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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.