NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Packers-Lions TNF Recap: The Next Great NFL Rivalry Delivers

Episode Date: December 6, 2024

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue of the The Athletic to break down the thrilling Thursday Night Football game between the Packers and Lions. They start with a discussion about the identity of the Lions and going for it on fourth down (01:22), followed by a deep dive into the battle between the coaching staffs (17:11), a look at the state of the Packers (23:37), Jordan Love's play (31:51), and more!  Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. On fourth down, Jared up under center, turns, gives it to Montgomery, gets the first down. Jared tripped as he came out from behind center, handed it to Demo, just barely got it to him. He got the first down to the first down. the 14 yard line you let that clock run now down to 30 and the packers can't stop it final play of the game barring a penalty lion's going for the win it's going to be jake bates from 35 yards out

left hash to try to win it for detroit there it is fox the hold kick away it is up and it is good these Detroit lions you want to talk about grit you want to talk about determination you want to talk We've got resiliency. This team is all of those things. What a night for the Detroit Lions. You want to talk about the number one seed and the NFC going through Detroit? We're one step closer to that being a reality

after the Lions get a 34 to 31 victory in a fantastic Thursday night football game. That was Dan Miller and Lomas Brown on WXYT. I'm Greg Rowe. I'm in the garage, and when we got a big game, we need a big time guest and analyst for one of the best football nights of the year. We can only have Jordan Rodriguez, and we had to play two plays, Jordan, right off the top because that told the story of a night when Dan Campbell and this Lions team was not afraid of the moment. They go for it on fourth and one with under 40 seconds to go. They pick it up and they get the game winner from Jake Bates.

And I texted Greg Rosenthal in all caps. Onions Campbell. My God, what a great game. Let's go. That ruled. That ruled so much. It did. And our great producer, Eric Roberts, is saying, oh, the first half.

You know, I was wondering if this game was totally going to deliver. But a lot of times, great games are like that. There was the chess match early, and we'll get to everything that happened early. And they were feeling each other out. But I found that all fascinating because you're watching this game. And you just know. these are two of the seven or eight teams that could win the Super Bowl that are on the list where it's realistic, where you can imagine it. Now, the lions are right near the top of that list and that decision to go for, let's start there on fourth and one.

I don't think any other coach in the NFL is going for it there, but he does not want to give the ball back to Jordan Love. And he is not afraid of not picking that yard up, even though Jordan earlier, In the second half, they set up a short Packers' field goal by going for fourth and one inside their own 30. That play did not work out, but five times on this night, they went for fourth down. Two of them resulted in touchdowns. Two others were converted, including that last play. And to me, it's just next level thinking, do you trust your defense or do you know that you're an offensive team and confident that you can pick up one yard there and end the game?

Well, it's true to who they are. I mean, listen, man, and I know I sounded like Dan Campbell there. I've been working on that. Listen, man. No, they have... Listen, man. Sounds great coming from you, Greg. The ethos of who they are. I mean, this is who this team is. They, I mean, you saw on the Amazon Prime broadcast, you saw the close-up shot of Dan Campbell and his jaw was set and his eyes were like dead inside, right? And he was to go. And then Alan Kirk on the broadcast were sitting, oh, yeah, they're going to try to get them to jump, right? And everybody in the audience at home, I am certain was like, they're going to freaking go for it right here, only if only to kill clock and to set up the field goal in a little chip shot a little bit further away than that, but an easier field goal for Jake Bates, who has been nails all season since they picked him up earlier this summer. And it is just so cool to see a team be who it is and you can't do anything about it and the packers did i think just about there's a couple little nitpicks we're going to have just about everything they could i just hit my own

microphone i'm so heck and fired up this they did everything they possibly could you know with with it just this is who the lions are and and part of me too was relishing that short yardage fourth down and that fourth and one right almost almost unnecessary depending on you who you ask but if you're Dan Campbell, if you're the lines, that is necessary because Jordan Love was starting to heat up on the other side, executing some beautiful throws late in the game, keeping the Green Bay Packers in it, keeping it tight, taking a couple leads. And Dan Campbell, I feel like almost a part of him and I want to believe this, went for it there almost because they failed on the previous one. He's like, I want everyone, all the talking heads on the shows tomorrow morning to shut the hell

up because we're going to get this one. I do not think Campbell thinks that. But I do think he thinks about what it says to the team, that this is who we are and we're going to keep doing this. But I think he is so good at game management because he plays to the strengths. And he knows that the Packers scored every single one of those 31 points, Jordan, in the previous six drives. So that's 31 points in six drives. That's four touchdowns and a field goal. The Lions, you know, were able to force the Packers to kick a field goal with about three minutes and 40 seconds to go. And that almost felt like a death sentence. The Lions are so good on offense that you thought, ooh, them tying it at 31 with under four to go. I just bet

