ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell praised his defense for an outstanding performance, saying every player deserved a game ball.
Campbell said, “Top to bottom across that whole roster, those guys just did a really good job. I thought we were aggressive, went after the football, had a number of balls on the ground.”
He noted the team’s focus on takeaways in practice is paying dividends on the field, with players taking pride in trying to be the next to make a play.
Offense
Offensively, Campbell said the team did what they had to do, acknowledging there are things to clean up that are easily correctable.
Campbell acknowledged the challenge of fluctuating touches among players and said improving third-down conversions will create more opportunities for everyone.
He said, “If we get a little bit better on third down, tweak a couple of things, set a couple of different players up, I think it’s going to go a long way for us.”
Campbell described the issues on third down as small mistakes spread across many players, calling them easily correctable.
Special teams
Campbell also highlighted the special teams coverage units, calling their performance really good.
Bye-week
The Lions enter the bye week with a 5-2 record.
Campbell said the coaching staff was given some work to do at their leisure during the break, but emphasized the importance of getting away to refresh.
He explained, “By the time you get some of these guys recovered, even if you want to gain some reps with the young guys, you still need a couple of days to recover. I’d rather give them off and let them refresh.”
Nick Whiteside
Campbell discussed the decision to lean on veteran cornerback Nick Whiteside, who has been with the team and understands the system well.
He said, “We just felt like that was the right move. He stepped up and made plays for us. None of those guys blinked. They went in there and competed.”
Reflecting on the defense, Campbell said the disruption from the front seven helped the secondary stick in coverage, giving the team confidence.
Regarding the plan to play Whiteside 44 snaps, Campbell said it was more than planned, but Whiteside handled it well and will come back in better football shape.
Alim McNeill
Campbell praised defensive tackle Alim McNeill for his impressive debut, where he played 44 snaps.
Hel said, “It was a little more than we wanted to give him for his first time out. We were shooting for a little less just to be smart with him, but he was handling it well.”
Originally, McNeill was expected to play mostly on passing downs, but he was worked into base reps and saw significant action on second and third downs.
Campbell added, “There was a lot of third downs in there, and we wanted him part of all that. It got up there in the 40 range, but I thought he handled it well.”
He noted that McNeill will use the upcoming bye week to get into better football shape, saying, “That’s the only way to duplicate it is to actually go through it. I think this will be good for him.”
Next man up
On the “next man up” philosophy, Campbell said the team is built on that mindset and that all players, from veterans to practice squad members, are coached as if they could be called on to play at any moment.
Campbell emphasized trust and reliability as key factors for players earning playing time.
Taylor Decker
He also addressed offensive tackle Taylor Decker‘s frustration after Monday Night Football, noting that he is a perfectionist who wants to play his best football.
Campbell said, “He helps us, though. He elevates us. I just appreciate the fact he’s out there trying to get it done.”
Parity in NFC North
On the parity in the NFC North and across the league, Campbell said November will be the month where teams separate themselves.
Campbell stressed the importance of staying urgent, focused on details, and continuing to improve throughout the long season.
Challenges
He addressed confusion surrounding two challenges he made during Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the first challenge, Campbell confirmed he was contesting the completion process of the catch.
Regarding the second challenge, Campbell admitted it was a mistake on his part.
Campbell explained, “That was a bad challenge. That was just a total mess-up on my part. I thought he was down at the fumble site. That’s more grasping for straws. I shouldn’t have done that.”
When asked if he was thinking, “What the hell is he doing?” Campbell agreed that it was accurate.
Campbell also reflected on the fallout from a controversial play involving the Kansas City Chiefs, wondering if it might lead to closer scrutiny of 50/50 calls, especially involving his Lions.
He said, “I don’t know if that is or not. Every game, there are different angles, and it took a while to get the angle that proved he did not get the marker. Normally, it doesn’t always go down that way.”
Campbell concluded, “I’ll take it. We’ll take it and move on.”
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