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The show where Kool-Aid runs blue. Faces turn red. And rose-colored glasses never go out of style. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to another edition of Fish Off and Blinds right here on the Detroit Lions podcast. He's Scott Fish Off. I'm Russ Brown. We are back. Our Detroit Lions win another game. They are just cruising right now. They beat the Green Bay Packers. Scott was there for this game. We'll get into all that, but Scott, my man, how are you? I am doing, I'm doing very well. Excited to be, to have been in the stadium. I finally maybe dried out a little. The wall had not, though. It was nuts, but no, it was a great experience. Super cool being there. Doing good. How are you? Good. We're good. I mean, Lions are 7-1. Not much to really be upset about. They made the trade for Zidarius Smith, which we'll talk about, but we're going to start with the Packers game. They beat them. Final score 24-14. Not an overly impressive offensive game for the Lions, per se, by total yardage. 261 yards, but the weather certainly played a factor into that and it really seemed like Lions were just trying to run the football score on some big plays the way that they did and get out of there with the win. But it was phenomenal. I mean, looking at that game, you were there. How different is it watching this Lions team? I mean, I know you've been to games when it's been a bad team. So what is the difference between what you see now compared to then? I mean, what's standing out to you? You know, it was interesting because Green Bay ran the ball pretty effectively in the first part of that game. So they put together a drive and the Lions, and they got a field goal, then the Lions responded with their own long drive with the Amunra Saint-Brah touchdown. And it was like, all right, that's the end of the first quarter. You know, each team has had a possession. And I'll ask this first quarter ever. I don't mean to catch the wrong, but I like looked up and I go, 10 minutes have gone by. Yeah. And I was happy. Yeah. I mean, I feel bad saying it, but I was happy because it was, it was great. I mean, it was ugly there. Yeah. Incredible atmosphere. Lambo is just, it feels like a college, a college vibe. It does. It's a party. Everybody's happy. You know, I didn't see any arguing between anybody about anything really at all. They were super, super cool. All the Packers fans were very cool. Yeah. Too much Lions fans. They weren't, they, there was a lot of arguing going on amongst themselves. Yeah. Right. But they were really warm and welcoming and very cool with, with Lions fans. They just were. It was, it was just an awesome, awesome experience. I will tell ya. And no offense Packers fans, but holy spoiled fans syndrome. You, you got it going on there. And we would, and listen, we're going to get there too if the Lions go on a, a long run of being successful and, and getting officiating help and all the stuff that the Packers have had for long as time. Right. I would, I would say it was, it's a pro, you know, the Red Wings fans in their heyday probably were viewed as spoiled brats around the NHL, right? Cause, you know, every call you expect to get and you got a dozen Hall of Famers in your lineup and it just gets old and you know, you're tired of that dealing with their shit. Sitting in that stadium and the, you know, in the bench style, no seats, just, just benches and listening to the fans complain about the officiating and, and to the point where they were, like, they were pissed about some of the calls that were, were going on there. And then I, it was just amusing in some ways. But also sort of like eye opening, the call, the calls for Malik Willis. Oh, yeah. At the start of the first quarter. Like Jordan Love, I don't know exactly when it started, but he made a throw that was like, you know, it wasn't a great throw. It might have been low, but it's like the ball is like what? Like, you know, it's, it's wet. And they, I mean, it wasn't just a small group. So, you know, it wasn't a sample size thing, but it was, there were larger, larger groups and multiples of them calling for Malik Willis to come in right then. And it's like, wow. Wow. How well are you? Yeah. Kind of highlighted it on the broadcast and then like coming out of the second half or coming into the second half, they had Malik on the sidelines, like warming up and it was like, you know, I was almost thinking like, man, if they put him in, this might get a little problematic if we can't stop the run because they were gashing us on the ground. I don't know. I don't know why they went away from it so much. It's a stop it a little bit, but they just went away from it. And I don't know if that was them just waving the white flag and kind of saying like, we don't want to risk anybody getting further hurt because they got a long season ahead of them. But speaking of the fans getting mad about the calls, was, was it bad when Brian Branch got tossed? Was it was, how was the reaction to that? You know, it was, um, I think everybody was a little confused as to what I was. And then when he got, he got ejected, it was like, they