December 4, 2024 • 44 mins
On this episode of Twentyman in the Huddle podcast presented by Microsoft, Tim Twentyman is joined by Brad Galli, Dan Skipper, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Mike Spofford. previewing the Lions’ second matchup with the Green Bay Packers when they make the trip to Detroit on Thursday Night Football.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
First and goal from the three.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
As we opened the second colder golf back looking throwing
middle and son it is God touchdown Detroit, Lyons.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome to the Twin L Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Brad Galli, Channel seven sports director tight End for the
Bloomfield Brother Rice Warriors back in the day. Yeah, everybody knows, Brad,
and thank you for joining me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah. No, Week fourteen is wild. Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, there's five games left, which is Thanksgiving. It's cold,
it's snowy, but.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It's so different.
Speaker 5 (00:38):
Can I tell you when we won the state championship
Brother Ice in two thousand and five, I went to
job shadow somebody. It was not a good time for
the Lions at that point. Steve Merritt, you got fired.
I was job shotting Matt Shepherd at his radio job
and was in this studio.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
He goes, I can't. I don't have time to take
you home.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I have to go to a press conference.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Are you serious?
Speaker 5 (00:56):
So, as a high school kid on a day off
after we won the state championship, I was in here
and sat through Matt Mellan talking about firing Sea Maricie.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Wow, times have changed.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
You're talking about eleven to one team, the number one seed,
the best team. That word that hasn't always been muttered
around here, but no super Bowl, it's been muttered around here.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I mean, that's been quite the change of twenty years.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Beyond realistic. The expectation now for this yeah, which is wild.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Well, Brad joins me for the three key segment that
we do every week, and let's just jump right into it.
Let's let's jump into a big one. I think this
week is just the run game importance for Detroit. And
I say that, Brad, because you look at Green Bay
the last few weeks, they've been playing much better football.
They won five lost to Detroit and have won three
and in the last two games and wins over San
(01:40):
Francisco and Miami. Those two teams have a combined eighty
three rushing yards, like they have really committed to that
defensively and on the flip side, you know what Detroit
wants to do going into that game. So that's just
to me, that's such an important one. But it really
is every week, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It is?
Speaker 5 (01:55):
And I think whether or not they have to run
the ball each week, it hasn't been the recipe for
success because they have so many other options. But I
really think this week it'll be what Ben Johnson and
what Dan Campbell want to do for so many different reasons. One,
I think time at possession is going to be a
huge thing. They are so beaten up on the defensive
side of the ball, which has been well documented. They're
gonna want to hold that ball for a long time.
(02:16):
And it's something they really didn't do against Chicago a
ton and they didn't do in the second half against
Green Bay. You've written about it a bunch green Bay.
The QUT's coming out out of that room this week.
We feel like we played Detroit really really well, which
is really strange because they lost and it was lopsided
for almost the entire game until the last back half
of it. But they feel really good about how they
played against the Lions in that first game.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, they think it was just mistakes and it was
self inflicted things, little things that they did to get
off the field, not running the football, staying with it
when they thought they should have probably a little bit
longer too. But when you look at this Lions team,
to me, it's everything's predicated on that. I mean, they
average one hundred and fifty four yards on the ground.
They averaged four point eight yards per carry. Jared Goff
is the number one play action quarterback in the league,
(02:57):
So to me, everything they do has to be about
that first and we haven't seen them struggle to run it,
and so I wonder what that would look like. And
now they like, to your point, they can go ahead
and throw it fifty times a game. They've shown us
that before, but that's not what they want to do.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
That's not the recipe for six struggle then, no, it's not.
And the struggles have come on first down too. That's
what I kind of pinpointed the last few games, and
even against Cream Bay, a lot of one yard runs
on first down, a lot of incompletions against Chicago that.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Really stalled drives.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
And it's so corny and so cliche to say it,
but what you do on first down, especially this team
in the offense, really predicate like it dictates what they're
going to do on the drives. And we've seen so
many times this season just them blowing teams out because
on first down, hey, we're going to run the ball
right up your throat and we're going to go for
six seven yards and they haven't done that against some
of the tougher teams in the league, which I think
makes us go, what's really gonna happen this weekend?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And what I love too is the runs on third
and six, thirty seven, third and eight. Like, as a
football guy, I love to see a team just say
we're more physical than you with third and seven. For
thirty teams out there, that's a run. Maybe Baltimore with
Henry would decide to do it, maybe Philly too, But
that's their mentality. That's just what they are, and so
(04:10):
I think it's so important in a game like this.
You talked about the injuries on defense, the time of possession.
To me, I think this is just a game you
go in here and be like, let's be.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
More physical than them.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
This is our house. We're trying to get twelve wins.
We're the number one seed. This is what we do.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Let Sonic and Knuckles eat.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
You've had a.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Lot of national voices on your podcast over the years.
You've interviewed to mccamp throughout the last few years. I
just love that the narrative about this team has become
the household narrative for people across the country.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
It's like the foam at the top of the drink
that everybody knows.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Okay, third down, they're gonna run the ball because they're
probably gonna go to four down territory here. This team's
gonna run the ball like crazy. And everybody now knows
this team's identity. Every defense knows the identity, and they're
winning with it, and I think they'll do it again
on Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
All right.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Second big key for me, and look, you mentioned it
is some of the injuries that they're dealing with now. Defensively,
you look at some of the additions that they've made
this week, w Alexander Miles, Adams, Joanah Williams, Jamal Adams,
you know, guys that you know have played a lot
of football in this league. And I think that's gonna
(05:11):
benefit Detroit. But there's still some time Brad with with
trying to figure out how they.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Fit what they do best. It's tough to do in
three days.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
But they're gonna need some of those guys, yeah, to
step in and play reserve roles, and if this team
suffers any more injuries, those roles might have to be
significantly bigger.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
It's a tough spot to be Week fourteen.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Can Jack Campbell clone himself because right now he's the
longest tenured man in the linebacker room, which is crazy.
I talk about household names very few, if any, I mean,
aside from Alee mcmalll and DJ Reader. DJ Reader got
a game ball last week that should not be underestimated.
I think that was because of his performance, but I
also think because Dan Campbell recognizes how important he was
to that room. But he also said about Mommed. I
(05:55):
mean that guy's story to be drafted in seventeen, to
be kind of a journeyman.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And I love the fact that he was with Dallas
this offseason. I love that he was with them in August.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
They just gonna move along, and what a.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Year they've had.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And he's come in and been such a contributor. Uh
you know, Dance said it after the Chicago win. He
was all over the field making different plays. You talk
about the linebackers, the defensive line, the time to step
up is few and far between. There's not a lot
of time to do it. So you've already seen guys
step up. David Long's made plays. What Aaron gled send
to us this week was so indicative of what this
team believes. It's not necessarily about the scheme, it's about
(06:30):
the style of play.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I included that in my ten takeaways from that and
it was the number one takeaway.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So we are on the same page here because I
loved that too.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It's a style, not the scheme, and they they go
after guys that play that style as well. And you know,
one thing, when we talk about the injuries, and we
think about the injuries, and obviously they're concerning and there's
a lot of them that lists this long. But when
I look at this game and I see Zadarius Smith,
Alee McNeil, DJ Reader up front, Jack Campbell at the mic,
(07:00):
there's a chance we get Carlton Davis Beck he you know.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
He practiced this week and he could play.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Terry and Arnold, Brian branch Amik Robertson, Kirby Joseph.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Those guys have been there all year. They've played a
lot of football.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I think it's it's more the depth that we're talking about,
and that's spent kind of the issue. But I mean
they're going into this game with eight to nine primary
starters on defense. They've got their defense. They just they
you know, they love to run those defensive linemen and
rotate guys, and that's going to be part of the issue.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
But when people are like, this defense is so depleted,
I don't know if they can win. They got a
lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
That still and when you got those three guys up front,
that secondary and your Mike linebacker, you're in pretty good shape.
But they just can't afford anymore, right, And it's that
depth that starts to get tested.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Many times we've said that though they can't afford any
more injuries, and they just keep proving it. But to
your point, I mean, Brad Holmes finds people that fit
this defense and gets input from AIRNGLND from Dan Campbell,
no doubt about it. They know what they're looking for.
We all waited and waited and waited. Danny gonna make
a trade. When you guys making the trade, we'll find
the guy that fits us, right. We don't want to
go get a piece last year that didn't fit necessarily right,
which we all could look back and revision his history
(08:06):
and say maybe they should have anyways, but Brad Holmes
is again making a case to be executive of the
year because he keeps finding people and boy does a
Darius Smith look like the right fit. I mean, he
has made an instant impact. He's got the fire, the
celebrations are just so fun. He just he looks like
a Detroit lion. And he's a player the Packers know, right.
I mean, Matt Flurer already talked about just the dynamic
(08:28):
player that he is, the playmaking ability that he has
shown with Detroit. So depth is something this organization has
built so incredibly strong under Brad Holmes, and they continue
to prove it to your point though, I mean they
have a lot of their starters.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah, stars, they got They've got plenty of ammo to
go into this game. And look, it's a Packers team
that's playing much better football. You know, Aaron mentioned this too.
They've kind of changed their philosophy a little bit. Jordan
Love was, you know, throwing the ball a lot to
begin the season with s thrown a lot of interceptions.
They've kind of made Josh Jacobs that that focus there,
and it's a run first. It's a more physical football team,
(09:03):
which I think matches better with what Detroit wants to
bring to the table. And they can play action off it.
They've got those young receivers, so you know that philosophy
is obviously very much similar to what Detroit's is. They're
playing very well. They've scored thirty plus points their last
two games. Love was a little injured Week nine in
that first game. He's going to be more mobile now,
(09:23):
his ability to get.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Out of the pocket.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I think this is going to be a great test,
and that depth is certainly going to be tested for
the Lions. But the starters are there and we've seen it.
They've been able to get the most out of a
lot of these guys that they have come and play.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
If there are naysayers about the Lions right now, it's
can they survive the injuries? And I mean, they just
blew out a lot of bad teams if you want
to have, you know, some bad things to say about
the Packers. They've gone through a stretch of games against
teams that we thought early on would be contenders that
have ultimately fizzled out. So I don't say it's a
lot of the same questions, but at least with the schedule,
it's kind of a similar point to see who this
(09:58):
team really is against another really good team and right
now they're on a collision course which should make for
a great competition, and it should.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Because it's such a big game in the division right now.
This division is crazy, Yes, this conference is crazy. I
mean they have c I think, let they almost settled
their playoffs Buffalo completely. Yeah, there's a lot more football
to go and these games are are very important, all right.
