The Detroit Lions hit the road to conduct joint practices with the New York Giants Monday and Tuesday ahead of Thursday's preseason opener.
"We've been talking since spring and then we talked earlier this week, communicated with each other, so we're ready to go, the scripts have been passed, we know how we want to – we already had it kind of set up, but the coordinators got with each other and so it's ready to go," Campbell said of the communication with the Giants' coaching staff ahead of next week.
"It's just a matter of us getting out there. But it's going to be good. We're going to get unbelievable work out there. I've got a lot of trust in (Giants head coach Brain) Daboll, he's somebody that I have a lot of respect for and he's a friend of mine and I just know that they're going to do things right and so are we. So, we're going to get really, really good work. Excited about it."
Joint practices mean the intensity and competition ramps up and it will be a great opportunity for Campbell and Daboll to get terrific evaluation on film of their rosters.
Here are five things to watch out for over the next couple days:
1. Terrion Arnold vs. Malik Nabers
The second wide receiver taken in this year's NFL Draft was Nabers at No. 6 to the Giants, just two picks after Arizona took Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4. All reports out of New York say Nabers is having a great start to camp and is expected to be a big part of the Giants' offense in 2024.
Arnold, the second cornerback taken in the draft by Detroit at No. 24, has also been making a big impact though the first couple weeks of practice. He's been a starter on the outside opposite Carlton Davis III since Day 1.
Nabers is going to face a lot of the Lions' cornerbacks throughout the two days of joint practices, but those reps against a fellow rookie in Arnold should be really fun to watch and should be good for both players as they ready themselves for their first NFL season.
2. Backup quarterback battle
Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker continue to rotate second-team reps every practice in camp and that's become a great competition to see who ultimately backs up Jared Goff this season.
Sudfeld has been the most consistent in camp so far, but Hooker has the higher ceiling. Who will ultimately prevail?
This will be a good week to face a completely new defense that will throw some things at both players they haven't yet seen in camp playing against the same defense day in and day out.
When we get to Thursday's preseason opener both will get a chance to compete on a big stage. For Hooker, it will be the first time we see him in a game environment since his college days at Tennessee as last year was a red-shirt year for him rehabbing a torn ACL.
3. New kickoff rule
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has spent a lot of time figuring out the best combinations of personnel for the new kickoff play and who might fit best returning kicks. It will be interesting to see the two teams practice the play during the week.
It's good to go against another team early on to see how they are strategizing the play and what Fipp and the Lions might need to do to counter.
"There's a lot of unknown, I think," Fipp said last week. "At the end of the day what I told our players is, we'll be ready to adjust on the scheme and all that stuff, but any play in football is going to come down to the same old things.
"It's going to come down to blocking or evading a blocker, and then it's going to come down to tackling and it's going to come down to making somebody miss. So, at the end of the day, we'll spend a lot of time on fundamentals and technique, and we'll also be ready to adjust and adapt to any other thing that we see out there that we think is successful."
4. D-line and secondary gains
This Lions' defense will be much improved in 2024 if they can get a more consistent pass rush from their front four and better play all around from their revamped secondary. So far the first two weeks of training camp those two areas look to be the most improved on the entire team.
"Man, we are getting off blocks, you even see improvement in players like (Alim McNeill) Mac, (Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, just taking another step, Levi (Onwuzurike), certainly (Marcus) Davenport's back out there now and he's practicing," Campbell said.
"And then with the DBs, man, you feel us challenge, we're challenging on the perimeter and they're covering pretty good down the field, so when you do that, you can't help but get better."
It's looked good so far against Detroit's offense, which is one of the better units in the league. The hope is the defense really has the edge and gets the better of a Giants' offense that wasn't as productive last year and doesn't have all the weapons both upfront and at the skill positions as the Lions have.
View photos from Day 9 of Detroit Lions training camp on Friday August 2, 2024.
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58), Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16), Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31), Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Daurice Fountain (12), Detroit Lions Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (4) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89), Detroit Lions Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El, Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Mitchell Agude (50) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97), during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes (55) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26), Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy (85) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (4), Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kaden Davis (88), Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III (23) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Marcus Davenport (92) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith (10), Detroit Lions safety Loren Strickland (48) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson (28) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson (28) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jake Funk (36) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on August 2, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
5. Offensive explosion
The Giants ranked 26th in points allowed and 27th in total defense last season. They added some pieces to that side of the ball this offseason, but on paper, the Lions' talent level offensively exceeds that of the talent level the Giants have on the defensive side of the ball.
It would be nice for Goff and Co. to really put their foot on the gas and move the football consistently, run the ball effectively and show off an explosive element. The run game in particular has been a little slower developing against the No. 2 ranked Lions' run defense the first couple weeks of camp.
Can the Lions' offense put it all together for a couple days and leave New York feeling really good about the progress they've made over the week and where they're at as a unit a month out from the start of the regular season?
