Michael: No, hold on. I got it. I got it. Mike: Hahaha! Michael: Okay. Okay, no, no. I got it. I got it. Aly: Okay. Okay. Welcome to week two of Passing Down Pride. Today I am joined by my dad, my cumpla. Mike: Bye everybody. Aly: And I'm also joined by my brother, also named Mike Cumpla. Hey Mike. Mike: Okay. Michael: Hey everybody. Mike: Hello, well, it's game two, and how do you come after that game with the positives and superlatives that I like to have about the Detroit Lions? Here it is. We have game three coming up. Aly: And we've got a long break in between the two. Mike: A mini-buy as we like to call it. Yep. That was a rough game in every way, shape and form. Michael: At least it didn't look like anybody important got injured. Aly: That's Mike: There. Aly: true. Excellent point. Can I say going Mike: a little bar. Aly: into this weekend, there are a couple of things that I dislike about a Thursday night game. One, it's really late. And I like to go to bed early. Michael: So late. my god. Mike: Yeah. Amen. Michael: It starts at my bedtime. Mike: Exactly. Well, Aly: It's awful. Mike: yeah, right there. Aly: The other thing that I don't like about Thursday night games is I find the takes from people who are forced to have a take because it's the only game that happened are garbage. Listening to numerous people blame the Mike: Yeah. Aly: lack of Ben Johnson. On the game on Thursday, it's embarrassing. It's a lazy take. You didn't do any of your homework. You did it to just get clicks. I I find it enraging. Mike: Also, think they, you know, the pregame was problematic, I'll call it. I mean, when they made, they did a replay of Ryan jumping off and breaking the table. It's like, and they call it like spectacular. I was thinking, come on, he's jumping off and breaking the table. I don't want to see this again. We don't need a replay of it. It was sad. So quick analysis of the game, I suppose, is what we can do. Mike, you're being pretty quiet. What's your take? Unless, you have a different agenda to run by. OK. Aly: No, go for it, Mike. Tell us everything. Michael: Yeah, you know, it kinda looked like the varsity team against the JV Scout team on defense. Mike: Mm-hmm. Aly: Yes. Michael: it looked like we were not prepared at all. Mike: Yeah. Michael: And just by the grace of Jared Goff kind of turning it up in this in the second quarter and second half, did it become somewhat of a reasonable game. Mike: Yep. Michael: I will say looking You know, looking at some of the the the takes I've seen, I listened to Pride of Detroit, I I follow Justin Rogers, and based on what I've seen so far, the defense was coached horribly. Just breakdowns in communication, breakdowns in coverage. It it's one thing to I don't know, if Josh Allen throws a dime over the middle that it just, you know, an alien can complete. Okay, sure. but the amount of Players running free. the amount of times Josh Allen rolled out and somebody got caught in the middle, and instead of going at Josh Allen, they literally turned their back to him and he just runs for a first down. it was just terrible. And you know, I I get that we were behind and th the run game kind of took over for the Bills, but how many times did we just give up the edge? We just gave up a a cutback lane. It just looked frankly it looked undisciplined, it looked like terrible coaching. We have good players on this defense and they all looked bad. And with that I have to look at coaching. Aly: I agree. A couple of stats to support that take. So we played cover three 55% of the time in this game. We played it 56% of the time against the Saints. So we've really got one move, which is cover three. On top of that, we would try to hide cover three, end up playing cover three, and then the safeties wouldn't remember where they were supposed to be. And just miss. Full catches in the back, which was embarrassing. The second thing was we blitzed 55% of the time against Buffalo, 43% of the time against the Saints. Which to me says Calvin Shepard's strategy is my secondary is weak. So if I just blitz, they won't have time to expose a weak secondary, except for it didn't work. Mike: You Aly: I I think, in my opinion, the game is summarized in two series of plays that happened. One is in the early second quarter, Josh Allen passed, tried to pass to Kincaid. It was intercepted, but McCreary got a defensive holding, so we didn't get the interception. That Mike: Hmm Aly: same run, they got a touchdown. Then in the fourth quarter. After we finally got one of the first of I think two stops against the Bills, we went three and out. Incomplete pass to Gibbs, no gain on a run, incomplete pass to St. Brown. And that to me, that's the entire game. It's like the the opposite of complimentary football. Mike: Yes. Yeah. Michael: Yep. It would have been one thing la last time we played them, I think it was Thanksgiving. I think they won forty-five, forty-two, or