Latest / The Vikings Tailgate / Vikings Tailgate: Week 18 In Detroit and Wild Card Weekend Preview With Zach Martina - LAR - Episode 53

Transcript

Vikings Tailgate: Week 18 In Detroit and Wild Card Weekend Preview With Zach Martina - LAR - Episode 53 · The Vikings Tailgate

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As the official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings and
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the NFL. Ticketmasters the safest and most convenient marketplace to
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: score fully verified Vikings tickets.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: So get those.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Touchdown celebrations ready and score your tickets today at ticketmaster
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: dot com. Slash Vikings Unreal is back with their limited
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: edition Vikings drop. Head over to unrl dot com for
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: more details. Hey, you could win a Polaris razor and
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: help vets get a quality career. Visit all true dot
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: com slash code for more details. Hey, everybody, welcome back
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: to the Vikings Tailgate. It's cy aman Sin. Thank you
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: for joining the official podcast feed. Super bombed terrible game
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: in Detroit, officially playing the Rams as the fifth seed.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: But it's time to.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Talk about that a little bit and then turn the page.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: Because there's still a lot in front of this team.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: We decided to bring back our old friend and die
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: hard Lions fan, Zach Martina, to talk about the game
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: that was and the playoffs that will be. I think
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: you guys are really gonna like this one.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: Enjoy the show.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Everybody, recket recket turn here.
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome into the tailgate.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: We are joined. People aren't gonna like this. A lot
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: of Viking fans are upset. I'm upset, but the playoffs
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: are in front of us. We're going to talk NFC playoffs,
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: and we had we knew that last game was important,
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: and so we knew we were gonna want to talk
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: about it a little bit afterwards. So obviously, podcast favorite
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: diehard Detroit Lions fans, Zach Martinez here, Hi Zack, I'm
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: not done talking, Hi Zac.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: Hi Si.
• 1:54
  Speaker 4: I'm surprised that you're doing another post game podcast because
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: listen to me, you were not thrilled after the last one.
• 2:02
  Speaker 4: You said we'll never do it again. I'm sorry, I
• 2:04
  Speaker 4: couldn't do it beforehand. I just got my voice back.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Listen to me.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: We decided when you lost your voice and couldn't do
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: the pre one that we would do a post one
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: before the results of the game.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: And do I regret that right now? Yeah? I hate it.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: I hate it a lot, but I'm a man of
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: my word and we are going to keep going until
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: this show is over. So obviously we're gonna talk about
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: what happened. But then I do because we both have
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: a vested interest in the playoffs. The Vikings have the
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: Rams the Vikings have Matthew Stafford, your old person. We're
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: gonna talk about the NFC. We're going to talk about
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: the paths for both teams. But first I will say
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: so before the Viking Packer game, you and I are
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: on the phone and we're just talking like friends. And
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not a trash talker. Nope, people know
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: this right. But we're just talking football. And I mentioned,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: we're not even talking about your team or they're my team.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: We're talking about the Philadelphia Egos, and I mentioned that
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: they have one of the best O lines in football
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: in the last.
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: Thirty years, and that was upsetting to me.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: You'd have thought I set your house on fire and
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: kidnapped your children. Yeah, you you researched for I can't
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: imagine how long to rebuke me for.
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: Twenty minutes, But most of it was Most of it
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: was getting the text into the text. And I would
• 3:24
  Speaker 4: have told you, but it had to be in writing
• 3:26
  Speaker 4: so you could really soak it in. And I give
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: you so many scenarios, but I wanted you to know
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: that in that statement you were wrong.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: Are you worried that you guys who have been such
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: lovable losers and somebody who I'd want to root for.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: Have you worried you're quickly evolving into the NFL's worst
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: fan base.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: No, I don't think we're the worst fan base. I
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: just think are you.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: Are you worried that you're climbing Mount Rushmore to replace
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: one of the heads.
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: I'm worried that next year we will not be America's darling.
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: But I don't think that that that that title will
• 3:58
  Speaker 4: go away before the end of this year. And I
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: don't think as far as like the worst fan base
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: as it relates to me putting all those stats about
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: the Detroit Lions offensive line in their run game and
• 4:09
  Speaker 4: the success.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: Thing, I'm saying, that's it.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: I'm this is more a global commentary as opposed to,
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: you know, micro commentary. I'm more on a macro level.
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: I don't think we have the best like hands down
• 4:21
  Speaker 4: the best running back or the best quarterback, or the
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: best defense, or the best receiver or the best tight end.
• 4:27
  Speaker 4: I will say that we have hands down the best
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: offensive line.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: And I had to.
• 4:32
  Speaker 4: I had to take that swing, so I had to
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: swing like a Minnesota great Joe Mauer, and I did.
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: For the fences.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: I first of all, he didn't hit a lot of
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: home runs. I don't want to be a part of anything.
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: Didn't mean he's didn't swing for the fences.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: I don't want to be a part of anything you're
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: trying to do where you're trying to nice up to me.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: So I calm down, listen.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: I it's kind of it's funny you're right, because I
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: don't think I think you still are America's darling.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: It's a lot like if you have an uncle who
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: ruins Thanksgiving every year, like your cousins and parents know
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: about it, but the rest of the world is like, man,
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: he's so great.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: I think he's really fun.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: And then but give it a year or two and
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: you're like, man, we really missed on Jerry. He's did
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: you hear what he did at the bar last night?
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: So it could it could be coming. Now, let me
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: give you this, Let me let me.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: Give you.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: And your team this credit because I said it. We
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: did a radio show last week. I did it solo
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: style with Jay as the on air producer. And my
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: big point was all these people who think that Dan
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Campbell is an idiot for not playing his players in
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: the Niners game are wrong.
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: I agree.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: I think in a vacuum with any other team they
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: were right. But with Dan Campbell, like you can't tell
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: everybody the sky is blue for three hundred days in
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: a row and then one day say sorry, it's raining. Sure,
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: it would have been such a hole in the damn
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: for him to acknowledge, like you guys are built on
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: pure toughness, on gamble on who cares? And I think
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: that thing resonated where he's like, I don't, we'll rest
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: after we win the.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: Division next week.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: Sure, and man oh man, they sure played like it
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: on Monday Night.
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: Well, I will say that as far as Dan Campbell goes,
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: you know, first season wasn't great, but we did start
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: getting like some some excitement. He went from three wins
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: to nine wins, to twelve wins to now fifteen wins.