they're going to kill the clock and kick a field goal. And that is what happened. But before that, it was four straight touchdowns by the Packers. The Lions defense, which I thought was really noble in this game and they're so short-handed and started out really well. And they picked the team up early when the offense actually wasn't amazing. They punted a couple times and Goff had that interception in their first six drives. It's a team game. It's complimentary. And Dan Campbell knows who can compliment it. Now, let's just back up a second in that drive. Because I say it, it felt like a fait accompli it's going to happen. But there's multiple moments where they got to go make it happen. It's third and nine, and you get Jemir Gibbs, who as a receiver is such a difference maker,

he caught that fourth down for a touchdown. You got to pick up that third and nine, or you have another really difficult fourth down decision, or you're kicking a field goal with a ton of time left. Of course, they pick it up. You have second and 17 after a questionable holding call, and it's just like, ah, they'll probably pick up the second and 17, but you can't take it for granted. Jared Goff is just so awesome, you know, throwing it over the middle on those endbreakers. He gets 16 yards.

That was to St. Brown, right? You know, they're just short of fourth down. And they were a little up and down in short yardage, on third downs for most of the night, and that set up the big decision. But all the credit goes to Goff, too, for other than the interception, I think playing a fantastic game, and him and the lines being able to execute in those huge moments.

Yes, he ended the game on a 13-pass heater. Like, talk about clutch. I mean, after that years. Wait, no incompletions, you mean in 13 in a row? Correct, yeah. Oh, wow. No misses. And to Amon Raus St. Brown, of course, on one of those inbreakers, those digs that the Packers, for some reason, could not cover all night.

And they were doing a hell of a job the Packers were, I think, against this Lions offense. They were getting a ton of penetration up front. They were winning the line of scrimmage a lot. They forced the Lions to go into their screen game. We'll talk about some of the moves and counter moves in a second. But after that interception, Jared Goff settled in so well, in part because Ben Johnson and he got in their bag on some of these misdirection plays, some of the screen, some of the quick passes, some of the different things that settle a quarterback down. And then he started heating up and he was so confident. And even on that handoff on the fourth and one, he falls down because he gets stepped on and he still gets the handoff to the back, right?

And you're having a heart attack watching it because you're like, this gangly creature is just flying all over the dang backfield because it gets stepped on. And it still works out because this is a tough team. They are tough-minded. They embody their head coach. They embody their city. They embody each other. They trust each other. That was clear up and down, even in the clutch moments that they had to execute on that last drive in the calls that their head coach made situationally.

It just is so clear this team absolutely knows who it is and what. can accomplish. This is the sixth one possession game. They have won this season. That is the third most in the NFL. And a lot of it has come down to having the confidence, because they've blown some teams out. But a lot of it, too, has come down to having the confidence to just suffocate the opponent and squeeze out these late drives. Yeah, you sent that stat to me. I was really surprised because you think the lions have so many blowouts. And they do. But they've won so many games at this point that more than half their games have been one-score games. They lost that one to the Bucks where it was a weird game

where they almost doubled them in yardage and then they've won all the rest of them. Let's hear from Dan Campbell on that fourth down decision. I just, you know, I felt like, I just felt like we needed to end it on offense, you know, and I did not want to get that ball back, and I believe we could get that. I believe we could convert, you know, and I trusted that old line. I trusted David, and they came through for it. It's a hell of a call by Ben, you know.

It just, I knew how I wanted to play this game. The team knew it, and everything in me told me that let's finish this. And so we did. I love how he talks after these things, like after this. It's almost like he's pleading. I don't know why his tone is like that because we all are in, man. Like we're all, we're also. I don't think he's pleading.

No, no, no. I'm saying his tone. I'm not saying he is doing that. I'm saying his tone is like that urging, you know what I mean? Like that, that, like, it's almost like taking so much out of him just to complete the sentences because of how much the game took out of him. And, like, just, you know, it's just, it's very earnest, I would say. And, and it's very, every time we're used to it now for several years and you don't really quite get used to it because you don't hear coaches talk like that after games. I, I read it more as he has put it, like you just, He has put everything into this game. And then he just spoke to his team afterwards.

