Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions Transcripts - Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell, Lions QB Jared Goff - October 24, 2021
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Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions Transcripts - Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell, Lions QB Jared Goff - October 24, 2021
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell, Lions QB Jared Goff
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening Statement)
“Today, a lot of adversity that we had to overcome. I thought the guys weathered the storm. A lot of credit to the Lions and Coach (Dan) Campbell. I thought Jared (Goff) did an excellent job being able to make his plays. I thought (D’Andre) Swift was outstanding. They did a great job defensively, really, creating a lot of pressure and making it difficult on us to kind of, you know, finish all those drives with touchdowns. Especially in the second half. But we came away with the win. I was really, really pleased with the guys in crunch time. I mean, for Aaron (Donald) to get that rush when we had to have it, force kind of an erred throw. Jalen (Ramsey) makes an unbelievable pick. Then we end up driving the length of the field, kick a field goal. Matt Gay delivers, in essence, kind of put the game out of hand. I thought Matthew (Stafford) made play after play. I thought Robert (Woods) and Cooper (Kupp) stepped up in a big way. There was a lot of realy good individual contributions. We'll take it. That's a really tough football team you got to give those guys their credit. But a lot of things that we can clean up. But certainly no style points in this league. And, again, a lot of respect for Coach Campbell and those guys.”
(On what was said between him and Jared Goff at the end of the game)
“No, I'm not going to get into -- no, I mean, it's -- as I said, ‘Great job. I'll touch base with you a little bit later on.’ But that was -- so I guess I did just share with you what I said.”
(On if he expected a “back against the wall like effort from the Lions)
“We did. And that's what's a little bit disappointing, Jourdan. That was not stuff we were surprised by. But we didn't execute and they did. They ended up creating a bunch of momentum and you end up having two fake punts and a surprise onside kick. Both of those things are things that we did anticipate and expect. But we didn't execute and they did. That wasn't good and there's a lot of things that we can learn from.”
(On how the start this game compared to last week’s start)
“Yeah, I think overall it's hard because you only have, really, three possessions in the first half. You end up with two touchdowns and one field goal. I thought we did a good job. I hated my third down call on the first drive of the game on the third down and four in the high red. I didn't give us a chance on that play. They had a good defensive call and I gave us no chance with the play call. Then to be able to get two touchdown drives in addition to that opening drive field goal, I thought was good, to be able to get the lead at half time. But, again, there just wasn't a whole lot of opportunities. I didn't like that we didn't capitalize on the momentum we had a chance to really grab hold of coming out of the half. The game is about handling the ebbs and flows. Our guys did that. There was a lot of reasons to put your head down and not feel good based on the way that it started, but that's the last thing our guys did. And I thought our big time players stepped up in crunch time big and that was instrumental in us getting the W today.”
(On what he saw from Matthew Stafford today)
“I saw the same guy I've seen. You know, steady, great performer. He was great in the clutch. And, really, even when things weren't going well, he just stays nice and even-keeled. And that's what a great quarterback does. He's our leader. He did a great job today. And, you know, pretty special for him to go over 300 career touchdown passes. Speaks to the resumé of work that he has. And to be able to do that in a win against a former team a lot of great relationships, I know he has tremendous respect for that organization, the way he was treated there. And I think they feel the same about him. I was really happy for him to get the win.”
(On whether he prepared for fake punts and onside kicks every week of if there was an emphasis on it this week during preparation for the Lions)
“I think you're always on alert for it if you think that it's a possibility that teams can, you know, potentially give that to you. It was something you do work throughout the course of the week with your weekly rhythm and the process in the kicking game. But, obviously, it's a good wake-up call for us and something we got to do a better job of moving forward.”
(On if the second fake punt caught them off guard)
“No, I mean, if we were in a safe situation right there, we lost the edge. Again, they made the plays and we didn't in that phase and it almost changed the outcome of the game.”
(On the interception by Jalen and if it was a great read)
“Huge. All the above. It was great concept trigger. Great recognition. I thought to force a little bit of an erred thrown by Aaron Donald, you could see, I mean, he did a great job. He was right in Jared's face immediately. Won right off the snap. Any time you get that internal pressure on a quarterback, that's always much more difficult. And then to have the ball skills to slice underneath that, make that play. I just told him, I said, ‘I thought you were going to take that all the way back.’ He's a stud. And you talk about big time players stepping up in a moment. We had to have it from our defense and those guys delivered in a big way. And that's why Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are who they are.”
(On if the Lions look and feel like an 0-7 team)
“No. I think you guys could feel that today. Really competitive. I think it's a huge credit to their coaching staff, their players, their leadership. Coach Campbell did an excellent job. And you can see, there's a belief. I mean, any time that you go wire to wire with us, with a team like Minnesota, you look at the Ravens, you know, they had a chance to really win all three of those games and they've been in a lot of other ones. So absolutely not. This league is so difficult. You guys ask those questions all the time. But any given week, you got to be ready to go. Players are too good, coaches do too good of a job. And it's about who plays well in that three-hour window of time. And, fortunately, we were able to weather the storm today.”
(On if there’s a follow up on Robert Rochell’s injury)
“I think he's going to be okay, Jourdan. I haven't talked to Reggie (Scott) and his group but I did talk to Robert (Rochell). He said that the initial tests checked out well. But I'll be able to give you further clarity tomorrow.”
(On if he was surprised about how Jared Goff was able to handle the pressure they were bringing)
“I thought he did a great job, Gary. You know, really, he handled it well and made a couple big time throws. The first third down and nine where they caught us in a pressure and he delivers, I thought it was a great call by Coach (Anthony) Lynn, great individual effort by (D’Andre) Swift to be able to turn that into a touchdown on a third down and nine. Yeah, I wasn't surprised, he did a good job. You know, credit to him.”
(On how difficult it was to defend the Lions offense)
“It was difficult, Claudia. They did a nice job. I think they've got two of the underrated backs in the league in (Jamaal) Williams and (D’Andre) Swift. I think they do a nice job of being able to create some problems and change the math with you on some of the angles that they're able to create specifically in some of their gap and trap-type of schemes. So they did a good job. It's a tough football team, but we made the stops when we had to and that's why we were able to come away with the win.”
