Head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday following Detroit's 45-21 win Sunday on the road in Arizona. Campbell called the 24-point victory the most complementary performance of the season from all three phases and a good way to head into their bye week.
Here are all the key questions from Campbell's Monday presser:
How does Campbell plan to treat the bye week?
Campbell told his staff that by Tuesday night he wants to have their analysis of who they think they are as a football team through the first five games. What can they hang their hat on? What do they feel suits them well in all three phases? Who are their best players? Who are their best players in critical moments? Who are the players that are killing them in critical moments? And how do they adjust off that information?
"I think we're five in now and we've continued to evolve a little bit and we're mixing some things up," Campbell said. "But, at this point now, we need to figure out what we really are and what we do well."
What did Campbell think of rookie Keith Abney II's first career start at safety?
Abney ended up playing 59 snaps (81 percent) on defense for Detroit against the Cardinals, recording six tackles and an interception.
Campell thought Abney's play was 'solid' after watching the tape. The mistakes that popped up on tape were things he said naturally happen to players in a new position for the first time who haven't seen it before. Campbell said he's confident Abney will learn from those and won't make the same mistakes again.
"I thought he played a good game," Campbell said. "First NFL start at safety. Never played safety. He's banked some reps for us, we've been cross-training him, but there's meat on the bone there and he's got room to grow. We feel like he can continue to grow and get better."
What is the injury status of wide receiver/returner Tom Kennedy and what's the plan moving forward at punt returner?
Kennedy will need surgery on the knee he injured Sunday and will be out for the season, per Campbell.
Campbell would rather not have wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown returning punts for an entire game. He might mix in depending on field position.
The team will look at in-house options. Practice squad wide receiver Dominic Lovett is a possibility there. Campbell also said GM Brad Holmes will see who is available outside the roster. The good news is the bye week gives them some time to find a good fit.
Detroit has a pretty young offensive line. What does their trajectory look like for the rest of the season?
Campbell's seen growth from that unit over these five weeks. There's been inconsistencies and some peaks and valleys, but he feels like that unit continues to trend upward.
"We've got a lot of room to improve. So that's the good news," he said. "The more that Blake Miller and Tate Ratledge can play together, the better they're going to get and they have gotten better."
Campbell thought Ratledge's pad level was good Sunday as that continues to be a point of emphasis for the second-year right guard. He moved defenders a lot better because of it.
"The unit is getting better. It's going to be nice to get Cade (Mays) in the mix," Campbell said.
Mays has missed the first five games with a wrist injury but could be available Week 7 against Green Bay if he looks good in practice next week. He's staying in Detroit during the bye to continue to train and get ready.
What was the top highlight from running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ performance Sunday?
Gibbs rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and had over 200 scrimmage yards, but Campbell's favorite play from Gibbs Sunday didn't come with the ball in his hands.
"I hit him up this morning. His protection rep on the fourth-and-one, (Sam) LaPorta's touchdown," Campbell said.
"That was outstanding. And to me, that's why he's different. All this other stuff, of course he's got that and it's rare. It's that. He's unselfish and he's tough and he's willing to do anything for his teammates. And he might as well have scored on that because he's excited as anybody is that he helped get LaPorta a touchdown and protect (Jared) Goff so he could make that throw. That's unselfishness. That's our guys. That's our guys."
Why did the starters play late into Sunday's game with a big lead?
Campbell felt like they were starting to play some of their best football of the season and he wanted them to get that feel and flow. He said those are valuable reps to get.
"I just felt like it was important that our guys play together. It's the best defensive performance we've had to date in 2026, and I wanted those guys to play together," he said. "To me, that was important in the moment."
He also didn't want to pull the starters and have to reinsert them if things got close.
