October 17, 2024 • 44 mins
Welcome back to the Vikings Tailgate presented by Ticketmaster - The official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions are coming to town and our favorite Detroit superfan, Zach Martina, is back on the show. Zach is excited for the way the 2024 season has started, explains why the Taylor Decker penalty last season is still on the minds of Lions nation, needs Detroit to win for Dan Campbell's sake, and tries to figure out what the Lions defense will look like without DE Aidan Hutchinson. Plus, Zach and Cy break down the NFC North standings, debate how far this Vikings team could go in 2024, and react to the Davante Adams trade on Tuesday. All of this and more is on today's episode of The Vikings Tailgate presented by Ticketmaster - The official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings. Grab some tickets to Zach's upcoming live comedy show at the Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St, Paul, MN on October 25th and 26th. Tickets are available at zachmartina.com right now!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:23):
Join host Mike Mussman for our next edition of Vikings
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will be at Malone's in Maple Grove next Tuesday, October
twenty second at five thirty pm when great prizes including
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Visit Vikings dot com slash Vikings Country for more information.
(00:47):
Hey everybody, we're back with another episode of the Tailgate.
It's Mesi Onminson. Bye Week is in the rear view.
We are heading into Lions Week and we have one
of our favorite guests in the history of this show.
Ladies and gentlemen, Zach Martina is here. He's always great.
(01:07):
I know you're gonna love this episode and if you
want to support our friend Zach, he's gonna be performing
in the Twin Cities on October twenty fifth and twenty
sixth at the laugh Camp Comedy Bar in Saint Paul.
He's absolutely fantastic. Tickets are available now at Zachmartina dot com.
It's a really big week, everybody, really big game. This
(01:27):
was a really fun episode. Enjoy the show, everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Recket Reckett bad Man.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm here, Hey, everybody, Welcome to the Vikings Tailgate, brought
to you by Ticketmaster, the official ticket marketplace of the
Minnesota Vikings. I'm your host, Sy Aminson and joining me
this week, coming off their forty seven nine dismantling of
(02:01):
the Cowboys on Jerry Jones's birthday. Is our favorite Lions
super fan, ladies and gentlemen. He'll be at the laugh
Camp performing October twenty fifth and twenty sixth in Saint Paul.
Zach Martina whats up.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
I feel blessed hashtag blessed that I get to talk
to you twice a year.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Every part of the Lion's recent ascension has been documented
through you on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
We were there.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
When you were coming, when you hired Dan Campbell, when
you were coming out of the disaster, when you got
Jared Goff. We were there as you started to show
some gumption and beat the Packers in a meaningless but
pride filled last game of the season. We were there
when you ran to the NFC Championship game and should
(02:52):
have gone to the super Bowl. And now we are
here as you are one of the COMMONFC Super Bowl
representative picks amongst experts, as you are four and one
and you are coming to Minnesota to take on the
surprising five and zero Minnesota Vikings. This, ladies and gentlemen,
(03:15):
is what we refer to as a recap. But Zach,
after all of that, and we have arrived in this
moment where I think, and you correct me if I'm wrong,
because I don't pay attention to every minute of Detroit
Lions football, like this has to be the highest regular
season moment.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
This is no, this is this is absolutely the biggest game.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I mean Dallas having played Dallas last week and you
know whooping them that that felt great, But the entire
time I'm watching the Dallas game, even leading up to
the Dallas game, I'm like, I hope everybody remembers we
have Minnesota next week, like they're on a by they
are coming back, and I called this. When I was
at ACME, I was like, listen, Sam Darnold is gonna start,
(03:57):
because originally that was the plan, and he is going
to be the guy. He's been mismanaged his entire career,
and he's gonna do it. And as soon as JJ
went down, I started getting messages from people that came
to those ACME shows, and sure as hell, every week,
boom boom, They're like, you were right.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
You called it, you called it. I can't believe it.
You called it. And I'm happy to see Sam Donald's doing.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
This, but it's weird that you would come on my
show and yes, I'm gonna call it my show and
take credit for our team start.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
That's exactly what happens. That's exactly what happened.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I think that's that's an interesting choice on your part.
Here's what I will say. I thought I was not
wholly invested in the record this year, but I was
a believer in some possibility with Sam Donald. I am
very curious to see how far this thing goes. I
am pumped to be facing a team firing on all cylinders.
I would have hated it if you guys would have
(04:53):
lost the fact that you slaughtered like slaughtered Dallas. That
was a beatdown of epic proportions.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
To me, was like that was America taking down England
in the Revolutionary War. Like they kept saying, We're in charge,
We're America's team, and then the Lions, who a lot
of people are calling America's team? Myself included, are they
a lot of people?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Are they? Is that happening? Are there a lot of people?
A lot of people in Pontiac. Where's it happening?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
You know where it's happening. The only place that matters
the internet. But I felt like it was. I felt
like it was Paul Revere and I don't know the
revolutionaries that were taking down England. Because I'm so sick
of everybody calling Dallas America's team.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
I hate Dallas.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
They Dallas is America's team. The way Keeping Up with
the Kardashians is America's TV show and family. It's kind
of inarguable, But also you understand why if you're like
a cool, smart person, you don't agree with it, So
I understand why they get to be called that. But
(05:56):
I think we can put an asterisk next to it.
Let me say this, because your season started a little slow,
and I think.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
I could explain that.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't need you to explain it, but I want
to tell you I really like where you're at because
I think you now look like the NFC Chiefs, right.
You look like you look like the counterpoint. They're like,
extremely fiery offense, you know, dominant defense. We can talk
about Hutchinson in a bit here, but you look like
(06:27):
who we thought you were supposed to look at. And
I would say, weeks one through three you really didn't
look like that team, even though you were kind of
getting by. So this is what I wanted. I wanted
the team that everybody goes Super Bowl like. I want
to see how we stack up. I don't want to
go against somebody who's not ready. I want to see
the full Monty Man.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I think I think that's what we're gonna get this week.
I mean, I my brain would not allow my hearts
to accept the fact that this was in Minnesota. I
do not want this first one to be in Minnesota.
That terrifies me. But you know, a lot of times
the Lions fans show up and they're out there. I mean,
you could hear them chanting. You could hear him chanting
Jared Goffin in Dallas. It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You can hear him. Let's go Lions.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I was doing it at home. My little nephew was over.
He couldn't say the words, but he got that clapping
pattern down. It's I don't know, man. The loss of
Hutchinson is going to be very, very difficult for us
to overcome because even when he when he was healthy
and when we had Davenport before he went down with
the trip, he was the only one putting any pressure
(07:32):
on Now.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
I will say that our defensive.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Tackle rotation is going to be great, but I mean,
what you guys are.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Doing, we need to pressure Donald.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I'm not worried so much about stopping Aaron Jones and Chandler.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I think we can.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We can clog those lanes. But Donald can't just sit
back there or we are in a lot of trouble.
And that is the That is the thing that I'm
most worried about because obviously it's something I haven't seen. Yeah,
I mean Hutchinson he had eleven sacks last year. Through
five games he had seven and a half.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Like it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
He was on Defensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
If you had to distill what happened in the Dallas game,
because to me, this wasn't sometimes a team kicks it
out of another team and it just kind of happens, right,
A couple of mistakes happened and its steam rolls. To me,
that game didn't even though Dallas was making it didn't
feel like that. It just felt like to your point
earlier about with your misguided revolutionary war metaphor, it it
(08:29):
just kind of felt like, No, we're better. This is
a steep. I don't I don't care. We're about Like,
do you think that was more of an offensive We're
better a defensive? We're better a totality because with Jamison
Williams coming around and stuff, to me, it seems like
once the offense gets clicking, if the defense isn't on
top of it, it can just snowball. And mentally, is
(08:51):
that is that what we are? Is that the version
of the Lions that we're walking into?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, And I mean, I gotta I gotta say it again.
It defensively that that hudges and lost really really hurts.
But the Dallas thing was definitely a total team coming
to play and getting it done. But I mean that
a lot of it went back to us getting screwed
last year late in the season on that Taylor Decker
didn't report when like he visibly reports, is that a.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Real thing that you believe that, Like, and I'm not
even saying this to ridicule your thought process, it's a
I'm genuinely curious. Do you think that because you did
get screwed? Do you think that they held that in
a way that they walked into this game like this
one's for last year?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, because I mean, I mean, ultimately it didn't make
a difference. We got to the NFC Championship and we
blew it, but it would have been the difference between
that and ultimately I think it would have been a
one seed. So we got the buye, which you know,
it was great to see ford Field and a playoff
atmosphere and getting it done. But that was a bit.