Last key to Thursday, I think for me is when
(10:23):
you've looked at this Detroit Lions often struggle a little bit.
To me, it's been when they haven't been good in
the red zone. We obviously know the numbers from Tampa,
right they were one for seven in the red zone,
lost that game twenty sixteen last week.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
I thought they could have i.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Think, ended that game a lot earlier had they you know,
been better in the red zone, not.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Settled for field goals.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
There are two for five in the red zone with
a red zone turnover rip before the first half. That
to me is where they've got to be better.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
And Ben Johnson even talked about it this week, didn't he.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Yeah, And honestly, we set up to that Tampa game,
how are you going to fix your red zone issues?
And it was almost like, you know, Dan doesn't stiff
almost a lot from the podium, but it's almost we
got this. It's a one off, and I think the
Chicago thing, they shot themselves in the foot a few times.
That's what Ben said aultiately, I mean that's a Jamior
touchdown or at least that he doesn't fumble, and look
where they're going to be, I mean really close to it.
(11:13):
But again for me, it goes back to success on
first down, success on second down, because you don't want
to continue to make yourself that team that it's third
and seven will be all right. We can just you know,
we were in ford On territory anywhere we go, and
in the red zone, you want to trust the leg.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Of your kicker.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
But also this is this is a league that's run
on touchdowns. And we saw Sam Laporta come back healthy,
which is a huge thing for the red zone. Dan
said he feels as good as he has, which I
think is huge for this team. So they fed him early,
they fed him off and especially in.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
The red zone.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
But I think it comes down to just establishing that
run early in the set of downs to then open
up Sam, open up Amanra who is like this freaky
tiny speedy tight end in the red zone because people
just can't seem to stop him. But early run success
I think will really help him in the red zone.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Well, we talked about with green Bay talk in all
the talking green Bay this week about you know, we
left a lot on the field and it was more
us than them. I think the Detroit Lions would think
about that in the red zone too, or consider that,
you know, it's more what we didn't do. Ben talked
about some play calls, Jared talked about some not getting
them into the right play. I think those things.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Can be panned out.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You look at green Bay twenty first in the red zone,
fifty nine percent teams score touchdowns and they're twenty three touchdowns,
fourteen of those on the pass they give up red
zone plays. I expect this to be a week where
Detroit kind of fixes those red zone woves We've seen
a couple of times, and they take advantage of those opportunities.
And I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is
more of a high scoring type gang.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Did your ears prick up when Ben was describing why
he was frustrated with himself.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
How could you be frustrate with yourself, a.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Lot of names in all of football. But he said,
they got to the line and you don't want to
waste shots. You only get about fifty five to sixty
of them a game, and he goes, this is not
what we expected on defense, this is not what we
wanted on defense, and it's almost like, Okay, we're going
to try our best against yours and it didn't work
out a lot against Chicago. I think you can see
the fire in the red in his eyes when things
like that happen. As you just said, to take that
challenge on the next week. Okay, that was an issue
(13:04):
for us, not going to be an issue this week.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, And that's where it's nice to have a veteran
quarter but like Jared Goff too, that can get you
into some of those plays, and more often than not,
we've seen them be able to do.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
That for the entire year.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
They're they're top five red zone team, so you know,
but just when they've had close games, when they've lost
to me, that's been the issue that stood out. So
you want to keep that on the positive side because
that that's always been the recipe for success. When then
when they've struggled, there they've tend to struggle, and so
you don't certainly don't want to see that at.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Home and knock on wood unless faux would. I mean,
it looks really nice golf. Doesn't make silly mistakes in
those critics. I mean, I love the fact.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I love it. We've never seen that in our lifetime.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Alonce quarterback that intentionally just chucks it at people's feet
just to say, next play, let's go. I'd rather do
that than make mistakes. And again the Houston game, the
five interceptions that people on the outset would want to say, well,
that game was terrible. Maybe one of those was his fault, yeah,
which we.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Don't have that we don't have to plog through that ground. Again.
Speaker 5 (13:59):
Yeah, he's really smart quarterback, which, again to your point,
certainly helps when a team is trying to fix the
most important part of their offense in the red zone
scoring touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
All right, So run the football, make do with those
injuries on defense, have guys step up and make place
and be good in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Those are three keys for this week.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Listen, man, I'm going ross.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Saint Brown gave you a shout out in a scrum
in the locker room last week he listens.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
To the podcast.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
If the team listens to the podcast and they listen
to these keys, we're walking away Thursday night covering another win.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
If we walk away Thursday night cover another win, this
team gets at twelve and one stays the top the NFC,
that's gonna be It's gonna be a fun last month. Look,
it's already fun. It's great to be part of something
like this, but boy, they can keep this rolling, the
city is going to just go unhinged.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
It's the Great Uniter, It's the Great Uniter.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
The Lions are the Great United with everything in this
world that's happening, with everything in this state between Michigan
Michigan State. I just love what this Lions team has
done for this fan base. No matter what walk of life.
This team is the Great United and they've given so
many people so many reasons to smile.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
He is Brad Galli's sports director at Channel seven. People
find you on x at.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Brag Gally at WXYZ Detroit, try to be everywhere. Usually
that comment underneath your posts, Tim, that was so informative,
great stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So you can find me in Tim's comment section.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Now we can find him. He gives you the breakdown
on all of it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You do a great jobs over there, as I appreciate
you joining the podcast.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
H right Man, Welcome back to the toy M Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Gerry how Welcome and Dan Skipper, left tackle for the
Detroit Lions.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Hi doing Dan. I know I had you on in
the off season. I love having you on, and I
love it particularly because kind of the.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Theme of this team right now or what they're going
through with some of the injuries and stuff is is
just guys being able to step up, fit in contribute
and play. And I think you're a great example of that.
You've been your whole career here just talk about this
team's ability to do that and get contributions from a
ton of different guys that maybe you weren't expecting to
(15:56):
at the beginning year, but they're playing big now.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah. I mean, I think you know, Coach Campbell talks
a lot about holding the line. You know, you never
know when it's going to be your turn to get
up there hold the line, whether that's a week, the
rest of the season, a couple of snaps, you know,
but going in there doing what you need to do.
You know that guys are just we've we've been ready
(16:19):
for it. We're used to it started, you know, in
training camp and everything else with you know, next man
up all the time, you know, and all hold the line,
share the load, you know. And the staff has done
a great job of, you know, putting guys in positions
to do the things they can do.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You know, I heard from a little birdie that you
had a signing, a card signing in Livonia a couple
of weeks ago, and now you have reached your cult
hero status is growing here because this little birdie also
told me there were hundreds of.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
People that lined up to do this. This took hours
to do.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Just how much are you enjoying yourself with this fan
base and just how they view you and guys like
you and and just your story and how they've embraced that.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Now.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
The fan base is awesome. I would say Kirby was
there too, so I'm gonna give a lot of that
to him. No, no, but no, this fan base is awesome.
You know. They you know, they they rally behind the team.
There's no one player, there's no you know one this
one that it's it's you know, the logo, it's the group.
It's the city. You know, that's really what we're we're
(17:24):
playing for. You know, it's not about you know, what
can I do? Yeah, there's guys getting paid all over.
We love that for them, But at the end of
the day, it's what can we do collectively? Can we
pick up some slack? You know, how can I hold
up more weight? You know of the load?
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Do you guys view that collectively as an offense too, maybe,
I mean you dealt with injuries, but that side of
the ball, the other side of the ball, And kudos
to them and the job Aaron is done for, you know,
continuing to play at the level they are, but they've
suffered some catastrophic understand And do you guys, as an
offense say, okay, look now it's our turn.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Absolutely, yeah, let's do this. Yeah. I mean there's been games.
You know, you go into it, you're banged up on offense,
and you know it starts on you know, the Wednesday
meeting of Hey, you know, defense is going to be
on you this week. You know, offense going to be
on you. Special teams, Hey, we gotta we gotta have
a couple of big plays and you know this week,
you know, you're looking around the building a little bit
and you're like, all right, it's no secret it's on
(18:21):
us this week. And you know we need to should
them more of that load. Special teams needs to as well,
and you know our defense, like we're never going to
count them out. That'd be absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Now the secondary that you guys got to and tier
your guys the.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Secondary, and then you got guys getting a chance, you know, right,
and and never count that out either. You know, you
don't know who you got until you're in there. And
so you know, C and Mo make that play, you know,
making that sack last week, doing things like that, like
you don't know what you have till till they're there.
And so one of these the next guys, we'll find out.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
How much do you love being a part of this
offensive line?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I mean it's it's.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The heartbeat of the team, you know. I mean if
everything you guys do offensively starts up front. You're a
big part of that swing tackle now playing some left
tackle too. Just just how much do you like being
part of that group?
Speaker 4 (19:05):
It's an awesome group, you know, and we we spent
so much time together and then you know you had
had big Kevin there, and you know it's an awesome,
awesome room, awesome feeling. You know, you got lifelong friends.
And then oh yeah, we're pretty good at football too,
right and so you know, but the the football thing
seems to kind of take care of itself. You know,
(19:25):
we've got a bunch of high level players on that
on that starting five, and you know, like I said,
the rest of us were just trying to hold the
line and get better. You know, you can learn something
from them every day, you know, just trying to trying
to grow every day, get a little better every day.
So when you're called upon, it's you know, you're ready
to go. But you know, those guys are good players
(19:46):
out there, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
So, but what's the challenge with with your role? I mean,
at the minutes, notice you're boom in at left tackle.
Then boom, you're starting at left tackle, something happens over
the right side, boom you're you're there. What what's the
challenge of kind of being that guy that just has
to step in no matter what and hold the line.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You know, the preparation side, you don't know, you know,
when you're the swing guy, you don't know if it's
going to be the you know, play number one or
oh tweaked my back and warm ups or you know.
So you're you're constantly preparing like you're going to start,
you know, but when you're when you're starting, there's just
more on game day. So you know, the preparation is
almost a little easier because you can really nail in
(20:28):
on the details, focus in, you know, more on individual
rush plans, you know, specific sides, things like that. You know,
because not every guy rushes the same over each side.
They don't play the run the same each way, you know,
so you can you can hone in on that a
little bit more. But you know, all eyes are on you.
You know, you go out there and look like a fool,
(20:48):
it's on you.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
All eyes are on you. This week at left tackle. Look,
the best tackle in football is arguably on the other
side of you.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
I think I probably both agree with that.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
How much do you appreciate and.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Just the trust level that Look, some guys would maybe say, look,
let's put Penne over on.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
The left, you know whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Whatever, They're like, No, we know what what Deck's about.