(On how the relationship between Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford continues to evolve)
“I think it helps. I think those two are so on the same page, they understand the intent of the plays that we're trying to run. They see the coverage structures when Cooper (Kupp) might end up being a guy that gets the ball based on how many guys were getting out in the route progression. And so, he came through in the clutch. He and Matthew's rapport is special. I also thought it was on display with Robert Woods. (Tyler) Higbee made a couple of really important catches. That third down and 10 in the high red area where he hits Higbee on kind of a seem bending in there, that was all Matthew (Stafford) and Tyler Higbee. So Cooper and Matthew have done an outstanding job but I think a lot of other guys have as well and that's why we're able to be 6-1right now.”
(On Darrell Henderson’s performance)
“He's tough. I thought he had some really tough hard-earned yards. Especially coming back after -- that was a good hit that he took from (Tracy) Walker when they ended up bringing up pressure for us. Bad play call. He's probably looking at me like, ‘What the hell you thinking, man?’ But he came back. He did a nice job. And he's a tough player. He's steady, reliable, dependable. Love Darrell Henderson.”
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
(On if this was an emotionally strange game for him)
“It was a strange game for sure. I mean, you know, all the fakes and all the surprise onside (kicks), some possessions stolen there. You know, great plays by them. But, just kind of had a weird feel to it. Didn't touch the ball too much in the first half but when we got our opportunities, we scored with it which was good. You know, it was a team win. Special teams came back and made a big play at the end of the game with Matt (Gay) making that field goal to really ice it. Jalen (Ramsey) making a great play late in the game to get us the pick. I thought we did some decent stuff on offense scoring with the football. So a team win. Detroit's a tough out. Always has been, probably always will be. You know, just happy to get one.”
(On if it was emotional for him at all seeing old friends)
“No it was just good to see them. I just haven't seen those guys in a while. I talk to them, you know, on text and all that kind of stuff. But just good to see their face, see those guys. Spent a lot of time with a lot of those people over there and have some really great relationships. So it was good to see those people again.”
(On if he saw Sheila (Ford))
“Yeah, I saw Sheila. Yeah, she was here. Her husband was here. So it was good to see. Martha (Ford) wasn't. But got to see her, Rod Wood, all those people. So it was good to see them.”
(On the turnout of Lions fans wearing his jersey)
“It was humbling, it was really nice to see. Driving into this stadium today, I saw a few walking around and I thought to myself, ‘That was pretty cool.’ I really appreciate it. I've said it a bunch of times, and I truly mean it, I loved my time there. I love all the people there that treated me, my family, my wife, with a ton of respect and a ton of grace for a long time. So, it was cool to see that. Once the ball was snapped, it was football time. I was ready to go play. But it was cool to see some of the stuff going on around.”
(On if playing his former team inspired him to play at a high level today)
“No. I want to have a really good game every time I step out there so there was nothing extra, to be honest with you. I just wanted to do whatever we had to do to help us win. And that's how I kind of approach it every single week. Each game is going to unfold a little bit different. Today was as strange of an opening, part of a game as I've been a part of. But I thought we were even keeled. I think that started from our head coach all the way down. Everybody did a great job in weathering the storm and knowing that if we went out there and executed what we were supposed to do, we were going to be in a good place and finally got the opportunities to do that and went and did it.”
(On the slow start)
“We scored 17 points on three possessions. We had two touchdowns and a field goal. So, I mean, that's not perfect. I'd love to have 21, but I'll take 17 on three possessions.”
(On how he’s been able to connect with his receivers and how it feels to be having this early success)
“I'm just happy for our guys on the outside. They work so hard. Our guys are running every day at practice, doing everything they can to be as good a receiver as they possibly can be and it shows on Sundays. I thought all of our guys on the outside did a great job. Higgs (Tyler Higbee) had a big catch on a third and ten. Robert Woods had some big catches on third down, had some great feel in there. Cooper (Kupp) did some great stuff. Van went up and played huge and made a great catch on a third down to score. Those are huge plays in a game. And I just can't say enough about those guys. They work their tail off and I'm just happy that that work is paying off for them on Sundays and they're getting to go out there and shine.”
(On his relationship with Cooper Kupp)
“It's good. I think we spend a lot of time together, we spend a lot of time talking about the game of football. I really do that with all of our receivers. I'm lucky in that regard that our guys love the game, love the Xs and Os, love the little tiny parts of what make the passing game really good or just okay. And so, you know, I'm just happy and blessed to work with those guys. I feel lucky to do it, you know? And just trying to make the most of it.”
(On if this game has been a highlighted on his calendar for awhile)
“I don't know. I had so many things changing in my life going on, that I knew this one was out there but I wasn't sitting there thinking about it. I had plenty of other stuff to think about, to be honest with you. It's been a little bit of a whirlwind. I'm just trying to make sure that I’m as prepared as I can every single day to help us win. Am I happy it's over with? Yeah. You know, I got a lot of great friends, a lot of people I care about that are on that team or from that city, and just glad to have this one over with. Can put the story lines away and just go out and play football the rest of the year and just enjoy it.”
(On how play designs and third down approach was different today than in the previous couple of weeks)
“I thought Sean (McVay) gave us an opportunity to be great on third down today. He does every week. It comes down to execution. It comes down to me doing my job, our guys upfront doing their job, and receivers getting open and catching the football. We hadn't done that at a rate that I think we're capable of and Coach (McVay) thinks we're capable of and I agree with him the last couple of weeks. It was nice to get out there and do it again today. Were we perfect? No. On fourth down, just, somebody tell me to run the dang thing. I mean, it's so open, I just don't know what the hell to do in space. So I got to run that thing, get the first for us, keep us on the field. There's definitely plays I want back, that being a big one. So still a lot to improve on but I'm proud of our guys for making an concerted effort on some, being able to stay on the field. Our defense was on the field a lot early because of those onside(kicks) and fake punts and stuff, and it was big for us to kind of convert some third downs early in the game just to give them a little bit of a break and not be two, three-play drives. So it was good.”