• 6:27
  Speaker 4: He is not afraid to go for it on fourth down,
• 6:29
  Speaker 4: which I know is something that you and I don't
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: necessarily agree on. And it's not that we don't agree.
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: The mentality of it though, like it's a lot of
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: people see it as foolish.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: I get it.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: I think the analytics people are a little out of
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: their mind. Analytics remove situation and circumstances, right, who's the
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: quarterback on the other team?
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: Sure?
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: What game are we in? What point in the game
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: are we in? If it's fourth and two and Patrick
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Mahomes is on the other side and you're up five,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: take the three, go to eight if you're up whatever, Like,
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: if you want to keep the ball away from him,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: you're up seven. Whatever is happening on the other side
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: of the ball needs to play into your analytical decision.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: But my issue with Dan as like a fan, is
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: how much of it is guttural? Yeah, and how there
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: is There isn't a science to it, because I think
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: there's a science to considering who's on the other side,
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: even though it's an inexact science.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: I just think he's like, Eh, let's go. I feel
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: like we're moving. I feel like we're moving. Zach.
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: What he said since he got here was two reasons.
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: He wants to go for it on fourth down any will.
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: And I know it seems guttural, but there is some Uh.
• 7:43
  Speaker 4: I mean, I guess you could call it a method.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: Two reasons. One I'm angry. Two I'm angry he's.
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: He's got that caffeine intake of his double VENTI lattes espresso.
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: I mean that guy's heck, guy's heart's gonna burst if
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: he wins the super Bowl because he's happy.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: And just caffeinated.
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: I think though, the reason he goes for it on
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: fourth down, and he said it since he got here,
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: he wants his guys to think no one believes in
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: them like he does. And I think that you could
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: make the argument pretty easily that there's not a team
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: out there that believes their coach believes in them more
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: than the Lions. That Dan Campbell believes in the Lions.
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: And also, which is pretty interesting that he just recently
• 8:22
  Speaker 4: mentioned in an oppressor, is he doesn't want our team
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: to balk at a fourth down. You know, when you
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: normalize going for it on fourth down, those jitters, those nerves,
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: it's just another it's just another play.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: I understand the other side of that, but I do
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: believe that there is some real logic behind his rationale
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: of going for it.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: I don't think it's Don't get me wrong. I think
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: he's incredible. Right, We've talked about on and off the air,
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: stop it. But I think he and one of the
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: things I truly enjoy about him is he's kind of
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: in an era where defensive and offensive coordinat are being hired,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and you know, like, we have one of the best
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: offensive minds in the league, and he does what he
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: does and he also manages a team. But Campbell's kind
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: of the old school throwback Danny Green style. I'm the sheriff.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: I trust this guy with the offense. I trust this
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: guy with the defense, and I dig.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: That it's worked out pretty well for John Harbaugh.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: I think it's really, really, really cool.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: My larger issue is I just don't see and I'm
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: I'm not trying to talk or push on you here,
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: like you got the buy now. So it's three games,
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: three games to win the Super Bowl, and you are
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: likely going to have to face the Eagles, the Vikings,
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: the Rams. Those are the three that I think you
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: could wind up running into in your first two games.
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: But add those other teams in there, right, the Packers,
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: the Packers who have been very good.
• 9:55
  Speaker 4: The Bucks beat us week two, and then the commander
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: is Jayden Daniels. Is just you don't know what's gonna
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: happen with that guy.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: With how top heavy the NFC is this year and
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: how many good teams there are in the AFC, there's
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: there's seven or eight legitimate teams that if you won
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: the Super Bowl, you go, yeah, maybe I thought another
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: team was more likely, But that doesn't surprise me at all. Sure, right,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: like three weeks ago, if somebody would have told you
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: the Packers are going to win the Super Bowl, you'd
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: have gone, They're not my number one pick. But I
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: see how that happens. Yeah, Rams, I'd buy it right now.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: And so that's not always the case. In the NFL playoffs,
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: you know, it's it's sometimes it's more of a one
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: dog or two dog race. I don't know why I
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: chose dogs instead of horses.
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: But or lions.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: If you God hate it, Zach, if you to have
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: that mentality succeed three times against three elite teams in
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: a row, it is that is unique. That would be
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: it's just almost it's just hard to pull off, no
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: matter who you are, no matter how good your team is.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's hard to pull off.
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: Our mentality is certainly not the issue. I think we
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: have the mentality to be able to pull it off.
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: It comes down to, you know, can Aaron Glenn pull
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: out another defensive effort like he did, because that was
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: the best defensive game we've played since Aaron Glenn has
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: been here, and that's not even considering the injuries. I
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: will say that the NFC, as far as the Lions
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: fan goes, they all, especially the Packers and the Vikings,
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: wor so much tape. But there's just as much tape
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: for the Bucks and the Rams because we were their
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: last game last year and we played both of them
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: this year, so they have. Outside of the Commanders and
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: the Eagles, the four other teams in the NFC playoffs
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: have so much tape on us, Like it's easier for
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: teams to prepare this year because of how often our
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: teams have matched up.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: But you're saying that about it Aaron Glenn and the
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: defensive performance and what he did Sunday night, and I
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: agree with that.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: I think that's all accurate.
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: But I did go into that game you and I
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: talked to saying fourth down is going to be the
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: decider of this game, and it still was. Even despite
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: all of that. You had three fourth downs that you
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: went for, one you got stopped, one you went for
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: got it touchdown the next play, the other one touchdown
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: on the fourth down play right, the Vikings went for
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: it twice on fourth down in the important times and
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: didn't get it. It was the difference maker. Even even
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: if the Vikings score those touchdowns, those two fourth downs
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: that you chose to go for, if you don't get them,
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: if you don't get one of them, it's literally half
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: the points.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: So you it's just the execution has to You.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: Have to have a run of three games where your
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: fourth down philosophy tilts in your favor three times in
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: a row. Because if you're playing the Ravens, the Chiefs,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: the Bills, the Eagles, all these teams that you mentioned
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: had tape on you. I think against teams like that,
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: if it goes awry, especially like you said, if the
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: defense can't put up another performance like that, you're gonna
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: need to execute that plan the way you want to
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: or it could get really tough.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: Well, I mean, we did lose against the Bills, but
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: that fourth down mentality is what kept us in the
• 13:10
  Speaker 4: Bills because in that game our defense could not stop Buffalo.
