In the wake of the Lions' daring win over the Vikings, Dan Campbell has spent most of this week deflecting praise to his fellow coaches. He joked Tuesday on the Pat McAfee Show that the only reason the Lions pulled off a pair of crucial trick plays is because he failed to nix the calls before they went through.
So allow special teams coordinator Dave Fipp to send the praise back.
"God man, he’s a beast," Fipp said Thursday. "He’s great to work for as a coach because he empowers you and enables you. He keeps you honest, he makes you better and he’s incredibly smart in all three phases, as smart as anybody I’ve been around."
Campbell earned the reputation as a meathead as soon as he opened his mouth in Detroit, a former tight end with a thirst for kneecaps. All he's done since is prove that reputation wrong. He'll still take your kneecaps if you let him, but only after he beats you with his brains. Campbell got the better of Viking head coach Kevin O'Connell last week with a fake punt on 4th and 8 from his own 27, leading at home in the third quarter. Who does that?
"He’s wicked smart, man," said Fipp. "He’s super intelligent. I know he comes across as different and I don’t know what his SAT scores were and all that, but I guarantee you it was off the charts."
Campbell and Fipp were confident the fake punt would work because they had the look from the Vikings they wanted. And because they had played it over so many times in their heads. The Lions have a video log of every fake in the NFL from the last several seasons that Campbell and Fipp often consult. Together, they've charted "the more successful plays and their percentages," said Fipp, "finding something that worked or why it didn’t work and what could be done differently."
And whenever the Lions are planning a fake punt -- or even might be planning a fake punt -- Fipp said Campbell "sits in my office and goes over every detail of it" in the days leading up to the game. At the same time, "You don’t feel like anything is ever pressed down your throat or you’re being backed up against a wall or you gotta do it this way," said Fipp. Campbell just gets your gears turning.
"He’s inquisitive and it makes you think, 'You know what, he’s got a point.' And then it kind of becomes your idea and he plays into that," said Fipp.
The Lions are 6-of-7 on fake punts under Campbell and Fipp. Against the Vikings, it came on a direct snap to C.J. Moore, who burst upfield thanks to a pair of blocks by Jason Cabinda and Malcolm Rodriguez for a 42-yard gain to set up a touchdown that gave Detroit a 21-7 lead. Other times, the Lions have used the arm of Pro Bowl punter Jack Fox, who has a passer rating of 110.4 on four career throws. Not bad.
Campbell views his special teams players as more than gunners and blockers. They're not just necessary pieces on the game board. They're assets, if you know how to use them.
"Man, I want them to be weaponized," he told the McAfee Show. "I want them to be everything. Jack Fox, he can throw it, man, and we’ll use him if we feel like it’s the best way to win. And they take ownership in that and pride in it, and that’s how we play."
Fipp, 48, left Philadelphia after eight seasons with the Eagles when he got a call from Campbell in Detroit. They had coached together for two seasons with the Dolphins, and this was a chance to reunite. It was a lateral move for Fipp, already the special teams coordinator in Philly. It was also an easy one.
His admiration for Campbell has only grown since.
"He's got a tremendous ability to inspire a coach, and part of that is just what he puts into it," Fipp said. "He gives everything of himself for this football team, for the players and the coaches. And it’s relentless. His pursuit to win is relentless. His mind never stops. He’s always thinking, always coming at you with something."
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