- 17 hours ago
Campbell was also asked about his fourth down calls against the Green Bay Packers.
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00:00It's a Tuesday, which means our chance to check in with the Lions head coach, Dan Campbell.
00:14Dan, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
00:17Morning.
00:18We've been talking a lot about the defensive backs with you this season,
00:21and it feels like that might have been their best game.
00:24Brian Branch, DJ Reed with a good performance.
00:26What did you see from your secondary in a tough matchup?
00:31I just, you know, I mentioned this the other day.
00:35They're just starting to play with a lot of confidence, you know,
00:38because they're playing with one another, man.
00:43They're using their help, you know.
00:45They're understanding, you know, where they need to lean a little bit more, man.
00:52And the trust is beginning to grow, and with that, the confidence.
00:56The front is still disruptive, man.
01:00They're getting up there, and so that allows those guys to play fast, gain confidence, use your help.
01:06And it's across the board.
01:07You know, getting B.B. back was big.
01:10But really, even before that, that Arizona game was a step in the right direction.
01:15I thought we played even better this game.
01:17You know, Chuck is just a steady, reliable force back there for us, man.
01:21Calms the waters.
01:22And then those DBs are just playing better, too, man, you know.
01:27And that comes with confidence.
01:29It just does.
01:30I'd like to get a little bit more of an analysis about Ennis Raikstra, because for two years, right, he
01:36was unavailable.
01:37He's now getting some experience, and it appears like he is, like you said, gaining some confidence
01:44and being much more of a contributing factor.
01:46What have you seen from him so far this season?
01:51Well, he's finally getting reps, right, because his availability, you know, that's been one of it.
01:57But that's been a big part of it is just, you know, he's had some injuries.
02:02And whether it's, you know, you're trying to improve practice and then an injury happens,
02:08well, you know, you don't get the reps anymore or even in the game, you know, or games, game reps.
02:13It all kind of goes hand in hand.
02:16So, yeah, he's a young player, not that young because he's year three, but yet he's still young because he
02:23hasn't played a lot.
02:24So, the more reps he gets, the better he gets.
02:28And I would say, you know, there's, it comes in flashes.
02:31It comes in waves, man.
02:33There's flickers of pretty good football in there where you see the coverability, you see the hips.
02:40He'll challenge.
02:42He can locate the football.
02:44And then every once in a while, you know, it slides back.
02:48And so, we just got to get more consistent.
02:51And I do believe that'll come the more he plays.
02:54But, but he's, man, he's out there.
02:57He's competing.
02:58He's helping us.
02:59And now we just got to raise our game a little bit.
03:01And I know he got nicked up.
03:02Is the plan still to have him play this week?
03:06Well, yeah, that we would like to.
03:08You know, I want to play all those guys.
03:10I mean, I think they all have a hand in this.
03:12And they can all help us, every one of them.
03:15Cade Mays got to see his Detroit Lions debut.
03:18Feels like you guys brought him in for these big division games and another one coming up this week.
03:22But what did you make of his first game?
03:25Well, it's good to get him back out there.
03:27You know, that's the reason we got him.
03:31And I would say, look, he's got to shake some of the rust off.
03:36I'll start there.
03:37Which is understandable.
03:38I mean, you know, you're asking a lot to go in there and play 68 plays.
03:45You know, and really, yes, you practice.
03:48So there's a lot.
03:49But yet I would say it's better than I thought it might be, too, if that makes sense.
03:54Because, you know, and what you do see is, man, he's a heavy player.
03:59You know, you see the density.
04:01Man, he was processing pretty quick.
04:03And he's only going to get better.
04:05And actually, I thought the second half he settled in some.
04:08Now, that's when you start getting a little tired when he hadn't had that many reps.
04:12But I thought he settled in in the second half.
04:15So he's only going to get better, get more comfortable now that he's back.
04:19And that game was great for him.
04:21You know, it really was.
04:22So we're fired up to have him back.
04:24We all love seeing the postgame speech.
04:27And one of the things that you mentioned in there was that the coaches could have helped the team more.
04:32What did you mean by that?
04:34Like, where and how?
04:37No, I think it was just some of it at the end of the game.
04:40I mean, we can be a little bit cleaner on some of the things we're going to do or the
04:47way that we want to proceed.
04:49That's all.
04:49Like, it may be nothing you would even notice or see.
04:53There's just some things that we could have been a little bit cleaner on communication-wise.
04:58We finished that game out.
04:59We did a good job.
05:00But that's it.
05:02You know, because it's about all of us, man.
05:05We all have a hand in this.
05:06And we've got a job to do, too, as coaches.
05:10I'll put myself in that boat.
05:12And so we can help there, you know, and do our part so that those guys out there on the
05:18field can do theirs, play fast, all that.
05:22So that was it.
05:23It's a little thing, but that's all.
05:27I know you guys go through all of the end-of-half, end-of-game scenarios.
