Falcons' Arthur Smith Praises Lions' Dan Campbell: 'Lot of Respect'

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith thinks very highly of Lions coach Dan Campbell.

With the Atlanta Falcons off to a 2-0 start after beating both the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers at home, they will now hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Detroit Lions.

Unlike the Falcons who were on the right end of the scoreboard on Sunday against the Packers in a game that went down to the wire, the Lions ended up falling in overtime to the Seahawks. Even despite the loss last week for Detriot, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith still spoke as highly as one can about Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

"I think there’s a lot of mutual respect," Smith said. "I have a lot of respect for Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. You were up there for a long time, so you’ve got a lot of institutional knowledge, but I think organizationally, they’ve done a terrific job. You can feel it’s real. They’ve given them time to build it, and you can feel that influence. I think credit to the whole organization and Dan and Brad, but they had a certain identity. They’ve done it a little different way. Schematically, it’s a little bit different, but it’s good to see. They gave them time to add the players and revamp it.”

The Lions and Campbell continue to be one of the best stories in the NFL after winning just three games two seasons ago, as they followed it up with a nine-win season for the first time since 2017 and continue to improve. 

As for the Falcons, they are looking to prove a lot of people wrong this year as they are among the most doubted teams in the league.