September 3, 2025 • 10 mins
Shep goes position by position to discuss whether the Lions or Packers have the better roster, and also takes a look at some questionable preseason power rankings from The Athletic... are the Lions ranked too low?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Not that people should all jump on the Lions bandwagon.
You and I don't jump on everybody else's bandwagon, do we.
Before the NBA season last year, did you and I
automatically say Boston. Absolutely No, we didn't. We resisted and
said some other teams. I'm not sure how many of
(00:20):
us pick Cleveland to have the most wins. But when
the Nixon Pistons got ready to tangle while everybody was
picking the Knicks, you and I said, Nope, we're not
going there. We're going to be rogue. I don't expect
everyone to think the Lions are the best team in
the NFC just because I feel that way, or one
(00:43):
of the best teams in the NFC is still think
Philly deserves to be the number one team in the
conference going in. Not everybody should feel that way. The
love for the Packers is gaining momentum. It seems like
I don't know where it stems from. Their coach he's good,
(01:10):
their quarterback he's good. They're newly acquired defensive end or
pass rusher he's great. Trying to figure it out, man,
I'm racking my brain, and maybe I will be one
of the last people to see the green Bay Light.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I think it just depends how good you thought the
team was before the Parsons deal.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I thought they were the second best team in the division.
I still think they're the second best team in the
division based on talent my opinion. Maybe there's some scouts
and they're smarter football people than me that go, you
know what, you don't know what the hell you're talking about?
Play Walker's really good? Oh okay, I'll take I'll Detroit.
I'll take Detroit's talent over anybody any other team's talent
(01:58):
in this division.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I will too.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
But all I'm saying is, if you thought the Packers
were going to win the division two weeks ago, and
then they add Michael Parsons, I can see where the
fever is coming from for the Packers. Like, I understand it.
I disagree with to I'm with you, but I understand it.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah. But but please keep in mind, it's not that
I think everybody like it's a it's a sign of disrespect,
or it's some unbelievable uh phenomenon that people are not
jumping on the Lions bandwagon. I guess I look at
a few things and perhaps this is unfair. Who's better
(02:38):
or who would you rather have Jordan Love or Jared Goff?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Jared Goff?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, me too, and please don't answer like a flipping
Lions fan. I want you to answer like a football fan.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Just because you have his jersey doesn't mean you should
pick him. Because if I said, who'd you rather have
Jared Goff for Josh Allen, If you said Jared Goff
just because you're a Lions fan er because you've got
number sixteen at home hanging next to number fourteen of
I'm on Rossaint Brown, you deserve to be punched in
the throat. You lose all credibility, all credibility. Josh Jacobs
or Jamiir Gibbs Jamier Gibbs.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
That one's easy.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, I think they've both been pretty easy. I like
Jayden Reed. I think he's a good player him or
I'm on Ross Saint Brown, Saint Brown, Okay, Tucker Kraft
or Sam laporta'l.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, it is that one's close. That's the closest one
yet I think. Okay, I still take Laporta though Matthew
Golden or Jamison Williams. Don't know anything about Matthew Golden yet,
not at the professional level. We knew about him in college.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, we got to put a pin in that one, okay.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
And then you get to the alignement that let's face it,
we don't know if fans don't know much about Lions
alignment and vice versa. With that said, I think it's
fair to say, if you follows sports at all, you
know who, or you follow the NFL at all, you
know who Penney Sool is. So can I just say
(04:08):
who's the best aligneman on either team? I think it's
fair to say Penny Sool so so far, a lot
of check marks in favor of Detroit Rayshawn Gary or
Marcus Davenport Gary for sure, easy, A couple of defensive
(04:30):
linemen inside, it's probably a wash. In fact, you'd give
the edge to Detroit when healthy, because green Bay is
soft up the middle according to most reports. And then
you have Parsons against Hutchinson, and can I just suggest
that would be a push?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Sure? Okay, I agree?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Act And then you get to linebackers Edrin Cooper, Kway Walker,
Isaiah McDuffie or Jack Campbell, Alex Angeloni, Derek Barnes. I
could understand why green Bay would think their crew is better.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's one of the mouse salcer ones.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, but I also understand why Detroit would say their
crew is better, especially the first two names that I mentioned.