(On how it feels to be one of 12 players that have thrown for 300 passing touchdowns)
“It means a little bit. I grew up watching John (Elway) and I was a huge fan. I wore No. 7 in high school and college because of John. And I was a huge fan of the way he played the game, the way he threw the ball, all of that. It's pretty cool. I'm sure I'll appreciate it probably more when I'm done playing. But along the way, it's nice to get that done with a win. If we had not won the game, I would probably be feeling a little bit different about it. But being able to win the game and do something like that, it's pretty special.”
(On registering his 33rd fourth quarter comeback against his former team)
“I didn't even think about that until you just said it. But I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to win the game, you know? And if that means the ball's handed with me with however much time's left to go out there and try and do something, I'm going to try and do it. It was a team effort at the end today. It may go on my record as a quarterback or whatever. But Jalen (Ramsey) gets a pick, Matt Gay hits a field goal to really ice the thing. Yeah, we had a touchdown in there, too, but that's a team fourth quarter right there. That's all phases coming together. That play by Jalen (Ramsey) is unbelievable, you know? I mean, that's a long drive. They're going down there, they're about to get seven and make it really tough on us. And he just comes out of nowhere and makes the play of the day. So I'm happy to be on the team with a guy like that. And I'm just happy we came away with a win.”
Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell
(Opening Statement)
“Just credit the Rams. They're a good football team and they earned that win. I thought our guys played hard, we just made one too many mistakes.”
(On how tough it is to still lose after playing so aggressively)
“It's frustrating. It's frustrating, but we felt like we could gain an advantage there and see if we could get some possessions back. They helped, but it wasn't enough. It's too good of a football team to make (errors). And you're not allowed to make one or two errors against a football team like that. That’s what’s tough, is you get in those types of games against them. It comes down to us trying to make a play in the pass game there towards the end to get in the endzone and (Rams DL) Aaron Donald – we did a pretty good job for most of the day – and then he gets us on one and there you go.”
(On if that was Rams DL Aaron Donald that broke up that play and not Lions QB Jared Goff’s fault)
“No. Well, from what I could see, (Lions QB Jared Goff) he’s under duress. Like you can't (not be under duress going against Donald). Good luck. Now, I'll watch the tape. I could be wrong, but I felt like he was under duress. (He was) not able to throw that football like we needed him to. (Rams CB Jalen) Ramsey made a hell of a play too. It's just, you can go a whole game and all of a sudden, something like that happens and it's too much. It's too good of a football team.”
(On how he feels about his team going toe-to-toe with the Rams and still being 0-7)
“Look, we are what we're our record says we are. That's the bottom line about this league. Now I know this, our guys come back to work. They were ready to go. They believed in the plan, they executed the plan for the most part, minus a couple plays, and that's what happens. You give up your shot player, we're not ready for a blitz, and now he's got all day long to see it. It’s just too tough.”
(On if the aggressiveness in his play calling was designed or if he saw something specific that triggered him to make those calls)
“Yeah, we had them ready to go. We felt like the time was right. (Lions Special Teams Coordinator) Dave Fipp did a hell of a job. We talked about it all week and those guys executed the plan perfectly all week. A lot of faith in those guys and especially in (Lions S) C.J. (Moore), (Lions P Jack) Fox throwing it, (Lions C
Bobby (Price), (Lions K Austin) Seibert on the kick, (Lions S) Tracy (Walker) got the ball, (Lions LB Josh) Woods and (Lions S) Jalen Elliott. They executed all week. It just gives you a ton of faith. We had a feel the look could be there and so we wanted to give it a go.”
(On how he would assess how Goff did today)
“I thought he was good enough to win with, for what we were trying to do. I sure did. I thought he gave us a chance. We knew we needed to play this game a certain way. And really, we did that. We wanted them to try to make them to play a little bit more of our game. (A) track meet was going to be hard for us. We needed to try to stick around to the fourth quarter and find a way to win it. We had an opportunity there at the end and then they got an interception.”
(On the pass play that he mentioned Donald was bearing down, was the window for Goff to make a complete pass non-existent)
“You trust in your player. That’s (Lions TE T.J.) Hockenson, that's one of our best players. It’s something we worked on during the week. We want them to rip it in there. Let's let our guy go make a play. Otherwise, if you don't and Aaron Donald's coming, then it's a sack. So, I would blame that more on me for design or us or whatever. Don't blame that on him.”
(On team’s effort last week and responding in this game)
“Yeah, absolutely. Our guys came back to work, man. They were ready to go. I mean, we came out and competed. We did what we wanted to do. It's just, you know, and it's hard. There's no other way to cut it. Then just the fact that it's a different caliber team. You can argue that for last week. That's a pretty good football team we played last week too. But this is a team that's been built over years, and they've got some weapons, they've got some, premiere players and they got a good coach. So, you talk about we made too many errors. Well, we actually didn't make as many errors today as we've made. We gave ourselves a chance. The problem is, is that now it only takes a couple and that's what happened and this team's too good to do that against.”
(On the 4th-and-1 play call)
“That's on me. That's my fault. I called for that. I called for that. “
(On what he would like to have seen done differently on 4th-and-1 play call)
“Well, had we done it all over again, we would have tightened the wing up, which I should have done.”
(On the tight end that came across)
“Because he ended up kind of bottlenecking it up. That's all me, that's 100% me.”
(On decision to go for it instead of kicking a field goal)
“I just felt like, you know what? If you're going to do it, this is the time to do it. Let's do it. Let's catch them off guard. I liked the play, and it didn’t work out. That’s on me. Of course, hindsight, we kicked a field goal, it's irrelevant.”
(On Lions RB D’Andre Swift)
“He's a stud. We've got to give him the ball. We can't get him the ball enough.”
(On defense in the 3rd quarter and Rams QB Matthew Stafford)
“No. Well really what happened on the big shot we had the pressure dialed up. We loved the play. We weren't ready. We were kind of getting our feet set and looking, they kind of got to the line with a little tempo and we weren't quite ready. So, our rush is just a tick late, and now he gets a little bit more time to see it and he's able to push it down the field. So, he found it, but we could be better. We can be better.”
