This is The Litterbox, a Detroit Lions podcast
with your hosts, Chad West and Bill Patterson.
Happy New Year Detroit Lions litter box listeners.
We are here going into the final week of the
season week 18 with the Lions traveling to the
hallowed ground of Soldier Field to play the
Ben Johnson led Chicago Bears who are currently
sitting as the number two seed in the NFC for
the playoffs listeners I know you're aware that
our Lions are officially eliminated and ending
the season with kind of a thud if you would so
chat Happy New Year's. It's good to see you How
are you? I'm 6. Great. And I've got a question
for you. It's kind of like a holiday gift or
a wish list. What's a realistic wish list for
you for your Detroit Lions this offseason? Let's
see. A mobile quarterback who throws dimes 50
yards down the field. An offensive line that's
in the top five in the league. A defensive line
that's in the top five in the league. Incredibly,
two incredible lockdown corners. Wouldn't you
want me to stop, Bill? We need so many things.
at this point in time. My wish list is in the
trenches at the moment. I don't think it's going
to be realistic for us to upgrade everything
in front of us. I want number one because this
team can have a fun offense and has great offensive
players with ability. I want an offensive line.
We need to figure out the offensive line. If
we don't, Think we're just gonna replay next
this season next season all over again and maybe
have a 500 schedule Maybe we get a wild card
and we lose in the first round Your thoughts
I agree with everything you're saying hence why
I included the word realistic But I appreciated
your tongue -in -cheek answer. That was good
mine would be as follows Number one, agree with
you 100 % on the trenches. I don't think Frank
Ragnow's a realistic answer at center, so I'm
not excited by that at all. I really, really
like... He's not coming back though, I don't
think. I think they've determined that this was
just a flash to get him back this year, but I
think he's done. Goff made mention that he doesn't
see it as being realistic for him to come back.
Jared said it in this week's presser and last
week's presser that he talks to Frank all the
time and that he doesn't see it. Okay. So a center,
that's number one. Number two, another edge rusher
to compliment Aiden Hutchinson. And then we need
guard help or tackle help, depending on how and
whom retires. Everything I'm hearing right now,
and I'm sure what you're hearing as well. Thank
you, Dave Burkett. Thank you, 97 .1. The ticket
is saying that Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker
are gonna retire. So questions abound like do
you move Penae Sewell from the right side to
the left side? Is Giovanni Manu ready to man
one of the tackle spots? Are you comfortable
going in with Tate Ratledge and a Christian Mahogany
or is it a Miles Frazier Tate Ratledge? You know,
there's a center I really like from the University
of Iowa whose name eludes me right now I would
be intrigued with him is is a first -round pick
Also going back to your mobile quarterback that
throws dimes. It's supposed to be a deep quarterback
class I know you aren't particularly in love
with anybody just nothing like that. Oh Nothing
along the lines of this being a deep quarterback
class. Maybe I'm wrong It's supposed to it's
supposed to be not top -heavy like it's supposed
to be like the bone next draft class Like, just
lots of pieces throughout. Okay. And I would
not mind the Lions taking a page from the Packers
playbook and drafting Jared Goff's replacement.
The biggest thing that I don't want is Goff being
extended, regardless of his cap hit for this
year. I do not want to be married to Jared Goff
for the next four or five seasons, Chet. I am
not entertained by that at all. I think that
will... Quite frankly set the franchise back
and not put them on track to achieve the ultimate
goal, which is winning a Super Bowl I am still
in the market for a big boy offensive coordinator
You know Johnny Moe is not the answer and I personally
think Kelvin Shepherd, you know first half of
the season He probably got like what a B plus
a minus second half of the season I mean, he
was flummoxed by just about everybody that was
a decent offensive coordinator. Arthur Smith
made him look silly. I expect Ben Johnson to
make him look silly this week. His front seven's
been healthy. Apparently, Eileen McNeil is dealing
with an abdomen injury this week, but that's
the first we've seen of it. I mean, people are
going to get dinged, right? Yeah. So I've got
a couple names for you that are very intriguing
to me. One would be down in Tampa Bay, Todd Bowles.
If the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers tomorrow
and miss the playoffs, apparently he is on the
hot seat. This is an organization that has let
some talented coaches go. The head coach of the
Panthers, Dave Canales and Liam Cohen, your head
coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I would love
Todd Bowles as a defensive coordinator, not head
coach. A hundred percent. I don't know what connection
he has to Dan and company, to Holmes and Dan
and whatnot. They seem to hire from within their
group of people. Like, have we seen them go outside
of this, this, um, whirlpool of people they've
surrounded themselves with over the last decade
and they're in the business? No, but they're
going to have to. They're going to have to eventually,
right? They're going to have to reach out. Another
name for you is close to home, but he is a unrestricted
free agent or not, you know, he doesn't have
a contract in place after this weekend is Brian
Flores. I would love him. My word. I don't know
how you're going to get him. There's no way the
Vikings are gonna make his money. I mean, I'll
take him that would be incredible I don't think
the Vikings are letting him go. He neither doing
for that Yeah, but but obviously that's a Christmas
present that you and I would both love under
the tree goodness Another name for you is in
and we don't know what's gonna happen with Kevin
Stefanski and his staff in Cleveland But Jim
Schwartz has done a really good job with Cleveland's
defense It's the offense that's been the problem
for the Browns. Could there be a homecoming for
one Jim Schwartz? I'd be happy having him lead
our defense. I would not kick Jim Schwartz out
of the running. I like Jim Schwartz. I'm fine
with Jim. I liked his fire and I think his fire
would, in an interesting way, I think his fire
would match that of Dan's or complement it well.