And it's almost all out of it. And it's taking everything of him to even put himself back in those moments to like explain where it is. And I love it. It's so human. It's firing me up. I mean, I think I need to take off my embarrassing winter coat

that I'm wearing in the garage still and get comfortable for the rest of the show. So let's actually listen to another fourth down call. While we're thinking about fourth down calls, I want to back it up, actually, to the fourth down call, the first fourth down touchdown. It's Jared Goff finding Jemir Gibbs. This is in the first half to end it.

It's on it at a 10-7 score. It's basically a seven-point play. It's going to change how you feel about the end of the first half. Goff is going to work out of the gun. He's got Gibbs to his right. Jerry takes the snapback, looking, throwing head zone. Cuttsdown, Detroit Lions. You can't cover that man.

Jamir Gibbs on the receiving end. What a sick route that time. Arrow route, man. You got a guy like Jamir Gibbs that can stick his foot in the ground the way he does and come out of his break. There's no linebacker can cover him. That is such an awesome play call. Also, an awesome job by me, knowing how embarrassing it was. would be to take off the coat during the podcast.

Yeah, that was how I know the game's slowing down for me. I'm like, I need a highlight to take it off because it was embarrassing. But that play gets to Ben Johnson's brilliance. There were so many moments, Jordan, where he isolated on just the got-a-have-it type of plays, whether it was Tim Patrick on an endbreaker on another fourth down call, whether it was Gibbs there, whether it was Gibbs on that third down. Even the very first third down of the game, I'm thinking how he got Amon-Ross, St. Brown matched up on Javon Bowman.

or the Packers' safety. It wasn't perfect because the Packers' defense was out there, too, and they were getting pressure, and they did a lot of good things. But on the biggest plays of the game, they were getting the guys they wanted and they executed. And it really speaks to me of how great this backfield is, because we just said how great Montgomery is and how much faith. His success rate tonight was outstanding.

It was well over 50%. Gibbs's was terrible, actually. Gibbs did not run the ball well, but Gibbs in the passing game was everything. had some of the biggest plays in the game. Yeah, it was impressive to watch the adjustments in this game. Tim Patrick, by the way, two touchdowns tonight after going over a thousand days since his last touchdown.

And like I've said this before. I think I've said this to you too. What a love match between Tim Patrick and the Detroit. Like what a perfect fit between Tim Patrick and the Detroit lights. He does everything well that they want that they need from him to do. And they reward him for it. And this is, this was cool. And it was cool to watch him getting the two game balls and, like, how hyped up he was.

And what a cool moment for him after those injuries and the team change and all of that. But I loved the coaching in this game from both sides of the ball. I questioned a couple of Matt LaFleur's decision making. There was a delay he took in the third quarter that was a punt. The recommendation for that was to go. But, you know, we can nitpick over those things. I really thought that the coordinators and the play callers in this game and minus even taking out, because we've talked a lot about the situational stuff, but taking that out for a

second, I thought the adjustments, making the most of the players that they had, adjusting extremely quickly, not just half to half, but drive to drive. And we can go deeper in on this in a minute. But I really, I was so impressed by Jeff Halfley with Green Bay. I was impressed by the game that Matt LaFleur called in the way he adjusted. Situational stuff aside. And there was some, you know, we can nitpick to the cows come home either side of the ball. But I, I, I was impressed with it with the coaching there. I was really impressed with Aaron Glenn. I always am because he's done a hell of a job this year.

But they are decimated just over a dozen players to injury. They lost Aleem McNeil to a concussion or a potential. They're calling it a head injury, but he was in the concussion protocol earlier in the game. They lost him, which is obviously huge because the interior of their defensive line is already decimated. The exterior of their defensive line is decimated. Jonah Freak and Williams, who was just in L.A. last week,

and I said hey to him in the hallway. Is there now starting for them, playing for the meaningful snaps for them off, you know, off the practice squad? Stop here, the era just on participation. In the very first drive of the game for the Packers, so essentially starting, Kwan Alexander's out there. I'm like, wait, he's on the lines. I honestly didn't know.

Kwan Alexander's out there. Jamal Adams is out there, who just came in this week. Jonah Williams is out there, who is just in Los Angeles. And then, yeah, you mentioned Alim McNeil goes out. Brian Branch went out in the second half of this game. They've had to overcome so much. And the guys that were making place for them, like, Pat O'Connor was actually, it was like a big factor getting some pressures.