went nuts. Like, obviously, you know, they need it. At that point, they already knew that they needed help. Yeah. I'm not saying that the officials helped. But what they, they knew that the Lions, everybody respects the Lions at this point. Like everybody, everybody we encountered was like, yeah, you guys have a really good team. And it's like uncomfortable, you know, nod the head like, yeah, we do. You know, settle the one out. You know, it's, you know, it's a little weird. But, you know, at that moment, it was very much like they, they needed every little edge that they could get because they knew they were in trouble in some ways that they couldn't, they couldn't stop the Lions in a variety of ways. They could, they, they didn't really stop their running game. But they had a hard time defending the, the past too. So, um, I think golf played pretty good in, in that game. And what was conditions were the narrative is that he's not going to perform well in those kind of, in those conditions. But the Packers dropped a bunch of passes and, um, but in that moment when Branch gets, gets ejected and he comes and he walks off the field, you know, with the fingers out, I didn't see it because the people around us were going nuts. So I didn't see that. My, my oldest did. And he's like, he just gave him the double bird. And I'm like, okay, well, you know, I would imagine he's going to get an envelope from FedEx this week. And I didn't get, so it's always hard to see that stuff, especially when you're a person. I didn't understand why they threw him out. And I still don't. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I know we hit him with the, with his helmet, but it almost like, it almost looked like the side of his helmet. Yeah. Hit the Packers receiver in the face kind of thing. But it was, I don't think he was, he was intending to make that. And I guess the intent isn't really the most important part. I mean, he did it, right? So, but still, you see it all the time, like you saw the Alave hit this weekend where, you know, like I didn't get ejected. Right. And it just feels like, hmm. Well, even, and I'm, that's, I'm not saying in that scenario that the, that the officials were doing and doing anything to benefit the Packers. It just is a curious call for a play that, yeah, it was, there was some helmet to helmet stuff. But it's not like he barreled him up, you know, and then a different crown of his helmet and smoked him, you know, like we have seen other hits. Right. It wasn't like that. Well, and it was really very little communication between the officials. It was like the, the official comes in and just says, yeah, I'm ejecting him from the game for that hit. And then they, they announce it and it's like, what? You know. Yeah. Well, and the same thing happened in the Rams Seahawks game. There was a big hit and there was no ejection. And I think, I think picked up the flag, if I remember correctly. Yeah. And I'm just like, when it happened with Brian Branch, I'm watching it. I'm like, they're going to give this game to the Packers. This is what this game is going to be like. That's what I was thinking as a fan. And I'm like, it's, it's already written. Like they don't want the Lions to win this game. They've got to start changing the narrative here about this football team. And they just, they stuck through it and they just kept doing what they do. And like you mentioned, Jared golf played really well. And I know, I know that's not wow numbers. It's more managing than anything else, but he's complaining. That game was not close. It just wasn't. You know, I was close in the first quarter because they each team only had one possession, but it, it really didn't, it felt like the pack, the Packers and even their fans knew it. Mid second quarter were up again. They were up against it. Right. So when, so when the branch thing happens and their defense stiffens, which is super impressive. And then the pick six happens and you think, all right. I mean, at them, before that happens, I'm thinking, all right, just get out of here. You know, and then come out. We're getting the ball. We, they were getting the ball and to start the second half. And it's like, you can double dip. You score. You score again. That's going to, that's going to make this tough. And then the pick six happens. It's like, wow, this is crazy. That was a weird play. I still don't, I can't believe he threw that ball. Like you, I don't know how he didn't see Kirby Joseph stand. I, he had to have gotten sort of lost in the, in the old lineman's body. Yeah. From like an angle. Like he just was in a position where I don't think, I don't think Kirby Joseph should have been there. Right. Cause that, that felt like a gap is where he ended up getting washed into. Yeah. And then when they strung it out a little, I think he was just trying to throw it over the line. I still don't know that there was a running back or a receiver there anyway. Right. Um, but I use a great play. Uh, it was a moment where I think they all knew the game was over. But so when the line, when the lines came out and took that, it started the second half and scored the way they did. I think it was the Gibbs touchdown, I think. Yes. And it was like, you know, the stadium emptied pretty quick right at that point, but it was raining so much. I didn't, I didn't blame anybody for leaving. Yeah. But it was a really cool experience. The takeaway, you know, just looking back at that game, the takeaway for me is. Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes you want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals on game day food, no matter what you're craving, from two for one pizza to buy one, get one wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week, all season long. Uber Eats, official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now. Terms and conditions apply. See out for details. Is it time to reimagine your future? The right business skills may make a difference in your career. At Capelli University, we offer a relevant education that's designed to focus on what you need to know in the business world. We'll teach professional skills to help you pursue your goals, like business management, strategic planning, and effective communication. And you can apply these skills right away. A different future is closer than you think, with Capelli University. Learn more at Capella.edu. I've got a lot of grandbabies, like a lot a lot. And when it comes to finding a gift for each of them, you know, it could add up. But this year, while I was making my way through Walmart, I realized I don't have to spend a lot to get the gifts they'll love. And OPI mini-mani sets, I'm going to do so much nail arts. Good idea! A LEGO set! My own a wall of water bottle! Ooh, and that's just half of them. Shop great gifts they're sure to love for $25 and under at Walmart. Efficiency on offense again, golf 18 to 22. He got a touchdown pass in that game. He didn't make any mistakes. And, you know, the ability to pick up the team, losing branch and then to stiffen the way they did, it's such a huge deal. Right? So the vibes are just off the charts, good. They just are. Well, and, you know, losing branch and then having Brandon Joseph step up and get six tackles and play really well. And seeing Jack Campbell play the way he has. Like, he's continued to get better weekend and week out. And he looked right at home. He was out there smiling and laughing and having the time of his life. He was surprised and Iowa boy just having the time of his life out there in the rain. I'm just nice of does he look to you? And I, Tim, go ahead. No, you're good. Go. So I just, in year one, there were moments where he looked, he is not out of place athletically at all. I mean, he's a premier athlete for a huge dude. And in year one, I think, I thought there were moments where it looked like he didn't 100% trust himself. Yes. Right. And he might have been sinking more than reacting, which is a slower way to do anything. It seems now he, he, he's got to be a film junkie. Oh, right. He's like, not a big point. No way. He's defending the run and how decisive he is in triggering. Like when he, when he goes, he's in gaps that the running backs don't think he's going to be in or shouldn't be in. And he, it seems like he is, he's understanding what, what O line schemes are trying to do. And his understanding of what offenses are trying to do. And knowing what's coming is impressive. And then you back that up with your athleticism to get the space. Like he, you know, the next step for him is to make these kind of plays in the passing game. Yes. But as far as being a run defender right now and trusting what he's seen in reading and reacting to his, his keys, it is, it is super impressive. And he's so big. Yes. That I think he's huge. And you know, just his, he's, he's right where he needs to be for the most part all the time. And it's, and it's, he's cerebral. I know he is. You can see it. And you know, if he take, if he can make a, if he could take a step as a player in coverage and I remember the Luke Kekely stuff, right? Where I'm not comparing him to Luke Kekely. So I shouldn't have said those words, but I, I said it. That's fine. We're good. Um, if, if he has, if he can understand what defenses are trying to do and can pick apart passing things and schemes and route concepts and that kind of stuff and understand it, he has all the athleticism in the world to be a premier linebacker at the NFL level. He's just got to grow into it. But as a run defender right now, I, you know, I think he's playing at a very high level. I don't know where he's grading with an, with all that stuff. And I don't think it matters so much. He's, he's, he looks really good. I know for a fact he's top 10 in grades for, for run defense. I don't know if it's like seventh or ninth. It's somewhere in that range. So he's playing like a top 10 linebacker in the run game and pass coverage. Like you said, it's got to improve. No doubt. But I, I love what he's doing. And he's, for me, he's going to be the guy that's a lion for life. Like I think a lot of these guys are going to be, but he's going to be the one that like you look at the contract and you're like, they're paying them only that. Like he, he's not. If he's, if he's able to become a, like a dominant run defender because of