I mean, Detroit took out billboards like he reported reported
(09:59):
like it was a bit. I mean, Lions fans for
a long time when they were saying hi are like
high fives to each other, we were going like this,
like just reporting to each other. It was a it
was a it was a thing, and there was a
visceral nature to it for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
You think that's a guy, Like, do you think that's
the sort of thing where because of the lack of
success throughout the history of your organization, and now you're
in a moment of success, so anything that unfairly robs
you of that success hurts more than it would for
like the Chiefs who've won a bunch of It's like
if you made like four dollars an hour for thirty
(10:36):
years and then you want a lottery, and then somebody
stole twenty bucks from you, Like, you're probably gonna take
that way more seriously. Yeah, if you've had millions of
dollars your whole life.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, I think last year too, it was just such
a delicate like every single second passing was like this
is this is an incredible team and they've been so
fun to watch and we're winning and it's awesome. But
it was a it was a house of cards. It
felt like like we just weren't used to that kind
of success, or especially continued success. And I mean I've
(11:05):
said this before and I hope I don't have to
say it again, but the only place in the world
that the zebra's feast upon the lions is the NFL ugh,
so we are very sensitive to the refs.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Barf hate that.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I think I actually, if any comedy club owners are
listening right now, I think you should blackball Zach for
bringing that comment to my show. I think you should
Lewis Lee and a act me. If you're listening, you
know what to do. Don't allow this sort of nonsense
to exist in your green room. What is that? That
(11:44):
has to be a thing that is said amongst the
fan base. What the zebra's feasting on the line?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
No, I that's that's the thing I wrote?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Is that an original Zach.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Original Zach Martine. And that's a good joke. I don't
care what you saying.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I hate it more and I hate it last. I
hate it more and I hate it least. That's a
great That's a good joke. It's very good and it's
very dislikable. Yes, what do you make of We'll come
back to the game, but let me detour to the
division a little bit for a moment, because I don't
think I think everybody knew that there could be a
couple of good teams here. You know, the Vikings were
kind of the forgotten team. But it's ridiculously lived up
(12:20):
to the hype. Right. The Bears are foreign to the
Packers are foreign to you. Guys are four and one.
We're five and zero, and it's not like we're playing
terrible teams. What I thought was so fascinating was how
quickly through the first few games, even though they won
a couple of them, everybody went hard at the Bears
(12:41):
and Caleb Williams because he was struggling. I don't know
if you're doing what I'm doing, which and I was
doing it before this past Sunday when he made a
couple of plays that made everybody go, uh oh, you
and me better make a run this year and next.
Because I have a fear that we are looking at
a you know, a guy who's gonna run the division
(13:04):
for a really, really, really long time. I don't know
that I'm right about that, but I'm not. I haven't
fallen into this camp of people who is ready to
just beat on Caleb Williams for the first few games
of his career. I think it's a unique play style,
and I think it's going to take a minute to
figure it out. Patrick Mahomes didn't start a game until
the last game of his first year. This is it's
(13:27):
a tougher situation for Caleb, and I'm worried he's going
to be unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I mean, that is certainly a valid concern. Here's what
I'll say about Caleb Williams. I think, if you remember
when Trevor Lawrence was coming out of Clemson, generational talent.
This guy is going to revolutionize the quarterback position. And ultimately,
based on those expectations, he's been kind of a bus
He's been slightly above average, you know, by the eye test.
(13:52):
And I think that if Caleb can and then and
then the next guy like that was Caleb Williams, if
he does not end up being a generational talent, he
will be I think he'll be better than Trevor Lawrence's
for sure. I think the Bears, and I don't like
to say this, but they before they got Caleb Williams,
(14:13):
they spent a lot of time in a lot of
draft capital building up that line, which is huge as
far as you know, a cohesive unit and moving forward,
and then their offense on paper. I mean, as soon
as they got Keenan Allen, You're like, what is happening?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
So do this for me?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Then? As it sits. Right now, let's do a who's
real who's not ranked him from from the most legitimate
to the least legitimate. How are you ranking the teams?
Speaker 3 (14:38):
That's pretty tough because we haven't even touched on the
Packers set and they I.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Don't know, and I'd prefer not to.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Okay, Well, then I will say, coming in at number four,
the pretender of the league, I think you gotta say
it's Chicago at this point, only because there's still a
lot of season left, still a lot of what could
be grow pains for them, and I might end up
eating Crow on that. There's no league with more parody
(15:05):
than the NFL. So I think it would be Chicago.
And then I'm gonna say it number three.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I'm gonna say, just do it.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
You know you want to do it, Just do it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, Okay, And that's just because And then and then
you'll go ahead and you'll put the number two team
above that is the team that we absolutely slaughtered, So
keep going, yes.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, yes, And I think and then at one is uh,
the Lions, And that is only and I say that
as someone who's a little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Jay, go ahead and clip that. Can we go ahead
and clip that.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
This is what we call it. This is what we
call a pre gotcha, go ahead and clip that.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Let me Let me go ahead and clarify though, I
will say that while I see Brian Flores is doing
work on people, I don't know anything about your defense.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Here's the big question mark, because so there are there
are two comparison points that are falling on top of
this year's Minnesota Kings. In twenty sixteen, I believe the
team started six and zero and then they faltered their
way to I believe an eight and eight record, which
is a tough, tough finish. It included a really disappointing
(16:15):
loss to your Lions when they were very bad, that
essentially cost them an opportunity to go to the playoffs
disaster and that looked good, it felt good, and then gonezo.
That was a Sam Bradford year. Now there's another comparison.
It's the nineteen ninety eight comparison. They also started five
and all. There's a lot of really eerily similar statistical
(16:40):
like points scored, point, differential, turnover, like all these things.
And that became because we haven't won a super Bowl.
Probably the most revered team in franchise history.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That was Chris Carter, client, Saucer Moss, all those guys, right.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That was the Moss breakout rookie year. Week five, I
was at Lambeau. So the obvious answer is this team
is probably neither of those teams to me any and
I love Justin Jefferson. I think he's the best wide
receiver in the game. Is incredible, But even the Jefferson
Moss comparisons to me are I can't. I can't. I
(17:19):
don't want to be a part of that. Moss changed
the position and changed the league and things like that.
So I have a really hard time comparing anything to
ninety eight. But here's what I will say. If that's
the spectrum, right, ninety eight is the greatest offense in
the history of the NFL, team that we all feel
like should have won a super Bowl in twenty sixteen
(17:39):
is just a disgusting, disappointing collapse. I think where this
team lands on that spectrum is dictated by the reality
of Brian Flores his defense long term. So last season
this you know, ten weeks or so, this defense has
(18:02):
like the highest blitz rate in the league. It's destroying people,
and then all of a sudden, they went, oh, that's
what they're doing, and we got throttled to close the season.
Now they've added a bunch of players, they've had time
to add a bunch of wrinkles. I think they have
stuff that nobody's seen that will get unveiled as the
(18:23):
season goes on. But this, this is my big question,
because the talk is that he Flores wants to be
the Shanahan McVeigh tree killer. You know, they have all
these pre snap motions. He wants to be the guy
that ruins that, and so he's doing a lot of
confusion pre snap. He's bringing a bunch of guys a
(18:43):
line you never know what they're in. And I heard
Ben Lieber talking about and he says that the really
difficult thing is everybody's talking about how hard it is
for the quarterbacks. It's also hard for the receivers on
choice routes. They go out, they have to make a decision,
and that's why people are not on the same page
so often when you're watching the Vikings defense. So are
we going to get to a point where Flores's defense
(19:05):
comes undone from a film perspective and people figure it
out and if it does do they have an answer
to that? Or and this is the ore, this is
the ninety eight, This is the Randy Moss, this is
the special thing. Is he truly the Shanahan McVeigh tree killer?
(19:25):
Because this Andrew Van Ginkle thing is really special and
Josh Mattellis is really really special. These are two different guys.
One's a linebacker edge, one's a safety. But they can
both play edge, they can both play linebacker, they can
both drop deep in coverage. And so when you have
two of eleven guys who can do that and a
number of your other guys are really shiftable, there might
(19:47):
be a universe where this thing that Flores has dreamed
up going back to his days with Van Ginkel in Miami,
there might be a world where the league doesn't catch
up this season. Sure, and if that's the case, anything's
possible that then then you skew far towards that this
(20:09):
could be great side.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I think what I think the only thing that will
take because I mean Flores was doing it last year
as well, like everybody was talking about his defense. I
think the most realistic thing that is the downfall of
the Vikings defense within the organization would be if if
Flores is a victim of his own hubris, He's like, Ah,
(20:31):
I'm doing this is incredible, I'm crushing it.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
I'm gonna take this chance. I'm gonna take this chance.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
And then he's ignoring what's going on on the other
side of the ball, and he's just like, I'm that good.
I'm not saying that's gonna happen. I'm saying that. I
think that is the most realistic thing that I don't
cause I don't think I mean, unless you guys are
decimated by injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Yeah, I mean that's that's the game that everybody's playing, right,
is hoping that doesn't happen.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
No, So I think I think, yeah, I think if
anything happens that the defense goes down, if it's not injuries,
it'll be Flora is a victim of.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
His own hubers.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I think the thing that's going to be super interesting
is like I struggle with buying all the way in
because then I'm vulnerable and I get my hopes up.
Then if the team loves and I'm disappointed. So I'm
always more skeptical as a fan. But I think if
the Vikings beat the Lions this week, I think it
becomes really hard to argue their validity from a national standpoint,
(21:26):
because I do think, as much as fans don't want
to hear this, and I don't even agree with it.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I think you can.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Go through the first four games ago, well, the Giants
were not necessarily a good football team, you know, the
and the Vikings were missing Jordan Adison, but the Niners
were without some players, and they've gotten off to a
slow start. The Texans game steam rolled in a really
odd way, really quickly. You know, the Packers, same thing.
(21:56):
Jordan Love's first game back, They're maybe not ready. He
has some turn and overs and it goes the other direction.