(On quick snaps, rush up goal line)
“Actually, I thought we handled it pretty good, and we prepared all week for that. AG (Offensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) did a good job with those guys defensively. So, I thought we were in tuned for that stuff. We were ready. I didn't feel like we were caught off guard. Well certainly that one, but it's more, ‘Let's go. Urgency to get your feet set, ready to go.” I thought for the most part, for most of the game, we did. But guess what? There's one play. You're not ready. And guess what happens? Where he'd get hit over the top and now, they're in plus territory.”
(On caring deeply about players and team and how to galvanize the guys)
“You just tell them what I told them in there. If this does not continue to sting and burn and taste like you know what, then you got a problem. You cannot allow yourself to go numb. You can't. Cause I'm not. All it does is just piss me off even more, you know? And it just motivates me to want to get out of this mess. So, I do think we have the right type of guys and so as long as they continue to hate this taste, they'll come back to work and be ready to go. They will. And I think we got the right type of guys to do that. I do.”
Lions QB Jared Goff
(On the emotions he’s feeling after a tough loss)
“Yeah, they're all the same. They all count the same. Disappointed, but we definitely played better this week as a whole. We had our chances, that's for sure. We had our chances to win that game and make some plays and they made a couple more than we did.”
(On what he would have done differently in the fourth quarter in the red zone when DL Aaron Donals broke through)
“I mean, nothing… He made a great play and so did (C Jalen (Ramsey). Those two guys are the best at their position for a reason. They made a great play on us. If I had to do it again, probably throw it out of the end zone, but that’s the look we wanted, a play we wanted, and unfortunately I got hit on it.”
(On the incompletion to RB D’Andre Swift)
“Yeah, we talked about it. We're on the same page now. Just a little miscommunication.”
(On the emotion of returning to the Rams and seeing some of the people that he knows)
“Yeah, pregame, I kind of didn’t think about it until after, but there's a lot of guys I never saw after the trade. And being able to see them and say hello and catch up for two minutes was good. It was healthy and it was good. Then once the game started, like I said during the week, it was very as usual. It really felt like any other game.”
(On how meaningful it was that his old teammates stopped post-game to speak to him)
“Yeah, I got a lot of memories with a lot of those guys and a lot of lifelong friendships. We did some pretty special things here in my five years here, so it's something I'm definitely really proud - what we were able to accomplish while I was with LA. It's always cool to see that and have guys that mean something to you.”
(On speaking to Rams Head Coach Sean McVay and former teammates postgame)
“A lot of guys saying, ‘Good job,’, and me echoing that to them. That's pretty typical of postgame is just ‘Hey, good job’, ‘Appreciate it’, ‘Good job’ ‘Appreciate it.’ That was pretty much it. Getting to talk to some of my former teammates and friends was good to ask, ‘How's your family?’ and that whole thing. But, (OL Andrew Whitworth) Whit - it's amazing he's still doing it and that's what I told him. I said, ‘I don't know how you're still doing it.’ He is as good as they get. I guess to expand on it, it was good to see all those old friends.”
(On if that was his first time speaking to McVay since the trade)
“No, no… a few other times.”
(On how badly he wanted to win this game out of the other 75 or so he has played)
“I really didn't. I know that's what you think. Of course, I want to win them all. Yeah, if we would have won this it would have maybe a little bit more of a special meaning to it, but we needed a win. We still need a win, regardless of who we're playing. That's what we're focused on right now. Unfortunately, we're 0 and seven and need to make something happen here and get on the board. At the same time though, playing like we did today and having so much positivity happen is good to see, but still not enough.”
(On if it feels like the Lions are a 0-7 team)
“We're a lot better than our record shows. Ultimately, in this league that doesn't matter. It really doesn't. I can say that as long as I want, but until we win some games, we can't really prove it. I do believe we are a lot better than 0-7. And we have had some chances to win this year and just ultimately haven't done it. But with that being said, teams that do win games in this league win games for a reason and vice versa. So, we need to find a way to get on that side of it a little more often.”
(On the sense of pressure when the margin of error between wins and losses is so small)
“I love our guys and I think that's the number one thing, is our coaches and our guys in that locker room. I don't care what you guys say about the roster, we got dudes who fight and that's all I can really ask for. I love these guys, and we're going to keep fighting until the end. You guys have seen it week after week. We fight. We battle. We play to the best of our ability and, unfortunately, it hasn't been enough. We need to do things to fix it, but there's always pressure and that margin for error that he talks about is just, that's where we're at. And that's what we're tasked with. But, I wouldn't do it with anyone else other than in that locker room.”
(On if he has ever had a game with two successful fake punts and a successful onside kick)
“No. No. And all of them successful right? That was part of the plan. (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) didn't tell anybody until today. They've got a high-powered offense and keeping those guys off the field as much as possible. At the same time, we're running the ball well. We're doing some good things on offense to get us back on the field. So, that was definitely part of the plan for him, and it worked, obviously.”
(On what the team’s response was to Campbell wanting to start out aggressively)
“’Great. Yeah, let's go.’ And then after we got that first one, it was alright. I didn't know he was going to do three. I knew he was going to do one. The other two hit me by surprise, too.”
(On if he feels like the Lions are progressing despite their record)
“Yeah. It's the same conversation of like moral victory versus, like, what's the actual record. I think when you really watch it on Mondays and you break down the film and you see what it looks like, then you can kind of assess that and see where we're at and I don't know. I haven't watched it, but I would have to believe there was a lot more, better stuff out there today than there was last week. And so, yeah, you can say that's in the right direction. But at the same time, our league’s based on results. And they don't care if you're getting better or if you're improving or if you look better one week after another. It's winning and losing and ultimately we need to do that.”
(On confidence in WR Kalif Raymond and using him as a weapon after an early drop in the game)
“Yes, (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond) is a perfect example of the guys in that locker room that fight. He fights. He's where he needs to be. He's on time. He's reliable and he's going to get the ball because of that. He dropped that screen early, but that was unusual for him. So, you want to come back to him and get him involved. You can see the type of explosive ability he has. Even the diving catch down the sideline. That's not a regular receiver play. So, I love giving him the ball as much as I can and I’m starting to build a good rapport with him.”
