Lions First Quarter Reflection

WEBVTT
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[SPEAKER_03]: Hey everybody, this is Matthew Soltisiac, and you're listening to not the same old Lions podcast.
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[SPEAKER_03]: The Detroit Lions are now in a new gritty era, and we look beyond just an e-calf when it comes to the analysis.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Welcome to another episode.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is Isaac to Slaw and you're listening to not the Sambo Lions podcast.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Welcome, Lions fans.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Joining me today is Coach Jerry Angels.
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[SPEAKER_03]: That is Hall of Fame, Coach Jerry Angels.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He was named Michigan High School Coach of the Year.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He was named Detroit Lions Coach of the week.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He's a scouting and training director for Bull Rush Sports.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He is also a defensive coordinator again.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Coach, good to have you here.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Any time we can talk more football and get me away from the film work.
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[SPEAKER_01]: That's okay.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, in Coach, I got to tell you, just occurred to me, you may have more titles on your introduction than Apollo Creed, and that's not an easy thing to do.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But you've heard that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Now, I appreciate that, yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And being mentioned with Apollo Creed, that's even better.
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[SPEAKER_03]: that it is.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, joining coach and I is James Cook, the senior sports writer for the Traverse City Record Eagle.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He was also named sports writer the year for a community news paper, Holden's Incorporated.
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[SPEAKER_03]: James, it's always a pleasure to have you with us as well.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I had, I'm no Apollo Creed or Dolphin Grin, but I probably do like I've ever been plunged in the face a few times.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, it's almost appropriate that that comes up the Apollo created the Dolph Leather because the new Rocky movies coming out.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll have to see how that turns out.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, guys, we're here to talk about the Troy Lions Troy Lions football.
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[SPEAKER_03]: It is the by week.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So we're taking this time to look at the first quarter of the season.
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[SPEAKER_03]: It's technically between 25 and 33%.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So five games in, how does this team look to you guys in a sentence or two?
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[SPEAKER_03]: Coach, what do you got?
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think they're growing and that's why I look at him.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I see him growing at offense.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I see him growing on defense.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we're still starting out slow.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I see special teams.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that they can grow much more, but it's always good more making field goals and and pin and people deep.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, and again continuing to get better.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So that's, you know, that's what that's my look at it for the first five games.
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[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_03]: James, how about you?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and typical lions, it's a slow start, but they're getting better, you know, we all thought they'd be foreign one after this point, but they're three and two, so after the Carolina stumble and everything, but they're still right there in the division, they're still right there, you know, in pretty much everything, so, you know, some people, you know, jumped off a cliff after the three weeks, but
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[SPEAKER_02]: that's not us.
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[SPEAKER_03]: No, no, it's not.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I could look at the lines as a work in progress.
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[SPEAKER_03]: That's what I, it's exactly how I thought they'd be at this point.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Now, they're not exactly where I thought they'd be at this point.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Mostly due to where the defense has ranked those first few weeks and whatnot.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But I thought they would be a work in progress.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I thought they'd be a team that would get better as the year goes on.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I still think that's possible.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So,
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[SPEAKER_03]: All right, and you said it James as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: We all had to be foreign one, they're three and two.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So maybe they're not on schedule yet, but they aren't that far off of schedule.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And we're gonna examine some of those things that can happen that can help get them there as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Roster moves, they did release Jalen Mills from the Practice Squad James.
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[SPEAKER_03]: You kind of pointed out why that probably took place.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Well, they've already exhausted his three elevations from the practice squad.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So there's basically now sense to keep them there.
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[SPEAKER_02]: They're probably they're going to let him move on to somewhere else where he can can contribute or maybe adding to the 53 man roster.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe if if Brian branches and ready to go, but I would have assumed that if branch is ready to go that that spot's going to go to branch to Alan Mills.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You know, so with maze and branch back, they got to create two roster spots.
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[SPEAKER_02]: One of those comes from time Kennedy going to IR, maybe the other ones from
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[SPEAKER_03]: uh... maybe rocky scene goes on high are you in a room or no yeah there'll be some shuffling of the roster shuffling of the practice quite weeks back during the uh... by week especially
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[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, again, it's a quarterish of the season in review.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Let's start with the offense.
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[SPEAKER_03]: You guys, five games in the Detroit Lions have a quarter back who is top five in the league in yards.
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[SPEAKER_03]: They have a running back who is top five in the league in yards.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Only team with that.
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[SPEAKER_03]: They also have a wide receiver who's top five in the league in catches.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Plus they have two others just outside the top ten in catches.
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[SPEAKER_03]: The offense is six in yards per game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: You guys at 393 yards per game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And they are tied with the Buffalo Bills for the most point scored.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Averaging 32.8 yards a game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And for anybody at home who cares, that's nine points more than what the bears are averaging per game with the Ben Jonathan offense right now.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So knowing that we have some of those stats there, James, get us started.
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[SPEAKER_03]: What are some of your thoughts on the Detroit Lions offense right now?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the offense is pretty much been what we expected it to be and it went ahead where we hoped it would be it's it's been one of the best in the league and it's the it's the unit it's going to have to carry the team You know if they could just get the defense to be a pretty decent defense it doesn't have to be even be great.
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[SPEAKER_02]: They can win with they can win playing games with that's offense.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So in the the PFF rankings that are out after the after these after five weeks.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Lions have six guys in the top six of their position.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Man, that is incredible.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Think about how many offensive line men are on that list.
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[SPEAKER_03]: You guys, this isn't extremely talented football team.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I think we all can agree on that.
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[SPEAKER_03]: We've all pointed that which led to so many questions early on.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But when you see what they're doing, it is incredible.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Especially with the changes to the offensive line by losing the center before the season started.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And again, Kate Mays may be back for the very next game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: coach.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I want to take me to the offensive line in the offense in general because they have put up incredible numbers.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Now early in the season last year, they put up incredible numbers as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: One thing that was different was a lot of the running back yards last year were inflated a little bit or not what the consistency wasn't there because they were brought up by the big runs.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Now, we haven't had any really big runs.
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[SPEAKER_03]: We have run the ball a little bit more consistency, but it's still a work in progress as you often combine has some moving parts to it.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But what do you see now to the offense right now?
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[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they're clicking, you know, again, which slow starts, you know, three, three last game with three for minus nine and then you still scored that many points.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they're, they're, that's a scary unit, you know, and we know that that's Gary town wise and stuff.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm, you know, one thing I just, I was looking at the, the Gibbs has got like the 540 yards rushing and golfs are on for almost 1500.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So that's a three to one ratio.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I think the lines are probably want to close that up a little bit, again, that's not taken in Valky and everybody else stuff like that, but, you know, three to one passing rushing, I think they want to change that a little bit, you know, the best thing for, you know, a defense is struggling is an offense that keeps the ball.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, you know, a numerator from over, you know, time and possession, and then, you know, it gives the deep keeps the defense out the field.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, when you look at them, they're scary and, and that offensive line is only can continue to get better, you know, we, again, Camel talks about it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it takes about four to five weeks for the offense to get rolling.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Well, we're 32.8 point average in the first five weeks.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So, oh my god, I can't wait till they get rolling.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, for sure, and that's the thing.
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[SPEAKER_03]: The offense that they had a hard time blocking in some games.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And it felt like Jared Gough was under a lot of pressure.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And coach, again, we think it's going to be a work in progress for a couple of different reasons, right?
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[SPEAKER_03]: One, you don't have David Montgomery back there doing some of the past blocking, taking a large number of snaps.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Jimmy or Gibbs is learning and getting better and picking that up.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Obviously, they're bringing C. O'Neighvocke into do some of that as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But then,
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[SPEAKER_03]: we have some new parts on the offensive line that it's going to take time to work together.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But I also want to point out, the line's just started with an easier schedule as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And so we got to keep that in mind with these opponents.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So I don't get overly hyped.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I'm pretty excited about what we're seeing, especially because it seems like things are getting a little bit better most weeks, especially, I mean, that Arizona game was incredible.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But,
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[SPEAKER_03]: What is it about this team that makes you think, okay, the offense can consistently look more like 2024 than like 2025?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think Penson has a lot to do with the two as a new OC, you know, again.
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[SPEAKER_01]: That offensive line is completely changed.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You got a new OC.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You still got the same moving parts on the field.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I'm still with all that talent, the port is healthy.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, not going to stay healthy as well as the other guys.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So I think that's once they figure and once they figure out pets and and go off get on this and they're on the same page don't get me wrong.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just saying fine tune that same page because, again, it's new terminology, it's new language, it's man golf does this best or pet does this, but it's funny because on the sidelines you can't see those two talking, which is normal, but you can really see there's a relationship and there were pets in, you know, I think last week I saw pets in Go, you know, that's a perfect call, let's do that, you know, stuff like that that golf is saying and
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[SPEAKER_01]: uh... you know he's he's he's making that offensive line look good because he gets rid of the ball so quick and and you know he finds the receivers and he throws away when he has to and and uh... but you know i did read a couple national guys this week that said the golf is not doing anything for the alliance it's all junior get so i'm like okay keep that up but anyways um... they're just that you can just see it clicking and it's going to keep clicking and now you got a week off to that fine tune some more things and it'll be fun to see how they come out of the gate when they jump in the division
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[SPEAKER_03]: that it will be in in James your thoughts on those first five weeks like knowing that it's been some opponents that aren't going to be quite as competitive as some of the ones lines are going to be facing again.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I know you can only play the teams you play, but does that still give you confidence in what you're seeing out of this offense versus maybe some false sense of security.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, it is true.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you can only play who the league tells you you're playing.
