Dan Campbell: We're Not Out Here to Fight

Dan Campbell comments on the most intense training camp practice the team had.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell called Thursday’s practice the team’s most intense yet.

Now nearly two full weeks through training camp, the team has been ratcheting up the intensity and effort levels. The pads came on for the first time Monday, and two high-intensity practices before a scaled-back Wednesday.

That set the stage for Thursday, where it was back to full pads and tempers flared. Despite Campbell admittedly enjoying the extra competition, he said the team was not doing itself any favors by spending time fighting.

“(Thursday) was the most intense and the longest practice we’ve had,” Campbell said. “Longest, most reps, all of it to date. And we had them revved up. We pulled them back (Wednesday) so that we could get a high-intensity workout (Thursday). The coaches, I wanted them on them and I wanted to pull it out of them and that’s kind of the line you walk at times.”

The Lions had some skirmishes break out during Thursday’s practice, including a battle between defensive end Austin Bryant and a pair of offensive linemen. Later in the day, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and cornerback Amani Oruwariye got into it.

“That’s not what we’re looking for,” Campbell said. “We’re not out there to fight. You don’t fight on Sundays. I know it can get fiery but if it becomes an issue to where we’re having to spend two minutes to break up a brawl and this and that, it’s not worth it anymore. I know that tempers will get pretty hot at times, but if it becomes an issue I’ll handle all that. I do like that they’re competing.”

Offensive performance

Heading into Friday, the Lions offense is wrapping up its full first week of training camp together.

The unit has new pieces to be excited about — free agent wide receiver DJ Chark’s talent is mesmerizing, while rookie Jameson Williams will add another layer of speed once fully healthy.

Throw that in with returning skill players T.J. Hockenson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift and there’s potential for the group to have a sort of life that it hasn’t had in recent years.

“I’m pleased with them,” Campbell remarked. “I’m very pleased with them. I like what (new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson) is doing. I feel like he’s got a good handle of certainly the things we thought we were gonna be able to do here with Goff and these receivers. Up front, implementing but also knowing that this might be a little much at times.”

Campbell heaped praise on his first-year offensive coordinator, whose fingerprints were on the Lions’ second-half offensive revival. When the head coach took over play-calling in 2021, he promoted Johnson to the passing game coordinator role.

The result was a more lively, impactful passing game. Through the first 10 practices, Campbell said that momentum has carried over.

“He’s doing good,” the head coach stated. “We go in those meeting rooms after practice for the coaches and we’re watching it all together and everybody’s on the same page. This is what we’re looking for, this is what I’m thinking, so there’s nobody that doesn’t know. There’s no gray area for anybody, so that’s going to the players from the coaches. Ben’s doing a helluva job.”

Campbell said he would make an official decision on who will handle the play-calling duties before the team’s regular season opener against Philadelphia. 

Injury updates

Josh Paschal has yet to make an impact on the Lions throughout training camp.

The 2022 second round pick is suffering from a sports hernia and underwent surgery earlier in the offseason. Campbell provided an update on the inactive defensive end Friday.

“I would say for where we thought he would be at this point, he’s ahead of schedule,” Campbell said. “He’s doing well, he’s a grinder, man. Like we’re having to pull him back.”

The Lions also activated safety C.J. Moore from the Non-Football Injury list. The plan for him was to do individual drills but not participate in team drills on Friday.