LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 20, 2024
Opening Statement: “Red zone day, been a good week. We understand the challenge in front of us, and we’ve had a good week thus far. So, finishing out strong today.”
On how eager he was to get to red zone day to work on their mistakes from Week 2: “Yeah, I think we all feel that way. I know us as coaches, but the players too. You can feel the urgency just in the walkthrough we just did. I think all of us want to spit that bad taste out of our mouth, so this is step one to get it done.”
On how he has balanced his level of fame with staying safe: “I don’t – no disrespect, I don’t even want to go there with any of it. It’s all good and I have a job to do. My primary job here is to coach this team and have them prepared every week and I have to do my job. That’s the sole focus.”
On if he has a message to fans regarding the people that showed up to his house after the NFC Championship game: “No. I love our fans. The fans are unbelievable. This city – there’s nowhere (else) that I would want to be or any other team that I would want to coach for. It’s rare to have an environment like we have and to be able to coach here, play here. And I tell our guys that all the time, ‘This is a rare spot, and you better enjoy it because not every place has it like we have it.’”
On the key to not losing back-to-back games for two years: “I think it’s the guys that we have. It starts with us coaches, but it’s also the – it’s why we acquire the players that we do in the Draft, it’s why we sign the free agents that we do. It’s the urgency that we have. It’s the willpower that we have. I just think, collectively, we understand what it is. We don’t lose confidence, we don’t get flustered, we just go back to work, and we’ve done that again this week. That’s the best way to give yourself an opportunity to get back in the win column.”
On Lions CB Terrion Arnold’s playing status for Week 3 and an injury update on Lions LB Alex Anzalone: “Terrion – so today will be a big day for him, and he was out there in walkthrough. He’s feeling much better and so today will be important for him, running around, practicing, see what it looks like, but I would say he’s trending the right way. And Alex is really the same thing. He’s been going through the protocol, and he was out there. He ran around a little bit, and we’ll see where he’s at today. There again, it’s hard to say. You just never know with the concussion protocol.”
On how he decides which linebacker will be the sideline communicator during the week: “Some of it is who’s going to play the most or in the most packages. Certainly, the guy who has the cleanest communication is always going to play into that. There again, we feel very confident – look all of those guys are going to play. Every one of them is going to play. (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell)’s playing, obviously, Jack and (Lions LB Derrick) Barnes there’s no question. So is (Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez) Rodrigo, so is (Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin) Germ, (Lions LB Ben) Niemann’s going to play. I mean, we’re going to use these guys.”
On the bonding opportunities during the first road trip of the season: “Yeah, I always think there’s something special about going on the road. You mentioned the first one, it’s – I really do feel like it’s kind of perfect right now. We had two home games, we love being at home, but we lose a tough one there last week and I think it can recenter you because you go on the road and it’s just you. Now, we’ll probably have some fans there, there’s no question. But until we give our fans something to cheer about, it’s just us. They’ll be into it over there, those guys are going to play hard. So, you just kind of get in your bunker and it’s just you guys and – I don’t know, that camaraderie, there’s something about it. When you’re put under a lot of stress and you have to make decisions, you have to play for one another, and everything’s kind of against you, I think it bonds your team.”
On if Lions S Ifeatu Melifonwu is a Reserve/Injured candidate: “Yeah (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I have talked about that. He’s progressing, he really is. He’s progressing. I would say no. Now, that can change depending on if something happens here with everything else, the rest of the roster. But, right now, I don’t feel that way and he is getting better.”
On if they need to sign Lions WR Tim Patrick to the active roster to keep him from being signed to another team or if they will continue to elevate him from the practice squad: “Yeah, what he knows is, ‘Hey man, I’m playing. I’m going to play.’ So, whether you’re putting him on the roster or he’s up – we only have three of those elevations per player, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. If somebody wants to poach, then we have a decision to make. But until then, the plan would be to elevate and use him. We expect to use him more this week. He’s had a good week at practice. I like him, I really do. He fits us just the way he is, the way he works, his attention to detail, and he brings a little something different to us. He’s a big guy. He’s a big target, he’s physical, he’s tough, so I’m glad he’s here.”
On an injury update for Lions OL Graham Glasgow: “Yeah, he’s good. He’s doing well. We took care of him on Wednesday, but he came back yesterday, practiced, no issues and so he should be good.”
On how the offensive line has played this season: “Yeah, I think they’ve done a good job. Look, you ask any of them, they would tell you they hadn’t played their best game yet and us collectively, we have not played our best game yet, offense, defense and special teams. But that’s the whole point of what we’re doing now and it’s about playing your best ball by the time you hit the end of the season, and you just have to improve a little bit every week. So, no, I am not discouraged with that group. I go back to this, we knew we were going to throw it quite a bit last week, but any time you throw over 50 times, you’re putting a strain on your O-line, that’s the truth. Ultimately, we’d love to be balanced more times than not and that plays right into the hands of our O-line.”
