December 6, 2024 • 17 mins
With the Lions moving to 12-1 and becoming the first NFC team to clinch the playoffs, Rob Rubick joins the show to break it all down, including Dan Campbell's coaching style and the Lions' 34-31 Thursday Night Football win over the Packers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Very fortunate to have worked and call this guy one
of my best friends, Rob Rubik, who played in the
NFL for seven years for the Lions and does a
great job as an analyst in stadium at every home
game for the Detroit Lions and at Ford Field, and
he joins us here on x'es and bros. After a
late night watching this team beat the team you probably
hated more than anybody, right, the Green Bay Packers loved
(00:22):
playing against the Packers, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I love when you asked questions you already know the
answer to. And by the way, I am truly truly
blessed to call you what my best friends do. But
I appreciate you having me on and a little bit
long in the tooth. My demand Oho there. It is
not required by many people in your industry anymore.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
As you saw.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
That's not true at all, Mata, No, not true at all.
You're a fantastic at what you do. You should have
been doing it at a national level for a long time.
When you watch that game last night, I kept shaking
my head, man, I was just like, this is I've
never seen anything like it. What stood out to you
first and foremost about last night's game.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
All Right, the NFL has an unbelievable product. I mean
to put that on air to bit for Prime or
Channel two carried the Detroit area Fox to what a
product they have. I mean, you take a Lion's team
that's beat up defensively, their front seven is decimated. I mean, no,
no knock, but you got Paddle O'Connor, a journeyman pretty
(01:27):
much defensive tackle, defensive end on Eastern Michigan plane inside
and by the way, played outstanding. I mean I texted
him last night. Oh see, really.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Got at it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I mean, for a guy that went in the league
as a defensive end, he's become a hybrid and very
valuable because you can do that. He's kind of like
a He's a little bit like Cominsky was before John
got hurt, where you could flip him. He gives you
a lot of versatility inside that defense line. And you
needed him last night because you were so short manned.
But what jumped out is that the Lions. You know,
you hear all the coach speak and always with grit,
(02:00):
this has been their thing. Well, they really are gritty.
I mean, they truly are shop. They're a team that
just grinds.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
They don't. There's no panic.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
There's from golf, you know, to Baits, to Dan Campbell
to Bad Holmes making decisions bringing the old guys during
the week to fill some holes. And at one time
in the game they both were in the game. We
look at Kwan, Alexander and Jamal Adams and this is
a team that's just they seem destin right now. I'm
not a big you know, I'm not a momentum guy.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
I'm not a fake guy. I'm not a destiny guy.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So maybe they're not destiny. Maybe they're just positioned now
better than they've ever been.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
And I think their.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Position as well as any team in the NFL to
not just get to the Super Bowl, but possibly win
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
How challenging is it to bring in guys like that
late in a week and have them kind of adapt
on the fly? Miles Adams along the defensive line, Jonah
Williams along the defensive line, You mentioned Alexander and Jamal Adams.
What's the huge challenge there for a player and a
coach in that situation.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, one good thing about a couple of names you
just said, you don't have to worry about credibility. He's
look at Kwan Alexander and Jamal Adams. They've created their
own credibility in this leg is David Long has as well.
They bring him last week at a linebacker. I mean,
this is a guy who's been in the league six years,
he started for six years. You get credibility with those guys.
(03:24):
And now the other two younger guys. There's a practice
squad guys. Those are hungry guys. Shift. Those are guys
say I'm getting paid better tonight and I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Liked this and I want to stay here.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So you know they're giving you one hundred percent every
fricking play. But as far as adapting, it's a difficult task.
You have to pair things down. You know, the NFL
is a copycat leg. You know that. You've said that
to me many many times.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
We see it. It's a copycat leg.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And I was just talking to Brockette's friend of both
of ours last night where he's doing my pregame show
at the stadium in house, and we're saying that in
the NFL teams, there's not a bunch of new plays
defensively or offensively. It's just terminology. When you move from
team to Team ninety it will be similar. So they
just give him a simple package. They adapt the fact
(04:14):
that they've been players in this league, And I say,
you know, quality players.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Really helps their quality for a reason.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
They're athletically blessed, but they're also mentally blessed. They're smart guys.
