Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell knows the inner workings and philosophy of the New York Giants.
After all, he began his NFL career as a third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M to the Giants in 1999, turning into a brick wall for that offense he played for until 2002 before leaving via free agency for his hometown Dallas Cowboys.
But Campbell credited the Giants, against whom his Lions team held two days of joint practices during training camp, with helping set the stage for a hard-fought 2024 season.
“It was the first real taste of that perception, and I thought the Giants practiced hard, they brought it, there was a lot of energy, a lot of juice, and I thought it was good for us to get that and it’s like now you know what it’s going to be like all season,” Campbell told the Lions reporter this week.
“We handled it well, and I don’t feel like we know we’re going to give everyone’s best; we know that every week, and it doesn’t matter if it’s who we played, what week it is, and our guys understand that.
Under old-school Campbell, the Lions finished with a franchise-best record of 15-2, which included setting a single-season franchise record with their 13th victory in 2024.
Campbell and Giants head coach Brian Daboll share a professional connection. They worked together on the Miami Dolphins coaching staff in 2011, when Daboll was the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator and Campbell was the tight ends coach on head coach Tony Sparano’s staff.
Last summer’s joint practice was the second in a row — the year before, the Lions hosted the Giants before a preseason game — and it wouldn’t be surprising if the two teams made joint practices an annual affair as long as Daboll and Campbell are in charge.
On Saturday, the Campbell Lions will host the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs after receiving a bye.
Campbell promises a noisy environment for the visiting commanders and a dogged effort from his team, who he has reminded all week that there is only one thing that matters most before the start of this race.
“I think the most important thing is no matter where you are, where you are seeded, how many wins you have, you have to stay hungry, and our team is hungry,” he said .