his intelligence and understanding of the game, he can, you can do the same stuff. Yeah. Because he's, he's crazy athletic. Yeah. So that's the, the growth. I think that we're, that you look for, you know, in the back half of this year going into next year, if he becomes that guy where you're making plays against the past and, and you're this premium run, run stuffing, you know, sideline to sideline player. Yeah. Yeah. Right. He stepped up huge. I mean, he can play anywhere that it's no surprise why they line him up at defensive at that time. And because his, his size, his strength, he can, he can withstand some of that contact. So having that versatility is huge for this defense and for him. And then just lastly on the offense and then we can kind of get into Zideria Smith and the Texans game. But with, with the Lions offense, I don't need to get into the run game. We all know how good that is and how talented Jameer Gibbs is and, and David Montgomery and all of that stuff. I'm in Ross St. Brown. I mean, just kudos to this guy for constantly getting better weekend week out year in, year out. Thirty straight receptions with him in golf. And that touchdown catch he had just incredible for a guy. That's a guy that's quote unquote slot receiver only. No, this is a do it all weapon to your offense. To get him one on one in essentially a back shoulder throw and have him high point the football get the both feet in bounds like St. Brown in that weather in that weather. Yeah. Like how many guys would have been falling down? How many guys would have been dropping that? I mean, look at the Packers. They dropped a sticker. They had their premier dudes dropping the ball all over the place. And I think Brown is just a dude. Like he almost dropped his first catch of the game. And from that moment on, he was locked in. He didn't, no double clutch out of pass. He was on everything. So I just, you got, I got to give kudos to him because he has been playing out of his mind for this team since he's been here. But I just, I love what he's doing. And I think he's going to have a tough game in front of them coming up with Kamari Lasseter and Derek Stingley. I can't wait to watch that. But I think he's still going to go out and get his. I mean, it just is what it is. And then we'll get into the Texans. But let's talk about the big news. As we shift from the Lions, 24 to 14, went over the Packers. Trade deadline was Tuesday. And Lions made the trade that our man, Scott Bischoff, predicted here on the network a few weeks ago. Good wearing his myth. Yeah. If he can give us the lucky lottery numbers in the coming days, that would be great too. But what should we expect from Zidarius Smith and the Lions defense? My thoughts are written on the Lions wire, but I want to get your thoughts here on what we can see. So the best way I could say it is that if you, if you think about the exact kind of player that these guys would draft, you know, say in round two, the exact kind of defensive end they would be enamored with, that's who Zidarius Smith is. Physical. Really good hands, willing to, willing to use them. I don't think he's overly crazy athletic at the age of 32, but he's going to set the edge. He's going to play a really good brand of football. He's going to play a technical brand of football that's going to help everybody around him. He is very clearly going to be their most disruptive edge player for what they have right now. But, you know, the best, I mean, I do think that's the best way to describe it. He's exactly what the Lions would really want in a player if they weren't getting a premier athlete edge defender. Right? So he's going to, he's going to be physical. He's going to defend the run. He's going to do his job. He's going to be where he needs to be. And he's going to get pressures. Is he going to get a bunch of sacks? Probably not, but he's going to get pressures. And he's going to make, he's going to harass quarterbacks, you know, at a good level the way a 32 year old technician will. And that's, you know, I love the idea of pairing him with hutch next year. I really do. And the best part is, is like if he doesn't work out this year, guess what? If it's like locker room, not a fit. Everything about him is not a fit. All right. You let him go for nothing. He's essentially a free player. I think they owe him was at $605,000 rest of the year. Yeah. They don't go on anything going forward. If they, if they love the fit and all that stuff, then, you know, you create a contract that's, that's good for, for, you know, for him and the lions going forward. But yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, I know they gave a fifth round pick. I don't think they have, they don't have a third and a fifth this year, right? I believe so. So they gave the fifth for, I think they gave the fifth for, for the Darius Smith. I want to say they gave up a future third last year for Manu. Um, but you know, it's a fifth round pick. And then in the 2026 year, you're swapping six and sevens. So with the compensatory picks, that could be, you know, maybe that's a 15 or a 20 pick range. Yeah. Yeah. Where, you know, they do not have a third and they do not