LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 11, 2024
Opening Statement: “Just talking about the game again, I think what’s important is, our guys are – we’re finding different ways to win. And I think there’s so much of – we’re an improved team from last year in that regard, is that we – every time you get in these types of battles and even when things don’t go your way, we find a way to overcome it. It’s why we have the guys that we have, why we built the team that we’ve got and the lessons that have been learned from last year make you stronger, make you better. So, man, our guys, they’re a resilient group and they won’t go away and you feel like, three timeouts in two minutes, you can make anything happen, and our guys just kept battling. Defensively, did an outstanding job. That second half, to come out and – interception, punt, interception, three punts and then force a missed field goal. Two takeaways, (Lions CB) Carlton Davis (III) came up huge, those guys were outstanding. Offensively, it was really about the fourth quarter. After the interception, we finished that game with points, touchdown and two field goals, and our guys showed up. (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown showed up when we needed him, (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs showed up, (Lions QB Jared) Goff showed up, (Lions RB) David Montgomery, (Lions T Penei) Sewell, (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow), our guys showed up, and certainly (Lions K Jake) Bates. Bates was big and that whole operation, (Lions LS) Hogan (Hatten), (Lions P Jack) Fox holding. I think that – you forget that. It’s like, Hogan’s a rookie too. Those are big plays. I thought (Lions RB Sione) Vaki was really good on the units, special teams units. Talked about Frank, had a big game for us, man, he played really well again. So, total team effort, once again and every time you figure out how to win in that adverse environment, conditions, you get better and you learn from it and we just continue to harden ourselves and we just go, man, and I feel like we’re gaining momentum going uphill because that’s where we’re at. We’re in November and the teams that can begin to gain momentum going uphill are the ones that are dangerous, and I feel like that’s where we’re at. And I just want to – one more time, man, our fans are unbelievable the way they’re traveling right now. And I heard them in the fourth and I try not to pay attention to any of that, but it was noticeable with their offense out there, and the false start was critical that was forced, so I can’t say enough good things about our guys, our fans.”
On if looking back at the 2023 NFC Championship game at San Francisco helped them learn a lesson on resiliency: “Yeah, I think that was a little bit of something we talked about yesterday at halftime, and I know that (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) had mentioned that to the offense, like, ‘This is San Francisco in reverse,’ and it’s what they were able to do and what they were able to overcome against us. We were able to do that here and it’s kind of one of those – that’s one of those last lessons learned, to have the ability to overcome when, man, nothing’s going your way. Now, our defense played well, and if they don’t, we don’t get back into that, but you’re talking about five turnovers, I mean, the odds of winning a game like that are slim-to-none, and to be able to just hang in there and believe you still got a chance, you still have the ability, it’s going to flip any minute, it’s going to flip any minute. When you get that belief and you get that type of production when you need it, you are a dangerous team.”
On the keys on defense yesterday that allowed them to come back other than the interceptions: “Shut down the run. I mean, (Texans RB Joe) Mixon was, to me the – he was the most dangerous player that we had to deal with for them. He was the guy and we felt like they were going to try to force the issue with him and he’s a violent runner, he gets yards after contact, and man, we shut him down. I mean, they gave him 28 carries, 56 yards, which is big. And so, really, we kept them one-dimensional, and I thought that was a big part of it. Now, we need to be able to get off the field, particularly in the first half on some of those, we had a third-and-18, we don’t get off the field. Couple other things had happened, but at the end of the day, man, we forced them into a game that we wanted to play. That was big. So, that is the biggest, I felt like. Obviously the two takeaways were big, but the other thing, to be able to – it’s one thing to, ‘Hey, you played defense, you’re able to stop the run. OK, you got the two takeaways.’ But, when you’re talking about the five turnovers on offense and your defense just found a way or held them to a field goal and then, bam, that happens within two plays, interception, they’re back on the field, get a stop, back on the field, field goal, and to be able to just continue to do that – man, take the field, take the field, let’s hit it on a run and go out there and put the fire out, man, that’s big. That’s not an easy thing to do but, there again, it’s a credit to (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG, the defensive staff and those guys on defense. Man, they believe and that’s what they’re there to do.”
On what it meant to him to see Lions DL Za’Darius Smith being engaged on the sideline yesterday: “Yeah, I mean, it was – there again, he’s a veteran guy, he’s been around it and he’s wholly embraced the eight wins, ‘Hey, we got eight.’ He walked in the door. But yeah, like I say, he’s – look, it’s one of the reasons he’s been a good player, it’s not just the physical ability he’s got, he’s been around it, he’s seen it, he’s pretty instinctive, he understands the game. And so, those little things that come up, you never know how that’s going to hit with one of our players in real time. So, man, those are good. Look, he’s – I know he just got here, but he’s in, he’s in it and he’s ready to go. I know he was chomping at the bit to play and he’s about to play, so he’s going to be ready to roll.”
