A Bit of Campbell Confusion?

[So Be]

We all know that Campbell has has brought emotion and a seldom seen fire to our team, which is extremely welcome. However. according to Matthews and other players he was the one who inspired the team before he became HC. So why did the players not respond to him in the first four games?

Did Philbin talk the team down after Dan in pregame?

Did players not get pumped because he was not a HC?

Something else?

[HndRkyaBong34]

Philbin separated the coaching staff from the team.. zero unity. Micro managed players and took the fun right out of it.... Dan brings unity and fun back to Miami and we're seeing the results....

[So Be]

I have seen nothing at all since Philbin has been here that would even suggest that. It is simply not true, although many would like to believe it.

[HndRkyaBong34]

I've seen it in his pressers, I saw it in the HBO show, I saw it when he sent off the so-called leadership players like Bush and Long. He lacked the ability to motivate players and his only concern was to protect his coaches and to kiss Ross's ass.. So true! His approach was to act like a boss, rather than a coach...

[Wulf]

I don't know if he separated the assistants as has been suggested, but it seemed that he discouraged leadership among the players, which seems to have had an adverse effect, and probably helped create BULLYGATE...
The fact remains that the team used to take the field with all the enthusiasm of the college football team heading to their English Lit finals! They couldn't even act enthused when they were ONE win from the playoffs! Now we come out with a plan and some passion to back it up. Like it or not, we're 2-0 under Campbell, and the Texans/Titans were no less formidable than the Jags and Skins...

[AquaXI]

Gum wrappers, shoe ties, successories framed quote/art, getting rid of players that are vocal and a threat to authority. Campbell welcomes Havoc and knows how to use their aggression and laser beams it towards the enemy.

[39Zonk]

Seeing that he had to read off of index cards on what to say, after a big win was a warning sign for me in his 1st year. Sort of like being married, you tend to look the other way and hope, but the truth comes out after the coach leaves and you admit to yourself he wasn't very good😯

[kelbail21]

So are you having that feeling about NFL teams following their WWE- like scripts to create more drama in a league where outcomes are already predetermined? They sure have added some drama to what would have otherwise been a lackluster Thursday night contest. Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser said they won't be surprised to see this game end up 42-0 in the Patriots favor. Wouldn't that just be perfect for the NFL Channel and all the ex-Patriots to talk about for eleven straight days? "The Patriots Crush the Red Hot Dolphins."
I'm going to have a little faith and focus less this week on the "Campbell Confusion" factor and a lot more on the "Campbell Contusion" factor. This D Line was built with this game in mind. Our CBs, other than Grimes, are good only within a ten yard box. Let's see if we can take away Brady's dink and dunk and force him to hold the ball long enough for our big dogs to maul him. Any fine is a good fine come Thursday, OV. Reshad Jones asked for Gronkowski. Let's see how much of him he gets.
I heard on the radio, "If Joe Philbin is Xanax, Dan Campbell is cocaine." LET'S PARTY !!!

[Idahomer]

IMO here is what Campbell has done that hindered us the first 4 games, and it has little to do with just motivation.

1. He got together with Suh and other key defensive leaders and asked what they felt was the best defense to run. They simplified the defense which is allowing the players to play faster than they were with the more complex read and react defense they ran before.
2. He's made practices more about competing and beating the man in front of you, he's made if fun by competing in different ways whether that be tug of war, FG kicking contests, etc... But it is all about competition and bringing out that competitive mentality.
3. Most importantly he's practicing harder and going harder during the week so that when Sunday comes they are playing with an intensity that they practiced all week. Philbin went way too easy during the week (I believe in an attempt to limit injuries and honestly to get the players to like him because they didn't have to work their asses off during the week). When you compete all week and go hard after each other, come Sunday you're not lining up against someone going 5x harder and faster than you practiced against all week.

The other thing Campbell had on his side is the bye week (key players got healthy - Wake and Albert specifically) and 2 games against medicore teams with medicore QB play. Thursday will be the true barometer on if this team is really better now then they were under Philbin. One of the things that is encouraging is the players are seeing the fruits of their labor. They are seeing and feeling what it's like to go out and beat someone down. And they like that feeling. No I think all 22 players are focused on beating the man in front of you on every play instead of going through the motions and trying to be in the right spot, trying to run a defense based on out thinking the opponent instead of out playing the opponent.

[cuchulainn]

Philbin's teams were always flat. Nice guy, but couldn't excite or relate to players, and I don't think he could motivate a dog to lick it's ass if he coated it in peanut butter. Nice guy, though.

Campbell exudes confidence, relates to the players well, cares genuinely about them, deals with them realistically. He is genuine. He comes across as an aggressive badassness oozing from his persona. When he speaks, people shut up and listen. Most importantly, the players all seek his approval. They aren't tuning him out like they did Philbin.

If Dan beats the Pats, forget ''hope and change''

[Wulf]

LOVE THE GRAPHIC!

And agree with the post!