They needed their defense to just get a couple stops to let their offense win the game. And whether that sometimes it comes early, sometimes it comes late. And for them it came early. Like by the second half, and you can talk about the adjustments, the Packers made, the Packers had basically figured them out. But they did get enough stops early while the Lions' offense wasn't humming, and they did force a turnover, Carlton Davis with a nice play on a Christian Watson catch who had a great night otherwise, that they did enough. And that's what winning in the NFL, and that's what's so impressive. I love a team

full of just, like, it's okay to have excellence. Maybe they won't make it to the Super Bowl. For this regular season, though, they are an example of excellence, and I like that being rewarded. You know, that could have been huge, too, because after that, the Lions only got three points out of that fumble recovery on the other side. That was when the Packers defense, I think, was at their peak right there, forcing the Lions into their A-minus and B-plus plans for a minute there before that game-ending drive. What I really loved about, I'm going to start with what Ben Johnson did with his opening script. And I am always such a huge fan of how he, so for listeners who might not know, the open. opening script, most teams, most offensive coordinators or offensive play callers on a team, they'll use like a 10 to 15 play sequence and they will basically organize that play sheet

in that manner. And it's not necessarily intended to react to what a defense is doing, but to assert looks on a defense to force the defense to react to you in certain ways. And if it goes as planned, you can get some answers as to how defenses will react to certain looks that you show, especially pre-snap, especially what you do with motion, especially, you And a lot of times, because it is such an assertive plan and you're doing different things, teams that are good can score on that opener and then forces the defense to then go to its reaction plan versus play-by-play reaction. But what I love what Ben Johnson does with his script is he does freaking everything with

that thing, man. Like he'll go like, he'll cluster the two tight ends together and motion one across the stack and then bring him back and then motion one on an exit outside and then bring him back and then they run the ball in like duo or he'll have an eye formation which he opened or he'll exit motion amon ra in a different on different sides of the stack to the outside each time to see which defenders move or they'll hard count or they'll change the cadence they'll change the speed of their motions they do this all on what is a very balanced run past script so instead of saying, you know, a lot of times you'll see

pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. I want to see where our passing voids are because I want to get a quick lead to allow ourselves to stay in our A plus plan. They don't care because they know that they can run the hell out of the ball too, and they need to understand where their run voids are, where they can create space and blocking structure within

the run game as well. So he does all of it. And you could see that on their opening drive. The Lions had or excuse me, the Packers defense had to react to a hundred different things, just in that sequence of like what, 10, a dozen plays, whatever it was. And they still got their touchdown.

And they still got their touchdown, which is what makes the Lions so good, in my opinion, one of the many things, because they could then stay in their A-plus plan. Now, bear with me, Greg, bear with me listener, because I know I'm in geek out, freak-out mode. So what I really, really loved then that the Packers and Jeff Hathley did was he just really, that defensive line just got going. And they started really getting after Jared Gough, Jared Gough started getting, under duress by their defensive line, but then also they were getting movement in the run game, too. They were getting penetration. They weren't just winning at the line of scrimmage.

They were getting into the backfield. Kenny Clark had a freaking phenomenal game in year nine, and he was in the backfield all the time. Okay, so then. Him coming on there lately is one of the most important things that's happening to the backers because he had about the worst six, seven game stretch of his entire career, I would say, to start this season and you can see this building it's coming each and every week because they need their stars

to step up, Roshan and Gary also had a nice sack which was big for them too. Yeah, and they were winning the line of scrimmage and yes, I know and I got a couple of blue sky tweet posts at me or whatever it was people saying, well we're missing a couple line men.

Yes, I know. You still have one of the best GD lines in the NFL minus a couple of like and they got Kevin Zitler back he left the game briefly but he did come back so they're only missing one. Let's calm down.

Yes, and it's still, I mean, God, like Dan Skipper is still great man. Like look at him in the screen game. So then speaking of that, so those delinements, so when they're getting penetration like that, and I'm gesturing, so if you're watching on YouTube, I'm sorry because I look like a psycho person right now. But they're moving north to south. When they're getting, when they're getting penetration like that, when they're winning the line of scrimmage, they're going north to south. So what does mad scientist Christian Bale in the big short do on the freaking drum kit

besides whaling Metallica? But he starts to move this defensive line side to side, right? wait a second. You can't just call out Christian Bale from the Big Short and think anyone knows what you're talking about other than me. Ben Johnson reminds me of Christian Bail in the big short. Keep up, Greg. Well, we actually have a picture. Jordan, you didn't know this, but let's show that up on the screen. Continue talking just while we show the Christian Bale picture. Ben Johnson. I can see it. I can see it. Playing on the drums. I love that man. Okay. So stay with me, guys. So they're moving north to south, right, when they're penetrating in that way, right? But then now Ben Johnson,

and says, okay, let me go to page five in my playbook, and we're going to go screen game, right? So they start to deploy there a wide variety of screens, screens that move to the outside, screens that I'm figuring out and investigating a little bit that do this cool thing where they look like a tunnel screen, but then they work their way up the seam, which is really cool. They start doing these things that basically extend their run game, but they also start moving in the past game, the defensive line from side to side so they can't get that penetration. and they can't go north to south. And this game, Greg, was full of those little,

I hit my mic again, drive-to-drive, counter adjustments that were so, it wasn't just like, oh, you go in at halftime and you make adjustments and all of that. It was drive-to-drive. When Jordan Love was getting the crap blitzed out of him early in the game, four of the lions brought great pressure, four of his five initial dropbacks, he faced the blitz. He only completed two passes for 23 yards at that time.

