00:00Good morning. It's a football Friday. Thanks for getting up with us. Jim Costa, John Jansen, Heather Park, Gov and
00:05Greg behind the glass cookie jar coming up at 735. We'll mix in a little bit of Verlander along the
00:10way, but it's a football Friday and we want to know what you need to see from the Lions to
00:15feel like they're the best team in the NFC North. That could be what they need to do against the
00:19Jets and what you need to see around the division because last night, Green Bay, hilarious, hilarious. This might be
00:27a six one football team. They don't even have their first round pick.
00:29They got out gained by over 200 yards on the ground bludgeoned by a Falcons team that hadn't even run
00:34a play in the red zone coming into last night. We can all laugh at the Packers, but John, you're
00:39right. We got to see stuff from the Lions. It can't just be by default. We're going to win this
00:44division. You're not going to win the division by default, right? So when you go out and play the Jets,
00:47it might just be a win, but I think you probably need to see some specifics in that win. You
00:52said get after the quarterback. Yeah, and it's it needs to be like Gino Smith is not Josh Allen, right?
00:58He's doesn't run the same as Josh Allen. He's not the same threat, but he is a quote unquote mobile
01:04quarterback, and so yes, I need to see something from DJ Wanham or Derek Moore, but I also need to
01:12see if depending on and this is where you get into the gray area. I don't know. I'm not in
01:18the huddle of not wearing the green dot. I don't hear Jack Campbell, but depending on the situation, there are
01:24going to be times where you are expecting your pass rush.
01:28To not let the quarterback out of the pocket, right? And in those situations, it's it's not just putting pressure
01:36on a quarterback, but it's Aiden Hutchinson. You can't always take that inside route like you're going to at sometimes
01:41have to stay outside so that you force the quarterback to actually be a passer and stay in the pocket.
01:48Different sites have different percentages, but pro football reference as the Lions with the second most blitz rate second highest
01:56blitz rate in all of football.
01:58What I need to see is them not have to blitz so often to get pressure on the quarterback, because
02:04if that's the world we're living in, we're playing with fire. I can't ask this secondary to play zone or
02:11man with just five guys in coverage.
02:14I can't be consistently blitzing my brains out and expecting to be a good team. I need my front for
02:21I need to be able to say you guys are going to win your matchups.
02:26The scheme is predicated on a Lee McNeil put in the center ass over tea kettle and getting to the
02:31quarterback. That's the scheme win one on one up front. We've invested a lot in our defensive line.
02:37Go win your matchups. That's not to say you never blitz. Clearly, you have to be unpredictable and mix in
02:43some change ups and situationally and you can you can fool a quarterback by, you know, having variety.
02:49But John, I don't want them to be a team blitzing as often as they are through two weeks. I
02:53don't want them to be putting their secondary high and dry for large chunks of the game.
02:57I mean, pro football reference hasn't blitzing 44% of the time. I need to see them get pressure with
03:03the front so they can help the secondary. Yeah, win up front. Yeah.
03:07Two, four, eight, five, three, nine, 97, 97. Let's go to Mike. Mike, good morning.
03:12Morning, fellas. How you doing? I'm doing all right. First comment I'm going to make.
03:17Anyone that says they want a quarterback to be a passer against the Lions as a Lions fan is a
03:21scary thought.
03:23But no, I think in order for me to feel good about the Lions, I'd like to see us just
03:28win the time of possession this week.
03:31Control the game with the offense and get our worst players off the field and get our best players on
03:36the field for a majority of the game.
03:38Our offense is clearly star-studded. The blueprint is there.
03:41Get the practice squad wannabes out of here and keep them on the sideline for as long as possible.
03:47That's the recipe to success.
03:49I like that. Yeah. I like that a lot.
03:51Yeah. And Mike, I know you're taking a little bit of a kind shot there at me about making him
03:56a passer.
03:57It's much harder to defend in the secondary if that quarterback extends the play.
04:02Now they've got to cover instead of three or four seconds, they're covering six, seven, eight seconds.
04:06There's no chance the secondary can do that.
04:09I don't think there's a chance the secondary can cover half a second.
04:13That's just where we're at right now.
04:14I don't necessarily disagree.
04:17But to Mike's point in regards to time of possession, each of the last two games, the only two games
04:24that they have played,
04:25what's the offense done on the very opening drive?
04:28Punt.
04:28Three and out punt.
04:30You need more than three plays.
04:32That's that scripted drive that's supposed to look so beautiful.
04:36You march right down the field against New Orleans.
04:39They got the ball.
