Tag: dan campbell

Lions handle expectations with Giants coming in for workouts

ALLEN PARK — With expectations high for the season and Ford Field season tickets sold out for the Lions’ season, coach Dan Campbell does not feel more pressure.

“I don’t feel weight, I feel the wind under my freaking wings,’’ he said on Saturday as he spread his arms like he was going to fly. 

“I love this man, this is outstanding. I love our fans, they feel it like we feel it. This is not a burden, this is not pressure, this is not weight, this gives me inspiration is what it does for me and our guys,’’ he added.

Campbell was preparing for the team’s last big practice on Saturday prior to the joint practices with the N.Y. Giants on Tuesday and Wednesday at the team’s practice facility.

He learned a few things from last year’s joint practices at the Indianapolis Colts.

“I love what we did. There were a couple of things, maybe a couple more team periods here and there, maybe we come together more. That was one of the things I loved,’’ Campbell said. “At the very end we were all on the same field, our offense was watching our defense. Then we switch it. We’ll do some of that at the very end of both days, which I like. I think it’s important that your teammates see what’s going on on the other side of the ball.’’

The combined practices allow Campbell some flexibility in who will get the reps in the preseason contests.

“There’s going to be a few players where this is their game reps. That was part of the allure for me too,’’ Campbell said. “We can really load our guys up with great looks, a lot of volume and intensity, then they might sit in games.’’

The Lions and Giants will open their preseason with a game on Friday, Aug. 11 at Ford Field.

The next week the Jacksonville Jaguars will come to Detroit for joint practices on Wednesday, Aug. 16 and Thursday, Aug. 17, with a preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Ford Field.

Lions right tackle Penei Sewell continues to impress Dan Campbell

Third-year starter says he wants it all

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has left zero doubt about how he feels about right tackle Penei Sewell.

“Look, I can’t say enough great things about Sewell I mean he’s – there’s a reason why he was the first pick we had two years ago because we wanted to build around a guy like him. He’s our foundation,’’ Campbell said on Friday. 

OK, those are big words. But he wasn’t done.

“He’s one of those pillars that we talk about. But I mean he is something else. He’s a man on a mission. I feel like we’re a team on a mission, but he is a man on a mission and you talk about being wired right, a guy that comes in every day, puts in the work and he’s got so much ability, but he’s got the right attitude too and I think that’s what makes him dangerous if you’re the opponent, so he’s right where he needs to be,’’ Campbell said. 

 On the first day in pads Friday, Sewell continued his stellar play. 

When told about Campbell’s complimentary words, he said: “I set high goals for me, I have high expectations for myself. He knows that, the team knows that and I just try to work at that each and every day,’’ Sewell said. “Everyone knows the everyday battles of coming out here putting the pads on, putting the helmet on, but you’ve got to put that behind you because there’s a bigger purpose than myself which is the team.’’

It’s sometimes said in the NFL the biggest “ability” is availability. Sewell is good there too. He hasn’t missed a start in his first two seasons with the Lions playing 16 games in 2021 and 17 games in 2022. Last season he even caught a touchdown pass.

Sewell was one of four Lions on offense to be named to the Pro Bowl last season and is considered one of the top right tackles in the NFL.

He’s been on an upward trajectory since he was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) in 2021 out of Oregon.

“The moment I got that call to come into this building. I knew that I got to bring myself into this building knowing I’m something different. And believe that God blessed me with different gifts than anybody else,’’ Sewell said.

It wasn’t easy at first, like any rookie he had to make the adjustment to the NFL.

“There were definitely training wheels without a doubt. … For the most part when it comes to the team aspect I feel like I fit in with the group of guys here. There was some training wheels with techniquewise and everyday consistency,’’ Sewell said.

At training camp this year expectations are high for the Lions who finished last season 9-8 and out of the playoffs.

“I want it all man, nothing less. I don’t want to give you guys specifics, that’s between me and the man in the mirror,’’ Sewell said. “I want it all. Individual teamwise, familywise — I want it all.’’

And that’s just one more reason Campbell loves having Sewell on the roster.

“If he loses, it bothers him bad, and that’s what you want. You want a guy who believes that there’s no way he should lose any rep, no matter who he’s playing and – so he’s shown up, he’s in shape, he’s lean, he’s mean and I’m glad he’s ours,’’ Campbell said.

Lions offense hits ground running early in training camp

Rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs impress

ALLEN PARK — Less than a week into training camp it’s clear the Detroit Lions’ offense has hit the ground running with a few rookie standouts adding a new twist.

It’s the second season under Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson which means less basic learning and more improvement on what worked. Under Johnson the offense was ranked fifth overall in the NFL in 2022 even as the team struggled and finished 9-8. 

“It’s now understanding the answers to the problems because every play call, defenses present problems and now we’ve got the solutions. We’re a lot quicker getting to those solutions than what we were, so we have made a step forward and that’s really with the vets,’’ Johnson said on Wednesday.

“The young guys, they’re still – they’re drinking through a water hose right now, which is a good thing. We’re trying to make this really, really challenging for all of our players and as we go through camp, the mentals is what we look at quite a bit so, the mental errors I should say,’’ Johnson added. “Right now, we’re pretty good, but as we get going, the more volume, the more that will go up and the guys that end up making our team are the guys that can handle that, handle the volume and deal with it, so it’s good.”

Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta has been one standout so far working with the starters at times. It’s not a surprise since the second-round pick was solid throughout OTAs and minicamp.

“I think as a coaching staff, we’re very much, ‘You need to earn your stripes.’ And so you saw in the springtime, he got minimal work with the first team and he’s earned the right now to be in that first team huddle with  Jared (Goff) and that offensive line,’’ Johnson said. “He’s proven that over the course of the springtime and the work that he’s put in. So, encouraged with where he’s going. He’s still making mistakes, he’s still learning, we are putting a lot of pressure on him to pick it up, but I think he’s in a really good spot for a first-year tight end, particularly with, like I said, the volume we are applying with the installs right now, so to see him be able to go out on the field and make plays, pass game and run game, I think we’re headed the right direction.”

When the pads come on for the first time on Friday, it will give coaches a better look at LaPorta.

“It’s a position that, if you cannot block and deal with the physicality, then in our offense, the value goes down. Tight ends that can’t block really are glorified receivers and that’s really a lot of Sam’s value that he had at Iowa was the ability to do both, be a pass catcher and also a run blocker,’’ Johnson said. “So, looking forward to see that versatility come to life when we do get the pads on.”

Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, a first-round pick, is learning quickly per Johnson.

“We’ve kept him learning the basic running back stuff right now, but we’re going to start pushing the envelope a little bit as we keep going through camp,’’ Johnson said. “The interesting thing is we’ve got the Giants coming in so early that our install has to be condensed a little bit, so we’re getting pretty aggressive and so the volume, the things we’re asking them to do, it’s going to escalate quickly and we’ll find out a lot more about these young guys, probably within the next week, week and a half.”