Matt Lafleur is like, all right, we're going to run seven consecutive times. Like, it was all of these moves and counter moves. And it was just a masterclass in, like, that type of coaching. We could take the situational stuff out and put it in another bucket. But that type of adjustment, understanding your personnel, understanding where you're limited, understanding moves and counter moves like that. I freaking loved this game for that reason.

I did too. My face is really red right now. It's why these two coaching staffs are two of the six or seven best coaching staffs. whatever, whatever you want to put on it. There's a lot of great coaching staffs. Now, Heffley, we're still learning about him. And I tried to come up with a comp for him. You could put him up.

And the best I could do is I was thinking of Michael Stolberg from a serious man, but also a great character actor. He was a boardwalk empire, but one of my favorite Cohen Brothers movie, he kind of reminds me a little of Heffley. And we're still learning about Heffley. And as a big picture thought, I think Packers fans do have to wonder, not really about the coaching, but if you're going to go to the Super Bowl this year, you're now going to have to win three straight road games.

Very difficult to do. And you're probably going to have to beat the Lions and or the Eagles on the way to doing it, probably both. Is this defense, even with the adjustments and everything, like, do they have enough to hang in games like that? And if not, in tonight, I think they showed what the recipe needs to be. Can your offense just be more special than the other offense? Can you win a game like this where you make fewer mistakes? Because the lions are probably going to be healthier and figure some things out defensively. And the Eagles defense is fantastic.

So as good as the Packers offense is, and I think as impressive, proved as the Packers' defenses because they do force turnovers and they're not a sieve like they were a year ago. Are both of those sides good enough in the end? Maybe in a one game sample, but man, it's going to be hard. It's going to be hard in that one game sample. And it's got to be really hard to do a back-to-back weeks against these types of teams. So I think it's a really good Packers team. I think 9 and 4 is an appropriate record for this team. And Jordan Love made some throws in the second half of this game. game that cemented why he is on quarterback island.

They were just awesome. And they were able to hang in this game. But ultimately, they weren't quite special enough to even be a banged-up Lions team. So that's more just taking the step back, even though I think there's so many positive things to think about them looking forward. Do you agree or disagree? Not really talking about the schemes and all that, but just on a bigger picture level. I mean, I think because you are going to expect this defense to grow up with the coordinator, this first time defense.

I mean, he's been a defensive coordinator, obviously, in football. But in terms of the NFL, like working with this staff, working with this personnel, fitting different personnel to the defense, I think the way that he brought this defensive line and they themselves, the players obviously deserve all the credit as well. but the way that he brought this line to life was striking to me because they were so active on a snap to snap basis they were so active and yes you saw

a combination of scheme timing and very gifted players on the lion's side make these big plays happen right in spurts and phases but when you watch like the way that they it just they they seem so active the entire game to me. Like, the Lions' offensive line

just completely had their hands full. And then when they were, I mean, I will say, like, I really don't want anyone, and nobody will on this show, I know. But, like, Jared Goff is not the same Jared Goff that we know from reputationalally and that Allen and Kirk just could not help but bring up on the broadcast tonight.

Like, this dude is calm. He's collected. He works incredibly well under pressure. He really had pressure, really got, to him and flustered him on one possession, really. And then he recovered, and it was a team effort where he was leading the charge and leading the way, of course. But it was a group, a collective that is so clicking in sync playing together, you know, a four-wheel death machine that just understood how to just settle and get back, get back on track with some of the,

like I said, some of that quick game. Wasn't under pressure that much, though, in the, in the end. Now, part of it gets rid of the ball so quickly and it's a screen. That one possession where Jeff Halfley, I think, picked his spots incredibly well to dial up specific types of pressure that was going to get home or forced the throw or his defensive backs, you know, made the play where they needed to, those types of things. I think that is extremely promising from this Packers group. And I think if they would have opened up understanding, you know, yes, we really need to heat my quarterback up if you're, you know, Matt LaFleur, yes, we got to heat him up so we got to throw the ball a little bit. I get that. But if they opened up with that, like,

we are going to try to run it down your throat against your battered defensive front versus some of the dropbacks that he took. I think if the adjustment had happened, I know it happened quick and I'm praising that, but I think if that was the A plus plan versus, oh, my God, we're down all of a sudden, like, what's our A plus plan? What's our B plan? Like, I think that's where you maybe are seeing them go toe to toe a little bit earlier in the game.