You know, we know what skips about. Like he is
toughest nails, He's going to do his job and he's
going to fight to the end. That's what Ben Johnson
said this week as offensive line. Mean, you probably love
a guy that talks about you fight to the end.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
No, But but just the level.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Of confidence that they have, that that you can just
step in there and boom, we're going to do what
we do, nothing changes, skip steps in there.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
You gotta love that about about.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
The Yeah, it's great guys. Yeah, and you know we're
not gonna lie. You know, they've given me a lot
of I get a lot of help from my friends,
you know a lot of chips, bumps, nudges, you know,
specific things in the run game that you know, maybe
maybe I'm a little better at or you know a
little you know, things tweak, things change a little bit.
But you know, having the confidence to you know, hey,
(21:55):
we didn't know if this is going to be a
one week thing too however long, you know, and just
going out there and giving it everything I got and
you're their guy. Yeah, you know, that's pretty cool deal.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Yeah I can imagine.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
But yeah, I mean going out there and like I said,
just keep keep holding the line until that gets back
and hopefully we're not spending too much time looking at
me on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Quick quick scot of report.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Green Bays playing pretty good football right now, especially defensively.
You look at the way they've stopped the run. I
think they have allowed eighty three rushing years the last
two games combined. A physical bunch up there. You've seen
them before, but but it looks like they're playing maybe
a little bit different brand of football. They're they're healthy.
Just what you see from them on tape. What what
can fans expect Thursday night?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
You know, I we'll see how the game. Each game
plays out a little differently. I can't tell you what
we're playing on doing no secret, but maybe yeah, yeah,
these guys kind of games we fully expect a bloodbath. Yeah,
we're gonna go out there give it everything we got.
You know, they came in here last year at home.
I think that was a Thanksgiving game, Yeah, Thanksgiving. Yeah,
(22:58):
and you know took it to us. Yeah, I mean
they beat the tar out of us. So you know
that's still fresh in our mind. You know, we need
to go out there play our style football. And you know,
if it's if it's a blood bath, it's a bloodbath,
and it's it's a you know, a feeding frenzy on
the on the secondary for you know whoever, it doesn't matter,
(23:18):
you know, then it'll be that kind of game too.
So you know, you never know quite how the game
is going to go, but we're gonna go out there
and give it everything we got.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
It's got to be fun to be a part of
an offense that. You know, you can go into any
game and play different kind of game. You can run
it down people's s throts and play that kind of game. Okay,
you want to do that, but you want to put
eight in the box, all right, we'll throw it on you.
We could play that game, throw it fifty times and
have success that way too.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
So it's got to be fun being part of that.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Absolutely like that.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, you can kind nder pretty much anything that this league.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Yeah, no, I mean if if it turns into a
blood bath, it's a blood bath. The track meet, it's
tracked meat. And that's okay. You know we got coach
Johnson does a great job calling games, setting things up,
doing different things, and hey, at the end of the
day he calls it, we haul it well.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I love the fact that you've become a fan favorite here.
I think you've done a great job as a swing guy.
You've stepped in and you've done a great job there.
I think you've made yourself some money and I appreciate
you taking the time here to join the podcast. Thanks Tim,
Welcome back to the toy M Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I'm very happy to welcome.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Al Quadin Muhammed new defensive end to the Detroit Lions.
And look, I had Dan Skipper on Elkadeen and I
wanted to have you on.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Too, because so much of this story over the last.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You know, month, a couple of months, has been guys
stepping up and taking on bigger roles and contributing.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
You've been a huge.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Part of that.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Skip's been a huge part of that.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
A lot of guys have been a huge part of that.
Keep just talk about the mentality of this team and
just having so many guys be able to step into roles,
contribute and just keep this thing rolling.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I mean, you know, we prepare every day, you know,
as if you know, you playing no matter what, no
matter the circumstances. So when we get into c situations,
you know it's his next next man up mentality, So
you know, I'm just excited, you know, to be blessed
with the opportunity to go out there and play and
(25:10):
be able to contribute and help the team.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
And make the most of those opportunities too. I mean,
look at your game last week, Sack Past defended. I
think it's seven pressures.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
You were all over the place.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
You were playing some terrific ball. Right now, you kind
of sense that to you. Do you feel like you're
playing your best football right now?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 6 (25:28):
But I always feel like it's room to get better.
And you know that's what I strive for every day
when we go out there and practice.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
You know, he's your hype man. Part of that too.
I know your twelve year old son. I know this
has been a good story. You laugh.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Al KaDee Muhammad Junior a defensive end and tight end.
Right he's playing football himself twelve years old. But I
heard he is quite the hype man for you. Tell
me the story.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
That's that's my hype man.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
He calls me before the game and he uh, he
gives me a speech and stuff like that. And like
I said in one of my inn it's so it's
so funny that you know the things that you pour
and it is stelling your kids.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
They spit it back at you, you know.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
So it's just funny, you know to hear some of
the things he tell me. But all the things he says.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It seems to be working. He must have had a
good message there on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Right, Yeah, he had a great message and stuff like that,
and you know he says some things and you know,
you made for this the job and go.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Out there and do this. I know you're gonna do this.
I know you're gonna do that. So it's just it's
it's fun.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
You know, it's definitely, you know, fun to have a
son that you know, look up to you and want
to do everything that you do. And you know, with
that being said, he also still you know, want to
pour into, you know, the things that I.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Need to do and to be successful. So it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, I got mine seventeen plays hockey and baseball too.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
So just having that kid that's.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
In that athletic realm, right that you can speak that
language with, that's that's something that's it only gets.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Better, let me tell you the older he gets, so
it'll be good.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Aaron Glenn and playing for for this guy former player obviously,
but he said something this week that I thought was terrific. Said,
it's not the scheme, it's the style of play, and
and I just thought that resonated definitely with the way
that you guys play on defense.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
What's it like playing for him?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
And how much do you do you appreciate the faith
that not only him, but this whole coach that Staph
has had and putting you in place and letting you
just play your style of game.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Well, Coach Glenn, I mean, he's a former player, he
played his game for a long time and he's good
at what he's doing. So he he gets it, you know,
he he gets it. He know what it's like to
be out there. He understand the game on a different level.
So yeah, I agree with him. You know, it's it's
(27:49):
the it's the style of play, you know, and no
matter you know who's in there, the standing not changing.
So at the end of the day, you know, it's fun.
I mean, I love the message, I love the mentality.
I love this organization, I love I love the locker room.
The guys that we got in the locker room is amazing.
(28:09):
You know, it's a lot that goes on behind the
scenes that a lot of people don't know, you know,
just to we just have you know, we have a
great team, great people, great coaches, you know, and stuff
like that. So, I mean, coach Glenn is the type
of guy that you you want to go out there
and leave it all on the line for, you know.
And that's that's all the coaches, you know, it's coach
t Williams, coach Campell.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I was going to ask you about will too, because
he's a lot of guys have talked about the impact
that he's had.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
He's great. He's great. I mean, he don't flinch and
you know.
Speaker 8 (28:40):
He he's the type of guy, type of man that
you want to come to work and you want to
give also you want to leave it all on the line,
you know for him, you know, and you know he
prepares us and get us ready, you know, to.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Be at our best to win a game.
Speaker 6 (29:01):
And he's calm, he's very chill, He's very calm. You know,
he gets it. He just know how to he know
how to deal with players. And this has been awesome.
I'm just I'm excited to just be on this type
of team and just be a part of what we
got going on and just be around the guys.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I mean that's from the head coach and all the
coaches on.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
How much does being guys being close, team teammates being close?
Because I get the sense that that this team is
very close.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
How much does that do you attribute that to winning
to or how much do the two co exist?
Speaker 6 (29:41):
It's important. It's important to to have a close team.
Most importantly just unselfish guys. And we have a very
unselfish team. You know, guys just go out there and
work and play. They behinds off and don't care. He'll
get the credit, you know. So when you have a
team like that, you know you could go far. Are
I mean, I got here and you know, shout out
(30:04):
to Pascal.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
He's sitting next.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
To me in the meeting rooms and we talk ball
all the time, and I ask questions and stuff like that,
and you know he's always, you know, giving me great information.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
You know, it's not about me, it's not about him.
It's about the team, you know.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
And I could say that about you know, so many
other players in that locker room. That's a partiest thing,
even you know, just the coaches. You know, Coach Cam,
you know, he's he's always you know, working with me.
On a lot of different stuff, and nobody knows that.
And we meeting and were going over different information. You know,
(30:42):
it's not about me, it's about the team, you know.
So that's just says what type of people we got
in this building, you know. So it's just I'm blessed
and I'm excited to continue to take advantage of these
opportunities that's before me.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Oh, you're certainly doing that. And you seem like a
great fit for what they're doing here. With your skill set.
You're producing this team keeps winning. Keep that up Thursday
night primetime in front of everybody. We enjoy watching you play.
I certainly do you. You're a big part of what
they're doing right now. I appreciate you joining the podcast.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Thank you, welcome back to the twenty The Huddle podcast.
I am very happy to welcome in. Mike's offered. He
does a great job with the Packers. He is the
editor of Packers dot com. Mike, thanks for joining me.
I appreciate taking the time.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
Hey you bet good to see it.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Tim.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, here we go again, right the first or the
second of two. It's the it's the first time the
Lions have a division opponent for the second time. We
obviously know what happened the first time. I think even
you guys will be happy to be indoors this time around,
with the weather that we saw in Green Bay the
first time. But Mike has always let's start here because
the injuries are always a great equalizer in this one.
(31:54):
Where are the Packers health wise? Obviously we know where
the Lions are. They've suffered, you know, quite a few.
But Mary, Alexander, some of the other guys there, do
you have any updates on what it's looking like injury
wise for for Green Bay on Thursday?
Speaker 9 (32:07):
Yeah, the Packers are are hoping to get both Romeo
Dobbs the wide receiver, and jay R Alexander at corner
back from their recent injuries. Dobbs missed the last Packers
last game with a concussion. Alexander's been out for a
bit with a knee injury, and he he missed the
first game against Detroit. He's been back at practice the
(32:28):
first couple of days this week.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
No guarantees there yet. Well, we'll see.
Speaker 9 (32:34):
Where things are, you know, come Thursday. But but signs
are are pointing in the direction that that he's on
the comeback trail and and that would be a big
player to get back considering, uh he missed that first
matchup a month ago.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, I mean he's their their best cornerback. He's one
of the best cornerbacks in the league. Just just how
does that change defensively for them having a guy like that?
Is it almost like you can forget about one side
of the field and you could on the rest. That's
a big I advantage to have for a defense.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Yeah. I don't know if i'd I don't know if
i'd quite put it like that.