They can figure it out quickly. Or you give them
a small package and you get what you can out
of them.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You know what it's like to score touchdowns in the
National Football League, Tim Patrick.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Well, Herman more and I had probably said we had
sixty eight between us. We're a number eighty four and
I had four.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, if you look at what Tim Patrick did last night,
what a long roadback twenty twenty one, and the injuries
that he dealt with in Denver, you could tell the
joy that he had, but also you know the belief
Jared Golf has in him. How good did you feel
for a guy like that obviously gets overshadowed by Saint
Brown and Williams and so many other offensive weapons.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, Jeff, you know, we worked together for years and
you are one of the great storytellers. You are one
of the great preppers I've ever known. I worked with
some really good broadcasters from Fred McLeod and Mark Champion,
Dan Miller right down the line in this area. And
you prepped as well as any and you love to
dig and get those heart wrenching stories that you know,
kind of superseded football. That is an unbelievable story. A
(05:26):
guy that you know, with those type of injuries to
be able to come back to be productive of be
an integral part. I mean he is. Jimmy Patrick is
a third down eating machine. Ery now too that just
touchdowns he gets in this game. You look at last week,
you know, three or four catches, three or four first downs.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
He's one of those guys kind of.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Like Tyler Tyler Lockett, Tyler Lockett for Seattle, the guy
that all he does is catch first downs.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
And so, yeah, Tim.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Patrick, what a neat thing. And he's good. He's a
big receiver. But I watched in one of his routes
he made like a double move another little he's got
quit a bigger guy. He's not a plotter. He has
quick feet, he has quick moves out of his brakes,
and he's a grabber of the football. And you put
those things together with his experience, what a valuable you
(06:10):
don't get Josh Reynolds in that role last year. Well,
I think he we've upgraded with him. He just and
for him to at the biggest moment to shine like
he did, it just shows this whole team. It starts
and you, once again, I'm giving you a lot of profits.
I'm not just telling people this because we talk often.
You were a big Brad Holmes guy early on. Once
(06:32):
you saw the moves he made. You know, you've always
been suspect of the Line's front office in the sense
of decisions they made personnel wise. No, we know we
don't hit.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
On them all.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
No one hits on them all any team, but you
need to hit on enough so that your drafts are worthwhile.
Each year that you start getting building blocks. Well, they've
done that. And in the free agent mark brad Holmes,
he never overpays.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
You know, I panicked. I'm going to say it when
Haunts went down.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I'm like, you need Max, need Miles Carrott, we need
something of the like. Well, you didn't need that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You didn't have to have that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
What he did was he went and got like a
next level guy. He didn't overpay. Zadarius has been very
productive for the Lions, and we see that with Tim Patrick.
He goes up with all Lions and receiver week that's
the weakness of this team. Jebamanah is really good. You know,
Jamo has potential and then he got Cleaves.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
There's no panic in that front off the show.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Yeah, it's a beautiful to watch former Lions Tight and
Rob Rubik joining us host the Lions pregame show down
at Ford Field every home game here on ex'es and bros.
Trust and belief those are two hard words I think
for professional athletes to oftentimes have with their coach or
with their position coach. It seems like this team truly
(07:48):
trusts and truly believes in every decision that is being
made on that sidelines. How fickle can that be with
players and coaches? And how do you recognize it right now?