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[SPEAKER_02]: It's not like college where you can pick and choose You're not a conference games Right Andrew.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, so they're playing who they who they got the rest of the way.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I saw a metric that said that the Lions have the toughest
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[SPEAKER_02]: defensive schedule the rest of the way like they're facing the toughest defenses of at average of anybody in the league the rest of the way.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So it's it's not going to get easier, but this offense can get better, I think, even as the offensive flag gels more.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You still have three young guys.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Actually, I mean, four, you can tell you're struggling in the league, you know, three years or so.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So they got a pretty, you know, offensive line that's jelled pretty well so far.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Um, take Rallage's 13th and those rankings at the PFF to among guards and Blake Miller's 33rd, which is top half of the league, already as a rookie.
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[SPEAKER_02]: considering those that rash of false starts to be taken, but he has not had a sack all season.
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[SPEAKER_02]: He looks, looks the part doesn't look like he's worried nervous out of sorts, and like that.
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[SPEAKER_02]: He looks the part.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So once they get maize in there, if if maize is somehow an upgrade from scrugs, that's even scarier.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, the offensive line, Dan was pretty confident early this off season about how much significantly better the offensive line was going to be.
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[SPEAKER_03]: To me, I think Christian Mahogany is the delight, because that's a guy that a lot of people thought was going to push for a job.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And he probably did get pushed for the job coach, because competition makes everybody elevate.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But you've seen him take steps each year.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And James went over the PFF grades.
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[SPEAKER_03]: If Mahaghan is locking down that left guard spot, and we talked about it, having a tool next to him is going to be something that can help as well.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But the progress you're seeing from this offensive line, and James said these guys should continue to just elevate as they play more games together.
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[SPEAKER_03]: The group has a potential to just continue to grow, and that in itself will just continue to help the run game and this passing game that's already doing really well.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, for sure.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I, you know, let's go out to the PFF grades, you know, sometimes I feel about those, but, uh, they, right, everybody does.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But the lines did end up on, uh, Pat McAfee showed today with AG Shepherd, who's, uh, you know, X, X coaching and, uh, former player and stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And if it went, when they all put his life and ends up in his top five, I'm, I'm pretty excited.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So, and right now they're in his top five, I can't remember exactly where they
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[SPEAKER_01]: But when he's speaking about him in Pat McAfee, that gets me pretty excited.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And Evan Foxy, he gets all excited, especially when they bring lines up, so.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But so I'm going to, with him saying that, I only see that moving forward, especially when you start adding people coming off injured reserve.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Well, and that offensive line is helping Jamir Gibbs get to over 500 yards, right?
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[SPEAKER_03]: Over 500 yards averaging 4.8 yards of carry, and his longest run is only 22 yards.
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[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to say not only, but it's like he has a couple of 70 or 80 yard runs that help bring that number up.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So what that does is it screens consistency.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Now, it hasn't always been consistent in every game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: If we've been watching, and
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[SPEAKER_03]: But as these games go on, I do think it's going to become even more consistent, and so that gives me excitement over Jimmy or Gibbs in the running game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And again, just don't take for granted what we've got out of this running game, because we remember that stretch for how long it went when we didn't have a consistent running game.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And that helps your passing game, and you'd be hard pressed to find a quarterback play and better football right now than Jerry Goff.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Of all the quarterbacks, who rank in like the top 10 for yards, only one other quarterback has not thrown an interception.
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[SPEAKER_03]: And that CJ Stroud, who has half as many touchdowns as Jared Goff.
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[SPEAKER_03]: Everybody else has thrown multiple interceptions.
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[SPEAKER_03]: So,
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[SPEAKER_03]: Jeragov might not have the running stats of some of these other guys, but he's accuracy is on and his ability to make plays is there and his stats are picking up where they arguably left off last year, even though he didn't have the offensive line play.
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[SPEAKER_03]: We've seen him actually deliver some very precise passes and James, you talked about it a couple of shows ago.
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[SPEAKER_03]: He's making passes, you didn't always see him make in the past.
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[SPEAKER_03]: That makes his offense even that much more
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you're seeing him rear back and just gun it every once in a while, but you know, which is not something that he had typically done in years before.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And and throw it a couple of kind of 50, 50 balls not not necessarily 50, 50, but but ones where he's throwing to the to the receivers off shoulder, you know, where it's a much better position for the wider receiver, but it looks.
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[SPEAKER_02]: to the untrained eye, like a 50-50 ball sort of.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And that one, you know, the one throw at the same brown and the goal line, that was just a thing of beauty.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And that was another one where he just gunned it in there and, you know, through a fastball and through a right between two to funders.
16:43.812 --> 16:44.453
[SPEAKER_02]: That was just great.
16:44.853 --> 16:50.998
[SPEAKER_02]: So you're even seeing him do things that he hasn't been doing before, which is a continued progression.
16:52.864 --> 16:56.225
[SPEAKER_03]: And coach, we know you would rush about golf any chance you get.
16:56.265 --> 16:59.606
[SPEAKER_03]: So I'm going to turn you over to the guys who catch the football from golf.
16:59.686 --> 17:03.187
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay, St. Brown, Laporta, Jamo, and Gibbs.
17:03.647 --> 17:07.868
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, Jamir Gibbs has just as many catches to Sam Laporta right now at 27.
17:07.908 --> 17:09.108
[SPEAKER_03]: St. Brown's at 37.
17:09.529 --> 17:12.669
[SPEAKER_03]: Jamo's at 18, but he just got two touchdowns in that last game.
17:13.150 --> 17:15.230
[SPEAKER_03]: And then you've got Tesla's the third guy.
17:15.250 --> 17:17.831
[SPEAKER_03]: And you've got guys like Brock Wright contributing.
17:18.752 --> 17:30.195
[SPEAKER_03]: What are you expecting from this group of receivers as the season goes on and what type of matchups could it create for the other teams or just help golf out?
17:31.133 --> 17:42.005
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, you know, first of all, on golf part throwing, he doesn't throw hospital balls and what I'm talking about is he doesn't throw ball across the level that puts the referee puts the receiver in in arms way.
17:42.385 --> 17:49.993
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I mean, every now and then he does, but, you know, James has brought alluded up to one where he threw it down in a way, you know, the one outside, you know, the port.
17:50.013 --> 17:51.435
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you go back and forth to those.
17:51.815 --> 17:53.495
[SPEAKER_01]: his timing and his structure.
17:53.515 --> 17:58.377
[SPEAKER_01]: So as a receiver, you know that if he throws you the ball, you're probably in pretty good shape.
17:58.417 --> 18:02.198
[SPEAKER_01]: And if it's down a low, you better catch it because he's trying to save you from getting hammered.
18:02.218 --> 18:02.858
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't get it.
18:03.018 --> 18:04.498
[SPEAKER_01]: And like I said, hospital ball.
18:04.959 --> 18:07.599
[SPEAKER_01]: But you know, I mean those those are just things you see.
18:07.899 --> 18:16.122
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think once they start understanding more of the concepts and paths as concepts, you know, they're going to run the routes better.
18:16.142 --> 18:17.822
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to get they're going to get to open quicker.
18:18.202 --> 18:18.802
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, and then
18:21.663 --> 18:27.527
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, some of those, some of the teams are sitting back out of me, look at Jamal, you know, for the first couple of weeks, they're just like, Jamal, what's matter with them?
18:27.547 --> 18:28.228
[SPEAKER_01]: Why is it not catchy?
18:28.248 --> 18:37.855
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, as well, they're playing two high safeties, and they're not going to let them beat deep, but you watch the first or second route last week, you know, they tried to man cover them.
18:37.895 --> 18:43.159
[SPEAKER_01]: And after about 15 yards, you had about eight yard cushion, and golf said, this is this is playing cat.
18:43.199 --> 18:47.322
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I just think that stuff's going to get better, especially when they're out combination start.
18:47.762 --> 18:52.546
[SPEAKER_01]: start clicking a little bit more, you know, in the scheme concept and with the defense.
18:52.746 --> 18:54.567
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I look forward, you know, James said that.
18:54.607 --> 18:58.570
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going against the hardest defensive units coming up with this.
18:59.052 --> 19:02.353
[SPEAKER_01]: That's always going to be magnified and play the Minnesota Vikings twice.
19:03.213 --> 19:07.454
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to give Kudos to for us because the guys are unbelievable.
19:07.855 --> 19:26.180
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm really looking forward to that game because that's going to be the one where they're going to pressure off and we're going to see if he gets to check down and we get the run game started and he's just, you know, so, but anyways, again, them coming together over the next, you know, working on stuff this week, you know, in practice.
19:27.280 --> 19:30.202
[SPEAKER_01]: And then carrying over into the season's going to be, it's going to be fun to watch.
19:30.342 --> 19:33.804
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, it's against opponents, you know, that we play twice.
19:34.204 --> 19:38.347
[SPEAKER_01]: And so those are those think those are when you're going to really see how good this offense is going to be.
19:38.367 --> 19:46.232
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say that I think hospital ball is my favorite new term that's worked its way into the NFL Lexicon in the last couple years.
19:57.248 --> 19:57.508
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
19:57.548 --> 19:57.968
[SPEAKER_03]: Gotcha.
19:59.209 --> 20:09.835
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, James, I don't want that just to be a parade of praise for the lion to this point because they are three and two and they a lot of people thought they'd be four and one at this point.
20:10.515 --> 20:21.461
[SPEAKER_03]: They did just score on seven drives in a row, which is pretty darn incredible, but we don't want to just take what they did against the Arizona Cardinals team with a losing record who's expected to finish the season with a
20:22.561 --> 20:29.424
[SPEAKER_03]: We saw them struggle at times against the jets on offense, trying to put rum, drives together, we saw them against the saints.
20:29.804 --> 20:36.087
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, we also know with preseason being what it is, there's a ramp up period once the season starts.
20:36.668 --> 20:40.689
[SPEAKER_03]: The nice thing is, there haven't been any division games yet, which is what I appreciate.
