LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
October 28, 2024
Opening Statement: “OK, so, really, what we talked about last night, nothing new. The reason we won that game was special teams production. Our return gam, the units, kickoff return and punt return, certainly (Lions WR) Kalif Raymond was huge, (Lions CB Khalil) Dorsey, another one, (Lions P) Jack Fox had a big day for us, we covered well, I thought (Lions CB) Kindle Vildor really showed up at the gunner on the outside. That, the four takeaways on defense and then our five-of-five in the red zone. I mean, that was why we won that game and had the production we did. Talked about it, there’s little things we do have to clean up, fundamentally, we’ve got to get better at. We did fumble the ball, we were fortunate that none of them cost us. We were able to recover them on our end. And so, we have areas to improve, and we will. But I was really proud of the way the guys fought. It was the next game, we talked about improvement, we did that, that’s six wins and now it’s on to the division. Just stay with me here, so, I thought (Lions S) Kerby (Joseph), (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson) really played top-notch football. Amik punching out – those things we talk about all the time, man – and get those two knockouts was huge for us. Takes effort and detail, urgency to get that done, we did. Kerby was all over the field, very productive, he’s been very productive. (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell) showed up, (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac showed up, (Lions DL DJ) Reader showed up, those guys were outstanding. I thought, on offense, (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, of course, he was explosive, did some really good things, really only had one bad play and that was in protection. But (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint and (Lions RB) David Montgomery, (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta and (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) really stood out. And then special teams, we already talked about it, Leaf was a game-changer, I mean, he really took that game over. Because look, there were some good blocks in there, but so much of it was what he was able to do and the way he hit it and finished on it. (Lions K Jake) Bates did a good job, (Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin) Germ did a good job, Dorsey, we already talked about Vildor, Jack Campbell, (Lions LB Ben) Niemann, (Lions LB Trevor) Nowaske, (Lions RB) Craig Reynolds and then (Lions TE Shane) Zylstra. Zylstra and (Lions TE) Brock (Wright) both had to fill in for (Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez) Rodrigo when he went down on teams, they both – man, they helped in a big way. So that was good, that was real good. And then, like I say, when you start the game and you fizzle out but your defense gets an interception, you turn it into a touchdown, defensively, need a little help, but then the offense scores, and then your special teams gets 72 yards on the kickoff return with Dorsey, and then offensively, you answer it back up with a touchdown, defense, you answer that back with an interception, offense then takes those and turns it into seven, then your special teams gets a 64-yard punt return and your offense turns that into seven points, and then your defense basically goes five-and-out at the end of the half. They had a first down at the seven, we get a penalty, they don’t get in and then – four tries there and then we hold them and go into halftime and don’t let them score, it was big. So, total team performance, that is – the name of the game is the team playing off of each other, and that’s what we did. It’s a good win.”
On how much of a concern it is that the defensive line has not generated a sack in two consecutive games and if the approaching trade deadline is giving them more urgency to make a trade: “No, we know when the deadline is, so we’ve known what that is. We’re still talking about it and they’re still working through it. I’m not concerned, there’s other ways of creating pressure and, yeah, would you like a little more? Yeah, we’d like a little bit more, but there was a number of plays in there, too, where they got the ball out of their hand. They had some empty that they showed, we thought they’d do a little bit, they did more than we thought, so the ball comes out pretty quick. They had a couple of things where they were tagging us in man coverage that were good, so you can get the ball out. But we’re aware and we’re still looking at it, but no, I wouldn’t say we’re in panic mode.”
On if struggling to rush the passer against Tennessee makes him worry about how they would fare against teams in the playoffs: “Yeah, I mean, I think we take everything into consideration, I do. But I also know this, if I step back for a minute and you look through this League, man, there’s a ton of injuries right now that are going on, and they do every year throughout this League, so every team’s got warts, every one of them. Doesn’t matter how good you are, doesn’t matter what your record is, and it’s about, how do you cover those up, how do you help, how do you do the best that you can do to cover up some of your deficiencies? That’s the name of the game. We talk about (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, we’re not going to be able to replace Hutch, but there’s other things that we can do, and, you know what? You put a bigger burden on your backend, is what you’ve got to do, and we’ve done that, and they’ve risen to the challenge. Has it been perfect? No, but we are getting takeaways, which is huge, and when your special teams plays that way and your offense, then it all collectively, man, we played pretty good. (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG’s doing a great job. Every week it’s been different gameplan and it’s been a different way to attack the opponent and it’s been successful. But look, we’ve got a week here, we’ll keep looking and see if something fits.”
On if a trade could be imminent: “It could be, yeah. It could be.”
On if Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes has come to him with a trade: “Yeah, could be.”
On Lions LB Al-Quadin Muhammad’s performance yesterday: “Man, he did some things for us. He was active, he played aggressive, he was physical. And so, he went in there and really gave us a good day’s work, which is exactly what we talked about. Now there were a couple of things we’ve got to clean up mentally with him. And like you brought up, some of the rush, there were about three of them in there where, we get a little bit better, maybe, out of a couple of things he does, then it may help around the perimeter with (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac and some of those other things. So, those are just little things to clean up, but man, I thought he came in and gave us a good day’s work and it’s certainly something to build off of.”