Speaker 9 (33:08):
I guess I look at it with Alexander as he
just gives he gives defensive.
Speaker 7 (33:12):
Coordinator Jeff Halfley more options.
Speaker 9 (33:14):
I think his his ability just allows Halflee to maybe
go to more man coverage calls and be able to
just mix up the man and zone that much more
because you can count on, you know, Alexander in those
man coverage calls, and and then along those same lines,
you can maybe get a little bit more creative with
(33:35):
with the pass rush and some of the pressure calls
because you have that number one corner who's out there
who can be so reliable for you.
Speaker 7 (33:43):
And not to say that.
Speaker 9 (33:44):
The Packers, you know, have completely changed their game plans
or whatnot. When Alexander has been out, they've certainly, you know,
had some adjusting to do. But anybody knows when when
you've got a top flight cover corner, it doesn't just
affect one part of the defense. That can affect a
lot of stuff that's going on out there. And I
think if the Packers can get him back, and if
(34:05):
he really is back to full strength, I see so
much more variety perhaps in what the Packers might try
to do defensively against a Lions offense that's obviously been
pretty tough to stop all year.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Now.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's a great point by you, because the Lions are
kind of in the same deal with Carlton Davis. You know,
he's returned to practice earlier in the week. Kind of
up in the air with him and that knee injury
and having him certainly changes, you know, what Aaron Glenn
can do and just the different kinds of coverages in
stuff like that you can play.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
So good point by you.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I want to stick with that defense for a little
bit with the Packers.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Yeah, obviously, you look at the offense.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
They've been humming along thirty plus points in their last
two games against San Francisco and Miami. And look, I
know San Francisco and Miami aren't what we thought they
would be at the beginning of the year. But I
think when you hold NFL teams, I think to eighty
three combined rushing yards in those two games, that green
Bay defense is playing much better football. They seemed to
me watching them. They're a much more physical brand of football.
(35:03):
They're playing really on both sides of the ball. But look,
you know Detroit's gonna want to come in with with
sonic and knuckles to run the football. They average one
hundred and fifty yards on the ground and four point
eight per carry. How big has that improvement been for
Green Bay's defense that they're really stepping up and stopping
the run of late.
Speaker 9 (35:19):
Yeah, they really feel like the run defense has made
some major strides. And Matt Lafleur has talked about the
physicality overall of the team has, you know, has sort
of ratcheted up a little bit. You know, Packers have
had their issues against the run in the past. You know,
even though the Lions didn't put up a ton of
points when they came in here to Lambeau, but you
know that that one two punch Montgomery and Gibbs.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Those guys averaged about five yards.
Speaker 9 (35:44):
Of carry in that game. And then when the Packers
went to Chicago after the bye week, DeAndre Swift busted
a you know, forty yard touchdown run on a toss
sweep and they were not happy with where their run
defense was at. Well, since then they went up against
McCaffrey for the forty nine Ers held him to thirty
one yards on eleven carries.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
Really solid effort.
Speaker 9 (36:06):
There, and then against Miami they're one two punch of
eight chan and moster. You know, those guys only had
you know, about forty some yards on you know, I
can't remember exactly the number, but you know, fifteen sixteen
combined carries something like that. So the strides made are
definitely there. You've seen it statistically and what they've done
(36:26):
against against some backs that can really run the ball,
and they know they've got a huge challenge with that
that backfield of Detroit, but they feel like they're trending
in the right direction to maybe be able to clamp
down on him a little bit more than they did
the first time.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, on the other side of the football, Jordan Love
playing some pretty good ball of late too that first
matchup in week nine, might you know he wasn't one
hundred percent there. I think there were even some issues
if he was going to play in that game. You
know they I think they were coming. They had their
buy the following week, so there was some discussion there.
He looks like he's around much better. Just how different
(37:02):
is he when you've got that element to his game
when he can run, extend plays, get out of the
pocket a little bit. Because obviously you guys can throw
the football deep. I mean that that you know, that's
been evident all year. But when your quarterback can extend that,
get out of the pocket, and and just overall has
more strength in that leg, how big of a difference
has that made?
Speaker 9 (37:21):
Yeah, that that mobility is huge, and in a number
of ways, not only to be able to get out
of the pocket. You know where Jordan Love can be
you know, dangerous at times and in extending those plays,
but just also in the the you know, maybe maybe
wider variety of of what Matt Lafleur wants to call
on offense in terms of being under center as well
(37:42):
as in shotgun and doing some different things that way.
When the Packers and Lions met the first time. Love
had had injured the groin muscle the previous week at Jacksonville.
He had missed the second half of that game. He
really hadn't practiced for the bulk of the week leading
up to the Lions game. But they felt he was
good to go. They you know, wanted to play, wanted
(38:04):
to play him in the big division matchup, but there
were definitely some limitations to to what he could do,
you know, not being fully mobile and and you know
how you take the snaps under center and all that.
Jordan Love is is looking just physically right now the
best he's looked all season. Because you go back to
Week one in Brazil against the Eagles and he had
(38:26):
the knee injury. Coming out of there, he missed a
couple of games and then was was you know, not
one hundred percent when he first came back from that,
and that was you know, unfortunately, his first came back
from the knee injury earlier in the year was when
the Packers played the Vikings and they lost that game,
you know, a division matchup there. So Love feels really
(38:47):
good about where he is physically, and I think he's
physically in the best spot he's been probably since before
that knee injury way back in Week one.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Yeah, you know another guy who's in a pretty good
spot is Josh Jacobs right now. I mean, he seems
like such a perfect fit mic for for what Matt
Lafloor wants to do in that offense, and when you
watch them, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is it safe to say that this offense kind of
runs through Josh Jacobs now and everything is better for it.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Vers earlier in the year, this was.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
A passing attack, it's downfield, but now it looks like
this is Josh Jacobs first and foremost at least That's
how Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordia for Lions, described it
this week talking about it.
Speaker 7 (39:26):
Yeah, I think that's pretty accurate.
Speaker 9 (39:28):
The Packers really, they've they've kind of taken the approach
here of wanting to wanting to establish something with Jacobs
and have Jacobs really be the tone setter for the
offense as opposed to you know, maybe the more you
know traditional Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love type of offense that
that we've seen over the years. Jacobs has just been
(39:50):
a workhorse, and you know, the Packers like now it
won't be you know, playing indoors as opposed to outdoors
in the cold. These last couple games where you know,
you could see the forty nine ers and the Dolphins
weren't entirely interested in tackling Josh Jacobs when it twenty
degrees outside, you know, so that that sort of mentality,
(40:11):
you know, disappears when you go inside Ford Field on
Thursday night. But Jacob's in this ground game has definitely
been the tone setter for green Bay's offense. And then
everything when things are going well, everything is building off
of that with the play action and with Jordan Love
getting time in the pocket to look downfield, and and
(40:32):
the Packers are using Jacobs as a receiver out of
the backfield as well. He had a huge play against
the Dolphins on just a you know, a swing pass
that he ends up making a great move in the
open field and takes forty nine yards to get the
Packers in position for points. So he's number eight, a
huge free agent addition and and very quickly a huge,
(40:56):
huge part of green Bay's offense.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
I got a couple more from Mike Spotford, the editor
pack Com does a great job over there. The Packers
view this as as a must win kind of game. Mike,
I know there's still you know, four games after this,
but with Detroit sitting eleven one with you know, Minnesota
at ten and two, get into four losses might be
tough to do. They view this as kind of, hey,
(41:18):
we're we're in must win territory as the calendar flips
to December.
Speaker 9 (41:22):
I think there's no secret that if if the Packers
want to be able to win the NFC North and
come out on top in this uh, you know, this
really competitive three horse race, that they've got to win
this one. If if you lose this one Thursday night
in Detroit, you know, then realistically you're you're looking at
a wild card for the playoffs and and trying to
(41:42):
put yourself in the best position there. Packers feel like
if they if they win this one, you know, stay
at three losses. Hand Detroit lost number two with still
a month left to go in the regular season, it's, uh,
it becomes anybody's Anybody's North, Uh, anybody's NFC North to win.
But yeah, I mean, you you lose this one and
you fall three games behind the Lions with with just
(42:06):
a month to go, it's it's just not realistic to
think that you can win the division, all.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Right, last one, the Packers, you know, come east, they
come to Detroit Thursday night, prime time, and they get
a win in ford Field. If what happens, what's the
biggest key for you, Mike, for the Packers to to
kind of come out of ford Field even this thing
up on the year and and uh and get a
big win.
Speaker 9 (42:29):
I think it's really the you know, the formula that
the Packers have used to get on this this winning
streak here since they last lost to Detroit, They've they've
cut down on the turnovers. The Packers will only turn
the ball over once in their last three games, and
turnovers have been an issue earlier in the season, so
you have to continue to limit those. You have to
(42:49):
continue to convert in the red zone and get touchdowns
when you get in close. After that Lions game the
first time, the Packers were twenty ninth in the league
in red zone offense.
Speaker 7 (42:59):
Since then, in.
Speaker 9 (43:00):
The last three games, the Packers have converted eleven out
of fifteen red zone possessions into touchdowns. They've climbed eleven
spots in the red zone offense rankings. Just over the
last three games, so that's another thing. That's another thing
they've been doing well. And then defensively, it's been about
limiting the explosive plays. The Packers know all about what
(43:21):
kind of a home run hitter Jamiir Gibbs is, how
dangerous guys like Laporta and Saint Brown are with goff
in the passing game. The Packers are going to try
to make the Lions, you know, take the long, slow
slog down the field and not try to give up
the big chunks of the field and try to force
some mistake. You start giving up the twenty twenty five
(43:42):
yard chunk plays, becomes a lot harder for the defense
to get.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
Off the field.
Speaker 9 (43:46):
And limiting those explosives against the Niners, against the Dolphins,
that was a big part of those point totals for
those opposing teams being down to where the Packers like
their efforts. So all of those things it's a lot
to ask for, right but all of those things are
what we'll go into the Packers getting this victory.
Speaker 7 (44:06):
If they can put it all together.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Well, this should be a fun one one loss Detroit
three lost a Green Bay. Two guys, there are two
teams fighting for the division title, and obviously their playoff
lives on prime time. It should be fun. Kicks off
week fourteenth. Is it crazy that we're already in week fourteen?
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Mike?
Speaker 7 (44:24):
Yeah, man, it's nuts, right.
Speaker 9 (44:25):
I mean I was talking about Week one in Brazil
and that does not feel like it was that long ago.
Speaker 7 (44:31):
But yeah, here we are.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Well, here we are. It should be a fun one.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Safe travels to Detroit, and I'll make sure I stop
buying and say hello.