• 13:14
  Speaker 4: So Dan Campbell was like, I know, this is fourth
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: in a little bit longer than normal, but we're going
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: for it because we need to keep this offense on
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: the field to go shot for shot with Josh Allen
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: and the Bills.
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: I do think.
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: I do think Dan Campbell has a much better handle
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: on it than a lot of people think. As far
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: as fourth down goes, I think he's a lot smarter
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: than people think given his given his you know, press
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: conferences and his sound bites and everything, Dan Campbell knows
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: what he's doing.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: See here's a question for you.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: Do you think if when he first got the job,
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: if he'd have been and this probably isn't a great
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: example because this guy got into some trouble for the
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: way he talked and treated people, But you know how
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: Gruden kind of had that intense like, you know, that
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: that kind of football personality that he projected out there.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: Do you think if when Dan Campbell first came in,
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: had he not said the kneecaps thing, and had he
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: had he just pushed out kind of the intense you know,
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: football like. You know, he's joyous, sure, but if he'd
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: just seemed more competitive then he did silly like if
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: he hadn't done those kneecaps and if you guys hadn't
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: have been hard knocks that first year, do you think
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: he has any of the national detractors that he currently has.
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: I don't know that he has.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Here's what I'll say, and I wouldn't say detractors, but
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: I think there's a whole host of people waiting for
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: the way that he approaches the game to bite them
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: in the app Yeah.
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: But those people are not in Detroit. Those people are
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: not the ones listening to him on the radio. They're
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: not listening to him on the radio. They're not listening
• 14:37
  Speaker 4: to him in his press conferences. You're only seeing the
• 14:40
  Speaker 4: soundbites that major outlets will pick up. One thing I
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: will say, Gruden never came off as like a nice guy.
• 14:47
  Speaker 4: I don't think Gruden had an affability to him. Now,
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell he goes and he says these ridiculous things.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: He says kneecaps, he wears a motto helmet, whatever. He
• 14:57
  Speaker 4: also stops press conferences to tell reporters, congratulations on your retirement.
• 15:02
  Speaker 4: You have been great for this city. Oh, I heard
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: about your wife. I'm so sorry to hear a bit.
• 15:06
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell is the I would say, as far as
• 15:10
  Speaker 4: the media goes, I would say the media would consider
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell one of the friendliest coaches in the league.
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: I don't think. I think he is one hundred percent
• 15:19
  Speaker 4: who he is and has been since he took the
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: press conference the first time.
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not questioning that.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: I'm in with you. I think it's I'm more fascinated
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: by this, the fourth down thing, the Campbell gamble, and
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: the national narrative.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: About who he is as a guy.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Sure, and had those silly soundbites early and hard knocks
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: not happened, Because here's the thing.
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: Campbell is getting a lot of.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: Love for the for the Coach of the Year award,
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: But do you think if those early moments wouldn't have
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: happened on whatever, do you think he would be consistently
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: mentioned because he's not. When they bring up the great
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: coaches in the league, they acknowledge him, but they don't go,
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: it's Tomlin, it's McVeigh, so Connell, it's Andy Reid, it's
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: Dan Campbell. He's kind of this separate category. We're like,
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: these are all great football coaches, and here's Dan Campbell,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: who's also great.
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: I think Dan Campbell has one of the toughest proofs
• 16:12
  Speaker 4: in the NFL. I think people have a hard time
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: getting over the name the Lions, like they've just historically
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: been so bad. They've historically had coaches that have had
• 16:21
  Speaker 4: success elsewhere and then they come here and it's, you know,
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: it is a dumpster fire. But I think a lot
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: of that goes into the fact that this is all
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell are Sheila Ford's first hires. Now,
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: her first fire was Matt Patricia. She had that foresight.
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: But then she brought in these guys. She went and
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: found them. This is this is not her dad's team anymore.
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: This is not her mom's team who were running it
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: long before. This is her team and it's and it's very,
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: very different. And you could tell from Brad Holmes and
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell's first press conferences this is like, these guys
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: are not and they weren't. They were not heralded hires,
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: like nobody. Dan Campbell was kind of always been, you know,
• 17:01
  Speaker 4: he's always been in the cycle, but no one took
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: him seriously. No one even knew who Brad Holmes was.
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: And I think Sheila knew what she wanted. She went on,
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: got it.
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: Let's talk about the playoffs.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Le's talk about my team. Yep, let's you know, you
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: guys get the one seed, we get.
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: The five, which is ridiculous. They got to receive this thing.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: Let me ask you something that earlier Lions game this season.
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: I think everybody remembers that as a very close competitive game.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: I think you guys really had a hold of that
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: game until the Ivan pace fumble. Like obviously it was
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: close enough that we could take the lead with that,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: but I just really thought you guys all game long
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: were doing what you wanted to do, so it never
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: really felt like as a fan, I felt like we
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: were gonna have to score or hold the ball, or
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: we had to get the lead and keep you know,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: it was one of those sort of games. So you guys,
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: what have you beaten us five times in a row?
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: Now?
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: Yep?
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: So here's my question.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: You know, we get the Rams, You've got the Packers
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: at the Eagles, which I think we're all this is crazy.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: We're both rooting for the Packers, right Oh yea.
• 18:05
  Speaker 4: I will say what I said to my family and
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: friends when the Packers were playing the Vikings, because it
• 18:10
  Speaker 4: would have just made last week's game not important. I go,
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: I'm not rooting. I can't say that I'm rooting for them.
• 18:17
  Speaker 4: I'm rooting for the Lions, and that like it's weird
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: to say you're rooting for the Packers.
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: It's weird, you will, Yeah.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: I like the way you phrase it. I'm rooting for
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: the Eagles to lose.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: I'm rooting for the future matchups of my favorite team.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: So I think we both want that.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: But knowing that you have so many options that could
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: walk through your door, you essentially have three options, right,
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: you could get the Vikings. I believe you could get
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: the Commanders, or you could get the Packers. Right, there's
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: no situation where you can wind up against the two
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: or the three seed. It just doesn't work like that math.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: You know the way they do settings up right? Do
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: you want to see the Vikings again? Do you want
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: to see the Packers? Are you hoping the Commanders get through?
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: What are you looking for on opening weekend? And then
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you where I'm going with my team.
