Mediocrity doesn't cut it for Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. Never has. Never will.
In the locker room at State Farm Stadium after the team's 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 11, Campbell, while praising what he saw on the field, encouraged his team to keep pushing.
"That’s the way to answer back, men," Campbell said. "Don’t ever accept less than what you are capable of as a [expletive] human being, as a player and as a team. Ever. And some of you when you become husbands, some of you are fathers, don’t accept less than that, either. Ever, ever, ever man."
"You keep your standards where they belong," Campbell continued. "You don’t accept [expletive] mediocrity. That’s not
what this league is. People that do, that’s what happens. You ride the wave. All right? That’s the way to answer back."
And, as always, the coach left room for improvement.
"We came out here and we handled our business, and it wasn’t perfect," he said. "We've got so much room to grow."
Game balls
Campbell initially was going to give out two games balls in the locker room but changed it to three. He gave out an additional game ball during his news conference.
- Sam LaPorta: The tight end had five catches, 88 yards and two critical fourth-down receptions.
- Jahmyr Gibbs: The running back had 25 carries, 151 yards and two touchdowns plus five catches for 56 yards. He passed Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns under the age of 25.
- Keith Abney II: "Smart kid gets after it. Had a pick right before halftime, right, with seven total tackles," Campbell said of the rookie defensive back from Arizona State.
At a news conference after the game, Campbell dedicated another game ball to Lions radio play-by-play announcer Dan Miller following the loss of his wife, Cindy.
The Lions have a bye week in Week 6 before hosting the division-rival Green Bay Packers in Week 7 at 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at Ford Field, airing on Fox.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Watch Dan Campbell's locker room speech after Lions' win over Cardinals
