More and more, Aaron Glenn has been hearing Jack Campbell's voice in the Lions linebackers room. When Detroit's defensive coordinator calls on his players for answers, he likes to tell co-captain Alex Anzalone to keep quiet as a way of seeing who fills the void.
"The next voice that you’re going to hear is Jack," Glenn said Thursday. "And that’s encouraging, because what he does in the meeting actually translates to what he’s going to do on the field."
Campbell's voice will be crucial when the Lions visit the Saints on Sunday, with Anzalone likely to be sidelined by a hand injury. Anzalone is the glue of Detroit's defense; his absence will leave a hole. If there's anyone who can fill it, shouldn't it be the linebacker the Lions drafted 18th overall?
Asked how the on-field communication will shift without Anzalone, Glenn said, "Well, that’s the reason we got Jack." The Butkus Award winner last season as the best linebacker in the country, Campbell is poised to wear the green dot Sunday as the player who takes the calls from Glenn and gets his teammates in the right position.
"He’s a true Mike backer. He has to be the one that makes all those checks and he’s capable of doing that. Smart, heady guy that’s tough. He’s built for these moments. I’m looking forward for him to be the actual mouthpiece of the defense going into this game," said Glenn.
That all but confirms that Anzalone is out, and that Campbell is taking his place. Some thought this was the plan as soon as Campbell arrived -- why else invest a first-round pick in a linebacker? But Anzalone has been playing the best ball of his career this season, Derrick Barnes has likewise leveled up and Campbell has experienced NFL growing pains, especially in coverage. We'll see just how much he's grown on Sunday.
Dan Campbell said Friday that wearing the green dot is "right up (Campbell's) alley."
"Listen, he embraces that," said Campbell. "He’s a guy who wants it all. He doesn’t want anybody to think, ‘Man, I can’t take this job description on.’ He wants every bit of it and he hasn’t missed a beat out there. He’s been great.”
The Saints have one of the best dual-threat running backs in the NFL in Alvin Kamara. Containing him could often fall to Campbell, who's lived up to his billing as a tackler but has been exposed against the pass. Kamara, the five-time Pro Bowler who's as slippery as they come with the ball in his hands, is catching nearly seven passes per game. Want strength on strength? Kamara has forced 14 missed tackles in seven games; Campbell, excluding a dip last week, has missed one tackle all season.
The Lions drafted Campbell to be a tone-setter and a difference-maker, and ultimately the leader of their defense. Here comes his first big chance.
"He understands this defense like the back of his hands now," said Glenn. "Knowing that he’s the guy, he's the mouth, he’s a guy that the whole defense is looking at to make sure we get into the right checks, for him to have this opportunity right now, man, I think it’s outstanding.”