05:31And, obviously, the conversation yesterday was a lot about going for it on, you know, fourth down and your own
05:3724-yard line.
05:38And I'm curious, because you said yesterday that it wasn't analytically driven.
05:44When do you rely on analytics?
05:46And when do you rely on all the information that you have for the game but your gut?
05:53Well, I think it's, like, I get the, you know, however you want to cut it, fourth and one, probability.
06:00You know, it's a hell of a lot easier to get a fourth and one than it is a fourth
06:04and eight.
06:04Let me start there.
06:05So whether that's analytics or that's whatever you want to call it.
06:09So I felt good about the play.
06:13I know where we're at on the field.
06:16I understand that, but I also know, I know where we're at in that game, and I know the time
06:22that is left.
06:26And so it's a little bit, you're in this, okay, I love the play, we're going to get it.
06:31However, if you don't, I am guaranteed to get the ball one more time.
06:35We are guaranteed to get the ball one more time offensively, and Jared Goff's going to get that ball one
06:40more time.
06:40I know that without any doubt, because there's not enough time, no matter what happens here, for them to drain
06:45the clock.
06:45We will have time to rebuttal whatever it is.
06:49We will have plenty of time to rebuttal.
06:51We will get the last possession.
06:54And so I think it was that.
06:56It's that twofold.
06:57So, you know, and a lot of it has to do with what's over there, man.
07:01Who's that quarterback?
07:02What have I been looking at all week on the last six opponents they've gone against?
07:06And what does it look like?
07:08So, you know, it's not always going to be that way.
07:11And there's a lot of situations, things that go into that, man.
07:18And every opponent's different, every week's different, every game's different, and there
07:22is a feel to it.
07:24Your thought process on the first, fourth, and five at the six-yard line.
07:31You mentioned, yeah, it's different fourth and one, fourth and five.
07:34You've got a three-point lead into the third quarter.
07:36What was your thought process as, why did you decide to go for it on fourth and five
07:42from the six versus taking the three and going up six points?
07:47Yeah, you know, there's an argument there.
07:50I just felt good about what we had in the red zone.
07:53You know, I felt good with what, you know, I felt like, you know, that was still, it wasn't
07:59as much of a stretch as it may appear.
08:01I felt like we could get there or close enough to get the first, because we could still get
08:06a first down there, you know, before going on in.
08:10So, you catch one of these bang-bang plays on the, you know, that half-yard line, one-yard
08:15line, close to the goal line, or you score.
08:18And you could layer them, you know, with the front line, the back line.
08:22You know, we just, you know, it was a good throw.
08:25It was a good catch by J-Mo.
08:27We just ended up a little bit, you know, he made a hell of a play back there.
08:30In the back of the end zone.
08:32But, and look, if it doesn't work out in that situation, I told the team, man, I wanted
08:39to be aggressive.
08:40You know, we have our opportunities to shoot our shot.
08:42We're going to do that.
08:43And I liked the thought of, if it doesn't work out, if they're going to throw the ball,
08:47Jordan Love's feet are going to be in the end zone when he has to throw.
08:50And our defense has got them pinned, backed up, and I just like that, man.
08:57We can play on the hunt there.
08:58And that's another one, you know, not always going to be that way.
09:00And I know five's a little bit longer, you know, probably feel a little bit better
09:04at four, but, but I was good with that.
09:06And I told the team we'd be aggressive.
09:09Dan, it's good perspective on the fourth downs, but my issue is with the guy sitting
09:12across from me.
09:13You weren't going to tell him you thought it was reckless?
09:16It was you this time.
09:17Our philosophies are different.
09:19It's okay.
09:20Said that yesterday.
09:21Yeah, look, you know what's funny?
09:23To each his own, seriously.
09:25And that's, that's just the nature of the beast, man.
09:27You got to do what you believe in.
09:29And it's like, I tell my coaches all the time, we, we got some outstanding coaches on
09:33staff that are going to be head coaches one day.
09:35And I'm like, look, this is what I believe in.
09:37This is what I teach.
09:38This is what I'm thinking.
09:39And, but inevitably, just like I did with AG, AG is different than me.
09:44And you go watch him.
09:46It's, it's totally different.
09:48You've got your own flavor, your own beliefs and, and every game's different.
09:53Um, but that, that's just it, man.
09:55You got to do what you believe in.
09:56Speaking of, you know, different coaches do it differently.
10:00Minnesota, their blitz rate is crazy.
10:02It's like some games it's 70, 80% of the time.
10:05Can you give us an idea?
10:06Like, how do they get away with blitzing like this?
10:08Nobody does it like them.
10:10Yeah.
10:11I mean, he's uptick this year.
10:12It was 84% last year.
10:14It's 85% this year.
10:15So I noticed he's really gone up that extra percent.
10:19Uh, he's been aggressive now for years.