Speaker 7 (44:40):
Yeah sounds good. We'll see a Thursday time
First and goal from the three.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
As we opened the second colder golf back looking throwing
middle and son it is God touchdown Detroit, Lyons.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome to the Twin L Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Brad Galli, Channel seven sports director tight End for the
Bloomfield Brother Rice Warriors back in the day. Yeah, everybody knows, Brad,
and thank you for joining me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah. No, Week fourteen is wild. Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, there's five games left, which is Thanksgiving. It's cold,
it's snowy, but.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It's so different.
Speaker 5 (00:38):
Can I tell you when we won the state championship
Brother Ice in two thousand and five, I went to
job shadow somebody. It was not a good time for
the Lions at that point. Steve Merritt, you got fired.
I was job shotting Matt Shepherd at his radio job
and was in this studio.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
He goes, I can't. I don't have time to take
you home.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I have to go to a press conference.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Are you serious?
Speaker 5 (00:56):
So, as a high school kid on a day off
after we won the state championship, I was in here
and sat through Matt Mellan talking about firing Sea Maricie.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Wow, times have changed.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
You're talking about eleven to one team, the number one seed,
the best team. That word that hasn't always been muttered
around here, but no super Bowl, it's been muttered around here.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I mean, that's been quite the change of twenty years.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Beyond realistic. The expectation now for this yeah, which is wild.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Well, Brad joins me for the three key segment that
we do every week, and let's just jump right into it.
Let's let's jump into a big one. I think this
week is just the run game importance for Detroit. And
I say that, Brad, because you look at Green Bay
the last few weeks, they've been playing much better football.
They won five lost to Detroit and have won three
and in the last two games and wins over San
(01:40):
Francisco and Miami. Those two teams have a combined eighty
three rushing yards, like they have really committed to that
defensively and on the flip side, you know what Detroit
wants to do going into that game. So that's just
to me, that's such an important one. But it really
is every week, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It is?
Speaker 5 (01:55):
And I think whether or not they have to run
the ball each week, it hasn't been the recipe for
success because they have so many other options. But I
really think this week it'll be what Ben Johnson and
what Dan Campbell want to do for so many different reasons. One,
I think time at possession is going to be a
huge thing. They are so beaten up on the defensive
side of the ball, which has been well documented. They're
gonna want to hold that ball for a long time.
(02:16):
And it's something they really didn't do against Chicago a
ton and they didn't do in the second half against
Green Bay. You've written about it a bunch green Bay.
The QUT's coming out out of that room this week.
We feel like we played Detroit really really well, which
is really strange because they lost and it was lopsided
for almost the entire game until the last back half
of it. But they feel really good about how they
played against the Lions in that first game.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, they think it was just mistakes and it was
self inflicted things, little things that they did to get
off the field, not running the football, staying with it
when they thought they should have probably a little bit
longer too. But when you look at this Lions team,
to me, it's everything's predicated on that. I mean, they
average one hundred and fifty four yards on the ground.
They averaged four point eight yards per carry. Jared Goff
is the number one play action quarterback in the league,
(02:57):
So to me, everything they do has to be about
that first and we haven't seen them struggle to run it,
and so I wonder what that would look like. And
now they like, to your point, they can go ahead
and throw it fifty times a game. They've shown us
that before, but that's not what they want to do.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
That's not the recipe for six struggle then, no, it's not.
And the struggles have come on first down too. That's
what I kind of pinpointed the last few games, and
even against Cream Bay, a lot of one yard runs
on first down, a lot of incompletions against Chicago that.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Really stalled drives.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
And it's so corny and so cliche to say it,
but what you do on first down, especially this team
in the offense, really predicate like it dictates what they're
going to do on the drives. And we've seen so
many times this season just them blowing teams out because
on first down, hey, we're going to run the ball
right up your throat and we're going to go for
six seven yards and they haven't done that against some
of the tougher teams in the league, which I think
makes us go, what's really gonna happen this weekend?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And what I love too is the runs on third
and six, thirty seven, third and eight. Like, as a
football guy, I love to see a team just say
we're more physical than you with third and seven. For
thirty teams out there, that's a run. Maybe Baltimore with
Henry would decide to do it, maybe Philly too, But
that's their mentality. That's just what they are, and so
(04:10):
I think it's so important in a game like this.
You talked about the injuries on defense, the time of possession.
To me, I think this is just a game you
go in here and be like, let's be.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
More physical than them.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
This is our house. We're trying to get twelve wins.
We're the number one seed. This is what we do.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Let Sonic and Knuckles eat.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
You've had a.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Lot of national voices on your podcast over the years.
You've interviewed to mccamp throughout the last few years. I
just love that the narrative about this team has become
the household narrative for people across the country.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
It's like the foam at the top of the drink
that everybody knows.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Okay, third down, they're gonna run the ball because they're
probably gonna go to four down territory here. This team's
gonna run the ball like crazy. And everybody now knows
this team's identity. Every defense knows the identity, and they're
winning with it, and I think they'll do it again
on Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
All right.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Second big key for me, and look, you mentioned it
is some of the injuries that they're dealing with now. Defensively,
you look at some of the additions that they've made
this week, w Alexander Miles, Adams, Joanah Williams, Jamal Adams,
you know, guys that you know have played a lot
of football in this league. And I think that's gonna
(05:11):
benefit Detroit. But there's still some time Brad with with
trying to figure out how they.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Fit what they do best. It's tough to do in
three days.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
But they're gonna need some of those guys, yeah, to
step in and play reserve roles, and if this team
suffers any more injuries, those roles might have to be
significantly bigger.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
It's a tough spot to be Week fourteen.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Can Jack Campbell clone himself because right now he's the
longest tenured man in the linebacker room, which is crazy.
I talk about household names very few, if any, I mean,
aside from Alee mcmalll and DJ Reader. DJ Reader got
a game ball last week that should not be underestimated.
I think that was because of his performance, but I
also think because Dan Campbell recognizes how important he was
to that room. But he also said about Mommed. I
(05:55):
mean that guy's story to be drafted in seventeen, to
be kind of a journeyman.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And I love the fact that he was with Dallas
this offseason. I love that he was with them in August.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
They just gonna move along, and what a.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Year they've had.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And he's come in and been such a contributor. Uh
you know, Dance said it after the Chicago win. He
was all over the field making different plays. You talk
about the linebackers, the defensive line, the time to step
up is few and far between. There's not a lot
of time to do it. So you've already seen guys
step up. David Long's made plays. What Aaron gled send
to us this week was so indicative of what this
team believes. It's not necessarily about the scheme, it's about
(06:30):
the style of play.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I included that in my ten takeaways from that and
it was the number one takeaway.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So we are on the same page here because I
loved that too.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It's a style, not the scheme, and they they go
after guys that play that style as well. And you know,
one thing, when we talk about the injuries, and we
think about the injuries, and obviously they're concerning and there's
a lot of them that lists this long. But when
I look at this game and I see Zadarius Smith,
Alee McNeil, DJ Reader up front, Jack Campbell at the mic,
(07:00):
there's a chance we get Carlton Davis Beck he you know.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
He practiced this week and he could play.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Terry and Arnold, Brian branch Amik Robertson, Kirby Joseph.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Those guys have been there all year. They've played a
lot of football.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I think it's it's more the depth that we're talking about,
and that's spent kind of the issue. But I mean
they're going into this game with eight to nine primary
starters on defense. They've got their defense. They just they
you know, they love to run those defensive linemen and
rotate guys, and that's going to be part of the issue.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
But when people are like, this defense is so depleted,
I don't know if they can win. They got a
lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
That still and when you got those three guys up front,
that secondary and your Mike linebacker, you're in pretty good shape.
But they just can't afford anymore, right, And it's that
depth that starts to get tested.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Many times we've said that though they can't afford any
more injuries, and they just keep proving it. But to
your point, I mean, Brad Holmes finds people that fit
this defense and gets input from AIRNGLND from Dan Campbell,
no doubt about it. They know what they're looking for.
We all waited and waited and waited. Danny gonna make
a trade. When you guys making the trade, we'll find
the guy that fits us, right. We don't want to
go get a piece last year that didn't fit necessarily right,
which we all could look back and revision his history
(08:06):
and say maybe they should have anyways, but Brad Holmes
is again making a case to be executive of the
year because he keeps finding people and boy does a
Darius Smith look like the right fit. I mean, he
has made an instant impact. He's got the fire, the
celebrations are just so fun. He just he looks like
a Detroit lion. And he's a player the Packers know, right.
I mean, Matt Flurer already talked about just the dynamic
(08:28):
player that he is, the playmaking ability that he has
shown with Detroit. So depth is something this organization has
built so incredibly strong under Brad Holmes, and they continue
to prove it to your point though, I mean they
have a lot of their starters.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah, stars, they got They've got plenty of ammo to
go into this game. And look, it's a Packers team
that's playing much better football. You know, Aaron mentioned this too.
They've kind of changed their philosophy a little bit. Jordan
Love was, you know, throwing the ball a lot to
begin the season with s thrown a lot of interceptions.
They've kind of made Josh Jacobs that that focus there,
and it's a run first. It's a more physical football team,
(09:03):
which I think matches better with what Detroit wants to
bring to the table. And they can play action off it.
They've got those young receivers, so you know that philosophy
is obviously very much similar to what Detroit's is. They're
playing very well. They've scored thirty plus points their last
two games. Love was a little injured Week nine in
that first game. He's going to be more mobile now,
(09:23):
his ability to get.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Out of the pocket.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I think this is going to be a great test,
and that depth is certainly going to be tested for
the Lions. But the starters are there and we've seen it.
They've been able to get the most out of a
lot of these guys that they have come and play.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
If there are naysayers about the Lions right now, it's
can they survive the injuries? And I mean, they just
blew out a lot of bad teams if you want
to have, you know, some bad things to say about
the Packers. They've gone through a stretch of games against
teams that we thought early on would be contenders that
have ultimately fizzled out. So I don't say it's a
lot of the same questions, but at least with the schedule,
it's kind of a similar point to see who this
(09:58):
team really is against another really good team and right
now they're on a collision course which should make for
a great competition, and it should.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Because it's such a big game in the division right now.
This division is crazy, Yes, this conference is crazy. I
mean they have c I think, let they almost settled
their playoffs Buffalo completely. Yeah, there's a lot more football
to go and these games are are very important, all right.
Last key to Thursday, I think for me is when
(10:23):
you've looked at this Detroit Lions often struggle a little bit.