And then they ended up heating up and taking the lead in a couple spots. I think Packers fans could go really good about this. It was so hard for one aspect of either team to get a foothold because I think like, oh, wow, Josh Jacobs ran really well in this game. They were fishing in the Red Zone when they got down there. He scored. He had some good runs. But the reality is, other than that first drive in the second quarter, the Lions defense, as they've done all year, no matter who's on the field, did a pretty good job stopping the run in the rest of the second half. And it did take love making those throws.

And Packers fans who are listening, appreciate you all, because I hate that. listening to stuff, like, if it pains me. For me, it's more Celtics, but, like, I listen to a, you know, a couple Celtics podcast, especially Green with Evan B's shout out to them. But if it's a painful loss, like, I'm not listening to that podcast. The Packers fans will know, yeah, we're really banged up too. We don't have Jaya Alexander, who is the most important player in our secondary, along with Xavier McKinney.

We lost Evan Williams, who if you had a 10-person list for defense, of Rookie of the Year would be on it and is really important. And I think did Javon Bullard go in and out of this game too? I think he came back in. Yeah. That's a lot, though. And you didn't have Romeo Dobbs in this game.

So there are really important players for the Packers that, especially in the secondary, Alexander is absolutely a difference maker and they could have them back for a rematch. And there might be a rematch. Just, again, thinking big picture, and we can dive in a little more on this game. But again, thinking in big picture,

I love, man, this, this ride. rivalry is awesome. This division is awesome. It's a delight. Because I think the defining Lions game of the Dan Campbell era so far is still the week 18 win over the Packers to knock Aaron Rogers out of the playoffs in his final game as a Packers when the Lions, quote unquote, had nothing to play for. Like that to me was everything this Lions team is about. But it's gone back and forth. I was getting flashbacks tonight, Jordan. I don't know if you remember the Lions lost in Detroit last year at home to the Packers in large part because they called a fake punt in their own end late in the game that the Packers stopped and then scored

on a short field and won. And so when the Lions went for that fourth and one and didn't get it and the Packers took advantage, I guarantee you there were a lot of Lions fans were like, oh, this is exactly like last year. The difference tonight being all night, Jared Goff and the Lions offense responded right away anytime when he had the turnover, when they gave up a touchdown. They responded right away with a really cold, calculated drive. And that's what great teams do. But what a freaking to use you, man, I'm now sounding like you just being around.

Yay. What a freaking cool rivalry this is, Lions Packers. I hope we see a third one in the playoffs this year. Yeah. Also something I noticed that's really cool. Did you wear a shacket underneath your giant jacket? Oh, yeah. I was going three layers.

Got it. Just checking. Okay, let's take a quick break. We will be back. There's so much to get to with this great game. We're just a lot. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel?

That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more.

What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots, from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day.

Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies. roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Lev Florio, and together we host. the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, we've got the insight to help you crush your opponents.

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. We've talked about the lines so much in this bucket. Let's give some love to our guy, Jordan. Holy cow, man.

That second half. Let's go to his touchdown to Tucker Kraft in the first half. This was a big play in the game. Loving the shotgun with a setback to his right. Third down and 10. Here's the snaplets on. Love fires ends out. Tucker Kraft.

Got it. Touchdown. Green Bay Packers. There you go. Oh, a tracer, a tracer from Jordan Love. And they beat Carlton Davis. Wow. Great call there by Wayne Larravee on WRNW.

Just to correct myself, that was early in the third quarter. Second half, get on the board. And, yeah, to make it 1714. And that was a drive where Love made a couple of beautiful throws. Really throughout the second half, he was absolutely. nails. Yeah, and his player showed up for him. You know, there was a fumble earlier. That was Watson, right, who fumbled that earlier in the game. And he ended up making like one of the more, I mean, the throw itself was just filthy sick, right? But then like the catch that he made

because the DB had like two fingers on it, right? And the focus to kind of catch it against his face mask a little bit down the field. I think that was a 26-yarder. That incredible- 59 yarder to watch earlier that drive too. Yeah, and the 29 yarder with the focus on the catch. Then, and I want, I just want to hear you go full Greg on this next one. The throw he made to wicks. I have it in my notes as the insane QB Island throw pocket collapsing in all caps. And then I have in parentheses, let Greg cook.