20:40.970 --> 20:41.150
[SPEAKER_03]: But,
20:42.110 --> 20:54.719
[SPEAKER_03]: is there something James that gives you confidence that you won't see so many of those straight in the house or see so many of those four in four for 13 on third downs with the Lions had in the very last game.
20:55.039 --> 21:00.142
[SPEAKER_03]: Do you see the Lions improving on those categories because those things are going to be important as the season goes on.
21:01.583 --> 21:05.426
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll go back to the PFO for our rankings and look at the ones for the wide receivers.
21:06.206 --> 21:07.507
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm enrassing and proudness 32nd.
21:09.023 --> 21:12.724
[SPEAKER_02]: James and Williams is 69th and Isaac Taisla's 87th.
21:12.964 --> 21:18.545
[SPEAKER_02]: Those numbers will only go up, even though they're going to face good defenses, we know that all those receivers are better than that.
21:19.225 --> 21:27.327
[SPEAKER_02]: Isaac Taisla is 87th out of 114 qualifying wide receivers are played enough snaps to get a PFF rank.
21:27.967 --> 21:30.788
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's only going to get better.
21:31.008 --> 21:36.509
[SPEAKER_02]: That part of the offense, you know, I'm in Rob, it's had a couple of drops here, or there hasn't had that huge game yet,
21:37.849 --> 21:42.614
[SPEAKER_02]: Mr. steady and and you know Jamie some Williams obviously he's had some drops too.
21:42.634 --> 21:45.677
[SPEAKER_02]: That's why his numbers is low with the way it is sure.
21:46.198 --> 21:48.660
[SPEAKER_02]: But the offensive line is given golf time.
21:48.680 --> 21:50.502
[SPEAKER_02]: He's he's staying clean.
21:50.522 --> 21:55.928
[SPEAKER_02]: I think this offense I think is going to continue to to put up points.
21:56.108 --> 22:00.532
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just a matter of how much the defense can can hold the other team back here.
22:00.552 --> 22:00.613
[SPEAKER_02]: So.
22:01.893 --> 22:02.614
[SPEAKER_03]: Coach, how about you?
22:02.654 --> 22:08.298
[SPEAKER_03]: Is there something that gives you confidence that the lions won't repeat some of those mistakes that they had early out in the season?
22:09.218 --> 22:15.883
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think they're, you know, they're going to, they're going to, um, here's the thing is I'm going to bring up the AG concept of the jet's concept that is struggle.
22:15.963 --> 22:22.188
[SPEAKER_01]: You're talking about a defense coordinator that was in, or a guy that's the head coach of a team that was in camp with the lions with all these guys.
22:22.588 --> 22:24.910
[SPEAKER_01]: And he knows all their little, the, the saint.
22:25.770 --> 22:27.391
[SPEAKER_01]: Cots the jamo thing.
22:27.471 --> 22:46.921
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, those are things that really step up and people don't realize that the familiarity of being, you know, in those things, yeah, granted it's a different OC, but it's still, it's still the bodies and you're still talking about AG, you know, he, tell me he didn't go through all summer when he saw them on a schedule and said, I'm going to make sure we,
22:47.221 --> 22:48.843
[SPEAKER_01]: Our defense plays well against these guys.
22:48.883 --> 22:50.124
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, those are things that happen.
22:50.504 --> 22:53.527
[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, the Saints and stuff like that.
22:53.567 --> 22:55.809
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I just, I don't see it happen.
22:55.829 --> 23:05.138
[SPEAKER_01]: I see the run, I see the run game getting better, even though it's been pretty decent, just because of the continuity of the offensive line working together.
23:05.618 --> 23:06.819
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, in people...
23:07.560 --> 23:20.290
[SPEAKER_01]: excuse me, people are doing different things to stop the lion's and, you know, I think Pat's will find that in a spell, you know, and again, I'm going to go back to the offensive lion as they continue to gel and get better.
23:21.051 --> 23:24.353
[SPEAKER_01]: That, you know, those things are going to change, and I just, I don't see the three adults.
23:24.614 --> 23:25.695
[SPEAKER_01]: And here's one thing on the,
23:26.275 --> 23:47.891
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think you asked me about it this earlier this week, Matt, and it's why do we have why do we have these slow starts and there's somebody dead, and I Friend of mine called me and asked me and I said, you know what, maybe pet things not that guy that he he can he's an He controls the game within the game, so as those first couple series go on
23:48.732 --> 24:07.601
[SPEAKER_01]: he picks a team of partners as all this is what they're going to do to me, you know, some of the other offense coordinators can come up with with a gimmick within a drive or something like that and and I think Pat's just does such a great job of analyzing, you know, one, two, three drives and then realize, okay, this is what you're going to do on me.
24:07.641 --> 24:09.361
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, guess what, this is what we're going to do.
24:09.441 --> 24:12.123
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't, you know, slow starts kind of bum me out, but
24:12.883 --> 24:18.708
[SPEAKER_01]: Like Jared Goff says, if we score six, seven times in a row, after we go out in the first three, I think we're going to be okay.
24:20.229 --> 24:28.616
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and also the Lions have had a number of self-inflicted wounds as far as pre-snap penalties and other mistakes like that.
24:28.676 --> 24:34.221
[SPEAKER_03]: That hopefully are continuing to get cleaned up the more games that play together, the more they have in the season.
24:35.256 --> 24:42.746
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, James, anything else you wanted to talk about before we move on from the offense.
24:44.638 --> 24:45.539
[SPEAKER_02]: No, I think you're pretty good.
24:45.559 --> 24:50.843
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, like you said, I mean, the penalties can get cleaned up, but that's a thing, that's an easy thing you can do in-house.
24:51.403 --> 24:53.365
[SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully, yeah, you hope you can.
24:54.426 --> 24:57.108
[SPEAKER_02]: But that's a totally, that thing it's on you.
24:57.168 --> 24:59.990
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not, I don't think it's a defense causing that or anything.
25:00.050 --> 25:03.833
[SPEAKER_02]: It's, you know, Blake Miller is a young guy and getting used to things.
25:03.973 --> 25:08.837
[SPEAKER_02]: But everything from him is looked good aside from the couple of fall starts here and there.
25:10.358 --> 25:23.587
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, one thing on that thing is said, Matt, I think you brought it up for James that about the ranking of the wider severs, you know, if same brown got 24 targets in one game, he probably would be a little bit higher up on that, but we don't have to target one receiver 24 times.
25:25.062 --> 25:33.567
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, and I think that's the other thing I like is, and some games we've started seeing a much more balanced approach of spreading the ball around early in the season.
25:33.927 --> 25:39.510
[SPEAKER_03]: It felt like it was Jemo and St. Brown, Jemo and St. Brown and Jamir and Jamir and Jamir and Jamir.
25:39.930 --> 25:44.173
[SPEAKER_03]: And then you're getting, we saw the last couple games what Sam Laporta has done.
25:44.513 --> 25:48.135
[SPEAKER_03]: And then we saw the Jemo effect opening things up for Tesla.
25:48.515 --> 25:50.857
[SPEAKER_03]: So I do agree, and I think you're just gonna
25:53.418 --> 25:58.900
[SPEAKER_03]: the offense by other guys having roles because other guys are creating openings for them.
26:00.721 --> 26:01.741
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a great point coach.
26:02.822 --> 26:07.944
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, before we move on, we want to let you know and say thank you to our supporting sponsor Cherry Republic.
26:07.964 --> 26:17.128
[SPEAKER_03]: From their famous chocolate-covered cherries to their cherry salsa and so much more folks, they're helping people enjoy the best of northern Michigan snacks, one bite and a time.
26:17.448 --> 26:19.629
[SPEAKER_03]: Check them out at cherryrepoblec.com.
26:19.649 --> 26:22.230
[SPEAKER_03]: That's life, Liberty beaches, and pie.
26:23.188 --> 26:42.006
[SPEAKER_03]: okay we did the easy part of the show we had the fun part of the show that this isn't the unfun part of the show but this is the challenge part of the show but what will ease in on the defense and talk about the defensive line all right but i want to talk about something with you guys uh at first year first off the lions have
26:42.827 --> 26:49.769
[SPEAKER_03]: A top 5, a top 10, and a top 15 player with sacks in the NFL right now, right?
26:50.009 --> 26:54.431
[SPEAKER_03]: A guy ranked in the top 5, a guy in the top 10, a guy in the top 15, can you name them?
26:55.611 --> 26:57.312
[SPEAKER_03]: Sorry to put you on the spot, but you probably can.
26:57.592 --> 26:58.052
[SPEAKER_03]: Who do you got?
26:59.125 --> 27:00.346
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, such a leem in one of them.
27:00.826 --> 27:01.567
[SPEAKER_03]: There you go.
27:01.767 --> 27:02.507
[SPEAKER_03]: Can you believe that?
27:02.848 --> 27:07.611
[SPEAKER_03]: So they have three guys in the top 15 after five weeks.
27:08.031 --> 27:12.114
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know that something you could have said a long, for a long time here.
27:12.695 --> 27:12.935
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
27:12.955 --> 27:14.816
[SPEAKER_03]: So that that front for is looking good.
27:15.176 --> 27:17.478
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, I'm not saying our defense is good.
27:17.838 --> 27:20.220
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not, I'm not making excuses for how bad they've been.
27:20.420 --> 27:21.461
[SPEAKER_03]: But I just want to point something out.
27:21.821 --> 27:24.063
[SPEAKER_03]: They are dead last in yards aloud.
27:24.583 --> 27:25.464
[SPEAKER_03]: Dead last.
27:26.044 --> 27:31.707
[SPEAKER_03]: Can you guess who are the two teams that are just slightly better?
27:31.948 --> 27:36.590
[SPEAKER_03]: One gives up 395 yards instead of the 404.