And then they battled back in the second half. And
the Jets certainly wasn't convincing, and Aaron Rodgers played bad,
So you could shade it all and you could go, hey,
this is the third team in three decades to have
twenty sacks and ten interceptions or something like that over
(22:20):
the first five there's a bunch of stuff to go, hey,
this is a little bit of maybe not realistic, but
if they come out and they beat the Lions, and
they beat the Lions kind of in a more traditional,
non thumpy way, like I would love it to be
fifty two to zero, right, But if you come out
(22:41):
I think, if you're making me pick between a fifty
two to zero win over the Lions and a twenty
eight to twenty seven win where both teams play well,
I take the twenty eight to twenty seven win every
single time, because that's that's what this team needs against
a good team given.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Competitive Yeah, that's a competitive victory.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And that's that's why this is such a big game.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
To me.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
It's such a big stack up game.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Well, and I mean from a from a Lion standpoint,
this is our first division game, so we are juice
about this and I don't know, man, Like this division
is crazy. What was the stat like within the first
six weeks where the only division since like nineteen eighty
or something like that that has a winning record on
every single team? Like this is this is an exciting
(23:27):
time to be any NFC North fan. You know, you've
got people in Chicago who obviously are super jazzed about
Caleb Williams. I mean, I'm very curious to hear what
your thoughts are on the love for Donald as opposed
to how people felt about Cousins. Is it just a
completely different vibe amongst Vikings fans.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
I here's the thing, the only the Donald thing has
been so fun to this point, and I actually think
it's been a gift to the fan base because the
fan base for Kirk's entirety was so split about Kirk,
and they were so split about his departure, and they've
been so split going into the season to not have
(24:12):
to wait to see if JJ panned out, to recognize
that things can be a version of good or a
version of okay without Kirk. Su has pretty much removed
the Kirk dialogue from this city. He like he is
gone in a way that you know, long term, big
(24:33):
money starting quarterbacks are rarely gone from a scene like
out of sight, out of mind. Now. It'll be interesting
when he comes back with a Falcons team this December
to play the Vikings in Minnesota. I think the conversations
will stir back up. And I do think there are
some people who weren't big Kirk people who, especially early
as he struggled to get his legs under him, were
(24:55):
having a pretty good time, probably in text threads and
on the x Mas the X but the X Machine.
But I do I personally have enjoyed the Donald thing
because of the ease of it.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yeah, I mean, it just happens, yep.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And he's just I will say he didn't have a
very good game against the Jets in in England, but
to this point, he's very much just a guy, right,
And I think there's just something to be said for that.
I think there's something to be said for a reclamation project.
And you know, the chip on his shoulder and the
hope he has and just his willingness to just be
(25:39):
all in and then this I'm not comparing that to
what Kirk had. I'm just saying I just his vibe
combined with Koc's vibe, has been really really enjoyable for
the fan base.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Now I can say that there's a parallel to between
Golf and Darnald as far as reclamation projects, like, oh,
you're just sent off, you're gonna end up being a
bad whatever, and then all of a sudden he is
lights out and people are pleased with what he's doing.
I mean, Donald's doing it quicker than Golf did in
Detroit because Goff we were part of that.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
I mean it was Campbell's first year.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I think we won three games, uh, and then kind
of really turned it around the following year.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Do you have any concerns?
Speaker 3 (26:20):
And I'm curious about this as just an overall football fan.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
You only signed a year contract.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Right, No, it's an awesome problem to app zero concerns.
I know where you're going. I have zero. Is it
about what happens if he stays this excellent all year long?
Is that the question?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Well?
Speaker 4 (26:36):
I was just gonna say, do you are you? Are
you gonna have?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Is it gonna be a tough pill to swallow if
he leaves next year?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
No? Now here's the thing I don't. I would need
the full context of the situation to answer that question.
But to me, I am rooting for Sam Darnald the
Human because I think it's an amazing story and it's
really really fun. But I am also rooting for something
that I have been a believer in for a really
(27:04):
long time, which is the modern football math equation.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
And this is about to touch.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
On the rest of the division here, But you know,
this season is a big time season. It's developed into
an opportunity for it to be a big time season.
But this team is walking into an outrageous amount of
cap space this offseason and as well as Donald's been playing.
(27:30):
You're looking around at a team where Jordan Addison is
very very good and Van Ginkle's good and he's on
a two year deal. That's very very good. You know,
you have all Blake Cashman is playing incredible, So you
have all these guys you know, in a really good situation,
and you have all this cap space. So to me,
whether it's Donald, whether it's JJ McCarthy, like, I like
(27:54):
the math of the quarterback room right now, and I
do think that's helping the situation immensely. And so is
there a world where Sam Donald plays exceptional? And I
want him back absolutely, but I don't know how Like
as now we're seeing this is the third example. We
saw Geno Smith, we see Baker Mayfield, and now we're
(28:15):
seeing Sam Donald. And the big question is is an
excellent year by Donald does that lead him into the
Jared Goff Jordan Love conversation for contracts that upper echelon
conversation or is he in the Baker Mayfield Gino Smith conversation?
Because that's a big deal. That's a big gap right there,
(28:36):
and I'm not smart enough. I wouldn't want that decision.
But what I am psyched about. Is a team with
a really strongly built roster with a quarterback that can
get things done with the head coach and still have
the talent around him. Let me ask you, let me
flip the question back to you, because a little baby
(28:58):
over there in Michigan in the glove, you're about a
year away from being on the other side of that.
Jared Goff was the I mean, it's probably not fair.
We should have given Jared Goff the reclamation project. I
mean he he should be included.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
But he got to the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, yeah, he got to the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
And you know, once you guys paid him, he's not
being paid like Baker and Gino. So is there any
concern do you think it's it's timed up right with
your young players and everything. Has the drafting been so good?
Is there any concern that as you guys have to
pay Jared Goff what you'll have to pay him, that
(29:39):
his because you always want no matter. Like the funny
thing about Patrick Mahomes is no matter how much you
pay him, he overperformed. And so is there any worry
about the salary cap and Jared Goff going forward? Well?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I think a lot of it has to do, like
you said, with Koc and Darnold, the way that Goff
and Ben Johnson seemed to compliment each other.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
You know, let me let me cut you off to
ask you why did Ben not leave last year? He's
the hottest coordinator in the league. Is he truly being
that picky about a head job? Does he have that
much believe in the team? What was the what's the
vibe in Detroit?
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I think it's a combination of the two.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
And I mean what he vocally came out and said
was we have just we have things that are unfinished
in he gave a very Dan Campbell answer, and he
gave a very like I'm a loyal guy, we have
unfinished things he found. I mean, I think the writing
was on the wall that Aaron Glenn wasn't leaving. You know,
when you have a team that goes to the NFC
Championship and you bring back I mean everyone, including both coordinators,
(30:43):
I think that's I think that's what it came down to.
I think he wasn't worried at all with the offense
he had coming into this year that the offers wouldn't
be there next year.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
That's a great that's a great point. And how much
how much did the people in Michigan were like, oh
my gosh, like that guy never buys a sandwich for
the rest of his life.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Were we were?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
We were very, very I mean it was one of
those things where it's like that was one of the
biggest offseason acquisitions ever, like to retain.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
Not one but both coordinators. It was huge.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
But back to your point, with the the math aspect
and everything, I do think a lot of it comes
down to Ben Johnson and Jared Goff because Ben Johnson
has built an offense to Jared Goff as opposed to
Sean McVay, who was like, Hey, this is my offense,
you gotta work around it. I think I think that
has been a huge thing. Our line also is locked
(31:33):
up already, so the offense and then we just I
mean we did resign am and Raw and then Laporte
is on a rookie deal, Gibbs is on a rookie deal.
We just resigned an extension to David Montgomery. So the
only questionable piece on this offense right now as far
as contract goes, is Jamison Williams, who is coming into
(31:55):
what would be his his fifth year next year, and
obviously that's gonna he's gonna command some money. I really
hope he doesn't go anywhere, because everyone in Detroit loves
Jamison Williams. I think that I think the equation comes
in on on the the defensive side. I don't think
I don't think our offense is going to have an issue.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And that's where it always comes in. That's where it
all well.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
I think that's the thing though.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I think I think when you think about the offense,
it's not always that the entire offensive line is locked
up and one of the best units in the league,
if not the best.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I really think, what again, it's Patrick Mahomes, so it
doesn't count. It's not fair. But I really think what
the Chiefs did was interesting. They said, Okay, goodbye, Tyreek,
we love you, You're great, goodbye. We are going to
have one quarterback and one playmaker. And everybody keeps going,
we need to get Patrick, you know, we need to
get Patrick Mahomes some weapons. And obviously they hope that
(32:48):
one of these free agent, these lower tier free agents,
or these rookies they draft step up. You know that,
you know, you get people like the Pachecos to step in.
But it is very very clear that once they gave
Patrick that money, they went, Okay, we are not the team.
And it's worked. The two Super Bowls in a row,
they went all defense, all O line, two important guys,
(33:13):
Kelsey Mahomes and so. But I you know, for the Lions,
you can't do that. You can't go all defense, all
O line, Golf and aman Ra because GoF isn't gonna
do to a defense from a scheme standpoint and from
a preparation standpoint. So that that's I'll be curious what
(33:36):
and that's why I'm I'm interested in what's happening in Buffalo.