• 19:04
  Speaker 4: The best game for the Lions, the most entertaining game
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: would be the Packers or the Vikings. And I would
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: say I would give a slight edge to the most
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: entertaining game being to the Vikings because the first game
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: was close, this last game had so much on the line.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: I don't care about entertaining Zach. I want to know
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: who you're scared of. What do you not want to
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: have happen?
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: I guess the most the team I'm most scared of
• 19:30
  Speaker 4: is the Vikings. I would give them the slight edge
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: over the Packers too.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: Thank you for doing that on my Viking Show. You're
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: absolutely correct, though. I always think it's hard to beat
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: a team three times in a season. I don't think
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: you want to give a team another shot, and I
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: think I think what happened on Sunday night was, you know,
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: brilliantly game planned game. But it's not like you're going
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: to surprise anybody without a second.
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: Time, especially two weeks apart.
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: Yes, that's just generally, generally not how it works. I
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: think the big question is how do the vi Kings
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: bounce back? How do they recoup? You said something after
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: the last game is you guys play such a physical,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: punch you in the mouth sort of football that to
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: not only get over the emotional hump of losing such
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: a big game, you have to get over the physical hump,
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: and then you're gonna have to go play this really
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: good team with this really.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: Good coach ye and now they do.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: Last time, you know, we didn't know they were gonna
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: have all their weapons kind of un tell moment of
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: this time, we know they have everything. They're one of
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: the hottest teams in football. I think this is truly
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: truly a monstrous task. Oh yeah, for Kevin O'Connell and
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: Sam Darnold specifically, those guys who you know are gonna
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: look to rebound, man if they can, and if they do,
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: it'll be a major feather in the cap because this
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: is gonna be no joke against that young defense.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: I mean, Koc comes from the McVeigh tree.
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: Does any yep O coordinator won a Super Bowl there?
• 20:56
  Speaker 4: So I would love I mean, the storyline of it,
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: the branch cutting down the stuf, you know, I think
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: I think that's I think that I guess it would
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: be the branch cutting down the trunk and not the stump.
• 21:07
  Speaker 4: I guess if KOC wins, then McVeigh would be left
• 21:10
  Speaker 4: as a stump of himself.
• 21:11
  Speaker 3: But I digress.
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: I would like to see. I would like to see.
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: I would like to see. Okay, I mean, you heard
• 21:20
  Speaker 4: what Dan Campbell said after the game. He's like, I'll
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: see in two weeks so it seems. I don't know
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: if it's a red herring. Dan Campbell is, you know,
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: sly like a fox, but he seems to them. Yeah,
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: the Vikings are coming back.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: I just get a really great coach and a really
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: great quarterback and a really great wide receiver.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: And Kyron Williams is a very good running back.
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: He's running the ball very well. They're they're just a
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: very good football team. I think who you thought you
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: might wind up against four or five six weeks ago
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: as the five seed, it has not played out like
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: that in any way, shape or form, And you're getting
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: a lot more different.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: And you're on the road.
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: Right, well here's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping that was like,
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: you know, you make a little snow the top of
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: a mountain, right, you roll it a little bit. All
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: of a sudden it's a little bigger, and you think
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: and it slips out of your hand. Like I just think,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: there was so much that went into Sunday Night to
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: make Sunday Night what it was, and that thirty one
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: to nine doesn't reflect the game. It just absolutely does not.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: I mean you're sitting there, I think as a guy
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: who doesn't know the x's and o's of football, But
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: you're sitting there thinking if the Vikings had executed on
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: you know, two of their red zone trips and turned
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: them into touchdowns, right.
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that was bananas.
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: I mean the statistically what happened for you guys in
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: the red zone is an anomaly.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: That was why pretty pretty unique, and I think you
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: could have wound up with two three touchdowns early and
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: a pretty significant lead a league going into halftime, a
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: touchdown coming. Some of these things that we've seen over
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: and over and over, right, So do do I sit
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: here and do I think what I've seen all season?
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: I'm not saying that the offense has been the epito
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: me of excellence, but they've been more consistent than that.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Am I gonna buy seventeen weeks of that? Or am
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: I gonna buy this one game? And my hope is like,
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: I just don't think with the sort of coach Kevin
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: O'Connell is and the sort of relationship he has with
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: Sam and just the way our team works right in
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: from a confidence standpoint, to me, I don't know whether
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: or not they win in this game, but I don't
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: think they come out shaken shook from what happened on
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: Sunday night.
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: I don't think they come out shook at all. I
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: think they come out with a fire lit under their rumpus.
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: You've got competitors on your team. I mean, justin Jefferson
• 23:41
  Speaker 4: is he was irritated last game, so I think he's
• 23:44
  Speaker 4: coming out to show I am Jay Jetta's Jordan Addison,
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: I think is the same situation. He's like, I did
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: not get my I did not get my meal last week,
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: like he just it wasn't there Aaron Jones hell of
• 23:56
  Speaker 4: a competitor. And then your defense, I mean, Brian Floors
• 23:59
  Speaker 4: aside your edge rushers, Oh my god, Harrison Smith's still
• 24:03
  Speaker 4: playing at a very high level. I mean it was
• 24:05
  Speaker 4: I don't yeah, I don't think this is just some
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: chalk it up to wor shown.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: And and I kind of I want the one seed, right,
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: that's I'm angry that you have the one seed. I'd
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: rather have the one seed. But this team thrived all
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: year long on like they never got the love, they
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: never got the respect, right.
• 24:23
  Speaker 4: The only thing that Vikings did the Vikings were I mean,
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: it seemed like nationally everybody was picking the Vikings this
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: past week, whereas the entire season, no one was believing in.
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: The Vikings literally all year long.
• 24:34
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they liked to they like to overcome the adversity.
• 24:38
  Speaker 4: It was an unusual situation last week where you guys
• 24:41
  Speaker 4: were so favored by so many people.
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: So, yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: All year long, no matter what we did, there were
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: teams with worst records and teams we beat, like the
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Packers in front of us in the you know, power rankings.
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: Whether those matter or not, they reflect national outlets opinions. Right,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: So all you have that all year and then all
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: of a sudden, the moment they beat the Packers, everybody's like, oh,
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: this is so like my hope is you have no choice,
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: but you know, let's return to that mentality.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: I think.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: I think I think the team will find a home
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: in that mentality. They might not be at home, but
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: they will find people questioning them to be more of
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: a home than than you would expect. I think with Darnold.
