Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Interview | Jan. 2nd - video Dailymotion

WXYT-FM / 97.1 The Ticket

Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell joins Stoney and Costa to talk about the upcoming game vs. the Vikings, Alex Anzalone's injury status, Kerby Joseph, and more!

Transcript

00:00Joined by the Lions head coach Dan Campbell, good morning, happy new year.

00:04Morning, happy new year.

00:08What was New Year's Eve like in the Campbell household considering you got home so, you

00:12know, late on New Year's Eve day?

00:16Yeah, it's really been spent up here.

00:20So and as a matter of fact, somebody said Happy New Year yesterday and I didn't even

00:27realize it.

00:29We've been going, man, I mean really since we landed, got home and, you know, I went

00:34home for whatever, three hours, four hours, and then been back up here ever since.

00:40I did go home last night, so that was good, but we're going, man, we're grinding.

00:45So you slept at the office, you didn't watch the ball drop or any of that stuff, right?

00:50No.

00:51So I'm guessing...

00:52I watched the ball drop in Minnesota.

00:57So then are you a New Year's resolution guy?

00:59Do you have any resolutions for the year?

01:01Yeah, win.

01:02That's a good one.

01:04Just win.

01:06So let's talk about the showdown with the Vikings then.

01:08So what is the mindset going into this game?

01:10Yeah, the mindset is, you know, you're preparing like the next game and we got a real good

01:18opponent coming in here.

01:20They got a lot of firepower, they're well coached.

01:26I mean, it's a great matchup, you know, and it's one of these that, you know, I mentioned

01:31this before, but man, this is why you love this profession, this is why you're in it,

01:37to play these type of games, man, you know, these meaningful games.

01:42Here we are in January to be a part of this and, man, it puts your name on greatness.

01:47I mean, it just doesn't get any better than this.

01:50So we embrace this stuff.

01:52We've been playing big games all year.

01:54This is another big game and it's a chance for us to, you know, to notch off what we

02:01set out to do, you know, and part of our goals this year.

02:04Chances are to win this game, you're going to have to outscore them just like you did

02:07against San Francisco Monday night, defensively going up against them.

02:13Is it like pick your poison because they're really good receivers, Darnold's playing well,

02:18and the first time you played them, I don't think Hawkinson played and he's playing really

02:22well right now.

02:24Yeah, he's, look, they've got a number of weapons.

02:26It starts with Jefferson, obviously, man, what a receiver he is, what a playmaker, football

02:32player.

02:33I mean, he just, you know, he does it all and he can run the route tree, run after catch,

02:38catch radius.

02:39He's tough.

02:40I mean, you name it.

02:41So it starts with him and then Addison has really come on, getting Hawk back, they've

02:46used him and he's making plays for them.

02:49You know, Naylor made some plays.

02:53We talked about Jones out in the backfield.

02:54He's been a productive player, run and pass game.

02:57So they've got plenty of weapons, the quarterback's playing well, you know, but I think it always

03:03starts with Jefferson.

03:04I mean, you can't, if you don't, if you just let him run wild, I mean, it's hard enough

03:09when you double him, you know, but you've got to make sure he's a point of emphasis

03:15and then you've got to be able to match up from there.

03:18I think as someone like Terry and Arnold, you guys have coached him up, he's been in

03:21a lot of tough situations this year.

03:24Vikings lead the league in yards off of pass interference.

03:27You guys play aggressive.

03:28I don't imagine that's going to change, but is that something you have to be extra aware

03:31of with this week?

03:35You're talking about what did you just give me?

03:38They lead the league in yards off of defensive pass interference, like 300 plus yards.

03:43No, we're not worried about that.

03:45I mean, we've got to play our style of football.

03:47All right.

03:48We're going to have to challenge when the time is right.

03:50And our guys are looking forward to this, man.

03:52Our DBs are looking for this.

03:55They know this is a hell of a matchup, but we know that we're going to rely on them a

04:02lot this game, man.

04:03They're going to have to be able to do what they do.

04:04We're going to have to be disrupted at times.

04:06We're going to have to play some man.

04:07We're going to have to play some zone, you know, as we do every game.

04:12But this is a challenge.

04:13I mean, this is not something our guys are going to back down from.

04:18We're looking forward to it.

04:21They seem, Flores, you guys have had success against them, but they have some really good

04:26players on that team.

04:27Guys that I look at, I say, man, that's a Dan Campbell player.

04:30Guys like Metellus, Van Ginkle, even Harrison Smith, even though I think he's a little dirty.

04:35Grenard.

04:36They have some really good players.

04:37Guys that would, you know, fit your mold, wouldn't you agree?

04:41Yeah, listen, that personnel over there are some really good football players, you know,

04:49and really top to bottom, this roster is talented.

04:52But to your point, man, this defense has got some guys that, you know, they're smart guys.

04:58They run and hit, you know, and they allow what Flores does over there.

05:04They allow them to do a lot of different things in their scheme, you know.

05:08And Flores has done a hell of a job, you know, over a two-year period, just bringing in his

05:14system, how he wants to handle it, changing some looks up.

05:17Got those guys playing, cutting it loose, playing aggressive.

05:21But they do, man.

