Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell Praises Buccaneers' Style of Play, One Player in Particular

Heading into their divisional round matchup this week, Lions' head coach, Dan Campbell, had some strong words about one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' star defensive plays.

Dan Campbell has earned his reputation in the NFL. There's no question, the Detroit Lions head coach has a strong, and very distinct presence within the NFL landscape. A lot of which can (and should) be attributed to the Detroit Lions turning around their organization with him at the helm. The other aspect of his uniquely engaging persona can be attributed directly to the hard-nosed, ultra-aggressive, work boots and lunch pail mentality that he not only exudes but speaks into existence on a daily basis. 

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But unlike many of those who have tried to take a similar approach in the past, Dan Campbell's style just feels different. It is undeniably genuine. He's a player's coach. A man's man, if you will. And as such, he has a type.

When speaking with 97.7 The Ticket this week, Campbell had some strong praise for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' style of play. 

"This is a tackling, tough football team," Campbell said. "That was evident. That popped on the tape: There’s one team that’s freaking aggressive and flying around here, so we know we got our hands full. We played this team before. This is going to be a mirror image of us, two heavyweights going at it, body blows. It ought to be an exciting game."

"I think this is an easy one to get ready for and here’s why: if you turn on the tape and you watch Tampa Bay, this is a tough, physical team. They will punch you right in the face. I love that. We’re going to know exactly what’s coming. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, so we better be on our A game."

When discussing the Bucs, Campbell couldn't help but gush about one Buccaneers' player in particular who he feels is one of the most underrated in the NFL.

Hint: he's the definition of a Dan Campbell kind of guy.

"That Vita Vea is a hell of a player. I think he’s one of the most underrated interior defensive linemen in this league. He’s a load. He’s powerful, he's strong, he can push the pocket in the pass game. There’s just these things you think, man, how do we attack them better than we did last time?"

The Lions' dynamic offense is full of playmakers. But the well-known secret to their success on offense starts up front with their powerful offensive line. Dan Campbell knows this. Which means he also knows that the Buccaneers pose a threat to disrupting the Lions' success if they can disrupt the interior of that offensive line. 

Based on what the Lions head coach had to say this week, I think it's clear that he believes that threat starts and ends with Tampa Bay's behemoth in the middle -- a now-certified Dan Campbell guy -- Vita Vea.

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You can follow Collin Haalboom on X.

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