To me, it's been when they haven't been good in
the red zone. We obviously know the numbers from Tampa,
right they were one for seven in the red zone,
lost that game twenty sixteen last week.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
I thought they could have i.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Think, ended that game a lot earlier had they you know,
been better in the red zone, not.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Settled for field goals.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
There are two for five in the red zone with
a red zone turnover rip before the first half. That
to me is where they've got to be better.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
And Ben Johnson even talked about it this week, didn't he.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Yeah, And honestly, we set up to that Tampa game,
how are you going to fix your red zone issues?
And it was almost like, you know, Dan doesn't stiff
almost a lot from the podium, but it's almost we
got this. It's a one off, and I think the
Chicago thing, they shot themselves in the foot a few times.
That's what Ben said aultiately, I mean that's a Jamior
touchdown or at least that he doesn't fumble, and look
where they're going to be, I mean really close to it.
(11:13):
But again for me, it goes back to success on
first down, success on second down, because you don't want
to continue to make yourself that team that it's third
and seven will be all right. We can just you know,
we were in ford On territory anywhere we go, and
in the red zone, you want to trust the leg.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Of your kicker.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
But also this is this is a league that's run
on touchdowns. And we saw Sam Laporta come back healthy,
which is a huge thing for the red zone. Dan
said he feels as good as he has, which I
think is huge for this team. So they fed him early,
they fed him off and especially in.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
The red zone.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
But I think it comes down to just establishing that
run early in the set of downs to then open
up Sam, open up Amanra who is like this freaky
tiny speedy tight end in the red zone because people
just can't seem to stop him. But early run success
I think will really help him in the red zone.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Well, we talked about with green Bay talk in all
the talking green Bay this week about you know, we
left a lot on the field and it was more
us than them. I think the Detroit Lions would think
about that in the red zone too, or consider that,
you know, it's more what we didn't do. Ben talked
about some play calls, Jared talked about some not getting
them into the right play. I think those things.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Can be panned out.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You look at green Bay twenty first in the red zone,
fifty nine percent teams score touchdowns and they're twenty three touchdowns,
fourteen of those on the pass they give up red
zone plays. I expect this to be a week where
Detroit kind of fixes those red zone woves We've seen
a couple of times, and they take advantage of those opportunities.
And I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is
more of a high scoring type gang.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Did your ears prick up when Ben was describing why
he was frustrated with himself.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
How could you be frustrate with yourself, a.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Lot of names in all of football. But he said,
they got to the line and you don't want to
waste shots. You only get about fifty five to sixty
of them a game, and he goes, this is not
what we expected on defense, this is not what we
wanted on defense, and it's almost like, Okay, we're going
to try our best against yours and it didn't work
out a lot against Chicago. I think you can see
the fire in the red in his eyes when things
like that happen. As you just said, to take that
challenge on the next week. Okay, that was an issue
(13:04):
for us, not going to be an issue this week.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, And that's where it's nice to have a veteran
quarter but like Jared Goff too, that can get you
into some of those plays, and more often than not,
we've seen them be able to do.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
That for the entire year.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
They're they're top five red zone team, so you know,
but just when they've had close games, when they've lost
to me, that's been the issue that stood out. So
you want to keep that on the positive side because
that that's always been the recipe for success. When then
when they've struggled, there they've tend to struggle, and so
you don't certainly don't want to see that at.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Home and knock on wood unless faux would. I mean,
it looks really nice golf. Doesn't make silly mistakes in
those critics. I mean, I love the fact.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I love it. We've never seen that in our lifetime.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Alonce quarterback that intentionally just chucks it at people's feet
just to say, next play, let's go. I'd rather do
that than make mistakes. And again the Houston game, the
five interceptions that people on the outset would want to say, well,
that game was terrible. Maybe one of those was his fault, yeah,
which we.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Don't have that we don't have to plog through that ground. Again.
Speaker 5 (13:59):
Yeah, he's really smart quarterback, which, again to your point,
certainly helps when a team is trying to fix the
most important part of their offense in the red zone
scoring touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
All right, So run the football, make do with those
injuries on defense, have guys step up and make place
and be good in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Those are three keys for this week.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Listen, man, I'm going ross.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Saint Brown gave you a shout out in a scrum
in the locker room last week he listens.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
To the podcast.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
If the team listens to the podcast and they listen
to these keys, we're walking away Thursday night covering another win.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
If we walk away Thursday night cover another win, this
team gets at twelve and one stays the top the NFC,
that's gonna be It's gonna be a fun last month. Look,
it's already fun. It's great to be part of something
like this, but boy, they can keep this rolling, the
city is going to just go unhinged.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
It's the Great Uniter, It's the Great Uniter.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
The Lions are the Great United with everything in this
world that's happening, with everything in this state between Michigan
Michigan State. I just love what this Lions team has
done for this fan base. No matter what walk of life.
This team is the Great United and they've given so
many people so many reasons to smile.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
He is Brad Galli's sports director at Channel seven. People
find you on x at.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Brag Gally at WXYZ Detroit, try to be everywhere. Usually
that comment underneath your posts, Tim, that was so informative,
great stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So you can find me in Tim's comment section.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Now we can find him. He gives you the breakdown
on all of it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You do a great jobs over there, as I appreciate
you joining the podcast.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
H right Man, Welcome back to the toy M Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Gerry how Welcome and Dan Skipper, left tackle for the
Detroit Lions.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Hi doing Dan. I know I had you on in
the off season. I love having you on, and I
love it particularly because kind of the.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Theme of this team right now or what they're going
through with some of the injuries and stuff is is
just guys being able to step up, fit in contribute
and play. And I think you're a great example of that.
You've been your whole career here just talk about this
team's ability to do that and get contributions from a
ton of different guys that maybe you weren't expecting to
(15:56):
at the beginning year, but they're playing big now.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah. I mean, I think you know, Coach Campbell talks
a lot about holding the line. You know, you never
know when it's going to be your turn to get
up there hold the line, whether that's a week, the
rest of the season, a couple of snaps, you know,
but going in there doing what you need to do.
You know that guys are just we've we've been ready
(16:19):
for it. We're used to it started, you know, in
training camp and everything else with you know, next man
up all the time, you know, and all hold the line,
share the load, you know. And the staff has done
a great job of, you know, putting guys in positions
to do the things they can do.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You know, I heard from a little birdie that you
had a signing, a card signing in Livonia a couple
of weeks ago, and now you have reached your cult
hero status is growing here because this little birdie also
told me there were hundreds of.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
People that lined up to do this. This took hours
to do.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Just how much are you enjoying yourself with this fan
base and just how they view you and guys like
you and and just your story and how they've embraced that.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Now.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
The fan base is awesome. I would say Kirby was
there too, so I'm gonna give a lot of that
to him. No, no, but no, this fan base is awesome.
You know. They you know, they they rally behind the team.
There's no one player, there's no you know one this
one that it's it's you know, the logo, it's the group.
It's the city. You know, that's really what we're we're
(17:24):
playing for. You know, it's not about you know, what
can I do? Yeah, there's guys getting paid all over.
We love that for them, But at the end of
the day, it's what can we do collectively? Can we
pick up some slack? You know, how can I hold
up more weight? You know of the load?
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Do you guys view that collectively as an offense too, maybe,
I mean you dealt with injuries, but that side of
the ball, the other side of the ball, And kudos
to them and the job Aaron is done for, you know,
continuing to play at the level they are, but they've
suffered some catastrophic understand And do you guys, as an
offense say, okay, look now it's our turn.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Absolutely, yeah, let's do this. Yeah. I mean there's been games.
You know, you go into it, you're banged up on offense,
and you know it starts on you know, the Wednesday
meeting of Hey, you know, defense is going to be
on you this week. You know, offense going to be
on you. Special teams, Hey, we gotta we gotta have
a couple of big plays and you know this week,
you know, you're looking around the building a little bit
and you're like, all right, it's no secret it's on
(18:21):
us this week. And you know we need to should
them more of that load. Special teams needs to as well,
and you know our defense, like we're never going to
count them out. That'd be absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Now the secondary that you guys got to and tier
your guys the.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Secondary, and then you got guys getting a chance, you know, right,
and and never count that out either. You know, you
don't know who you got until you're in there. And
so you know, C and Mo make that play, you know,
making that sack last week, doing things like that, like
you don't know what you have till till they're there.
And so one of these the next guys, we'll find out.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
How much do you love being a part of this
offensive line?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I mean it's it's.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The heartbeat of the team, you know. I mean if
everything you guys do offensively starts up front. You're a
big part of that swing tackle now playing some left
tackle too. Just just how much do you like being
part of that group?
Speaker 4 (19:05):
It's an awesome group, you know, and we we spent
so much time together and then you know you had
had big Kevin there, and you know it's an awesome,
awesome room, awesome feeling. You know, you got lifelong friends.
And then oh yeah, we're pretty good at football too,
right and so you know, but the the football thing
seems to kind of take care of itself. You know,
(19:25):
we've got a bunch of high level players on that
on that starting five, and you know, like I said,
the rest of us were just trying to hold the
line and get better. You know, you can learn something
from them every day, you know, just trying to trying
to grow every day, get a little better every day.
So when you're called upon, it's you know, you're ready
to go. But you know, those guys are good players
(19:46):
out there, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
So, but what's the challenge with with your role? I mean,
at the minutes, notice you're boom in at left tackle.
Then boom, you're starting at left tackle, something happens over
the right side, boom you're you're there. What what's the
challenge of kind of being that guy that just has
to step in no matter what and hold the line.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You know, the preparation side, you don't know, you know,
when you're the swing guy, you don't know if it's
going to be the you know, play number one or
oh tweaked my back and warm ups or you know.
So you're you're constantly preparing like you're going to start,
you know, but when you're when you're starting, there's just
more on game day. So you know, the preparation is
almost a little easier because you can really nail in
(20:28):
on the details, focus in, you know, more on individual
rush plans, you know, specific sides, things like that. You know,
because not every guy rushes the same over each side.
They don't play the run the same each way, you know,
so you can you can hone in on that a
little bit more. But you know, all eyes are on you.
You know, you go out there and look like a fool,
(20:48):
it's on you.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
All eyes are on you. This week at left tackle. Look,
the best tackle in football is arguably on the other
side of you.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
I think I probably both agree with that.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
How much do you appreciate and.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Just the trust level that Look, some guys would maybe say, look,
let's put Penne over on.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
The left, you know whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Whatever, They're like, No, we know what what Deck's about.