forty-seven, forty-two, something like that. and we kind of expected, all right, this is gonna be a shootout. Like it is gonna be a 30 point game. If if they would have come out and scored and we came out and scored and matched them, maybe even twice, it it would have been a completely different game. As much as I'm hate as much as I'm hating on the defense and they they deserve a lot of hate and they deserve a lot of blame not matching in those first couple drives, at least something from our offense just made it almost impossible to come back. I mean we had a chance we got that we got to ten and had a chance to stop and then we went three and out after we stopped them. So I mean it was terrible complimentary football, but but they they just went down the field like butter and the offense had no ability to stop the tide to quell the momentum and i it it looked like the varsity team out there beaten up on the J V team. Aly: And to your point about just being undisciplined, I mean how many what penalties did we get that were just worst timing. Michael: Mm-hmm. Aly: Like Borum, I don't know what he was doing on the field other than Michael: He looked like he was on skates. Aly: he I I mean Russo had his best game. He pressured Jared Goff six times, sixth highest of his total career. Best game ever. Great job, other team. Michael: Yep. Dad, what do you think? Mike: In 2024, Buffalo had 197 rushing yards. We had 48. And in 2022, Buffalo had 164. We had 96. what amazingly these are very, if you look at the last three games against the Buffalo Bills, they're fairly really similar. I mean, we had 36 % third down ratio to Buffalo 75. That's the one standout. Whereas 2024, 46 to 50 and 40 to 58 respectively. We Buffalo led us in third down conversions. so they got, they got a higher third down conversion rate. And a lot of that was because they had those four third and ones where they just, did the, What do you call that? The twish push. Michael: And you barely Aly: Yeah. Michael: need to push Josh's tush 'cause he's six five two sixty or something. Mike: So as I read these stats, I'm thinking, OK, so this is who we are. we looked undisciplined and we looked Aly: Yes. Mike: panicked. in the first quarter and the second. The only thing that saved us, as you mentioned, Ali, was Jared Goff and Amon Ra came through for us. And in fantasy, too, I have them both on my fantasy team. Josh Allen got 51 fantasy points, Mike. Jared Goff got 41, and Amon Ra got 30. Aly: So Jared Goff, actually, last year the narrative around Jared Goff was if he's pressured, the offense falls apart. Mike: You have to get the whole life like that, yeah. Aly: That was not the case against the Bills. He was pressured a lot and was still able to put points on the board. His his PFF Michael: Yeah, he was good. Aly: game chart gave him an 80.8 grade, and he was pressured 21 times. Michael: He was really he he had a really great pocket movement. He was able to move around, create space, create angles, and get passes completed. Aly: Yes. Michael: I will say, if we can if we're really looking at what what positive there are, I know Dad, you talked about at the beginning. and this might be copium, but I'm gonna say it. Is the defense looks so bad it almost feels like the only way to go up to go is up. Mike: Well, that's for sure. Michael: Our our good our good players played bad, which Mike: Yeah. Michael: makes me hope, and we're gonna have to see this on the field, makes me hope that our our coaching and our game plan was trash. Aidan Hutchinson was was giving up the edge far too much. Jack Campbell was getting washed away on run concepts far too much. We know those guys are really good. Aly: Mm-hmm. Michael: they were all pros last year. So my my hope is maybe, you know, these three days the especially defensive coaches can take a real hard look at what we were trying to do, and maybe we're able to say, hey, these are the things we do well, these are the things that we don't, and we can come out and and play much better. You know, the we play three teams that are very beatable between now and the bye. If Mike: Yep. Michael: we go three and we're gonna probably forget a little bit about this performance. Aly: Yeah. I I think that's where two things are true, right? The Bills might go to the Super Bowl. Like they're an excellent team, and Mike: They have a whole other quarterback. Aly: they have a Hall of Fame quarterback. And I think you could argue that the problem with our defensive scheme in this game was we knew that their offense was going to be very hard and we tried to be too clever. Michael: Try to be too cute. Aly: Tried to be too cute. And maybe the next Week and a half little mini buy is back to basics. Mike: Yeah, I think as I'm looking through these stats comparing us. to let's just go to the 2024 team, right? We had our best offensive line. That was the best offensive line we've had. We had Ragnar still. We even had