Dan Campbell Press Conference | September 11, 2024

so certainly we we both have familiarity with each other uh Personnel wise and um got a lot of respect for Coach BS and uh what he's done out there uh really his whole career it's a tough physical team they're disciplined um aggressive particularly uh defensively what they're doing offensively um you know is a lot of um really kind of what we saw last week um and and then on top of things they they do well and have done well uh with Baker and uh you know having Evans out there God one that whole thing but uh really good Personnel um quarterback's tough man competitive so we got our hands full uh but we're looking forward to the challenge of it questions look at how unique this situation was to have two playoff rematches you know The Following season it's only this only going to be the fourth time in NFL history it's only been three other teams to do it 07 Patriots 84 49ers and 66 Packers all those teams reach the Super Bowl at least um so when you look at that test what do you hope these playoff rematches starting off against worthy opponents like this can help you guys help do for you guys this season well I you know look it it doesn't matter who you play uh I mean you got to find a way to win them and and I think what's unique is you know I think uh the Rams last week and I think the Bucks here are certainly um uh they have they have a good chance of of of uh winning those divisions you know they're they're certainly going to be competitive and be right there in the race um and so this is a chance to to get an early one you know you get an early one and you just don't know what this going to mean down the road and and uh and you if you can put some money in the bank early in the season it'll pay big dividends for you down the road so I think that's that's the way you got to look at it um that's kind of looking out now in the moment it's man we just have to improve you know and I mentioned the other day we just have to get a little bit better and uh if we can do that as individuals coaches players everything then it'll raise the floor of our team significantly this week and um and so that's that's really where we have to we have to hone in on that and just worry about ourselves right now um and and if we do that we'll be okay the biggest way they're different or better than the last time you played well look this defense is um you know it's an issue it's always been an issue I mean they give you multiple fronts multiple pressures um you know they disguise well um and and so that that in itself is always a headache you know V in the middle um you know these two Edge rushers here are are pretty good man they've grown gotten better um Levante David in the middle you know I just you know with their personnel I know they're a little banged up but we'll see how all that stuff works out they're still going to have plenty of ammo over there defensively I think you know look it's only been one game but I do feel an improved offense when I watch last week's game I you know I think Cohen's doing a good job over there uh just what they've asked them to do you know certainly Evans is a headache uh offensive line has improved and they got the backs and I I just they've got a little bit of everything and then when you got Baker who can facilitate it and uh run the show it makes for a uh pretty efficient offense so um you know this is this is going to be um this going to be a good test for us it's going to be a real good test spent six years I'll come to you next sorry Carlton spent six years obviously with Tampa you guys went after him after you know obviously preparing for him seeing what what you had in in store for you guys playing against him but how much does that help him maybe having been there being familiar maybe some of those guys not so much the offense cuz I know it's a new offense but their personnel particularly yeah I think that helps you know I think he's he's very familiar obviously with him I mean he's he's competed against you know he and Godwin now for a long period of time so he he's got a real good feel there and and but on the flip side of that so does Evans right so they kind of know each other's tricks of the trade so it ought to be a pretty good battle whenever they're on each other um um but that helps um and certainly we'll pick his brain a little bit as we go here um as to just different thoughts and things but uh I know this I'm glad we got him you know so it's good to have him out there running around I thought that was a good week one showing for him and he'll only get better Justin can you just explain hold on let me go Jus you mentioned the offense a couple times the Bucks offense you know they already had kind of that Rams flavor last year with canel's connection to to walren coming from Seattle but Cohen you know has that that tree as well when you when you look just at the small samples size a game one how how are they different than you know what you saw at the end of last season well I I think there is more of a commitment to run the ball you know there is a much more of a concerted effort to run the ball and I think there's a there is a perfect play mentality with this offense I think they're going to give Baker a lot more leeway uh to get into the right looks right plays if you don't like something here's your options and I think when you have a quarterback that can handle that it makes makes for deadly offense and and I feel like that's where it's really um now there again I know it's one game but when when you take you know kind of where he came from and what he's about and then you look at last week's game they do a good job of exploiting they try to attack your schemes you know what what uh what you think you do well and they try to go after them um you know they had a couple of runs there they just gutted uh Washington right up the pipe man a couple these gr runs traps things of that nature and so these are quick hitters you know you let these backs go downhill and they're on you in a hurry and all of a sudden it's a 12 yard gain you're getting these explosive runs so and then off of that is the same look same action you know and it's play pass things of these nature so uh a lot of mirror looks um but it's I mean they were they were cooking the other day and then all of a sudden you get your one1 out here with Evans you just take it and he goes and plays big man ball and uh that's you know that's it's tough Carlton and can you take us back to when the trade happened just how excited you were when you heard he was available and then beyond just availability why was it why was he the right fit for this defense this team well you know there again I I think