On how valuable it was to get game reps for backups in the fourth quarter yesterday: “They’re very valuable and they’re so rare. I mean, it’s a rarity to be able to do that and the fact that we’ve been able to do that now two games – but they’re valuable reps and you want those players to understand. I think most of them do, but like for (Lions QB Hendon) Hooker these are real, big-time reps and to get those – (Lions OL Michael) Niese goes in there and plays center, one of the first things he had, he’s got to block (Titans DT Jeffery) Simmons. Man, those things, that’s how you really grow, is to get those real-time reps against really good football players. So, they’ve been valuable, certainly we want to be better, I mean, we had two three-and-outs offensively, you need to be able to convert there and keep moving the ball and that helps. So that’s what’s unfortunate, I mean, we pulled them in the fourth quarter, we only had six plays. But defensively, (Lions DL Mekhi) Wingo got a good load in there and I thought did some really good things, among other guys. Got (Lions LB Ben) Niemann in the game, he’s a veteran, but he stepped up, did a good job. (Lions CB Khalil Dorsey) Dorse and (Lions CB Kindle) Vildor and then (Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.) Rake played the nickel for us, Ennis played the nickel and showed up. So, they’re valuable.”
On if Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson talked to the team over the weekend and if there are any plans to have him around the team while he rehabs: “No, I mean we’re not – nothing like that. He knows – I mean, look, he comes in, he gets treatment, he’s here, the guys still see him. But he’s also – when you’re injured and you’re in that rehab mode, trying to come back, that’s really – you’re kind of in that world. But yet – so you’re not in everything that the whole team’s doing, but yet, you’re here and you’re in the building. They still see each other, but it’s a weird place to be in because it’s – you know you’re not playing and you know you’re not doing everything the team’s doing, but yet you’re trying to work your way back and get healthy and all those things. So, he’s around.”
On the key to having success defending in the red zone: “Just doing your job. We went in there and we get pretty heavy because we don’t want you to run it and that means you’re putting the stress on the coverage, but yet, there’s not a lot of grass back there, there’s only 10 yards. And so, we put a lot on those coverage guys too, so we’ve been able to do that. We’re pretty stout in the middle there, we’ve been able to set edges and then (Lions DB Brian Branch) BB and (Lions CB) Carlton (Davis III) and those guys have done a good job in coverage and so, it just makes it hard. You’d rather not – to say that you’ve got four cracks at it at the one, the odds go to the offense, and so, to be able to make that stop at the one, I mean, the first answer is, don’t let them get on the one. That’s your first if you’re playing defense because that’s hard. So that was impressive. And to be able to go in at halftime and not allow them to score, man, that’s a boost. That’s the best thing since we played the Chargers last year. Remember we stopped them, I don’t know what it was, it felt like seven times and then the eighth one they got in there, but we were down there a long time battling. So that was good, man, those guys fought in there.”
On if the game yesterday was one of the stranger games he has been a part of: “Yeah, that was – I have not, that I can think of, ever been a part of a game quite like that, at least not on the winning side. Yeah, that was unbelievable. Now, we’ll take it, I mean, it was – to get those kinds of returns that we got, you would love to have that type of production out of your special teams every week, but that’s not the reality. So, when you get that much more above and beyond, man, it really – it takes a huge strain off the rest of the team. It’s always a reminder – and (Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Fipp does a hell of a job, he’s been here since the beginning and, I mean, nobody puts more in it than Fipp does, and those guys love him, they respect him and they play hard and they’re well-coached. So, it’s awesome.”
On what Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp has meant to the team: “Yeah, he’s meant a ton and so much of the attention goes to (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) and (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG because of what they’ve been able to do and that’s where most of the plays go to in a game, but man, Fipp is every bit as important as those guys are. From the time that I was able to get him here and get him signed out of Philly, I mean, I was fortunate. It just happened to work out, everything aligned right because Fipp’s a hell of a coach. And so, since he’s been here, he’s just – I mean, the guy loves football, and he coaches it with passion. He’s always got a damn good plan for the opponent, he’s crystal clear in what he’s looking for, what he thinks is going to work. Those guys believe it, they buy in, and they put all-out effort into it. And so, he’s inspiring and he’s just another one of the reasons why we win around here, is because of him.”
On if Lions TE Shane Zylstra playing over TE Parker Hesse in two-straight weeks was based on matchups: “Yeah, well, it was – I would say the biggest reason is because Zylstra has really improved over the last – call it month, three or four weeks. He was hard to ignore in practice, we felt like he’s a pretty good athlete and every week he was giving our defense fits on the scout team. And that’s what we were looking for through camp, through training camp. And I told him the week before we elevated him, I said, ‘I see you and you’re getting better and better and better.’ The run game and pass game, and so we felt like it’s time to give him another opportunity and he’s been good for us.”
