Dan Campbell says Lions bye-week deep dive clarified what to fix before first look at Green Bay

Coming off their Week 6 bye, Detroit’s head coach said his staff used extra time to self-scout early-season issues and map incremental improvements across offense, defense, and special teams.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Detroit Lions used their Week 6 bye to run a deep self-scout of the first five games, focusing on what can make them more consistent across all three phases. Head coach Dan Campbell said he feels better about where the team is positioned coming out of this bye week than he did last season, when Detroit was 5-2 out of a Week 8 bye but still carried problems into the final stretch that contributed to a 4-6 finish over the last 10 games and a missed playoff berth.

Campbell framed the early-season findings as both a confirmation and a work plan. He said the current roster looks young and ascending, and he believes there are specific areas the coaching staff thinks they can improve on now, rather than needing a dramatic jump week to week. He also suggested the bye helped the team “figure out who we are” more clearly, while acknowledging there is still room to get better over the final 12 games.

The Lions’ attention on consistency also comes with a practical lineup question at two key spots. Campbell said defensive back Brian Branch (Achilles) and center Cade Mays (wrist) have returned to practice, and Detroit is targeting Sunday’s game at Green Bay for them to play. He added Branch is unlikely to handle a full 70-play workload initially, but Detroit believes he can manage a substantial role after what the team has seen in practice.

Detroit has relied on veteran Juice Scruggs at center during the first five games, and Campbell credited him with being among the league’s top graded centers as Mays worked back from his training-camp wrist injury. The plan, Campbell said, is to keep Scruggs ready at center until Mays is fully acclimated, with the possibility of moving Mays some at guard later to open up competition.

Campbell also highlighted what the Lions want from this week’s division opener. Detroit returns to work preparing for their first division matchup of the season against the Green Bay Packers, and Campbell pointed to Green Bay’s defensive disguise as an early tape emphasis. He said the Lions will need to stay out of long-yardage situations as much as possible, while also noting the connection between offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon from their overlapping Arizona days.

Why It Matters

A clearer internal assessment after the bye is aimed at helping Detroit avoid the pattern Campbell described from last season, when a strong start gave way to late-season inconsistency.
The Branch-Mays return plan affects how the Lions manage continuity on defense and on the offensive line, while keeping Scruggs available to maintain production in key center snaps.
Detroit’s first division game of the season arrives with the Lions trying to sharpen execution before the schedule tightens into its final stretch.
Facing a Packers defense Campbell described as movement-and-disguise heavy increases the importance of down-and-distance discipline for Detroit’s play-calling and protection decisions.

Sources

Key Facts

Detroit came off a Week 6 bye and used the extra time for a deep dive into the first five games to identify ways to improve consistency across offense, defense, and special teams.
Campbell said he feels better about where the Lions are coming out of this bye than last season, when Detroit was 5-2 after a Week 8 bye but finished 4-6 over its final 10 games and missed the playoffs.
Campbell said both Brian Branch (Achilles) and Cade Mays (wrist) have returned to practice and are targeted to play Sunday against Green Bay, though Branch is not expected to take a full 70-play workload.
Juice Scruggs has filled in at center over Detroit’s first five games, and Campbell said the team wants to keep him ready until Mays is fully acclimated.
Campbell said Green Bay’s defense stands out for its ability to disguise coverage, and he emphasized limiting 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations this week.