Mike: That was so good. That was so good. You were like... It was perfect. Aly: Do you mind just one more time? Mike: Try and it all in like one sentence. Michael: I killed it. Aly: Ha Mike: Yeah, you killed it like, I don't know, like a rake on a rat. Aly: Ha ha Mike: Something's moving around real fast, you're whacking it. Aly: I'm gonna have to mark explicit content, yes. Mike: Alright. Love you guys. Are you going to let me come do it again? Michael: Yeah, she told me to do it again. Aly: Welcome to Passing Down Pride. We're very excited to have you all here after our second divisional win against the Vikings. I'm joined today by my brother Mike and my dad Mike. Mike: Hey everybody, welcome to Passing Down the Pride, where you get the insights of 30 plus years of Lions fandom and what it means to be a Lions fan today when you are just realizing that football is awesome and the Lions are awesome with it. So first thing I want to do before we drill into too much is I want to show two clays. we'll watch them both and we will see the ingenuity of our new offensive coordinator. This is the setup. Mike, you talked a little bit about this. You look at this, we've got our, in the wing back, full back position, we got our second tight end. We got our first tight end right here, Amon Ra's in tight. And then, and I didn't understand what we were doing, but I think I understood it now, the pitching to Jhameer. but it's to pivot backwards and across the formation. It looks like you're pitching for a sweep right, right? We bring this guy in motion and what's ended up happening is we're going to bring both these guys back into the hole and lead Jameer Gibbs. It's beautiful. Watch this. Michael: It's so good. Mike: It was so good. It's so creative. And then what the is golf doing out there? Come on. Aly: He's blocking. Mike: He does not need to be out there. Aly: No. I liked him out there blocking. Team player. Michael: Yeah, me too. Hold Mike: Yeah. Michael: on, hold on, keep it. I just I I can't get over how awesome this play is. Mike: Yeah. Aly: Yeah. Michael: The first one was really fun and I liked that it was creative. But something that we talked about last week was to combat this kind of wacky defense that the Vikings run, this ultra pressure seven, eight guys at the line mugging at the at the line of scrimmage. You really gotta combat it a little bit of fire with fire. Mike: Yeah. Michael: And to watch the Lions, those two plays, there was multiple plays, and I was actually gonna go back and look at a couple of them, where they just had two tight ends right behind the guard and the tackle, and it just looked weird. But what they did is they essentially took what the Vikings do well, which is confusion with their linebackers and bringing them up like they're gonna blitz. And they essentially flipped it on its head by almost playing wing T like concepts with our two tight ends. And Dad, you you obviously know what the wing T is a little bit of me is disappointed we Mike: Yeah. Michael: didn't do it with multiple running backs. But Mike: Yeah. Michael: for us to play a team like that that Regardless of the tactics that we employed, they're a tough team. Their defense is really good. They're physical, Mike: Yeah. Michael: they can play the run, they can play the pass, and they have this scheme that just it's it almost feels like magic because they always seem to be in the right place at the right time. And for us to in the second half turn around and not be cutesy necessarily, but use our strategy and use our play calling to put us in a position to be the enforcers was just awesome to watch. And it it was just it was so fun to watch. Aly: I also loved the the deep run from Amon Ross St. Brown where he started like many, many yards behind Goff and then got a running start to get that ball from Goff. That felt like one of those plays that someone like Goff can play. It felt like this is the play we're going to do. And here are all the reasons why we're going to do it. And also there's no room for error because we're so far bel behind the line of scrimmage. And it worked so well. And I loved that Drew Petsing put together some of those types of plays against the Vikings. I was obsessed. Mike: Yep, agreed. And then also you have the the dynamic, it's great to have the great offense. It's great to have these, you have a scheme plays. It's gonna, you know, the first half, I think we were trying to mix in our, we are with what we want to do, right? And so we got sacked four times. And I think in the second half, we just, we just like, okay, we're gonna, we're gonna run it right down your throat. And