05:22Grenard, you know, off the edge, and look, I appreciate the fact, he and Van Ginkle both,

05:28they play the pass game, they can rush, they can drop, but they play the run too, you know.

05:34And so that's what they bring to that, you know, to that defense.

05:38The linebackers, of course, I, you know, I think a lot of Metellus, man, I just think

05:41he's so versatile, man, and, you know, got his start on special teams.

05:46He's a dang good special teams player, and then you see what he's able to do on defense,

05:50playing multiple roles from the safety to the nickel to inside linebacker to, you know.

05:56So they've got plenty over there.

05:58They're playing at a high level.

06:01But this is, these are the type of games, man, we love this, like, offensively, you

06:05know, because there is, there's a chess match to this, and plus the personnel.

06:11So there's a physical, there's a mental, there's a psychological, and we, like, we really

06:17embrace this type of matchup, man.

06:18This is fun.

06:19We're checking in with Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

06:21I'm sure everybody's waiting for us to ask about Alex Anzalone.

06:24I know you said today's going to be a big day.

06:26What are the hurdles that he has to clear to play this week?

06:29Well, he's got to be able to do a handstand.

06:32He's got to be able to do a handstand press up, you know, and then really a version of

06:39a jumping jack on his hands.

06:42And if he can do that, we're going to play that guy.

06:46Is that the way you think it's leaning?

06:49I hope so.

06:50I hope so.

06:51He was at Walkthrough yesterday.

06:52He's going to practice today, and we're hopeful, you know?

06:58Success sounds encouraging.

06:59I know you can't say right now, but that's a good thing.

07:02I wanted to ask you about Kirby Joseph was, we believe, has not made the Pro Bowl.

07:10First of all, he was number one in the fan voting, I believe.

07:14So it's the players and the coaches that kept him off.

07:17Can you go through, first of all, what did you think about that snub, so to speak?

07:22And since you guys vote as coaches, can you tell us, our listeners, how you go through

07:27that process when you vote?

07:29Yeah, well, first of all, here's what I'll say.

07:33Kirby Joseph is improved.

07:36He's a player here that you could argue is one of the most improved players from the

07:40time that he set foot to where we're at now.

07:43I think he's an outstanding safety, and he's just grown and gotten better and better.

07:48And it's not just what you see in the pass game, the interceptions, like the run game.

07:52There's so many different things that he does for us.

07:55And so it doesn't matter what I think, you know?

07:58Here's what I do know.

08:01Is he worthy of that?

08:02Absolutely, he's worthy, and he should be.

08:05But that's not what this is about, you know?

08:08And I would tell you this, from a voting standpoint, like for me personally, I don't...

08:13Most of the time, I'm going to tilt towards guys that we have faced, you know, that I

08:21have first-hand account, we have played against, we've prepared for, or there's a ton of crossover

08:25tape that I've seen throughout the year.

08:29Those are the guys that I vote for.

08:31I don't just look at stats and say, well, I'm going to vote for that guy, you know?

08:35And it's like, to me, you need to be a complete player at your position.

08:40Those are the guys I vote for, me personally.

08:43Dan, wrap with this, the one seed.

08:46Just how important is it?

08:47Because some people will say, you guys haven't lost on the road all year.

08:49I mean, you'd be fine if you didn't get it.

08:51But just how big a deal?

08:52Clearly, that's what's at stake this week.

08:54How important is the one seed?

08:55Well, it's important because it's one less game.

08:58You know, that's one less game to get to the Super Bowl.

09:01And that's the biggest part of this.

09:04You know, now it only takes you two wins to get to the dance.

09:07So that's why you want it.

09:10You know, obviously, there's a ton at stake because of, you know, the division, you know,

09:15the one seed here, home games, that whole thing.

09:20But probably that's the biggest one is it just means if you don't, you're going to have

09:24to go one more game to get there.

09:27So it's big.

09:28And look, we've been playing big games around here now for three years.

09:31I mean, we really have.

09:33And this is the next big game.

09:35And I'll tell you what, we love this stuff.

09:37We really do, man.

09:38Our team embraces this.

09:40We love the challenge of it.

09:42We love the chess match of it.

09:45And we just, we eat this stuff up, man.

09:50We're looking forward to it.

09:51Final thing, have you seen the Jake Bates video from the game when he was lying on his

09:56side and how it's become a viral sensation and Troy Aikman, I never heard him laugh like

10:01that.

10:02Have you seen that yet?

10:03No, I haven't.

10:04I heard about it.

10:05I have not seen the clip.

10:06But I mean, it's like any athlete does.

10:08They're trying to loosen up their body, get the knots out, get ready to perform.

10:13And unfortunately, everybody in America gets to see one thing here or there or a facial

10:18expression and then everybody jumps on it.

10:20So it's all good.

10:22We got a damn good kicker.

10:24I mean, I don't care how many faces he makes while he rolls out a muscle.

10:27He keeps kicking the way he is, we're going to be just fine.

10:29Damn right.

10:30Dan, thanks a lot.

10:31Appreciate it.

10:32Happy New Year and good luck on Sunday.

10:34All right.

10:35Appreciate it.

10:36Thanks, Coach.

10:37Stan Campbell, 97-1.

Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Interview | Jan. 2nd

Category

Transcript

Recommended