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: That was beautiful.
• 25:30
  Speaker 4: I think that the needle point and put that in
• 25:32
  Speaker 4: a needle point and hang it somewhere. That was just
• 25:34
  Speaker 4: thank you, I know what you're doing. Thank you, kind
• 25:36
  Speaker 4: of like Ben Johnson's offense, No.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: Thank you, So yeah, I mean, I think the the the.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: Puka thing is a little scary. You're all, you're always
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: so you're always a little scared of Matthew Stafford and Pooka.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: Let's let me ask you this. Let me ask a
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: question about you. Is there any you guys going to
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: the Super Bowl? Do you get caught up in any
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: romanticism aspect of it? Like? And let me tell you
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: what I mean by that. So let's pretend the Rams
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: were playing somebody else. Let's pretend they'd won that game,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: and we're heading to Tampa right now. So Rams, whatever
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: they win, you know, they go play Philadelphia, they beat Philadelphia,
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: you win your next game in this universe. I don't
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: know why I had to let them not beat the
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Vikings because in this universe the Vikings aren't in the
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: NFC Championship game anyways, But I just refuse to let
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: them be in a matchup against us in this fiction.
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: Thatials where your heart is even in a hypothetical.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: So let's say it's an NFC Championship game and the
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: Rams are coming to your building, is there anything romantic
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: about that?
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: Like?
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: For you guys, to get to your first Super Bowl.
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: It would mean so much to beat matt Stafford and
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: to beat the Rams, and or would you or is
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: there more fear? Like oh my god, I don't want
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: to be the team that I know how the Viking
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: fan base would handle it. They're like, oh no, the
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: guy that we got rid of can now ruin our
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: best season in franchise history.
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: I am not afraid of Matthew Stafford. And I also
• 27:06
  Speaker 4: do not feel as though there is any romanticism in it, because,
• 27:10
  Speaker 4: I mean, we played him in the playoffs last year,
• 27:12
  Speaker 4: we beat him, We played them early this year, we
• 27:15
  Speaker 4: beat him. Obviously, I don't want to, you know, you
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: never want to lose, especially to a guy that you
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: had for so long. But on the flip side of that,
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: they've lost twice now to a guy they just were
• 27:27
  Speaker 4: dying to give away in Jared Goff. So I don't
• 27:30
  Speaker 4: think there's any romanticism. I think the only romanticism of
• 27:32
  Speaker 4: it is that the Lions have never been to a
• 27:36
  Speaker 4: Super Bowl. We've only been to, I mean, less than
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: a handful of NFC championships. It's just a matter of
• 27:42
  Speaker 4: it's just a matter of getting there and winning. I
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: don't think it matters who it's against. I don't think
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: it matters how it's done.
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah you don't.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: You're not haunted like the Viking fan bases, where they go, Man,
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: what if we beat the Falcons in the first round
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: and we beat the Saints in the second round and
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: this path that, like you know, exercises all your your
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: football demons.
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: No, man, just as Nike says, just do it. Just
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: get that dub I just I hate that too.
• 28:12
  Speaker 4: I don't like it either, but I don't feel good
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: about it. But it's what came to my mind, and
• 28:15
  Speaker 4: I trust my instincts, much like Dan Campbell on Fourth Town.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: Very much like Dan Campbell in that way.
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: It's also interesting how your perspective can shift in a season.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: I'm so jacked for the playoffs in a season that
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: I didn't. I was telling everybody like, hey, if we
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: want a bunch of games, great, If not great, we're
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: heading the right direction.
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: Yep. And now you look at it as this major
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: building point for the future.
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be Do you have any I
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: know you don't because I know your mentality as a human,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: but I still am gonna ask the question, do you
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: have any like, maybe this is the year Ben Johnson
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: takes a job. Maybe next year is the year that
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: Jared Goff's contract starts to affect the roster. Maybe like
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: maybe maybe maybe maybe do like all these things that
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: have made this is inarguably, right the greatest year in
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: franchise history.
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, wouldn't you say.
• 29:03
  Speaker 3: A shadow of it out?
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: Is there any part of your brain that thinks we
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: have to strike now we had, like I don't want
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: to wait and see if we can strike again the
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: next two years? There's like this is a Because you
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: watch old NFL films, the thing you hear the most
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: is you know, I got there and I thought I
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: would I thought this is just the start, and that's just.
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: Not how it works.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: Or do you are you tricked by the Patriots Chiefs
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: universe where you think you can just be relevant for
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: a really, really long time.
• 29:36
  Speaker 3: Well I think that.
• 29:37
  Speaker 4: You know, when you mentioned the Patriots and the Chiefs,
• 29:39
  Speaker 4: what it comes down to is the one thing that
• 29:41
  Speaker 4: they kept.
• 29:42
  Speaker 3: Well, I guess with the Chiefs it was you.
• 29:44
  Speaker 4: Know, Andy Reid and their players. It was until Tom
• 29:48
  Speaker 4: Brady left, it was Bill Belichick and their players. Now
• 29:51
  Speaker 4: I would be lying if I said, I wasn't worried
• 29:55
  Speaker 4: about Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn leaving because what you
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: alluded to earlier, Dan Campbell's the sheriff.
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: This guy am I right, I trust this guy on
• 30:01
  Speaker 3: my left. Let's go, let's go fight.
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: But I do think that there are I do think
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have an ability to scout
• 30:12
  Speaker 4: motivators and good coaches the same way that they do players.
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: I have to brace myself for the fact that I mean,
• 30:23
  Speaker 4: if you, if you know, gun to my head, I
• 30:25
  Speaker 4: would say Aaron Glenn has a better chance of taking
• 30:27
  Speaker 4: a head coaching job than Ben Johnson does. And that's
• 30:30
  Speaker 4: not to say that I don't think Ben Johnson is
• 30:31
  Speaker 4: a surefire. You know, gone, He's going to be very
• 30:34
  Speaker 4: particular about the jobs that he takes. I mean that's
• 30:36
  Speaker 4: been publicized out there and everything. But I do think
• 30:38
  Speaker 4: that there are candidates in house that would be good.
• 30:41
  Speaker 4: And I do think that there are candidates available, especially
• 30:44
  Speaker 4: on the defensive side of the ball, to you know,
• 30:47
  Speaker 4: come in and do what Dan Campbell does. I mean,
• 30:50
  Speaker 4: Dan Campbell's going to bring in guys that reflect his mentality.
