What They're Saying: Hutchinson Made Most of Opportunities

Here is what the Detroit Lions said following their first victory of the 2022 NFL season.

The Detroit Lions evened their 2022 record at 1-1, after defeating the Washington Commanders, 36-27, at Ford Field. 

“He’s changing the culture,” Fox NFL analyst Sean Payton said about Dan Campbell, his former assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints. “And, here’s what you need at some point when you’re doing that. You need some sugar, you need to win. And, it’s one thing to win late in a season where the games maybe -- they all matter, but that’s a significant win today, because these matter relative to your chances of being in the postseason.”

Here is a sample of what was said following the team's first victory of the season. 

Jeff Okudah 

On first-half performance: "I think it’s a step in the right direction. That’s something we can build off going into next week. Something that we obviously want to be more consistent on over the course of a game, but I think it was a step in the right direction."

On cramping: "Yeah, we just going to find a good plan to combat those ... But, I know that I'm going to get up with the nutritionist, and we're going to have a good plan cooked up for next week."

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Jared Goff

On offense: "As good as anybody. It’s like you said, we scored 35 last week, scored 36 this week, and you still feel like, ‘Ah, but that -- but that one.’ And, I can’t think of a few ones off the top of my head, but that one would have really blown the game wide open, and that’s our next step, right? That’s our next step of going -- becoming that maybe more mature, understanding-the-moment team, being able to take those -- take advantage of those opportunities. And, it starts with me. I’ve got to hit some of those throws and really get on the same page with those guys. We are, just it’s more reps and making sure we know the landmarks and everything. It’s mostly me. But, like you’re saying, it’s -- we feel good about what we did today. But, there’s so much more out there for us.”

Dan Skipper

On being in the spotlight: "It’s very different. I’ve got to thank Bruce (Hector) and (Demetrius Taylor) 'Meech' a lot. I mean they gave me the best look I could ask for. Spending as much time giving the look, being that guy, just waiting for the chance like, those guys wouldn’t -- I wouldn’t have played nearly as I had if I hadn’t seen the hump, the hand swipe all week long. Those guys I’ve got to give all the credit to, just having the opportunity to go out there and see what happens.”

Aidan Hutchinson

On what he did differently in Week 2: "You learn from stuff and you move on. I don’t think that I played bad in the first game. But, definitely, I had a lot more opportunity I felt in this game, and I made the most of it. Yeah, I think I played good in both games, but definitely, I made the most of my opportunities in this game.”

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Dan Campbell 

On winning: “Listen, it feels good to win. That’s what it does, it feels good to win. Because there’s a lot of hard work that’s put in it across the board. I think the best thing about it is our guys, they trust in the system, they believe in what we’re doing as coaches and the schemes, and they believe in how we’re setting them up for success. And, they believe in the plan, and they execute the plan. That’s a credit to those guys. They never gave up. They never lost hope, and they won’t ever. That’s how we assembled this team, so they know what we’re capable of. It’s a step in the right direction, but that’s one. That’s one.”