So let's just say it's a push. And then you
get to the secondary and it's right now, and I
don't know exactly where Matt Lafleur's depth chart is, but
you're looking at probably case On Nixon and Nate Hobbs
(05:32):
is the corners, Edman Williams Zager McKinney is the safeties,
and McKinney's one of the best in the business. Edge Detroit,
without question, it's an edge to Detroit. Brandon McManus as
the kicker, I think Detroit has the edge there. I
think Detroit has the edge as the punter as well.
(05:54):
I don't care about the holder. And then you get
to the coaching staff, Matt Lafleur or Dan Campbell. If
you believe in Matt Lafleur, answer me why he's only
beaten Dan Campbell once. That's all I'm asking, That's all
I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, the coaching one is tough.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You do have to look at heead that had Now,
I No, I don't think it's tough to answer. I
think it's tough to come up with, yeah, because I
just think it's it's it's hard. Like we both know
Dan Campbell and Matt Lafleur are both regarded as good coaches,
So then who are you going to give the edge
to the guy who's beaten the other guy?
Speaker 3 (06:26):
More right?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yes, at some point something has to determine one person
from the other, That's what I mean. And with coaches,
he saw one coach from another at some point. And
if it's not head to head, what would it be. Oh,
would it be division titles? Would it be wins? I mean,
(06:51):
come on, Dan Campbell's got twenty seven wins in the
last two years. He took over a dog crep situation,
so the first two years were bound to be a struggle.
Look at what he's done against Matt Lafleur and the
Packers and the rest of the division the last two years.
Come on, man. So that's where I'm struggling to find
(07:15):
a little bit of the same symmetry that other people
feel about the Packers. It's not a knock on them.
It's not that I don't think they're good. I think
they will be in the playoff conversation with Washington because
I think Philly's going to win the NFC East, with
San Francisco because I think the Rams are going to
win the West. Nobody in for the NFC South other
(07:38):
than Tampa, I think is worth a dam. So there
you go, They're going to be in that conversation. I
just don't think they're better than Detroit. That said, the
Athletic has come out and we'll get to the Daily
Wage here here just after the bottom of the hour.
The Daily Wager doubt has anything to do with the
Lions or Packers just yet, but it will on Friday.
(07:58):
The Athletic comes out and says, is the Power rankings
for Week one again? All right? It's it's a conversational piece,
is what it is. Not the gospel. It's not like
something you and I can suddenly write to the editor
and say, you know what this is difference, Okay, it's fodder.
The Eagles are number one, deserve it, so absolutely the
(08:20):
best team in football going into this season. They're the
best team in football. They didn't lose a ton. They
lost some, okay, but they're deep and they're proven.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
By the way.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think if anyone disagrees with that that the Eagles
are number one. You're just trying to be a contrarian,
that's all you're doing. They just crush the Chiefs in
the Super Bowl, crush the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game,
and top to bottom have consensus top three roster in
the entire NFL.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So how can you make anyone else?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I agreed. And their coach has proven something too. Yeah,
it's been to two Super Bowls. Man. I mean you
may if you don't like him, that's fine, but it's
your problem. Yeah, give him, Yeah, exactly right. They've got
Baltimore at number two. The nausea. I mean, it's people
love Baltimore. Green Bay's three. Dude. They've got green Bay
(09:11):
at number three.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
My lord, here's what they write.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Fourth in defensive expected points added a year ago despite
not having a player on the top thirty five in sacks. Now,
Matt Lafleur and company have Micah Parsons, who's had at
least twelve sacks every year he's been in the league.
Parsons and Ershaun Gary give Green Bay one of the
league's scariest pass rushing duos and one of the league's
most complete teams. The Packers have officially joined the top
tier of contenders. Where do you think they have the Lions?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Five?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Six? Okay, four is Buffalo, five is Kansas City. I
know you're rolling your eyes right now because you don't
like Patrick Mahomes's voice and you don't like his wife. Okay,
but they're very good considering what they've done in his reign.