--RAMS--
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell, Lions QB Jared Goff
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening Statement)
“Today, a lot of adversity that we had to overcome. I thought the guys weathered the storm. A lot of credit to the Lions and Coach (Dan) Campbell. I thought Jared (Goff) did an excellent job being able to make his plays. I thought (D’Andre) Swift was outstanding. They did a great job defensively, really, creating a lot of pressure and making it difficult on us to kind of, you know, finish all those drives with touchdowns. Especially in the second half. But we came away with the win. I was really, really pleased with the guys in crunch time. I mean, for Aaron (Donald) to get that rush when we had to have it, force kind of an erred throw. Jalen (Ramsey) makes an unbelievable pick. Then we end up driving the length of the field, kick a field goal. Matt Gay delivers, in essence, kind of put the game out of hand. I thought Matthew (Stafford) made play after play. I thought Robert (Woods) and Cooper (Kupp) stepped up in a big way. There was a lot of realy good individual contributions. We'll take it. That's a really tough football team you got to give those guys their credit. But a lot of things that we can clean up. But certainly no style points in this league. And, again, a lot of respect for Coach Campbell and those guys.”
(On what was said between him and Jared Goff at the end of the game)
“No, I'm not going to get into -- no, I mean, it's -- as I said, ‘Great job. I'll touch base with you a little bit later on.’ But that was -- so I guess I did just share with you what I said.”
(On if he expected a “back against the wall like effort from the Lions)
“We did. And that's what's a little bit disappointing, Jourdan. That was not stuff we were surprised by. But we didn't execute and they did. They ended up creating a bunch of momentum and you end up having two fake punts and a surprise onside kick. Both of those things are things that we did anticipate and expect. But we didn't execute and they did. That wasn't good and there's a lot of things that we can learn from.”
(On how the start this game compared to last week’s start)
“Yeah, I think overall it's hard because you only have, really, three possessions in the first half. You end up with two touchdowns and one field goal. I thought we did a good job. I hated my third down call on the first drive of the game on the third down and four in the high red. I didn't give us a chance on that play. They had a good defensive call and I gave us no chance with the play call. Then to be able to get two touchdown drives in addition to that opening drive field goal, I thought was good, to be able to get the lead at half time. But, again, there just wasn't a whole lot of opportunities. I didn't like that we didn't capitalize on the momentum we had a chance to really grab hold of coming out of the half. The game is about handling the ebbs and flows. Our guys did that. There was a lot of reasons to put your head down and not feel good based on the way that it started, but that's the last thing our guys did. And I thought our big time players stepped up in crunch time big and that was instrumental in us getting the W today.”
(On what he saw from Matthew Stafford today)
“I saw the same guy I've seen. You know, steady, great performer. He was great in the clutch. And, really, even when things weren't going well, he just stays nice and even-keeled. And that's what a great quarterback does. He's our leader. He did a great job today. And, you know, pretty special for him to go over 300 career touchdown passes. Speaks to the resumé of work that he has. And to be able to do that in a win against a former team a lot of great relationships, I know he has tremendous respect for that organization, the way he was treated there. And I think they feel the same about him. I was really happy for him to get the win.”
(On whether he prepared for fake punts and onside kicks every week of if there was an emphasis on it this week during preparation for the Lions)
“I think you're always on alert for it if you think that it's a possibility that teams can, you know, potentially give that to you. It was something you do work throughout the course of the week with your weekly rhythm and the process in the kicking game. But, obviously, it's a good wake-up call for us and something we got to do a better job of moving forward.”
(On if the second fake punt caught them off guard)
“No, I mean, if we were in a safe situation right there, we lost the edge. Again, they made the plays and we didn't in that phase and it almost changed the outcome of the game.”
(On the interception by Jalen and if it was a great read)
“Huge. All the above. It was great concept trigger. Great recognition. I thought to force a little bit of an erred thrown by Aaron Donald, you could see, I mean, he did a great job. He was right in Jared's face immediately. Won right off the snap. Any time you get that internal pressure on a quarterback, that's always much more difficult. And then to have the ball skills to slice underneath that, make that play. I just told him, I said, ‘I thought you were going to take that all the way back.’ He's a stud. And you talk about big time players stepping up in a moment. We had to have it from our defense and those guys delivered in a big way. And that's why Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are who they are.”
(On if the Lions look and feel like an 0-7 team)
“No. I think you guys could feel that today. Really competitive. I think it's a huge credit to their coaching staff, their players, their leadership. Coach Campbell did an excellent job. And you can see, there's a belief. I mean, any time that you go wire to wire with us, with a team like Minnesota, you look at the Ravens, you know, they had a chance to really win all three of those games and they've been in a lot of other ones. So absolutely not. This league is so difficult. You guys ask those questions all the time. But any given week, you got to be ready to go. Players are too good, coaches do too good of a job. And it's about who plays well in that three-hour window of time. And, fortunately, we were able to weather the storm today.”
(On if there’s a follow up on Robert Rochell’s injury)
“I think he's going to be okay, Jourdan. I haven't talked to Reggie (Scott) and his group but I did talk to Robert (Rochell). He said that the initial tests checked out well. But I'll be able to give you further clarity tomorrow.”
(On if he was surprised about how Jared Goff was able to handle the pressure they were bringing)
“I thought he did a great job, Gary. You know, really, he handled it well and made a couple big time throws. The first third down and nine where they caught us in a pressure and he delivers, I thought it was a great call by Coach (Anthony) Lynn, great individual effort by (D’Andre) Swift to be able to turn that into a touchdown on a third down and nine. Yeah, I wasn't surprised, he did a good job. You know, credit to him.”
(On how difficult it was to defend the Lions offense)
“It was difficult, Claudia. They did a nice job. I think they've got two of the underrated backs in the league in (Jamaal) Williams and (D’Andre) Swift. I think they do a nice job of being able to create some problems and change the math with you on some of the angles that they're able to create specifically in some of their gap and trap-type of schemes. So they did a good job. It's a tough football team, but we made the stops when we had to and that's why we were able to come away with the win.”