Ben Johnson at that time. And the stats are eerily similar. So what's the answer? The answer is that we don't do well against running quarterbacks. That's something that you and I have said a lot, Mike. We just don't do well against running back. When you run that tight man, you can't contain him. You're not going to do well against him. But in the end, I thought that if I would have looked in the past, I thought we would have run the ball more and more effectively. It's not the case. Aly: Yeah, but we don't run tight man. We ran cover three. Mike: that's true. Michael: Tell him Tell Aly: This this this is the other narrative that I keep hearing on the internet. People are like, well, with a man defense, you can't go you can't go very far. Michael: Lazy take, Dad. Lazy take. Mike: Yeah. Aly: But the 53% of the time we were in cover three specifically. We ran man less than 25% of the time. We're not playing man. Mike: Wow, I stand corrected. Michael: Lazy take. Aly: Now Aaron Glenn loves to run man. You could I could see Calvin Shepard leaning back into man when he has a Kirby Joseph and a Brian Branch and he feels like maybe he has a team that could step up. But right now we're playing zone. We're just doing it bad because we our safeties can't remember what their zone is. Mike: Yeah. Michael: Dad, you just got owned by Allie. Aly: Sorry. I did start by saying we ran cover three fifty five percent of the time. Mike: Yeah, that's true. Michael: We were in cover cover three fifty-five percent of the time. And yes, historically, I would say two or three years ago, we struggled mightily against running quarterbacks. But remember, we played in week two, the Baltimore Ravens, against Lamar Jackson, and we absolutely contained them. And that was one of those Kelvin Shepherd coming out parties where people were like, my gosh, this guy's awesome. They had a great plan against Lamar Jackson. And we won. And this was basically the complete opposite. Mike: opposite. Michael: it it looked like we were undisciplined. I remember specifically watching the play against Baltimore where Lamar Jackson tried to pump fake Jack Campbell and he's he stayed on his feet with his arms Mike: That's the done. Michael: up and then he took him down. And that and Jack Campbell said after the game, that was a coaching point. We have to stay disciplined, we can't jump 'cause he'll pump, you jump, and then he runs around you. This was literally the opposite. Josh Allen looked one way and the the defense just ran over there while he ran into the ran in for a score. that's Aly: Yes. Michael: what what gives me hope is that this was just ter terrible coaching. Aly: Yeah, it was terrible coaching. I I think the other thing is going to learning about football over the last few years, the thing that I really liked about being a new fan the year we played the Ravens, In twenty twenty five, as a new fan, I didn't know a lot about Baltimore as a team. And I had no idea they were as good as they were. And I could go in just being like, What a game. How fun was this? I know too much now. And it's stressful. Michael: Mm-hmm. You know how much cover three the Lions played on Thursday. Mike: All right, all right, all right. Aly: I did. I watched the tape. I Michael: I will also say too, I think something that's really interesting for the next couple games is we know that and I think this is early, but I think it's worth at least having on our radar. Because the defense was so ill prepared and the coaching was so bad, we have seen Dan Campbell make changes fast. He Aly: Yeah. Michael: took away play calling from Anthony Lynn in twenty twenty one and he took away play calling from John Morton. last year in twenty twenty five. I'm not anticipating that. I don't think that this is necessarily likely, but I do like, and this comes with the culture of accountability that Dan has created, like, if it doesn't get fixed, we're gonna he's not afraid to make a change. Now, I'm not I'm not calling for anybody to be fired. I'm not calling for Calvin Shepard to lease play calling duties. But I do I I do like that in the back of his head he's thinking if I don't get this together I'm not gonna be here. And and that's the right thing. That's the NFL. And so these next three games, I don't think we necessarily have to play lights out, but if we continue to have performances like that where our our all pro players are being put in situations where they are losing, I think there's a there's a reasonable chance that things could change quickly, and I think Dan is not afraid to do that. Mike: Yeah. Yeah, we... So the secondary, which was in cover three, don't think I knew this 50, 52 % of the time, 55 Aly: Fifty five. Mike: % of the time. the secondary is our weakest point. knew that going in. Michael: Easy, yeah. Mike: We have, all pro linebacker, we have all pro, in the defensive line, some of the best in the league. so we don't have a talent