Why let me cook? Because you were so excited about it. I loved it. It was fantastic. That's everything. That's everything you want in a quarterback right there. it's the pocket movement. It's the quick pressure by the lions on a blitz on a play.

Jacobs did not pick up the blitz. And that's a play, the defensive coordinator won. And that's what separates the very good quarterbacks from the great ones where he just can overcome a great defensive play call and a failure by his running back. He picked up his running back to slide in the pocket. And then while getting hit, while moving left as a right, handed quarterback and put that thing on the money to Watson. It was a great catch. There was

no room to put that throw. And it couldn't be, no offense to Kirk Cousin, it couldn't be one of those like layered throws. Like you're kind of throwing it. It's a touch pass. That is a very difficult intermediate throw where you have to put some of that tracer on it too. And love is as physically gifted. I think it's fair to say as any quarterback. I don't know if you want to say someone is more or not. But as a thrower of the football, he is so gifted. And Watson came through four for 114. He's playing really well lately. And that's just a special play. And that's why all three of us, me, you and Steve, we're texting at that point. I know. Okay, he made us proud. We made the right decision. Any dude making that freaking play needs to be on QB Island. Yeah. And we'll just

gloss right over the fact that we need to hold you to task for breaking the rules of the riptide card. but we'll get to that in another time. The Jordan Love, I also, what I really appreciated watching from him, they would cut to him on the sideline a lot. They would cut to him, close-ups of him underneath even his face mask, his helmet. He was so calm. I mean, he was fired up when they would make a play, but he was so calm. They got after him early.

Like Aaron Glenn dialed up some nasty pressure against him, understanding that he entered the game with some of the worst stats against the Blitz in the league. They were improving over the last couple of weeks. But that was his resume to this point. And it worked. And they got after him. It was two passes of five dropbacks that came against the blitz for 23 yards.

Like I said earlier in there, the quick little dump off, you know, throws. And he finished the lions still blitzed him at a 63% rate throughout the entire course of the game, which is insane. Like the league average is what? Like 28%, 26%. Only a couple teams are over 40. on the season. So, yeah, that's an insane number. That is insane, right?

And then he finished nine for 14. So this is inclusive to the struggle that he started with. But he finished nine for 14 with a touchdown specifically against the Blitz. He settled. And that's again, that's a quarterback who, and Dan Campbell knew this. We circle back to it. He knew this when he was going for that fourth down call to ice the game out with the field goal. is when Jordan Love heats up, good luck stopping him

because he's going to make play after play after play and you are in danger against that man. And I do get a little worried about this lion's secondary, even though they've been great all year and Joseph and Branch showed up at different moments tonight, Terry and Arnold has a couple plays every game that rookie plays, very handsy, big penalty, gives up a big play.

And it's tough. They actually, at the first half of this game, because of the blitz and because of the scheme, I'm like, man, their pass rush is better than when they had Aiden Hutchinson. They were kind of struggling earlier this year. Now, I know they weren't blitzing like that, but they were making it happen. But they were victimized by the end of this game. And the margins, they're just so small. And I just was thinking maybe the Packers next year at this time, it's such a young team, are just a little more ready. And all it comes down to is, you know, each team had a turnover, each team went up and down the field.

They were pretty good in the red zone. The Packers punted three times. The lions punted twice. And the reason the lions only punted twice in part is because they went for those fourth downs. Now, one of those that they didn't punt, they handed it right over. But they, another fourth down decision that was key was on their own 49 to set up another fourth down, you know, touchdown on the goal line. Like, they kept possession that one little extra possession. And then the penalty on the Packers, when they were potentially going in with under five minutes to go, it was a good call. Just it was a pass interference on the offense.

And that backed them up. And they weren't able to overcome that big penalty quite as easily as the Lions were able to overcome a couple bigger penalties. But it's just, it's just small, small margins. And the fact that only one team has Penae Sewell, offensive player of the year candidate, MVP candidate. it. Just give me some Sewell nerddom before we get out of here. Oh, I mean, when Tim Patrick scores his second touchdown of the night, uh, or no, excuse me, right before Tim Patrick scored a second touchdown of the night. And Penae Soule is lead blocking for Amunrae St. Brown. I mean, talk about like, just like two just like football dudes doing football shit. You can believe me.

