Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell joins Jon and Jim to discuss Aidan Hutchinson's injury, the Lions' blowout win over Dallas, the explosive offense, and more!
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00:00You know, on Mondays we play that locker room audio when Dan Campbell addresses the team
00:04and he hands out the game balls.
00:06Awesome moment where Jared Goff gives the ball back to Dan Campbell.
00:11He joins us this morning.
00:12Dan, what did that feel like?
00:13You were called the rock of this team and Goff gave you the ball back.
00:16No, look, that's, it's pretty humbling, actually.
00:20It's, you know, it, they don't need to do that.
00:25And I'm very appreciative of it.
00:27And, you know, I, like I said, I love this team and they mean something to me.
00:33And so I just, I appreciate the work they put in.
00:36They didn't need to do that, but, but I appreciate it very much.
00:40Obviously the big conversation, overshadowing a great performance, and we'll talk more about
00:44the great performance, is the loss of Aiden Hutchinson.
00:48How can you measure the loss?
00:50Do you even care to measure the loss?
00:52But who needs to step up that's on the roster right now to help fill some of the void, what
00:59they can't fill?
01:00Yeah.
01:01I mean, it's, it's like what's been stated, I mean, let's start with Hutch.
01:08You know, man, what the, the amount of work that he's put into this and the way he trains
01:15and the way he focuses his attention to detail and the way he elevates the, the, his teammates,
01:22you know, the guys around him is going to be missed.
01:26It's going to be missed.
01:27There's, there's no way around that.
01:29But to your point, that production has got to go somewhere for us to stay as potent as
01:36we've been.
01:37And, and so that means that Mac's going to have to, he's going to have to play consistently
01:42at a high level.
01:43I thought he played outstanding the other day and he's going to do it again and we're
01:47going to need him to do it again.
01:49We're going to need Levi continue to play at a high level.
01:52We're going to need Paschal to continue play at a high level, maybe a little bit more.
01:58You know, Reeder, Reeder's going to need to help us even more.
02:00You know, he's probably going to play a little bit more for us.
02:03And then we talk about some of these other guys, whether it's, you know, Ukwu or Agude
02:07or Mohamed that we brought in this Cam Gill could be Houston.
02:13And those, those guys got to help it.
02:14And so do the backers, you know, Alex and, and Jack, you know, cause we may, we may use
02:22them a little bit in some of these areas.
02:24So it's really, it's, it's going to take everybody on that defense to elevate a little bit here
02:30and do a little bit more and we'll be just fine.
02:34As you can imagine, it was kind of a somber day for us around here, callers, hosts, people
02:38looking at just the loss of Aiden Hutchinson.
02:41What's your message to Lions fans who feel like the Superbowl dream is dead or dying
02:45after losing a player as significant as Aiden is?
02:48Well, I mean, we could stop playing.
02:50You want to just end the season now?
02:53We could do that.
02:54Let's just call it up.
02:55No, it's not over.
02:57This is why you go through all the training you do.
02:59And this is why we stress all the time here.
03:02And the players know this.
03:03Now we play with three phases here and, and you play with 11 on offense, 11 on defense,
03:0911 on special teams.
03:10And we can adjust and do whatever we need to do.
03:13We can raise the levy, we can lower it.
03:15And, and, and we will find a way to play any game and every game and find a way to win.
03:23And because that's all that matters is find a way to win and get a W. And it's going to
03:26take everybody on this team.
03:28And as long as everybody holds the line and does their job, does the responsibility, no
03:33more, no less, we'll find a way to win.
03:36David Montgomery on the offensive side of things.
03:39I've called him a tone setter.
03:40I love the way he runs.
03:42He's, he, he runs with anger.
03:44He runs with violence.
03:46How much does he, when he has one of those runs, does it motivate not just the offense,
03:51but the entire team?
03:53Yeah, I would say it does.
03:57You know, that guy is, you know, he, he creates a ripple effect.
04:02You know, he, he's, he knows how to transfer his energy positively to the team.
04:09And, you know, I mean, I've told him before, I just, I wish I could have played with him,
04:13you know, I, I, cause he does, he, he's inspiring to watch and he just refuses to go down and
04:21he's violent and everything he does.
04:23And you know, every, every play that he has, you know, you get, you see the runs, everybody
04:28sees the runs.
04:29They don't see the protections all the time.
04:31They don't see him go up there and smack a linebacker in the face and give us time to
04:34hit an explosive pass.
04:36Everything the guy does, no different than like St. Brown.
04:40Like when they run a play, they're running to win.
