Dan Campbell was running to the end zone to celebrate Michael Strahan's interception return touchdown in overtime that lifted the Giants to a road win over the Eagles in the 1999 season when, as Campbell recalls, "I just see this, like, 64-ounce cup this guy had that was full of tobacco spit ... and he just pours it on Strahan’s back while everybody’s running over there. I backed off at the last minute."
"Just stuff like that, man, it’s a hostile environment. It gets you fired up. And I’ll make sure our guys are prepared," Campbell said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket as the Lions prepare for a showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles on Sunday night in Philly. "They’re going to love this, they really are. Our guys are going to freaking embrace this. This is fun stuff now."
Few head coaches, if any, enjoy going into enemy territory quite like Campbell. He speaks in reverential tones about stadiums like Lambeau and Arrowhead and considers Philadelphia, with its notoriously unwelcoming fans, "a great place to play." Campbell played there six times during his days as a tight end with the division rival Giants and Cowboys, going 3-3.
"It’s electric. Had batteries thrown at us, spit on, just the classic stuff, man. It’s probably the most hostile place to play. And then going into the stadium, leaving it, during the game, things have backed off a lot now since back in the day, like, some of these things you can’t do anymore."
Campbell returned to Philly in 2015 as interim head coach of the Dolphins and led Miami to a 20-19 win at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles have played since 2003. That game was between two losing teams. Sunday night will be a clash of two Super Bowl contenders, the Eagles leading the NFC East at 7-2, the Lions leading the NFC North at 6-3. Campbell can't wait.
He said he's "going to give (the players) a very good snapshot of what this is going to be like" in meetings this week, with two points of emphasis for the game: "Keep your poise and then, man, every play matters."
"This is a heavyweight, this is a heavyweight match," said Campbell. "And one missed step can cost you this game. Now, that shouldn’t make you tight. That shouldn’t make you play conservative. Just understand, man, it’s going to take all three units and every play, man, you gotta give it your full attention and lay it on the freaking line."
Jared Goff has played one game in Philly in his 10-year career, but it came during the 2020 Covid season when stadiums were mostly empty. Asked Tuesday on The Ticket what he's heard about playing there, Goff quipped, "I know they’re well known for being the meanest fans, so I’ll have to have some thick skin when I'm in there so none of their insults can really get to me. That’ll be part of my mindset."
"But no, it’ll be fun," said Goff. "They’ll be loud, it’ll be rocking. I know they’re passionate, and it’ll be great."
As Campbell said, "You can’t ask for anything better."
"Our guys are going to be so excited to play in this one, our coaches are excited to coach in it. Man, this is big-time football on Sunday night, so we’re going to be fired up," Campbell said. "We are fired up."