Dan Miller | Detroit Lions Radio PxP Voice

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Yeah, Graybar does that. We're thrilled to welcome Dan Miller, who is finally done with his post-game duties after calling this playoff win on Lions Radio. Dan, how did that feel?

Amy, amazing. A long time coming and just to see these fans be able to enjoy this night and finally have the payback that they've waited so long for and invested so much in, it was just a magical night in the city of Detroit. It was amazing and it's one playoff win and there's a lot more left out there, but when you have done it once since 1957 and you haven't done it since January 5, 1992, it's a big deal. Just for perspective, how many years have you been calling Lions Radio?

This is my 19th, this is my fourth playoff game. We've been to the playoffs three times before this and obviously not come up with a victory. This just felt different. Those times it kind of felt like, yeah, you got in, maybe you snuck your way in.

This just feels like with this group, this regime in place, that they're building something that has staying power, they're building something the right way. Last year, finishing 8-2, winning that game against Green Bay on the final game of the season, winning the division this year, you check a box, getting a home playoff game. Then in 30 years, you check another box and then to win this game tonight, check another box. Now you're in it.

Now you go to next week and let's see what happens. All these things, Amy, were just such important steps for them to take to just say to people, yeah, this is real and these guys have to be taken seriously because so many times people just didn't take the Lions seriously. We are big Dan Campbell fans around here.

In fact, he's one of our favorite quotes, favorite audio sound bites to use. But why? The question is why? Why is it working for him? Why is his system and culture getting the Lions where they have not been in decades?

Well, I would take you, I'll come back to Dan, but let me take you to our owner Sheila Ham. Because when she fired the previous regime, she could have just hired a general manager and a head coach and said, okay, we got two good ones here. But she did more than that. She took a deep dive into the organization and found out that it was fractured, that there were a lot of people that didn't feel valued.

A lot of people that had been left behind and it just wasn't a healthy organization. And she knew she needed a culture change. And she brought in Chris Spielman. She had Rod Wood in place.

She had Mike Disner in place. And those four decided what they wanted to be. And whoever they hired had to fit into that. And Brad Holmes fit into that. And Dan Campbell fit into that.

And they've lived that culture, that vision every day. And look, Dan Campbell is exactly what you hear and what you see. It starts with the fact that he's a good person and it moves to the fact that he is incredibly consistent. He doesn't change. He doesn't waver.

He doesn't have ups and downs. He tells you what he thinks and you know exactly where you stand. And that's been so important for this organization and these players that, to use a cliché, would literally run through a brick wall for him because they believe in him and he knows they believe in him. And it's just, he's the perfect guy from the day he walked in the door till tonight to lead this organization as the head coach. I gotta say he's got a great sense of humor too. Not only the way that he addresses people with the mic, but even the game after the Dallas loss where he's having an O-lineman report in for almost every single snap. He's funny. Yeah, I mean that's who he is.

And that personality has been an important part of the whole mix. And it's funny because there was a 90 minute press conference the day he got hired and everybody picked out 20 seconds of him talking about writing kneecaps. But if anybody took the time to listen to that entire press conference, it was amazing. And it was exactly what people in Detroit needed to hear and exactly what the members of this organization needed to hear.

And it's unfortunate that all that kind of got lost in one line that became the headline from it. But, man, his vision matched the organization's vision and it just, it's part of what has driven this team, this organization, this group of players to this moment tonight. Dan Miller is fresh off this call of Alliance playoff win over Matthew Stafford and the Rams from the category of You Can't Make This Stuff Up.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You called a lot of games with Stafford and we've talked about him in the past even before he was traded. What was it like to see him back on the field in a Rams uniform? It was different. I mean, there's no doubt. Look, I kind of dreaded that storyline when we found out as things unfolded last week which team we were going to play because I knew what it would turn into. And it's just unfortunate. Look, there's nobody in that stadium tonight, and I'm going to speak for people and feel comfortable doing it, that dislikes Matthew Stafford. People appreciate everything he did here. And even when he asked out, people understood that it had run its course and it was time for him to move on. But tonight, he was playing for the other team. And that's why you saw the reaction that you saw. You had fans with 30 years of pent-up emotions that let us out tonight. And yeah, he got booed. But it's not personal.

It's business. And that's what tonight was all about. And I'm sure when Matthew comes back next year in the regular season, he'll probably get cheered. But this wasn't the night for that. This wasn't the night to feel good about memories.

People have already done that. People did that when Matthew walked out the door and they thanked him for what he did here and wished him well. And people did that when they celebrated here when he won a Super Bowl because they were so happy for him. But tonight wasn't the night for that. And I knew the perception by a lot of people would be that this was some sort of rabid fan base that disliked him.

It's just not the case. It's just that tonight he was wearing a Rams uniform. I couldn't get over the fact though, Dan, that Matthew was part of that playoff futility and the tough years for the Lions for over a decade and yet he was going to be there in another uniform trying to extend that futility. Man, even though he does play for another team, he's a Super Bowl champion, still though I can imagine he would like Detroit to succeed as well. Yeah, and I'm not going to lie, that would have been doubly painful to see him come back here and do that. It's just, look, that's just human nature. I mean, that was our guy.

But let me say this. There's another storyline tonight that was really important and that's our guy that wore number 16 who was ushered out of town by Los Angeles because he wasn't the guy. And came here and took a lot of lumps when this team had nothing his first year and he did everything he could to try to find a way to win a game, just a game.