have a fifth, but they do have two fourth round picks. They've got a six and they've got two sevens for this year. Plus their first and second. Yeah. So there's, they have plenty of ability and maneuver and do things if they want to do it. So it's now like giving up a fifth round pick, you know, knee capture in, in a future draft. And I don't mean to me, I don't know what you think, but swaps in round six and seven and a draft two years from now. Is it necessarily a relevant thing? Right. When it's talking about the window being right now and you need a player like this. Yeah. The last thing I'll say about him is I think he's a better player. And I'm more, I'm much more excited about having him than I would be for a player like Chase Young, even if the price was the same. I agree. So completely agree. I, I was not thrilled with the idea of getting Chase Young this year. Last year certainly was something but knew that was never realistic. I love this mover as a Darius Smith for the contract for what he provides defensively. I label him as like a twitchier Josh Pascal. Yeah. And I don't get perfect for Josh Pascal if he can stay healthy and be on the field. And again, we all know, you know, the reasons to why he has not been around for the last two weeks. And that's not his fault. And it just is what it is. We got to deal with that and he's going to have to deal with that. And that's okay. With Sedarius Smith, though, like he's going to be that perfect pairing opposite of Aiden Hutchinson next year if they keep them, which I think they will. And I love the alignment versatility for him from his play style. Like you can play him as a tilt five, a four eye, a tilt three. He can stand up inside. He's going to be able to run T.E. Stunts with a lean McNeil all day long. And that's going to be very problematic for interior offensive lineman. Like guards and centers are going to get their asses kicked. Like because of the power that's coming at them, because Sedarius Smith is all speed to power, he doesn't really, you know, have the twitchiest hands with a bunch of, you know, double clubs or, you know, double swim moves and things like that. Like it's just. Power. He's all power. And he did he like did he benefit playing opposite of Miles Garrett? Yes. But that's not the reason why he's been productive. He only played with Miles Garrett for one season, a season and a half. Yeah. He's got sixty five career sacks for reproductive everywhere he's played. He's very technical. Yeah. He's very heavy with his hands. Yeah. He's not this super explosive bendy guy though. Right. So you're not going to get, you know, it's not like it's going to be Harold Landry. You know, running, you're just running underneath everybody. That's not his game. Right. So, you know, he's going to soften the outside shoulder of a tackle and make the distance that he has that he has to go to get to the quarterback shorter. Yep. Through his own physicality. Yep. This episode is brought to you by Volvo cars. When you're driving, it only takes a moment. Someone darts into the street without looking. A deer appears on a winding road. The new Volvo EX-90 alerts you of potential accidents before they might happen. Because sometimes the moments that never happen matter the most. The fully electric EX-90 designed to be the safest Volvo car ever made. Visit Volvocars.com/US to learn more. Did you know Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company? They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than just quarterback Peyton Manning, I'm also meditate Manning. For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, Emperor Finra, Columbus, Ohio. The Lions love those guys. Yep. That's the Lions defense events too. That's why I do think that if there was a 23-year-old version of that dude in the draft, the Lions would love him. You know, they would. That kid from Arkansas might be that dude. Yep. We'll talk about that in a few months. Let's just keep doing what we're doing. I mean, Zadirius Smith, great move, great trade here for the long haul, I hope. I think it's going to really pay off. We'll see if he ends up playing on Sunday night. They gave him a few days off because technically he was on a buy with the Cleveland Browns when he got traded. Yeah. I'm assuming he wasn't even in the country. I'm assuming he was probably on a vacation somewhere trying to take some time off. Who knows? You know, I think you could play him this Sunday and just, you know, every other series kind of a thing. Yeah. You know, I mean, there'll be a rotation and all that stuff, but I'm super excited to see what he looks like for them. I mean, this is a huge need. They really needed to do something, right? And, you know, I think this has been in the works for a little bit. And I'm very excited about his addition. And then, you know, specific to next year. Like, I think Hutchinson and Zadirius Smith, and let's just say rookie edge player at the end of round one, kind of intriguing. With Jockett. Yep. With Josh Pascal, the possibility of Kaminsky being back. Yeah. Maybe they roll the dice on Marcus Davenport again. I mean, you never know. Who knows? You got Owns Enrique in