I'll be really interested in whatever the Bengals think they're
doing or are trying to do. But if you have
somebody that good, you know, how do you survive? But
if you don't, if you have somebody who is good
but is not Patrick Mahomes, what's the future. And so
you're saying, you're saying you're hoping to have an offense
(33:59):
in tac and so good that if you hit a
few draft picks on defense you can suffer through the struggle.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Let me yeah, let me put it this way.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Last year we made it to the NFC Championship and
against the past, we were like, maybe not historically but
pretty close to being historically bad.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
Our offense was firing. We had that line.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
I think when you say Patrick Mahomes and playmaker Kelsey,
I think the unit of an offensive line is a playmaker.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yeah, they offensive I think that is that.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Jared Goff is not good under pressure, but fortunately for us,
we haven't. He hasn't really been under a whole lot
of pressure. So if we have to pay this offense
and we keep it intact, and then we've got a
roll with some you know, bargain bin free agents, guys
on the end of their contracts, rookies, what have you.
I think that it's a similar situation to last year.
(34:53):
And at that point I wonder if people are rising
to the occasion because I'm hoping that this is the case.
But all of a sudden, it's a team that Dan
Campbell's culture, Brad Holmes culture has come around and they
rise to the occasion. Because one thing we haven't talked
about on this episode is, I mean, Dan Campbell, I
don't know if you saw what golf did in the
(35:15):
the the.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Post game, after Dallas.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
But like Goff got his game ball and then stopped
at the end of the thing and he gave the
game ball to Dan Campbell because it's like, that's our guy.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
No one gives this guy any credit in the locker room.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
He's always given us game balls, and like this team
loves Dan Campbell.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
I mean, you want to.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Talk about a player's coach, I think that's I think
that's a huge indicator. We're gonna lose these coordinators at
some point, but Dan Campbell, for all intents and purpose,
is going to be around for a while. So if
you're playing for a guy that you'll run through a
wall for, are you going to overexceed because he knows
how to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So another thing that I think is is super important
in that same line of conversation is that every team,
if they're super honest, has the thing that they're just
it's a little bit worried about. Maybe it's due to
past football, you know, damage they have baggage, or maybe
it's the reality of their current situation. Like I think,
(36:09):
if you're a Vikings fan, you know, somewhere in the
back of your mind you go, is this new Sam
Donald At some point in a really important moment, going
to turn into the old Sam Donald. Like we said
when the Vikings went to the NFC Championship against the Eagles,
and there was a lot of stuff other stuff going
on in that game, but all season it felt like
(36:31):
we were getting away with it, like, oh my gosh,
you're just waiting for case Keenum to have a moment
like that is more what Then he throws the pick,
the bad pick on our side of the field early
in the NFC Championship, So I think you're worrying about
that a little bit. If you're a Viking fan. Everybody
loves the kicker, but you're never You're never gonna feel
good about a kicker. And tell the Super Bowl clock
(36:54):
has clicked zero and you've won the game. No Viking
will ever And if you're sitting at home saying it,
I just don't think you're a fun person to be around.
If you're that confident in something that's burned you that much.
I don't want to ride in a car with you,
I don't want to go to dinner with you. Hard
pass on everything you do. But for you, guys, is
(37:15):
there anywhere in the back of your head as much
as he's a player's coach as great as he is.
Do you have that and as much as you wouldn't
want anybody else, you wouldn't change it? Are you able
to shake that couple different choices in that NFC Championship
game and you're in the super Bowl? Like, he has
had a decision making hand in some pretty pinnacle moments
(37:42):
in important games that haven't gone your way? Is that
a thing that sits behind you going, what's he gonna do? Like?
Do you worry about it at all?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
I don't have any issue with Dan Campbell's decision making
because he stands by it and he doesn't change like
it's worked for us so far, or as the NFC
Championship goes. Yeah, you can say whatever you want about
the calls that he made, But the number of balls
that hit receivers in the hands in that second half
and were dropped was I mean, as a Lions fan,
(38:14):
something I hadn't seen since I was a kid, Like,
it was so many drops. So it wasn't any one
thing as far as Dan Campbell goes, And like, am
I worried about anything? Yeah, we've had some terrible coaches.
We've had some coaches that haven't had their fair shake.
A'lla Jim Caldwell like he had a I don't know
why we got rid of him. Ultimately, I'm glad we
did because it got us here. And the only thing
(38:36):
I worry about with Dan Campbell is I as as
a fan of the Detroit Lions. I love Dan Campbell
so much that I want him to succeed and I
will be sad if he doesn't. That's the only thing
I have. I'm like, just tell me this isn't fool's gold,
and I don't think it is, but having gone through
what we've gone through, I mean it's there.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
That is, uh, weirdly sad and pathetic relatable.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Well, I'm glad you ended that with relatable because if
you'd have just ended at weirdly sad, I'm going dark.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I'm going dark, buddy.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
We're gonna close on something interesting, which is a very
dumb thing to do because this show doesn't come out
till Thursdays. Uh, and we're recording on a Tuesday. But
I just want to hear you respond to this. Uh, Well,
we've been recording. DeVante Adams has been traded to the Jets.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Are you serious?
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (39:31):
H whatever. I don't think it's gonna help. I think
I think that.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I mean, let's go back to Geno Smith and uh
Sam Darnold. The Jets can't handle a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
They just can't.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
They it's not doing anything now all of a sudden,
given Aaron Rodgers the rains, but he's just gonna throw
it up. He's still throwing picks that cost him the game.
Their defense is supposed to be stacked, and they're not
blowing or they're not stopping anyone. Definitively and honestly, at
this point, I think DeVante Adam is as big a problem,
if not a bigger problem for them as Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
What did they send? What did they trade?
Speaker 1 (40:10):
I'm not a guy who likes to really do the research,
so let me pull it up here.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
It looks like it is the Raiders will receive a
conditional third round pick that couldn't prove to a second
round selection.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Oh great, thanks for doing my job, ladies and gentlemen,
thank you. Cool.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
Listen, if there's one thing a Lions fan is, it's helpful.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Why don't you just send this? Why don't you just
send this to my boss? As zach I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Maybe they'll put in a good word with me with
the Lions organization, because I think they're still a little
bitter about what I did on that Matt Patricia stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I think you should still be doing the Matt Patricia stuff.
I think the Matt Patricia character should evolve to just
being a a Lion super fan and you should still
be How funny would it be doing is like after
you guys won, You know how they have like it's
the had the Walking Dead and then they would have
the Talking Dead afterwards.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Sure, how funny would it be if you.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
As Patricia after Dan Campbell's press conference you did the
After Campbell starring Matt Patricia where he just critiques Dan
Campbell's press conferences.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Oh my god, call it chunky soup, because I will
tell you, I will tell you this that it would
be so funny because Matt Patricia already looks like.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Most football fans on a Sunday.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
You know, yeah, like he's just got crumbs in his
beard and everything.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
I would love that.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I also did think about going in and trying to
beat Dan Campbell, but I don't think my heart could
handle what it would take for me to get into
that kind of physical shape.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
I was just gonna say, you die in the gym
trying to become Dan Campbell, and for the sake of
your family and this program, we need you to avoid that.
And yeah, I'm not gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I will say that those press conferences were a brutal
so I don't want to do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
What do you think the score is this weekend?
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
What do you got for a prediction?
Speaker 3 (42:03):
This is a tough one because, like I said, that
question mark of pass rush for me is something that
I just can't wrap my head around. What I will
say is, I think coming off of that win in Dallas,
I was worried that there was going to be some
sort of hangover based on the blowout of it.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
I think the.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Tough loss of Aiden Hudginson is going to galvanize the
team against that though. So I do think it's going
to be a competitive game, and I am taking the
Lions to win, but not to cover.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
The Lions to win, but not to cover no score prediction.
So I will go I just don't know.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
What the line is. I just don't know what the
line is.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
But I would say my gut is saying something like
thirty to twenty seven, twenty eight to twenty seven, something
like that, like within three or four points.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
So I think the.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
I think the defenses show up despite there being a
lot of offensive ability on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
So I'm gonna go Vikings.
Speaker 4 (43:05):
Let me let me try and read your let me
try and read your mind.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
No, no, no, no, no, it's okay. No no, it's okay. Let me
get my very no no, let's say, let me get
my very real pressure and let me get my very
real prediction. Now it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's let's go one hundred and forty six to twelve
Lions twelve Vikings, one hundred and forty six.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I changed it up. Is that just in case?
Speaker 4 (43:24):
Is that all field goals? Or is that two touchdowns?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
No, pat, No, it's it's four field goals.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
You guys are gonna get four field goals.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
It's six safeties.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
They're all gonna be garbage time field goals.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Yeah there, yeah, like what Dallas did. Dallas had no touchdowns.
They I just had field goals.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
To your turn time, you're gonna get your You actually
predicted exactly right. If I had to predict it. I
think it'll probably be six garbage time safeties for you guys,
one hundred and forty six or twelve ladies and gentlemen.
The great Zach Martina. Go see him in Saint Paul's
You Heard the You Heard the dates in the intro
and the and go see him at laugh Camp in
(44:01):
Saint Paul.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
He's one of our favorites.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
Bye bye.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Huge thanks to Zach.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Martinez for joining the show, and thank you for listening
to our podcast feed. Hey, if you could give us
a like, give us a subscribe, and also again, huge
shout out to Ticketmaster, the official ticket marketplace out of
the Minnesota Vikings, for helping make this show happen. We
will see you all again next week.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
Hey, Vikings fans. Ben Lever here, I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pick a ball, the basketball,
and of course the yummy cafe. Check them out at
Lifetime dot life to find a club nearest you.