04:40Three plays, six yards, two minutes off the clock.
04:43Punt.
04:43Yeah.
04:44And we all know what happened against Buffalo Bills.
04:47It was the first two drives.
04:48Three and out.
04:49Three and out.
04:49Like you can't start a game like that with this type of defense.
04:53And if you're going to win time of possession, you actually have to possess the ball.
04:56I slipped it in yesterday when we were talking to Ross Tucker, the Geno Smith stuff.
05:01Can I give you some specifics on it?
05:03The last three times that he's faced the Lions, he's two and one, five touchdowns, one pick, 73% passer,
05:10and he's thrown for over a thousand yards.
05:13Yeah, 300 each time.
05:14Yeah.
05:15So it was 320 yards, 328 yards.
05:18And then in the loss, he almost had 400 yards back in 2024.
05:22Now, different receiver room.
05:24But again, when you're facing the Lions secondary, guys are going to get open.
05:28And Geno has shown he can play with some confidence against the Lions.
05:31Yeah.
05:31So I like his point of, well, just possess the football.
05:35Yeah.
05:36Lead from your offense.
05:38Grind people down.
05:39That's supposed to be how you reestablish this gritty identity that was lost.
05:43Right.
05:43And he is a guy, if you go back to all those games, remember there are times where, hey, they
05:47almost got him down.
05:49Yet he breaks contain.
05:50He extends the play and then finds a wide open receiver.
05:53Like you can't have those moments.
05:55If you get him in the grasp, you've got to take him to the ground.
05:59Text says, good morning.
06:00Great show.
06:01I need to see first and foremost, the offense come out of the gate ready to steamroll the lowly Jets.
06:05Rich and Algonac.
06:06Yeah.
06:07That opening drive is good.
06:08I think going to be very telling for this offense.
06:10Running the ball and getting after the quarterback is our path.
06:13It's the foundation of ball control.
06:14It needs to start to develop.
06:17John, thank you for bringing up Derek Moore.
06:19If you watch the tape, he's earned those zeros.
06:21He's playing with zero effort on plays he's in.
06:24Not sure what his deal is, but I sure understand why he's not playing much.
06:28Someone needs to question his manhood and get him going.
06:31I'm not going to question a guy's manhood through his first two games of his NFL career.
06:35Come on.
06:35At some point, you're going to have to show why you were a second round pick.
06:41Lions need to hold the Jets under 100 rushing yards and under 200 passing yards, win by 10 or more
06:48points, and then I'll believe they can win the North.
06:51Let's go step by step.
06:53Do you believe they can hold the Jets under 100 rushing yards?
06:56Was it Brees Hall?
06:57Yeah.
06:58I think they should be able to.
07:00Can they hold the Jets under 200 passing yards?
07:03I'm not sure that's possible.
07:06Unless the Lions win T.O.P. with like 45 minutes of possession.
07:11Right.
07:12If the Lions hold them under 200 passing yards, they're going to win by 21 points.
07:15Right.
07:15And it won't be an issue with the last checkpoint, which is disco on them, win by 10 or more.
07:21And against other teams, I would say those are really too lofty of a standard.
07:29But against the Jets, I'm just not sold that the Jets are this, they're not a powerhouse offense.
07:38Right.
07:38Yeah.
07:38Brees Hall is a good back.
07:40And they have, as Ross talked about yesterday, invested in the offensive line.
07:46But to think that Geno Smith with Garrett Wilson, A.D. Mitchell, Isaiah Williams, Kenyon Sadiq,
07:54they're tight end.
07:54Like, I just don't think he's a guy that should be throwing for over 300 yards against this
07:59defense.
08:01I think under 200 yards is, I don't think that's reasonable to expect this defense to do.
08:06What could he have said it at that you think would be a more realistic goal?
08:09250?
08:10300?
08:10Yeah, I'd say 250.
08:11All right.
08:12Hold Geno to 250?
08:14Yeah.
08:14Control the ball?
08:15Or hell.
08:15I mean, just do something you haven't done in the last three times you faced him.
08:18Hold him under 300.
08:19There you go.
08:20Every season we hear about Hutch and the Hutch rule.
08:23I need to see it when they play on Sunday.
08:28What's the Hutch rule?
08:29The Hutch rule is in practice, they're frustrated.
08:31They have to keep blowing the play dead because he's just so effing good.
08:34He wins all the time.
08:35We can't even get productive working at practice because Hutch is the incredible Hulk.
08:39Right.
08:40Well, let's see that then, right?
08:41Yes.
08:41Let's see it on game day.