You know, we know what skips about. Like he is
toughest nails, He's going to do his job and he's
going to fight to the end. That's what Ben Johnson
said this week as offensive line. Mean, you probably love
a guy that talks about you fight to the end.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
No, But but just the level.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Of confidence that they have, that that you can just
step in there and boom, we're going to do what
we do, nothing changes, skip steps in there.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
You gotta love that about about.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
The Yeah, it's great guys. Yeah, and you know we're
not gonna lie. You know, they've given me a lot
of I get a lot of help from my friends,
you know a lot of chips, bumps, nudges, you know,
specific things in the run game that you know, maybe
maybe I'm a little better at or you know a
little you know, things tweak, things change a little bit.
But you know, having the confidence to you know, hey,
(21:55):
we didn't know if this is going to be a
one week thing too however long, you know, and just
going out there and giving it everything I got and
you're their guy. Yeah, you know, that's pretty cool deal.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Yeah I can imagine.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
But yeah, I mean going out there and like I said,
just keep keep holding the line until that gets back
and hopefully we're not spending too much time looking at
me on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Quick quick scot of report.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Green Bays playing pretty good football right now, especially defensively.
You look at the way they've stopped the run. I
think they have allowed eighty three rushing years the last
two games combined. A physical bunch up there. You've seen
them before, but but it looks like they're playing maybe
a little bit different brand of football. They're they're healthy.
Just what you see from them on tape. What what
can fans expect Thursday night?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
You know, I we'll see how the game. Each game
plays out a little differently. I can't tell you what
we're playing on doing no secret, but maybe yeah, yeah,
these guys kind of games we fully expect a bloodbath. Yeah,
we're gonna go out there give it everything we got.
You know, they came in here last year at home.
I think that was a Thanksgiving game, Yeah, Thanksgiving. Yeah,
(22:58):
and you know took it to us. Yeah, I mean
they beat the tar out of us. So you know
that's still fresh in our mind. You know, we need
to go out there play our style football. And you know,
if it's if it's a blood bath, it's a bloodbath,
and it's it's a you know, a feeding frenzy on
the on the secondary for you know whoever, it doesn't matter,
(23:18):
you know, then it'll be that kind of game too.
So you know, you never know quite how the game
is going to go, but we're gonna go out there
and give it everything we got.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
It's got to be fun to be a part of
an offense that. You know, you can go into any
game and play different kind of game. You can run
it down people's s throts and play that kind of game. Okay,
you want to do that, but you want to put
eight in the box, all right, we'll throw it on you.
We could play that game, throw it fifty times and
have success that way too.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
So it's got to be fun being part of that.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Absolutely like that.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, you can kind nder pretty much anything that this league.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Yeah, no, I mean if if it turns into a
blood bath, it's a blood bath. The track meet, it's
tracked meat. And that's okay. You know we got coach
Johnson does a great job calling games, setting things up,
doing different things, and hey, at the end of the
day he calls it, we haul it well.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I love the fact that you've become a fan favorite here.
I think you've done a great job as a swing guy.
You've stepped in and you've done a great job there.
I think you've made yourself some money and I appreciate
you taking the time here to join the podcast. Thanks Tim,
Welcome back to the toy M Huddle Podcast.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I'm very happy to welcome.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Al Quadin Muhammed new defensive end to the Detroit Lions.
And look, I had Dan Skipper on Elkadeen and I
wanted to have you on.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Too, because so much of this story over the last.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You know, month, a couple of months, has been guys
stepping up and taking on bigger roles and contributing.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
You've been a huge.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Part of that.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Skip's been a huge part of that.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
A lot of guys have been a huge part of that.
Keep just talk about the mentality of this team and
just having so many guys be able to step into roles,
contribute and just keep this thing rolling.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I mean, you know, we prepare every day, you know,
as if you know, you playing no matter what, no
matter the circumstances. So when we get into c situations,
you know it's his next next man up mentality, So
you know, I'm just excited, you know, to be blessed
with the opportunity to go out there and play and
(25:10):
be able to contribute and help the team.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
And make the most of those opportunities too. I mean,
look at your game last week, Sack Past defended. I
think it's seven pressures.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
You were all over the place.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
You were playing some terrific ball. Right now, you kind
of sense that to you. Do you feel like you're
playing your best football right now?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 6 (25:28):
But I always feel like it's room to get better.
And you know that's what I strive for every day
when we go out there and practice.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
You know, he's your hype man. Part of that too.
I know your twelve year old son. I know this
has been a good story. You laugh.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Al KaDee Muhammad Junior a defensive end and tight end.
Right he's playing football himself twelve years old. But I
heard he is quite the hype man for you. Tell
me the story.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
That's that's my hype man.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
He calls me before the game and he uh, he
gives me a speech and stuff like that. And like
I said in one of my inn it's so it's
so funny that you know the things that you pour
and it is stelling your kids.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
They spit it back at you, you know.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
So it's just funny, you know to hear some of
the things he tell me. But all the things he says.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It seems to be working. He must have had a
good message there on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Right, Yeah, he had a great message and stuff like that,
and you know he says some things and you know,
you made for this the job and go.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Out there and do this. I know you're gonna do this.
I know you're gonna do that. So it's just it's
it's fun.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
You know, it's definitely, you know, fun to have a
son that you know, look up to you and want
to do everything that you do. And you know, with
that being said, he also still you know, want to
pour into, you know, the things that I.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Need to do and to be successful. So it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, I got mine seventeen plays hockey and baseball too.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
So just having that kid that's.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
In that athletic realm, right that you can speak that
language with, that's that's something that's it only gets.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Better, let me tell you the older he gets, so
it'll be good.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Aaron Glenn and playing for for this guy former player obviously,
but he said something this week that I thought was terrific. Said,
it's not the scheme, it's the style of play, and
and I just thought that resonated definitely with the way
that you guys play on defense.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
What's it like playing for him?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
And how much do you do you appreciate the faith
that not only him, but this whole coach that Staph
has had and putting you in place and letting you
just play your style of game.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Well, Coach Glenn, I mean, he's a former player, he
played his game for a long time and he's good
at what he's doing. So he he gets it, you know,
he he gets it. He know what it's like to
be out there. He understand the game on a different level.
So yeah, I agree with him. You know, it's it's
(27:49):
the it's the style of play, you know, and no
matter you know who's in there, the standing not changing.
So at the end of the day, you know, it's fun.
I mean, I love the message, I love the mentality.
I love this organization, I love I love the locker room.
The guys that we got in the locker room is amazing.
(28:09):
You know, it's a lot that goes on behind the
scenes that a lot of people don't know, you know,
just to we just have you know, we have a
great team, great people, great coaches, you know, and stuff
like that. So, I mean, coach Glenn is the type
of guy that you you want to go out there
and leave it all on the line for, you know.
And that's that's all the coaches, you know, it's coach
t Williams, coach Campell.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I was going to ask you about will too, because
he's a lot of guys have talked about the impact
that he's had.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
He's great. He's great. I mean, he don't flinch and
you know.
Speaker 8 (28:40):
He he's the type of guy, type of man that
you want to come to work and you want to
give also you want to leave it all on the line,
you know for him, you know, and you know he
prepares us and get us ready, you know, to.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Be at our best to win a game.
Speaker 6 (29:01):
And he's calm, he's very chill, He's very calm. You know,
he gets it. He just know how to he know
how to deal with players. And this has been awesome.
I'm just I'm excited to just be on this type
of team and just be a part of what we
got going on and just be around the guys.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I mean that's from the head coach and all the
coaches on.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
How much does being guys being close, team teammates being close?
Because I get the sense that that this team is
very close.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
How much does that do you attribute that to winning
to or how much do the two co exist?
Speaker 6 (29:41):
It's important. It's important to to have a close team.
Most importantly just unselfish guys. And we have a very
unselfish team. You know, guys just go out there and
work and play. They behinds off and don't care. He'll
get the credit, you know. So when you have a
team like that, you know you could go far. Are
I mean, I got here and you know, shout out
(30:04):
to Pascal.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
He's sitting next.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
To me in the meeting rooms and we talk ball
all the time, and I ask questions and stuff like that,
and you know he's always, you know, giving me great information.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
You know, it's not about me, it's not about him.
It's about the team, you know.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
And I could say that about you know, so many
other players in that locker room. That's a partiest thing,
even you know, just the coaches. You know, Coach Cam,
you know, he's he's always you know, working with me.
On a lot of different stuff, and nobody knows that.
And we meeting and were going over different information. You know,
(30:42):
it's not about me, it's about the team, you know.
So that's just says what type of people we got
in this building, you know. So it's just I'm blessed
and I'm excited to continue to take advantage of these
opportunities that's before me.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Oh, you're certainly doing that. And you seem like a
great fit for what they're doing here. With your skill set.
You're producing this team keeps winning. Keep that up Thursday
night primetime in front of everybody. We enjoy watching you play.
I certainly do you. You're a big part of what
they're doing right now. I appreciate you joining the podcast.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Thank you, welcome back to the twenty The Huddle podcast.
I am very happy to welcome in. Mike's offered. He
does a great job with the Packers. He is the
editor of Packers dot com. Mike, thanks for joining me.
I appreciate taking the time.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
Hey you bet good to see it.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Tim.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, here we go again, right the first or the
second of two. It's the it's the first time the
Lions have a division opponent for the second time. We
obviously know what happened the first time. I think even
you guys will be happy to be indoors this time around,
with the weather that we saw in Green Bay the
first time. But Mike has always let's start here because
the injuries are always a great equalizer in this one.
(31:54):
Where are the Packers health wise? Obviously we know where
the Lions are. They've suffered, you know, quite a few.
But Mary, Alexander, some of the other guys there, do
you have any updates on what it's looking like injury
wise for for Green Bay on Thursday?
Speaker 9 (32:07):
Yeah, the Packers are are hoping to get both Romeo
Dobbs the wide receiver, and jay R Alexander at corner
back from their recent injuries. Dobbs missed the last Packers
last game with a concussion. Alexander's been out for a
bit with a knee injury, and he he missed the
first game against Detroit. He's been back at practice the
(32:28):
first couple of days this week.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
No guarantees there yet. Well, we'll see.
Speaker 9 (32:34):
Where things are, you know, come Thursday. But but signs
are are pointing in the direction that that he's on
the comeback trail and and that would be a big
player to get back considering, uh he missed that first
matchup a month ago.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, I mean he's their their best cornerback. He's one
of the best cornerbacks in the league. Just just how
does that change defensively for them having a guy like that?
Is it almost like you can forget about one side
of the field and you could on the rest. That's
a big I advantage to have for a defense.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Yeah. I don't know if i'd I don't know if
i'd quite put it like that.
Speaker 9 (33:08):
I guess I look at it with Alexander as he
just gives he gives defensive.