I'm sorry. But like Penae Soule is just hauling, just grading every road. It reminds me, it just reminds me of like, you know, when you get the rainbow, a little, you hit the rainbow card, when you're playing Mario cart, and all of a sudden you're like this unstoppable force and you can just drive through people and just bounce them out of your way. Like, that's Penae Soule, and I love that. Yeah, he was great. He was great on the screens, as you mentioned. Shout out to Jameson Williams just for going five for 80. it's such a difference. He just didn't used to run normal routes, frankly,

until like the very end of last year. He just had sort of James and Williams routes. Kind of the stuff you see with Xavier Worthy now in Kansas City or McColl Hardman, it's like they're not really real wide receivers. And Jameson Williams is a big time real wide receiver. Leporta active in this game. He's picked it up a little lately. Just one last play that I wanted to point out.

It doesn't have to be the last play. We can talk more. But the play where Tucker Kraft got walloped. Smack. I think it was by Joseph and Arnold. I can't even remember. It was two players by the Lions going down into the red zone. And I was just like, oh, that was a hit.

I mean, this whole game, they were physical. Both teams were so physical. It was awesome to watch. And then what do you call it that Kraft did to get off the ground with 260 pound man? Tucker Kraft weighs 260. pounds, probably closer to 280 and a full helmet in pads. And he is literally down after getting absolutely smacked by two defenders on that catch. He's down for like less than half a second before he does a kip-up, which is basically an arch backward and you push up with your hands

and your shoulders and you flip yourself up to a fully standing position. His knees didn't even buckle on that thing, man. He was just standing straight up from that kip-up. I was like, that's absurd. That's egregious. That human being should not be able to do that. The whole game couldn't have been more like football guys as you say and doing football things and hitting. But then also like incredible athleticism. Yeah, like showing you that they are the most extraordinary athletes. Yeah. It's crazy when you when you think back to how good that tight end class was a year ago. I mean, Kraft is right there with Laporta. Laporta's awesome. But Kraft is really come into his own in his second year. He, He showed flashes at the end of last year, but this young group for them is special. It's a good tight end's night. It was a big night for the tight ends. They made some clutch plays. They were using them all across the blocking service.

Both teams were. Both teams had tight ends that made crucial, crucial plays, catches, or spraying open blocks for them. I just thought it was super fun. This is like, this is like peak. Like this division is just going to be like this for a minute. And I love that. And this kind of put it all on display everything it's capable of right now.

Yeah. And we'll get some more big games in this division, including the Vikings, you know, playing both of these teams. We're not going to see these two teams play each other again. But huge win for the Lions. You get to 12 and 1. Oh, man. I mean, I don't want to just say football is back. But, you know, like, when you get to see records, like, wow, a team in the NFL is 12 wins now. Like, you know it. We're getting late in the year. But it was so important, Jordan, because they get a little extra rest, Detroit, just to see. spin it forward a little bit. A little extra rest before a game against the bills next week. The bills will be flying back from Los Angeles on Sunday night or Monday morning to Buffalo and then have to come back to Detroit. So that's a nice advantage and helps them maybe heal up just a little bit. Maybe get some of those defensive linemen like Pascal or Onu Zeriki back. But you know what's crazy about that game, Jordan?

It's a 425 game. Okay, that makes sense. but it's the only week of the season where both networks have a double header. Shout out to Jimmy Trayna on s.i.com who pointed this out. I wouldn't have known it. Only week of the season where both teams have

both networks have a double header. So we have Steelers Eagles, which is a great week 15 game. Opposite Bills and Lions. One's on Fox, one's on CBS. That right there is actually your best three hours of intense football, I think all season to have those two games opposite each other.

So I'm looking forward to that this season. And I love that the Lions held on to the one seed. They're going to have to earn it if they're going to hold it all the way to the end because they still have the bills and the Vikings on their schedule. It's all fun as crap from here, Greg. It just is. It freaking is to quote me, quoting Dan Campbell. Okay.

We did it. You joined me, Jordan, for the very first Thursday night football game of the season, kickoff, you know, between the Ravens and the Chiefs. We got Lamar. Another fun game. I like that we only give you the flame. I only throw heat, Greg. I only throw heat. Only the best for Jordan. Let's get out of here. Let's get her to sleep. She's got Rams practice to get to in the morning. Awesome game. Only three Thursday night football games left. Jordan. That's crazy. Oh, man. When we've got Jordan's last TNF game of the year with us, No, football is back.

We'll be back for the picks on Friday. See you then. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team-building philosophies,

coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision-makers, and give you a perspective you won't, find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast, your ultimate source for player news,

draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, we've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL, visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. This is an IHeart podcast.