Tag: NFL

Lions coach Dan Campbell, QB Jared Goff well prepared for 49ers

Red Wings fans show Goff love; injury updates

ALLEN PARK — It all comes down to this. The city of Detroit is primed to bring home an NFC Championship and a spot in the Super Bowl.

Newfound fans — young, old and in-between — have found something to love in this bunch of Lions who already have found more success than teams for more than three decades

The Lions face the favored 49ers at San Francisco at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. They’re preparing like it’s another game, not one that has so much on the line.

“We’re right where we need to be, the minute you start trying to make this greater than it is which is another football game right in front of you, you prepare the same way, you practice the same way, you put your socks on the same way, that’s when you run into problems,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Friday.

Campbell, in his third season, has been the catalyst for the turn-around. He’s earned the total respect of the players who would run through walls for him.

Quarterback Jared Goff said the coach’s super power list would be long, but it starts with his people skills.

“The No. 1 thing that I think about with him is his emotional intelligence, how well he can read the room and know people. That would be characteristic No. 1 of being a leader and why he is so good at that,’’ Goff said on Friday.

“He knows when to push, when to pull, when to tell you he needs a little bit more from you, when to love you up. He’s got such a  great feel for all of that which is why he’s so special,’ Goff added.

The love and respect between Goff and Campbell is mutual. The coach expects the best on Sunday from Goff who has a Super Bowl appearance with the Rams on his resume.

 “He’s going to be great. I really – I feel great about Goff. He’s the least of my concerns. He’s going to be just fine. For him, he’s done this before. He understands it. We’re back on the road, and it’ll be a loud environment,’’ Campbell said. 

“But I mean, we’ve – man, we’ve been in some big games on the road over the last year and a half and he’s performed well. And look, we threw a ton on him last week. And I know it was at home, but we put a lot on his plate. As advanced as that defense was, all the different things they do, that required that he take on a heavy load to get us in the right play, find the matchups, read coverage and he was outstanding with that. And so, he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be ready to go, so I’m not worried about that.”

Jar-ed Goff, Jar-ed Goff

While Goff was not at the Red Wings game on Thursday night, the fans there were doing the Jar-ed Goff chant that started weeks ago at Ford Field. Videos were sent to Goff.

“That was pretty cool. … Pretty fun to be a part of a city that cares so much,’’ Goff said on Friday.

Injury update

As expected G Jonah Jackson (knee) and WR/PR Kalif Raymond (knee) are out. QB Hendon Hooker (tooth) and CB Chase Lucas (illness) are questionable.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone (shoulder/ribs) and center Frank Ragnow (ankle, toe, knee, back) will play.

“Frank’s doing well. Frank will be ready to go. You’re not going to hold him out of this one, he gets better every day. He’ll be ready,’’ Campbell said on Friday.

Are the Detroit Lions America’s team? Five reasons why they’ve earned the title

The Cowboys, once America’s team, are so yesterday.

How exactly does an NFL team turn itself into America’s team? Is there a caucus? A primary? Winning is key. Add in hard work, physicality, perseverance, humility and a super-sized dose of charisma. 

As the playoff wins pile up it’s becoming more apparent, the Detroit Lions have claimed the once-elusive title of America’s team. Even the New York Post proclaimed “The Real America’s Team: Lovable Lions just one win away from Supe after beating Bucs.”

It’s been a journey which may have started when coach Dan Campbell attracted fans through the up-close examination of all that is Honolulu Blue via HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

It ramped up when they won eight of their final 10 games in 2022 after an 1-6 start.

It hit new heights when an electrified Ford Field, during wins over the Rams and Bucs, caught the eye of NFL fans who love to cheer for the underdog.

And now, here the Lions are one win away from the Super Bowl. It’ll be a tough matchup at the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday  but coach Dan Campbell said they will be ready.

None of this was an accident. 

“We were intentional about being about grit and earning it. … We went through darkness and it shaped us for this moment,’’ GM Brad Holmes said in the locker room immediately after the wildcard win over the Rams.

Before that game – the franchise’s first playoff win in 32 years – Campbell said his bunch was “scarred to perfection.”

Not convinced? Five reasons why the Lions are America’s Team:

1. The quarterback. Jared Goff may be a California guy at heart, but he’s got ice in his veins – the perfect temp for a quarterback. He lived through a 3-13 season in 2021 and came out better for it. He’s loved by his teammates, the coaches and the fans. A fan video appeared on Facebook after the Rams win of Goff in an SUV passenger seat leaving Ford Field, the windows down and a fan yelling “You’re the King of Detroit.” Actually Goff said that happened after the win over Denver, but it indeed happened. The sentiment remains the same.

2. The coach. Dan Campbell was the perfect man for this monumental turn-around. He’s got the respect of the team because he respects them. When he screws up – and he has at points – he’s the first to admit it. He’s famous for his “biting kneecaps” comment when hired, but perhaps that is just what needed to be said. He and Holmes have a profile for players they seek and it’s not all about football. It’s about the type of people and if they’ll fit in. “This will be an outstanding test for us but it’s one we’re ready for, we’re built to handle this,’’ Campbell said on Wednesday in preparation for facing the 49ers.

