Interview with Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell | Sept. 24 - video Dailymotion

WXYT-FM / 97.1 The Ticket

Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell joins Costa and Jansen to recap the win over the Arizona Cardinals, handling the team's litany of injuries, and more!

Transcript

00:00Dan, we appreciate you making some time for us this morning. Good morning.

00:04Good morning.

00:06Let's start with the game from Sunday. How are you feeling after the second win of the year?

00:11Look, I always feel good after a win.

00:14They're hard to come by in this league, and I tell you what really

00:20what makes you feel good is to know the type of game we were going to need to play to beat that opponent.

00:27It was going to be a little bit of a lunch pal, hard hat type game.

00:35Dirty work in the trenches, and it was going to require everybody.

00:39Receivers, DBs, the whole deal.

00:41And I tell you what, they responded in a huge way.

00:44I thought our big set the tone, and we played a rugged, physical game for that win.

00:55Proud of them.

00:56Nobody's going to complain about a win.

00:59We always have some questions.

01:00What was the difference in the second half, specifically the third quarter,

01:04versus the first where you scored on the first two possessions?

01:07It seemed like you were able to move the ball consistently,

01:10and then the second half, the third quarter, it wasn't as consistent.

01:15Yeah, you can go through the drives.

01:19It was one thing here, one thing there.

01:23You come out, and we're in the third and one, and then we have a false start.

01:29Backs us up, and so I would have felt pretty confident about getting that first down.

01:34Then you get the third and six.

01:36We end up, we don't convert on it.

01:40You come back on the next possession, and we throw an interception.

01:45They ran a kind of a change pressure.

01:49A couple errors there, a couple different guys.

01:53We come back out.

01:54Defense gets a huge stop.

01:56Carlton makes that huge play on fourth and one.

01:58I felt like that was a critical play in the game,

02:02and I also felt like that was the time when we needed to finish this game.

02:06It was where you felt like we could have tried to put them away there,

02:10and, man, we get in a fourth and one.

02:13It's really the one play the whole game where we get knocked back up front,

02:19and so we don't convert there.

02:23So it was just kind of one thing after another,

02:25but I thought we started outstanding.

02:29I thought the offense set the tone, that whole line did,

02:33and I thought defense, man, finished it, and special teams in the second half.

02:38So it was a total team effort.

02:40I was proud of those guys.

02:42You've been a team that's won a lot with offense.

02:44Are you starting to be the type of team that can also win with defense now?

02:48Absolutely.

02:49We can win any way we need to win, and that's what you love.

02:52When you have three units that are playing in sync

02:55and you have the ability to play any type of game you need to

02:59depending on what's going on

03:01or if one unit needs a little bit of pick-me-up at different times,

03:06that's a good feeling.

03:09I feel like that's what we got.

03:10Our defense is playing at a very high level.

03:12They have for three weeks going now.

03:13AG's doing an outstanding job, and those guys understand the plan,

03:17what it's going to take to defend the opponent,

03:20and we're playing physical, violent, smart, disciplined football right now,

03:25and they're a difference maker, man.

03:28They are, and offensively, you know,

03:31there's always things that we're going to want to clean up,

03:33but the objective is to score more than the opponent,

03:36and our defense can't allow them to score more than our offense,

03:39and that's what's going on right now.

03:41I know when you're playing, when I was playing,

03:43there's always things that happen on the field

03:44that you've got to laugh at in the moment,

03:46and I don't know if you saw it or even understood it at the time,

03:49but David Montgomery picking up six yards

03:53with his feet not even touching the ground,

03:55what was your reaction, and what was David's reaction

03:58when he came to the sideline?

04:00Well, look, really that whole game, just the nature of that,

04:04but even that play is like mother's milk when you're a baby.

04:07You want to know the truth.

04:09It was just, I mean, it's food for the soul.

04:12It was outstanding.

04:14I mean, that guy fought for every blade of grass,

04:17and then your whole line is just surging.

04:21I mean, and they finished, and really the whole game was that way.

04:24I mean, our backs were driving for every yard,

04:27and then you see here comes the O line, here comes St. Brown,

04:30our tight ends, everybody is just pushing the pile,

04:33and that one, hell, we got 16 yards on that.

04:35I mean, that's just, that's nothing but willpower and effort,

04:38and it was awesome.

04:40We're talking to Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

04:42What, are you still chuckling over the...

04:44No, no, no.

04:45Okay, all right.

04:46Dan, we want to get some updates on some injuries.

04:48I know you spoke yesterday with the media on most of these guys,

04:51but Frank Ragnall, we saw the report, torn pack week to week.

04:54We know he's tough.

04:56Is the thought maybe resting with the biweek looming,

04:58or do you think the plan is to play him for the upcoming game?

05:02No, I mean, look, first of all, Frank is stubborn, all right?

05:06He's hard-headed, Frank, and he's tough, he's stubborn,

05:09and so, you know, he wants to go, and he always wants to go.

