NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

The Lions looked like they had the Dolphins beat in the first half on Sunday, yet Miami came storming back with two consecutive touchdowns and leaving HC Dan Campbell explaining himself once more.

“That was tough, to say the least,” Campbell said, via Pro Football Talk. “Hey, those guys came back and played well the second half and stayed to their game plan, what they did and we didn’t overcome it. We were pretty good in the first half, offensively, and in the second half we stalled out.”

“My thought is as frustrating as it is, I know how close we are because we are still talking about one play,” Campbell added. “And the hard thing is to just keep doing your job and staying in the thick of the storm, and the easy thing is to go down below and get under the blanket, eat all the food and whatever. Guys who are going on the deck and just continue to do their part because they know the sun’s coming, are the guys we’re looking for. So that’s how I choose to think of this. The only way to clean up everything is to go back to work, that’s just — that’s all I know. So, we go back to work because if we don’t, we have no chance of being in any of these games. So let’s get back into it. We had a chance to win that game, and once we get that chance, let’s see if we can handle the pressure better and not shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Campbell spoke about handling the pressure he is under the way his former coach Bill Parcells would.

“I think it’s all-encompassing,” Campbell told reporters. “Bill Parcells just used to say, ‘The only way to win close games is to win close games.’ So, like, we’ve got to find a way to win a close game when we’re actually playing in close games, and that’s how you build confidence to do it. And until then, you’ve got to do all the little things right. So, I think it’s all-encompassing. Hey, it’s frustrating, but I know everybody’s tired of hearing it’s close, but I do know we’re close, and you just don’t know when it’s going to turn. But if we don’t keep swinging away at it, it’ll only get worse.”

• Campbell on the firing of DB coach Aubrey Pleasant: “I think Aubrey’s a hell of a coach, I have a ton of respect for him. It was a tough decision. But we’re in a production-based business.” (Kyle Meinke)
• Brian Duker will now take over as the team’s DB coach. (Tim Twentyman)
• Lions RB D’Andre Swift wants to have a bigger role as he returns from injury but needs more time: “I’m not 100%, no. But I’m still out there with my teammates.” (Eric Woodyard)
• Swift is feeling positive and despite dealing with shoulder and ankle injuries still found a way to contribute against Miami: “I help in any way possible and contribute in ways that I can. It just felt good to get back out there.” (Woodyard)

Packers

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers doesn’t feel that things have changed after their loss to Buffalo and knows the team needs to catch their break with a win next week.

“Nobody feels sorry for us,” Rodgers said, via NFL.com. “We’ve got to find a way to get one win. I feel like if we can just get one, then the whole momentum changes.”

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports Packers first-round LB Quay Walker could face a possible fine but not a suspension for a sideline confrontation that led to an ejection on Sunday night.

Vikings 

Vikings OLB Za’Darius Smith attributed the defense’s success against the Cardinals on Sunday to preparation. 

“I have to give a shout-out to the guys up front because, without them, Kyler Murray would’ve been everywhere,” Smith said, via Pro Football Talk. “We would’ve been chasing the chicken, basically. Everybody did what they were supposed to do. We had a cage rush. We went into this week’s game practicing the whole week of caging the quarterback because we knew if he got out, he was going to get loose. For my teammates, that’s exactly how that happened and that’s how I was able to get to the quarterback, by everybody doing their job up front and then containing the rest lanes and everybody doing their job.”

“Basically, we collapse the pocket,” Smith added. “If we collapse them, he can’t see. He’s a short guy, so we went in this week knowing that. And as you can see, man, we executed it. We had a day.”

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Vikings TE Irv Smith suffered a high ankle sprain against the Cardinals and could miss some time, likely four to six weeks.