Alex Anzalone, Detroit Lions Linebacker

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Visit trytheroom.com slash tech. We continue. It is the Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. The Detroit Lions are 1 and 1 to start off the football season. They have an NFC North showdown this weekend on Sunday at 1 o'clock up against the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota.

They just had a victory, 36 to 27, over the Washington Commanders. And now joining us from the Lions defense is Alex Anzalone, kind enough to jump back on the Zach Gelb Show. Alex, appreciate the time.

Congrats on the win. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. I loved your dance moves. Last time you were on, we talked about your luscious locks, but those were some good dance moves in the end zone after the safety. Yeah, I did the safety dance.

You don't get those pretty frequent, so when we got it, I had to do it. And I was actually surprised I liked your safety dance, because usually when I think of a safety, I think of a big, fat defensive lineman dancing and jumping around. Not a linebacker, but you did have some good dance moves there, Alex. Thank you. Thank you.

I appreciate it. How would you evaluate your dancing skills, by the way? They're above average. I would say above average.

They're not like the tight end for Miami. Oh, Kiseki. That's great. Alex Anzalone here with us. So, nice win for you guys. You had a close one up against Philly a week ago. Just had you process it walking off the field as early on, it looked like you guys were going to blow them out, and that became a football game in the fourth quarter. Yeah, they're obviously a really good team.

They're 2-0 now. Just defensively is a little frustrating, but we had to lock in on week two following that loss and see what we can do and improve on and get ready for the commanders, and we were able to do that. What was the key to that quick start? Because you guys were up 22-0, and you really took control of the football game early with not only your offense, but also what you guys were able to do defensively. It's like you said. You just start fast as a defense.

Your assignment sound. You do your job, whatever your job description is, and you play hard and play with high energy and high effort defensively. Usually that equates to a quick start, and we were able to do that. It turned around into five really good series, I think it was, defensively, and we were able to get that 22-0 lead. It's so tough to keep that production up the entire game. When you guys were just forcing three-and-outs after three-and-outs, Alex Anzalone, like you guys were saying, in the second half, Washington really started to settle in, and then they made it a football game, scoring 27 points in the second half.

What did you sense was the biggest difference from half one to half two? When you get an offense in that type of situation, they start shooting their shots, and they try to get chunk plays, and they were doing some gadget plays that hit us a little bit. You have to weather that storm. It's tough as a defense, but at the same time, you just have to lock into your job responsibility, have good eye discipline, and especially in the back end. How would you describe the energy around this team?

Because we know Detroit's been in a rough spot for so many years. You got some positive attention on hard knocks, you dropped that game to the Eagles, now you bounce back with the victory over the Commanders. What's the energy like in that locker room?

It's really good energy. I think Dan and Brad did a really good job bringing in the right guys, getting the right 53 this year. But even last year, I feel like they really wanted to develop a culture, but now it's time to develop a winning culture. Last week, it just builds on that, and we just have to keep going with it.

You were with the Saints to start your career, now you're number two with the Lions. You talk about that winning culture. How far away do you think Detroit is since you know what it's like to be around a team that wins a lot of football games?

The culture is similar. I think that Dan has done a good job of implementing that, but I think that now it's time to experience the wind and know what it takes to win and how to win and do all the little things to build that winning culture like I just mentioned. Because that's really the biggest difference between organizations that traditionally win a ton and organizations that don't. And Dan was with the Saints for so many years, so it makes sense why the culture is similar and you got to play in the same locker room as him. Did you realize, I know he was an assistant head coach and coaching the tight ends and you're a defensive player, but did you realize that this guy maybe had some potential to become a head coach one day? Because I think a lot of people were surprised when he got the job. Yeah, I mean from my perspective it wasn't surprising just because you see, you know, when he would talk in front of the team you see his charisma now that, you know, all of America has seen through hard knocks and Twitter and everything like that. But yeah, it's easy to tell those types of coaches and leaders that, you know, just draw everyone's attention.

He's definitely one of them. What's the favorite story that you have with Dan Campbell? Because I feel like the legend grows day by day with all the crazy stuff that we hear. Man, yeah, you know, I feel like what you see in the, what you see in, you know, in this conference, press conferences is what we get in team meetings and, you know, I think that hard knocks did a really good, giving a good insight on what he's like and, you know, I can't think of one specific, specific story. But the, you know, those team meetings never end. It's constant and that's just who he is and, you know, that's the best thing about him. He is who he is and, you know, and that's what everyone respects about him.

Alex Anzalone, some people love hard knocks, some people can't stand it. It seemed like your team really enjoyed the experience. Yeah, honestly, it wasn't that bad. They were pretty nonchalant about the cameras. You know, they would tell you in practice if you were mic'd up before, so it wasn't too of a, too much of a hassle. But yeah, and other than the cameras being in the meetings, they're pretty, they did a really good job of, you know, kind of staying away, but also, you know, getting the content they wanted. I got to talk to you about the rookie Aiden Hutchinson out of Michigan, who in his second career game had three sacks up against the commanders.

You're there day in and day out. What has impressed you so far the most about Aiden Hutchinson and what seems like, so far, a seamless transition to the NFL? Yeah, I think that, you know, right away as a player, you can tell that he was polished and ready to go as an NFL player. But the biggest thing for me as a peer of his is that the way he carries himself, it's definitely not like, you know, the typical rookies. He just comes in and works and he doesn't talk a lot, but he, you know, you could see the work that he puts in in practice and, you know, he really cares about, you know, how he does and how he can help the team win. So, you know, being the number two overall pick, it's, you know, it's kind of strokes the ego a little bit, but you don't see that at all from him. That Billie Jean moment on hard knocks, it seemed like was a big bonding experience for the entire team. Yeah, yeah, it was great, especially because we just didn't expect that from him. What did you think of his singing skills if you had to be like Simon Cowell on American Idol?