we've got this new scheme with the two tight ends and we're gonna lead. And then there's that play where, Gibbs went right and they blocked it. And then he just backed up and went back left and got another 15 yards. There's just a dynamic nature of having just studs on your offense, right? Aly: Question that I do have, it's there's not enough data, I think, to say it confidently. But I did I did make a note that our run game got better in the second half, and Mike: Yeah. Aly: Kay's Cade Mays got injured in the second quarter, and it was back to Juice Scruggs in the second half of the game. He was back to the center position, who has was largely our center for the first few games. Gabe Mays played for the first time last game. And I I don't know if you can say those two things are definitely for sure correlated. But there does I do wonder if there's some relationship between our ability to run the ball much better with Juice Scruggs back as center. Michael: I think that that's that's hard to think about because what it looked like from you know my watch was we did try to go east and west a little bit. There's there's this idea that when you play a hyper aggressive defense that you can run east and west and get around them. And the Vikings are very good at holding the edge and not allowing that to happen. What it really honestly looked like was there's a couple times Sioni Vaki got into run and they had him run on a pin and pull, a trap, a power play, and he was successful and it almost looked like Drew Petzig was like, well, let's just do that with Gibbs. Let's just run up Aly: Yeah. Michael: the run right at them. And with the scheme that they employed, they did a lot of pin and pull, they did more like GH. pulls and power plays, they were able to wash out that that front line of the Vikings defensive line and it really created big gaps that Gibbs and Vaki were able to take advantage of. So was Maze or Juice Scrugs a part of that? I don't know. It to me it looked more scheme than it looked like Juice Scrugs made a difference necessarily. Aly: felt nice to know when your center goes out and you've got a backup center, you're still going to run. I mean, w I think between Gibbs and Vaki in the fourth quarter alone, they had ninety-nine rushing yards. Mike: Yep. Michael: Yeah, over overall we had almost two I think we had two hundred and fifty yards or Aly: Yeah. Michael: two hundred and thirty yards. Yeah, it was it was incredibly impressive. Aly: Yeah. And I think last year I would have killed for one good center, let alone two. Michael: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. I think we should talk about Jack Campbell before we move on. Aly: I agree. So the most recent update that we got as of the recording of this podcast is things are looking positive. No description on what positive means. His family is with him. Dan Campbell knows what's going on. The Lions know what go what's going on. The the staff and the players know what's going on. And they're intentionally not sharing it with the rest of the media and the fans. out of respect for Jack and his family right now. What are our thoughts? Mike: I don't know how to process that. Aly: Yeah. Mike: I think part of me wants to say, Dan says, prayers are working. Keep praying. It's all positive. That's a spectrum, right? Aly: Yeah. Mike: It could be positive he's going to walk again. And we're not talking about Aly: Yes. Mike: parapara-alysis. Is it positive that he was paralyzed and now it's coming back? We don't know It's a spectrum. Aly: I think no matter what, watching a player go down obviously is hard. Watching a player go down and then have to leave strapped down to a stretcher is really scary. Mike: Yeah. Aly: And there was a lot I know what we all talked about a lot on Sunday was I I don't I don't even care if he can play football. I just want him to be able to walk and hold his kid. I want him to be okay. Mike: Yep. Agreed. That's the number one thing, right? Aly: Yeah. Michael: Yeah. I'll say for me, It tr it's like an interesting parasocial relationship because these people don't know us and they don't love us, right? But we have this parasocial relationship where we know and love these players and we feel feelings through them, we're sad at the losses, we're excited for the wins. Mike: Yeah. Michael: and then when these types of things happen, you know, particularly when it comes to player safety, not even just injuries. I'm I'm I'm I'm looking back at Aidan Hutchinson's leg injury. As gruesome and as horrible as that injury looked a couple years ago, there is no question is he going to be able to walk