Stoney and Costa explain how the Lions can win the Super Bowl despite their struggling defense.
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00:00Ball game, Dan Miller on the call, Lions go out West.
00:05Perfect on the road this season.
00:07Stoney, the big question though, can they win the Super Bowl with this defense?
00:13They can.
00:14I'm not going to make a prediction whether they will or not, but they can because they
00:18can outscore everybody.
00:20And turnovers are going to be the key.
00:23Turnovers were the key yesterday.
00:24And looking ahead to this coming Sunday, turnovers are going to be a key in this game because
00:28as bad as the Lions defense is, now Minnesota's defense isn't outstanding, but they do make
00:35a lot of turnovers.
00:37Brian Flores' defenses do create turnovers.
00:39They do.
00:40Yeah, the defense, it's just, I don't know what you could do.
00:44Eventually we knew because of all the injuries when you played a team with a really, you
00:48know, and yesterday, you're not playing a team that was really great.
00:54Obviously their offensive line was complete, and they were pulling guys off the street.
00:57Yeah, practice squad guys marched up and down the field.
01:00It's deeply concerning.
01:01Yes, and I'll tell you what one of my biggest concerns is, and I, the guy's got a great
01:07personality.
01:08Oh no, never great when you start that way.
01:10Yeah, I know.
01:11It's like sounding like a girl.
01:13Great personality, but he started off okay.
01:18Where's Adarius Smith been?
01:22Need more?
01:24Yeah.
01:26Maybe when McNeil went out, that change, I have no idea.
01:29I mean, Reeder didn't do much yesterday either.
01:30Well, as I say, he's the other guy.
01:31These are vets.
01:32Yes.
01:33And these are guys who, listen, when they had Ali McNeil on that defensive line, responsibility
01:40was spread out.
01:41Yes.
01:42Now the veterans have to lead.
01:43They have to produce.
01:44And I know Reeder's not a big sack guy.
01:46Interior pressure is a huge part of this game.
01:48Yes.
01:49And Zadarius has got to produce on the edge in a big spot in a big playoff game or this
01:53week in a week 18 matchup with the Vikings.
01:55Stoney, the formula is there.
01:58Yesterday is the formula for the Lions to win the Super Bowl.
02:00That's why I said they can.
02:01Yeah.
02:02And it's like, hey, guys, if it's not new, this defense is an issue.
02:07It's a problem.
02:08It's it's it could be the Achilles heel.
02:10But the way they're going to have to win is the way they did yesterday.
02:12The offense is going to have to be aggressive.
02:13They're going to have to go forward on fourth downs.
02:15You're going to have to get used to it if it bothers you.
02:17It's their path to victory in the red zone.
02:19They can't settle for a field goal.
02:21Sorry.
02:22I know they didn't get the first one.
02:23Good thing they got the second one.
02:24And Stoney turnovers are the answer.
02:26It's it's the riddle.
02:27Right.
02:28The other team doesn't punt at all.
02:29Right.
02:30But you're up two scores in the fourth.
02:31How did you get there?
02:32Solve for X turnovers, right?
02:34It's the only reason they were up two scores in the fourth.
02:37And one of those turnovers was just a gift.
02:38I mean, the other one, Joe, his other one, he made a great play, a great read.
02:43And the fact that he's got nine interceptions tells you something.
02:46Oh, speaking of that, we've been just throwing out like historic stats.
02:49Did you see the significance of his nine interceptions?
02:52The last lion to get nine interceptions since, I think, the Hall of Famer Jack Christensen,
02:56I believe.
02:57Ninth interception, the most in a season by a Lions defender since Jimmy Spider-Man Allen
03:02in 1981.
03:03Oh.
03:04Another one waits.
03:05It does.
03:06Oh, wow.
03:07Yeah.
03:08Just for you.
03:09I made sure to bookmark that one just for you this morning.
03:14Yeah.