08:42Yeah.
08:43Yeah.
08:43Well, he's doubled.
08:44Well, sometimes you got to win a double.
08:46Sometimes you got to win a triple.
08:482-4-8-5-3-9-97-97.
08:51What do you need to see from the Lions to feel like this is the best team in the North?
08:54And I think you said, let's focus on us.
08:56The other games this weekend, Bears are going to play Monday night.
09:00No idea who the quarterback will be.
09:02They'll play the Eagles.
09:03And the Vikings play the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
09:06Right.
09:07But that's Kyler Murray getting back out there under center and we'll see what he looks like.
09:11Yeah.
09:12Is there a path where Kyler Murray, because of all of the different and unique ways that the Vikings can
09:20apply pressure to a quarterback,
09:21is this where his value really shows of being able to escape the pocket and extend plays and find receivers
09:31downfield?
09:31Because, as you mentioned, I disagree, but in your opinion, they have the number one receiver in the NFL.
09:38Yeah, I do think they do.
09:40This is a game where he's going to have to show it.
09:42And my thing, I said the Vikings were the biggest threat in the North before the season started.
09:47And it wasn't because I thought Kyler Murray was Dan Marino.
09:50I thought he gave them.
09:51It's a Brian Flores defense.
09:52Well, it's a Brian Flores defense.
09:54It's an offensive line that was ravaged with injuries a year ago.
09:57And it was a quarterback upgrade.
09:58I mean, there's no denying what they had last year at quarterback was a disaster, and they still won nine
10:02games.
10:03So I always viewed them as a team that would, much like the Lions, be set up for a bounce
10:06back.
10:07They could be 3-0 coming into the show Monday.
10:12So I'd like to feel better about the Lions because you'll handle your business with Minnesota when you face them
10:17twice.
10:17What do you guys need to see?
10:192-4-8-5-3-9-9-7-9-7.
10:21John and Taylor, you're up next.
10:23Good morning.
10:25Gentlemen, good morning.
10:26Thanks for having me on.
10:27First time caller.
10:27I appreciate that.
10:28Thanks for calling in.
10:30Hey, so what I'm looking for out of the Lions, especially these next couple weeks, is going to be just
10:35a healthy production.
10:36Get in, get out, get your W's, and move on.
10:39I want to see everybody ready to go come November.
10:42You know, you look at our schedule, it's pretty soft.
10:45There's maybe three games that we're not supposed to win, if that, and that's just being generous.
10:50And yeah, maybe the Lions' defense and our secondary gives up an extra loss.
10:55But under no circumstances do I not see the Lions winning the North and getting themselves into the playoffs.
11:00But we need to stay healthy.
11:02And that's something we haven't seen in a couple years.
11:04We have that.
11:05I think we've got ourselves squared up for a really fantastic playoff run, if not at least a really good
11:11seed.
11:14Yeah, stay healthy.
11:15I mean, that's going to be a major part of this.
11:17And get healthy.
11:19Like, get Brian Branch back.
11:21So, in his eyes, they are the division favorites.
11:23Factually, I think that's true on most books.
11:25Just don't F it up.
11:26Like, the way the schedule sets up, they should have a winning record going into their bye.
11:29They should win two of the next three minimum, right?
11:32Yeah.
11:32They'll be favored in those games.
11:34If they eliminate or minimize the explosives defensively, take away these stupid pre-snap penalties,
11:42and this hasn't been a team that turned the ball over once.
11:45Like, don't turn the ball over.
11:46Do all of the things that you have to do to win football games.
11:52You're going to beat bad teams.
11:53So, in that world where you have taken care of business against bad teams and you have
11:57a winning record going to the bye, ideally 4-1, but maybe you stubbed your toe.
12:00We're angry and frustrated.
12:02But you're still 3-2 going into the bye.
12:04Green Bay is your first game afterwards at home.
12:06Is Cade Mays back?
12:07Is Brian Branch back?
12:08Like, you start to build on it.
12:11Is Micah Parsons back?
12:14This stretch of the schedule is where they're supposed to create separation and maybe cushion
12:20for the last three of four games in the season on the road against Divisional and Poland.
12:25Right, yeah.
12:25You're going to have to start banking wins.
12:27They're going to need something in the bank no matter what.
12:30Because I really believe you've got to think one and two on the road in those games is where you
12:37start.
12:38If you can win two of them, great.
12:40Yeah.
12:41Long way to go.
12:42We're going to talk about Verlander next.
12:44Let's get to the cookie jar at 7.35.
12:455.
12:465.