again, right? He had a broken leg, and that is a hard injury, but ultimately it is fixable. It's repairable. Like everybody kind of understood that. There wasn't really a question. To watch a player go down in the manner that Jack Campbell did. Also, from a tackle that looked very normal, which makes it almost scarier, Aly: Yeah. Michael: and he go just completely limp on the field and to see Aiden Hutchinson with tears in his eyes for the team to come together, it's it's a little bit hard to move on as a fan, I would say. Aly: Yeah. Michael: And it's not because It's not because he's my teammate, it's not because my life is gonna be changed. But it makes me feel conflict even just watching football. Aly: Yeah. Michael: I've watched football my entire life and I love it, and I know I'm gonna continue watching it. but it does make you question, like, what is this all for? And and and there's a lot of arguments about, you know, football and safety and the impact it has on people and the positive impact it has on people, and I think that's That's conversation we can get into. or I'm not sure if we should get if we should get into in this podcast, but I felt all day a little bit in a in a little bit of a haze. Not because I know the guy, but because it makes me feel conflict myself of Aly: Yeah. Michael: is it okay that I even watch? Right? Aly: Yeah. Michael: I kept refreshing my phone to hopefully see on Pride of Detroit or ble Bleacher report that there is, you know, a tweet that he's being discharged from the hospital and you know, he's able to feel his legs again and We just haven't gotten that. And to me that's really kinda eerie and kinda scary. Aly: Yeah, there's a level of dissonance watching it as a new fan Michael: Mm-hmm. Aly: where I felt, this is this is probably a contributing factor of why I didn't watch for so long. And sort of sitting with that and allowing those feelings to sort of exist in both spaces is weird. Michael: Yeah, it's weird. Aly: Yeah. How you doing, Dad? Michael: Yeah. Mike: Yeah, I think You guys have taught me it's not always an or right. Aly: Two things can be true. Mike: Two things can be true. There is an entertainment value for us to fall in love with the team and to follow the Detroit Lions. And because we're watching it, we care and we carry an aspect of accountability. if weren't for us, there wouldn't be this and then Jack Campbell wouldn't be injured. That said, Jack Campbell was playing football since he was a wee lad and he plays because he loves the sport. Right. And there is a tie to the fans once he got to Detroit, but before that, there was a tie to Iowa. Right. So he is playing because he loves the sport and he's paid well because he loves the sport and understands the risk. So I think it's a mutual collaboration of investment. And although we carry with us this gladiator-like feel, like it's an and, where we're all participating in this and there is a risk-reward ratio that everyone has kind of accepted. But when we see it paid out in the negative, It's hard. Aly: Yeah. Michael: A hundred percent. Aly: I do I think it further solidifies when players make choices for their safety. I think about Caleb Williams deciding to wear the cleats and get fined for the cleats because they're not the Nike or Under Armour cleats. They're instead cleats that are designed to help you avoid knee and ankle injuries as a player. And I think the NFL choosing to fine him for a player making a choice for his safety. it already didn't go over well. I would imagine that a week like this, it probably would sit quite sour for most fans. Mike: Now, let me show you. I figured out how to get the screen to go the right way. Yeah. I could even do it with just my keyboard watches. So this is superior athleticism. Aly: yeah. Michael: Are you talking about Jared Goff? Mike: No. Yeah, Aly: Mm-hmm. Mike: getting out in front and blocking again. What is he doing? Stop that. Michael: No, I love it. Aly: Okay, I saw I read Mike: You do? I think it's too much risk reward. Aly: No, I love it. I saw Pride of Detroit mark Jared Goff as a loser in this game, and I'm going to be honest, I hard disagreed. I I don't I don't know Michael: I I I agree with you. look. go back. Go back. Go back. Aly: Show us this thing. Let's you know what? For this week's pod, we're just gonna rewatch the game. It was so enjoyable. Michael: No, seriously. So no, go back to the the formation. Mike: Okay, yeah, Michael: Here go. Mike: that's what you're saying, Michael: Right here. Okay. So God, this is so I I'm right back in. Like Aly: Ha ha ha. Michael: so they have you ever seen a formation in the NFL like