Shoot, better than mine, so I give him an A. You know, you talked about his leadership and the way that he conducts himself. I got a chance after the game on Sunday to talk to Charles Harris and he said he kind of is already a veteran, like that's the way he views of him because of the way that he just carries himself. He feels like he's a veteran even though he's only two games into his career. Yeah, for sure.

That's a really good way to put it. I think that, you know, you see him doing all the right things that a veteran would do and, you know, that takes years and years for some guys to develop and he has it right now, which is great. I saw a tweet from iSports Update that Amman Ross St. Brown is the third player in NFL history to record eight plus catches in eight straight games, joining Michael Thomas and Antonio Brown. He has a chance to break that record this upcoming week up against Minnesota.

I know this week everyone's going to be talking about Jefferson and Thielen because they have some really explosive wide receivers there in Minnesota, but how about your guy, Amman Ross St. Brown, because he's really starting to take this league by storm. Yeah, I feel like the best trait that he has is his competitive nature. He has that dog in him and that's really what sets him above anyone else. And that rolls over to his attention to detail in his route running, how hard he works off the field and on the field.

I know he puts in the work to do what he does on Sunday, but also when Sunday comes his talent takes over. I know he was looked over in the draft and even last year at times, so it's good to see that story come to fruition and show the player who he really is and breaking records in the second year. Do you feel like he's one of the better wide receivers in the NFL?

Yeah, for sure. I think that what he can do and he's very multiple in what he can do. He can play running back if he really had to, but from his blocking to his route running to his ability to catch the ball to running the ball when he has to, I think that puts him up there in that upper echelon. It was unbelievable because over the weekend he had the 9 catches for 116 yards and 2 scores and then he only got 2 carries but he let your team in rushing getting 68 yards as well. I don't know if you make the comparison right away to Deebo Samuel, but could be used in multiple ways.

Yeah, I think it's very similar in that aspect. He just has that competitive nature that allows him to do that. A lot of guys aren't willing to do that even if they have that ability, so kudos to him for doing whatever it takes to help the team win. Did you watch the game last night with the Vikings upcoming? I know they had a rough night offensively, but did you watch the Monday Night Football game last night?

Yeah, I did. It gives you a little introductory to what you're going to see on film coming up earlier this week. How do you try to slow down the Vikings? You know they're going to be hungry. You know they're going to be looking to bounce back.

They're at home. Kirk Cousins, good quarterback. Justin Jefferson could be one of the best wide receivers in football. Dalvin Cook is tremendous.

How do you try to slow them down this week again? Yeah, it's tough because like you said, they have Justin Jefferson, they have Elon, they have a couple of other explosive receivers. I even saw the tight end get involved in their offense last night. Having to stop that and then have Dalvin stop the run with Dalvin Cook and what he can do out of the backfield, that's a big challenge for a defense. Kirk Cousins sets everything up really well with what he does and what he likes to do.

It's a big challenge for us, but it just kind of goes to what are your keys to victory and what do you want to do and how to do it. I know it's early in the week. It's only Tuesday and today's an off day for you guys, but what do you think the major point of emphasis will be from Aaron Glenn this week going up against that Vikings offense? Yeah, I feel like you have to stop the run. That's with a lot of NFL offenses that you have to stop the run and make them one dimensional and getting them situations where you can predict. I think that's definitely going to be a point of emphasis just because Dalvin Cook has that home run ability to hit a touchdown anywhere on the field. We have to be on our Ps and Qs from a linebacker perspective for sure. Wrap it up with Alex Anzalone from the Detroit Lions. I know it's only two games in, but what do you think the biggest difference is from this team last year to this year?

That's a good question. I feel like one, our roster is better. Brad and Dan did a really good job of acquiring really good talent. I feel like just the confidence around the building. It wasn't that we were confident last year, but I think that a lot of guys were kind of just dipping their toe in the water as far as mentality wise, and now it's like we wake up and we expect to win. I feel like that's the biggest difference, just that little change of mindset among the whole team and coaching staff. There really are no excuses anymore.

It's time to win now and that's what we want to do. What do you say to someone that just goes, okay, it's the same old Lions, they'll find a way to mess it up and they don't believe in you guys? We don't listen to that noise. A lot of the players are from different backgrounds and there's been a lot of turnover as far as the roster.

This is my second year being with Detroit and I don't think a lot of guys are in the same boat. We're not used to that. We don't have that mindset.

We don't listen to that and we're not going to conform to it. That's really my mindset and I know a lot of guys in the locker room. Last one, I know you're a Gator. That's going to be some game this weekend up against Tennessee between those two quarterbacks. I know Richton struggled the last two games, but him up against Henson Hooker should be a fun one.

Yeah, for sure. I watch my Gators every weekend. Obviously, the past couple weeks have been, you know, I wish we would have dominated a little bit last week and then losing to Kentucky when you're in Florida is never acceptable. I hope we can pull it off. It's going to be a good one. It's going to be a hard fought game, but hopefully the Gators can come out on top. Well, Alex Anzalone, we appreciate the time. Good luck this upcoming weekend up against the Vikings and thanks for giving us a few moments. Awesome. Thank you, Zach. That's TryTheRoom.com