NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Lions HC Dan Campbell said he’s built this team knowing the type of teammates he would want as a player. 

“If you’ve got pride about the way you play and about your own team, that’s how you should go into games,” Campbell said, via Jeff Howe of The Athletic. “I’ve been around the game long enough as a player and as a coach to know the type of guys I would want to play with. That’s kind of what I’ve always thought about: Who were the best teammates I ever had? Guys who, if you were doing a checklist, you could have your all-NFL team, all-career team that you played with. Who would you get? But also know they can’t just be like me. I didn’t have the talent. If you have a bunch of me’s, you’re going to get your butt whipped. You need to have some ability.”

Campbell wants each player to give their “full attention” in games. 

“No matter where you’re at, you want to know you’re giving your opponent everything they can possibly handle — or not handle, if you will,” Campbell said. “I think the bottom line is that you owe each game your full attention. If we’re going out there, we’re going to give you everything we’ve got. I’d like to believe when you do it that way and you’re smart in the way you play, the way you attack, and you have enough talent that you’re a hard team to beat.”

Packers

• Packers HC Matt LaFleur declared QB Sean Clifford their primary backup: “I think it’s safe to say Sean is our No. 2 quarterback. I think a lot of it is his mental makeup,” per Ryan Wood.  
• LaFleur said they have a good idea of who will be their starting safety opposite of Darnell Savage: “I think we’ve got a pretty good indication,” per Bill Huber. 
• Huber notes S Rudy Ford has appeared with the first team over the last three days.

Vikings

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins recalled how difficult it was to prepare for defenses coached by new DC Brian Flores.

“If you were playing him for that week, you would run a very different offense, a very different system, have a very different plan to handle the challenges he’s throwing at you,” Cousins said via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “But if you just prepared to play him, are you really getting ready for the Buccaneers in Week 1 and the rest of your schedule? So, we’ve kind of had to live in that world of, ‘We’re going to call the plays that we’re going to need for the season, that are going to make life very difficult [for the offense] against his scheme, and we just have to do our best to find the answers that are there, even if it’s a tough answer.’ And so that’s the world we’re living in and it makes us better in the long run. … you kind of have the big picture in mind and I think all-in-all it’s been good for our development as a player and as an offense.”

Flores said their defense has had a “competitive” training camp against HC Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.  

“It’s a competitive camp,” Flores said. “We’re trying to stop them. They’re trying to score. They’re trying to get first downs. We’re trying to get off the field. I think from that standpoint, you can never really get away from that. I don’t think [O’Connell] wants us to get away from that. I certainly don’t. We just try to get together and all get better. [O’Connell] and I have had that conversation. They’re giving us enough looks. We’re giving them enough looks, and hopefully we work together and get the players what they need. As they say, ‘Together we eat.'”

Cousins said Flores’ defensive system is forcing him to ask questions to their coaching staff. 

“We’re calling plays that if they get in certain looks, I’m kind of palms-upping the coaches,” Cousins said. “Like, ‘What do you want me to do here? You didn’t give me as many tools in the tool belt that I’d like to have.'”