there. They got good stuff going. They really do. They have been doing it right. And I think the only thing they've really gone wrong, and it's not even really their fault. It's James Houston. I mean, that's really the only thing that's gone wrong, I think, from a pick standpoint to where it hasn't really worked out. Yeah. And, you know, I mean, you can pinpoint a moment in time where I think it stalls his momentum as a player. And that's on kick coverage when he breaks his leg. When he breaks his leg. And it's like, you know, sometimes you don't recover from those things. Or it takes such a long time. You know, I don't know what you saw from the preseason with him with limited snaps. But he doesn't look like he's got juice like he once did. Yeah. Everything stalls out. I mean, it's like he has a great initial step or really good get off. And he goes for, you know, that ghost move. Or, you know, he tries to really dip and rip and get through and whatever it is that he wants to do. And he gets there. And then it just like sputters and stalls. And it's like, it's like you got to take the spark plug out and like wipe it down and put it back in here and kind of figure it out. Because he's just going to sputter in a little bit. So yeah, I don't know if that's going to end up happening here or somewhere else. He might be a guy that maybe gets dealt me off season for a pick. I don't necessarily know, but he was, I mean, he had that half, that eight game stretch where he was just ridiculous. Yeah. And he loves that Euro step move. Yes. And it's just, I mean, that's a sweet move, but you, you know, you have to be so slippery to pull that off. Yeah. And to me, that's what's missing from, or at least, you know, in limited viewings. That's what's sort of missing from, from him right now is, is that sort of. Slippery sort of weasily kind of stuff, right? Yeah. It's, that's the, that's the difference between being able to get, to generate pressure and get sex or get, you know, stalled out in your pass rush. Is some of that slipperiness. And I just don't, I don't think he's got it right now, but you know, maybe it comes back. Maybe it takes more time than, than we all thought. It was a, it was a brutal injury. Oh, it was a hundred, a hundred percent. So, yeah, I mean, we'll, we'll see how that ends up going for James Houston in the long run. But we're obviously, as we said, very pleased with Cedarious Smith. But let's move into the Texans game Sunday night football. Lions enter seven in one. Texans enter this game six and three. They've got some injuries. Lions have had a couple of guys not practice this week. Jalen Reeves may have been with the neck. I doubt he plays this week. Malcolm Rodriguez with the ankle doubt he plays. Taylor Decker was added to the limited practice report today with the shoulder. So it's kind of a new thing. They went through walkthrough on Wednesday. It's, it's Thursday night here in Michigan, but yeah, he ended up showing up with a, a shoulder injury. So I don't necessarily know what's going on, but they opened up practice windows for one, a manual, Moseley, and I feed a melofanu. So those are huge. But we expect MacKai Wingo, Sion Vaki and Josh Paskel all to return this week. Yeah. And then for the Texans, they've had a couple of big injuries happening and they've had some guys on limited duty. You know, Laramie Tunzel gets a lot of rest. Aziz Al-Shahir, the linebacker, he's, he was out. He's got a knee injury. He's limited in practice this week. And then guys that did not practice this week so far. Damian Pierce, they're running back. Kenyon Green, they're left guard, starting left guard. He's out with a shoulder, probably going to go on IR and be done for the year. And defensive end, Will Anderson has been battling an ankle injury. And Nico Collins, I think is the biggest one. Yeah. He's, he's able to return from IR this week. He is yet to practice, including today. So it's Thursday, like you mentioned. It's tough to see a scenario where he plays this week. Right? I mean, are you really pulling this guy off of IR off, it's been four games. And, and he's not going to practice or practice on a very limited fashion and you throw him in line up on Sunday night. That seems like a very short sighted reckless decision. I agree. I, I don't see a scenario where he plays and I think they're going to have to roll with John Metche and Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz and Joe Mixin. And they're just going to have to figure it out from there. And CJ Stroud is going to have to, to get creative. And the key thing for the Lions is generate pressure. And if they can do that, they should be able to do their thing defensively that they've been able to do. And it showed last week with CJ Stroud. And I think they played Thursday night, if I remember. And he was, he struggled. I mean, he does not have the timing with some of these receivers that he has with, like, Nico Collins and Stefan Diggs and stuff like that. And, you know, he'll find Tank Dell. That'll be fine. Like, that's going to happen. He'll get. Go ahead. You're cool. That's fine. Right. The Lions are set up, though, in this matchup, they're the Texans. Oh, line