As the official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings and
the NFL, Ticketmasters got the best way to take it
to the house when it comes to being there live.
They're the safest and most convenient marketplace to score fully
verified Vikings tickets. So get those touchdown celebrations ready and
score your tickets today at ticketmaster dot com slash Vikings.
(00:23):
Join host Mike Mussman for our next edition of Vikings
Country presented by Miller Lite. Muss and our special guest
will be at Malone's in Maple Grove next Tuesday, October
twenty second at five thirty pm when great prizes including
tickets in the Miller Lite Lounge at us Bank Stadium.
Visit Vikings dot com slash Vikings Country for more information.
(00:47):
Hey everybody, we're back with another episode of the Tailgate.
It's Mesi Onminson. Bye Week is in the rear view.
We are heading into Lions Week and we have one
of our favorite guests in the history of this show.
Ladies and gentlemen, Zach Martina is here. He's always great.
(01:07):
I know you're gonna love this episode and if you
want to support our friend Zach, he's gonna be performing
in the Twin Cities on October twenty fifth and twenty
sixth at the laugh Camp Comedy Bar in Saint Paul.
He's absolutely fantastic. Tickets are available now at Zachmartina dot com.
It's a really big week, everybody, really big game. This
(01:27):
was a really fun episode. Enjoy the show, everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Recket Reckett bad Man.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm here, Hey, everybody, Welcome to the Vikings Tailgate, brought
to you by Ticketmaster, the official ticket marketplace of the
Minnesota Vikings. I'm your host, Sy Aminson and joining me
this week, coming off their forty seven nine dismantling of
(02:01):
the Cowboys on Jerry Jones's birthday. Is our favorite Lions
super fan, ladies and gentlemen. He'll be at the laugh
Camp performing October twenty fifth and twenty sixth in Saint Paul.
Zach Martina whats up.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
I feel blessed hashtag blessed that I get to talk
to you twice a year.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Every part of the Lion's recent ascension has been documented
through you on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
We were there.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
When you were coming, when you hired Dan Campbell, when
you were coming out of the disaster, when you got
Jared Goff. We were there as you started to show
some gumption and beat the Packers in a meaningless but
pride filled last game of the season. We were there
when you ran to the NFC Championship game and should
(02:52):
have gone to the super Bowl. And now we are
here as you are one of the COMMONFC Super Bowl
representative picks amongst experts, as you are four and one
and you are coming to Minnesota to take on the
surprising five and zero Minnesota Vikings. This, ladies and gentlemen,
(03:15):
is what we refer to as a recap. But Zach,
after all of that, and we have arrived in this
moment where I think, and you correct me if I'm wrong,
because I don't pay attention to every minute of Detroit
Lions football, like this has to be the highest regular
season moment.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
This is no, this is this is absolutely the biggest game.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I mean Dallas having played Dallas last week and you
know whooping them that that felt great, But the entire
time I'm watching the Dallas game, even leading up to
the Dallas game, I'm like, I hope everybody remembers we
have Minnesota next week, like they're on a by they
are coming back, and I called this. When I was
at ACME, I was like, listen, Sam Darnold is gonna start,
(03:57):
because originally that was the plan, and he is going
to be the guy. He's been mismanaged his entire career,
and he's gonna do it. And as soon as JJ
went down, I started getting messages from people that came
to those ACME shows, and sure as hell, every week,
boom boom, They're like, you were right.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
You called it, you called it. I can't believe it.
You called it. And I'm happy to see Sam Donald's doing.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
This, but it's weird that you would come on my
show and yes, I'm gonna call it my show and
take credit for our team start.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
That's exactly what happens. That's exactly what happened.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I think that's that's an interesting choice on your part.
Here's what I will say. I thought I was not
wholly invested in the record this year, but I was
a believer in some possibility with Sam Donald. I am
very curious to see how far this thing goes. I
am pumped to be facing a team firing on all cylinders.
I would have hated it if you guys would have
(04:53):
lost the fact that you slaughtered like slaughtered Dallas. That
was a beatdown of epic proportions.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
To me, was like that was America taking down England
in the Revolutionary War. Like they kept saying, We're in charge,
We're America's team, and then the Lions, who a lot
of people are calling America's team? Myself included, are they
a lot of people?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Are they? Is that happening? Are there a lot of people?
A lot of people in Pontiac. Where's it happening?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
You know where it's happening. The only place that matters
the internet. But I felt like it was. I felt
like it was Paul Revere and I don't know the
revolutionaries that were taking down England. Because I'm so sick
of everybody calling Dallas America's team.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
I hate Dallas.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
They Dallas is America's team. The way Keeping Up with
the Kardashians is America's TV show and family. It's kind
of inarguable, But also you understand why if you're like
a cool, smart person, you don't agree with it, So
I understand why they get to be called that. But
(05:56):
I think we can put an asterisk next to it.
Let me say this, because your season started a little slow,
and I think.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
I could explain that.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't need you to explain it, but I want
to tell you I really like where you're at because
I think you now look like the NFC Chiefs, right.
You look like you look like the counterpoint. They're like,
extremely fiery offense, you know, dominant defense. We can talk
about Hutchinson in a bit here, but you look like
(06:27):
who we thought you were supposed to look at. And
I would say, weeks one through three you really didn't
look like that team, even though you were kind of
getting by. So this is what I wanted. I wanted
the team that everybody goes Super Bowl like. I want
to see how we stack up. I don't want to
go against somebody who's not ready. I want to see
the full Monty Man.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I think I think that's what we're gonna get this week.
I mean, I my brain would not allow my hearts
to accept the fact that this was in Minnesota. I
do not want this first one to be in Minnesota.
That terrifies me. But you know, a lot of times
the Lions fans show up and they're out there. I mean,
you could hear them chanting. You could hear him chanting
Jared Goffin in Dallas. It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You can hear him. Let's go Lions.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I was doing it at home. My little nephew was over.
He couldn't say the words, but he got that clapping
pattern down. It's I don't know, man. The loss of
Hutchinson is going to be very, very difficult for us
to overcome because even when he when he was healthy
and when we had Davenport before he went down with
the trip, he was the only one putting any pressure
(07:32):
on Now.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
I will say that our defensive.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Tackle rotation is going to be great, but I mean,
what you guys are.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Doing, we need to pressure Donald.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I'm not worried so much about stopping Aaron Jones and Chandler.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I think we can.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We can clog those lanes. But Donald can't just sit
back there or we are in a lot of trouble.
And that is the That is the thing that I'm
most worried about because obviously it's something I haven't seen. Yeah,
I mean Hutchinson he had eleven sacks last year. Through
five games he had seven and a half.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Like it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
He was on Defensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
If you had to distill what happened in the Dallas game,
because to me, this wasn't sometimes a team kicks it
out of another team and it just kind of happens, right,
A couple of mistakes happened and its steam rolls. To me,
that game didn't even though Dallas was making it didn't
feel like that. It just felt like to your point
earlier about with your misguided revolutionary war metaphor, it it
(08:29):
just kind of felt like, No, we're better. This is
a steep. I don't I don't care. We're about Like,
do you think that was more of an offensive We're
better a defensive? We're better a totality because with Jamison
Williams coming around and stuff, to me, it seems like
once the offense gets clicking, if the defense isn't on
top of it, it can just snowball. And mentally, is
(08:51):
that is that what we are? Is that the version
of the Lions that we're walking into?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, And I mean, I gotta I gotta say it again.
It defensively that that hudges and lost really really hurts.
But the Dallas thing was definitely a total team coming
to play and getting it done. But I mean that
a lot of it went back to us getting screwed
last year late in the season on that Taylor Decker
didn't report when like he visibly reports, is that a.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Real thing that you believe that, Like, and I'm not
even saying this to ridicule your thought process, it's a
I'm genuinely curious. Do you think that because you did
get screwed? Do you think that they held that in
a way that they walked into this game like this
one's for last year?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, because I mean, I mean, ultimately it didn't make
a difference. We got to the NFC Championship and we
blew it, but it would have been the difference between
that and ultimately I think it would have been a
one seed. So we got the buye, which you know,
it was great to see ford Field and a playoff
atmosphere and getting it done. But that was a bit.
