00:00John, you wondered, is there anybody out there picking the Lions besides us?
00:04Clean sweep on the show, but the early returns on the text, people aren't buying it.
00:08Let's go to Eric. You're on 97.1.
00:13Hi, guys. I'm from Zealand, Michigan, the home of Jay Remus,
00:16but I think he played with you, John. That's sure I forget.
00:21Anyways, my thoughts on the Lions,
00:24I do believe that they have some of the prolific offense with Gibbs.
00:29I think Goff is going to resurrect himself and be more consistent.
00:33I believe also that Jordan loves a little dinged up,
00:36so I think we should have a good route on them.
00:40I'm thinking we'll win just by a little bit,
00:43but I think the Lions will end up winning.
00:46Truthfully, I don't care if we cover our bets here.
00:49I just need this team to win this game.
00:51Just win by one, please.
00:54Obviously, as the week goes on next week,
00:56we'll be dissecting what was good, what was bad,
00:59and is it going to be good enough to beat Minnesota?
01:02That's next week's issue.
01:03Yeah. Got to make that game matter.
01:05Yeah, because this is, and I would anticipate
01:09that Keith Abney is still going to be playing safety,
01:13and probably next to Brian Branch,
01:15what does that look like?
01:16Because he played well in his first opportunity to play safety.
01:19He's typically a corner.
01:22Maybe a little bit more coverage from that position than we have had.
01:28And that could be the benefit.
01:30It could also be, hey, he's still learning the position,
01:33and there's a miscommunication,
01:35or he doesn't understand something,
01:36and all of a sudden, Christian Watson goes for an easy one.
01:38Well, that's the key.
01:39Mistakes against this Green Bay offense won't be five-yard plays.
01:42They could be 55-yard plays.
01:44One thing Campbell said this week at the podium,
01:47maybe it's obvious, but it was interesting to have it put this way.
01:51Brian Branch can play with anybody
01:54because he can make up for whatever deficiencies that guy has.
01:58Right.
01:58So if you need Branch to play more center field
02:01because you've got a box safety, he can do it.
02:04If the safety you want to play next to him is more of a coverage safety,
02:06well, Brian Branch is more than instinctive enough to play
02:08near the line of scrimmage.
02:10If you need to play too high, you're not sacrificing.
02:12He affords you a little more flexibility
02:15with whoever plays safety next to him.
02:17Yes.
02:18That was before the Achilles.
02:22What does he look like at game speed
02:26in his first game back after the Achilles injury?
02:28And maybe he's like Adrian Peterson, where he's just a freak.
02:33He healed better than a lot of other people,
02:35and we don't notice a difference.
02:37I don't know.
02:38We'll see on Sunday.
02:40We'll be able to be the judge.
02:41Tom has a great stat.
02:43So someone texted in and said,
02:44I don't believe Gibbs has ever had a 100-yard game
02:46against the Packers.
02:47They seem to know how to slow him down and stop him.
02:51So, Tom, you compiled this, right?
02:52This is Gibbs in six career games against the Packers.
02:5674 carries for 289 yards.
02:59That's under four yards per attempt
03:01and only one rushing touchdown.
03:03Well, surely he's killed them through the air.
03:05No.
03:0628 catches on 35 targets for 120 yards
03:10and one receiving touchdown.
03:11Again, that's in six total games.
03:16Some of that is weighed by last year's opener in Green Bay.
03:19Right.
03:19It was a disaster.
03:20And I remember Gibbs had close to 10 receptions,
03:23and it was like 26 yards.
03:25Yeah.
03:25You know, so a little bit's weighted to one game.
03:28But they have held him in check.
03:29So let's go back to his rookie season
03:32where we kept asking Dan,
03:36when is it that we're going to see more of him?
03:41When are we going to get more Jameer Gibbs?
03:43And then there's his second year where,
03:46okay, offensive line was good and he was good.
03:49So that's the one I'm looking at most of.
03:50Yeah, they were able to slow him down.
03:52And then last year, those two games,
03:55what did we say as we continue to go throughout the season?
03:59This offensive line could not hold up
04:02against better defensive fronts.