3. The bad boy. Aidan Hutchinson, in just his second season, is all about pressure. His spin move has become his trademark. In the two playoff games he was good for three sacks, eight quarterback hits and 10 tackles. He’s about attitude too. Campbell said his defense is a salty group and that description definitely fits Hutchinson. Before he played an NFL snap he came to the forefront with his rendition of “Billie Jean” on “Hard Knocks.” Many fans have a special place in their heart for him because of his Maize and Blue roots. Honorable mention to Kerby Joseph, one tough football-playing dude, and linebacker Alex Anzalone who leads the defense in tackles. 

4. The rookies. Tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell and safety Brian Branch were expected to contribute right away. They have and they’ve just gotten better as the season and playoffs have worn on. LaPorta, who had a touchdown catch against the Rams, finished with nine catches against the Bucs in the divisional round setting a single-game NFL postseason record among rookie tight ends. The speedy Gibbs has rushed for a TD in each of the first two playoff games. DB Brian Branch opened the season with an interception returned for a touchdown and has kept up the intensity. In the two playoff games he has combined for 16 tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. LB Jack Campbell has grown into his role with Dan Campbell saying that his best game to date was in the win over the Vikings to end the season. 

5. The fans. Go ahead, name a better fan base. I’m waiting. They’ve lived and died with their team since the last playoff win on Jan. 5, 1992. New coaches, new GMs, Hall of Famers retiring early – they’ve lived through it all. Then there was the promise of a new season at every training camp. A 3-13-1 inaugural season for Campbell who was a tight end for the Lions in 2008 during their 0-16 season. This season the fans at Ford Field (and on the road) have been amazingly loud and electric and they took it up a notch during the two home playoff games. Perhaps ESPN’s Steve Levy, who was at Sunday’s game said it best on ‘X’: Ford Field yesterday was the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. And yet the silence, when the Lions were on ‘Goffense’ was remarkable. Fewest visiting fans I’ve ever seen at a major sporting event. Might just be the best gameday experience in the NFL. Well done Detroit.”

Lions Jared Goff wants to win for Detroit fans; doesn’t get caught up in facing his former team

Dan Campbell says Goff is ‘wired the right way’

ALLEN PARK — While much will likely be made about quarterbacks Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford leading up to Sunday’s wildcard matchup between the Lions and Rams, it’s just one scene in the big picture.

After the 2020 season the teams swapped quarterbacks and it paid immediate dividends for the Rams who won the Super Bowl with Stafford in his first season there.

It’s been a slower process with Goff, but it has worked. The Lions came within a whisker of making the playoffs last season and they take a 12-5 record into Sunday night’s game at Ford Field.

Goff has led the NFL’s second-best offense with an even-keel approach.

He’s really not into the whole Stafford-Goff storyline for the game. He’s moved on.

“I so badly want to win a playoff game for this city, which hasn’t had one for so long. That’s my biggest motivation this week,’’ Goff said on Wednesday.

Also Goff said he hasn’t really shared his playoff experience with his teammates. Some of them have postseason experience and others have played in five primetime games this season, finishing with a 4-1 record in those nighttime affairs. He just wants every one to play their best game.

“He’s wired the right way, he’s been through this, he’s been to the Big One. He’s dealt with this a number of times, not just in playoff wins,’’ coach Dan Campbell said.

Campbell recalled once again that in 2018 when he was an assistant with the Saints, Goff brought the Rams to New Orleans and won the NFC Championship in overtime. Subsequently the Rams lost in the Super Bowl.

“He’s been in the big ones and he understands what it is, he understands that you can’t get too high or too low, you focus on your job,’’ Campbell said.

In Goff’s six playoff games in 2017, 2018 and 2020 the Rams were 3-3 overall. In those postseason games Goff threw four touchdown passes, two interceptions and was sacked 14 times. His completion percentage was 57.4 percent. (In comparison, this season he has completed 67.3 percent of his passes.)

If he has a chip on his shoulder from being traded to Detroit, don’t expect it to show.

“Look, I don’t think you’re going to see anything different than what he’s been, I don’t think he’s going to say anything different. It’s human nature to feel a certain way … I think he’s handled it all well,’’ Campbell said. “I don’t think this is going to be something that he loses sleep over, that he loses focus on. He understands  this – if you really feel that way the best way to do it is play the very best football you can play.’’

Injury update

Tight end Sam LaPorta, who injured his knee on Sunday, did not practice on Wednesday. Campbell said they likely won’t know if he can play until Friday afternoon. WR Kalif Raymond (knee) did not practice. Others who didn’t practice include offensive linemen Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow who are listed as getting rest. CB Jerry Jacobs (thigh) had limited practice. 

WR Jameson Williams (ankle) practiced Wednesday and is expected to play Sunday after missing Sunday’s win over the Vikings. 

UP NEXT: Wildcard playoff game: Rams (10-7) at Lions (12-5), 8 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field. It’s NBC’s Sunday night game.