this? Ever. Mike: No. Michael: No. And it's Mike: High school, yes, we used to run that. called it touchdown formation. Michael: That is interesting. But for two tight Aly: Yeah. Michael: ends to be right behind the tackle, two and a half yards behind, what the Vikings want to do is they want to bring these linebackers up to the line, and they want to be physical and they want to disrupt what you're trying to do. When you have these two tight ends just randomly out there, what are they they don't know what to do? They don't know how to line up. Mike: that. Aly: Play the play. Let's see what happens. Let's watch Michael: And it's it's just Aly: together. Michael: Pause it, pause it, pause it, pause pause it. You can look right now. Right if you look right now, we have them out leveraged. Do you see? Right now we have them out leveraged. You can Mike: On the outside, yeah, in the gap. Michael: in I would say right in the right in the A gap between Juice Scrugs and Christian Mahogany, you have where you can drive a train through and we bring Samuel Porto over on a motion towards the weak side. Go ahead and play it and then pause it. Pause. And they barely they barely react. Now we have numbers. Look at that. One two three against one two three. You see what I'm looking at? We Aly: Mm-hmm. Mike: Yes. Michael: have we ha right here, we have Now play it. Ugh gorgeous. Just absolutely stunning. Mike: I gotta figure out how to do the pencil. Aly: Yeah. We'll get d this is the first time we're showing real Mike: I'm gonna get that software. Aly: football. Mike: Yeah. look it. My mom was wide open too. He could have gone to him. Aly: I think I wanna talk about Pride of Detroit marking Jared Goff as a loser in the game. Mike: Why would they do that? Aly: Mike, do you remember their reasoning? Michael: yeah, I can pull it up. I think what they said was they don't think he had a bad game. He just didn't play as well as he had been playing. Mike: against the number one past defense in the league. Aly: That yes, that was my point. Was you can't call Jared Goff a loser in a game where we won, That the expectation for Jared Goff was I don't know, maybe he could do it. He's one of the few that's able to beat the Vikings. He's one of the few that can handle. Brian Flores's pressure and blitz. And then he did, and Pride of Detroit said, Meh, we're not so sure. And I I thought that that was wrong. I thought it was wrong for a couple of reasons. One, I thought that there were obviously some moments in the first quarter in particular, but definitely the first half, where when Mike and I were watching, we would look at each other and go, There were moments. There were moments where Jerry Goff could have made a play. There were moments where he could have made a throw and he missed those moments. Now he missed those moments again against the number one defense in the league right now. Mike: I do have, Aly: Enough. Mike: I just happened to find something, Ali, that supports your theory about deuce scrugs. Do you want to see it? Watch it, Mike. Aly: Yeah, yeah. See I it's my theory. Mike: There's nobody, we're not running any fancy formations. We're not doing anything off the wall. We come in a straight, too tight end, 13, is this a 13 formation, Mike? Michael: Yeah, it's a thirteen thirteen personnel package. Mike: It's just straight up the middle with some, it's not even have our, not even our pre-run back, it's Vahki, but watch the center. Aly: That gorgeous. Yep. Michael: Yeah, that was really good. Mike: Now it's better on the other L22 side. Watch him. Now don't know if, Cade was doing this, but look, he just manhandles that guy. Aly: Yep. I that's what I'm saying. I I think you can absolutely make the argument that there's not enough data to prove it. I do think that Juice Scrugs being back and it not even feeling like we had lost our starting center speaks to Michael: Big deal. Aly: his capacity as a center. He came in and we did not miss a beat. Michael: those runs were huge. Mike: weren't they? This was the lion of 2024. This was like, we're going Aly: It was gorgeous. Mike: to run the ball, you know we're going to run the ball, and you still can't stop us. I loved it. Aly: There's nothing you can do about it. Mike: Yeah, I loved it. Aly: And I think, so much of football is not just being able to run the ball, but it's a cadence, right? It's a we're gonna do this over and over and over Mike: Well, there it is. Aly: again, and then you're gonna think Michael: pause, pause. Aly: we're gonna do it. You got another one? Michael: Okay. i this one's even better. this one's just beautiful. Let's Aly: Ha ha