Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday following Detroit's disappointing 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field Sunday. It was a game the Lions let slip through their fingers with too many mistakes and a lack of execution in the red zone.
Here are all the key questions from Campbell's Monday press conference:
What were the biggest takeaways from the performance Sunday?
Offensively, Campbell talked about cleaning up the red zone where the Lions were just 1-for-7 converting touchdowns. He said after watching the tape it wasn't just one thing. There were some missed assignments, misreads by Jared Goff, missed blocks, route details that have to be better and some bad play calls. He also was disappointed by their inability to get the run game going in the red zone. It wasn't just one person or personnel group, and Campbell said it just snowballed. He said they'll learn from the tape and will be better.
Defensively, he said that unit played pretty well all night but would want two plays back – the Terrion Arnold 41-yard pass interference call and the 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin that Campbell said was kind of a gimmicky play they caught the defense on.
Is there an update on St. Brown's injury?
Amon-Ra St. Brown was playing through some pain in the second half Sunday and he still finished with 11 receptions on 19 targets for 119 yards. He was looked at by trainers two separate times in the second half.
Campbell said Monday his All-Pro receiver is dealing with a minor, lower-leg soft tissue issue and he expects him to be fine.
What did Campbell think of Hutchinson's performance after watching the tape?
Aidan Hutchinson played 90 percent of the defensive snaps and recorded 4.5 sacks, the second most a Lions player has had in a single game in franchise history.
"Every time you watch it it gets better and better," Campbell said. "I was pretty blown away last night. He's a force."
Campbell said Hutchinson is playing at the highest level he's ever seen from the third-year edge rusher and thinks he'll take it up another notch moving forward. That's a pretty scary projection for opposing offenses.
What did Tim Patrick bring to the mix at WR?
Patrick was elevated from the practice squad for Sunday's contest and ended up playing 33 snaps (39 percent). He had two receptions for 12 yards.
"We liked him," Campbell said. "It was good to see. I would say that was a positive showing."
Campbell said it would be nice to get him a few more snaps moving forward with the idea of opening the offense up more utilizing Patrick's size (6-5, 210).
"There's a place for him here," Campbell said. "I see us using him moving forward."
Any injury updates on LB Alex Anzalone or CB Terrion Arnold?
"I know he felt pretty good today," Campbell said of the concussion Anzalone suffered against the Bucs. "Relative to what that was. That's always a positive. We'll have to take that day-to-day."
Campbell said there's nothing significant with the finger injury Arnold suffered and it didn't prevent him from finishing the contest.
View photos from the Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 2 game at Ford Field on Sunday, September 15 in Detroit, Michigan.
What are Campbell's first impressions of the Cardinals?
Arizona was impressive Sunday with a 41-10 win over the Rams that saw quarterback Kyler Murray become just the second player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and a 158.3 passer rating in a game.
Campbell said schematically on both sides of the ball the Cardinals are a bit tricky to prepare for.
"They give you a lot and they are very active upfront," he said.
Offensively, Campbell said the Cardinals use a lot of different personnel groups and they play hard and physical. When the quarterback gets out of the pocket and runs around, he is dangerous. Murray has weapons to throw to on the outside, and Campbell is a big fan of running back James Conner.
Defensively, Campbell talked about the multiple looks Arizona gives upfront and coverage-wise, which is a lot like what they saw with Tampa Bay Sunday.
"The good news is we just played a team that gives you a lot of different looks defensively," Campbell said. "So, that's actually good. We ought to be primed and prepped a little bit to be able to adjust on the fly. That's a good football team we are playing."