27:36.931 --> 27:38.071
[SPEAKER_03]: The other one gives up 388.
27:38.912 --> 27:40.413
[SPEAKER_03]: Any idea who those two teams might be?
27:42.205 --> 27:42.585
[SPEAKER_03]: Dallas.
27:43.386 --> 27:45.026
[SPEAKER_03]: Dallas is the one right behind them.
27:45.086 --> 27:45.647
[SPEAKER_03]: Yep.
27:45.687 --> 27:50.229
[SPEAKER_03]: That's $3.95 at $388 is the Buffalo bills.
27:50.309 --> 27:50.749
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, guys.
27:50.769 --> 27:52.590
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I was going to say.
27:52.650 --> 27:53.070
[SPEAKER_03]: The bills.
27:53.531 --> 27:53.891
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
27:54.091 --> 27:56.112
[SPEAKER_03]: So it would not have guessed that.
27:56.652 --> 28:03.075
[SPEAKER_03]: And the lions are 29th in points aloud, not good right towards the bottom.
28:03.276 --> 28:05.517
[SPEAKER_03]: Guess who's 28th you guys coach?
28:06.677 --> 28:07.978
[SPEAKER_03]: God, that bill's got to be up there.
28:08.278 --> 28:09.259
[SPEAKER_03]: And it's the bills again.
28:09.799 --> 28:16.385
[SPEAKER_03]: So again, you don't hear people say and it's about the bills because the bill beat the lines pretty handily, but I just want to point that out.
28:16.705 --> 28:18.907
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, I don't want to live there.
28:19.307 --> 28:21.609
[SPEAKER_03]: Don't want the lion's defense to stay there this year.
28:22.049 --> 28:23.870
[SPEAKER_03]: It needs to change, it needs to improve.
28:24.551 --> 28:32.938
[SPEAKER_03]: I think we'd all be in agreement if they got to be a top 20 defense, like 19 or 20, that would be a huge improvement.
28:33.638 --> 28:35.240
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's talk about this defense so far.
28:35.280 --> 28:36.561
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's start the fun part though.
28:36.841 --> 28:39.544
[SPEAKER_03]: The front four that front defensive line coach.
28:39.564 --> 28:41.426
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to start with you because you are the coordinator.
28:41.886 --> 28:44.228
[SPEAKER_03]: The lions have a pass rush like we haven't seen.
28:44.248 --> 28:53.257
[SPEAKER_03]: And maybe they're adjusting to it because they're sometimes not keeping their lanes outside and containing because they're suddenly getting to the quarterback that much more.
28:53.557 --> 28:55.219
[SPEAKER_03]: But what are you seeing out of this defensive line?
28:56.340 --> 29:00.302
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you know, the run stop and ability, you can see it's across the board.
29:00.362 --> 29:07.164
[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, we were concerned and worried about losing a couple of big, you know, a couple of low peasant and, uh, and Williams Williams, right?
29:07.184 --> 29:07.325
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:07.485 --> 29:08.145
[SPEAKER_03]: Reader.
29:08.545 --> 29:08.825
[SPEAKER_01]: Reader.
29:08.845 --> 29:09.605
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Williams.
29:09.645 --> 29:10.626
[SPEAKER_01]: We still have everyone playing.
29:10.646 --> 29:11.226
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:11.366 --> 29:15.148
[SPEAKER_01]: No, we were worried about the plunkers, but, but I think they're coming around.
29:15.168 --> 29:20.250
[SPEAKER_01]: They're using, you know, they're using guys that we're like, wow, these guys are playing, you know, on situations.
29:20.990 --> 29:23.934
[SPEAKER_01]: you know, we're getting pressure on, we're still doing great job against the run.
29:24.454 --> 29:27.518
[SPEAKER_01]: Concepts, you know, we've played some decent teams again.
29:27.798 --> 29:37.069
[SPEAKER_01]: We haven't played the elite offensive teams, but they're with the pressures are getting on there, with the bad evolves in the last game, you know, the past breakups.
29:38.030 --> 29:38.731
[SPEAKER_01]: the sacks.
29:38.891 --> 29:42.832
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, there's, you know, that, that, that, and that, again, is only going to get better.
29:43.653 --> 29:45.454
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk about the linebackers in a minute.
29:45.814 --> 29:59.640
[SPEAKER_01]: Some of the, you know, things I see in the linebackers, but just to watch, in the different, in the different bodies we're using in this situation, and, and able to, able to sub-guise in and get pressures, and, and, you know, let's get no point right now.
29:59.680 --> 30:02.582
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Hodges, everybody talks about Hodges, you know, Hodges, Hodges,
30:03.122 --> 30:14.951
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, he's great and he's one of the top five, you know, top two, top, whatever, whatever you want to say, but these other guys are adding to it and that's what's so much fun to watch because it's, it's not just such anymore.
30:15.091 --> 30:22.977
[SPEAKER_01]: It's, uh, it's a, you know, an army of army of delightmen, which they talked about in the offseason that was probably going to happen.
30:24.245 --> 30:34.628
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I mean, DJ Oneum is replaced al-Qadin Muhammad and going to ascend beyond what he'd had for an impact as my opinion throughout this season.
30:34.648 --> 30:37.289
[SPEAKER_03]: It's already looking like it from the get-go.
30:37.509 --> 30:44.951
[SPEAKER_03]: And Alimic Neal James has returned to the form he was when he got that contract extension from the lions.
30:45.091 --> 30:49.352
[SPEAKER_03]: Those two things right there changed the calculus for what Aiden Hutchinson deals with.
30:50.012 --> 31:10.802
[SPEAKER_02]: what are your thoughts and we there's other guys we haven't even mentioned yet but you know Williams is in a second year what are your thoughts on this defensive line and working at go yeah well a lima already has almost as many sacks as he had that year when he got the huge contract yeah i think you had five that year and that's his car i think is five
31:11.953 --> 31:14.055
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you know, so he's already got four this year.
31:14.136 --> 31:16.478
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, Alima's Alima's totally back.
31:17.059 --> 31:21.063
[SPEAKER_02]: One of them is, one of them is Alkadi Mohammed, who can also play the run.
31:22.165 --> 31:23.506
[SPEAKER_03]: That was a good way of putting that.
31:23.526 --> 31:23.846
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
31:26.247 --> 31:30.431
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, that was, that was Muhammad's problem is that he wasn't as stowed against the run.
31:30.811 --> 31:32.472
[SPEAKER_02]: The one and doesn't have any problem doing that.
31:33.193 --> 31:36.756
[SPEAKER_02]: Another guy that's been kind of an unsung hero here is Lacy.
31:37.757 --> 31:41.740
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, he doesn't put up the big numbers, he doesn't make the flashy plays or anything like that.
31:41.780 --> 31:48.986
[SPEAKER_02]: But he's there setting the edge and being that big defensive end who sets the edge that they want in this defense.
31:49.687 --> 31:54.391
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's kind of a thankless job, but he's going to have a career in the NFL if he keeps doing it.
31:55.032 --> 31:56.659
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, for free for a few years at least.
31:58.438 --> 32:05.680
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and I like the fact that one I'm is taking advantage of this, but he's doing what the Lions defensive coaches have wanted.
32:06.060 --> 32:12.961
[SPEAKER_03]: Someone on the other end of the line from Hutch, taking advantage of more one-on-one situations and getting it done.
32:13.482 --> 32:23.044
[SPEAKER_03]: And the fact that he's got five sacked and is tied for fourth with most sacks and the NFL right now means they found the right guy for that job coach, and that's really exciting.
32:23.684 --> 32:27.085
[SPEAKER_03]: Anything else you want to add on the defensive line or just go right to the Lionbackers coach
32:29.105 --> 32:57.102
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, yeah, I was going to write the line back because, you know, here's the thing is, you know, we got grades and Campbell isn't playing well and, and here's the thing that people don't realize, we lost, lost Alex and Saloni, he left, he, you know, he was a big part of this team, you know, he was, he was the green dot and then Campbell took over the green dot, you know, and I, and I talked about that because then you had two leadership guys and I'm not saying Barnes and I'm not saying Rodriguez and those guys are not leaders, but guys that probably don't understand the game,
32:57.683 --> 32:59.205
[SPEAKER_01]: An Anzoning was the cover guy.
32:59.225 --> 33:02.129
[SPEAKER_01]: You know Anzoning could cover anybody all over the field and stuff like that.
33:02.189 --> 33:06.696
[SPEAKER_01]: So again, these are three three new guys playing in this situation
33:08.647 --> 33:13.051
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to say three new guys, but three different, you know, different starter concepts.
33:13.472 --> 33:16.415
[SPEAKER_01]: And then Campbell, I was sitting here and it's your, it's your game.
33:16.655 --> 33:18.957
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, last your camel played terrific, right?
33:18.977 --> 33:19.978
[SPEAKER_01]: He had Garli's grades.
33:19.998 --> 33:21.520
[SPEAKER_01]: He was all proud stuff like that.
33:21.960 --> 33:22.961
[SPEAKER_01]: But you got to think about it.
33:22.981 --> 33:29.808
[SPEAKER_01]: You also had Anne Zaloney next to him, you know, Anne Zaloney barking in his ear and Anne Zaloney told me to do this and Anne Zaloney told me to do that.
33:29.868 --> 33:30.188
[SPEAKER_01]: And so,
33:30.628 --> 33:34.151
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't I see that I see that group getting better.
33:34.532 --> 33:47.342
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think one of the biggest things that the lines I don't want their line back in court to is they're moving guys around, you know, Trevor's getting 30 reps and then he's getting nine and and then you got barns and then white came in and there he was in white and certain situations sorry that he got hurt.
33:47.823 --> 33:49.384
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, you know, there he was.
33:50.104 --> 33:54.989
[SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of by committee right now and it'll be interesting to see how it settles in number.
