling, that’s on me. Man, that’s ridiculous. We’re trying to get in the right play, and I mean, we don’t have enough time in the play clock, which is 100 percent on me. So, we’ve all got a hand in it. But as far as the plan going in and what we wanted to do, I thought it was sound, I thought it was clean and I didn’t think it over – it was too much for them. We just didn’t execute.”
On how he feels about their run game these past two weeks: “Yeah, I mean, that’s one of those things. It’s easy to say – look we came out and one of the first things (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) said to me was, ‘Man, I wish I’d run it more.’ But, OK, well when are we going to do that? You try to run it on a play, you only have three chances to get a first down, we don’t convert and before you know it, you’re down 28-0 and we tried to stay patient with it. I did think we got surged up front when we did. It’s just, I think we got put in a game we didn’t want to be in. We had to throw it more than we wanted to, and actually I liked the plan we had in the run game this week. I liked it versus Tampa, but I’ll be the first to admit I think it was a little much. And I’m as responsible as anybody. We had a little much, a little too much. Whereas this week, man we calmed it down. I felt good – we just never really were able to get in a flow of it. I mean, the only chance we were going to have was through the air to get back in it.”
On if he is surprised that these blowout games still happen despite the progress they have been making: “Yeah, I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean, here’s the thing, I’m surprised because I know us. I know the coaches. I know these players and I don’t expect that. But, when you’ve played long enough and coached long enough in this League, man, they – unfortunately, they happen. From time to time, they happen, and you just can’t get out of your own way and it’s – that was one of those games the harder we tried, the worse it got. And we started – we have one guy mess it up and he’s not doing what he’s supposed to be doing and then because of that, the next time, the guy who does know what he’s supposed to be doing is going to do his job too. And because of that, then we get beat here and it’s a snowball effect. And by the time we get in the second half, we’ve got guys who are trying to be heroes. And the only way to get back in it is just do your job, just handle – and that’s not easy to do when you look up and see the scoreboard, you can’t. You’ve just got to look at it one play at a time. Just execute like we do out here at practice, versus this coverage, this opponent, this offensive look, this formation. Just play the situation and that’s the only way we can get back in it. But when everybody kind of starts getting off and we’re on the backyard, because they’re competitive, they’re competitors. I mean, that’s what comes with it. But it’s – we’ve just got to stay disciplined.”
On if Lions S Kerby Joseph suffered a concussion against the Ravens: “He’s good, he’s cleared.”
On if he believes they will use this loss to the Ravens as motivation: “We have to. Like, to me, I just go back to that. Look, losing’s bad enough, but you better not waste it. Alright, it’s here and there’s a ton to learn from and I just go back to – I just know the frustration and anger that I have, that motivates me. And I’m pretty sure it does with our players, so we will be ready for this game, we will be ready. We will physically, emotionally, we will be ready for this game.”
On if he believes this loss will be used as motivation because it comes from frustration and anger: “I just know me and I know our coaches and I know these players. We’ve got a lot of prideful players. And I just – we will be ready. I know it, 100 percent.”
On if Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.’s personal situation will be long-term: “Hard to say on that right now. It’s just all I can tell you it’s a personal issue. Nothing serious like that, is something going – but it’s just, that’s where it is right now. (Lions RB Mohamed) Mo Ibrahim got back this morning, so he had – and really, what it was, I just want to clarify, this wasn’t some, ‘Oh my –.’ He dislocated a hip. They just needed to put him under to get the hip back in, which it did. It’s good and so, he’s obviously – he’s walking around. So, that’s good news. That’s good news.”
On if Lions RB Mohamed Ibrahim will be able to play again soon: “It’ll be a while, still a lot of pain, but at least he can move that hip and – but that’s what it was. It just needed to g et it back in, so.” |
