LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 8, 2024
Opening Statement: “It’s been a good week, we have one more day here full-speed to prepare for this opponent. But it’s been good, guys are locked in and we’re looking forward to it. This will be a great matchup, on the road, their place, Sunday night, it’s pretty exciting. That’s really it.”
On if Lions DL Za’Darius Smith is in the building today: “He is, we’ll have him out there, get him moving around a little bit and we’re prepared to see what we can do and where we can go with it.”
On if there is concern that Lions T Taylor Decker’s injury will affect his game status: “Yeah, I don’t see him practicing today. It’s really about how he heals up. I don’t feel like this is something major, but we need to see, really, how he feels over the next 48 hours.”
On how much Lions DL Za’Darius Smith can impact the defense: “Yeah, there again I think it’s – impact is really doing your job. How does it play into what everybody else is doing? And so, I would say it can help. That’s one of the reasons he’s here.”
On if there are any concerns about the uncharacteristic run defense the last couple weeks and if Lions DL Za’Darius Smith can help in that area: “Yeah, look I would say, most of those, when you look at it, what’s really popped up is, we’re handling the run well and all of a sudden, we give up an explosive. One guy doesn’t fit the gap right – we had that the other day, we had a couple guys that were out of a gap, and it shut the other guy off and now all of a sudden it hits. We have a couple that are where they’re supposed to be but they’re not shedding off the block. They’re not giving off the block to the tight end or the tackle, then all of a sudden it runs by them, and so those are the things where we have to be better. We can’t allow these explosive runs, like Houston, (Texans RB Joe) Mixon will expose you if you allow that to continue. So, it’s a point of emphasis, it’s why we padded up yesterday, it’s why we go through the technique work. To answer your question, yeah, Za’Darius can help there. And look, we’re getting (Lions DL Josh) Paschal back too, that helps.”
On if allowing explosives is an issue that all 11 players on defense are responsible for: “Always, because inevitably what happens – it’s like this, any portion of your team, any area of the team, it’s one thing to not do your job, whatever the reason may be. That’s one thing. But what happens is, if it happens a couple of times, then a player – the other player who does do his job, he begins to try to do more for you when you shouldn’t have to. And that’s not the way you – that’s not how you succeed. So, then he’s doing what he shouldn’t be and now he’s out of position and it begins to trickle, and you lose trust. So, we can’t have the trust crumblers. We have to eliminate that, but it does. Everybody’s got a job to do, do your job and do it violently. We were talking yesterday about one of our players, and I said, ‘Do you think if you told him his life depended on getting in this gap and playing this gap, he could do it?’ And you kind of have to think that way. You really kind of have to have that mentality.”
On if players practicing in pads depends on the opponent and what happened the week before: “Sometimes, yeah sometimes that plays into it, but I think it’s really the last two weeks on Wednesday, we’ve backed off considerably for recovery. Ordinarily, I don’t love putting guys in pads on Thursday, but yet, you’re getting the recovery and then just to get – there again, we did it the first portion of practice, you’re talking about eight plays and a little one-on-one. I just think it gives you confidence, it forces you to play a little bit lower, your hands, it’s just – it’s game-like and just for a few shots. Now, you can’t do that every week. But I feel like it was good for us last week, I feel like it’s going to be good for us this week.”
On if it is a coaching feel or statistically better to go for a two-point conversion to win a game: “Yeah, I think it’s a feel thing and I would never second-guess what a coach on another team does in that situation. You have to go by what your gut tells you and how the game’s playing out, what the opponent is, how are you playing. I just, I do I think there’s a ton of things that go into it and there’s no right or wrong answer. It really is a feel thing. And you can go in thinking one way, ‘If it comes down to this, this is what I would do.’ And all of a sudden, that could very easily change once you get in a certain type of game.”
On if going for a two-point conversion to win the game depends on the opponent’s quarterback: “That plays into it as well. That plays into it.”
On why it was important to give Lions DL Za’Darius Smith rest over the last two days: “Yeah well, I think for him in particular – I think each case is kind of unique, right, and his is unique in the fact, number one, he’s a veteran player. He’s got a lot of miles on the body, and he can still do it, but it’s also, I think it’s important for him to be able to get a little bit of a breather. That’s one, two is that you just got traded. It’s a whirlwind. All of a sudden, ‘I was here, we were getting ready for the team photo, was going into the bye, now all of a sudden I drive up here to Detroit and oh by the way, there was a hurricane that hit down south where my house is.’ There’s just, there’s these things and I think it creates some stress that you can alleviate. That’s more important than we have to force the issue right now and I would rather him be of sound body and mind for the rest of this long haul than I would try to force the issue right now.”
On what he has seen on film from Texans QB CJ Stroud and how he has improved from his rookie year: “Yeah, look he’s impressive. I’ll tell you what, you can tell he’s smart. For a young quarterback, he’s smart, he can key and diagnose, he’s tough, he’ll stand in the pocket but yet he’s got pocket awareness to where he can maneuver and then you let him get outside and I think one of the things that he’s done really a good job of – he did it last year – is when he begins to move, his eyes are downfield. He feels the rush, but he doesn’t see the rush and so he’s – and that’s what makes him so dangerous. I showed the team this morning a number of clips where when he gets on the perimeter and he can see it, he’s making these throws. You give him just a tick of time in the pocket and he’s making them. So, he’s dangerous in that regard and you can never count him out. So, they got one over there. I think he’s going to be a good player in this League for a long time to come and we have to be ready. We have to play tight coverage on these receivers, we have to shut down (Texans RB Joe) Mixon, I think he’s the key, but this guy will hurt you.”
On what his sense is of Lions DL Za’Darius Smith as a person and how he will fit in with the team: “I really haven’t had that much time to be around him, it was literally we signed him, talked for a little bit, and then he just got back for today. So, I haven’t had that much time, I just know what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard from other people, and he does have an energy about him that mirrors up with his play style. So, I just think in that regard, a guy that – look if you play defense and you’ve had the production he has, then alright, you know the type of football player. We’ve played against him, Minnesota, Green Bay. So we know what that is but he’s tough, he’s violent and he’s got a motor and then we’re not even talking about potentially outside or inside, getting in the edge and pass rush, and just helping whether that’s straight rush or running the games. So, I just think he’s going to be a perfect fit for us.”
On Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn having water on his glasses at the Packers game: “Yeah, that was pretty good. At one point, and I don’t know – we were in the heat of battle there and I just remember – I said something, ‘AG we got to be ready for this and wipe your glasses off.’ He’s like, ‘I got you.’ Yeah, that was pretty good. He doesn’t need eyes to coach.”
On if they have decided if Lions DL Za’Darius Smith will play on Sunday: “We have not.”