(On how the relationship between Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford continues to evolve)
“I think it helps. I think those two are so on the same page, they understand the intent of the plays that we're trying to run. They see the coverage structures when Cooper (Kupp) might end up being a guy that gets the ball based on how many guys were getting out in the route progression. And so, he came through in the clutch. He and Matthew's rapport is special. I also thought it was on display with Robert Woods. (Tyler) Higbee made a couple of really important catches. That third down and 10 in the high red area where he hits Higbee on kind of a seem bending in there, that was all Matthew (Stafford) and Tyler Higbee. So Cooper and Matthew have done an outstanding job but I think a lot of other guys have as well and that's why we're able to be 6-1right now.”
(On Darrell Henderson’s performance)
“He's tough. I thought he had some really tough hard-earned yards. Especially coming back after -- that was a good hit that he took from (Tracy) Walker when they ended up bringing up pressure for us. Bad play call. He's probably looking at me like, ‘What the hell you thinking, man?’ But he came back. He did a nice job. And he's a tough player. He's steady, reliable, dependable. Love Darrell Henderson.”
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
(On if this was an emotionally strange game for him)
“It was a strange game for sure. I mean, you know, all the fakes and all the surprise onside (kicks), some possessions stolen there. You know, great plays by them. But, just kind of had a weird feel to it. Didn't touch the ball too much in the first half but when we got our opportunities, we scored with it which was good. You know, it was a team win. Special teams came back and made a big play at the end of the game with Matt (Gay) making that field goal to really ice it. Jalen (Ramsey) making a great play late in the game to get us the pick. I thought we did some decent stuff on offense scoring with the football. So a team win. Detroit's a tough out. Always has been, probably always will be. You know, just happy to get one.”
(On if it was emotional for him at all seeing old friends)
“No it was just good to see them. I just haven't seen those guys in a while. I talk to them, you know, on text and all that kind of stuff. But just good to see their face, see those guys. Spent a lot of time with a lot of those people over there and have some really great relationships. So it was good to see those people again.”
(On if he saw Sheila (Ford))
“Yeah, I saw Sheila. Yeah, she was here. Her husband was here. So it was good to see. Martha (Ford) wasn't. But got to see her, Rod Wood, all those people. So it was good to see them.”
(On the turnout of Lions fans wearing his jersey)
“It was humbling, it was really nice to see. Driving into this stadium today, I saw a few walking around and I thought to myself, ‘That was pretty cool.’ I really appreciate it. I've said it a bunch of times, and I truly mean it, I loved my time there. I love all the people there that treated me, my family, my wife, with a ton of respect and a ton of grace for a long time. So, it was cool to see that. Once the ball was snapped, it was football time. I was ready to go play. But it was cool to see some of the stuff going on around.”
(On if playing his former team inspired him to play at a high level today)
“No. I want to have a really good game every time I step out there so there was nothing extra, to be honest with you. I just wanted to do whatever we had to do to help us win. And that's how I kind of approach it every single week. Each game is going to unfold a little bit different. Today was as strange of an opening, part of a game as I've been a part of. But I thought we were even keeled. I think that started from our head coach all the way down. Everybody did a great job in weathering the storm and knowing that if we went out there and executed what we were supposed to do, we were going to be in a good place and finally got the opportunities to do that and went and did it.”
(On the slow start)
“We scored 17 points on three possessions. We had two touchdowns and a field goal. So, I mean, that's not perfect. I'd love to have 21, but I'll take 17 on three possessions.”
(On how he’s been able to connect with his receivers and how it feels to be having this early success)
“I'm just happy for our guys on the outside. They work so hard. Our guys are running every day at practice, doing everything they can to be as good a receiver as they possibly can be and it shows on Sundays. I thought all of our guys on the outside did a great job. Higgs (Tyler Higbee) had a big catch on a third and ten. Robert Woods had some big catches on third down, had some great feel in there. Cooper (Kupp) did some great stuff. Van went up and played huge and made a great catch on a third down to score. Those are huge plays in a game. And I just can't say enough about those guys. They work their tail off and I'm just happy that that work is paying off for them on Sundays and they're getting to go out there and shine.”
(On his relationship with Cooper Kupp)
“It's good. I think we spend a lot of time together, we spend a lot of time talking about the game of football. I really do that with all of our receivers. I'm lucky in that regard that our guys love the game, love the Xs and Os, love the little tiny parts of what make the passing game really good or just okay. And so, you know, I'm just happy and blessed to work with those guys. I feel lucky to do it, you know? And just trying to make the most of it.”
(On if this game has been a highlighted on his calendar for awhile)
“I don't know. I had so many things changing in my life going on, that I knew this one was out there but I wasn't sitting there thinking about it. I had plenty of other stuff to think about, to be honest with you. It's been a little bit of a whirlwind. I'm just trying to make sure that I’m as prepared as I can every single day to help us win. Am I happy it's over with? Yeah. You know, I got a lot of great friends, a lot of people I care about that are on that team or from that city, and just glad to have this one over with. Can put the story lines away and just go out and play football the rest of the year and just enjoy it.”
(On how play designs and third down approach was different today than in the previous couple of weeks)
“I thought Sean (McVay) gave us an opportunity to be great on third down today. He does every week. It comes down to execution. It comes down to me doing my job, our guys upfront doing their job, and receivers getting open and catching the football. We hadn't done that at a rate that I think we're capable of and Coach (McVay) thinks we're capable of and I agree with him the last couple of weeks. It was nice to get out there and do it again today. Were we perfect? No. On fourth down, just, somebody tell me to run the dang thing. I mean, it's so open, I just don't know what the hell to do in space. So I got to run that thing, get the first for us, keep us on the field. There's definitely plays I want back, that being a big one. So still a lot to improve on but I'm proud of our guys for making an concerted effort on some, being able to stay on the field. Our defense was on the field a lot early because of those onside(kicks) and fake punts and stuff, and it was big for us to kind of convert some third downs early in the game just to give them a little bit of a break and not be two, three-play drives. So it was good.”
