Dan Campbell Gives Lions A Chills-Inducing Speech After Pummeling The Cowboys
Move over, Dallas, there's a new America's Team and it's the Motor City Kitties.
After pummeling the Cowboys, 47-9, and using offensive and defensive linemen as wide receivers and ball carriers for the fun of it, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell gave one of those locker room speeches that steals the hearts and minds of Americans who want to root for a great story.
"This is the tightest this group has been. We found somethin' special last year, men. I felt it going into this game," Campbell told his 4-1 team after a game where his offense could've dropped 60 on Dallas. "Man, it's like we're in here together and I don't feel people pullin' us away. Nobody is coming out of that circle, men. And that's exactly where you wanna be right now.
"That's a helluva win. You guys didn't let off the gas. That's a way to finish it out."
What started as a meme –– Dan Campbell being the meathead cliché dropping, bite their kneecaps, snake-oil salesman hired to save the Lions –– has now turned into a model for what struggling franchises wished they looked like.
Now that the team is proving last year wasn't a fluke, people are definitely starting to pay attention.
"I’ve said it before I’ll say it again. As a Ravens fan I can’t help but love the energy from this team. You guys are awesome. Hope to see ya’ll in the Super Bowl! Much love," one NFL fan wrote on Twitter.
"I'd hire him for any leadership role in a heartbeat," said another who watched Campbell's postgame speech.
It's universal. Dan Campbell has America's attention and they're loving the energy and positive vibes.
"I’m not a Lions fan, but I’m rooting for you all in the NFC this year for sure. It’s so cool to see that you found a coach to change the culture. He’s obviously well loved and doing well. Kudos to you and your HC!" a self-described Jets and Jags fan tweeted.
The results of the Dan Campbell experiment speak for themselves
This morning, on the cover of the Dallas Morning News, the sports department summed up Sunday in two words: "Humiliating loss."
With 12 minutes left in the 4th quarter and trailing 47-9, Mike McCarthy told Dak Prescott that his day was over. The poor guy didn't stand a chance against the Lions.
Cooper Rush was brought in and Jerry Jones celebrated his 82nd birthday by watching his $240 million QB sit on the sideline after going 17-of-33 for 178 yards and two INTs.
How great are things right now for Campbell and the Kitties?
Tom Brady is officially on the bandwagon.
"The way that culture of that team is, they are a team that everyone is taking notice of right now. The Lions are a tough team to beat," Brady said on the Fox postgame show.
Now comes the biggest challenge of the year for Detroit. Can they go into Minnesota and beat Sam Darnold and the 5-0 Vikings to begin the journey to winning the brutal NFC North?
The Lions will have to do it without stud defensive end Aidan Hutchinson who fractured a tibia in Sunday's game.
But, in true Detroit Lions fashion, the team and fans are already rallying behind a "Do it for Hutch" campaign that figures to go into the lore of "biting off their kneecaps" and other rallying cries that have made Campbell and Detroit a team America can root for.