problem on defense aside from the secondary. Once we get our safeties back. We'll even have less of a talent issue on our defense. The problem is we were not prepared and we did not play well and our players were not put into the position to win. think my take on this whole thing is that Kelvin Shepherd is officially on the clock. I think Aly: I think that's fair. Mike: it's to be notably better or I believe he will not be here next year. Michael: easy. I think if it's not better I think he won't come back from the buy. But again, I think that's strong, but I Mike: Yeah. Michael: think it's it's a reasonable it's a reasonable thought. Mike: Yep. Aly: The thing that I like about the Detroit Lions coaching staff that makes it easy for me to root for them is the staff, at least they present themselves as people who look at themselves first as the issue. There are, I've watched coaches in interviews say, well, it's not me, it's them. They pointed Mike: Hmm. Aly: out individuals. Michael: John Morton did that. Aly: John Morton did that. And to me, Mike: That was the beginning of the end of Johnny Morton. Aly: to me, that says someone like Calvin Shepard, you know who's probably the most disappointed about the Thursday night game and the defensive scheme? Calvin Shepard. It would be so easy for him to be like, maybe Dan Campbell. It whereas I think Mike: Yeah. Maybe, maybe Dan Campbell, but I'm sure Calvin Schaeffer was right. Aly: this coaching staff seems like the type of coaching staff that's like, what can I do better? How can I improve? And that gives Mike: Yeah. Aly: me hope. Mike: Yeah. The other thing is, I've been an Alliance fan long enough to know that we have the best front office that we've ever had in my history of being a Lions fan. That said, we whiffed on the 2024 draft. Terry and Arnold, who was the other secondary guy we picked up? Michael: Strake straw. Mike: In this Rick Straub, neither have seen really any impact. I will defend Brad Holmes to the end. But that was a bad draft. Michael: Yeah, and we're feeling it now. Mike: And we are feeling Aly: Yeah. Mike: it now. Michael: I remember specifically when they drafted Tarion Arnold and then in the second round double dipped in cornerback, and drafted Ennis. I remember thinking to myself, one of will be good. At least, right? Mike: Yeah, and what's wrong with Rick's driving? He's not injured. He's not even playing. Michael: Yeah, he is he is inactive so far. I mean, I think he's talented. To some degree he's kind of a rookie 'cause he's been injured pretty much the first two years of his career. So, you know, I think the beneficial view of this is maybe he gets better and starts being active and starts playing some good reps during games. But I'm not saying that that's likely even. He has really not come on strong. And even Terrion Arnold last year, when he was supposed to be a world beater and apparently coming out of camp, he was supposed to look so good was bad. Like Mike: Mm-hmm. Michael: he still wasn't good. Aly: I am curious Mike: Yep. Aly: what both of you think about you know, we have said the secondary is a problem since last year. What would you if you were Brad Holmes between now and the Jets game, what are you doing? Michael: Ooh. So I wanted to talk about this. And I had a lot of thoughts a couple days ago when I texted both of you about Joey Joey Porter Junior. you know, I I like to listen Aly: Pittsburgh Steelers, right? Michael: yeah, I like to listen to clips on YouTube from ninety seven nine, the local Detroit station. And Aly: Mm-hmm. Michael: I I generally don't agree with them. They're a little bit y you know, they're here for the clicks and they want Max Crosby and they want us to trade for right whoever. And there's a lot of like if Brad Holmes wants to make it happen he can kind of talk just about big trades in general. And I generally don't agree with it. I generally am like, hey, we want to keep our window open. We want young, cheap draft picks. The other day I was I I was really thinking about it and I started looking at contracts and I started looking at like Jared Goff at the end of his contract is gonna be thirty four. Right at the end of St. Brown's contract, he's gonna be 29, maybe 30. and it made me start to think a little differently, right? It's made me start to think that I I don't love window talk, and I am starting to feel it a little bit. I'm starting to feel a little that when you have a core group of players that are on big contracts. Yeah, you can and Brad, I think, has done a good job of this where you sign them at different times, you have their big cap hits on different years, so you can make it all work. and at some point at some point you kind of need them to to get it together. And so I don't know what the trade would take. I don't think I would give a first rounder, but if we could do like a second and a fourth, I don't know if this is reasonable. I just feel like we