struggles from guard to guard. Yeah. They've got tackles, but this is a game. This is a matchup where Aline McNeil has been ridiculous lately. And he's going to eat in this game. And DJ Reader should be, should be able to do good things. But what they're going to do, because Stroud is, Stroud likes to be, he likes to hang in the pocket and sort of, you know, he's a traditional old school sort of quarterback that way. And you can appreciate his game, but he's not one of those guys who's going to, who's going to beat you intentionally with boot action and, you know what I mean? Like, he wants to be in the pocket, driving the ball down the field. And if anything, I think he likes to step up. Yeah. Into the pocket. And good luck. You know, McNeil and Reader and Oren Zareke and some of their other players inside are going to make them, they're going to, they're going to squeeze that and make it so it's uncomfortable for him to step into throws. A lot of times that can lead to throws sailing, right? Or there are times when quarterbacks will just end up ripping stuff into the dirt. Right. Because, because they're picking up that front foot and setting it down too quick. Yep. So then everything sort of gets over the top. Kind of like what my golf swing would look like if anybody can think about that. Yeah. That's not good. But yeah, I think the Lions are set up to be able to, to make his life very uncomfortable in this matchup. And with no Collins, if Collins, if he doesn't play, it really, it puts a cap on what they're able to do offensively. Makes sense. Been really good there. I would expect him to continue to look really good. He's a, you know, he's a big dude. He's hard to get to the ground. He's a good running back. Yeah. You know, I would expect him to have a good game and to be very productive both running the ball and, you know, catching some passes and that kind of stuff. And like you mentioned, Dell's going to get his. Yeah. It's just, can, can the Lions put them in potentially bad down in distance and, and then get some pressure in not, not like, you know, Hutchinson kind of pressure where it's coming from the edges. Right. More, you know, just as a group, just kind of condensing the pocket, right, making Strub feel that, you know, I think, I think they're in a pretty good position and then the Will Anderson thing is big. That's a, cause he's, he's their best edge player and he's a problem. You know, I think the Lions can hold up with him physically. They have, they have, we'll see with Decker, right? But if Decker plays and he's good, you know, I think they can prevent, I don't know what your thoughts are, but I think Decker struggles at times on his outside shoulder with real slippery players who can bend around him. Yeah. That's not Will Anderson's game. He's more of a, you know, he's a very physical player who wants to push a tackle into the quarterback's lap in the same way. We mentioned how's the Darius Smith is going to win Anderson can do that just, just, just at a higher level and he's got some more quicks. But he's not, he's not super bendy, right? So I think the Lions can hold up a little better, but if he misses the game, just makes it so much harder for Houston. So the Lions look pretty good in this matchup. You know, they're, they're playing at a, at a level right now where you should almost expect. It's crazy, but you should expect the Lions to have their way and to do what they want to do. I agree. And I think the, the thing for the defense, I mean, if they can somehow continue to have Tyrion Arnold, Carlton Davis, even if Rake Straw gets in there, get those guys to play in phase and get their head around. If this is the week to do it, do it, obviously because you're playing CJ Stroud, but like two out of the last three weeks, CJ Stroud has not completed many passes. I mean, he has done a very poor job with that last week against the Jets. He only completed 36% two weeks prior to that. He played the Packers and he completed 47% of his passes. So like he's not completing a lot of passes. And I think that's a lot of it because of the, the in and out of the, the, the weapons that he has. And now struggles with that interior O line guys, like they're, they're really struggling offensively. He struts a great talent. He was awesome in year one, but you know, no stuff on digs. It's a huge loss. Collins has been on IR and it's really throttled that offense. Yep. Just takes the timing out of it, right? And I mean, that really does. And I think that can't be, he can't be wide receiver one. He's just physically not, you know, I don't see you hold up that way. No. Um, Niko Collins was awesome until he or until he heard that hamstring. So, you know, lions might benefit from a missing, you know, if they miss Collins in this matchup, it's huge for the lions defense. It just has. Yeah. It really is. Um, I'm pulling up right now just what the, the spread is on the game. Um, I can't remember what it originally was, but, um, it is changed to, it's still three and a half. So, uh, I think it opened up at two and a half. So it's, it's moved up a point in favor of the lions, but yeah, I mean, I just, I don't see a scenario