I mean, Detroit took out billboards like he reported reported
(09:59):
like it was a bit. I mean, Lions fans for
a long time when they were saying hi are like
high fives to each other, we were going like this,
like just reporting to each other. It was a it
was a it was a thing, and there was a
visceral nature to it for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
You think that's a guy, Like, do you think that's
the sort of thing where because of the lack of
success throughout the history of your organization, and now you're
in a moment of success, so anything that unfairly robs
you of that success hurts more than it would for
like the Chiefs who've won a bunch of It's like
if you made like four dollars an hour for thirty
(10:36):
years and then you want a lottery, and then somebody
stole twenty bucks from you, Like, you're probably gonna take
that way more seriously. Yeah, if you've had millions of
dollars your whole life.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, I think last year too, it was just such
a delicate like every single second passing was like this
is this is an incredible team and they've been so
fun to watch and we're winning and it's awesome. But
it was a it was a house of cards. It
felt like like we just weren't used to that kind
of success, or especially continued success. And I mean I've
(11:05):
said this before and I hope I don't have to
say it again, but the only place in the world
that the zebra's feast upon the lions is the NFL ugh,
so we are very sensitive to the refs.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Barf hate that.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I think I actually, if any comedy club owners are
listening right now, I think you should blackball Zach for
bringing that comment to my show. I think you should
Lewis Lee and a act me. If you're listening, you
know what to do. Don't allow this sort of nonsense
to exist in your green room. What is that? That
(11:44):
has to be a thing that is said amongst the
fan base. What the zebra's feasting on the line?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
No, I that's that's the thing I wrote?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Is that an original Zach.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Original Zach Martine. And that's a good joke. I don't
care what you saying.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I hate it more and I hate it last. I
hate it more and I hate it least. That's a
great That's a good joke. It's very good and it's
very dislikable. Yes, what do you make of We'll come
back to the game, but let me detour to the
division a little bit for a moment, because I don't
think I think everybody knew that there could be a
couple of good teams here. You know, the Vikings were
kind of the forgotten team. But it's ridiculously lived up
(12:20):
to the hype. Right. The Bears are foreign to the
Packers are foreign to you. Guys are four and one.
We're five and zero, and it's not like we're playing
terrible teams. What I thought was so fascinating was how
quickly through the first few games, even though they won
a couple of them, everybody went hard at the Bears
(12:41):
and Caleb Williams because he was struggling. I don't know
if you're doing what I'm doing, which and I was
doing it before this past Sunday when he made a
couple of plays that made everybody go, uh oh, you
and me better make a run this year and next.
Because I have a fear that we are looking at
a you know, a guy who's gonna run the division
(13:04):
for a really, really, really long time. I don't know
that I'm right about that, but I'm not. I haven't
fallen into this camp of people who is ready to
just beat on Caleb Williams for the first few games
of his career. I think it's a unique play style,
and I think it's going to take a minute to
figure it out. Patrick Mahomes didn't start a game until
the last game of his first year. This is it's
(13:27):
a tougher situation for Caleb, and I'm worried he's going
to be unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I mean, that is certainly a valid concern. Here's what
I'll say about Caleb Williams. I think, if you remember
when Trevor Lawrence was coming out of Clemson, generational talent.
This guy is going to revolutionize the quarterback position. And ultimately,
based on those expectations, he's been kind of a bus
He's been slightly above average, you know, by the eye test.
(13:52):
And I think that if Caleb can and then and
then the next guy like that was Caleb Williams, if
he does not end up being a generational talent, he
will be I think he'll be better than Trevor Lawrence's
for sure. I think the Bears, and I don't like
to say this, but they before they got Caleb Williams,
(14:13):
they spent a lot of time in a lot of
draft capital building up that line, which is huge as
far as you know, a cohesive unit and moving forward,
and then their offense on paper. I mean, as soon
as they got Keenan Allen, You're like, what is happening?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
So do this for me?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Then? As it sits. Right now, let's do a who's
real who's not ranked him from from the most legitimate
to the least legitimate. How are you ranking the teams?
Speaker 3 (14:38):
That's pretty tough because we haven't even touched on the
Packers set and they I.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Don't know, and I'd prefer not to.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Okay, Well, then I will say, coming in at number four,
the pretender of the league, I think you gotta say
it's Chicago at this point, only because there's still a
lot of season left, still a lot of what could
be grow pains for them, and I might end up
eating Crow on that. There's no league with more parody
(15:05):
than the NFL. So I think it would be Chicago.
And then I'm gonna say it number three.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I'm gonna say, just do it.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
You know you want to do it, Just do it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, Okay, And that's just because And then and then
you'll go ahead and you'll put the number two team
above that is the team that we absolutely slaughtered, So
keep going, yes.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, yes, And I think and then at one is uh,
the Lions, And that is only and I say that
as someone who's a little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Jay, go ahead and clip that. Can we go ahead
and clip that.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
This is what we call it. This is what we
call a pre gotcha, go ahead and clip that.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Let me Let me go ahead and clarify though, I
will say that while I see Brian Flores is doing
work on people, I don't know anything about your defense.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Here's the big question mark, because so there are there
are two comparison points that are falling on top of
this year's Minnesota Kings. In twenty sixteen, I believe the
team started six and zero and then they faltered their
way to I believe an eight and eight record, which
is a tough, tough finish. It included a really disappointing
(16:15):
loss to your Lions when they were very bad, that
essentially cost them an opportunity to go to the playoffs
disaster and that looked good, it felt good, and then gonezo.
That was a Sam Bradford year. Now there's another comparison.
It's the nineteen ninety eight comparison. They also started five
and all. There's a lot of really eerily similar statistical
(16:40):
like points scored, point, differential, turnover, like all these things.
And that became because we haven't won a super Bowl.
Probably the most revered team in franchise history.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That was Chris Carter, client, Saucer Moss, all those guys, right.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That was the Moss breakout rookie year. Week five, I
was at Lambeau. So the obvious answer is this team
is probably neither of those teams to me any and
I love Justin Jefferson. I think he's the best wide
receiver in the game. Is incredible, But even the Jefferson
Moss comparisons to me are I can't. I can't. I
(17:19):
don't want to be a part of that. Moss changed
the position and changed the league and things like that.
So I have a really hard time comparing anything to
ninety eight. But here's what I will say. If that's
the spectrum, right, ninety eight is the greatest offense in
the history of the NFL, team that we all feel
like should have won a super Bowl in twenty sixteen
(17:39):
is just a disgusting, disappointing collapse. I think where this
team lands on that spectrum is dictated by the reality
of Brian Flores his defense long term. So last season
this you know, ten weeks or so, this defense has
(18:02):
like the highest blitz rate in the league. It's destroying people,
and then all of a sudden, they went, oh, that's
what they're doing, and we got throttled to close the season.
Now they've added a bunch of players, they've had time
to add a bunch of wrinkles. I think they have
stuff that nobody's seen that will get unveiled as the
(18:23):
season goes on. But this, this is my big question,
because the talk is that he Flores wants to be
the Shanahan McVeigh tree killer. You know, they have all
these pre snap motions. He wants to be the guy
that ruins that, and so he's doing a lot of
confusion pre snap. He's bringing a bunch of guys a
(18:43):
line you never know what they're in. And I heard
Ben Lieber talking about and he says that the really
difficult thing is everybody's talking about how hard it is
for the quarterbacks. It's also hard for the receivers on
choice routes. They go out, they have to make a decision,
and that's why people are not on the same page
so often when you're watching the Vikings defense. So are
we going to get to a point where Flores's defense
(19:05):
comes undone from a film perspective and people figure it
out and if it does do they have an answer
to that? Or and this is the ore, this is
the ninety eight, This is the Randy Moss, this is
the special thing. Is he truly the Shanahan McVeigh tree killer?
(19:25):
Because this Andrew Van Ginkle thing is really special and
Josh Mattellis is really really special. These are two different guys.
One's a linebacker edge, one's a safety. But they can
both play edge, they can both play linebacker, they can
both drop deep in coverage. And so when you have
two of eleven guys who can do that and a
number of your other guys are really shiftable, there might
(19:47):
be a universe where this thing that Flores has dreamed
up going back to his days with Van Ginkel in Miami,
there might be a world where the league doesn't catch
up this season. Sure, and if that's the case, anything's
possible that then then you skew far towards that this
(20:09):
could be great side.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I think what I think the only thing that will
take because I mean Flores was doing it last year
as well, like everybody was talking about his defense. I
think the most realistic thing that is the downfall of
the Vikings defense within the organization would be if if
Flores is a victim of his own hubris, He's like, Ah,
(20:31):
I'm doing this is incredible, I'm crushing it.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
I'm gonna take this chance. I'm gonna take this chance.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
And then he's ignoring what's going on on the other
side of the ball, and he's just like, I'm that good.
I'm not saying that's gonna happen. I'm saying that. I
think that is the most realistic thing that I don't
cause I don't think I mean, unless you guys are
decimated by injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Yeah, I mean that's that's the game that everybody's playing, right,
is hoping that doesn't happen.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
No, So I think I think, yeah, I think if
anything happens that the defense goes down, if it's not injuries,
it'll be Flora is a victim of.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
His own hubers.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I think the thing that's going to be super interesting
is like I struggle with buying all the way in
because then I'm vulnerable and I get my hopes up.
Then if the team loves and I'm disappointed. So I'm
always more skeptical as a fan. But I think if
the Vikings beat the Lions this week, I think it
becomes really hard to argue their validity from a national standpoint,
(21:26):
because I do think, as much as fans don't want
to hear this, and I don't even agree with it.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I think you can.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Go through the first four games ago, well, the Giants
were not necessarily a good football team, you know, the
and the Vikings were missing Jordan Adison, but the Niners
were without some players, and they've gotten off to a
slow start. The Texans game steam rolled in a really
odd way, really quickly. You know, the Packers, same thing.
(21:56):
Jordan Love's first game back, They're maybe not ready. He
has some turn and overs and it goes the other direction.
