LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
January 5, 2024
Opening Statement: “Really, nothing new. Today’s red zone, getting ready for these guys and kind of a dress rehearsal red zone and then the rest of base, third down, clean-up, so been a good week.”
On if Lions WR Jameson Williams and Lions TE Brock Wright will practice today: “Probably unlikely.”
On if Lions LB James Houston’s unlikely status to play this week has changed: “I would say it has not. He did more this week than he did last week, but he’s still a ways out.”
On the likelihood of Lions LB James Houston’s first game back from injury being the first playoff game: “Yeah, I mean that would be – that’s a lot. It’s a lot to ask. Not that it can’t happen because I know this, he’s – he looked a lot better this week than last week, or when we got him up. And so, whenever you’re coming off an injury, any player, it’s just a matter of how fast you can get your confidence back and your own abilities, your body. You’re rusty. It takes a minute to get used to what it is because it’s not going to feel like it did before, it just never does. So, a lot of that’ll be just time-on-task, him out there moving, running and seeing how far he can come.”
On if he thinks the six takeaways they have been able to produce the last two weeks will continue into the playoffs: “I do, I do. I just felt like that was the last little element there for us, defensively, and they’re on the come now. They’re showing up and we’re playing aggressive-style football. We’re going after the football, we’re getting after the quarterback. Everybody’s doing their responsibility and then our safeties are getting hands on the ball and when they do, they’re making the plays on them. So, and then just – there again, being able to get to the quarterback and get it out of his hand is showing up. So, I want to believe that’s here to stay. My history says it does. If not, it’s because we’re not playing at a certain level now that it’s starting to show up.
So, it’s going to be important for us. It’s important. But yeah, this is when you want it to show, this time of year.”
On how he handles telling a player what they may not want to hear when returning from injury like Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson: “Yeah, well, first of all, Ducey’s a competitor. I mean – he just is. I mean, he wants to play and he wants to play every snap and I appreciate that. I think we all do. So – but I think between myself and (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG, when those come up and like that, we’re just very direct. You tell it from the get-go and here’s why. And look, Ducey’s a pro at the end of the day. He wants to play. He wants to be a part of it and doesn’t mean that he has to like it, but he’s going to go out there and when he’s on the field, he’s going to give what he’s got. And that’s the most important thing. So, I think as long as we’re all open and direct with each other and they know where we’re coming from and we know where they’re coming from, you don’t have to like it, but you respect it.”
On if the element of needing to protect a player from themselves and letting them know they are not ready to come back from an injury factors into his decision-making process: “It does. I mean, you want to know – first of all, they need to have confidence in themselves. But you have to also be honest and open about it as a coach, looking at the player and saying they may be trying to talk themselves into it, but you know they’re not there yet. And yeah, I think you’ve got to be prepared to save them from themselves somewhat.”
On if Lions LB James Houston is at a place in his rehab where he can come in and contribute yet: “No, like right now? No. But, like I say, he’s better than he was last week. And so, we’ll see where he goes next week. And I’m not like – none of this, from what I’ve just seen now that he’s been up, I’m not surprised by any of it. I mean, I expected what I saw. It’s just, that’s the way it is when it’s been a while and you’re coming off the injury he came off of, it’s going to take a minute to get – to feel good about it. And then, ‘OK now I feel I feel about it. Now that I feel good about it, how do I win and produce with it?’ It’s one thing to just go, ‘OK, I can go out there and run around.’ But if you can’t produce, that doesn’t help him or us.”
On if he has caught the illness some players are battling: “I’m on the backside of mine. I feel great. I feel great.”
On if facing Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is a ‘dress rehearsal’ in preparing for the dominant wide receivers they will play in the postseason: “Yeah, I mean, we’ve – yeah. Any time you go against the receivers we’re going against and you have to put attention and give attention to these guys and then when it’s not attention, you’re in a one-on-one with them, it only makes you better. And ultimately, all you can ask for – ‘Man, go out there and compete.’ Just compete and forget about the – we know what kind of player he is, but as long as you’re giving the very best you have and you’re not beat before the snap starts, that’s what we’re looking for. And so, it only makes you better. And we’ve said it before, this is a hell of a receiver now. This is a – he’s a difference-maker. He’s a dynamic player and we’ve got our hands full. But I do like our guys, man our guys are – I always believed they accept the challenge and they’re ready to go.”
On if having the flu vaccine available over the summer was in response to previous illnesses that have spread around the team or if teams have always provided vaccines: “Yeah, we always have it available. We’re always – and now that, with COVID, when it came about a few years ago. So, we always have it – here we go man, we’ve got the shots available. It’s up to you if you take it or not. And, so yeah, you’re just trying to do the best you can to hopefully eliminate the spread of it to where it hits at the wrong time. And we do, we’ve got a little bit going around. But I think, probably a lot of teams do too. So, it’s part of it and you do the best you can. You try to quarantine some guys if you think it’s bad enough. But ultimately, it’s just going to work its way around and we’re going to have some guys that are going to play that don’t feel good this weekend. It’s coming, I already know. And guys we don’t even – that seem to be pretty good today. I’m already prepared. Saturday night we’re going to hear about somebody (that) wasn’t feeling good. I hate to say it, but it’s just going to happen. But we’ll get through it. It’ll work its way through the players and then we’ll be done with it.”
On what he thought of the Broncos audible called ‘Dan Campbell’ a few weeks ago and if they ever use fun names for checks throughout the season: “Yeah, we – I mean, we – we’ll do some things at times. We – (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) was always good about that. He always – there would be, depending on if somebody you’re getting ready to play or something that, for whatever reason, it hits your brain, so then you’re going to give it to the players and here’s the call. So, we – honestly, we’ve been pretty vanilla with ours, all-in-all. And I don’t want to give what ours are. But, anyway, it’s – I don’t know. I don’t know what to say. It was good. I think it was a trap, so.”
On what having five players and seven alternates named to the Pro Bowl says about the progress the team has made: “Yeah, it’s – look, I’m happy for every one of those guys. That’s a credit to them for the way they’ve worked. But also, the team. When you win, that’s what happens. You get noticed more and the play of some of your guys that – some of them that have played very well don’t always get noticed until you start winning and then everybody sees it. But yeah, we’ve come a long way and it’s a credit to all those guys. I’m always going to think we deserve to have more on there, just knowing some of our players and where they’re at. But it’s a good sign. And I’m happy for those guys.”
On what he has learned about Lions QB Jared Goff that he did not expect before he began coaching him: “Man, well, I think, it’s hard to say. From afar, you always – I’ve alluded to this before but, just standing across the sideline from him, I always thought of him as a very – I just saw him in big-time games at our place and to watch him stand in there and make another throw and get hit and get off the ground, I always thought of him as a tough player. And so, with that, you think of, he’s probably pretty resilient to be able to do the things he does. But until you’re around him, like I’ve been around him, I don’t want to say it surprised me, but yet you really get to understand just how resilient he is and how his ability to bounce back – he can look at a situation and take it for what it is. This is not an, ‘All of sudden, I’ve turned into a – I’m not a good quarterback anymore, or I’m not doing things.’ It’s simply, ‘I’ve got to do this with my footwork. I’ve got to be faster with my progression. I’m drifting too far here in the pocket.’ He can look at it and look at the substance of it and correct – autocorrect and not lose confidence. He knows, ‘I’ve just got to correct this. I’ve just got to do this better.’ And he never gets too high, he never gets too low, and I think that’s exactly where you want your quarterback to be. So, he’s very resilient.” |