33:55.049 --> 33:57.891
[SPEAKER_01]: Once it settles into those three guys that they can count all the time.
33:58.251 --> 34:08.098
[SPEAKER_01]: then they should be in great shape and and I mean again I'm looking forward to them getting better as it goes on as they get together and and as they learn their roles.
34:09.458 --> 34:13.201
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah that makes a lot of sense because there has been a lot of confusion.
34:13.601 --> 34:22.007
[SPEAKER_03]: Linebackers and secondary James and I think the big shock was some of those post game interviews we saw with Jack Campbell just you know
34:23.648 --> 34:39.719
[SPEAKER_03]: not night and day from what we saw last year and so the linebacker room again we know it was going to be different with antelone being gone like coach said and you don't just lose the players ability you learn the you lose the experience but this wasn't what we expected from the linebacking core coming in.
34:41.260 --> 34:49.388
[SPEAKER_02]: No, and I think it's because early they were playing so much zone and it's something that was completely new to a bunch of them because they played man so much before.
34:50.549 --> 34:57.657
[SPEAKER_02]: The linebackers would sometimes drop into zones in front of that man, but so I think it was different roles.
34:57.857 --> 35:02.942
[SPEAKER_02]: And like he said, getting the dot on his helmet is something and extra.
35:04.164 --> 35:05.305
[SPEAKER_02]: thing that he asked to deal with.
35:05.365 --> 35:12.609
[SPEAKER_02]: But the cardinals, if you look at the game against the cardinals, the cardinals came into this game as a good running team.
35:12.649 --> 35:14.870
[SPEAKER_02]: They were their top half of the league.
35:15.211 --> 35:18.232
[SPEAKER_02]: They're 16th in the league and rushing success rate at 41%.
35:18.593 --> 35:21.094
[SPEAKER_02]: The Lions held them to 22% on that.
35:22.375 --> 35:27.338
[SPEAKER_02]: So, they're a pretty solid running team and the Lions made them look like a really bad running team.
35:28.258 --> 35:28.618
[SPEAKER_02]: in that.
35:28.719 --> 35:36.844
[SPEAKER_02]: So, um, and if you look at it, the packers and the bears are below the cardinals by a bit in that.
35:37.304 --> 35:39.286
[SPEAKER_02]: So, that builds well for the future.
35:40.046 --> 35:43.048
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, Jeremy I love was held to 1.8 yards of carry.
35:44.009 --> 35:48.192
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, he'd never only never had that happen once in 41 games in college.
35:49.420 --> 35:51.462
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, well, and that, that's what gives me hope.
35:51.482 --> 36:06.516
[SPEAKER_03]: And I know Jeremiah loves banged up a little bit and 100%, but the fact that the Lions, if they can make the team one-dimensional, because that's what Dan Campbell says they want to do, is force you to pass the ball, and that way you can game-plan a little bit better against them.
36:07.217 --> 36:13.503
[SPEAKER_03]: That gives me hope, because when the teams are able to do both successfully, like we saw in Buffalo, then forget about it, you know?
36:14.484 --> 36:21.367
[SPEAKER_03]: but let's get to defensive backs and then we're going to go back to that scheme you brought up James about the zone aspect and stuff.
36:21.667 --> 36:24.408
[SPEAKER_03]: But let's just talk defensive backs secondary for a minute.
36:25.068 --> 36:28.310
[SPEAKER_03]: Right now, you know, the lion's at safety have had some injuries.
36:28.390 --> 36:30.610
[SPEAKER_03]: We know Brian branch and Kirby Joseph are currently out.
36:30.831 --> 36:33.992
[SPEAKER_03]: Brian branch is very close to being back as practice window has started.
36:34.632 --> 36:35.993
[SPEAKER_03]: He might be back for the next game.
36:36.293 --> 36:38.714
[SPEAKER_03]: Kirby Joseph, nobody has known anything for about a
36:39.674 --> 37:00.494
[SPEAKER_03]: And then you've got other guys who have been knocked out Thomas Harper's on IR, you've got Christian Izzyan in there, you've got Chuck Clark and Keith Abney now, playing at safety, and then the defensive back room, you've got DJ Reed as your number one, and you've got McCreary and Rakestrott in there depending if it's a nickel or base set with Izzyan as well.
37:00.974 --> 37:01.174
[SPEAKER_03]: So,
37:01.995 --> 37:23.745
[SPEAKER_03]: you're talking about moving linebackers around they've been moving the second area around like crazy and so james what do you make of that secondary group right now i mean we saw improvement in that Arizona game and obviously like we talked about in the last episode those stats like in the fourth quarter i mean the game was already in hand things are a little different at that point but
37:26.032 --> 37:30.415
[SPEAKER_03]: Are you optimistic that this can improve or where you feel and about this group?
37:30.715 --> 37:36.719
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm optimistic because we've seen read get better throughout the season.
37:36.739 --> 37:38.640
[SPEAKER_02]: He played pretty well last week.
37:38.700 --> 37:40.662
[SPEAKER_02]: We saw a rake straw play pretty well.
37:40.902 --> 37:45.925
[SPEAKER_02]: We saw Keith Adney who is the one who got to get the headlines because he played a lot at safety out of position.
37:45.945 --> 37:47.846
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, the position he hasn't played since middle school.
37:49.568 --> 37:51.949
[SPEAKER_02]: and played pretty well.
37:53.490 --> 38:06.500
[SPEAKER_02]: One of the things that started out to me about the air is on a game, is that it wasn't until afterwards when I was watching a couple clips here or there, I didn't even realize that Ennis Rakestra played in that game while I was watching it because they never threw his way.
38:07.220 --> 38:29.585
[SPEAKER_02]: he was on his guy so tight that they just didn't throw his leg I think they had total vision for McCreary that game but they came into that game thinking they were going to target Roger McCreary and I think they targeted him like 21 times or 17 times something from McCreary and they just didn't even go at rake straw so he's his guy was only targeted like three or four times one catch
38:30.265 --> 38:32.086
[SPEAKER_02]: for like 10 yards or something.
38:32.126 --> 38:34.247
[SPEAKER_02]: So the Rakesh try had a really good game.
38:34.847 --> 38:39.169
[SPEAKER_02]: You can only play to about half the snaps if that, but when he was in there, he was really good.
38:39.189 --> 38:47.552
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, Coach, Rakesh draw is a guy who hasn't been able to be on the field, so we haven't known when we got out of him.
38:48.032 --> 38:50.353
[SPEAKER_03]: And so he's been injured the last couple of seasons.
38:50.753 --> 38:57.056
[SPEAKER_03]: You see him potentially working in a suitable role and his role may continue to expand.
39:00.117 --> 39:03.820
[SPEAKER_03]: defensive backs, safety, how are you feeling about this group?
39:04.100 --> 39:07.223
[SPEAKER_03]: Are the lions maybe close to settling on their guys?
39:07.263 --> 39:11.287
[SPEAKER_03]: And once they do that, will that help the defense get that much more confident?
39:12.908 --> 39:16.431
[SPEAKER_01]: No doubt when you add branch back that you know that's the thing.
39:17.039 --> 39:18.720
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, we know what the answer is all about.
39:18.820 --> 39:21.321
[SPEAKER_01]: And here's the other thing too with what the safety is getting injured.
39:21.341 --> 39:22.002
[SPEAKER_01]: We had to move guys.
39:22.042 --> 39:24.603
[SPEAKER_01]: We have heard broad certain guys in to be necklaces.
39:24.643 --> 39:26.905
[SPEAKER_01]: It'll be the neck, we brought certain guys in to be safety.
39:27.325 --> 39:30.166
[SPEAKER_01]: And then first of all, you start with your top two out.
39:30.227 --> 39:33.388
[SPEAKER_01]: Then you have the second and third guys that come in and then they get hurt.
39:33.829 --> 39:40.052
[SPEAKER_01]: And then Rakesh, straw, of course, you know, kind of fell off, kind of got banged up and camp and things like that.
39:40.092 --> 39:41.353
[SPEAKER_01]: So we missed those practices.
39:41.893 --> 39:53.379
[SPEAKER_01]: And now you're starting to see that, hey, this guy is pretty talented, you know, even though he's been injured for two years in, you know, hopefully stays, you know, and, and again, they were, you know, they were getting picked on a ton early.
39:53.419 --> 40:06.787
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, and again, tenfold, we had a great first half against the Saints and we had a horrible second half and then we carried four bad, four bad quarters in against Buffalo and then boom, it's oh my god, they're horrible.
40:07.487 --> 40:11.050
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, it's a scheme concept, who is your leader?
40:11.071 --> 40:12.612
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, I'm going to go back to the leadership.
40:12.652 --> 40:14.554
[SPEAKER_01]: Who is the leader in that second area?
40:15.214 --> 40:18.798
[SPEAKER_01]: Who's calling the coverage is, that is huge, you guys.
40:18.818 --> 40:26.184
[SPEAKER_01]: Communication is so big in the second area, as well as in the lineback DeLime and they just kind of line up, say I'll go right, you go, and now I'm just kidding.
40:26.545 --> 40:32.791
[SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, and so you're, first of all, you're, you lose your top two or three or your top four, probably.
40:33.391 --> 41:00.733
[SPEAKER_01]: uh... then you who is leading it now you're moving a guy or a new and that you make the calls will then we lose mattics and and so you're you know you're you're you're you're you're you're it's not as bad as it seems from my standpoint you know it's it's it's it can we can we get around and i'm gonna bring up the abbey thing again you know i you know and i think i talked about last show but you know they've talked about abbey about how smart he is uh... of a football player and then he plays safety all center defences doing pretty well
41:01.393 --> 41:03.894
[SPEAKER_01]: so is that he control the coverage is back there.
41:04.674 --> 41:06.275
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, there's, you know, it's stuff.