• 30:53
  Speaker 3: That's just how it is.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: I've been thinking about Ben Johnson a lot, and we're
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: both comedians, and as a comedian, when you're starting, you
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: think of yourself as like, and I don't know how
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: you thought of it. I'm an egomaniac, but I want
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: to have my own TV show. I want to be there,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: you know, you want to be as big as you can.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: You want to do the theater tour. And then you
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: think about what people used to say about Brian Reagan
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: and still say, is you know, Brian Reagan's one of
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: the best comedians to ever live.
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: Yep.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: He's immensely well known, but he can just go do
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: a show, go have dinner, and walk back to the
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: hotel and no one bothers him.
• 31:33
  Speaker 3: Yep, and yep.
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: I think about my ego. Would always want to be
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: a head coach. I always want to be.
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: In charge, YadA, YadA, YadA.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: But if you're Ben Johnson and you truly do like
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: calling plays, which, by the way, I think people forget
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: and I think this is.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: Evidenced he's creative, man. I think this is evidenced with
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: the Dan Campbell thing.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: I think because we're so used to coordinators getting jobs,
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: you forget that a head coach is an entirely different
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: skill set. Absolutely, Kevin O'Connell is such a unique and
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: Andy Reid is also, Mike Tomlin is also there's they're
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: unique combinations of guys who call their side of the
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: ball and run their side of the ball and can
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: also run the organization and all the things that need
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: Like that's they're two. It's like auditioning and acting.
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: They're not. They don't. They're very different.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: They people from the outside might go, well, that's coaching,
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: but from the inside, they're very You're like dealing with flights,
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: you're dealing with all these you're kind of like in
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: a different universe managing an entire building of people, you know,
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: or a team of people. Like if you're Ben Johnson
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: and you're not gonna like the way I'm thinking about.
• 32:43
  Speaker 3: This, Oh don't worry. I'm ready to rephrase.
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: But let's say you go and you win a Super
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: Bowl or you do really well this year. Is there
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: a universe where you go, Okay, I'm gonna let my
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: contract run out here, I'm gonna let the Lions bit
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: on me. But guess what, I don't want to be
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: a head coach now. I want to be paid the
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: best assistant coach in the NFL buy a significant amount,
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: and I'm a hired gun.
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: Every everybody in the league.
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: I'm open, Come pitch me, Come you want me to
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: come and run your offense? Like what an interesting thing
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: to not have the pressure of an organization and all
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: it's like all your job is to hand pick because
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: you can tell me outside of the guys who run
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: their own offense, you think there's any team in the
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: league right now that if Ben Johnson was like, I'm
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: leaving the Lions and I'd like to I'd like to
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: offensively coordinate somewhere else that he wouldn't have suitors lining
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: out the door, impressive quarterbacks and weapons running out the door,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: even even some of the really impressive ones. You don't
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: think Zach Taylor in Cincinnati would go, hey, why don't
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: you come down here and run bro So it's never
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: gonna have Zach.
• 33:50
  Speaker 4: Taylor tried to poach Ben Johnson when he was the
• 33:53
  Speaker 4: tight ends coach. I mean he went after him.
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: I don't think ever in a million years, I don't
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: think you get to be an offensive coordinator with the
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: sort of drive it takes to be a head coach,
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: right because that's a hard path. But man, he could
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: really walk an interesting path if he wanted to.
• 34:09
  Speaker 4: I'll tell you we talk about Jared Goss contract and
• 34:12
  Speaker 4: all that. The head coaches contract, any of the staff's
• 34:17
  Speaker 4: contract does not affect the salary cap whatsoever. There is
• 34:20
  Speaker 4: not a world where we continue on the trajectory putting
• 34:24
  Speaker 4: up the points that we have the past year, where
• 34:27
  Speaker 4: she La Ford would let Ben Johnson leave to go
• 34:30
  Speaker 4: coordinate another offense. She would, she would pay him, she would,
• 34:34
  Speaker 4: she would do what the Lions did with brock Wright
• 34:36
  Speaker 4: in San Francisco. They she would match and rays.
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: I'm not saying whether she would do that. I'm saying, like,
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: if I'm Ben Johnson and I go, that's great, that's great.
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: But before I commit to Jared, go like, I need
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: to see what the organization and what the talent. Because
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: here's the other thing about the Detroit Lions. They have
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: one of the two best offensive lines in all of football.
• 34:59
  Speaker 3: They have well, yeah, one of the two, the top
• 35:01
  Speaker 3: of the two, but yeah, go ahead.
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: So they have one of the two top offensive lines
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: in the NFL.
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: They have elite, an elite.
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: Running back, they have an incredible receiver, they have they
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: have a fantastic young titand like they have all these
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: pieces and we don't know what those pieces are gonna
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: look like in three years, right Like Cincinnati's gone through
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: that right now. A few years ago it was Joe Mixon,
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Tyler boyd uh T Higgins, Jamar Chase, Joey Burrow, all
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: this stuff, and all of a sudden, now it's they
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: haven't paid Chase, they haven't paid Higgins. Higgins has probably gone,
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: Joe Mixon has been gone for a year, Chase Brown
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: doesn't really fit.
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: They had Giseki in this year, you know. It's so.
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: What I'm saying is whether or not the dollar figure
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: would keep you there, Like if you're that good and
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: you're like, because everybody like I can't tell. With the
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: way people talk about him nationally, it's half the stories
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: is he's going to be really really picky, and half
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: the stories are are he's not sure he.
• 36:02
  Speaker 2: Wants to do all the head coach stuff.
• 36:04
  Speaker 3: YEP.
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: So in that case, I'm saying, like, do you step
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: back in when your contract runs out and you go,
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: what's the best situation and you just go become the
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: literally a Hall of Fame coordinator.
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: The greatest coordinator in NFL history.
• 36:18
  Speaker 4: You know, going back to you know what we talked
• 36:20
  Speaker 4: about with the press conference in Dan Campbell, and the
• 36:22
  Speaker 4: national media doesn't see or hear the things that they
• 36:25
  Speaker 4: don't want to sound. Clip Ben Johnson's press conferences. He's
• 36:32
  Speaker 4: wildly loyal to Dan Campbell. He is wildly loyal to
• 36:37
  Speaker 4: the city of Detroit. And the only reason I could
• 36:40
  Speaker 4: see him.