04:42They don't just go out there and go through the motions and, well, I think I did my job.
04:46Like they're doing their job, but they're doing it and they're trying to finish in a
04:50dominating position.
04:52Like that's how you win.
04:53They're trying to win the rep every time, man.
04:57And man, just, just imagine if collectively everybody did that at all times, you'd be
05:04unstoppable at all times.
05:07We're talking to Lions head coach, Dan Campbell, and you said it after the game, foot on the
05:11gas against the Dallas Cowboys.
05:13And you guys were throwing the ball to offensive linemen.
05:15I mean, it felt like there was something that you guys wanted to prove in that game.
05:19Did you feel like you guys did that?
05:21Well, we just, look, man, we wanted to get a W and we've been beaten twice.
05:26I mean, we go down there and we just, we have not, we found ways to lose those games.
05:33And that was one of the points here was, man, at some point in this game, it's going to
05:39be time to where we can really take this game over or, or it's something's going to happen
05:44and we're not going to be able to get out of it.
05:45And it was, man, we got to be able to finish this game out and, and we can't let off the
05:50gas and we got to go.
05:52And that was the name of the game and our guys finished.
05:55And look, you don't know what's going to come up every week and you don't know the matchups.
06:00You don't know, you know, what, what plays are you going to be able to run versus your
06:07opponent or calls on defense.
06:09And, and so you better use them because there's no guarantee that it's going to come up again
06:14a little different than like a division opponent.
06:17You know, like Minnesota, we're going to play him where we're going to have him again later.
06:20So there may be things you don't use in the game that can come up the second time.
06:26Whereas this one, no, you, you use everything you got.
06:29And it's set up for that defense and you use it against that defense.
06:33We talk about the violence of David Montgomery, another guy that people don't, I don't think
06:37they see as a violent type player, Jamison Williams.
06:41When I watch him block, he does block with violence.
06:46What has he been able to do down the field in the, in, in, as a blocker to unlock more
06:52of this offense?
06:53I'll tell you what, it's, it's hard to beat a receiver who runs a three, nine 40.
07:01We'll try to knock your head off.
07:04I mean, it's just, it's a glorious thing.
07:06It really is.
07:07And that, that's why I love our players, man.
07:10And that's why Brad and I, we, we try to bring in guys that, man, they're talented football
07:15playing dudes, but they're, they have violence to them.
07:18And this guy plays that way.
07:22And he knows no different than anybody else, you know, saints sets the tone in that room
07:26and and leaf.
07:28I mean, those two guys, man, we'll, we'll block all day long and they will block anybody
07:35else in the block linebackers, DNS safeties, corners, and, and Jamo is no different.
07:41He's walked right in and, and he's carried the line there.
07:45And the addition of TP, you know, Tim Patrick, I mean, that guy's big physical and it's another
07:51one of the reasons why our run game is as good as it is.
07:54It starts with the old line, David and Gibbs are the engine and they're, they're the old
08:00lines, the engine, but those guys make it go.
08:02But the receivers, you get the explosives because of the receivers, man.
08:06They're the ones who are blocking support players all day long.
08:10Couple of weeks back, you had said you thought the offense would get going right around the
08:12bi-week back-to-back 40 point games on either side of the bi-week.
08:16Do you feel like the offense has finally hit its stride?
08:18Is this the version of the offense you saw coming?
08:21Yes, I did.
08:23I mean, this, you knew it was just a matter of time, you know, you got to work kinks out
08:28and things come up and, and you just keep working through it.
08:32You know, there's so much detail that goes into being, be an explosive offense really
08:37in the run and pass game.
08:39And it takes time and, and you hope you find it early, but it's not always that case.
08:46But if you trust the coaches that you have and you trust the players that you have that
08:51are, that are running those plays, then you know it's coming.
08:53And, and like clockwork, these guys are finding their stride and, and, and we're clicking
08:59pretty good right now.
09:01And the interesting thing is even the other day, man, there's things that we left out
09:05there and those are the ones you keep striving for.
09:09You want more out of it, man.
09:10It's like, if we clean up a couple of things here, we're even better than what we showcased
09:14the other day.
09:15So I think that's the, that's what we got to do is clean up the errors and how can we
09:20be even better than we've been?
09:22I think Kevin O'Connell is a terrific coach.
09:24I am shocked that Minnesota is 5-0.
09:28What concerns you about the Minnesota Vikings this weekend?
09:33Well, look, they, I feel like it's every year.
09:38These guys are, they're talented and they are well coached.
09:41I think O'Connell does a great job.
09:43I think bringing in Flores, going on year two now has been an excellent addition for
09:48them.