41:06.295 --> 41:08.376
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm, I'm optimistic about it.
41:08.616 --> 41:21.360
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, if we play, you know, if we play it, you know, half is good, or, you know, three quarters as good as we did against, uh, Arizona this past week, we're going to be in a really good shape with a scoring 32.8 points of game on offense.
41:21.400 --> 41:22.921
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm looking forward to it.
41:23.361 --> 41:23.481
[SPEAKER_01]: So
41:25.393 --> 41:27.655
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, we're going to learn a lot more about this team.
41:28.455 --> 41:37.942
[SPEAKER_03]: Staying on the secondary minute, coach, I want to go back to you to go deeper into what James brought up, which you hear a lot of people talking about, even commentators.
41:38.362 --> 41:41.544
[SPEAKER_03]: Zone versus man defense, okay?
41:41.945 --> 41:49.390
[SPEAKER_03]: So we hear so much about the lines you're doing this to do in that, so let's dive in each game, the lines play a combination of zone and man defense.
41:49.790 --> 41:59.576
[SPEAKER_03]: And the most recent game I think it was like 30% man defense and the rest was on but other times I think it's been half that like 15% man the rest zone.
41:59.916 --> 42:06.079
[SPEAKER_03]: Now we know that the opponent they play each week those tendencies are going to help dictate the scheme.
42:06.680 --> 42:09.721
[SPEAKER_03]: But let's break it down kind of simple first question.
42:10.442 --> 42:14.244
[SPEAKER_03]: Why don't teams just play man defense all the time just go cover your guy.
42:15.368 --> 42:36.001
[SPEAKER_01]: that's that's easy in the backyard but this is the NFL the NFL often sells tickets defense weapons championships but let me say it again often sells tickets the the system the defense the system and the rules and stuff like that are set up for these 30 point games nobody wants to watch the 10 7 game I do I love 10 7 games especially yeah
42:36.941 --> 42:40.803
[SPEAKER_01]: But you know, and so that's that's the biggest thing about the second thing.
42:40.843 --> 42:45.025
[SPEAKER_01]: So oh, let's just talk about the bumper on you can touch a wide receiver for five yards.
42:45.425 --> 42:47.166
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, the receiver knows his route.
42:47.206 --> 42:52.608
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you're going to man car room, you better have you better have two three great corners.
42:52.848 --> 42:56.550
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, a great athletic corners that that can man these guys up.
42:56.937 --> 43:07.908
[SPEAKER_01]: Because after five yards, the offense wins because they can they can put their foot in the dirt, they can they can run dig routes, they can check the middle field, they can, you know, they can run stop and goes.
43:08.408 --> 43:12.172
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, there's you know, if we talk, you know, man, I mean, there's just so much to it.
43:12.632 --> 43:13.173
[SPEAKER_01]: And again.
43:14.054 --> 43:40.653
[SPEAKER_01]: you know you're saying now look at look at the line we just talked about the lines right now okay the lines have three wide receivers and a tight end and are running back find me four or five guys that can cover any of those guys man man there's not you can't afford it and so I think that's one of the biggest things people have to understand so back to the back to the so you have to disguise it you have to run some out you have to run some man you have to run some zone you know reasons for there's reasons for doing both
43:41.013 --> 43:53.389
[SPEAKER_03]: the the situations when like they're playing a team like Buffalo though if you're running man defense that gives Josh Allen a great opportunity to run down the field because they're chasing the wide receivers, right?
43:54.807 --> 44:14.071
[SPEAKER_01]: What did Josh Allen do on most of Monday night footballers on a night football rush for over a hundred yards against the Rams against the Rams against the Rams you know the elite got the you know the best the best team They were they were number one and it's gonna win super ball against Rams and guess what Josh Allen ate him alive with his feet So yeah, you're gonna turn your back to Josh Allen.
44:14.091 --> 44:20.152
[SPEAKER_01]: He could go had you know you better have some great fast rushers and you better keep them in the pocket And you put it put a spy on him.
44:20.172 --> 44:23.213
[SPEAKER_01]: Well now if you put a spy on him somebody's wide open that situation, so
44:23.673 --> 44:45.654
[SPEAKER_01]: you just can't you just can't you can't you have to disguise it and you have to run multiple you have to run different types of coverages and you can go zone man some people zone half side half man and and man on the other side I mean there's so many different things you can do and with the way these quarterbacks out and with the receivers are you better be elite and it's not not happening
44:46.603 --> 44:55.525
[SPEAKER_02]: Right, so the fun the fun stat from that Ram's game is that Josh Allen only threw the ball in 19 times Whereas poooker got 24 targets.
44:56.725 --> 44:57.725
[SPEAKER_03]: That's crazy.
44:58.446 --> 45:13.969
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah So so briefly then coach the advantage of playing zone because like well wait They just find the open spot in the zone and they just drop it in there and that's kind of what's happened to the lions But if you're playing zone effectively, what's the advantage of that?
45:14.749 --> 45:22.053
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, the big thing is, and here's the thing, an idea of this, you know, every day on the, on the ice cold level, you know, what's zoned in what's man?
45:22.133 --> 45:27.315
[SPEAKER_01]: Zoned as your cover, a section of grass, and you're waiting for the wide receiver to come in there.
45:27.335 --> 45:29.796
[SPEAKER_01]: When the wide receiver comes in there, your eyes are on the quarterback.
45:30.297 --> 45:32.798
[SPEAKER_01]: When the quarterback releases the ball, that's when you break on the ball.
45:33.418 --> 45:36.580
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you can disguise those zone types, zone concepts,
45:37.380 --> 45:41.502
[SPEAKER_01]: with some man concepts with it, then that's where the interceptions come.
45:41.522 --> 45:43.143
[SPEAKER_01]: That's where the PBU's come.
45:43.503 --> 45:48.445
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, you're not going to stop any of these out of Felcordbacks.
45:48.505 --> 45:49.526
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to happen.
45:49.546 --> 45:54.428
[SPEAKER_01]: You're not going to shut down any of these elite receivers, but you have to minimize their success.
45:55.008 --> 46:03.392
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's one of the biggest things with what people don't understand is, you know, if you can disguise it, you know, and I'm going to bring up two things.
46:03.452 --> 46:03.892
[SPEAKER_01]: The lines
46:06.013 --> 46:09.516
[SPEAKER_01]: social media hammered when we're bringing it all out blitz.
46:10.237 --> 46:17.343
[SPEAKER_01]: We're bringing it all out blitz and then they had those little dump passes, you know, um, um, oh my god, who was it two weeks ago?
46:17.423 --> 46:18.624
[SPEAKER_01]: Why am I going to be drawing a blank?
46:19.285 --> 46:20.386
[SPEAKER_01]: Who the lines play two weeks ago?
46:22.128 --> 46:22.549
[SPEAKER_02]: Carolina.
46:23.010 --> 46:23.310
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah.
46:23.330 --> 46:24.071
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Carol.
46:24.131 --> 46:24.371
[SPEAKER_01]: 100.
46:24.832 --> 46:25.052
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
46:25.153 --> 46:28.517
[SPEAKER_01]: And, and Bryce and Bryce was having a field day.
46:29.078 --> 46:38.691
[SPEAKER_01]: They're bringing it all up once and he was just getting those quick release those RPO releases those, you know, those one and a half to second releases and we're not bringing anybody down to cover those own concepts.
46:38.771 --> 46:38.992
[SPEAKER_01]: Well,
46:40.095 --> 46:50.038
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, the concept in that may have been, say, we're going after him if we don't get to him, don't let him score, or live to play another down, where we didn't let him score, even though they nicknamed him, Dimesis, the Dath until they scored.
46:50.538 --> 47:05.502
[SPEAKER_01]: And so those are the concepts that you don't, and then the reason I bring that up is because I'm going to talk about Flora as Flora has put six, seven, eight guys up on Alliance Grimage, and you don't know who's coming, and you don't know who's dropping, and that's where the confusion gets set in.
47:09.983 --> 47:27.443
[SPEAKER_01]: one dimensional team you know for us when he with all these guys lined up with flora's he's saying we're going to stop the run you're going to pass but you have no idea what zone I'm dropping into they're not dropping in the man carpets they are doing some man of course but and and then that's where they that's where they catch you so
47:28.154 --> 47:40.144
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and again, you know, what, what chefs doing at I saw improvement, I saw I saw changes and they ran and more man this week than they have all season if I believe is correct.
47:40.244 --> 47:43.326
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, because it was 30 like I think it's 30 and that's more.
47:43.686 --> 47:48.910
[SPEAKER_01]: And now he's starting to sprinkle in where last year we were more man man than the zone.
47:49.271 --> 47:52.393
[SPEAKER_01]: Now he's starting to sprinkle things in which is going to keep quarterback's guessing.
47:52.934 --> 47:53.094
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
47:53.254 --> 47:54.135
[SPEAKER_02]: Last week was 53.7% man.
47:56.484 --> 48:02.091
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, wait, the highest percentage of men by far this season against the bills they rent five percent.
48:03.072 --> 48:06.536
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know where I got that 30 number, but wow, that's 50 percent.
48:06.576 --> 48:06.777
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
48:07.057 --> 48:12.784
[SPEAKER_03]: And we saw the change it up effectively against the Chicago Bears the final week of the season last year.
48:12.864 --> 48:14.887
[SPEAKER_03]: So there is a situation for it.
48:15.968 --> 48:28.040
[SPEAKER_01]: They're all there is, and it's, and it's, again, what are you going to do and how can you, you know, as a middle of the field open, you know, it's covered to, well, and they close it, you know, with the cover with, you know, with the high, high safety and stuff like that.
48:28.120 --> 48:35.107
[SPEAKER_01]: I think, I think once he gets that figured out as well as, again, as long as he's not at linebacker, even though Campbell's a stud.