On how proud he is that the team has taken on his mantra and identity: “Well yeah, I’m real proud of them. I mean, that’s – look, that’s part of our identity, that’s part of our core foundation, that’s why grit’s up on the wall. Because it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, it doesn’t matter how good your coordinators are, man, without that as your bedrock, you’ll be an inconsistent team, I believe. You win one and then you may lose, you may win, you may lose. But when you’ve got that and you’re made that way and our team embraces that, they buy into it, it’s why we have the camps that we have, training camp, it’s why we do what we do, it’s why we pad up, it’s why we go live. And it’s money in the bank, you invest in that early so that it pays dividends as the season goes because you can’t do it during the season, and I think that hardens your team. You put them in pressure situations, they buy into that, you figure out who can steady their heart rate and make big plays in the moment, pressure situations, and the guys that, maybe that’s not their deal, and you get them out of the way. But that’s part of who they are, that’s who we are, our players know that. That’s their identity, that’s our identity.”
On if Lions CB Carlton Davis III has been everything that he hoped he would be and if he has been good for the cornerback room: “Absolutely, and then some. That’s been an outstanding addition, and as a matter of fact, I told him Saturday night, we’re in the special teams meeting, I slip right behind him – I think I said this yesterday, I said, ‘Man, one of the best moves we made was acquiring you, getting you here.’ And there is nothing better than a cover corner who runs, hits, tackles, fills the run, no fear, and then you see what he’s able to do with those takeaways yesterday. And he is good for that room, he is a veteran guy, he’s a guy who’s been around it for a while. There are things that he understands and can kind of help the young guys with technique-wise or things that you see when it comes to game planning. And, look man, he’s all in and he’s playing at a high level, and I feel like, he’s another guy, he’s just gaining momentum. His confidence continues to grow and he’s just – he’s gaining momentum. So, I’m thankful we got him here.”
On if there were discussions on having Lions DL Za’Darius Smith play at Houston and if there was a discussion about having Lions T Penei Sewell play left tackle: “Yeah, look, there was just a little bit. Yeah, there was a thought about playing him, but we just felt like the right thing to do was just sit him this week, we just did. We’ll let him get his bearings and, there again, that’s a game off his body and now we can go. And then, as far as Sewell, we felt like with – when the injury happened with (Lions T Taylor) Decker and feeling like there’s a chance he may not play, the hay was kind of already in the barn, and so, ‘Let’s leave Sewell at right, that’s where he took his reps.’ I mean, most of it was, we got into Thursday and, man, we’re running, we’re in pads, live reps, we’re moving, and that’s where he got his reps, and then (Lions T Dan) Skipper filled in at left tackle and got those reps there, and so, let’s not make the switch to where, ‘OK, Skip, I know you got those reps there, go to the right. Sewell, vice versa.’ We just felt like it was better to do that. And then it just happened to work out that there were a number of plays that went Sewell’s way, and the rest is up to him. I mean, he made some unbelievable blocks and, man, I thought our backs ran hard and I thought (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs set up a number of blocks, did a really good job on the perimeter of – I mean, that one he almost takes it all the way down the sideline. He kinds of dips and sets up Sewell’s block and then goes around the perimeter and barely steps out. But yeah, Sewell, he’s a – man, if we had two Sewells. One would be a tight end, just saying.”
On an injury update for Lions TE Sam LaPorta: “Yeah, it’s still – look, it’ll be day-to-day but not – we don’t feel like this is something like, ‘Oh, man, this going to be a long, nagging injury.’ I think we’ll get through it, I’m hopeful this week, but I can’t say that – he’s questionable.”
On an injury update for Lions T Taylor Decker: “Decker’s questionable but trending the right way.”
On if scoring at will against a team or coming back against a team on the road tells him more about the team’s potential: “I would probably always choose the tough teams on the road. You go to Minnesota, you go to Green Bay, you go to Houston, those are big. I’m about to speak out of both sides of my mouth, but then you go on the road and you’re able to put up some points at Dallas and things like that, that’s big too. You’re kind of in a different place, it’s a different type of opponent and no matter what it is, you’ve got to find a way to get up and play your best ball or do whatever it takes to win and, there again, we look back, we’re coming out of the bye and we told the guys, ‘Hey man, we’ve got four of five on the road. We’ve got to be road warriors.’ And it’s not easy to win on the road and we just – we kind of got through this patch four-for-four and then counting the home game, Tennessee, we’ve gotten five in a row after the bye. So, we’re finding a way. We’re finding a way and now the most important thing is, I said it before, it gets harder and harder to win now. The more you win, the harder it is to continue to win and it’s really because of the psyche of, ‘Oh man, that was great, that’s a good win, we all feel good.’ But if we don’t clean up some of these errors and we just kind of sweep them under the rug and, ‘Hey, I know, but we won.’ That stuff will creep up and it’s going to bite us. And we’ll do that, the coaches are on it and our players are going to be on it and we just identify it, and we stomp it out.”
