LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 1, 2024
Opening Statement: “This is – there again, just reiterating how exciting this is, to be able to play these types of games, these big-time games, environment, division game on the road, at a place that’s – it’s one of those things that God created, it’s where football began a little bit, those types of things. So anyway, we’re looking forward to this. We’ll be in the elements, which is great. This is like one of those – you hope for this. I think we’ll be all-white, so we’ll have the grass stains and everything rolling, man, it’s going to be good old football, the way it’s meant to be played. So, excited, great opponent, but our guys are fired up, man, they’re looking forward to this.”
On if he hopes it will rain at Green Bay on Sunday: “I just – I love the good throwback games. It’s good to get one every once in a while.”
On if weather helps offense or defense more: “Well, I think everywhere, right? I mean, I think it evens the playing ground across the board, really. It can neutralize rushers, it can neutralize speed, change of direction, but at the end of the day, here’s what you do know, whoever can get their feet in the ground and don’t slip, those are going to be your best players on Sunday in the elements, and we have some of those guys, a lot of them. So, we’re looking forward to it. Look, they play on that grass, they understand what it is, and it won’t be new to them either and they’ve got plenty of good players. So, I just think it’s great, it’s a throwback to football and it’s good.”
On if it is important for the team to prove themselves outdoors in the elements: “No, I don’t think so. I think we’re very comfortable playing in whatever the elements are, honestly. Our quarterback’s played pretty good, I feel like we’ve taken care of the football, although that’s always going to be an emphasis. Wet ball, those things are going to come up because it is, it’s going to be a little more slick and then folks aren’t catching the football, we’ll have the high winds with the water. And so, all of those become a factor, but the great news is both teams play with it. You’re both on the same area, under the same conditions, and so we’ll be fine. But no, I don’t feel like we need to prove something with it, I think we’re prepared. We’re going to be prepared for it.”
On if cleats are a bigger factor when playing at Lambeau Field compared to other outdoor fields: “Well, no, I think it’s the nature of the grass and then being up north, we’re turning into fall, it’s getting close to winter, the sun’s going down, it’s – things are different. We could get into horticulture – and so, I just think – and then you add a little bit of rain, it’s just different than it is in the South, right? I know we have a number of young guys that, they’ve been playing on that Bermuda, man, and it’s getting full sun and warm and everything’s great and you can go out there barefooted and you’ll stick, whereas it’s just not that way. Now it’s not like this isn’t a good turf, I mean, they’ve done a good job and it’ll be good, it’s just, you have to be aware of it. You’ve got to wear the right cleats and as long as you do, you’ll be fine.”
On if there is a long-term concern if Lions DL Josh Paschal is held out of practice today and the game at Green Bay: “No, there’s not. He’ll be out. He and (Lions LB) Malcolm (Rodriguez) will both be out. But no, nothing long-term, which is great news, and we’re hopeful we’ll get him back next week.”
On what he thought of Packers WR Jayden Reed before the 2023 NFL Draft: “Really liked that player a lot, I really did, thought very highly of him. (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I both were high on him. Well, I think the vision was what you see right now with he way he’s playing. I mean, here’s what you knew, he was competitive, he was explosive, had speed, he had catch radius for a guy who’s not 6’5”, but he can track it, he can locate it, sticky hands, feisty blocker, competitive, man he’ll get after you in the run game, and he’s very smart, very smart player. Felt like a guy who, ‘Man, this guy can – he’ll be able to play any of these positions physically, but mentally as well.’ And then, certainly, the return ability, knowing that he would be able to return punts. So, yeah, he’s doing well, he’s coming into his own and he continues to get better and, to me, he’s a force and we’re going to have to be ready for him as well as those other receivers. But yeah, we liked him a lot.”
On the message to the team about not making the game-changing mistake at Green Bay: “Yeah, I think just, there again, focusing on the details of everything and just living in the moment of the play. You go back and we’ve got these gameplans and they’re loaded front-to-back, offense, defense, (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG’s got his menu the players got. I understand you can only call one of those per play and there may be a couple of wrinkles to that one, a couple of adjustments, but the point is you can’t call every one of those in one play, so focus on that detail, understand what you can get, know the situation and play at the best of your ability and then keep your composure. This is another one of those games, you look at the last few opponents they played, and they haven’t kept their composure, they haven’t been able to do that and Green Bay’s been able to just wear them down and cause them to make errors, to have errors, and we can’t do that. We’ve got to stay locked in and just relax, and look, we know it’s not going to be perfect, we don’t expect it to be a perfect game, but it’s also, you don’t know when the critical error could happen and it could be five minutes left in the first quarter and that could be the one. Most of the time, all you see is what’s at the end of the game, it’s the most magnified, but how do you know it’s not the one early, five minutes left, and if you just do what you’re asked to do one more time, the hard, boring details of the play, then it’s the difference in the game. So, our guys have done a great job with that, they understand it, and I feel like we’ve played pretty good football when the pressure’s on.”
On how quickly he thinks Lions DL Brodric Martin can get up to speed: “It’s hard to say. I mean, it was good to see him out there. He looks like he’s fresh, he certainly has fresh legs. So, really that’s the best I can give you. I mean, it’s good to get him out there, it’s good to continue the development of him, to be able to go against our one O-line, he’s out there going against those guys, and then it’s just a matter of, man, do we feel like after this three weeks he can help us, do we feel like he can really help us, is he healthy enough to help, how is he relative to the rest of the guys on the roster, even practice squad? That’s what it’ll be.”
On if playing in big games still feels new to him and the team: “I mean, I think this is where we’re at now as far as the – I guess, how we handle these games would be the right way to say it, but as far as the excitement of preparing for these, no, this never gets old. This is the good stuff and, like I say, we’ve got two really good teams fighting for the division and it’s on the road and it just – everything about it is the ultimate competition, and the only thing better is when you start hitting the playoffs. But these types of games are what it’s about. So, I think our guys really enjoy it, look forward to it, I know the staff does too.”
On what it is about road games that he likes so much: “It’s just – it’s always a good change of – it’s just you, right? And as of late it’s been our fans too, so that’s nice. But it is a little bit of that. It’s good to go out, and I know this, every winning team I’ve been I’ve been a part of, player or coach, if you can win consecutive games at consecutive times in a season and you can win on the road, you’re a pretty good team. So we’ve been able to do that and there’s nothing easy about it and it takes everybody and I just think there’s something special about, you’re in an offensive huddle and you can’t hear yourself think and you look at the guy next to you and you just crack a smile because it’s just you, and it’s awesome.”