Michael: go back. this one. Okay, this is a new wrinkle. We're in 12 personnel. We have our two tight ends on the right side. And then look, Goff is under center, and Jameer Gibbs is off is is not aligned behind the run the quarterback. He is aligned behind the right tackle. So what this does is Goff re Mike: Yeah, behind these two guys. Michael: Goff reverses out and it already creates an angle for Gibbs to get through. inside the tackle box. I think he goes essentially to the to the A gap between mahogany and juice drugs. Let's see it. It's just So Goff reverses out and look at his angle. just gorgeous. That was I just but pause. Mike: We have my man. Michael: look at that. Have you ever seen that formation in the NFL? Mike: No, and look, in this area, we have more blockers than they have defenders. Michael: Uh-huh. And so what we do is we if you if you're Juice Scrugs, you hit that one technique to your left, and if you can reach that other guy and you block up to Cashman, it's wide open. Mike: Yep. And you don't even have to block up the Cashman because you could, you could, well, let's see what they do. Michael: I think they're gonna block up to Cashman. no, they bring Mike: Yeah, you have a tight end coming up to get the cash. He just goes through the hole and Michael: Yeah. That was awesome. Mike: hits the first guy there. Aly: I think this is the other thing that really speaks to Juice Gruggs as a center was a lot of these plays are not plays that we've seen before from the Lions. But frankly, Mike, to your point, they're plays that we've not s really seen before in the NFL. These are not, that's right, we always play this screen. And Mike: Right. Aly: he was so ready to go that that level of communication on who's your guy, where do you go, what happens. I I'm a I'm a juice scrugs fan. I I must Michael: Yeah. Aly: admit. Mike: So if you look at this one, we started with a of a stack line, right? Moved over. They didn't adjust at all. So now our Aly: I just Mike: tight end on the left side, we're almost in a balanced formation. You could almost go either way and they have no way of stopping it. Michael: I think that they're in a blender. Mike: What does that mean? Michael: I think that right now what they're used to is they're used to an offense starting to panic, they're used to an offense having Aly: Mm. Michael: to throw, and they want to put both linebackers in the A gaps and just blitz and make the other team make a mistake. Now that we have them on their heels, they don't know what to do. Mike: Yeah, Aly: Yeah. Mike: remember earlier on when Gibbs was running, they were in a 3-4. Now they've gone into the foreman, that deep end down lineman. They're hoping to be able to kind of stymie the run. Aly: Yeah. I also this is the last point I'm gonna make about Pride of Detroit marking Jared Goff as a loser just because I I disagreed so strongly. Jared Goff's only job on the field is not to just throw the ball. And that's how it read in Jared Goff as a loser in the game was well your job is to throw the ball and you threw it sometimes and with some amount of accuracy. A quarterback's job is so much more than just throwing the ball. And what we saw was an offense that was able to dismantle the Vikings to the point where they truly did not know what to do. Now, Drew Petzing Michael: Yeah. Aly: plays a huge role in that. That is absolutely true. The rest of the offense plays a huge role in that. But to discount Jared Goff in that role felt like you're reducing the role of the quarterback to man that throws. Mike: Yeah, I agree. Michael: Yeah. And Jared Goff is so in charge at the line of scrimmage. He's calling plays, he's checking out of stuff, checking into stuff. So I thought he he played exactly the way you have to play against the the Vikings. it was a I thought it was a great performance. It w stats wise it didn't look like what he had been. but I would say he was he was great and it was awesome to watch. Mike: So we're five and two. We're the only team undefeated in the division. That means we're in second place, despite what Aly: Yes. Mike: anybody else tries to put you in when they put the standings. And now we travel to Miami. What are we thinking? Aly: Dolphins are what, two and five? Mike: Belthans are one in six. Aly: even worse. Mike: Yes, now the Dolphins aren't a paper tiger, but they are really good against the run, they just are really bad against the pass. Aly: Yeah, so let's throw the ball. Let's spend Mike: Yeah, yes. Particularly we matched up well against them. I think in the second half of the Vikings game, the matchups proved to be wrong, where people saying