Dan Campbell Interview - 11/5/24 - video Dailymotion

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00:00He said it to us last week, shoes being prepared for the elements.

00:05Dan, good morning.

00:06How satisfying was the execution outdoors in Green Bay?

00:09Yeah, very satisfying.

00:12And the guy, the coaches, the players did a great job just on that.

00:18I mean, I know we all laugh about it.

00:20It's a big thing, though.

00:21And our guys were in the right shoes.

00:22We kept our footing.

00:23I thought we played clean football in an unclean environment.

00:27I mean, that was, you know, you're in the elements and we handled it well.

00:31I was proud of them.

00:32That's a good win.

00:33Is there anything you did during the week to prepare for having a wet football or the

00:39field the way it was?

00:41Yeah, we drenched the footballs all week.

00:43I mean, that's, you know, I told Golf on Wednesday, I said, man, we're going to have, our trainers

00:49are going to douse them with the Gatorade bottles before every snap.

00:52So we doused them every period.

00:55We had a wet ball for group, for individual, for all the team periods.

01:00That's how we functioned.

01:01We didn't wet the field, but we had the wind, which was great, especially Thursday, man.

01:06It was humming out there.

01:07So we really got the elements.

01:09The only thing, we didn't get the precipitation coming down, but we did have wet ball and

01:14we did have the wind and we were outside.

01:16So it was awesome.

01:18This team has a laser focus at 7-1.

01:20Field in for Dallas, no letdown with the Hutch injury, you guys didn't overlook Tennessee

01:24and then obviously ready for the weather.

01:26Where does that level of focus come from?

01:28Well, look, I think we're a more mature team.

01:32You know, we're, you know, remember now our vets are guys who've been here, you know,

01:38the core of this team are guys who've been here for really going on four years.

01:41And we've added on that, you know, even our next guy, you know, Kirby and those guys now

01:46are becoming vets.

01:48And so we do things, we haven't changed the way we do things over a number of years.

01:53We're just getting more mature.

01:54We're growing up.

01:56And these guys are able to just look at what's right in front of them and focus on that.

02:02And when you do that, then you can most of the time alleviate some of the ups and downs

02:08that come with a season.

02:09That's not perfect.

02:10There's nothing easy about it, you know, and honestly, the more you win, the harder it

02:13gets.

02:14But we're in a good place right now.

02:18I mean, coaches always say this.

02:19We've heard you say it in terms of games that you bury an opponent, there's opportunities

02:26or there's points left on the field.

02:29When you look at this team coming off of the run that you've been on, coming off of Dallas,

02:33coming off of Tennessee, and obviously the trip to Green Bay, where can this team continue

02:39to get better?

02:41Yeah, well, look, I think there's, I know Ben and I were talking yesterday, there's

02:46elements of what we did in the second half, you know, that minus that opening drive, which

02:51was huge, you know, coming out of the third quarter, take it all the way down there and

02:56finish with a touchdown.

02:57Man, that was, that was huge.

02:59But, but yet, man, after that, until we were able to close the game out, you know, our

03:03defense really, man, they hung in there and they didn't allow a touchdown, you know, they

03:09didn't allow a score for a long time, but then we had a number of three and outs, you

03:14know, got a first out, first down, then we go three and out after that, you know, we

03:18just couldn't continue to get the first downs and move the ball, you know, we took care

03:22of it, which is great, but you'd like to believe, you know, you can take control of that game

03:27a little bit sooner than it happens.

03:29So those are little things that, man, we can, we really believe we can get better at.

03:35And then defensively, man, I think A.G. and those guys are, man, we're playing outstanding

03:40ball, man, and the critical factors, the third down, the red zone, you know, limiting points,

03:46the whole thing, takeaways, one of them for a touchdown, but it's like, man, we had a

03:50couple of critical penalties, you know, that hurt us, man, we're off the field if we just

03:55take care of those things, which are, you know, that's truly self-induced.

03:59So we got areas to clean up, but I love the way we play, man, I love how we challenge,

04:04I love that we're aggressive, you know, and look, special teams, those elements are great

04:12for Bates, you know, like to go in and get in that environment and have to kick with

04:18the wind behind you, in front of you, crosswind, rain, man, I thought he did a hell of a job

04:23and learned from that, you know, and so there's just these things, man, we'll just continue

04:28to get better and learn from.

04:29Talking to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Brian Branch, we've raved about him with you,

04:34I don't think he's a dirty player, but do you worry that he picks up a reputation now

04:37with a couple of these helmet-to-helmet penalties?

04:40It seemed like they wanted to make an example of him last Sunday.

04:44No, I mean, I don't worry about that, I don't know why he would pick that up, I mean, he

04:49plays football, he's a football player, you know, he plays the style that we're looking

04:59for, he's got to lower the target, like that's the thing, and he knows that, you know, and

05:04honestly, look, you're going to get the flag, you're going to get, you know, he's probably

05:09going to get fined for it, that's part of it, and you don't want it, but man, once you've

05:15deployed, you know, once you've deployed your artillery, man, you're not pulling it back,

05:22I mean, that's, you know, and funny enough, I've seen guys who have tried to pull back

05:26keep from hurting somebody that have two different times tore the meniscus in their knee, trying

05:30to jab their knee in the ground to stop from going, you know, but I think that, you know,

05:37we got to lower the target for him, and the big thing is, man, the penalty after that,

05:42that's what he and I talked about, it's like, man, you can't give him a 15 after that, and

05:48so just lower it, go through the sternum, don't, you know, try to lower it a little

05:53bit, he was just a little bit high, so, but he'll be fine, man, he plays an aggressive

05:58style, and he's a hell of a player, he's hell of a safety, and no, he's not a dirty player.