10:23So, I mean, I don't, I don't see anything different here.
10:27Um, you know, it's an aggressive style.
10:30These guys, I tell you what you see, man, they, they're playing with a ton of confidence
10:34and you talk about a unit that has played together for a while.
10:38Very smart, man.
10:39Disruptive, high motor.
10:41But I mean, they, they got guys across the board that totally understand that defense.
10:47They understand where they're going to be attacked by the look that you give them.
10:50Um, and they're running to take those spots away, but yet bring an extra hitter.
10:55I mean, it's, it's, uh, it's impressive.
10:59It really is.
11:00And, um, that's what they do to you, man.
11:02They stress you and they know where your outlet is and they run and attack the outlet and still
11:07make you have to get rid of the football.
11:09So, um, look, they're, they're playing at a high, high level.
11:13They stress people.
11:14And it's not even the fact that they get the stops.
11:16It's, it's what they do.
11:18The way they get them is when the tide turns, man, they, they create havoc and they make
11:23teams, um, just, um, you know, implode you implode and, and it, you know, you watch what
11:32happened at green Bay, uh, game one, man, they were up 22 to 10 and all of a sudden it
11:36just, man, the damn burst and it's now it's turnovers.
11:42It's sacked for, you know, 15 yards and they do that every week.
11:45It's happened to every team.
11:47So man, keeping our composure is going to be big, man.
11:50Poise, man.
11:50Hang in there.
11:51And our defense is going to have to play really well.
11:54You talked about Cade Mays earlier.
11:56We asked about him.
11:57I want to ask what does, knowing that you're going to go up against the defense, like Brian
12:01Flores, Cade Mays, what's the work look like this week with Cade Mays?
12:06And Jared Goff to make sure that everyone's on the same page and you don't have free runners.
12:13You may have them at sometimes, but to make sure that they're on the same page.
12:16So everyone knows who that free runner is.
12:20Huge.
12:21That the, the mental is the most important thing is sleep.
12:24We're going to get our physical work, but, but for those two guys, man, the mental is everything.
12:30Um, you know, it, it, it requires a lot, uh, to understand, you know, what we're going to
12:36try to do, what we're seeing, uh, to make sure we're on the same page.
12:40Uh, if one guy doesn't quite see it a certain way, one of them's got to pull the trigger
12:44on something, the look, uh, the ID, the, so it, it does, man.
12:49You talk about it and it burns up a lot of energy, man, for those two guys.
12:53It requires a lot.
12:54Like this is one of those weeks.
12:55I wish, you know, everybody could just, uh, you could walk around with Jared golf.
13:00I mean, every week he could do that and understand, man, the amount of work that goes into it and
13:06film and, and, uh, the gymnastics of, of changing looks, why you're doing what you're doing, having
13:13to process it fast, uh, play clock, the whole deal.
13:17So, um, but man, that that's, that's the fun part of it too.
13:21And he'd tell you that too.
13:22And I, I guarantee you Cade would, man, that's the chess game.
13:24That was, uh, that those are the fun things.
13:27Cause when you can get them solved and you got an answer and then you hit a play on it,
13:31man,
13:31that that's the stuff that you live for.
13:33Yeah.
13:33Feli, you guys were really good winning that matchup, uh, 23, 24, and then they got you
13:38back in 25.
13:39So what's the difference in when you guys win this advantage versus when, when they got your
13:44number, like last year?
13:46Yeah.
13:46I mean, it, it is, there's, there's a cat and mouse game here.
13:49And, uh, you know, we, we didn't handle things well, you know, last year and look, I was
13:55very much a part of that, you know, that Christmas game, man, I, um, you know, I was, I was,
14:00I
14:00was rough and that was bad taste in her mouth.
14:03And, and, um, we all had a hand in that.
14:06Um, but I think so much of it is, you know, being able to adjust and look, you already got,
14:13you, you have what you're going in, what you're playing for.
14:15And once you hit a couple of things, they're going to adjust and we've got to be able to
14:20really ready to adapt immediately, you know, and have other answers.
14:26Um, and, and that's a lot of it.
14:28And, and then look, there are plays that are going to come up.
14:32Inevitably we are going to get stressed.
14:35Um, we are going to get, they're going to have a free runner and, but we have to be able
14:41to make
14:42a play in those situations.
14:43And you may only get three of them that it's the one that can, that can really turn into points.
14:49You know, it's the one that turns into the big one and you may only get three or four of
14:54those.
14:54We have to hit those because even last year when we were out there, we had them, we had
14:58about three of them and we just didn't quite connect.
15:02Um, and so that, that's the difference.
15:05We got to make those points and, and, uh, we got to hit on some of these runs too.
15:08We got to hit on them, Dan, appreciate it.
15:12As always, thanks for joining us.
15:14All right.
15:15Appreciate it.
15:15Have a good one.
15:16Lions head coach, Dan Campbell, 97.1.