With this team?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Chef, when you and I were doing the Lions preseason
games and Herman Moore was doing with us as well,
and they're a good friend of ours and hopefully in
front of your show. If you're not, you better get
him on. We have a chance work with Jim Caldwell,
remember that, Chef, And when the first meetings we came
out herman and I looked at you and we both said,
what you remember.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
That I'd run through a wall for that guy.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, I want to play for him. I was fifty
some years old. I I'd go out and put the
pads on right now because he makes you and there
was sincerity and his intelligence and his kindness and the
whole package. I think Dan Campbell's the same thing. Different
obviously not the same type of human being is but
whatever does that Dan has, it comes to a sincere
(08:44):
and players no false You know. I played for three
different coaches and I'm not going to sco on the
air and it's ripping on them, but I can tell
you they all coached differently, and they're all things that
they did that I thought was okay. And there's all
things they did I didn't think it was okay. You know.
Moni Clark was my first, and he coached with threats
an intimidation. I just don't think that's how you get
(09:06):
loyalty from from a player at any level, or any
human being, right, you know, But Dan doesn't. Dan challenges players,
Dan tos I think Dan sets the bar high. He
challenges you. He know, he helps your self esteem. He
makes you believe in yourself. And this is not This
is not going to disappear because another buddy, Casey Fitzsimmons,
(09:27):
who played two years with Dan Campbell, said no, roote,
he goes, this is who he is. He was like,
this is a player. He looks like this big opie
buffoon guy who is highly intelligent. And this from FITZI,
who I none trust more than anyone except for you,
And he said Dan is original, he is sincere. Players
know that and they respond to that. So this is
(09:49):
not a flash in the panel all of a sudden.
This is going to get old with the players. You
rab Rah, I don't know Nick Siriani. I don't know him,
but you know, from outside looking in, I can see
that getting the whole running up and on the sideline,
the PJ. Black effect, you know, And I think that
can get old with the player pretty soon. When things
don't go well, you start looking at the stuff and thinking, okay,
but this is kind of her tunis.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Where Dan's not like that.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You taught me.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I answered your question, No you did, no, you did.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It was it was great. It's about the trust factor
between players and coaches. You taught me A long time
ago that just because something worked doesn't mean it was right.
So last night I'm watching this game. It's a tie game.
Detroit's driving. It's fourth down and one at the green
Bay twenty one. They've got a chip shot of a
field goal. Green Bay doesn't have any more timeouts. They
(10:41):
go for it.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, forty seconds left.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Right, they go for it. It pays off, even though
Jared Goff's foot was stepped on and he did reach
out and get it to David Montgomery and everybody was
holding their breath.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I know where you're going.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, what was your thought on the call? Because I
tweeted out, look, I didn't I didn't like the call,
and I would scathing back. This is why you're a loser.
I'm glad you're not our coach.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
No, the call I didn't like, Chef, I really struggle with,
which you sent me a text on because you know
I'm a big risk reward guy. Is when you're on
your own twenty nine yard line and you play.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
For it, it's a full yard.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
First thing they screwed up on is they should have
challenged the spot.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
They are spent a whole yard back.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
He caught the ball slit up to the line before
he was touched by anyone. Yeah, Kimmy pack, Okay, But then.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
It's risk reward.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you go for the twenty nine yard line, your
own twenty en If you get that, what's your reward?
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Just possession down right, yes, first time on your.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Own thirty If you don't get it, what's what's the
risk point given? I mean, that's a forty seven year field.
If they don't get a yard, you're giving them points.
So to me, that's not a good position to go
for the ball. Now at the end of the game,
if you do the same risk reward thing, the reward
is high in that situation. There's also a lot of risk,
(12:01):
but at least the reward is you get a first down.
You're ninety eight percent sure you just won the game
on that one play. You win the game if you
if you kick it, you're probably still what seventy five
percent maybe to eighty that you're going to win the
game if you make the field goal, which is a
longer field goal there, but still saying, you know, he's
(12:23):
a very capable kicker. It'd have been what five yards
longer than when he actually kicked, So I thought it
would go.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Hard count and try to draw him off.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And I think maybe that Dan thought. I think Dan
thinks they were thinking that, and after all of a sudden,
they kind of surprised him and they ran it like
holy shit, they're going for it, holy poop, sorry, and
they went forward. So I think the surprise might have
helped him that because I don't think anyone, including me
and I thought he's going hard counting. I didn't think
he was going for it. But in hindsight, I started,
(12:52):
you know, thinking about, like we just talked through this.