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: In the history of football keep going, or basketball or soccer,
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: I would say, any other sports.
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: Hockey, I would say.
• 36:49
  Speaker 4: The only reason that in your scenario that Ben Johnson
• 36:52
  Speaker 4: would leave the Detroit Lions and the you know, the
• 36:57
  Speaker 4: quarterback that he has built his offense around, the two
• 36:59
  Speaker 4: running backs, the two receivers, the tight end, the offensive line,
• 37:02
  Speaker 4: like ever, all the pieces you have, is to prove that,
• 37:05
  Speaker 4: in fact, he is the greatest coordinator of all time
• 37:07
  Speaker 4: and go and take on a real project like a
• 37:12
  Speaker 4: like a like a Raiders right now, or you know,
• 37:16
  Speaker 4: I can't even say New England. Who's the worst offense
• 37:18
  Speaker 4: in the league right now?
• 37:19
  Speaker 2: Jacksonville Jaguars. I don't know. I'm not a big stat.
• 37:22
  Speaker 4: I mean, that's a nice situation though, because of Trevor
• 37:24
  Speaker 4: Lawrence and you know Travis Atan's not bad. Tank Bigsby
• 37:26
  Speaker 4: played well.
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: I don't think you're going to I don't agree with that.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: I think you're going I think you want to go
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: and prove.
• 37:32
  Speaker 3: You don't know him. Sigh, you don't know him.
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about the AFC really quick, and then I'm
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: gonna and then I want your prediction for what happens
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: this week.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: Okay, So you have the AFC, we have Chiefs.
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: Get the one seed Bill's Broncos, which Sean McDermott has
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: an incredible record against rookie quarterbacks that's gonna be tested
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: against Bonnicks.
• 37:57
  Speaker 3: Their defense is so good. Denver's defense is incredible.
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not as big of a bon Knicks guy
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: as I think bo Nicks might. He might end up
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: being a Hall of Famer, But like bo Nicks has
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: a lot of really great first halves and a lot
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: of okay second halves. And to me, that says Sean
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: Payton is an awesome coach, he is scripting, he is helping,
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: and then we.
• 38:17
  Speaker 2: Go from there. But Sean McDermott historically and that defense
• 38:20
  Speaker 2: is really good.
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: So you got you got the Bills there, You've got
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: the Ravens Steelers, which the Steelers do. As I detour
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: on each of these, I just wanted to read the
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: three and then have you tell me which team was
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: the most likely upset pick. But this thing in Pittsburgh
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: where all these fans, I have so many Pittsburgh friend fans,
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: fan friends, Pittsburgh fan friends who keep They're like, they
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: want to get rid of Tomlin. They're like, it's time
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: we need a culture shift, dude, bro right from fan
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: bases who haven't had great coaches forever.
• 38:50
  Speaker 2: We have him now, but we haven't had it forever.
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: They're like, well, we're never gonna be bad enough to
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: get a pick, and we're never good. You're like, dude,
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: figure out your personal do something anything other than getting
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: rid of Mike Tomlin.
• 39:02
  Speaker 4: That's such a spoiled mentality to say we're never going
• 39:05
  Speaker 4: to be bad enough to get a pick. You mean
• 39:07
  Speaker 4: you're content every year that he's been there, you've won,
• 39:10
  Speaker 4: you've had hope, you've had a legitimate reason to believe
• 39:16
  Speaker 4: that you could go and make some noise. And you're like, oh,
• 39:20
  Speaker 4: that's ridiculous, that's such a that's such a spoiled fan base.
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: I couldn't agree more so. Then you got the Texans
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: the Chargers. So of those matchups, do you have any
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: do you have any of those teams that you think
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: should be on upset Watch? And I mean, I don't
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: know if you can call the Texans a major upset
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: to the Chargers, But do you have any team that
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: others wouldn't suspect making or run.
• 39:44
  Speaker 4: I think the Chargers take down the Texans. I think
• 39:49
  Speaker 4: I think the Steelers. I think the Steelers could take
• 39:52
  Speaker 4: down the Rave That would be my AFC upset. That
• 39:55
  Speaker 4: would be my AFC.
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: I got to tell you, if that happens, that would
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: be off of four or five straight losses.
• 40:00
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that would be That would be another testament to
• 40:02
  Speaker 4: Mike Tomlin and against all of those Pittsburgh fans. And
• 40:04
  Speaker 4: if there's a coach that can do it, it's him.
• 40:06
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: They haven't won a playoff game in like eight years,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: that's true. And I will tell you if the Steelers
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: win that game, if they go into their division rival,
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: division champ Raven's house, after everybody's screaming the Lamar MVP argument,
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: after they have all these like they're whatever whatever in Dvoa,
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: Lamar has the second greatest passer rating you know, in
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: NFL history, and they go in and beat him round one.
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: Who that lamar noise is gonna get really, really loud. Now,
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: I love a Chargers run.
• 40:40
  Speaker 3: I mean, they've they've gone through some pain over the years.
• 40:43
  Speaker 2: I like.
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: I think Jim Harbaugh is such a uniquely impressive coach
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: in the way that I don't know, maybe he wears
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: people out, but the first couple of years, man, he's gangbusters, sure.
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: And Justin Herbert.
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: Is playing so efficiently. He's throwing the ball so much
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: less this year and playing at a efficient clip throwing
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: the ball.
• 41:01
  Speaker 4: So much less, but his receivers are still regularly going
• 41:03
  Speaker 4: over one hundred and fifty yards. Like, you're absolutely right.
• 41:05
  Speaker 4: The efficiency is off the charts. And Justin Herbert is
• 41:08
  Speaker 4: a different quarterback than Jaj McCarthy was in at Michigan.
• 41:12
  Speaker 3: So like to see that.
• 41:14
  Speaker 4: Arm talent all of a sudden, and the things that
• 41:16
  Speaker 4: the play the way the playbook opens up for Justin
• 41:18
  Speaker 4: Herbert as opposed to you know, a run first, let's
• 41:21
  Speaker 4: jam it down your throat offense has been pretty impressive
• 41:23
  Speaker 4: and he hasn't straight too far away from that.
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah, So I I think it's unlikely. But if you
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: are making me pick a an unlikely run to the
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: super Bowl or to a championship game, it's the Chargers.