They deserve the credit.
Not that people should all jump on the Lions bandwagon.
You and I don't jump on everybody else's bandwagon, do we.
Before the NBA season last year, did you and I
automatically say Boston. Absolutely No, we didn't. We resisted and
said some other teams. I'm not sure how many of
(00:20):
us pick Cleveland to have the most wins. But when
the Nixon Pistons got ready to tangle while everybody was
picking the Knicks, you and I said, Nope, we're not
going there. We're going to be rogue. I don't expect
everyone to think the Lions are the best team in
the NFC just because I feel that way, or one
(00:43):
of the best teams in the NFC is still think
Philly deserves to be the number one team in the
conference going in. Not everybody should feel that way. The
love for the Packers is gaining momentum. It seems like
I don't know where it stems from. Their coach he's good,
(01:10):
their quarterback he's good. They're newly acquired defensive end or
pass rusher he's great. Trying to figure it out, man,
I'm racking my brain, and maybe I will be one
of the last people to see the green Bay Light.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I think it just depends how good you thought the
team was before the Parsons deal.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I thought they were the second best team in the division.
I still think they're the second best team in the
division based on talent my opinion. Maybe there's some scouts
and they're smarter football people than me that go, you
know what, you don't know what the hell you're talking about?
Play Walker's really good? Oh okay, I'll take I'll Detroit.
I'll take Detroit's talent over anybody any other team's talent
(01:58):
in this division.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I will too.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
But all I'm saying is, if you thought the Packers
were going to win the division two weeks ago, and
then they add Michael Parsons, I can see where the
fever is coming from for the Packers. Like, I understand it.
I disagree with to I'm with you, but I understand it.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah. But but please keep in mind, it's not that
I think everybody like it's a it's a sign of disrespect,
or it's some unbelievable uh phenomenon that people are not
jumping on the Lions bandwagon. I guess I look at
a few things and perhaps this is unfair. Who's better
(02:38):
or who would you rather have Jordan Love or Jared Goff?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Jared Goff?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, me too, and please don't answer like a flipping
Lions fan. I want you to answer like a football fan.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Just because you have his jersey doesn't mean you should
pick him. Because if I said, who'd you rather have
Jared Goff for Josh Allen, If you said Jared Goff
just because you're a Lions fan er because you've got
number sixteen at home hanging next to number fourteen of
I'm on Rossaint Brown, you deserve to be punched in
the throat. You lose all credibility, all credibility. Josh Jacobs
or Jamiir Gibbs Jamier Gibbs.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
That one's easy.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, I think they've both been pretty easy. I like
Jayden Reed. I think he's a good player him or
I'm on Ross Saint Brown, Saint Brown, Okay, Tucker Kraft
or Sam laporta'l.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, it is that one's close. That's the closest one
yet I think. Okay, I still take Laporta though Matthew
Golden or Jamison Williams. Don't know anything about Matthew Golden yet,
not at the professional level. We knew about him in college.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, we got to put a pin in that one, okay.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
And then you get to the alignement that let's face it,
we don't know if fans don't know much about Lions
alignment and vice versa. With that said, I think it's
fair to say, if you follows sports at all, you
know who, or you follow the NFL at all, you
know who Penney Sool is. So can I just say
(04:08):
who's the best aligneman on either team? I think it's
fair to say Penny Sool so so far, a lot
of check marks in favor of Detroit Rayshawn Gary or
Marcus Davenport Gary for sure, easy, A couple of defensive
(04:30):
linemen inside, it's probably a wash. In fact, you'd give
the edge to Detroit when healthy, because green Bay is
soft up the middle according to most reports. And then
you have Parsons against Hutchinson, and can I just suggest
that would be a push?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Sure? Okay, I agree?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Act And then you get to linebackers Edrin Cooper, Kway Walker,
Isaiah McDuffie or Jack Campbell, Alex Angeloni, Derek Barnes. I
could understand why green Bay would think their crew is better.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's one of the mouse salcer ones.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, but I also understand why Detroit would say their
crew is better, especially the first two names that I mentioned.