(On how it feels to be one of 12 players that have thrown for 300 passing touchdowns)
“It means a little bit. I grew up watching John (Elway) and I was a huge fan. I wore No. 7 in high school and college because of John. And I was a huge fan of the way he played the game, the way he threw the ball, all of that. It's pretty cool. I'm sure I'll appreciate it probably more when I'm done playing. But along the way, it's nice to get that done with a win. If we had not won the game, I would probably be feeling a little bit different about it. But being able to win the game and do something like that, it's pretty special.”
(On registering his 33rd fourth quarter comeback against his former team)
“I didn't even think about that until you just said it. But I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to win the game, you know? And if that means the ball's handed with me with however much time's left to go out there and try and do something, I'm going to try and do it. It was a team effort at the end today. It may go on my record as a quarterback or whatever. But Jalen (Ramsey) gets a pick, Matt Gay hits a field goal to really ice the thing. Yeah, we had a touchdown in there, too, but that's a team fourth quarter right there. That's all phases coming together. That play by Jalen (Ramsey) is unbelievable, you know? I mean, that's a long drive. They're going down there, they're about to get seven and make it really tough on us. And he just comes out of nowhere and makes the play of the day. So I'm happy to be on the team with a guy like that. And I'm just happy we came away with a win.”
Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell
(Opening Statement)
“Just credit the Rams. They're a good football team and they earned that win. I thought our guys played hard, we just made one too many mistakes.”
(On how tough it is to still lose after playing so aggressively)
“It's frustrating. It's frustrating, but we felt like we could gain an advantage there and see if we could get some possessions back. They helped, but it wasn't enough. It's too good of a football team to make (errors). And you're not allowed to make one or two errors against a football team like that. That’s what’s tough, is you get in those types of games against them. It comes down to us trying to make a play in the pass game there towards the end to get in the endzone and (Rams DL) Aaron Donald – we did a pretty good job for most of the day – and then he gets us on one and there you go.”
(On if that was Rams DL Aaron Donald that broke up that play and not Lions QB Jared Goff’s fault)
“No. Well, from what I could see, (Lions QB Jared Goff) he’s under duress. Like you can't (not be under duress going against Donald). Good luck. Now, I'll watch the tape. I could be wrong, but I felt like he was under duress. (He was) not able to throw that football like we needed him to. (Rams CB Jalen) Ramsey made a hell of a play too. It's just, you can go a whole game and all of a sudden, something like that happens and it's too much. It's too good of a football team.”
(On how he feels about his team going toe-to-toe with the Rams and still being 0-7)
“Look, we are what we're our record says we are. That's the bottom line about this league. Now I know this, our guys come back to work. They were ready to go. They believed in the plan, they executed the plan for the most part, minus a couple plays, and that's what happens. You give up your shot player, we're not ready for a blitz, and now he's got all day long to see it. It’s just too tough.”
(On if the aggressiveness in his play calling was designed or if he saw something specific that triggered him to make those calls)
“Yeah, we had them ready to go. We felt like the time was right. (Lions Special Teams Coordinator) Dave Fipp did a hell of a job. We talked about it all week and those guys executed the plan perfectly all week. A lot of faith in those guys and especially in (Lions S) C.J. (Moore), (Lions P Jack) Fox throwing it, (Lions C
Bobby (Price), (Lions K Austin) Seibert on the kick, (Lions S) Tracy (Walker) got the ball, (Lions LB Josh) Woods and (Lions S) Jalen Elliott. They executed all week. It just gives you a ton of faith. We had a feel the look could be there and so we wanted to give it a go.”(On how he would assess how Goff did today)
“I thought he was good enough to win with, for what we were trying to do. I sure did. I thought he gave us a chance. We knew we needed to play this game a certain way. And really, we did that. We wanted them to try to make them to play a little bit more of our game. (A) track meet was going to be hard for us. We needed to try to stick around to the fourth quarter and find a way to win it. We had an opportunity there at the end and then they got an interception.”
(On the pass play that he mentioned Donald was bearing down, was the window for Goff to make a complete pass non-existent)
“You trust in your player. That’s (Lions TE T.J.) Hockenson, that's one of our best players. It’s something we worked on during the week. We want them to rip it in there. Let's let our guy go make a play. Otherwise, if you don't and Aaron Donald's coming, then it's a sack. So, I would blame that more on me for design or us or whatever. Don't blame that on him.”
(On team’s effort last week and responding in this game)
“Yeah, absolutely. Our guys came back to work, man. They were ready to go. I mean, we came out and competed. We did what we wanted to do. It's just, you know, and it's hard. There's no other way to cut it. Then just the fact that it's a different caliber team. You can argue that for last week. That's a pretty good football team we played last week too. But this is a team that's been built over years, and they've got some weapons, they've got some, premiere players and they got a good coach. So, you talk about we made too many errors. Well, we actually didn't make as many errors today as we've made. We gave ourselves a chance. The problem is, is that now it only takes a couple and that's what happened and this team's too good to do that against.”
(On the 4th-and-1 play call)
“That's on me. That's my fault. I called for that. I called for that. “
(On what he would like to have seen done differently on 4th-and-1 play call)
“Well, had we done it all over again, we would have tightened the wing up, which I should have done.”
(On the tight end that came across)
“Because he ended up kind of bottlenecking it up. That's all me, that's 100% me.”
(On decision to go for it instead of kicking a field goal)
“I just felt like, you know what? If you're going to do it, this is the time to do it. Let's do it. Let's catch them off guard. I liked the play, and it didn’t work out. That’s on me. Of course, hindsight, we kicked a field goal, it's irrelevant.”
(On Lions RB D’Andre Swift)
“He's a stud. We've got to give him the ball. We can't get him the ball enough.”
(On defense in the 3rd quarter and Rams QB Matthew Stafford)
“No. Well really what happened on the big shot we had the pressure dialed up. We loved the play. We weren't ready. We were kind of getting our feet set and looking, they kind of got to the line with a little tempo and we weren't quite ready. So, our rush is just a tick late, and now he gets a little bit more time to see it and he's able to push it down the field. So, he found it, but we could be better. We can be better.”
