Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday following Sunday's 24-6 loss in Dallas that dropped the team's record to 1-5 to start the season.
Here are the key questions from Monday's press conference:
What is the update on wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown?
St. Brown was removed from Sunday's game through the league's new concussion protocols where an official removed him from the game and video review by certified athletic trainers upstairs recognized he was demonstrating motor instability and therefore ruled him out for the remainder of the contest.
Campbell said St. Brown was cleared of having a concussion on the sideline, but remains in the concussion protocol, per league rules.
"So my understanding is he looked a little disoriented certainly and then go to the tent and you're going to go through the whole process of clearing him," Campbell said. "In the meantime they look at the video and when they see the video, plus what they saw there, it's automatically, you're out now."
Campbell said St. Brown is trending the right way through the protocol and is expected to play Sunday when the Lions host Miami at Ford Field Sunday.
What did Campbell think of rookie defensive lineman Josh Paschal's debut after watching the film?
Paschal made two tackles, but his impact was felt well beyond the box score. He was disruptive and his penetration allowed fellow defenders to make plays behind him.
"I would say encouraging," Campbell said of Paschal's debut. "He brings a little something to us from an explosiveness standpoint. He certainly has the high motor, but you could certainly feel him early in that game."
As expected with anyone playing in his first game of the year after missing training camp and the first five games with a sports hernia, Paschal got a little tired in the second half. The conditioning will come the more he plays, and Campbell is excited about what he can provide the defense moving forward.
Will quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell be back this week?
Brunell missed Sunday's game in Dallas because of personal reasons, but Campbell does expect him back in Allen Park either Monday or Tuesday to resume his work in the quarterbacks room.
What is veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers' future with the team?
Brockers was a healthy inactive Sunday and that looks to be the plan moving forward as long as Paschal, John Cominsky, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Isaiah Buggs and Benito Jones are all healthy enough to play. Brockers is currently in the second season of a three-year extension he signed in 2021.
"I take it for where it is right now," Campbell said. "He provides a tremendous amount of leadership to us. He's helped that room in multiple areas. Just from where we're at right now, we felt like once we got Cominsky and Paschal back with where it is, that was the right lineup for us."
That doesn't mean the Lions won't need him at some point this season. Campbell referred to Brockers as being on call.
What does Campbell think is behind the offensive woes the last couple weeks?
Turnovers were obviously the No. 1 factor Sunday in Dallas as the Lions turned it over five times in the second half (two interceptions & three fumbles), and four times in the fourth quarter alone.
Campbell pointed to the injuries the Lions are dealing with currently at the wide receiver position as also not helping. DJ Chark (ankle) was placed on IR last week. Josh Reynolds (knee) only practiced on Friday last week. St. Brown was dealing with a high ankle sprain before leaving Sunday due to concussion protocol.
Campbell also pointed to not having dynamic running back D’Andre Swift in the lineup. Swift missed his third straight contest Sunday due to ankle and shoulder injuries. The Lions are hoping to get Swift back this week for Miami.
He also talked about some of the changes recently along the offensive line and being a little unsettled there.
"There's a number of these guys that we're going into games with that aren't even practicing because that's kind of where we're at," Campbell said. "We have to have them to play the game and to do that we can't practice them to feel like we can get them to the game and that's hard. But that's the task we're given right now."
The task for Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is to find the right answers to getting the offense playing more like they did the first month of the season, especially with the defense now playing better football.
