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!
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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.