Since he was appointed head coach of the Detroit Lions over three years ago, Dan Campbell has made no secret of his enthusiasm, memorably declaring during his first press conference that his teams will bite opponents’ kneecaps and kick them in the mouth.
After victories and setbacks, Campbell has cried and screamed with happiness.
Furthermore, he has never seemed or sounded more energized than he did on Monday.
“I’m fired up and ready to go,” Campbell declared.
About three-quarters of an hour after a contentious call in Dallas resulted in a defeat that eliminated the team’s chance to secure the top NFC seed, Campbell maintained that he had moved on and that the players would follow suit as they got ready for the regular-season finale.
Along with defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who has been sidelined for a month due to a knee injury, he is optimistic that defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the season-opening victory against Kansas City, will play against the Vikings.
Despite his reluctance to discuss the call against the Cowboys, Campbell sees a silver lining.
“We were in a tight game, had a chance to win it, we weren’t able to and so now you know what that’s like,” he stated. “You can’t let that opportunity pass you by because you understand how that feels. the’s because you never know when the play will be called; it might be in the first, second, or just before halftime.”