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: I should keep your eye on the Chargers. I just
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: think he's battle tested. I think he's been there. It's
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: it's kind of like, you know, if you're the Chicago Bears, right,
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: or if you're the Jets. You know, I saw somebody
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: talking about this, like all the candidates they're considering, don't
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: you want a culture don't you want to proven commodity
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: culture shifter like Mike Rabel, Like they're chasing a lot
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: of assistance, but like that's what they got in Uh,
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: that is what they got in.
• 42:04
  Speaker 2: Harbaugh in La.
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: He came in and he's like, no, no, no, no, no,
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: we do all this this way now. And he's just
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: he's just been there and seen so many things. So
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: I think that could be really interesting. All right, here's
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: the deal. I'm gonna let you pick a couple of
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: games that matter. Okay, first, at first, I want what
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: do you think is gonna happen in the Eagles Packers game?
• 42:26
  Speaker 2: You think the Packers got any shot?
• 42:27
  Speaker 3: I mean, the Packers have a shot.
• 42:28
  Speaker 4: I do think that the Eagles have the second best
• 42:31
  Speaker 4: offensive line in the league and the best running back
• 42:34
  Speaker 4: in the league.
• 42:35
  Speaker 3: I not to mention, I mean, I think I think
• 42:37
  Speaker 3: the Eagles win that.
• 42:38
  Speaker 2: So I the only thing I would say is.
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: The Packers have such a good defensive line, a front
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: four generally.
• 42:48
  Speaker 2: Now, did the Vikings.
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: Handle them well, they sure did, But they have such
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: a good front four that that is that is the
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: way you have to you have to compete with.
• 42:59
  Speaker 4: They're not playing Jared Goff or Sam Darnold. They're playing
• 43:02
  Speaker 4: Jalen Hurts, who can move.
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: I understand, but I also think he's you know, he's
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: had an up and down year. He's also still in
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: concussion protocol. Yeah, we'll see what happens when the show
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: comes out, but that's where he is right now. Uh.
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: But I think in order to beat the Egos, you
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: gotta get pressure, and that's really hard to do against
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: that line. They have a really good front four, and
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: they win. They blitz with Halfley. It's effective. I think
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: it's unlikely, but I'd like it. Okay, So next up,
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: let's do Commander's Buccaneers.
• 43:34
  Speaker 4: Oh God, I'd love to see the Commanders win. But
• 43:37
  Speaker 4: I also I would also love you.
• 43:39
  Speaker 2: The team you're most worried about is the Buccaneers.
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: No, I think if you really had to think about it,
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: they're scoring like forty points a game. They're going nuts.
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: They've been a thorn in your side. I think I
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: was a Lions fan, I would want them out immediately.
• 43:55
  Speaker 4: I think ideally as a Lions fan, I can see
• 43:57
  Speaker 4: where you're coming from. I think as the team of
• 43:59
  Speaker 4: the line, I think two teams that they want another
• 44:02
  Speaker 4: crack at are the Bucks and the Bills. I bet
• 44:05
  Speaker 4: you I can see them wanting to play the Bucks
• 44:09
  Speaker 4: just before they have to play the Bills and win
• 44:11
  Speaker 4: out against the teams that beat us and go feeling like,
• 44:14
  Speaker 4: I mean, we beat everybody.
• 44:16
  Speaker 2: Listen to me.
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: I think that's great and really cute. You do not
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: want the Bills. You don't want the Bills. You don't
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: of all the teams. If I'm picking the one team
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: that I don't think the Lions should play against, it's
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: the Buffalo Bills.
• 44:32
  Speaker 3: We lost by three with no defense.
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: They are a horrific matchup for you. It's gonna be
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: Josh Allen. I think he's so good. He's so good,
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: but he's so much better than people even think because
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: they're used to watching him outdoors in Buffalo. He is
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: just like you literally are gonna have to perfectly outscore.
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: Him if your two teams play market.
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: And I know and I know that's something that you
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: fantasize and want. I'm just saying I I think you'd
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: be better off seeing the Chiefs, even though Mahomes and
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: Reid are all time.
• 45:05
  Speaker 3: It would be better off seeing the Broncos well, sure.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: Sure rams hosting the Vikings.
• 45:13
  Speaker 3: I think the Vikings take that.
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Jay, dump it. I don't want him jinxing us.
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: I wanted the hatred. I want you to come for us,
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: and then I want us to prove you wrong.
• 45:23
  Speaker 4: Listen, there is nothing that will ever make me fine.
• 45:29
  Speaker 4: I went through everything with the Lions. I went through
• 45:30
  Speaker 4: h to sixteen. I went through heartbreak, I went through
• 45:32
  Speaker 4: terrible coaches. I went through busts of draft picks. I
• 45:35
  Speaker 4: went through all of it. I will never ever have
• 45:39
  Speaker 4: anyone close to my love for the Detroit Lions. But
• 45:45
  Speaker 4: with all that you guys have done, and you know
• 45:47
  Speaker 4: you guys are constantly having me on, the Vikings are
• 45:49
  Speaker 4: my second favorite team just because of the goodwill you
• 45:52
  Speaker 4: put out there.
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: I just I just accept it, exactly, accept exactly what
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: you're doing.
• 45:58
  Speaker 4: I know, Oh my god, you're like the Grinch when
• 46:00
  Speaker 4: his heart grew three sizes. You're so full of joy
• 46:04
  Speaker 4: and life.
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: I AI what you're doing. I know exactly what you're doing.
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: You and your second best offensive line in the league.
• 46:13
  Speaker 2: That's gonna do.
• 46:14
  Speaker 3: It for us, post the start, post the stats.
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: That's gonna do it for us on the tailgate this week.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much to Zach Martine for joining the
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: show as always.
• 46:26
  Speaker 2: Thank you, buddy, and thank you guys.
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: For listening to our podcast feed. Hey, well you're here,
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: go give us a review, give us five stars. It
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: actually helps us out a lot in the elgo rhythm. Finally,
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: a huge shout out to Ticketmaster, the official ticket marketplace
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: of the Minnesota Vikings, for helping make this show happen.
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: And hey, we're gonna keep kicking out Vikings tailgate shows
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: throughout their playoff run, and we'll do some in the offseason.
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: So stick around, stay tuned, keep checking us out.
• 46:54
  Speaker 2: We'll see you guys soon. Have a great week, everybody,