09:49They've got talent.
09:50They've got one of the best receivers in the game.
09:52Highly explosive.
09:53Darnold's playing great.
09:56You know, this running back that was at Green Bay, you know, is, is, is played really well
10:01for them.
10:02I can go down the line, you know, Grenard, Van Ginkle, those additions.
10:06So they, they, they pose, you know, issues really.
10:12And for us, let's start offensively, they, they pose some issues now with protections
10:17and, and identifications and, and because they'll hit you on some zeros, some of this
10:23hot pressure stuff.
10:24And then, you know, Van Ginkle now, he's, is he a rusher, is he a dropper?
10:29Metellus, that's the other thing.
10:31They come in a nickel and what is he, is he a linebacker, is he a nickel, is he playing
10:34in the box, is he rushing?
10:36So, you know, they have a pretty smart crew and they are upgraded talent-wise.
10:43And so we just, man, we got to be on it now.
10:45We got to be able to see what they're, what they're doing.
10:48We're on the road.
10:49It's going to be loud.
10:50And then, like I say, their offense is cooking at a high level right now.
10:53And they do a great job scheme-wise and they're going to make sure they try to scheme their
10:58guys open.
10:59And, you know, and like I say, they've got an explosive receiver who can go the distance
11:04on any play.
11:05And then on the other side, you got Addison, you know, so they, they got some weapons here.
11:12I don't know how much of a deep dive you've done into Sam Darlow when he was with the
11:15Jets or with Carolina, but he seems like a different player.
11:20What is he doing that is better this year than he's done in the, in the start of his
11:25career?
11:26Well, I think he's, to me, he's much more patient.
11:31You know, he's, you can, you can tell that he's taking what's there, first of all.
11:37And while he was doing that, and then he's begun to, to gain confidence and now he's
11:45taking these, these shots down the field.
11:47So now he, he is looking down the field.
11:49He's fitting it into tight windows.
11:51He's allowing his receivers to make plays and then, oh, by the way, you know what, if
11:55it's not there, then I'll, I'll check it down Aaron Jones, you know, and let him go do something
12:00with it.
12:01So I just think that now the run game helps, they're running the heck out of the ball and,
12:07and that's allowing him to do a little bit of the play pass.
12:12And then look, the other thing is when you got Jefferson over there, you're not going
12:16to just let Jefferson run free.
12:18He's everybody's trying to double him, which you can still throw it in there to him.
12:22He'll try to, he'll take it over three guys.
12:25But, but if not, and you'd like to take a one-on-one, then usually it's a pretty clean
12:30look to throw to your, your receiver or tight end or back, who's got a one-on-one and, and
12:35he's making the throws.
12:36He's accurate that way.
12:37So Darnold, look, Darnold's a good athlete.
12:41He's a good passer.
12:42He's playing at a high level.
12:44And look, last time we played him was Carolina.
12:47He played pretty good against us.
12:48So I expect to get a really good quarterback.
12:51Dan, you've been great with your time.
12:53I just wanted to circle back to one more thing.
12:55John had asked you about internal guys stepping up.
12:58You mentioned Brad always looks for guys that can help the team externally.
13:03If you guys were to trade for a pass rusher, an edge guy, what type of guy, because we
13:07in our world, we see all these lists of names.
13:09What type of guy would you want to add to try to replace some of that production?
13:17Type of guy.
13:19Like skill set or traits?
13:21Oh, I got you.
13:24I thought you were going to get into the nuts and bolts of the human being.
13:28Oh, that matters too for you guys.
13:30We know that.
13:31After all that.
13:32No, look, I, honestly, I think if anything, you're looking for really a role player, somebody
13:40I think that can set an edge, that can transition into rush.
13:44It doesn't have to be somebody.
13:46I mean, look, as you guys know, these elite rushers and edge setters and all that don't
13:51just fall off trees, you know, and or if they do, then you're going to have to sell the
13:56farm to get them.
13:59But I do think there could be some some some guys out there, man, that'll fit into what
14:04we're doing defensively.
14:05They can serve a role.
14:07They can help maybe supplement some of what's going on inside of what we got with Mack and
14:13Levi and Reader and those guys.
14:16And I think more than anything, you're looking for at least a complimentary piece.
14:21As Lions head coach Dan Campbell, we can get into the deeper inner workings of human minds
14:25another week.
14:26I appreciate some of your time.
14:27All right, guys, take care.
14:28Thanks, Dan.
14:29It's good stuff.
14:30It's Dan Campbell.
14:31It's 97.1.