48:35.687 --> 48:49.078
[SPEAKER_01]: And now with the injuries and stuff, you know, once they get that dialed in and there was probably I don't even know how many blown coverage is so when he when he said stuff like that was the right call it probably was it just wasn't run right.
48:50.938 --> 48:53.339
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, for the season, the lines are at 30% man.
48:53.359 --> 48:55.641
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that's what it was.
48:55.681 --> 48:55.861
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
48:55.921 --> 48:56.521
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, thanks.
48:56.641 --> 48:59.683
[SPEAKER_02]: But for last week, it was over 50% and that works.
49:00.264 --> 49:12.191
[SPEAKER_02]: I think the, I think the, one of the basic things of it, as I think that it worse, better with the personnel that they have, not that the corners and necessarily better at playing man coverage, but because it, it caters to the defensive line.
49:13.512 --> 49:19.037
[SPEAKER_02]: Man control it takes it takes a receiver time to be to corner in zone coverage.
49:19.117 --> 49:25.623
[SPEAKER_02]: There's places that are open and immediately Yeah, I get the bad solution off of the line.
49:26.123 --> 49:27.564
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it gives you more time.
49:27.725 --> 49:30.207
[SPEAKER_02]: It gives you more time for the defensive line to get home
49:31.637 --> 49:38.421
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and the defensive line of their doing is what they're doing, then the man does seem to work in that favor, so.
49:38.521 --> 49:49.088
[SPEAKER_01]: And he, well, the thing off of that, too, you guys is the, the, when the quarterback looks up he has his progression he has to read left to write you know whatever I don't know what you want to three, four could be right to left doesn't I'm not.
49:50.044 --> 50:02.034
[SPEAKER_01]: And so in a man concept, if you do a man concept and a zone concept, if he has to look off to a third receiver or fourth receiver by then our defense line is getting home.
50:02.801 --> 50:09.944
[SPEAKER_01]: And the man coverage and how does he like just set out of the zone, you know, they were just coming up boom, clap, bangies there.
50:09.984 --> 50:14.626
[SPEAKER_01]: The outside line backer came down, we got the hook crowd, you know, stuff like that.
50:14.686 --> 50:20.148
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's, but just guys and the skies and be able to use both and your defense is going to be very good.
50:21.033 --> 50:23.016
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, well, we got to get this defense off the field.
50:23.036 --> 50:25.019
[SPEAKER_03]: They spent way too much time on the field, guys.
50:25.040 --> 50:26.382
[SPEAKER_03]: So let's move to special teams.
50:26.882 --> 50:27.984
[SPEAKER_03]: Tom Kennedy, man.
50:28.044 --> 50:29.787
[SPEAKER_03]: He was looking good last year.
50:29.807 --> 50:30.649
[SPEAKER_03]: It was looking good this year.
50:31.009 --> 50:31.871
[SPEAKER_03]: He is out.
50:31.931 --> 50:33.653
[SPEAKER_03]: The Lions looking for punt return duty.
50:34.154 --> 50:35.617
[SPEAKER_03]: James, any thoughts on this spot?
50:37.416 --> 50:46.662
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's going to be a chance for Dominic love it, you know, kind of, that was kind of what he was drafted to be was a slot receiver and return guy.
50:47.082 --> 50:56.928
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think, I think it's going to be his, his to, to, to take unless they want to put sailors there at point return too.
50:56.948 --> 50:58.529
[SPEAKER_02]: And he's been pretty solid at a kick return.
50:58.990 --> 51:01.211
[SPEAKER_02]: So I wouldn't be surprised if that happens either.
51:06.274 --> 51:07.814
[SPEAKER_02]: was pretty well at a god's end.
51:07.854 --> 51:09.375
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he was average in 13 yards.
51:09.935 --> 51:16.536
[SPEAKER_02]: On 100 turns, that's 13 yards in the NFL is a good number to have on 100 turns.
51:17.676 --> 51:21.257
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, most of the time, most puniturners aren't even 10.
51:21.277 --> 51:22.477
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
51:23.598 --> 51:24.038
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
51:24.298 --> 51:28.299
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, we got a number of other things to get to here on special.
51:28.359 --> 51:29.899
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, we didn't hit Jake Bates yet.
51:30.059 --> 51:33.540
[SPEAKER_03]: Coach, are you confident on love it and what your thoughts
51:35.013 --> 51:37.395
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think bait bait is amazing, but go ahead.
51:37.575 --> 51:38.837
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, bait is amazing.
51:38.857 --> 51:40.278
[SPEAKER_01]: I get all confidence in him.
51:40.798 --> 51:42.340
[SPEAKER_01]: He seems to be focused this year.
51:42.360 --> 51:46.824
[SPEAKER_01]: And every minute he's always been focused, but he's got another year under his belt and love it.
51:46.924 --> 51:47.244
[SPEAKER_01]: Love it.
51:47.264 --> 51:53.930
[SPEAKER_01]: The only thing I difference on that as you know, the Lions like those bigger return guys because they get pounded.
51:54.811 --> 51:59.896
[SPEAKER_01]: they get the big hit, so it'll be interesting to see if I think that's what's been holding back.
52:00.337 --> 52:02.739
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not sure if that could be another reason I dorks too.
52:02.759 --> 52:12.850
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, dorks isn't, you know, I think our TK is TK is pretty thick in a visual and sailors could be the guy, but it's a totally different catch between the punt and the kickoff.
52:12.890 --> 52:17.495
[SPEAKER_01]: So that it is, it'll be interesting to see what they do with that.
52:18.082 --> 52:21.805
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and maybe that's one of the reasons that you said that, George wasn't the fifth they were looking for.
52:21.966 --> 52:24.628
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, guys, all right, we got a few topics to hit.
52:24.648 --> 52:25.869
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's hit these rapid fire.
52:25.929 --> 52:34.838
[SPEAKER_03]: What gives you the biggest confidence, the most hope that this team will continue to get better, make a push for the division title, James.
52:36.210 --> 52:38.471
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, I think Jared got off in the offense.
52:38.651 --> 52:47.594
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, quarterbacks who've found throne 12 touchdowns and no interceptions in the first five games in NFL history is Jared got off in Russell Wilson.
52:47.874 --> 52:48.274
[SPEAKER_02]: That's it.
52:50.174 --> 52:50.654
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
52:50.675 --> 52:52.355
[SPEAKER_02]: And then and that you're Russell Wilson did it.
52:52.375 --> 52:53.795
[SPEAKER_02]: I think was the year they went to the Super Bowl.
52:55.496 --> 52:55.836
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
52:55.876 --> 52:56.096
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
52:56.156 --> 53:00.998
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to say the offensive line is already better than last year and it still has not hit its ceiling yet.
53:01.378 --> 53:03.298
[SPEAKER_03]: That's my offensive side coach.
53:03.318 --> 53:03.839
[SPEAKER_03]: What do you got?
53:03.879 --> 53:05.099
[SPEAKER_03]: What gives you the most confidence?
53:06.394 --> 53:17.301
[SPEAKER_01]: defense because they're they're they're going to continue to grow if they stay healthy and they start getting guys back it'll be a big difference so I'm I'm I'm going to defense because defense wins championships guys.
53:18.181 --> 53:24.445
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah and I'm going to say that defensive line gives me hope as well because they're doing something we haven't seen around here in a while.
53:26.526 --> 53:29.628
[SPEAKER_03]: All right James will give you a reservation because you're cautioned.
53:30.848 --> 53:35.951
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, well, I mean, you hope that Kelvin Shepherd keeps growing as a defensive coordinator.
53:36.711 --> 53:49.157
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and, you know, and it seemed like last game that's something clicked and, you know, and I don't know if it's that he's coming up with a specific plan for each team or if he's playing more to with personnel, um, but, but it worked last week.
53:49.617 --> 53:52.839
[SPEAKER_02]: So you hope that he continues to, to work those things out.
53:53.439 --> 53:57.241
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, one of the things that a lot of Lions fans have been clamoring for was to, for them to
53:59.342 --> 54:20.825
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, guess what happened in the NFL this week, the Dallas Cowboys did that because they have a very young defensive coordinator too and they're not doing very well And they brought in Mike Poutine as a special defensive assistant who's a guy who's got head coaching experience and defensive coordinator experience The lines haven't done that because Calvin Shepherd had a game where things turned around Yeah
54:22.145 --> 54:38.596
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, well, I'm going to say what gives me the most caution right now, not the most, but some is I want to see Cioni Vaki get more involved in the run game or Isaiah Pacheco come back from injury and get more involved in the run game, only because Jimmy or Gibbs is number two in the NFL in carries.
54:38.636 --> 54:42.579
[SPEAKER_03]: 105 or 113 that works in October, it works in September.
54:43.059 --> 54:45.301
[SPEAKER_03]: We want to be playing January February football.
54:45.621 --> 54:47.923
[SPEAKER_03]: The Lions have historically had two guys.
54:48.663 --> 54:49.664
[SPEAKER_03]: taking right carries.
54:49.984 --> 54:55.088
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not expecting a 6040 split, but I want somebody to be a compliment to Gibbs.
54:55.388 --> 54:57.489
[SPEAKER_03]: I want someone to be the short yardage guy.
54:57.770 --> 54:59.471
[SPEAKER_03]: And that might be Pacheco when he comes back.
54:59.831 --> 55:02.073
[SPEAKER_03]: Valky might get more carries as a year goes on.
55:02.533 --> 55:04.374
[SPEAKER_03]: That's one area that I do want to see improve.
55:04.555 --> 55:06.876
[SPEAKER_03]: Obviously defensive reservations are there James.
55:06.896 --> 55:07.837
[SPEAKER_03]: You hit that one on the head.