So let's just say it's a push. And then you
get to the secondary and it's right now, and I
don't know exactly where Matt Lafleur's depth chart is, but
you're looking at probably case On Nixon and Nate Hobbs
(05:32):
is the corners, Edman Williams Zager McKinney is the safeties,
and McKinney's one of the best in the business. Edge Detroit,
without question, it's an edge to Detroit. Brandon McManus as
the kicker, I think Detroit has the edge there. I
think Detroit has the edge as the punter as well.
(05:54):
I don't care about the holder. And then you get
to the coaching staff, Matt Lafleur or Dan Campbell. If
you believe in Matt Lafleur, answer me why he's only
beaten Dan Campbell once. That's all I'm asking, That's all
I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, the coaching one is tough.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You do have to look at heead that had Now,
I No, I don't think it's tough to answer. I
think it's tough to come up with, yeah, because I
just think it's it's it's hard. Like we both know
Dan Campbell and Matt Lafleur are both regarded as good coaches,
So then who are you going to give the edge
to the guy who's beaten the other guy?
Speaker 3 (06:26):
More right?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yes, at some point something has to determine one person
from the other, That's what I mean. And with coaches,
he saw one coach from another at some point. And
if it's not head to head, what would it be. Oh,
would it be division titles? Would it be wins? I mean,
(06:51):
come on, Dan Campbell's got twenty seven wins in the
last two years. He took over a dog crep situation,
so the first two years were bound to be a struggle.
Look at what he's done against Matt Lafleur and the
Packers and the rest of the division the last two years.
Come on, man. So that's where I'm struggling to find
(07:15):
a little bit of the same symmetry that other people
feel about the Packers. It's not a knock on them.
It's not that I don't think they're good. I think
they will be in the playoff conversation with Washington because
I think Philly's going to win the NFC East, with
San Francisco because I think the Rams are going to
win the West. Nobody in for the NFC South other
(07:38):
than Tampa, I think is worth a dam. So there
you go, They're going to be in that conversation. I
just don't think they're better than Detroit. That said, the
Athletic has come out and we'll get to the Daily
Wage here here just after the bottom of the hour.
The Daily Wager doubt has anything to do with the
Lions or Packers just yet, but it will on Friday.
(07:58):
The Athletic comes out and says, is the Power rankings
for Week one again? All right? It's it's a conversational piece,
is what it is. Not the gospel. It's not like
something you and I can suddenly write to the editor
and say, you know what this is difference, Okay, it's fodder.
The Eagles are number one, deserve it, so absolutely the
(08:20):
best team in football going into this season. They're the
best team in football. They didn't lose a ton. They
lost some, okay, but they're deep and they're proven.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
By the way.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think if anyone disagrees with that that the Eagles
are number one. You're just trying to be a contrarian,
that's all you're doing. They just crush the Chiefs in
the Super Bowl, crush the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game,
and top to bottom have consensus top three roster in
the entire NFL.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So how can you make anyone else?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I agreed. And their coach has proven something too. Yeah,
it's been to two Super Bowls. Man. I mean you
may if you don't like him, that's fine, but it's
your problem. Yeah, give him, Yeah, exactly right. They've got
Baltimore at number two. The nausea. I mean, it's people
love Baltimore. Green Bay's three. Dude. They've got green Bay
(09:11):
at number three.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
My lord, here's what they write.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Fourth in defensive expected points added a year ago despite
not having a player on the top thirty five in sacks. Now,
Matt Lafleur and company have Micah Parsons, who's had at
least twelve sacks every year he's been in the league.
Parsons and Ershaun Gary give Green Bay one of the
league's scariest pass rushing duos and one of the league's
most complete teams. The Packers have officially joined the top
tier of contenders. Where do you think they have the Lions?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Five?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Six? Okay, four is Buffalo, five is Kansas City. I
know you're rolling your eyes right now because you don't
like Patrick Mahomes's voice and you don't like his wife. Okay,
but they're very good considering what they've done in his reign.
They deserve the credit.
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