LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 4, 2024
On if there is a chance that Lions DL DJ Reader plays on Sunday: “There’s a chance, I would say. This week was really what we had circled to give him the bulk of true football. This was his first real padded, going against – not just individual and doing some walkthrough, he’s in team, he’s going on – we had him do some team defense but also run scout team too. Go against (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) and (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow) and (Lions G Kevin) Zeitler, and just get his confidence up, bang away in there and really take it day to day. So yes, there’s still a chance. I’ll know more probably after tomorrow than I do right now. He’s doing well. He’s doing well.”
On how much they have to be aware of what Rams OL Jonah Jackson can contribute to the Rams’ scouting process: “We’re aware of it. Yeah, Jonah’s got a good grasp on what we’ve done here and what our things are, and we’ve changed a number of things for that that we feel are important getting ready for this one, but also, we’ve done this before with other players. Like (former Lions QB David) Blough going to Minnesota is like, ‘Ah man,’ and you can drive yourself crazy thinking about, ‘They’re onto this, they’re onto this,’ you just think of just a couple of these things that really could come up where they have time to hear and adjust whatever, then alright let’s change that. We’ll change the name of that, we’ll change this code word, and everything else don’t worry about. You’re in the moment, things are flying, bullets are flying. For the defense to start thinking about, ‘What did Jonah tell us?’ So, we’re not going to overthink this, but we feel like we won’t – we’ve covered our backs here a little bit in some areas.”
On the biggest difference about the Lions and the Rams compared to the previous matchup: “I would say for them, this to me is a better team than what we faced last year just looking at their personnel coming in. I feel like this is a better offensive line, I feel like this is a better D-line. I understand they lost (former Rams DL Aaron) Donald, but what I think they gain is youth and collectively, that front is – I’ve said it before, they’re young, they’re hungry, they’re high motor. They’re going to push us. They’re going to push us and then I think the secondary is improved. These corners, and then certainly their O-line over there. Getting (Rams OL) Jonah (Jackson) I think was big, but they retained (Rams OL Kevin) Dotson. And the backs. The backs on top of (Rams QB Matthew) Stafford being who he who is and mastering this offense and the ability to really – I mean he’s kind of got everything at his disposal to do what he needs to. So, I just feel like it’s a – they’ve developed. Some of their young guys from last year developed, I expect them to be better than they were last year. The influx of youth that they got this year, those were all players that we really liked too in the Draft and so I think they’re going to be a better team, but I feel like we’re better too. So, I feel like you’re getting two teams that are better. Now, this is game one, this is Week 1, but I feel like both of us have improved and we’re getting ready to head off here Sunday night.”
On how Rams WR Cooper Kupp and Rams WR Puka Nacua will challenge the Lions secondary: “I think both of those guys are – I mentioned this earlier, but I’ve got a lot of respect for both of those guys first of all. They’re both tough players. They really do everything. There’s things about them that remind me of our guys. They do the dirty work, they’re very much a part of the run game with the way that they block and insert and take on backers and safeties and everything, but then they play tough. They play tough in the pass game. They play fast. I think they’re physical, I think they attack the football, I think they’re hard to get down, run after catch, so the element of their game, it translates to this League. Competitive, strong, so to have two guys that are pretty smart, pretty versatile, I feel like Puka’s a little bit, just kind of bigger, plays bigger. Then Cooper is kind of the underneath, wiggle guy. He can run the choice route still, he’s always been able to do that, and I know (Rams QB Matthew) Stafford’s got a lot of trust in both of those guys. I thought Puka had a hell of a game last year against us. He really, he made plays all over the field. So, it’ll be a challenge, but I know this, our guys are looking forward to this. They really are. I know (Lions CB Terrion) Arnold’s excited, first one. He’s ready to go. He does not lack confidence, OK? He’s ready and he practices, but I’ll tell you what, he practices now. He works, and that’s what gets you excited. (Lions CB Carlton Davis III) CD’s back, he’s coming off this injury, so I thought he had a good day yesterday. Then certainly (Lions DB Brian) Branch and (Lions S) Kerby (Joseph) having them back there working together as well. (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson)’s back, which is great. (Lions CB) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) is working. So, look, like any week, they’ll present challenges, but I think the challenges here are that they do so much of everything from run to pass game. That to me is, that is a receiver, guys that will do everything for you. That’s why we love (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown and (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf and these guys, (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo. They’ll stick their face in there but then in the pass game, they show up for you.”