03:17You know, the two times I have been in after Lion wins with John, he's been adamant of
03:22playing it.
03:23I know you guys love this.
03:24To me, this is a team that didn't make the playoffs.
03:27This song is from a team that didn't make the playoffs.
03:29I know we need to.
03:31We need a modern version.
03:32And I know this is a special place in your heart.
03:35Spider-Man Allen.
03:36I know.
03:37Lying in the room and M&M needs a remaster.
03:41Yeah.
03:42End of story.
03:43Get one of the best in the business.
03:46Or a Lions player.
03:49Do their own versions of, like, Super Bowl shuffles or stuff like that.
03:52Who would lead?
03:53Who's got some chops?
03:54Yeah.
03:55I mean, let us know.
03:56Does anybody have, like, a singing background on this team?
03:57Didn't McNeil do some music?
03:59Oh, yeah.
04:00He did some DJing and rapping.
04:02Yes, absolutely.
04:03Maybe a Lee McNeil, although he's not playing right now.
04:06He's got downtime.
04:07He could produce something.
04:08Right.
04:09Well, this team doesn't need crap like that, Jim.
04:10They're all about grit.
04:11Well, we saw, you know, look, obviously, you don't want them dancing right now, but we saw,
04:15you know, in hard knocks, Aiden Hutchinson can sing.
04:18Did you see him working out in the pool?
04:20Yeah.
04:21Oh, hey, Stoney.
04:23Maybe they don't need to have a perfect offense because Aiden will be there in the Super Bowl.
04:28So you guys ask, can this defense get it done?
04:30Yeah.
04:31That's the question.
04:32Can they win with this defense?
04:33Yeah.
04:34Because they have to outscore people.
04:35A lot of people have compared this team to the greatest show on turf, you know, in terms
04:38of just what they've accomplished offensively.
04:41I think they've almost exceeded that at some point now.
04:44But the greatest show on turf, when they won the Super Bowl, they had to play the Buccaneers
04:49in the NFC Championship game at home.
04:50They won the game 11 to 6.
04:53That Rams team had a better defense than this Lions team.
04:55But I do think this offense is just more balanced and slightly better.
05:00You know who I actually think they are or who I think they need to be?
05:04The 09 Saints.
05:05Yeah.
05:06So the 09 Saints win 13 and 3, Sean Payton, a mentor of Dan Campbell.
05:10Right.
05:11And that team did not have a good defense, but they forced timely turnovers, including
05:14Tracey Porter in the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning.
05:16And gee, their coach made controversial, weird things like an onside kick.
05:21Something you have to do, right?
05:22Their playoff games, they scored 45, 31, and 31 in the Super Bowl, 30 or more every game,
05:29a turnover here, blitz on a key down and get off the field there.
05:33Like that's a great analogy.
05:34The 09 Saints are the blueprint.
05:36So the answer is yes, the Lions can win a Super Bowl with this defense.
05:39I believe the quarterbacks they beat on that path were Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and
05:43Kurt Warner.
05:44Yes.
05:45Because it's Cardinals, Vikings and Colts.
05:46We've talked about them, the Lions, maybe the elite quarterbacks when they get to the
05:50AFC, if they can get there to the Super Bowl.
05:52No, can't beat those guys.
05:53Well, there's a blueprint.
05:54But they also did attempt an onside kick.
05:56Porter had to pick.
05:57Don't forget.
05:58No, that wasn't the that weight.
06:01Yeah.
06:02So that was the year against the Vikings with Favre.
06:05Yes.
06:06Peterson.
06:07Remember the fumbles in the NFC championship game?
06:09Was that the Favre one?
06:10So they need.
06:11This isn't Detroit.
06:12This is the Super Bowl.
06:13Yeah.
06:14Paul Allen.
06:15Was that that was that year?
06:16I think it was.
06:17I'm at the full circle.
06:18Yeah.
06:19This is Detroit.
06:20Yes.