04:04I think this Detroit Lions offensive line,
04:07superior to last year's,
04:08and if you're looking at Green Bay,
04:11they are not as good
04:13because there is no Micah Parsons,
04:14there is no Rashawn Gary,
04:17and the guys that they have,
04:18okay, Micah Parsons injured, out.
04:20Rashawn Gary's in Dallas.
04:22Javon Hargrave, out.
04:23Jonathan Ford, out.
04:24Warren Brinson, out.
04:25Colin Oliver, out.
04:27Jordan Riley, out.
04:28Anthony Capella, Campbell, out.
04:30Like, they have been devastated
04:32by injuries up front.
04:34So, while even early on in the game,
04:38they may find ways to slow Gibbs down,
04:41those guys aren't going to get a break.
04:44They don't have a lot of reinforcements
04:46at that position.
04:47So, as the game goes on
04:49and this offensive line continues to wear on them,
04:52I would look for Gibbs to have a big second half.
04:55I like that thought process a lot.
04:58The Lions are better on both lines of scrimmage.
05:00Yes.
05:01Period, point blank.
05:02The Packer O-line has not been very good this year.
05:05The Packer defense,
05:06you just illustrated all of the bodies
05:07that are on the injured list.
05:10You're playing at home.
05:11You're healthy.
05:12You're off a bye.
05:13You're the better team at the line of scrimmage.
05:16This has got to be a win.
05:20If we're playing this game on paper,
05:23yes.
05:24Now, it's a matter of can they go
05:26because they are getting them
05:27not first game of the year on the road.
05:30This is coming off a bye.
05:32It is the sixth game that they're playing
05:36and it is at Ford Field.
05:38Not to do Monday's show on Friday
05:39because they have to still go and prove it,
05:41but this would be the take Monday.
05:43It's why you went out and got Cade Mays.
05:46Right.
05:46Right?
05:46I mean, think about this is your first chance
05:48to play Green Bay after an 0-2 last year
05:50where they got after you.
05:51You added Cade Mays as the signature free agent.
05:53His return coincides with the first game
05:55against Green Bay.
05:56And it validates the draft of last year
05:59on both sides of the line
06:02where you have Tate Rattledge
06:04playing at a better level in year two.
06:06Tyleek Williams playing at a better year
06:08than year one.
06:11Some more feedback says,
06:13did you guys read the article
06:14on how Branch has learned to change his game?
06:16Less emotional, just bawling out.
06:18How he has to physically get ready for games
06:20has changed too.
06:21I, as players age,
06:25yes, they learn some of those things.
06:26However, he is going to be jacked up
06:30to play this game.
06:32He is coming back.
06:34He wants to be the reason
06:35why this secondary goes from liability
06:39to asset.
06:41I don't think that's going to be the case.
06:43I don't think they become an asset,
06:44but can they go from liability
06:46to not liable all the time?
06:51Lions by 13.
06:52Jordan Love gets exposed.
06:54T.G. on a running trail.
06:57And a text says,
06:58can you guys help me understand
06:58the phone call you guys just took
07:00where he says Goff is going to resurrect himself?
07:03Isn't he just a good quarterback?
07:04Like, why does he need to resurrect himself?
07:06John on a truck.
07:07Goff is playing as one of the best quarterbacks this year.
07:10So we got the better quarterback in this game.
07:12Yes.
07:12We got the better trenches in this game.
07:14Yes.
07:15We have the better skill talent in this game.
07:18Yes.
07:20Playing the game at home off a bye.
07:21I mean, the thing with Goff,
07:23he eventually is going to throw an interception.
07:24Okay?
07:25Yeah.
07:26Let's just hope it's not at a bad time.
07:28Right.
07:28I looked up the Gibbs numbers a little further
07:30that opener last year.
07:3219 touches for 50 yards.
07:34Oh, boy.
07:35So his stats aren't too bad the rest of the way.
07:38That opener last year was a disaster.
07:40Plunker.
07:41Adam in Davison, you're on 97.1.
07:44How you doing, fellas?
07:45Good morning.
07:46Hey, good morning.
07:47Go blue, man.
07:48I think to talk about the Lions a little bit,
07:51I think any team, man, when you get a leader back,
07:54you play with a little bit more grit.
07:58Dan Campbell.