And then comes back the next year and gets better and comes back this year and wins the division. Jared Goff is a story. It seemed like so many people went straight to Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff, this was a massive night for him.

Just think about what he was feeling. When he looked at that other sideline and saw the head coach and said, you're not my guy. And you know what? Credit to the Rams and their decisions, they won a Super Bowl. But tonight wasn't a Super Bowl.

But believe me, this was a big night. This is me talking, not Jared Goff. This was a big night for Jared Goff. In my mind, this is some closure for Jared Goff. Yeah, they won the Super Bowl, but tonight I think he can walk out of there feeling real good that he sent them out of the playoffs packing.

And that doesn't mean that this is equal to a Super Bowl or anything like that. This is what was in front of him and he delivered tonight. And to see him deliver on that second and nine to ice this game was a beautiful moment. 22 of 27, 277 yards, the touchdown.

Obviously they came out firing, really aggressive, able to spread the ball around, work the ball to multiple different people, including Sam LaPorta who was out there, which was great. But yeah, as Dan points out, this was some vindication for Jared as well. Why does it work so well with him and Ben Johnson? Man, they just get each other. I mean, look, when Jared came in, Ben wasn't the offensive coordinator.

He was in year two. They worked together in between when Ben was working with the passing game. There's just something that clicks between these guys. And look, they're both really talented. Jared's a heck of a quarterback.

Ben's a hell of an offensive coordinator who's going to be a heck of a head coach here real soon. So, I mean, they just get each other. They both kind of needed something at the same time.

Ben was a first year coordinator. Jared was looking to get this thing moving in the right direction. And they just really found kindred spirits in one another that were able to move this thing forward. And it was the perfect match for Detroit and it still is going into next week. So it was, I think, the perfect time in both their careers for them to come together. And it's a really cool thing to see. And look, not messing around. This has been one of the highest scoring offenses in the league for the last two years.

I heard you talking about it a moment ago. We haven't had a running attack. Matthew Stafford, it is defense, never had a running attack in Detroit. I think the best they ever were were 13th. We're second in the league, or top five, maybe second, whatever it was. Top ten or whatever in the league in rushing this year. And we were second in rush defense.

But I mean, look, it's just, it's a different game now. It's a balanced offense. It was never balanced under Matthew. That wasn't his fault. Much of what happened to Matthew here was the failure of people around him. Does he deserve some of the blame? Sure, he had the ball in his hands.

But you know what? Matthew Stafford never had the type of team around him that Jared does tonight. But credit to Jared, he did what you said. He's patient. He moves the ball around.

Whatever's available, he takes it. And he's been the perfect guy for this offense. And leading this team to a division that they hadn't won in 30 years. He just looks more mature too. Just calmer, more poised. Not as prone to the big mistakes.

In fact, very few real mistakes from Jared. Before I let you go, love Aiden Hutchinson. He brings energy and spirit and obviously incredible talent.

A motor that never stops. So he's kind of the piece of that defense that a lot of people focus on. But the defense itself has been so good, especially in the second half of this game.

Why? What's the hallmark of that defense? You know, they needed some stops tonight and they found a way to get them. Look, it's a defense that's kind of held it together. It's a defense that's struggled at times. And we knew going into this game that the strength of L.A., Stafford throwing the ball to Nakula and Cooper was the weakness of Detroit.

Because we've been lit up two of the last three weeks and three weeks in total. Two of them by Justin Jefferson, one of them by C.D. Lamb.

But these guys in the second half found a way to make some stops. And what is it? I would say it's everybody.

I would say it's Aiden. It's the other guys on the defensive line to pitch in. It's a run defense like we haven't seen here in a long time.

And they just figure out a way. They're struggling against the pass, but they just seem to find enough to get it done. And credit Aaron Glenn. Because he doesn't have the pieces on the defensive side that they have on the offensive side. But he's found a way to lead this team now to 13 victories in the division title. So everybody deserves a piece of that on the defense. And you're right.

Look, Aiden is the guy that gets the headlines and he's an incredible player and just getting better. But there's a lot of guys that just find a way here and there to make a play. You stitch it together and you get a victory and that's what they did tonight. It's kind of fun to see the star power too on the sidelines and some of the different former Lions who wanted to be part of this occasion.

Yeah, I mean look. Barry was there tonight. Oliver Quinn was there tonight. We had a ton of guys were there tonight. We had Eric Kramer on the morning show this morning.

It was great to sit and talk with him. As a matter of fact, he came out and I asked him what was going to happen in the game. He said, I think Jared Goff will come out and complete his first 10 passes and they'll get some momentum. Jared Goff completed his first 10 passes and they got some momentum. So, yeah man. Look, these Lions, in particular the guys that were here for the last playoff win.

I worked with one in Lomas Brown. They want to see this team succeed. They don't want to be the last Lions team to win a playoff game.

And as of tonight, they're not anymore. So, it's very cool. And you know what?

Credit, ownership and this coaching staff and Brad Holmes for bringing all those veterans back and make them feel like they're a part of it because they do that. What time do you have to work on Monday? Man, I don't even know. I got to get in there. We'll figure it out.

I got to meet Jared in the morning to sit down with him. But man, we'll sleep when it's over. I'm not worried about it.

Alright. Well, Dan, it is awesome to have a couple minutes with you. The joy is so palpable always when you call games. But this was special for Detroit.

I know the fans were thrilled. Thank you for a few minutes. It's good to have you on the show. Appreciate you, Amy.

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