There's a lot of reward, a lot of reward, but
there was a there was still a lot of risk.
It's well they get well exported him for the win,
for the win.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Now they're going right right, Well explained they didn't have
any time outs forty seconds to get a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That might be a little bit much, but plays, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, yeah maybe unless unless you you are able to
go out of bounds. I do wonder this though, when
you watch this team and you see the times that
they go forward on fourth down, and last night they
were four for five, which is impressive, and no team
goes for it as much. Do you think Dan Campbell's
philosophy has changed other coaching philosophy in the NFL and
(13:37):
perhaps maybe even in college too. I think it's a
trickle down effect.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Great thing, great great insight, and great observe.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I call it the Campbell effect. I see it watching
college football. I see it watching high school football. We
saw this weekend in high school football where teams start
going for more when they get near midfield. Though when yeah,
you know, there was the one coach. I don't know
where he was. I wish I had a memory, but
he was I know, Texas ors Louisiana. He never punts, yeah,
and the on side kicks every time because he values possession.
(14:10):
And his theory is that he does that all the time,
and he statistically has proven him okay, at his level,
it's worked where he gets more possessions and he would
have not doing that over the course of a game.
And possessions what it's all about. That's why turnovers are huge.
I mean, you know, you get if each team.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Gets you know, eight possessions.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
You know people are talking about Jordan Loved this morning
and the Packers not throwing the ball only twenty times,
they had forty five plays. That's it.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I know it.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
That's what I brought it. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
People, he didn't throw it.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I'm watching the talk he has the dude, he still
doing forty five percent of the time. What's just a
little bit under the average, But it's not like you
know it's And also, Josh Jacobs is the last time
I checked, he was kind of gouging.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
I'm pretty good.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah, he had three three rushing touchdowns. I brought that up.
And the very first thing, or one of the very
first things I brought up, was each team had ten
possess green Bay ran forty five plays, Detroit ran seventy six. Yeah,
that's a huge disparity, don't you think.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Right, lines are one hundred more yards, but it took
them thirty So they're only averaging about three yards of
play in those thirty thirty one.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
More plays they had. It's a huge thing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
The time of possession was huge, which is not a
time of possession the actual numbers we you and I
talk about, we're not impressed with that plays a little
bit different because if yeah, a lot of times they correlate.
But the lines they were finishing with those seventy six plays,
they were finishing with points so it's not like they're
all there doing a lot of plays between the twenties
(15:39):
and getting nothing out of it. Now the Packers are
more efficient and more chunk plays. They are able to
get down the field quicker. But they also benefited from
a deep turnover and a fourth on down. On the
twenty nine, they had two short short fields, so that
cost you plays there because they end up scoring, So
you're not You don't have to have a twelve play drive,
you're having a four play drive.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
That's a good point. Last question, real quick, what do
you think Dan Campbell in his they had a Usually
after Thanksgiving you get a ten day respite, right, it
was just seven this time. They've played a lot of
games in a short period of time and as we
all know, they're beat up. What do you think he
does for his team knowing that they won't play again
until a week from this Sunday, getting the needed rest.
(16:21):
How does the schedule go?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, obviously anyone with any type of injury, Nick, you
have to get in get treatment and they'll be evaluated.
And the guys that are already being treated are going
to be in there.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
They're not getting any days up.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I would assume he's gonna give everyone else like we
did back into Thanksgiving. They're going to get their Thanksgiving
break now. They will be off until Monday morning. If
you're perfectly healthy, he's going to get release a good
three day respite to kind of clear the head. If
you want to take a quick trip. And these guys
got money like you, Chef, they can fly wherever they
want to help.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
For three, I'm not retired.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
You are. You're the CEO of a fortune five hundred company.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Now not necessarily the case, but I appreciate the confidence.
