Speaking before the rules were passed, Campbell said the Lions were “absolutely in favor of” the changes “cause it gives us a chance to play special teams.”
“I mean, what happened last year, really you felt like that took a significant number of plays out of the game, and those were from special teams,” Campbell said. “And you don’t really make it up really anywhere else. And so just we put an emphasis on it, so I believe in it. And I think the arguments for, ‘Well, you’re bringing more plays back in, so now injuries could go up.’ Well, yeah, because you are (playing) more plays. But it feels like what we’ve done with it, it’s been so condensed that the impact is out of it. Doesn’t mean there won’t be an injury, but – and so I think what’s got a lot of people spooked a little bit is the unknown of it, and that’s what excites me.”
Campbell said he and Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp already have spent time watching clips of XFL returns and talking through what the new rules might mean for scheme and personnel.
The Lions ranked 19th in kick return average last season (22.2 yards per return) and were among the best drive-start defensive teams in the league.
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