Speaker 7 (33:12):
Coordinator Jeff Halfley more options.
Speaker 9 (33:14):
I think his his ability just allows Halflee to maybe
go to more man coverage calls and be able to
just mix up the man and zone that much more
because you can count on, you know, Alexander in those
man coverage calls, and and then along those same lines,
you can maybe get a little bit more creative with
(33:35):
with the pass rush and some of the pressure calls
because you have that number one corner who's out there
who can be so reliable for you.
Speaker 7 (33:43):
And not to say that.
Speaker 9 (33:44):
The Packers, you know, have completely changed their game plans
or whatnot. When Alexander has been out, they've certainly, you know,
had some adjusting to do. But anybody knows when when
you've got a top flight cover corner, it doesn't just
affect one part of the defense. That can affect a
lot of stuff that's going on out there. And I
think if the Packers can get him back, and if
(34:05):
he really is back to full strength, I see so
much more variety perhaps in what the Packers might try
to do defensively against a Lions offense that's obviously been
pretty tough to stop all year.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Now.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's a great point by you, because the Lions are
kind of in the same deal with Carlton Davis. You know,
he's returned to practice earlier in the week. Kind of
up in the air with him and that knee injury
and having him certainly changes, you know, what Aaron Glenn
can do and just the different kinds of coverages in
stuff like that you can play.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
So good point by you.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I want to stick with that defense for a little
bit with the Packers.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Yeah, obviously, you look at the offense.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
They've been humming along thirty plus points in their last
two games against San Francisco and Miami. And look, I
know San Francisco and Miami aren't what we thought they
would be at the beginning of the year. But I
think when you hold NFL teams, I think to eighty
three combined rushing yards in those two games, that green
Bay defense is playing much better football. They seemed to
me watching them. They're a much more physical brand of football.
(35:03):
They're playing really on both sides of the ball. But look,
you know Detroit's gonna want to come in with with
sonic and knuckles to run the football. They average one
hundred and fifty yards on the ground and four point
eight per carry. How big has that improvement been for
Green Bay's defense that they're really stepping up and stopping
the run of late.
Speaker 9 (35:19):
Yeah, they really feel like the run defense has made
some major strides. And Matt Lafleur has talked about the
physicality overall of the team has, you know, has sort
of ratcheted up a little bit. You know, Packers have
had their issues against the run in the past. You know,
even though the Lions didn't put up a ton of
points when they came in here to Lambeau, but you
know that that one two punch Montgomery and Gibbs.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Those guys averaged about five yards.
Speaker 9 (35:44):
Of carry in that game. And then when the Packers
went to Chicago after the bye week, DeAndre Swift busted
a you know, forty yard touchdown run on a toss
sweep and they were not happy with where their run
defense was at. Well, since then they went up against
McCaffrey for the forty nine Ers held him to thirty
one yards on eleven carries.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
Really solid effort.
Speaker 9 (36:06):
There, and then against Miami they're one two punch of
eight chan and moster. You know, those guys only had
you know, about forty some yards on you know, I
can't remember exactly the number, but you know, fifteen sixteen
combined carries something like that. So the strides made are
definitely there. You've seen it statistically and what they've done
(36:26):
against against some backs that can really run the ball,
and they know they've got a huge challenge with that
that backfield of Detroit, but they feel like they're trending
in the right direction to maybe be able to clamp
down on him a little bit more than they did
the first time.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, on the other side of the football, Jordan Love
playing some pretty good ball of late too that first
matchup in week nine, might you know he wasn't one
hundred percent there. I think there were even some issues
if he was going to play in that game. You
know they I think they were coming. They had their
buy the following week, so there was some discussion there.
He looks like he's around much better. Just how different
(37:02):
is he when you've got that element to his game
when he can run, extend plays, get out of the
pocket a little bit. Because obviously you guys can throw
the football deep. I mean that that you know, that's
been evident all year. But when your quarterback can extend that,
get out of the pocket, and and just overall has
more strength in that leg, how big of a difference
has that made?
Speaker 9 (37:21):
Yeah, that that mobility is huge, and in a number
of ways, not only to be able to get out
of the pocket. You know where Jordan Love can be
you know, dangerous at times and in extending those plays,
but just also in the the you know, maybe maybe
wider variety of of what Matt Lafleur wants to call
on offense in terms of being under center as well
(37:42):
as in shotgun and doing some different things that way.
When the Packers and Lions met the first time. Love
had had injured the groin muscle the previous week at Jacksonville.
He had missed the second half of that game. He
really hadn't practiced for the bulk of the week leading
up to the Lions game. But they felt he was
good to go. They you know, wanted to play, wanted
(38:04):
to play him in the big division matchup, but there
were definitely some limitations to to what he could do,
you know, not being fully mobile and and you know
how you take the snaps under center and all that.
Jordan Love is is looking just physically right now the
best he's looked all season. Because you go back to
Week one in Brazil against the Eagles and he had
(38:26):
the knee injury. Coming out of there, he missed a
couple of games and then was was you know, not
one hundred percent when he first came back from that,
and that was you know, unfortunately, his first came back
from the knee injury earlier in the year was when
the Packers played the Vikings and they lost that game,
you know, a division matchup there. So Love feels really
(38:47):
good about where he is physically, and I think he's
physically in the best spot he's been probably since before
that knee injury way back in Week one.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Yeah, you know another guy who's in a pretty good
spot is Josh Jacobs right now. I mean, he seems
like such a perfect fit mic for for what Matt
Lafloor wants to do in that offense, and when you
watch them, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is it safe to say that this offense kind of
runs through Josh Jacobs now and everything is better for it.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Vers earlier in the year, this was.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
A passing attack, it's downfield, but now it looks like
this is Josh Jacobs first and foremost at least That's
how Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordia for Lions, described it
this week talking about it.
Speaker 7 (39:26):
Yeah, I think that's pretty accurate.
Speaker 9 (39:28):
The Packers really, they've they've kind of taken the approach
here of wanting to wanting to establish something with Jacobs
and have Jacobs really be the tone setter for the
offense as opposed to you know, maybe the more you
know traditional Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love type of offense that
that we've seen over the years. Jacobs has just been
(39:50):
a workhorse, and you know, the Packers like now it
won't be you know, playing indoors as opposed to outdoors
in the cold. These last couple games where you know,
you could see the forty nine ers and the Dolphins
weren't entirely interested in tackling Josh Jacobs when it twenty
degrees outside, you know, so that that sort of mentality,
(40:11):
you know, disappears when you go inside Ford Field on
Thursday night. But Jacob's in this ground game has definitely
been the tone setter for green Bay's offense. And then
everything when things are going well, everything is building off
of that with the play action and with Jordan Love
getting time in the pocket to look downfield, and and
(40:32):
the Packers are using Jacobs as a receiver out of
the backfield as well. He had a huge play against
the Dolphins on just a you know, a swing pass
that he ends up making a great move in the
open field and takes forty nine yards to get the
Packers in position for points. So he's number eight, a
huge free agent addition and and very quickly a huge,
(40:56):
huge part of green Bay's offense.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
I got a couple more from Mike Spotford, the editor
pack Com does a great job over there. The Packers
view this as as a must win kind of game. Mike,
I know there's still you know, four games after this,
but with Detroit sitting eleven one with you know, Minnesota
at ten and two, get into four losses might be
tough to do. They view this as kind of, hey,
(41:18):
we're we're in must win territory as the calendar flips
to December.
Speaker 9 (41:22):
I think there's no secret that if if the Packers
want to be able to win the NFC North and
come out on top in this uh, you know, this
really competitive three horse race, that they've got to win
this one. If if you lose this one Thursday night
in Detroit, you know, then realistically you're you're looking at
a wild card for the playoffs and and trying to
(41:42):
put yourself in the best position there. Packers feel like
if they if they win this one, you know, stay
at three losses. Hand Detroit lost number two with still
a month left to go in the regular season, it's, uh,
it becomes anybody's Anybody's North, Uh, anybody's NFC North to win.
But yeah, I mean, you you lose this one and
you fall three games behind the Lions with with just
(42:06):
a month to go, it's it's just not realistic to
think that you can win the division, all.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Right, last one, the Packers, you know, come east, they
come to Detroit Thursday night, prime time, and they get
a win in ford Field. If what happens, what's the
biggest key for you, Mike, for the Packers to to
kind of come out of ford Field even this thing
up on the year and and uh and get a
big win.
Speaker 9 (42:29):
I think it's really the you know, the formula that
the Packers have used to get on this this winning
streak here since they last lost to Detroit, They've they've
cut down on the turnovers. The Packers will only turn
the ball over once in their last three games, and
turnovers have been an issue earlier in the season, so
you have to continue to limit those. You have to
(42:49):
continue to convert in the red zone and get touchdowns
when you get in close. After that Lions game the
first time, the Packers were twenty ninth in the league
in red zone offense.
Speaker 7 (42:59):
Since then, in.
Speaker 9 (43:00):
The last three games, the Packers have converted eleven out
of fifteen red zone possessions into touchdowns. They've climbed eleven
spots in the red zone offense rankings. Just over the
last three games, so that's another thing. That's another thing
they've been doing well. And then defensively, it's been about
limiting the explosive plays. The Packers know all about what
(43:21):
kind of a home run hitter Jamiir Gibbs is, how
dangerous guys like Laporta and Saint Brown are with goff
in the passing game. The Packers are going to try
to make the Lions, you know, take the long, slow
slog down the field and not try to give up
the big chunks of the field and try to force
some mistake. You start giving up the twenty twenty five
(43:42):
yard chunk plays, becomes a lot harder for the defense
to get.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
Off the field.
Speaker 9 (43:46):
And limiting those explosives against the Niners, against the Dolphins,
that was a big part of those point totals for
those opposing teams being down to where the Packers like
their efforts. So all of those things it's a lot
to ask for, right but all of those things are
what we'll go into the Packers getting this victory.
Speaker 7 (44:06):
If they can put it all together.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Well, this should be a fun one one loss Detroit
three lost a Green Bay. Two guys, there are two
teams fighting for the division title, and obviously their playoff
lives on prime time. It should be fun. Kicks off
week fourteenth. Is it crazy that we're already in week fourteen?
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Mike?
Speaker 7 (44:24):
Yeah, man, it's nuts, right.
Speaker 9 (44:25):
I mean I was talking about Week one in Brazil
and that does not feel like it was that long ago.
Speaker 7 (44:31):
But yeah, here we are.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Well, here we are. It should be a fun one.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Safe travels to Detroit, and I'll make sure I stop
buying and say hello.
Speaker 7 (44:40):
Yeah sounds good. We'll see a Thursday time
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