Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday following his team's big win on the road in the toughest environment they've faced all season in Minnesota against the previously undefeated Vikings.
Campbell loved the way this group kept their composure late and didn't get frazzled when they gave up the lead late. He liked the way all three phases played a huge hand in getting the win. Campbell had a chance to digest the tape of Sunday's performance and here are the key questions from his Monday presser:
Did Campbell think they got enough from the edge rush in the first game without Aidan Hutchinson?
The only edge rusher to record a sack or quarterback hit against the Vikings was Josh Paschal. All their other sacks and quarterback hits came from the linebacker position.
Campbell said one area coming out of that contest he knows they have to better moving forward is the pass rush. He thought there were too many instances when they left their secondary to cover for longer than he'd like.
"There's a number of things where we fabricated some rush and got there a few times, but we need just a little bit more," Campbell said. "There were a couple of them that did get long. Couple of these plays you'd like to believe we can get someone there just a little bit sooner."
Campbell said they'll continue to work with the pass rush, develop good defensive gameplans and will figure it out. With the Nov. 5 trade deadline approaching, the Lions could be on the lookout to bring in some additional edge talent to supplement what they already have.
What did he see on film from the failed fake punt?
Detroit tried a fake punt on 4th & 7 on their first possession of the game at their own 34-yard line and didn't get it on a failed option play with Jalen Reeves-Maybin opting to run it instead of pitching it to Sione Vaki, who probably had a better chance to pick up the first down.
Campbell liked the look they got and doesn't regret the call.
"The look was there, we just tweak a couple things execution-wise and it's there," he said. "I'm disappointed it didn't work just like anyone is, but that's not going to deter me. If the look is there the look is there. We're going to keep looking for it and keep coaching it up."
How good is quarterback Jared Goff playing right now?
CBS had a great statistic Monday: Detroit is the first team since the NFL/AFL merger to have more touchdowns (18) than incompletions (16) over a four-game stretch.
Goff completed 22-of-25 passes (88 percent) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 140.0 passer rating vs. the Vikings. He is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to produce a passer rating of 140.0-or-higher in three straight games, joining Aaron Rodgers (2011), Kurt Warner (1999) and Roger Staubach (1971).
"I guess I'm just not surprised I guess is the best way to say it," Campbell said. "I hear these numbers and I'm just like, 'Yeah, he's playing good. He's a good quarterback.' I don't really see this like I'm blown away. I expect that from him. He's playing at a high level."
Campbell said what he likes most about the way Goff is playing right now is that when it's crunch time, Goff's heart rate levels out, he doesn't get frazzled and he's making big-time plays.
How big of a win was Sunday in Campbell's book?
It's hard to win on the road in this league and add in the fact it was an undefeated Vikings team playing really good football in a hostile environment inside U.S. Bank Stadium, and Campbell was really impressed with the performance.
"It meant a lot," he said. "I didn't want to call it a must-win but our guys know how important it is. We say it all the time. When you talk about the end game and where you want to be at the end of this season then you have to work backwards. What are the steps to get there?
"You have to win your division. That's where it starts. Everything needs to run through Detroit, and to do that you have to win your division games. Then you get a home game in the playoffs, if not more. It was big."
Any update on David Montgomery's knee injury?
Montgomery left Sunday's game with a knee injury but he did return to the contest. It was a knee contusion. Montgomery took a knee in the back of his knee, and Campbell said it's nothing to worry about moving forward.
Who stood out on tape?
Offense: Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff, center Frank Ragnow, tackle Penei Sewell, wide receiver Kalif Raymond and wide receiver Tim Patrick.
Defense: The entire secondary (Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold, Carlton Davis III and Amik Robertson), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, linebacker Alex Anzalone, linebacker Jack Campbell, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and Paschal.