06:21This is the Super Bowl.
06:22Like that's that's where we could be in a couple of weeks here a month.
06:24So yeah, they turn their turn people over.
06:26They were opportunistic because they they did give up a lot of points at Saints team.
06:31I mean, that NFC championship.
06:32I mean, I think the Vikings scored twenty eight or thirty four or something like that.
06:36The Saints that season were the number one offense.
06:38Sound familiar?
06:39Thirty one points per game.
06:40Yeah.
06:41I'm near the same as the Lions.
06:43So their defense gave up twenty one points per game.
06:44It was 20th in the league.
06:46So they're sitting there with, you know, a bottom half bottom third defense winning the
06:50Super Bowl.
06:51The Pat's there.
06:52Oh, yeah.
06:53There's no doubt they can do it.
06:54Can.
06:55Yeah.
06:56I'm not going to sit there and they're going to win the Super Bowl with a crappy defense.
07:00No, but they can do it.
07:02I mean, their offense looks San Francisco.
07:05Say what you want about it.
07:06Look, obviously, you know, missing my green law hurt them all season, but they still have
07:11Bosa and Warner.
07:12We're still really good.
07:15The Lions can score on anybody, anybody.
07:19Isn't it crazy?
07:20There was a second touchdown, third and twelve, and they throw to St.
07:25Brown. He's not going to get the first.
07:28Pitches it to Jamo, turns a corner and he's gone and they're doing stuff like that.
07:32They're cutting edge because for years I know that the Chiefs do a little bit of that, too.
07:36For years, people have said if someone could figure out how to time it up, almost make
07:39it like a rugby play, a scripted rugby play, you're going to burn some defenses.
07:43And the Lions have said, OK, yeah, we'll do it.
07:45Yeah. And they've done it repeatedly.
07:47This is not like a one off for this team.
07:49It's an anomaly almost that they don't have a game without a trick play.
07:54Have they had a game without a trick play this season?
07:56They probably have, but it's hard to think of that.
07:58Right. And they've had so much fun.
08:02God, this team is so much fun to watch, you know, and part of it is excruciating because
08:08the defense like like last night and, you know, we'll talk about it with TJ when he gets
08:12here at seven o'clock, they they couldn't tackle.
08:16I mean, guys who are really short tacklers were missing tackles, even like Branch.
08:21And by the way, his penalties, he's got to like cool his jets to a certain extent.
08:26You're talking the late in the game.
08:27Yeah. Pushing someone after the play.
08:29Yes. And they would.
08:30And at times now pretty like Darnold to a to a lesser to a greater extent, because I've
08:38seen the way Darnold seems to be able to somehow snake his way out of getting sacked.
08:42I don't know how crazy, but like the Lions, when they did get through a little bit, it's
08:48like they were like would run right by the guy, the quarterback, but by Purdy, there
08:54were times when, you know, if he was there and then but they didn't do anything at the
08:58end, they got a few. I got one, I believe, or how I got one.
09:01And Adam's got one. I think Adam's definitely got one.
09:03I'm not sure I'm Muhammad. I actually want to give Kyle Shanahan a little bit of credit
09:06because to start that game, he coached like he had practice squad offensive lineman.
09:11They had misdirection.
09:12Oh, yeah. They were using receivers in the end around a little this and then cut back
09:16against the grain, trying to get the Lions defensive aggressiveness working against them.
09:20And Detroit really didn't blitz all that much early in the game.
09:23I'm wondering when they're going to dial it up.
09:25But I think some of that was the chess match.
09:26San Francisco is keeping them on their heels.
09:29Play action was killing the Lions.
09:31Awful. I mean, even guys like Campbell, Jack Campbell would bite.
09:36And then they had Kittle had like a cow pasture of green in front of them.
09:42And I kept wondering, can they get a strategic blitz here?
09:44Can they get a key takeaway?
09:45And it didn't happen till the second half.