um so much of it goes back to you always want to know the player still got it certainly that that's going to fall into it we felt like yeah this player can still is is playing at a high level um and then I think just I know for for myself and AG you know we we kind of had a history on the other sideline watching this guy and you know I always thought he he matched up better than anybody against Mike Thomas and Mike's hay days and uh and I just watched him grow that whole time I was in New Orleans and every year he got so much better just and really became you know he was and he he was the guy you put him on an island he was going to handle his business over there that was that was pretty evident so um so knowing we were going to be able to you know maybe pull this off it was we felt like like we were going to get a guy who could handle his side of the field you know and nobody's asking it to be perfect but but uh but we don't feel like that's something we have to worry about I want to ask Patrick I know at the open roster spot is he trending toward potentially appearing sooner rather than later or is maybe Donovan still ahead because of his familiarity with the offense all of those guys are competing that's what uh when you're on the vet Squad man every day you put in the work and our eyes are open I told them told them all that last week and so we're we we're paying close attention to uh Robinson as well so all options are on the table and we'll just take it as it comes I think last week passing was do only two 30 yard passes of course Stafford was one of them but is that something that uh League wide is that just an anomaly that way we started all that contribut to not playing a lot during the preseason for all teams and what do you look forward like Baker Mayfield had 289 was close uh I you know it's it's it's tough to say I look I can just tell you it's there's there's a lot of mistakes that that that are made early in the season a lot and and it's it's on both sides of the ball but uh including us all right I mean we made plenty of Errors uh but I think if if you're a little bit ahead in the past game um particularly early you know you can get a jump on some teams man and and so much of it too is you know defense makes an error and the quarterback finds it at the right time those are are those are massive plays those are explosive some of them explosive touchdowns and that that's just on a busted coverage or you know I thought you thought and and I think a lot of those happen early in the year you know is where you see them so that that could be I haven't watched every game obviously um thus far but but I'm sure that's got to has something to do with it there was an undeniable feeling Sunday that this team was going to find a way to win I feel like that comes from you and what ways does this team play with your personality uh I don't you know look I think we're we're we're all in this together I mean that's um you know I think we all feed off each other I think we've all been around the core of this team we've been we're going on four years together now so I I think we all kind of have the same heartbeat here and to answer that question no I don't think there was a doubt in our mind we were going to win that game we'd find a way and um that there's a hope and a belief and but that's from a demonstrated ability to get it done and we've we begin to prove that we can do that but that's taken that's taken a lot to get to this point and you got to prove it again every week yeah I want to ask you about James Houston he was inactive um what does he need to show you this week to be more of a factor to be in the lineup well so much of it is you know um a lot of it is okay it's it's it could be him or it's the defensive back so what what's going to bring more to you and what plays into that is you know special teams is a big one what about injury at other areas so maybe you need the insurance um some of it is what kind of production is that going to bring for how many snaps is he going to get um so I can't answer that clearly you know um but he's another guy I mean he's here he's working we'd love to get him up if the possibility presents itself or the opportunity presents itself and so we'll just take it as it comes ter want to time um guarding um Cooper Cup this coming week he's going to have an opportunity to defend um Chris gowin Michael Evans when you have a rookie defensive back like that how beneficial is it for him to get reps against some of the most productive wide receivers in the league and how much that's going to carry over like later on in the year yeah the better players you play the better you're going to get especially if you're a competitor and Arnold is a competitor and he is unfazed I think that's that is something that if if you said what do you know about Arnold 100% And for a guy this young this early I really feel like this guy's unfaced I I don't think you're going to get you're you're going to you're not going to have worry about breaking his Spirit or his competitiveness he's just going to keep coming back for the next one so um so when you know that a guy who'll just keep competing and keep trying to win and continue to improve and he faces better competition over and over he's just going to only raise his level of of uh production and play so I feel good about it I love where he's at he's going to keep getting better and uh he's going to be good Corner in this league for a while I believe squeeze one more in on D Malcolm Rodriguez what would he do to earn a role in in the defense you know this is some time in Camp yeah say it again I'm sorry just what did what did he do to to earn a defensive role in week one kind of got phased out in the early part of last season to the end so I'm wondering what he what he did to get back into well yeah Rodrigo is look he's we have no problem with Rodrigo playing man there's a lot of trust now and faith and and him he's a smart conscientious player we do feel like he improved even before he had the injury and then when he came back the Hamm's good I mean he he picked it up pretty quick uh for the time that he was able to get back in there so you know when you trust your guys to go in there and and help you man that takes a load off of like our linebackers do so much for us all of them uh you know JM Rodrigo out Barnes Jack I mean uh even Neiman and and so with all of those we spread the load with them you know because we trust all of them they can take reps off each other between special teams and defense and so man I think that's how you you know you get production but you're also we get down into December January I think this is going to help us out too [Music] n [Music]