The NFL reportedly has concerns about the play of Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell. The Lions don’t seem too worried about it.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard revealed the league issued a memo flagging a play involving Campbell attempting to punch the ball out of an offensive player’s hands, specifically noting defenders should be punching at the ball and not the player.
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Sheppard defended his player’s conduct, saying he hopes Campbell continues his style of play for the rest of the season:
“Look at Jack. I mean, they just sent out a memo and the tape — I mean, the way Jack is doing it — it’s violent, it’s aggressive, and it’s the way we play. We won’t make excuses, and I hope it continues to show up and I hope it upticks as we progress in the season.”
His response when asked what problem the league had with Campbell:
“Just the emphasis on punching at the ball. They want you to punch at the ball and not the player, whatever that means.”
No specific play was mentioned, but Campbell and the rest of the Lions have indeed been aggressive with punching the ball this season. A successful example:
Campbell himself was asked about the matter later Friday via Audacy’s Will Burchfield. He was … not apologetic:
“I don’t know how many people have played in an NFL game, but when you’re going full speed and you’re trying to get the ball out, punch-outs are hard to come by. So I don’t really care,” he said. “I’m gonna keep punching. And if I miss it, ‘F’ it. Screw it.”
As Campbell understands, the NFL intends to start calling personal fouls on punch-outs that miss the football and serve as body blows, “so I’ll probably have 150 personal fouls by the end of the year, so that’ll be fun,” he cracked.
Per Campbell, the NFL memo didn’t highlight a specific play or technique of his, and he added, “They just got mad at me for punching somebody. But, I mean, they got pads on. If anything, it hurt my hand more than the other guy.”
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Some outlets have also noted the NFL should have had a much better example than Campbell available. Earlier this month, the San Francisco 49ers iced a game against the Los Angeles Rams when defensive lineman Alfred Collins landed a punch on the facemask of running back Kyren Williams, leading to a fumble.
Punching properly or not, Campbell remains a key part of the Lions defense, leading the team in combined tackles, with 56 in six games, along with three tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
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