05:14But, you know, this is something we're still talking about right now.

05:18I'm not entirely sure what we're going to do with him.

05:20A lot of it is where is he going to feel by, you know, middle or end of the week.

05:25But he does have something in there, you know,

05:28and he did play through some of this last week, you know,

05:33and so we'll do what's best for him and what's best for us in the moment, ultimately.

05:42But you know how I feel about Frank.

05:44We all do appreciate the heck out of him.

05:46He's tough, man.

05:48Marcus Davenport, it sounds like you mentioned that he's going to be out

05:51for the rest of the year.

05:52Who, other than Josh Paschal, who helps fill that void,

05:57is there any chance we see a little bit more James Houston?

06:02Well, I don't know that yet.

06:04Like I would tell you this, Paschal's going to take on a much bigger load.

06:08You know, Paschal's going to be obviously he and Hutch are your ends.

06:12Levi's going to need to do some of that, which he did in training camp.

06:17There's a good chance, you know, we could bring somebody up off the vet squad

06:22or the practice squad.

06:24You know, Houston could be a candidate.

06:26So we know we're going to need to bring in some reinforcements for sure,

06:30just losing that body.

06:33You know, and Davenport was playing at a high level.

06:35You know, it hurts.

06:37It does.

06:38It hurts losing him.

06:39You know, he's been a force in there.

06:41But we also, it's why you have the depth that we have

06:44and the players that we've acquired.

06:46Brad's done a hell of a job.

06:48And we've always identified that depth is important, man,

06:51and you've got to have it.

06:53We have guys that we know are going to step up and do a hell of a job for us.

06:56They're ready for it.

06:57And everybody in this building knows you are one play away, and it's your chance.

07:02It's your opportunity to help your team and showcase what you've got.

07:07James Houston, healthy scratch for two of the three games this season.

07:11There's maybe a disconnect from fans to the way that you guys

07:14have deployed him this season.

07:16I don't know that I consider him in the doghouse,

07:18but you don't seem like he's maybe the next guy up.

07:21Where does he need to get to maybe be the pass rusher he was at the end of 22?

07:26No, man, I think he just keeps working.

07:30And there again, so much of it is who do you sit if he comes.

07:37Everybody that we have up right now is playing at a pretty high level on defense,

07:41and they all have a role between defense and special teams.

07:46So that's kind of where it's been.

07:48Sometimes he just keeps working, and when he gets his opportunity,

07:53make the most of them, as with any player here.

07:57Monday night, there's plenty of juice there.

07:59The black uniforms, which I know that you were a big proponent of,

08:02we were told yesterday there's plenty of juice there.

08:06Seattle, outside the division, they're a team that has kind of been the nemesis.

08:11Is there a little extra juice knowing that it's Seattle coming to town?

08:18Yeah, it'd be nice to beat these guys since we haven't done it.

08:22I mean, they've been one of those teams that's kind of had our number,

08:28but I think more importantly, it's for the win itself.

08:34Coach Carroll's gone, and it's a brand-new regime over there.

08:39There's a lot of new players.

08:40There are some holdovers, but I do kind of feel like, man,

08:44this really is a different team, new team that we're getting ready to face.

08:48They're playing good football.

08:50As you said, they're undefeated here.

08:53And so this is a good opponent coming in here, man.

08:56They play outstanding defense.

08:57They're going to grind it out on the ground.

09:02Walker's a hell of a back.

09:04And then Geno, he's playing well.

09:06They've got the receivers.

09:07So this is going to be a pretty big test for us.

09:13Obviously, there's been improvement in the secondary from last year to this year,

09:16and you just mentioned it.

09:17How big of a test will this be with Metcalf and Jigba,

09:22all of the receivers that they have for Terryon Arnold

09:26and the cast of characters that you guys have in the secondary?

09:30Yeah, it'll be big.

09:31I mean, it's another group of good receivers that it's time to face.

09:40They've got good players.

09:42They've got a mixture of different types of players, like you said,

09:45between Metcalf and Jigba and those guys.

09:47I mean, they all kind of do different things, and they're playing pretty well.

09:52But, man, I love where we're at, man.

09:56I love our secondary.

09:57I think CD is playing at a high level.

10:01I thought he had an outstanding game yesterday or two days ago.

10:05I think Terryon Arnold gets better every week.

10:08I think Amik is getting better, man.

10:10He's playing in the slot.

10:11I think he's competitive.

10:13Outstanding cover, man.

10:15And then our safeties are playing at a high level.

10:17And I think, collectively, the more they play together,

10:20the better that unit is going to be on the back end.

10:24So we continue to grow.

10:26They continue to get better.

10:28And then, collectively, it's only going to get better time on task

10:32and those guys communicating and playing with each other.

10:35Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

10:37We're all excited for Monday night.

10:38Appreciate some of your time.

10:40Absolutely.

10:41You guys take care.

10:42Thanks.

10:43It's 97-1.

Interview with Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell | Sept. 24

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