Lions
Lions HC Dan Campbell was happy with his defense’s performance in the team’s loss to the Eagles, but believed the offense could have done better in making plays on fourth down.
“Defense I thought really, really played their tails off,” Campbell said, via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. “I thought they showed up, played championship-style defense.”
“We gotta be better — especially on a day like today where you’re playing that kind of defense, that kind of team, you know the margin for error is so small, man,” Campbell continued on the offense. “We get in the red zone, we have to score touchdowns, man. We can’t come away not scoring seven there. We have to convert at least two or three of those fourth downs. You have to, and we just — we were a little off.”
Campbell admitted his aggressive game management might have backfired on him in a low-scoring game.
“Look, the bottom line is you obviously, if you go totally conservative in the way this game played out and the way it was, you got a better chance of winning that game than some of those decisions I made,” Campbell said. “I understand that.”
- Campbell says he’s hopeful to get CB D.J. Reed back this week. Reed’s status will be determined Thursday and Friday after seeing him in practice. (Colton Pouncy)
Packers
- Packers HC Matt LaFleur didn’t have an update on when WR Jayden Reed will be designated to return from injured reserve: “As soon as medical clears him, then he’ll be out there. I know he’s excited to get back, as am I.” (Ryan Wood)
- As for RB Josh Jacobs‘ knee injury, LaFleur said he is considered day-to-day: “The plan is to try to get him healthy enough to go, and it’s just going to be a day-by-day thing. He is truly day to day.” (Wood)
Vikings
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has drawn criticism following his appearances in the last three games, recording interceptions in each game, including two in Weeks 10 and 11. McCarthy thinks that if he makes some slight alterations to his game, it will make a “huge difference” in the future.
“I kind of make the analogy of just a cork about to come off a bottle,” McCarthy said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “Just understanding that it’s one to three little things that I need to change about my game that is going to make a huge difference in the outcome of every single drive in the game. So yeah, I feel like it’s really close, but it all comes down to the consistency of the fundamentals.”
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell wants to see better fundamentals from McCarthy after the snap.
“We just have to find that when it comes to the post-snap,” O’Connell said. “And sometimes it’s not even reads and progressions, it’s simply just the fundamental foundation that we need to start seeing the concrete kind of dry a little bit on the work that’s put in.”
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and was forced out of five games this season due to a high-ankle sprain. The quarterback feels like he’ll improve with more playing time and reps in practice.
“It was really just the injuries that I felt kind of took away all those reps,” McCarthy said. “In the constant repetition to make those a habit and make them concrete like [O’Connell] talks about. But yeah, I feel like it’s just the repetitions. How many times could I go home, and every time I take the dogs out, I’m getting 10 drops each time. Little things like that where I just keep getting the reps.”
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