the Lions have a great offense, you know, we're a passing team. I think we proved them wrong. They just, the Vikings defense is really designed for Michael: Yeah. Mike: teams that are going to be passing the ball a lot. When we were able to be successful at running the ball, we stopped them. I don't think we have to as successfully run the ball against a Miami defense. Aly: No. I Michael: No. Aly: don't think so either. Michael: The the Miami Dolphins have the most amount of rookies on the ros on their roster in the NFL. last count was thirteen. I think this is a team that is going through a lot of transition, and the Lions have a real opportunity here to establish themselves as a I think they've established themselves as a favorite in the NFC with the last two games. but I think establish themselves further by one of those win the games you should win type of games. you know, the this is one where I think that we w we should be putting up forty points. Aly: Yeah. I need just for my emotional stability. Mike: Yeah, they're giving up a league worst passer rating. 31st, not the Michael: Yeah. Mike: worst, but 31st. Go ahead, Ali, sorry I stepped on you. Aly: I was just gonna say for my own emotional stability, I'd like forty five to three, six, you get two field goals. Mike: Yeah, a 50 burger. Yeah. Aly: I want them to blow them out of the water. I want Dan Campbell to consider pulling in our second string across the board. I want Gibbs out in the second half 'cause we don't need That's what I want. Michael: Yeah. Mike: So we have a couple of good things going on. First of all, they're matchups-wise. We just mentioned they're not very good against the pass. Their offense isn't great. They're ranked 31st. They're only scoring 16.7 points a game. They're 27th in total yards a game, ranked 27th. Net passing yards, which is our weakness, is ranked 30th. Gross passing yards, ranked 31. Michael: gross Mike: the difference between SAC and, yeah, it's Rocking Yards, they're 11th, almost Michael: Well Mike: top 10, right? So, what's up on? Aly: Sorry, just Mike Mike's reaction to gross. This Mike: It's all grass. Michael: Do they have like Aly: is Michael: tasty passing passing yards? Mike: Yeah, they're really gross. Well, apparently they're getting sacked a lot because gross passing yards is 20 yards difference than their net passing yards. So they're getting sacked quite a bit. Michael: Mm, mm. Aly: wow. Great. I I I mean, we've got Brian Branch and DJ Reed out with concussions, right? I don't think that they're gonna play. Michael: DJ Wannum. Aly: DJ Wannham, thank you. Brian Branch and DJ Wannham. Michael: DJ Reed has a hip injury. Aly: DJ Reed has a hip injury. Cade Mays has an injury. we've got a lot of people out going into this next game, and I wanted to I want them to rest. I want them to rest and recover, and I want us to not Feel it because it's the dolphins. That's what I want. Michael: Yeah. Mike: I agree. I think that if we win these two games, it puts really a lot of pressure on Brad to make a move because now we're in a position where we're a favorite. Aly: Yeah. Mike: And I feel like we're one, maybe two players away from really being considered a Super Bowl contender, especially if Jack Campbell out for the year. Aly: Yeah. Michael: Yeah. Mike: I think if you go and get Buddha Baker, that fills it nicely right there. Right. And if you get a A depth position cornerback because our cornerbacks are playing pretty well right now. I don't think you need to go get a premier one, a depth position cornerback. I think we'll, and with Kirby Joseph coming back, I think we're in a solid position for a nice Super Bowl run. I think we're excited. I'm excited about where we're going. We have really turned a corner from post. Carolina game. Aly: yes. Michael: That's true. Mike: Right? All right. Well, it's good times. think any predictions on the score? Let's go. Mike, you first. Michael. You're Michael. I'm Mike. Michael: I'm going to predict forty one to twenty one. Aly: Okay. I will say forty fourteen. Michael: And I'll also say forty one, twenty one, but it's not gonna be that close. They're gonna get a touchdown or two in garbage time. Aly: Okay, fair. Dad? Mike: Yeah. Yeah, I think it's going to be, I think 52 to 17. Aly: Nice. Okay. Michael: Thanks for listening Aly: Yeah, do it again. Michael: to Passing Down Pride. Smash that the subscribe button. like us, subscribe. It helps with the algorithm. It helps with our sponsors. We love Mike: you Michael: you. And we're so excited for you to join us next week. Mike: Awesome. Perfect. Love you guys. Michael: Love you. Aly: Love you. Bye.