Lions' Campbell talks tush push, hostile Philly fans ahead of Sunday's Eagles game

Dan Campbell on Lions game with Eagles Sunday night

Lions Coach Dan Campbell talked about the coming Sunday Night Football matchup with the Eagles.

FOX 2 - This Sunday night Lions fans get a look at what could have been in a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles many thought we'd see in last year's NFC Championship.

Big picture view:

It may also be a preview of this year's playoffs against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7-2), tied for the best record in the NFC.

Lions Coach Dan Campbell addressed the media Wednesday about the big game.

"This will be a huge test for us on the road at their place against a championship team," Lions Coach Dan Campbell said. "We're excited about it."

The fact that Philadelphia is a famously hostile environment, is not lost on Campbell.

"When you go on the road it's you versus everybody else - it's very clear it's you versus everybody else (when you are) there," he said. "You go some places and they wave at you like 'we're so happy you're here to play against us.' This is not one of those places. It's as far from there that you could possibly get. I loved playing in atmospheres like that. I just know the kind of guys we have, I think they are going to eat it up."

The Eagles' controversial tush push was also brought up - where it was noted the Lions have not been one of the franchises against it.

"I thought there was a chance we may play them last year, and really the last two years so it has always come up in conversations," he said. "It's how you handle it. There's nothing easy about it. They play with leverage and they know the smart count, we've talked about it.

"We've got a plan (for it), we've got an idea, but you have to execute. You've got to find a way to stop it. Hopefully it's at a critical (time). If you've got three to four a game and if there's one you stop, it might change the whole game."

Campbell said he doesn't want to see banned.

"I'm a purist man. If you take one something else out of the game, then you take another thing out of the game," he said. "Then pretty soon you're not wearing pads, and then you're playing 30 minutes.

"A team fouind a niche, they're good at it. It's unique, its physical. I don't want to take anything else out of the game - I just want to leave the game alone. But that's me."