Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is dishing out compliments to the Tennessee Titans ahead of Sunday’s matchup between the two teams at Ford Field.
In an interview with 97.1 The Ticket , Campbell previewed the game against Tennessee and validated everything Titans head coach Brian Callahan has been saying for weeks.
Not only did Campbell speak highly of Tennessee’s defense and coaching staff, he pointed out that the Titans are much better than their 1-5 record suggests.
“If all you’re looking at of this team we’re getting ready to play, you’re wrong. This is a fast starting team. They’ve got a physical o-line and d-line. They’ve got damn good coaching,” said Campbell. “This defense could potentially be the best defense we’ve faced up to date. And I know we just faced a good one, but you talk about physical? This [Jeffery] Simmons, he’s gonna bring it among others.”
The Titans’ defense remains number one in the NFL in yards allowed per game (272.2). They are the third best passing defense, allowing 166.7 yards per game through the air, and a Top 10 unit against the run.
Campbell has a point. Most of the teams on Detroit’s schedule so far this season have really struggled on the defensive side of the ball.
The Rams, Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Cowboys are some of the worst performing defensive units in the NFL. The Vikings are legit, but there’s definitely a case to be made for Tennessee’s defense over Minnesota, especially if the Titans get L’Jarius Sneed back.
But the real highlight from Campbell’s comments is when he says the Titans are more than their record. That’s a message Titans media has heard from Brian Callahan after pretty much every loss this season. Heck, we’ve even heard it from the players themselves.
Tight end Nick Vannett spoke in a press conference on Monday and maintained this idea that the Titans are a “great football team” with “great players” that “have what it takes.” But that’s not what we’ve seen on Sunday afternoons this year.