Very fortunate to have worked and call this guy one
of my best friends, Rob Rubik, who played in the
NFL for seven years for the Lions and does a
great job as an analyst in stadium at every home
game for the Detroit Lions and at Ford Field, and
he joins us here on x'es and bros. After a
late night watching this team beat the team you probably
hated more than anybody, right, the Green Bay Packers loved
(00:22):
playing against the Packers, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I love when you asked questions you already know the
answer to. And by the way, I am truly truly
blessed to call you what my best friends do. But
I appreciate you having me on and a little bit
long in the tooth. My demand Oho there. It is
not required by many people in your industry anymore.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
As you saw.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
That's not true at all, Mata, No, not true at all.
You're a fantastic at what you do. You should have
been doing it at a national level for a long time.
When you watch that game last night, I kept shaking
my head, man, I was just like, this is I've
never seen anything like it. What stood out to you
first and foremost about last night's game.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
All Right, the NFL has an unbelievable product. I mean
to put that on air to bit for Prime or
Channel two carried the Detroit area Fox to what a
product they have. I mean, you take a Lion's team
that's beat up defensively, their front seven is decimated. I mean, no,
no knock, but you got Paddle O'Connor, a journeyman pretty
(01:27):
much defensive tackle, defensive end on Eastern Michigan plane inside
and by the way, played outstanding. I mean I texted
him last night. Oh see, really.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Got at it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I mean, for a guy that went in the league
as a defensive end, he's become a hybrid and very
valuable because you can do that. He's kind of like
a He's a little bit like Cominsky was before John
got hurt, where you could flip him. He gives you
a lot of versatility inside that defense line. And you
needed him last night because you were so short manned.
But what jumped out is that the Lions. You know,
you hear all the coach speak and always with grit,
(02:00):
this has been their thing. Well, they really are gritty.
I mean, they truly are shop. They're a team that
just grinds.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
They don't. There's no panic.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
There's from golf, you know, to Baits, to Dan Campbell
to Bad Holmes making decisions bringing the old guys during
the week to fill some holes. And at one time
in the game they both were in the game. We
look at Kwan, Alexander and Jamal Adams and this is
a team that's just they seem destin right now. I'm
not a big you know, I'm not a momentum guy.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
I'm not a fake guy. I'm not a destiny guy.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So maybe they're not destiny. Maybe they're just positioned now
better than they've ever been.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
And I think their.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Position as well as any team in the NFL to
not just get to the Super Bowl, but possibly win
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
How challenging is it to bring in guys like that
late in a week and have them kind of adapt
on the fly? Miles Adams along the defensive line, Jonah
Williams along the defensive line, You mentioned Alexander and Jamal Adams.
What's the huge challenge there for a player and a
coach in that situation.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, one good thing about a couple of names you
just said, you don't have to worry about credibility. He's
look at Kwan Alexander and Jamal Adams. They've created their
own credibility in this leg is David Long has as well.
They bring him last week at a linebacker. I mean,
this is a guy who's been in the league six years,
he started for six years. You get credibility with those guys.
(03:24):
And now the other two younger guys. There's a practice
squad guys. Those are hungry guys. Shift. Those are guys
say I'm getting paid better tonight and I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Liked this and I want to stay here.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So you know they're giving you one hundred percent every
fricking play. But as far as adapting, it's a difficult task.
You have to pair things down. You know, the NFL
is a copycat leg. You know that. You've said that
to me many many times.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
We see it. It's a copycat leg.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And I was just talking to Brockette's friend of both
of ours last night where he's doing my pregame show
at the stadium in house, and we're saying that in
the NFL teams, there's not a bunch of new plays
defensively or offensively. It's just terminology. When you move from
team to Team ninety it will be similar. So they
just give him a simple package. They adapt the fact
(04:14):
that they've been players in this league, And I say,
you know, quality players.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Really helps their quality for a reason.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
They're athletically blessed, but they're also mentally blessed. They're smart guys.