07:59Just a little bit more.
08:00I think our defense is going to be stoked that Branch is back.
08:04I think Jared Goff is really going to solidify himself
08:07as a MVP candidate this weekend, which he already has,
08:11but I truly believe that we're going to come out
08:13and we're going to have a statement victory.
08:15I mean, I knew last week, whatever, we had to win that game,
08:18but this is the game where you're going to come out
08:20and see really who the Lions are.
08:22And the way we've been getting after the quarterback,
08:26the lack of a run game for Green Bay,
08:28I really truly believe that, you know,
08:30Hutch is going to have a big game.
08:31Our defense is going to play well.
08:33I'm going like a 35-7.
08:35I know that sounds crazy,
08:37but I really just, just because of the simple fact,
08:40Branch is back and he's been chopping at the bit, man.
08:43I can only imagine.
08:44You know what I mean?
08:45Four-touchdown feast.
08:47Wow.
08:48Yeah.
08:49I mean, I really think, I mean,
08:51he did old Sam Laporta some touches
08:54and calmed him down a little bit.
08:56Yeah, go ahead.
08:57Let's make this a Laporta game.
08:58You want to get paid?
08:59Go catch eight balls for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
09:02It'd be great.
09:04Why not?
09:05Show you're better than Tucker Kraft.
09:06That's right.
09:08Force us to pay you.
09:14I'm just really excited for Lions football to be back.
09:17The bye week, it feels like,
09:19even though they had a win going into the bye week,
09:21there are still so many questions.
09:22And the fact that Brian Branch will be back,
09:25it's not the cure-all,
09:27but it certainly can be a huge addition for this defense.
09:40Can they take some of that confidence
09:42and some of the things that they were doing in that game
09:46and move it forward?
09:47This game is also ripe for overreactions.
09:51You know, because of the two-week buildup,
09:53because they haven't played a division game,
09:55they win.
09:56Here we go.
09:58Back-to-back wins for the first time in a year.
09:591-0 in the division.
10:01Let's get this going.
10:02They lose.
10:03The spiral.
10:04We've been passed by everybody.
10:06Even the worst team by the odds beats us.
10:08Green Bay.
10:09Oh, boy.
10:11Oh, boy.
10:11It'll be deserving.
10:12Yeah, no, no.
10:13It's not an overreaction.
10:15This is a referendum game for this entire regime,
10:17in my mind,
10:19and what they're doing,
10:20and what I think it's an absolute critical mass moment
10:24for Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell's future.
10:27Not to say their jobs are in jeopardy,
10:29in the offseason,
10:31but this division, man,
10:33what the Bears did last night.
10:35I only say,
10:36because we joked off the air,
10:37could you imagine they lose this,
10:38but then beat Minnesota?
10:40Right.
10:41But, yes, I agree with Tom's point.
10:43This is telling.
10:44This will be a telling game.
10:45This should be their easiest division game.
10:47Yeah.
10:51I think one of the things,
10:53Matt LaFleur,
10:53you can judge him as a coach,
10:54whatever you want.
10:55He's got a great regular season record in his career.
10:57I think one of the things he answered the bell on
10:59was the Lions,
11:01when they were rising,
11:02were playing bully football.
11:05And I think he has answered that
11:07for the Packers
11:08and the way they've responded
11:10since the Lions became that with last year.
11:12Like,
11:13I thought the Packers physically dominated the Lions
11:15in both games last year.
11:17It's going to be interesting to watch
11:18because when Green Bay played this year against Atlanta,
11:21that was that Thursday night game?
11:23Yeah.
11:23And they were brutalized.
11:25I mean,
11:25they looked like a soft football team.
11:28They're 3-0 since.
11:29They looked like they were reading the headlines
11:31about the Falcons.
11:33And then the Falcons found an offense for a little bit.
11:36We'll take some more phone calls on the Lions.
11:38Also want to mix in a little bit of Michigan.
11:40We've got to get to the news and cookie jars.
11:41So this is your chance to jump in on Michigan, Indiana.
11:44Shot or no shot?
11:45Do the Wolverines have a shot against the Hoosiers?
11:47We'll get to that 97-1.
11:48We'll get to that 97-1.
