"Let's prepare and play like 46"
That has become the theme this week for the Detroit Lions at the Meijer Performance Center as they prepare to play the Dolphins in Miami Sunday while still having Campbell in their thoughts and prayers after he suffered a neck injury in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's win over Minnesota. Campbell is still recovering at the hospital.
"My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and support we've received over the past few days," Campbell said in a statement released Wednesday. "It means more to us than words can express.
"I'm incredibly encouraged by the progress I've made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I'm continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there's still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I'm taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better."
Lions head coach Dan Campbell held a team meeting Wednesday morning as the players returned to the facility to get started on their preparations for Sunday's game in Miami. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said it was a terrific meeting where they put football to the side and opened the floor to talk about Jack. The team came out of the meeting with a theme for the week.
"So, the theme has been let's prepare and play like 46," Sheppard said. "Every day I wake up, 'What would 46 want me to do today? Would he want us to sulk and feel sorry?' I can guarantee y'all know Jack. Absolutely not.
"He'll be pissed off if he found out guys are crying and guys are like, about him. That's just his makeup and that's what makes him the person that he is. So, that's what we're doing. And everything we do, every meeting I told the unit, every walkthrough, every play, you all know how Jack prepares. You all know how he plays. The way you honor him is to wipe those tears from your eyes and make sure we prepare and play like him. So, that's the theme moving forward to this week."
The team has gotten behind that message 100 percent this week and it's helped them try and turn the page and put the focus on Miami.
"This is for him, man," fellow linebacker Derrick Barnes said. "One of our keys to victory is preparing to play like No. 46.
"Jack's a fighter, we all know Jack. Knowing Jack, he wants us to keep going throughout our day. That's why we all love Jack. To hear that from coach (Wednesday) morning was awesome."
Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson was visibly upset on the field last Sunday after Campbell's injury. However, he was the one who rallied his teammates before play resumed and encouraged his teammates to finish out that game for Campbell. He said this week honoring Jack's absence would entail going on the road and taking care of business in Miami this Sunday.
"We're going to think of Jack and play for him and do what we got to do," Hutchinson said.
The very next play after Campbell was injured was a 4th & 5 at the Detroit 25-yard line the Vikings opted to go for. Sheppard said Thursday he dialed up a blitz package on the play that was inspired by Campbell.
"We've never pressured here on fourth down in the time I've been here. Six years, go back and track it, we've never pressured on fourth down," Sheppard said.
"I've gotten asked, why? What call? Why that call in that moment? And it's because when I looked at our players, I looked at that call sheet and I said, 'Let's go for 46.' I heard (Hutchinson) and I said, 'Let's do it. What would he want?'"
Barnes got good pressure on the blitz and Hutchinson beat his block off the edge forcing an incomplete pass.
It was a call for Campbell. That's how the Lions are treating this week, with Campbell and his recovery still very much on their minds while also knowing they have a job to do in Miami.