have we have to do something. I'm not sure if we have two viable corn NFL corners. I think Rock I think I think DJ Reed is a great number two. I think Rock is fine depth, but to ask Rock to essentially be a number two and DJ Reed be a number one is just putting us in terrible situations. Mike: Yep. Michael: and could we I think we would have to look at if we would trade for Joey Porter Jr., it would be we would also have to sign him. And I think, you know, I was looking at the salary cap. Next year would be fine. It would be the year after that we'd have to start making some tough decisions. Not 2028, but 2029 is really where a lot of these large caps kind of start hitting. but man, if we could get a player like him for this year and next year, and then we can kind of figure it out after that. I don't know. It It's more attractive than I have felt about a big player acquisition idea than I've ever felt. Aly: am curious, Michael: No. Aly: Dad, what's your your Brad Holmes, your Dan Campbell? What are you doing between now and the Jets? Mike: Yeah, I'm going out to find either a quarterback, a joint porter junior. But I wouldn't go for a one-year deal or something like that. I would go over to Top and try to find the best available. And if not that, depending on where Kirby Joseph is, I might think about a safety. Aly: Yeah. Mike: If you can't, cornerbacks are hard to get, but let's face it, our safeties aren't starting safeties right now either. Aly: No, they are absolutely not. Mike: So that weighs on it. So we get Brian Branch back. What do we know about his rehab and what do we know about Kirby Joaks's rehab? Michael: Brian Branch is ahead of schedule, but we know that any sort of big injury, such as an ACL and especially an Achilles, he could come back, but will he be the BB? We'll see. I think eventually he will be, but immediately I I think is unreasonable to expect him to be immediately. Kirby Joseph, I'm not sure if he's gonna take another snap for the line, I'm gonna be honest. Aly: He's had a mysterious knee injury since last year. Michael: And really after I think it's after this year we have an out on his contract. And so I I I would be surprised if he took any meaningful snaps this year. Aly: Yeah, I think it's time to trade. I do wonder, Dad, to your question, the is is someone like Dan Campbell on the clock? I think based off of Sheila Ford keeping Dan after their season where they lost every game except one against the Vikings? To me that says Mike: Yeah. And then we were like, okay, all right, the next season. That's where it really, she stood out and said, no, we're still gonna stay with it. Michael: Yeah, we started one and six. Aly: I think she is she is in it for at least the next few years. Even cut at the end of the season because it's not going the way I expected. Mike: I agree. Aly: They're more of a long term, how do we build this back up? Michael: I think for Dan it's gonna take two miserable years. I think Aly: Yeah. Michael: I think if this year was miserable, he would be on the hot seat next year. But like this would this year would have to be like four and twelve. in my opinion. I think honestly, I think if we were mediocre this year and finish nine and eight again, I think he'd be fine. Dan turned this organization around with his Mike: Yeah. Michael: culture and the way that he carries himself and I don't think that we could i this is not an excuse but we could get a lot worse. with that being said, Mike: We're going to make that work. Michael: I I think I think something I'm I'm encouraged by from Thursday is our offense has been hit or miss, but we've also scored thirty one the last two games. You know, the New Orleans Saints is a Pretty good defense and we scored 31. And I will say, just feel-wise as a fan, outside of the three and three and outs, which again need to be corrected, the drives feel better. They look more like there's more flow, like there's more interesting layered concepts of routes that there's play action for easy completions, where it last year just kind of felt like unless g Jameer Gibbs breaks a big one. It just felt like we were pulling teeth. When our offense gets going, we look good. When our offense gets going, like when Jared Goff hits his back foot and throws the ball, it's like, here we go. This is is gonna be a completion. and to be fair, we had three reserves on our offensive line on Thursday. So Aly: Yes. Mike: That's fair. Michael: you know, I think the positive view of the lines right now is We get our offensive line back next week. Juice Scruggs is still playing, but he played fine against the Saints. so we get Mahogany, we get Blake Miller back. Our defense, frankly, I I think our path to success is a really good offense and an okay defense. Which either means our defense is not exciting and bend a notebreak, or they're really exciting and give up a lot of yards, but maybe have a bunch of turnovers. I don't