Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday following Detroit's impressive 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears Sunday at Ford Field that improved their record to 1-1 on the season.
Here are all the key questions from Campbell's Monday presser:
Who stood out to Campbell Sunday after watching the tape?
Defense: Safety Brian Branch, edge Aidan Hutchinson, cornerback D.J. Reed, edge Al-Quadin Muhammad and defensive lineman Tyleik Williams.
Offense: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and the entire starting offensive line — Taylor Decker, Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, Tate Ratledge and Penei Sewell.
Special teams: Linebacker Zach Cunningham, Muhammad, defensive lineman Pat O'Connor, running back Jacob Saylors and linebacker Grant Stuard.
What kind of edge does Branch's versatility and skillset give the Lions on defense?
"It makes our job a lot easier, that's for sure," Campbell said Monday. "Because he does have so much versatility."
Branch registered six solo tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one pass defended and one forced fumble against the Bears. He's only the third defensive back since at least 1999 to register 15 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and 3.0 sacks through the first three seasons of a player's career, joining Kyle Hamilton (2022-24) and Ed Reed (2002-04).
Campbell said what makes Branch so valuable to Detroit's defense is the fact that he's a safety who can cover like a cornerback and blitz like a linebacker.
"There's so many different things he can do," he said. "The guy is a major asset for us."
Despite the dominating performance, where does Campbell want to see his team improve the most next week?
Campbell talked about needing to generate more takeaways after not getting any in a Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Detroit had two takeaways against the Bears and forced two other turnovers on downs.
Campbell was a little disappointed that the offense was only able to turn two of those situations into points.
"We have to capitalize when those come up," he said.
Could we continue to see Muhammad's role increase?
After playing just seven defensive snaps in the season opener, Muhammad saw 36 snaps of action on defense Sunday and was second among Detroit's pass rushers with three pressures and a sack against the Bears.
One thing Campbell said jumps off the tape when watching Muhammad is the effort he plays with. He will hustle down and across the field in a relentless pursuit of the football.
"He's been big for us and he's going to get more of a role," Campbell said. "He's earned that."
What makes the Goff to St. Brown connection so special?
St. Brown had nine receptions for 115 yards (12.8 avg.) and three touchdowns and added two rushes for seven yards to total 122 scrimmage yards on the afternoon, becoming the first Lions player since Calvin Johnson in 2010 to produce a game with at least 100 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Campbell said it's an art form watching St. Brown and Goff work.
"It's awesome to watch. They have such a rapport with each other. They trust each other immensely," Campbell said of the duo. "The way that he runs his routes. He so crisp and he's so detailed. It helps him anticipate the throws and they just have so much time on task.
"He knows exactly what he's going to do and St. knows exactly where the ball is going to be before he's out of the break. They've just worked together for so long. We have a tremendous amount of trust in those two players."
Goff completed 23-of-28 passes (82.1 percent) for 334 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 156.0 passer rating against the Bears Sunday.
Where is rookie defensive lineman Tyleik Williams making his biggest strides?
Williams' contributions aren't always going to be noticed in the stat sheet. He does some of the dirty work in the middle, taking on double teams and opening lanes for others to make plays.
But Williams did show up on the stat sheet twice following the game, getting his hands on two passes, one on a fourth down that led to a turnover on downs.
"He had a couple of critical plays there where he knocked those balls down and he's got a knack for that a little bit," Campbell said. "He just continues to get better in the run game taking on some of these double teams and clearing his blocks and making plays. We see a player who is continuing to get better."
Are there any injury updates from Sunday's game?
Campbell said they are waiting on second opinions on injuries suffered by Mahogany and edge rusher Marcus Davenport.