where they, you know, don't play their best game. I just though the way that they've been playing and the way the run game's hitting and the switching of drives of one drive you're dealing with Montgomery, the next drive you're dealing with Chamere Gibbs and then when they want to, they'll mix and match them and it's just like good luck. Like, I just, I feel like at any point the lions could be like, you know what, we're going to run 12 straight plays and they're all going to be run place. So buckle up everybody because we're going to mix in four different running backs. We're going to give one to Jmo and Jmo returns in this game too. I completely forgot about that. That's like, I know the scenario with Gibbs and Montgomery on the field, like, I know that we like to talk about that is I've been calling holes. I've been calling for pony personnel all this whole time. Like, let's do it. What do you do? Like, what does a defense do? I don't, I don't know what you do when you have Sam Laporta, Jmo, St. Brown, Gibbs Montgomery, Gibbs's motioning all over the place, Jmo's motioning all over the place. What do you do in that scenario as a defense? I don't, I don't know. You don't, you don't do much, yeah, you don't got much. So I think, and I think that's the thing, I don't think Ben Johnson has even gone deep into the creative bag that he has. I think a lot of what he's done is replicating what he's done in the past, which is different variations and adding a little bit more salt and pepper into it. He hasn't even gotten into the paprika and the oregano and everything else, the fun stuff, you know? So I can't wait. Right. Right. Like, save that for when you really need it. Yeah. Save it for the NFC Championship game when you get in the second half and you need to put up some points. You don't know. Yeah. You can't wait for this one. It's Sunday night, prime time, you'll love those games because everybody nationally gets to see it. They get to see what this team is made of. And I think when it's said and done, I think people, if you're not on board yet, I think after it, they're going to be like, you know what, this is a Super Bowl team. This is a team that's going to make it the whole way. Yeah. So maybe, I don't know, we're taking a one game at a time, but that's, you know, that's where I'm at with it. But, you know, some of that is, you know, we have to meet, we have to meet this team where it is. Right. Like it's, we're at the halfway point. This is a dominant, dominant football team. The one game that they did not play well was Tampa, right? And that was still a very tight game until the end. Um, still, you're seven in one. This is as good a football team as there is in the NFL and I am including the Kansas City Chiefs and that and, you know, the Lions, they're just, they're, you can't say enough positive things about just, just about every way, from, from the quarterback on down, the Lions are, are, have been as impressive as you could be pretty much for the entire half, the first half of the, of the season. There's no reason to expect that anything changed. This is a dominant football team. Yeah. No. And I think they'll be ready. It's a road game or not. In doors, outdoors, as Dan Campbell said, landfill, grass, turf, don't matter, rain, sleet, snow, we'll be ready to go. So yeah, I think they'll be fine and we'll see. They got to execute. They'll, they'll do what they want to do. So yeah, clearly they, you know, it's, this is one of those matchups where you do need to execute. You can't play well. If they play well, they win. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Um, we'll see. We'll see how it goes. We'll, uh, we'll talk more about it next week right here on the Detroit Lions podcast. You got anything else to add? No. All right. Well, you guys, of course, can find us on Twitter or X at Russ NFL Draft at Bischoff underscore Scott. And of course, you can follow and rate review and subscribe to the Detroit Lions podcast on YouTube, Apple podcast, Spotify and all other podcast platforms. That's all we got for Lions Texans preview, Lions Packers review, we'll be back next week to get into the next game, we'll review this Texans game. We can't wait to do that. So he's Scott Bischoff, I'm Russ Brown. This is Bischoff Brown right here on the Detroit Lions podcast.
Bisch & Brown Houston Texans Preview
Russ Brown and Scott Bischoff run through the Detroit Lions' victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Lions went into Lambeau and stomped all over the Packers in their own home. They were incredibly disrespectful while doing it and we're here for it.
The boys then move on to the Detroit Lions next opponent, the Houston Texans. The Texans receiver room has more than a few injuries so the boys are curious who CJ Stroud has left to throw to. Their offensive line has also been struggling, so if ZaDarius Smith plays, he may get to feast.
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Join us on the Detroit Lions Podcast for the best game previews and and expert analysis. Stay informed as we continue to cover the Lions' journey throughout the season!
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