06:03I'm sure you'll be happy for 401, when the conversation shifts from what are you guys

06:09going to do at the trade deadline, you addressed it yesterday, we've asked you about it for a

06:13couple of weeks, first of all, any chance you have any breaking news you want to share with us,

06:18and if not, what's it like leading into today, where I know players are going to be around,

06:25but it's typically a day off, of trying to navigate the trade deadline?

06:31Yeah, I don't, this is business as usual, honestly, it's, I mean, me personally,

06:37I'm trying to get ready for Houston, and then if Brad's got anything that he wants to

06:42share with me, or wants me to look at, then he will, and tell them, man, I trust him,

06:47he, man, he's been grinding through this, he's got, he knows what he's doing, and if it's,

06:53if it works out, great, if it doesn't, it doesn't, but it's like, the thought of giving

06:56away high capital for a player none of us are going to like, that just doesn't sit well with

07:00any of us, so, man, if it makes sense, it makes sense, if it doesn't, it doesn't, but, you know,

07:07what we got here, we'll win with. So, like, three o'clock, you're not poking in the office going,

07:12we have anything, like, what's your message to Lion fans who are going to be refreshing

07:15their phone all day today, hoping to see Brad deliver somebody?

07:19Yeah, I don't, I don't know what to tell you, I mean, I, hey, get ready for Houston, you know,

07:24it's about the matchups, about the one in front of you, and you may be waiting for a while,

07:30you may not, you may, you know, but, but just know that there's work being put in this,

07:35and it's, and it's been going on for a long time, so, we'll be good, we'll be just fine.

07:41You get Jamison Williams back, that'll be a nice addition for the Houston game,

07:45with the issues he's had, when you've talked to him, does it seem like he's responded well

07:49to all this, that he's going to be able to move forward and avoid some of the issues he's had?

07:54Who's that, I'm sorry?

07:55Jamison Williams.

07:58Yeah, yeah, I feel great, I feel great about him, I feel like, you know, man, he's been,

08:03he was here last week, he was in meetings, man, he was, he couldn't be out on the field,

08:07but he's been working out, he's been training, he's been running, like I say, he was in meetings,

08:12so he's been locked in, it almost feels like he's, he hadn't been gone other than game day,

08:17so, that's awesome, and I feel like he's just going to pick up where he left off,

08:22and then some, he's just going to continue to grow, so, man, I, I feel good about where he's

08:28going to be, where he's at, and where he's going to go.

08:33Dan, I hate to do this to you, Ian Rapoport is reporting, verified Ian Rapoport, that the

08:39Browns are trading Zedaria Smith to the Lions, can you comment on that?

08:46Well, Ian's got all the answers, doesn't he?

08:52Apparently.

08:53Well, you'd hate it if Ian was wrong, wouldn't he?

08:55Yeah, I would.

08:56Well, we actually would.

08:57Yes.

08:59Okay, I guess we'll take that, that's all we can get, you, John, you have something else for Dan?

09:04No, well, I mean, just in terms of, you know, traveling down to Houston,

09:08what are some of the things that, this is a young quarterback,

09:11very talented, they might get their number one receiver back,

09:15what are, what are you looking at when you play Houston down there?

09:18Man, this team is, I love the way this team plays, I mean, they, they play an aggressive style,

09:26explosive, fast type of football.

09:30And, and look, this quarterback, I think, has done an outstanding job.

09:35He's one of these really good young players in this league.

09:39I do think they're going to get Nico back, I, we're prepared for him,

09:43we're thinking he's coming back, he's outstanding.

09:47You know, this whole line, there's been a little bit of, you know,

09:50they had some injuries here and there, but, but, you know, the scheme and the things that

09:55they're able to do up there, they can do a lot to you.

09:57And, and Mixon's playing a very high level.

10:01And then this defense, man, I mean, they hum now, they are, they are smoking.

10:07They are up the field, they're aggressive.

10:10You know, they play a nasty style game, they finish on the football.

10:14It's, it's going to be an all out brawl, man, out in Houston,

10:18Houston, Texas on Sunday night.

10:20And, man, we're looking forward to it, man.

10:22This is, this is one of those, like I say, that's what excites you, man.

10:26Every week, you know, we just came off a big division win, and now we're rolling into

10:30another great opponent here in prime time, Sunday night at third place.

10:36And, man, they, they play the style of football that we're looking forward to facing.

10:41He's Lions head coach, Dan Campbell.

10:42Dan, thanks for some of your time.

10:44Good luck this week.

10:45All right.

10:46Take care.

10:47It's 97-1.

Dan Campbell Interview - 11/5/24

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