And then they battled back in the second half. And
the Jets certainly wasn't convincing, and Aaron Rodgers played bad,
So you could shade it all and you could go, hey,
this is the third team in three decades to have
twenty sacks and ten interceptions or something like that over
(22:20):
the first five there's a bunch of stuff to go, hey,
this is a little bit of maybe not realistic, but
if they come out and they beat the Lions, and
they beat the Lions kind of in a more traditional,
non thumpy way, like I would love it to be
fifty two to zero, right, But if you come out
(22:41):
I think, if you're making me pick between a fifty
two to zero win over the Lions and a twenty
eight to twenty seven win where both teams play well,
I take the twenty eight to twenty seven win every
single time, because that's that's what this team needs against
a good team given.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Competitive Yeah, that's a competitive victory.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And that's that's why this is such a big game.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
To me.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
It's such a big stack up game.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Well, and I mean from a from a Lion standpoint,
this is our first division game, so we are juice
about this and I don't know, man, Like this division
is crazy. What was the stat like within the first
six weeks where the only division since like nineteen eighty
or something like that that has a winning record on
every single team? Like this is this is an exciting
(23:27):
time to be any NFC North fan. You know, you've
got people in Chicago who obviously are super jazzed about
Caleb Williams. I mean, I'm very curious to hear what
your thoughts are on the love for Donald as opposed
to how people felt about Cousins. Is it just a
completely different vibe amongst Vikings fans.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
I here's the thing, the only the Donald thing has
been so fun to this point, and I actually think
it's been a gift to the fan base because the
fan base for Kirk's entirety was so split about Kirk,
and they were so split about his departure, and they've
been so split going into the season to not have
(24:12):
to wait to see if JJ panned out, to recognize
that things can be a version of good or a
version of okay without Kirk. Su has pretty much removed
the Kirk dialogue from this city. He like he is
gone in a way that you know, long term, big
(24:33):
money starting quarterbacks are rarely gone from a scene like
out of sight, out of mind. Now. It'll be interesting
when he comes back with a Falcons team this December
to play the Vikings in Minnesota. I think the conversations
will stir back up. And I do think there are
some people who weren't big Kirk people who, especially early
as he struggled to get his legs under him, were
(24:55):
having a pretty good time, probably in text threads and
on the x Mas the X but the X Machine.
But I do I personally have enjoyed the Donald thing
because of the ease of it.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yeah, I mean, it just happens, yep.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
And he's just I will say he didn't have a
very good game against the Jets in in England, but
to this point, he's very much just a guy, right,
And I think there's just something to be said for that.
I think there's something to be said for a reclamation project.
And you know, the chip on his shoulder and the
hope he has and just his willingness to just be
(25:39):
all in and then this I'm not comparing that to
what Kirk had. I'm just saying I just his vibe
combined with Koc's vibe, has been really really enjoyable for
the fan base.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Now I can say that there's a parallel to between
Golf and Darnald as far as reclamation projects, like, oh,
you're just sent off, you're gonna end up being a
bad whatever, and then all of a sudden he is
lights out and people are pleased with what he's doing.
I mean, Donald's doing it quicker than Golf did in
Detroit because Goff we were part of that.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
I mean it was Campbell's first year.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I think we won three games, uh, and then kind
of really turned it around the following year.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Do you have any concerns?
Speaker 3 (26:20):
And I'm curious about this as just an overall football fan.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
You only signed a year contract.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Right, No, it's an awesome problem to app zero concerns.
I know where you're going. I have zero. Is it
about what happens if he stays this excellent all year long?
Is that the question?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Well?
Speaker 4 (26:36):
I was just gonna say, do you are you? Are
you gonna have?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Is it gonna be a tough pill to swallow if
he leaves next year?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
No? Now here's the thing I don't. I would need
the full context of the situation to answer that question.
But to me, I am rooting for Sam Darnald the
Human because I think it's an amazing story and it's
really really fun. But I am also rooting for something
that I have been a believer in for a really
(27:04):
long time, which is the modern football math equation.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
And this is about to touch.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
On the rest of the division here, But you know,
this season is a big time season. It's developed into
an opportunity for it to be a big time season.
But this team is walking into an outrageous amount of
cap space this offseason and as well as Donald's been playing.
(27:30):
You're looking around at a team where Jordan Addison is
very very good and Van Ginkle's good and he's on
a two year deal. That's very very good. You know,
you have all Blake Cashman is playing incredible, So you
have all these guys you know, in a really good situation,
and you have all this cap space. So to me,
whether it's Donald, whether it's JJ McCarthy, like, I like
(27:54):
the math of the quarterback room right now, and I
do think that's helping the situation immensely. And so is
there a world where Sam Donald plays exceptional? And I
want him back absolutely, but I don't know how Like
as now we're seeing this is the third example. We
saw Geno Smith, we see Baker Mayfield, and now we're
(28:15):
seeing Sam Donald. And the big question is is an
excellent year by Donald does that lead him into the
Jared Goff Jordan Love conversation for contracts that upper echelon
conversation or is he in the Baker Mayfield Gino Smith conversation?
Because that's a big deal. That's a big gap right there,
(28:36):
and I'm not smart enough. I wouldn't want that decision.
But what I am psyched about. Is a team with
a really strongly built roster with a quarterback that can
get things done with the head coach and still have
the talent around him. Let me ask you, let me
flip the question back to you, because a little baby
(28:58):
over there in Michigan in the glove, you're about a
year away from being on the other side of that.
Jared Goff was the I mean, it's probably not fair.
We should have given Jared Goff the reclamation project. I
mean he he should be included.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
But he got to the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, yeah, he got to the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
And you know, once you guys paid him, he's not
being paid like Baker and Gino. So is there any
concern do you think it's it's timed up right with
your young players and everything. Has the drafting been so good?
Is there any concern that as you guys have to
pay Jared Goff what you'll have to pay him, that
(29:39):
his because you always want no matter. Like the funny
thing about Patrick Mahomes is no matter how much you
pay him, he overperformed. And so is there any worry
about the salary cap and Jared Goff going forward? Well?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I think a lot of it has to do, like
you said, with Koc and Darnold, the way that Goff
and Ben Johnson seemed to compliment each other.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
You know, let me let me cut you off to
ask you why did Ben not leave last year? He's
the hottest coordinator in the league. Is he truly being
that picky about a head job? Does he have that
much believe in the team? What was the what's the
vibe in Detroit?
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I think it's a combination of the two.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
And I mean what he vocally came out and said
was we have just we have things that are unfinished
in he gave a very Dan Campbell answer, and he
gave a very like I'm a loyal guy, we have
unfinished things he found. I mean, I think the writing
was on the wall that Aaron Glenn wasn't leaving. You know,
when you have a team that goes to the NFC
Championship and you bring back I mean everyone, including both coordinators,
(30:43):
I think that's I think that's what it came down to.
I think he wasn't worried at all with the offense
he had coming into this year that the offers wouldn't
be there next year.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
That's a great that's a great point. And how much
how much did the people in Michigan were like, oh
my gosh, like that guy never buys a sandwich for
the rest of his life.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Were we were?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
We were very, very I mean it was one of
those things where it's like that was one of the
biggest offseason acquisitions ever, like to retain.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
Not one but both coordinators. It was huge.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
But back to your point, with the the math aspect
and everything, I do think a lot of it comes
down to Ben Johnson and Jared Goff because Ben Johnson
has built an offense to Jared Goff as opposed to
Sean McVay, who was like, Hey, this is my offense,
you gotta work around it. I think I think that
has been a huge thing. Our line also is locked
(31:33):
up already, so the offense and then we just I
mean we did resign am and Raw and then Laporte
is on a rookie deal, Gibbs is on a rookie deal.
We just resigned an extension to David Montgomery. So the
only questionable piece on this offense right now as far
as contract goes, is Jamison Williams, who is coming into
(31:55):
what would be his his fifth year next year, and
obviously that's gonna he's gonna command some money. I really
hope he doesn't go anywhere, because everyone in Detroit loves
Jamison Williams. I think that I think the equation comes
in on on the the defensive side. I don't think
I don't think our offense is going to have an issue.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And that's where it always comes in. That's where it
all well.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
I think that's the thing though.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I think I think when you think about the offense,
it's not always that the entire offensive line is locked
up and one of the best units in the league,
if not the best.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I really think, what again, it's Patrick Mahomes, so it
doesn't count. It's not fair. But I really think what
the Chiefs did was interesting. They said, Okay, goodbye, Tyreek,
we love you, You're great, goodbye. We are going to
have one quarterback and one playmaker. And everybody keeps going,
we need to get Patrick, you know, we need to
get Patrick Mahomes some weapons. And obviously they hope that
(32:48):
one of these free agent, these lower tier free agents,
or these rookies they draft step up. You know that,
you know, you get people like the Pachecos to step in.
But it is very very clear that once they gave
Patrick that money, they went, Okay, we are not the team.
And it's worked. The two Super Bowls in a row,
they went all defense, all O line, two important guys,
(33:13):
Kelsey Mahomes and so. But I you know, for the Lions,
you can't do that. You can't go all defense, all
O line, Golf and aman Ra because GoF isn't gonna
do to a defense from a scheme standpoint and from
a preparation standpoint. So that that's I'll be curious what
(33:36):
and that's why I'm I'm interested in what's happening in Buffalo.