On if there is any benefit in keeping Lions CB Terrion Arnold locked to one side of the field to narrow his concentration: “I think that normally, that does help. I would say that we’re not as concerned about that with him and with (Lions CB Carlton Davis III) CD for that matter. CD’s played enough to where he can play boundary, or he can play field. But no, I don’t feel like that’s something that we have to do with Arnold. He’s ready to go.”
On the level of caution in their approach to Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs’ hamstring injury this offseason: “He’s looked good. He looks really good. This has been two weeks coming back, he and (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta both and he looks good. I think here’s the trick with Gibbs, and we tell him this. Everybody top to bottom tells him this, (Lions Director of Player Health and Performance Brett Fischer) Fisch tells him, (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark tells him, I tell him, is – it’s something I know nothing about. When you can run like he runs, I mean this guy can run, then if you don’t touch that speed in practice at least once or twice a day, you set yourself up for something to happen on Sunday. Because you haven’t – you’re a guy who runs 22 miles an hour, you better touch it because if the first time you touch it in a game when someone’s coming after you, I’m running away, that’s where bad things happen. When you have supreme speed, that’s where you can kind of pull away in practice. You pull away, you pull away, but you’re not – you haven’t had to truly turn it on until you got in the game. So, I think that’s just the trick is educating him on that and making him do that so that he doesn’t have a setback. So, we’re on it, he’s doing it, and we like where he’s at.”
On how the youth of Lions WR Jameson Williams, Lions TE Sam LaPorta and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs have grown to help revolutionize the offense: “All of them have grown. First of all, it starts with having guys that understand what you expect out of them and then what their role is in this offense and what we’re asking them to do. I think more importantly, any player that you have, it’s one thing to say, ‘This is what we need you to do, want you to do on this because this is your – this will be your throw. We think they’re going to play this coverage, you are number one in the progression.’ That’s kind of easy, right? Because it’s, ‘Man, I’m getting this ball, so I’m attentive.’ But it’s the others where, you’re number three in the progression, you have to get to inside of the numbers, you have to get all the 15 yards. If you’re too fast on this, it’s those things, ‘Where do you really fit into the concept? What is your piece of the puzzle?’ And understand that. Because honestly, like LaPorta? That’s where a number of his catches came. He was number two or number three in the progression last year. Now he had plenty where we got to where he was number one, but he had a ton of those and it’s because of attention to detail and understanding what we wanted and when we needed him when (Lions QB Jared) Goff had to get all the way through it, there he is. He’s open, he’s available. I think all those guys understanding that and growing in that have gotten better. It’s always going to be attention to detail and look, they’re attentive guys, they want it. We mentioned Jamo earlier about – he wants it. He’s receptive, he’s open to it, he takes the coaching, he tries to improve on it, and I would say all those guys are that way.”
On if he had marketing endorsements as a player and if it was fun to do his recent commercials: “No, I didn’t have that as a player. I think I had one old commercial but that was something with the Cowboys a long time ago, I don’t know if it is or not. But no, it was – look this was something I’ve been reluctant – my wife and my daughter are constantly like, ‘You have to do it, you have to do it. Do this.’ So, they talked me into the Applebee’s deal, and I said, ‘Alright, we’ll do it.’ Anyway, I had fun with it, the staff and crew that worked with us were unbelievable. The actors were awesome, they made it what it is. They were unbelievable. They made me feel comfortable and we just did it. It’s done. Unfortunately, there’s more to come, I’m afraid. They were unbelievable though, they did a great job.”
On if they have seen what they hoped Lions DB Brian Branch would do in the safety position: “Yeah, for the snaps – he missed a little bit of training camp as you know, but we feel like we kind of had him the last two weeks here. And then he was able to take all those walkthroughs when he was out. I would say Branch is, without speaking out of turn before we get into the season and it’s real games and all that, I would say we like where Branch is, and I think he’s going to be just fine. Branch, as you know, is a football player. He’s a football player, he does not lack awareness and instinct for the football, and I think this will serve him well. But he is not going to be just pigeonholed in the safety. He’s got versatility as you know, and he can play both nickel and safety.”