They can figure it out quickly. Or you give them
a small package and you get what you can out
of them.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You know what it's like to score touchdowns in the
National Football League, Tim Patrick.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Well, Herman more and I had probably said we had
sixty eight between us. We're a number eighty four and
I had four.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, if you look at what Tim Patrick did last night,
what a long roadback twenty twenty one, and the injuries
that he dealt with in Denver, you could tell the
joy that he had, but also you know the belief
Jared Golf has in him. How good did you feel
for a guy like that obviously gets overshadowed by Saint
Brown and Williams and so many other offensive weapons.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, Jeff, you know, we worked together for years and
you are one of the great storytellers. You are one
of the great preppers I've ever known. I worked with
some really good broadcasters from Fred McLeod and Mark Champion,
Dan Miller right down the line in this area. And
you prepped as well as any and you love to
dig and get those heart wrenching stories that you know,
kind of superseded football. That is an unbelievable story. A
(05:26):
guy that you know, with those type of injuries to
be able to come back to be productive of be
an integral part. I mean he is. Jimmy Patrick is
a third down eating machine. Ery now too that just
touchdowns he gets in this game. You look at last week,
you know, three or four catches, three or four first downs.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
He's one of those guys kind of.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Like Tyler Tyler Lockett, Tyler Lockett for Seattle, the guy
that all he does is catch first downs.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
And so, yeah, Tim.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Patrick, what a neat thing. And he's good. He's a
big receiver. But I watched in one of his routes
he made like a double move another little he's got
quit a bigger guy. He's not a plotter. He has
quick feet, he has quick moves out of his brakes,
and he's a grabber of the football. And you put
those things together with his experience, what a valuable you
(06:10):
don't get Josh Reynolds in that role last year. Well,
I think he we've upgraded with him. He just and
for him to at the biggest moment to shine like
he did, it just shows this whole team. It starts
and you, once again, I'm giving you a lot of profits.
I'm not just telling people this because we talk often.
You were a big Brad Holmes guy early on. Once
(06:32):
you saw the moves he made. You know, you've always
been suspect of the Line's front office in the sense
of decisions they made personnel wise. No, we know we
don't hit.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
On them all.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
No one hits on them all any team, but you
need to hit on enough so that your drafts are worthwhile.
Each year that you start getting building blocks. Well, they've
done that. And in the free agent mark brad Holmes,
he never overpays.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
You know, I panicked. I'm going to say it when
Haunts went down.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I'm like, you need Max, need Miles Carrott, we need
something of the like. Well, you didn't need that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You didn't have to have that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
What he did was he went and got like a
next level guy. He didn't overpay. Zadarius has been very
productive for the Lions, and we see that with Tim Patrick.
He goes up with all Lions and receiver week that's
the weakness of this team. Jebamanah is really good. You know,
Jamo has potential and then he got Cleaves.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
There's no panic in that front off the show.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Yeah, it's a beautiful to watch former Lions Tight and
Rob Rubik joining us host the Lions pregame show down
at Ford Field every home game here on ex'es and bros.
Trust and belief those are two hard words I think
for professional athletes to oftentimes have with their coach or
with their position coach. It seems like this team truly
(07:48):
trusts and truly believes in every decision that is being
made on that sidelines. How fickle can that be with
players and coaches? And how do you recognize it right now?
With this team?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Chef, when you and I were doing the Lions preseason
games and Herman Moore was doing with us as well,
and they're a good friend of ours and hopefully in
front of your show. If you're not, you better get
him on. We have a chance work with Jim Caldwell,
remember that, Chef, And when the first meetings we came
out herman and I looked at you and we both said,
what you remember.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
That I'd run through a wall for that guy.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, I want to play for him. I was fifty
some years old. I I'd go out and put the
pads on right now because he makes you and there
was sincerity and his intelligence and his kindness and the
whole package. I think Dan Campbell's the same thing. Different
obviously not the same type of human being is but
whatever does that Dan has, it comes to a sincere
(08:44):
and players no false You know. I played for three
different coaches and I'm not going to sco on the
air and it's ripping on them, but I can tell
you they all coached differently, and they're all things that
they did that I thought was okay. And there's all
things they did I didn't think it was okay. You know.