55:08.137 --> 55:10.519
[SPEAKER_03]: But on the offensive side, that's one thing I want to see grow.
55:11.139 --> 55:11.880
[SPEAKER_03]: Coach, how about you?
55:12.830 --> 55:25.316
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think, I mean, I agree with you on that, Gibbs makes me nervous when Gibbs is getting all those carries, but again, we talked about somebody coming back, but I just don't, I think Bocke is going to, I think Bocke's on the right path.
55:25.896 --> 55:34.881
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I think that long as they keep continuing with him, given a more and more ticks, more and more plays on there, I think he's going to be fine.
55:36.197 --> 55:36.497
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
55:36.838 --> 55:46.165
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, let's go back to the secondary, you know, it doesn't have to be defensive back, but the lions were involved with the talks to try and trade for Joey Porter Jr.
55:46.545 --> 55:53.291
[SPEAKER_03]: So the question is, do the destroy lions make a trade before the dead line and if those are for defensive back or a different spot?
55:53.771 --> 55:54.592
[SPEAKER_03]: James, what do you think?
55:55.928 --> 55:56.909
[SPEAKER_02]: I think they'll definitely try.
55:57.689 --> 56:04.193
[SPEAKER_02]: Whether they, it's all going to be about price with Brad Holmes, he's not going to pay a premium.
56:05.053 --> 56:06.054
[SPEAKER_02]: So he just won't.
56:06.694 --> 56:16.040
[SPEAKER_02]: So if somebody's having a bad start to the season, like Tampa Bay, San Diego, maybe, I bet you he's calling these teams already.
56:16.840 --> 56:18.941
[SPEAKER_02]: And San, hey, you guys ready to throw the towel in yet?
56:19.702 --> 56:21.163
[SPEAKER_02]: How about that corner you got over there?
56:22.664 --> 56:23.844
[SPEAKER_02]: He's costing you guys a little bit.
56:26.535 --> 56:26.976
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
56:27.416 --> 56:29.258
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I don't doubt that coach.
56:29.278 --> 56:29.959
[SPEAKER_03]: What are your thoughts?
56:30.840 --> 56:31.320
[SPEAKER_01]: It's love.
56:31.340 --> 56:32.501
[SPEAKER_01]: He brought up San Diego.
56:32.521 --> 56:33.843
[SPEAKER_01]: He came and called the other name.
56:34.043 --> 56:35.044
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that, Jim.
56:36.505 --> 56:38.067
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, the same concept.
56:38.327 --> 56:39.869
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think here's the thing.
56:39.929 --> 56:42.432
[SPEAKER_01]: I might my gut feeling is when branch gets back.
56:42.512 --> 56:43.753
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to see how good he is.
56:43.813 --> 56:46.155
[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody's going to assume he's going to come back as an out pro.
56:47.066 --> 56:55.053
[SPEAKER_01]: he is coming off in the killies and and how well the defense just to that up until up until trade week.
56:55.454 --> 56:59.938
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't I we all know they love to do with the house.
57:00.118 --> 57:01.720
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to you know go back to the defense.
57:01.760 --> 57:04.242
[SPEAKER_01]: Why they haven't brought or why they should bring somebody in.
57:04.582 --> 57:10.228
[SPEAKER_01]: They have two guys on staff was shot that have coordinator O'Neill and in the other one.
57:10.248 --> 57:10.388
[SPEAKER_01]: So
57:10.868 --> 57:23.763
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you're going to keep it with the house, I don't think they panic on that, and I think over that next, the first, probably the first two games out of the buys going to, going to determine what we're going to do if we're going to go get somebody from a DB.
57:24.553 --> 57:24.993
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
57:25.533 --> 57:27.674
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, I'm going to say I think the lion should do it.
57:27.934 --> 57:32.836
[SPEAKER_03]: And I think they should even if Brian Branch looks amazing because they have an extremely talented team.
57:33.116 --> 57:35.377
[SPEAKER_03]: They have an offense that's playing out of this world.
57:35.897 --> 57:42.520
[SPEAKER_03]: And you're already one person down before the season started on the death chart, which pushed everybody else up it.
57:43.000 --> 57:44.921
[SPEAKER_03]: And what if Rakeshra or another player
57:45.701 --> 57:47.682
[SPEAKER_03]: gets nicked up and misses a little bit of time.
57:48.042 --> 57:49.402
[SPEAKER_03]: You want more depth.
57:49.643 --> 57:53.524
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not saying go all in and trade, a first or second round pick.
57:53.844 --> 58:06.929
[SPEAKER_03]: If you get a quality number two defensive back from another team, that's out of the playoff push and that pushes multiple guys one step lower on the depth chart, that makes your team that much more stable.
58:06.969 --> 58:14.832
[SPEAKER_03]: So I'm thinking they should, don't know if they will agree with James, the price has to be right, but I think it'll be options out there and I'll be disappointed if they don't.
58:16.858 --> 58:21.321
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, final thoughts, and that is standing predictions.
58:21.861 --> 58:26.603
[SPEAKER_03]: Vikings, Packers, Bears, all right, the Vikings are in first five, and no, everybody else is three and two.
58:27.404 --> 58:30.866
[SPEAKER_03]: Technically, if the season ended today, they'd all be in the playoffs, guys.
58:31.126 --> 58:32.787
[SPEAKER_03]: That's what the NFC North is looking like.
58:32.807 --> 58:34.588
[SPEAKER_03]: But the season does not end today.
58:35.769 --> 58:38.790
[SPEAKER_03]: What are your thoughts on the season going forward for these teams?
58:39.491 --> 58:41.111
[SPEAKER_03]: And those are your final thoughts.
58:41.132 --> 58:41.832
[SPEAKER_03]: Let me know what you think.
58:44.924 --> 58:45.825
[SPEAKER_03]: Dave's for me.
58:45.945 --> 58:46.806
[SPEAKER_01]: I go ahead.
58:46.866 --> 58:47.467
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean for me.
58:47.527 --> 58:50.089
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking at what those guys, you know, they're all playing well.
58:50.129 --> 58:51.370
[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody's playing well on our division.
58:51.390 --> 58:54.934
[SPEAKER_01]: We know that, you know, Chicago's banged up, but they're still three and two.
58:55.755 --> 58:58.477
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the Vikings, you know, they're winning on that defense.
58:58.798 --> 59:01.420
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't wait to see that match up when the Lions play them.
59:01.921 --> 59:08.828
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the Packers, I mean, the Packers, and you know, if Jordan Love could sit back in the pocket and throw the deep ball, he's one of the best guys around.
59:09.408 --> 59:13.110
[SPEAKER_01]: but can he put a string of two and three and four games together?
59:13.891 --> 59:14.811
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't see it common.
59:14.951 --> 59:16.532
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm not, I'm not really concerned.
59:16.932 --> 59:19.334
[SPEAKER_01]: Vikings of the team that scare me because of that defense.
59:21.435 --> 59:21.775
[SPEAKER_03]: James?
59:23.076 --> 59:29.900
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the Vikings are worried from, I think the biggest challenge for the Lions and this division is going to be the Vikings' offense.
59:29.980 --> 59:33.942
[SPEAKER_02]: If they can turn that offensive around, they're going to be really dangerous, but this offense can
59:39.203 --> 59:41.207
[SPEAKER_02]: of the Detroit Lions.
59:41.247 --> 59:45.214
[SPEAKER_02]: So which would make that a pretty darn interesting game.
59:45.254 --> 59:50.263
[SPEAKER_02]: They're bad offense against our bad defense and they're good defense against our really good offense.
59:51.847 --> 01:00:00.211
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, we're gonna see that game in two and a half weeks because the lions come out of the buy and they face the packers and then the Vikings.
01:00:00.551 --> 01:00:06.514
[SPEAKER_03]: I think we're gonna learn a lot about the lions, a lot about the NFC North in those two games.
01:00:06.954 --> 01:00:13.617
[SPEAKER_03]: And the Vikings, by the way, they play the cults, lions, bills, packers, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers.
01:00:13.937 --> 01:00:18.279
[SPEAKER_03]: They don't have an easy schedule coming up, either they have had some easier opponents
01:00:21.641 --> 01:00:22.722
[SPEAKER_03]: get going over there.
01:00:22.742 --> 01:00:23.883
[SPEAKER_03]: That offense could get scary.
01:00:24.163 --> 01:00:29.007
[SPEAKER_03]: They're my dark horse for the division if they get good quarterback play.
01:00:29.447 --> 01:00:31.009
[SPEAKER_03]: That is still remains to be seen.
01:00:31.449 --> 01:00:33.631
[SPEAKER_03]: And so I still like the Lions chances.
01:00:33.751 --> 01:00:39.296
[SPEAKER_03]: I think we all see that they're behind schedule, but it doesn't mean they can't get to where we hope they might get to this year.
01:00:39.956 --> 01:00:43.519
[SPEAKER_03]: So any other final thoughts, James, before we get out of here?
01:00:45.681 --> 01:00:46.902
[SPEAKER_03]: Nope, I'm good coach.
01:00:48.513 --> 01:00:51.814
[SPEAKER_01]: is when those next two games, so that people are chasing us.
01:00:53.295 --> 01:00:56.556
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, well folks, thank you for tuning in during the by week.
01:00:56.836 --> 01:01:00.777
[SPEAKER_03]: We'd love to hear your thoughts on the team, how they're doing, and how you think they're going to do.
01:01:01.117 --> 01:01:02.898
[SPEAKER_03]: Please tell your friends and family about this show.
01:01:03.338 --> 01:01:04.738
[SPEAKER_03]: Check us out on social media.
01:01:04.878 --> 01:01:07.779
[SPEAKER_03]: You can find more episodes in content at notthesamelline.com.
01:01:08.039 --> 01:01:10.060
[SPEAKER_03]: And until next time, thank you, my friends.