Everything Dan Campbell Said After Lions Beat Colts

Dan Campbell breaks down win over Indianapolis Colts.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here is everything Dan Campbell said in his postgame press conference after the Lions defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve to 10-1 on the season.

Opening Statement:

“Good win. They got us to 10 (wins). No, that was good. We came and did what we had to do. I thought that team fought. We knew they would. I think (Colts coach) Shane (Steichen) does a great job. I think Gus (Bradley) always has done a great job. His defense played hard and they’re physical, and they never batted an eye. They were in it until the end and fought our ass. So, credit to them. I would highlight our defense first. Again, this is, whatever it is, 10 quarters without allowing a touchdown in the three last games the second half not allowing it. We talk about it all the time, limiting points, played physical style, shut down the run. We were able to do that. We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down. We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but for overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game. Offense – so much of it was really the way it went down early in the game. We were able to kind of get that lead. Two of those drives went down and scored touchdowns, which was big, and then just kind of kept them at arm’s length, to where they couldn't quite get to us and a lot of that was field position. We talked about it going into the game. Field position was going to be big. We were going to lean on Jack Fox, and boy, he came through for us. What a monster day pinning those guys inside of the 20 (yard line) numerous times. So, overall team effort. Good win. That's 10 and now we got to get ready for Chicago, short week back home.”

On the defense's success in the red zone:

“Well, look, when you talk about good red zone offenses, they run the ball. Red zone offenses that are probably top-five, all of them can run the football, and that's what you have to be able to do. And then you can play pass. All that. We shut down the run. We're really good at shutting down the run, so it starts there, but the amount of detail that goes into what we do. AG (Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) every week, the plan is good. It's something we talk about. It's something we preach. We know it's got to be part of our DNA. No different than stopping the run is not allowing points, which means you better be good in the red zone. So, I think it’s all encompassing. Coaches do a great job, and then our guys are just they're taking it to heart, and we're applying pressure.”

How the defense shut down Anthony Richardson as a runner after a strong early start:

“Well, look, there's nothing, there is nothing easy about that, and you get so many reps live during the week. And I say live, it's not like we're tackling, but full speed to get a look at it. Then you get in there, you gain the numbers back when the quarterback is a runner, right? You get a one-for-one. There is no more extra man in the box, things like that. So, if one person misfits the run, you get hurt. That happened early in the game, just a couple, one play here, one player here, one player here. We didn't quite fit it right, and all of a sudden, they're on you, and they get it. It gets a 10-yard run, explosive run, something like that. So, once we kind of calmed down, talk about it. This what we got to do, we were able to, we were able to settle down and get it done, get it taken care of. And so, it was really as simple as that, and just handling your business. It doesn’t mean there's anything easy about it and this guy's a load. With Jonathan (Taylor) back there, with the option of that, and then his ability to push it down the field, we did what we had to do. So, that was, we asked a lot of our defense today, and they did a great job.”

How the defense is able to perform at a high level despite so many injuries:

“Look, I do think there again it starts with AG (Glenn) and that staff, and then those players, man, we've been around each other long enough they've been around each other to know exactly what we're looking for. We have an identity about us. We know the critical factors as it pertains to winning. And those guys take that stuff serious and we take next man up serious. Those guys know it's why we didn't practice. Those guys get real reps. We don't just not let some of the next men up, get in there and get real reps with our guys. That's what we've been able to do. And then I think we play pretty complementary football, really. I think that's a sign of a pretty good team is when the defense needs it, the offense shows up, and vice versa, and special teams is the great counterbalance for us and has really helped us out when needed. So, it's just we're playing good defense right now. And look, I would say that we got a bunch of guys that are, they're pretty gritty guys, man. They play hard, they run, they hit. They’re pretty smart guys. They do what we ask them to do and they go all out doing it. So normally, you're going to have, you’ll always have a chance to play pretty good when you have guys that’ll do that.”

Another One ☝🏽
Great plan pic.twitter.com/frmrT3nOL6

— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) November 24, 2024

 On if the depth will be tested with a short week upcoming:

“Yeah, I mean, we'll see. So much of this – I'm not going to know, really, you know the four, obviously Kalif (Raymond) and David Montgomery. Deck (Taylor Decker) that was able to come back out, but then we pulled him again late – Carlton (Davis III). So, I don't know. I feel okay about three of those guys. Kalif can be a little bit, a little bit more serious, but even with that, it doesn't mean any of those guys will be ready for Thursday. So, I just don't know. So, yeah, but look, I don't know Chicago's deal yet. I don't know what they're dealing with, but I'm sure they've got injuries. Everybody's got them, and the league doesn't care. They make the schedule, and we play this and we roll, you know? Seven days later we got Green Bay. So be it, man and that’s the way it rolls, and we'll be ready. We'll have our unit ready to go Thursday back home, Thanksgiving, division opponent, and we'll be locked in and ready to roll.”

MORE: Lions Injury Updates: Raymond, Davis, Decker, Montgomery

On being successful running the ball on third downs:

“I’ll give Ben (Johnson) a lot of credit. Ben looks at a number of things as it pertains to that run and pass, and what gives us the best chance to have success. I think it kind of starts there, and that's another one of those things. It's a mentality. It's kind of one of the things we do here. And if we really believe we can do it and get it – we'll do it. It's really not just a throw away for us, like we really believe we're going to call it on third-and-seven where we can get the first – third-and-eight, or whatever it is. But it's been good for us. It's a curveball, right? It's a changeup. So, it's paying dividends for us.”

On what it meant for the team to get its 10th victory and start 10-1 for the first time in 90 years:

“Yeah, I think we're so locked in and the here and now. It’s a little bit like last year, man, you get through it, and then maybe you can take a breath and turn around and look behind you and see what you did. But right now, we're just going, we're rolling. The one that I was – because I did read this this morning was about wins on the road, and I don't know what we are, 5-0 or 6-0 this year, or whatever. It did – it gave me a flashback to ‘22 and at that point, we were 0-11-1 on the road. 0-11-1 and just thinking about that. Now, I think we're 16-5 since then. Just that group of guys said something in the locker room about looking at (Jared) Goff, Frank (Ragnow), Deck (Taylor Decker) and (Penei) Sewell and it's like, ‘Man, you remember that?’ But all of those guys are responsible for the up. Everybody that's in that locker room is responsible for it, and it says a lot. If you can win on the road, you're normally a pretty damn good team, and we can win on the road. Anyway, we're in a good place, and we're just playing ball, trying to get the next win and this one is going to be huge. The division opponent, it's a big one. You can sit around here and it’s great. Won another, we're all happy, but you lose a division game, and all of a sudden, man, it doesn't feel real good. Minnesota and Green Bay are just sitting right there, and Chicago is not out of this either. So, this is a big week.”

On Jahmyr Gibbs' performance with David Montgomery sidelined due to injury:

“I guess I didn't put really any stock in it. I didn't. That doesn't shock me. Like, I think he could take the load, like David (Montgomery) can, and no matter if you didn't have one or the other, you're still going to use somebody just to kind of take some of the load off of those guys. I thought he did a good job, and those were some hard yards he got in there, so that was good to see, but I'm not surprised. I'm really not.”