(On quick snaps, rush up goal line)
“Actually, I thought we handled it pretty good, and we prepared all week for that. AG (Offensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) did a good job with those guys defensively. So, I thought we were in tuned for that stuff. We were ready. I didn't feel like we were caught off guard. Well certainly that one, but it's more, ‘Let's go. Urgency to get your feet set, ready to go.” I thought for the most part, for most of the game, we did. But guess what? There's one play. You're not ready. And guess what happens? Where he'd get hit over the top and now, they're in plus territory.”
(On caring deeply about players and team and how to galvanize the guys)
“You just tell them what I told them in there. If this does not continue to sting and burn and taste like you know what, then you got a problem. You cannot allow yourself to go numb. You can't. Cause I'm not. All it does is just piss me off even more, you know? And it just motivates me to want to get out of this mess. So, I do think we have the right type of guys and so as long as they continue to hate this taste, they'll come back to work and be ready to go. They will. And I think we got the right type of guys to do that. I do.”
Lions QB Jared Goff
(On the emotions he’s feeling after a tough loss)
“Yeah, they're all the same. They all count the same. Disappointed, but we definitely played better this week as a whole. We had our chances, that's for sure. We had our chances to win that game and make some plays and they made a couple more than we did.”
(On what he would have done differently in the fourth quarter in the red zone when DL Aaron Donals broke through)
“I mean, nothing… He made a great play and so did (C
Jalen (Ramsey). Those two guys are the best at their position for a reason. They made a great play on us. If I had to do it again, probably throw it out of the end zone, but that’s the look we wanted, a play we wanted, and unfortunately I got hit on it.”(On the incompletion to RB D’Andre Swift)
“Yeah, we talked about it. We're on the same page now. Just a little miscommunication.”
(On the emotion of returning to the Rams and seeing some of the people that he knows)
“Yeah, pregame, I kind of didn’t think about it until after, but there's a lot of guys I never saw after the trade. And being able to see them and say hello and catch up for two minutes was good. It was healthy and it was good. Then once the game started, like I said during the week, it was very as usual. It really felt like any other game.”
(On how meaningful it was that his old teammates stopped post-game to speak to him)
“Yeah, I got a lot of memories with a lot of those guys and a lot of lifelong friendships. We did some pretty special things here in my five years here, so it's something I'm definitely really proud - what we were able to accomplish while I was with LA. It's always cool to see that and have guys that mean something to you.”
(On speaking to Rams Head Coach Sean McVay and former teammates postgame)
“A lot of guys saying, ‘Good job,’, and me echoing that to them. That's pretty typical of postgame is just ‘Hey, good job’, ‘Appreciate it’, ‘Good job’ ‘Appreciate it.’ That was pretty much it. Getting to talk to some of my former teammates and friends was good to ask, ‘How's your family?’ and that whole thing. But, (OL Andrew Whitworth) Whit - it's amazing he's still doing it and that's what I told him. I said, ‘I don't know how you're still doing it.’ He is as good as they get. I guess to expand on it, it was good to see all those old friends.”
(On if that was his first time speaking to McVay since the trade)
“No, no… a few other times.”
(On how badly he wanted to win this game out of the other 75 or so he has played)
“I really didn't. I know that's what you think. Of course, I want to win them all. Yeah, if we would have won this it would have maybe a little bit more of a special meaning to it, but we needed a win. We still need a win, regardless of who we're playing. That's what we're focused on right now. Unfortunately, we're 0 and seven and need to make something happen here and get on the board. At the same time though, playing like we did today and having so much positivity happen is good to see, but still not enough.”
(On if it feels like the Lions are a 0-7 team)
“We're a lot better than our record shows. Ultimately, in this league that doesn't matter. It really doesn't. I can say that as long as I want, but until we win some games, we can't really prove it. I do believe we are a lot better than 0-7. And we have had some chances to win this year and just ultimately haven't done it. But with that being said, teams that do win games in this league win games for a reason and vice versa. So, we need to find a way to get on that side of it a little more often.”
(On the sense of pressure when the margin of error between wins and losses is so small)
“I love our guys and I think that's the number one thing, is our coaches and our guys in that locker room. I don't care what you guys say about the roster, we got dudes who fight and that's all I can really ask for. I love these guys, and we're going to keep fighting until the end. You guys have seen it week after week. We fight. We battle. We play to the best of our ability and, unfortunately, it hasn't been enough. We need to do things to fix it, but there's always pressure and that margin for error that he talks about is just, that's where we're at. And that's what we're tasked with. But, I wouldn't do it with anyone else other than in that locker room.”
(On if he has ever had a game with two successful fake punts and a successful onside kick)
“No. No. And all of them successful right? That was part of the plan. (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) didn't tell anybody until today. They've got a high-powered offense and keeping those guys off the field as much as possible. At the same time, we're running the ball well. We're doing some good things on offense to get us back on the field. So, that was definitely part of the plan for him, and it worked, obviously.”
(On what the team’s response was to Campbell wanting to start out aggressively)
“’Great. Yeah, let's go.’ And then after we got that first one, it was alright. I didn't know he was going to do three. I knew he was going to do one. The other two hit me by surprise, too.”
(On if he feels like the Lions are progressing despite their record)
“Yeah. It's the same conversation of like moral victory versus, like, what's the actual record. I think when you really watch it on Mondays and you break down the film and you see what it looks like, then you can kind of assess that and see where we're at and I don't know. I haven't watched it, but I would have to believe there was a lot more, better stuff out there today than there was last week. And so, yeah, you can say that's in the right direction. But at the same time, our league’s based on results. And they don't care if you're getting better or if you're improving or if you look better one week after another. It's winning and losing and ultimately we need to do that.”
(On confidence in WR Kalif Raymond and using him as a weapon after an early drop in the game)
“Yes, (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond) is a perfect example of the guys in that locker room that fight. He fights. He's where he needs to be. He's on time. He's reliable and he's going to get the ball because of that. He dropped that screen early, but that was unusual for him. So, you want to come back to him and get him involved. You can see the type of explosive ability he has. Even the diving catch down the sideline. That's not a regular receiver play. So, I love giving him the ball as much as I can and I’m starting to build a good rapport with him.”
--RAMS--