Moni Clark was my first, and he coached with threats
an intimidation. I just don't think that's how you get
(09:06):
loyalty from from a player at any level, or any
human being, right, you know, But Dan doesn't. Dan challenges players,
Dan tos I think Dan sets the bar high. He
challenges you. He know, he helps your self esteem. He
makes you believe in yourself. And this is not This
is not going to disappear because another buddy, Casey Fitzsimmons,
(09:27):
who played two years with Dan Campbell, said no, roote,
he goes, this is who he is. He was like,
this is a player. He looks like this big opie
buffoon guy who is highly intelligent. And this from FITZI,
who I none trust more than anyone except for you,
And he said Dan is original, he is sincere. Players
know that and they respond to that. So this is
(09:49):
not a flash in the panel all of a sudden.
This is going to get old with the players. You
rab Rah, I don't know Nick Siriani. I don't know him,
but you know, from outside looking in, I can see
that getting the whole running up and on the sideline,
the PJ. Black effect, you know, And I think that
can get old with the player pretty soon. When things
don't go well, you start looking at the stuff and thinking, okay,
but this is kind of her tunis.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Where Dan's not like that.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You taught me.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I answered your question, No you did, no, you did.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It was it was great. It's about the trust factor
between players and coaches. You taught me A long time
ago that just because something worked doesn't mean it was right.
So last night I'm watching this game. It's a tie game.
Detroit's driving. It's fourth down and one at the green
Bay twenty one. They've got a chip shot of a
field goal. Green Bay doesn't have any more timeouts. They
(10:41):
go for it.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, forty seconds left.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Right, they go for it. It pays off, even though
Jared Goff's foot was stepped on and he did reach
out and get it to David Montgomery and everybody was
holding their breath.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I know where you're going.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, what was your thought on the call? Because I
tweeted out, look, I didn't I didn't like the call,
and I would scathing back. This is why you're a loser.
I'm glad you're not our coach.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
No, the call I didn't like, Chef, I really struggle with,
which you sent me a text on because you know
I'm a big risk reward guy. Is when you're on
your own twenty nine yard line and you play.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
For it, it's a full yard.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
First thing they screwed up on is they should have
challenged the spot.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
They are spent a whole yard back.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
He caught the ball slit up to the line before
he was touched by anyone. Yeah, Kimmy pack, Okay, But then.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
It's risk reward.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you go for the twenty nine yard line, your
own twenty en If you get that, what's your reward?
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Just possession down right, yes, first time on your.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Own thirty If you don't get it, what's what's the
risk point given? I mean, that's a forty seven year field.
If they don't get a yard, you're giving them points.
So to me, that's not a good position to go
for the ball. Now at the end of the game,
if you do the same risk reward thing, the reward
is high in that situation. There's also a lot of risk,
(12:01):
but at least the reward is you get a first down.
You're ninety eight percent sure you just won the game
on that one play. You win the game if you
if you kick it, you're probably still what seventy five
percent maybe to eighty that you're going to win the
game if you make the field goal, which is a
longer field goal there, but still saying, you know, he's
(12:23):
a very capable kicker. It'd have been what five yards
longer than when he actually kicked, So I thought it
would go.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Hard count and try to draw him off.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And I think maybe that Dan thought. I think Dan
thinks they were thinking that, and after all of a sudden,
they kind of surprised him and they ran it like
holy shit, they're going for it, holy poop, sorry, and
they went forward. So I think the surprise might have
helped him that because I don't think anyone, including me
and I thought he's going hard counting. I didn't think
he was going for it. But in hindsight, I started,
(12:52):
you know, thinking about, like we just talked through this.