I'll be really interested in whatever the Bengals think they're
doing or are trying to do. But if you have
somebody that good, you know, how do you survive? But
if you don't, if you have somebody who is good
but is not Patrick Mahomes, what's the future. And so
you're saying, you're saying you're hoping to have an offense
(33:59):
in tac and so good that if you hit a
few draft picks on defense you can suffer through the struggle.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Let me yeah, let me put it this way.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Last year we made it to the NFC Championship and
against the past, we were like, maybe not historically but
pretty close to being historically bad.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
Our offense was firing. We had that line.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
I think when you say Patrick Mahomes and playmaker Kelsey,
I think the unit of an offensive line is a playmaker.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yeah, they offensive I think that is that.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Jared Goff is not good under pressure, but fortunately for us,
we haven't. He hasn't really been under a whole lot
of pressure. So if we have to pay this offense
and we keep it intact, and then we've got a
roll with some you know, bargain bin free agents, guys
on the end of their contracts, rookies, what have you.
I think that it's a similar situation to last year.
(34:53):
And at that point I wonder if people are rising
to the occasion because I'm hoping that this is the case.
But all of a sudden, it's a team that Dan
Campbell's culture, Brad Holmes culture has come around and they
rise to the occasion. Because one thing we haven't talked
about on this episode is, I mean, Dan Campbell, I
don't know if you saw what golf did in the
(35:15):
the the.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Post game, after Dallas.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
But like Goff got his game ball and then stopped
at the end of the thing and he gave the
game ball to Dan Campbell because it's like, that's our guy.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
No one gives this guy any credit in the locker room.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
He's always given us game balls, and like this team
loves Dan Campbell.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
I mean, you want to.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Talk about a player's coach, I think that's I think
that's a huge indicator. We're gonna lose these coordinators at
some point, but Dan Campbell, for all intents and purpose,
is going to be around for a while. So if
you're playing for a guy that you'll run through a
wall for, are you going to overexceed because he knows
how to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So another thing that I think is is super important
in that same line of conversation is that every team,
if they're super honest, has the thing that they're just
it's a little bit worried about. Maybe it's due to
past football, you know, damage they have baggage, or maybe
it's the reality of their current situation. Like I think,
(36:09):
if you're a Vikings fan, you know, somewhere in the
back of your mind you go, is this new Sam
Donald At some point in a really important moment, going
to turn into the old Sam Donald. Like we said
when the Vikings went to the NFC Championship against the Eagles,
and there was a lot of stuff other stuff going
on in that game, but all season it felt like
(36:31):
we were getting away with it, like, oh my gosh,
you're just waiting for case Keenum to have a moment
like that is more what Then he throws the pick,
the bad pick on our side of the field early
in the NFC Championship, So I think you're worrying about
that a little bit. If you're a Viking fan. Everybody
loves the kicker, but you're never You're never gonna feel
good about a kicker. And tell the Super Bowl clock
(36:54):
has clicked zero and you've won the game. No Viking
will ever And if you're sitting at home saying it,
I just don't think you're a fun person to be around.
If you're that confident in something that's burned you that much.
I don't want to ride in a car with you,
I don't want to go to dinner with you. Hard
pass on everything you do. But for you, guys, is
(37:15):
there anywhere in the back of your head as much
as he's a player's coach as great as he is.
Do you have that and as much as you wouldn't
want anybody else, you wouldn't change it? Are you able
to shake that couple different choices in that NFC Championship
game and you're in the super Bowl? Like, he has
had a decision making hand in some pretty pinnacle moments
(37:42):
in important games that haven't gone your way? Is that
a thing that sits behind you going, what's he gonna do? Like?
Do you worry about it at all?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
I don't have any issue with Dan Campbell's decision making
because he stands by it and he doesn't change like
it's worked for us so far, or as the NFC
Championship goes. Yeah, you can say whatever you want about
the calls that he made, But the number of balls
that hit receivers in the hands in that second half
and were dropped was I mean, as a Lions fan,
(38:14):
something I hadn't seen since I was a kid, Like,
it was so many drops. So it wasn't any one
thing as far as Dan Campbell goes, And like, am
I worried about anything? Yeah, we've had some terrible coaches.
We've had some coaches that haven't had their fair shake.
A'lla Jim Caldwell like he had a I don't know
why we got rid of him. Ultimately, I'm glad we
did because it got us here. And the only thing
(38:36):
I worry about with Dan Campbell is I as as
a fan of the Detroit Lions. I love Dan Campbell
so much that I want him to succeed and I
will be sad if he doesn't. That's the only thing
I have. I'm like, just tell me this isn't fool's gold,
and I don't think it is, but having gone through
what we've gone through, I mean it's there.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
That is, uh, weirdly sad and pathetic relatable.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Well, I'm glad you ended that with relatable because if
you'd have just ended at weirdly sad, I'm going dark.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I'm going dark, buddy.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
We're gonna close on something interesting, which is a very
dumb thing to do because this show doesn't come out
till Thursdays. Uh, and we're recording on a Tuesday. But
I just want to hear you respond to this. Uh, Well,
we've been recording. DeVante Adams has been traded to the Jets.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Are you serious?
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (39:31):
H whatever. I don't think it's gonna help. I think
I think that.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I mean, let's go back to Geno Smith and uh
Sam Darnold. The Jets can't handle a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
They just can't.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
They it's not doing anything now all of a sudden,
given Aaron Rodgers the rains, but he's just gonna throw
it up. He's still throwing picks that cost him the game.
Their defense is supposed to be stacked, and they're not
blowing or they're not stopping anyone. Definitively and honestly, at
this point, I think DeVante Adam is as big a problem,
if not a bigger problem for them as Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
What did they send? What did they trade?
Speaker 1 (40:10):
I'm not a guy who likes to really do the research,
so let me pull it up here.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
It looks like it is the Raiders will receive a
conditional third round pick that couldn't prove to a second
round selection.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Oh great, thanks for doing my job, ladies and gentlemen,
thank you. Cool.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
Listen, if there's one thing a Lions fan is, it's helpful.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Why don't you just send this? Why don't you just
send this to my boss? As zach I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Maybe they'll put in a good word with me with
the Lions organization, because I think they're still a little
bitter about what I did on that Matt Patricia stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I think you should still be doing the Matt Patricia stuff.
I think the Matt Patricia character should evolve to just
being a a Lion super fan and you should still
be How funny would it be doing is like after
you guys won, You know how they have like it's
the had the Walking Dead and then they would have
the Talking Dead afterwards.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Sure, how funny would it be if you.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
As Patricia after Dan Campbell's press conference you did the
After Campbell starring Matt Patricia where he just critiques Dan
Campbell's press conferences.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Oh my god, call it chunky soup, because I will
tell you, I will tell you this that it would
be so funny because Matt Patricia already looks like.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Most football fans on a Sunday.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
You know, yeah, like he's just got crumbs in his
beard and everything.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
I would love that.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I also did think about going in and trying to
beat Dan Campbell, but I don't think my heart could
handle what it would take for me to get into
that kind of physical shape.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
I was just gonna say, you die in the gym
trying to become Dan Campbell, and for the sake of
your family and this program, we need you to avoid that.
And yeah, I'm not gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I will say that those press conferences were a brutal
so I don't want to do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
What do you think the score is this weekend?
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
What do you got for a prediction?
Speaker 3 (42:03):
This is a tough one because, like I said, that
question mark of pass rush for me is something that
I just can't wrap my head around. What I will
say is, I think coming off of that win in Dallas,
I was worried that there was going to be some
sort of hangover based on the blowout of it.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
I think the.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Tough loss of Aiden Hudginson is going to galvanize the
team against that though. So I do think it's going
to be a competitive game, and I am taking the
Lions to win, but not to cover.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
The Lions to win, but not to cover no score prediction.
So I will go I just don't know.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
What the line is. I just don't know what the
line is.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
But I would say my gut is saying something like
thirty to twenty seven, twenty eight to twenty seven, something
like that, like within three or four points.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
So I think the.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
I think the defenses show up despite there being a
lot of offensive ability on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
So I'm gonna go Vikings.
Speaker 4 (43:05):
Let me let me try and read your let me
try and read your mind.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
No, no, no, no, no, it's okay. No no, it's okay. Let me
get my very no no, let's say, let me get
my very real pressure and let me get my very
real prediction. Now it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's let's go one hundred and forty six to twelve
Lions twelve Vikings, one hundred and forty six.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I changed it up. Is that just in case?
Speaker 4 (43:24):
Is that all field goals? Or is that two touchdowns?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
No, pat, No, it's it's four field goals.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
You guys are gonna get four field goals.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
It's six safeties.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
They're all gonna be garbage time field goals.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
Yeah there, yeah, like what Dallas did. Dallas had no touchdowns.
They I just had field goals.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
To your turn time, you're gonna get your You actually
predicted exactly right. If I had to predict it. I
think it'll probably be six garbage time safeties for you guys,
one hundred and forty six or twelve ladies and gentlemen.
The great Zach Martina. Go see him in Saint Paul's
You Heard the You Heard the dates in the intro
and the and go see him at laugh Camp in
(44:01):
Saint Paul.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
He's one of our favorites.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
Bye bye.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Huge thanks to Zach.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Martinez for joining the show, and thank you for listening
to our podcast feed. Hey, if you could give us
a like, give us a subscribe, and also again, huge
shout out to Ticketmaster, the official ticket marketplace out of
the Minnesota Vikings, for helping make this show happen. We
will see you all again next week.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
Hey, Vikings fans. Ben Lever here, I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pick a ball, the basketball,
and of course the yummy cafe. Check them out at
Lifetime dot life to find a club nearest you.
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