think we're gonna be a dominating defense. Aly: No. If you're Calvin Shepard, are you changing the scheme or are you having a conversation about just the fundamentals of like let's just do a good job doing cover three, but it is the tool we have in our pocket. Michael: I would say what we I don't know if we are gonna overhaul the scheme, but I think we need to simplify it. I think you gotta like if you're gonna I think we just gotta let our players play fast. It looked like Aiden Hutchinson was out there thinking. It looked like Jack Campbell was out there thinking Aleem McNeil. Like we have Ali McNeil, Tyleek Williams, and Aiden Hutchinson. It they gotta be playing fast and they just aren't right now. Aleem is a pro bowler, Tyleek is a first round pick, and Aiden's a an all pro. let them go out there and play. You know, I would even be okay with the twenty twenty four version of the defense where it was just like we would just they would just chuck the ball and we would not be able to turn our heads and the and they would get these big plays. but at least we stopped the run and at least we Aly: Yeah. Michael: had some pressure on the quarterback from Aiden. I don't think we can fix all of our defensive woes with Our front seven, but at least let the front seven be good. Aly: Yeah, I agree. Mike: Let's transition to the Jets. Well, one Aly: Aaron Glenn. Mike: of the things is I think the hopefully what I'm for literally is that this is the low point for the season. We'll look back at this game and go, that was an anomaly actually. there were. Series of unfortunate events maybe a perfect storm of events the injuries and that kind of thing To hurt our offense because we we need to be able to run the ball and I would have said We've run the ball better against Buffalo, but I would have been wrong again. Just like to cover three I don't know if you know we ran 55 percent of the time we ran to cover three. I forget exactly Anyway, so moving on what do we got to do against the Jets and we're bringing them back to Ford Field We've got, and now this is interesting. The storyline, right, is everybody hates the defense. They're calling for Calvin Shepard's head. He's gotta be replaced. And now the former defensive coordinator is coming in with all the love that everybody remembers with. They're forgetting that when he was here, they hated them too. So let's think about, that's gonna be the storyline coming into the next game. Michael: vibes-wise, I have not looked into the Jets. I don't really know what they do, but I think there's two things that are working against the Lions that make me a little nervous. One is I think Aaron Glen's got nothing to lose. They're not really supposed to be that good, and they can just come in with some swagger. They won in week one, and he I think could get his team emotionally ready. to beat his former team. That makes me a little nervous. And two, do you know who the Jets quarterback is right now? Mike: Kino Smith. Michael: Geno Smith, and Geno Smith has absolutely torched the Lions the last two or three times that that he's played them. Geno Smith is not Josh Allen. Geno Smith is not even Tyler Shook. he is not as athletic as either of them by a long stretch. However, he's kind of torched their defense. and is very familiar with them. So I I am a little worried that we're gonna look at this game as maybe a a get right game and hopefully it is, but I don't wanna get dragged into a dogfight against the Jets and be in a place in the fourth quarter where in a position we're in a position to lose. Mike: Yeah, have to our offense has to be consistent and we have to be able to keep our defense off the field and score points on all most of all of our drives. I would have to say right? Michael: We have to get the ball and every time we have to score a touchdown. That's how we win. Mike: Let's put buffalo in. Aly: before we go, we should remember, do you know who the Jets play tomorrow? Mike: The Packers. Aly: Yes. Mike: very good game to watch. Michael: I hope they go out and shellack the Packers. I hope they go out and they feel like they are hot you know what and then they come in with too much swagger and we beat them. Aly: That's exactly what I want to happen. Michael: I I don't wish injury upon any NFL player that is wrong, so I'm not gonna wish that. But I do hope that Jordan Love and specifically Matt LaFleur have a look of defeat by the end of the game. Aly: I would agree. I also hope that Matt LaFleur gets into a senseless argument with a fan and looks silly. Michael: Yes. Mike: Yeah. Michael: Yep. And we know Jordan Love is not gonna play very well. Do you know why, Allie? You do know why. It's not Toyota Fan. it's too early. Aly: 'Cause it's it's not Toyota than. He can only perform well during Toyota than. Mike: Yeah. Aly: It's too early. Mike: I think in the end, I don't care what the Jets do. I just want our offense to play well. And if we play like we're capable of and it breaks out, remember game three last year, didn't we put up 50 against the Bears? That's Aly: Yes. Mike: what I want to see. Michael: Also, I do have I I thought about this last night and it felt silly in the moment, and then I was like, is it silly? I I don't know why we don't just have a game plan of throwing the ball to Amon Rah 30 times. Because Aly: Yeah. Michael: when you watch him just carve up defenses, it's it's so impressive to watch. And sometimes I'm like, why don't we just call every play for Amon Rah? And if he's not open, maybe I'll throw it to somebody else, but maybe I'll just throw it in the dirt. 