There's a lot of reward, a lot of reward, but
there was a there was still a lot of risk.
It's well they get well exported him for the win,
for the win.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Now they're going right right, Well explained they didn't have
any time outs forty seconds to get a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That might be a little bit much, but plays, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, yeah maybe unless unless you you are able to
go out of bounds. I do wonder this though, when
you watch this team and you see the times that
they go forward on fourth down, and last night they
were four for five, which is impressive, and no team
goes for it as much. Do you think Dan Campbell's
philosophy has changed other coaching philosophy in the NFL and
(13:37):
perhaps maybe even in college too. I think it's a
trickle down effect.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Great thing, great great insight, and great observe.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I call it the Campbell effect. I see it watching
college football. I see it watching high school football. We
saw this weekend in high school football where teams start
going for more when they get near midfield. Though when yeah,
you know, there was the one coach. I don't know
where he was. I wish I had a memory, but
he was I know, Texas ors Louisiana. He never punts, yeah,
and the on side kicks every time because he values possession.
(14:10):
And his theory is that he does that all the time,
and he statistically has proven him okay, at his level,
it's worked where he gets more possessions and he would
have not doing that over the course of a game.
And possessions what it's all about. That's why turnovers are huge.
I mean, you know, you get if each team.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Gets you know, eight possessions.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
You know people are talking about Jordan Loved this morning
and the Packers not throwing the ball only twenty times,
they had forty five plays. That's it.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I know it.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
That's what I brought it. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
People, he didn't throw it.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I'm watching the talk he has the dude, he still
doing forty five percent of the time. What's just a
little bit under the average, But it's not like you
know it's And also, Josh Jacobs is the last time
I checked, he was kind of gouging.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
I'm pretty good.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah, he had three three rushing touchdowns. I brought that up.
And the very first thing, or one of the very
first things I brought up, was each team had ten
possess green Bay ran forty five plays, Detroit ran seventy six. Yeah,
that's a huge disparity, don't you think.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Right, lines are one hundred more yards, but it took
them thirty So they're only averaging about three yards of
play in those thirty thirty one.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
More plays they had. It's a huge thing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
The time of possession was huge, which is not a
time of possession the actual numbers we you and I
talk about, we're not impressed with that plays a little
bit different because if yeah, a lot of times they correlate.
But the lines they were finishing with those seventy six plays,
they were finishing with points so it's not like they're
all there doing a lot of plays between the twenties
(15:39):
and getting nothing out of it. Now the Packers are
more efficient and more chunk plays. They are able to
get down the field quicker. But they also benefited from
a deep turnover and a fourth on down. On the
twenty nine, they had two short short fields, so that
cost you plays there because they end up scoring, So
you're not You don't have to have a twelve play drive,
you're having a four play drive.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
That's a good point. Last question, real quick, what do
you think Dan Campbell in his they had a Usually
after Thanksgiving you get a ten day respite, right, it
was just seven this time. They've played a lot of
games in a short period of time and as we
all know, they're beat up. What do you think he
does for his team knowing that they won't play again
until a week from this Sunday, getting the needed rest.
(16:21):
How does the schedule go?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, obviously anyone with any type of injury, Nick, you
have to get in get treatment and they'll be evaluated.
And the guys that are already being treated are going
to be in there.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
They're not getting any days up.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I would assume he's gonna give everyone else like we
did back into Thanksgiving. They're going to get their Thanksgiving
break now. They will be off until Monday morning. If
you're perfectly healthy, he's going to get release a good
three day respite to kind of clear the head. If
you want to take a quick trip. And these guys
got money like you, Chef, they can fly wherever they
want to help.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
For three, I'm not retired.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
You are. You're the CEO of a fortune five hundred company.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Now not necessarily the case, but I appreciate the confidence.
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