'Cause I know the next time he's gonna be open. Mike: Yeah. Aly: Watching Goff throw the ball to Amunra and there were a couple of to Sam Laporta too where the player was fully covered. There was no Michael: Mm-hmm. Aly: gap. It w they did not get they did not create separation. They were fully covered and they still caught it. Beautiful. Like just some gorgeous Michael: Yeah, great. Aly: catches on Thursday night. Mike: Yep, agreed. I think we should probably throw to open up the run until our offensive line gets Michael: It Mike: 100%. Michael: and it felt that way. And it's easy on in hindsight to look at the Buffalo game, but looking back, I'm like, man, why didn't we start with Amon Ross St. Brown instead of ending with him? I will say, can I say one one formation that I loved and this is what made me excited about Drew Petsing in our offense? Did you see it was I think our first touchdown, I believe. We were in the red zone, and we came out in thirteen personnel, so we had all three tight ends. They lined up and then they shifted to five wide. So it was three tight ends, Gibbs and Amonrah, and Gibbs and Amonra were in the slots. Do you remember this? Mike: No. Aly: Beautiful. Michael: I loved that. It it creates matchup issues. All of a sudden you have linebackers out in space. And Amon Ra, you know, ran the route and was wide open. And so that Mike: I love that. Michael: kind of stuff where we come out with three tight ends but play we shift to five wide, or we play with three wide receivers, but we play like a tight formation run. Those are the kind of creative matchup type offensive things, schemes that with John Morton, it just didn't feel like we got those easy plays where I think a good offensive coordinator. Every couple plays we'll have that play where we just scheme a guy open and it's easy. We can't Aly: Yeah. Michael: I don't think any quarterback wants to rely on great throws every time. eventually you're gonna miss it and it's gonna be a interception or a bad play. When you can come out and scheme a guy open, scheme a guy to a great matchup for an easy completion. I think that that's where the magic of an offensive coordinator is, and I saw it a couple times, even in the bad Thursday night football that we just saw. Aly: Dad, that was something you were really excited about with Drew was his propensity to run a a three tight end formation or lean heavily on two tight ends and really like throw off the defense. Mike: Who was the third tight end in that formation, Mike? Michael: Conklin. Mike: I was kinda hoping, Aly: With a C. Michael: Jack Conklin. Mike: was Meeks active? Michael: I don't know, but I didn't see him out there. Mike: Yeah. Yeah, I think that the tight end multiple tight ends creates the matchup issues. I like that. And I think our first two tight ends are good enough to create those matchup issues. I even though Brock Wright people would say Brock Wright's more of a blocking tight end, I think he still has proven he can catch the ball. And then Sam Laporte is Aly: Absolutely. Mike: an all-per-all again this year. So I think that really works well for us. And then we can run our pass out of it. And I think when you add Gibbs, it's like having a wide receiver. So we really don't work anything. Michael: He Aly: Yes. Michael: I will say this year he has been much better in the passing game than I've seen. Like I've seen him running routes down the field. Gibbs signed his contract extension and they have various bonuses for performance. Did you know that almost all of his performance bonuses are based on receptions, receiving yards? And receiving touchdowns, not rush yards. Aly: Rushing? Fascinating. Mike: I did not know that. That is fascinating. Well, I'd like to see us make a move Aly: Okay, I love that. Mike: in this mini pie, get ourselves an improvement in the secondary. But it's got to be top end. It's got to be a top end guy. Don't go get a mediocre guy. Aly: How do you want to say goodbye to our friends and family that are listening to this podcast? Michael: And all of our viewers Aly: And all of our viewers. Michael: Thanks for listening to Passing Down Pride. We love you. Smash that subscribe button. Aly: Excellent job. That's gonna be the best Mike: Love it. Aly: outro I think that we've ever recorded.