Do you know where I'm going with that? Hundred
percent. I think I think they could be a really
good tandem on the sideline of those three names
quite frankly the one I like the least is probably
Todd Bowles however, which is Lovely. Yeah, I
mean I would take any one of those three and
be a static with it Nothing against you Kelvin
Shepherd, but I think it proved that the job
was probably a little too big for you and Dan
This year, losing both coordinators really needed
strong lieutenants or offensive coordinator,
defensive coordinator, and he just didn't seem
to get that this year. I think the problem that
we're going to come up against here is there's
a wealth of, obviously, there's a wealth of options
here for defensive coordinator, interesting options,
good, intriguing options coming up for this season.
But I could see of all the coaches, I could see
Kelvin retaining his job for another year. Because
they have to get an OC, right? So let's move
over. I know they haven't guaranteed Kelvin.
I know they've said Kelvin could be got like
they're he's not safe by any means. I'm just
looking at, you know, the level, the need, the
stack of needs here all of a sudden and keeping
him just to keep a D coordinator around like
just to not have to fill that spot. seems like
a path of least resistance going into the next
season, so they can concentrate on other stuff.
Unfortunately, that's where all the resources
are right now. They're all out there. Talk about
offensive coordinators. Do you have any names
that you like? This is the problem with OCs.
You just rattled off three DCs, right? And they're
all coming up with the end of a contract, possibly
gonna be out in the market. I don't know a single
offensive coordinator that is of that ilk. That
is going to be out there looking. Who do you
have your mind on? Well, I'm just going to give
you the top of the list, but neither of these
guys both could come back. And I agree that this
list is not nearly as sexy or appeasing. It's
not. That's the problem. This is what we need,
but the choices aren't great. I mean, number
one would be Mike McDaniel from Miami. Sure.
We've talked about this also. Yeah. I love that.
Yeah. Two, we've talked about this gentleman
as well. If for some reason the Steelers finally
decide to make wholesale changes, Arthur Smith,
I think would fit in very well. He loves to run
the ball set up establish the run I think he'd
work well with Dan again a former head coach
same with Mike McDaniel So I think you're gonna
sense a theme here a name that doesn't appease
me But we know he's available and we know he's
probably gonna get hired somewhere good Brian
Dayball I mean he worked wonders with Josh Allen
Yeah, if the Lions did decide because they're
gonna be drafting what like 13 14 this year to
enter the quarterback pool I can't think of a
better tutor for this next quarterback than that
of one Brian Dayball. Do you have any other names
that are jumping out to you? I don't. I don't.
And those are that McDaniel was my number one.
He's been my number one choice from the word
go. And I think Dayball is an interesting addition
to this list. I don't know that, like you said.
I don't think any of these guys are nearly as
sexy as the D coordinator options that could
be out there for us, which is unfortunately we
need the OC that bad. It's just. Yeah. But wasn't
last year's, if you think about it, the offensive
coordinators that went on to become head coaches
last off season, Liam Cohen mentioned him again,
Jacksonville Jaguars, Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears.
I mean, they're really doing fantastic things.
I mean, those are two potential division winners.
You know, we could also talk about, I mean, a
team that's often overlooked, the New Orleans
Saints and Kellen Moore. I think they've won
five straight. Kellen Moore was always going
to be an all -star, right? Yeah. Like the second
that he left the Lions, I was like, we just lost
one of the best future coaches from our ranks.
And I know that was years ago. Don't get me wrong.
It was a long, long time ago. He spent time in
the NFC. He's been all over the place, right?
But he's learned from some of the best. It's
been everybody looked at him and was like, Kelly
Moore is going to be a guy. I would take a Mike
McDaniel. I would take a day ball. I would take
Arthur Smith. I think any one of those three
would be better than what we currently have going
on. But I think Arthur Smith would be my choice
of those three. I don't think Mike McDaniels
is going to fit with Dan. And I think Arthur
Smith is the guy if you're going to get somebody.
But again, is the question mark is even going
to be available? Yeah, we don't know. And it's
not as clear cut as the D guys. Do you think
the Steelers Ravens tilt Sunday night winner
take division? Do you think either of those teams
might the loser might see some wholesale changes?
It's hard to say because the Ravens with Harbaugh
like that, they just had kind of a rough season.
I mean, Lamar was injured for a little bit of
it. They had some defensive guys missing. They're
kind of like the Lions. They suffered injuries
and they saw the feedback from those injuries
earlier in the year. Whereas the Lions saw it
later in the year. I think the Steelers, I mean,
what are they doing? Here's a classic example
of the Steelers going through the quarterback
carousel. Right? Like they had to find a quarterback.
They went through Russell Wilson. That didn't
work out. They had Pickett. Hands were too small.
They had, I mean, you go through the whole group
and you get down to, they signed old man Rogers
for a season. And Rogers did pretty well. Philip
Rivers might be their quarterback next year for
all we know. I have no idea, but it does lend.
You watch Rogers have some success there, even
after they lose Pickens, who was their best receiver.
And you watch, you watch Rivers. have some success
in Indianapolis. Granted, I couldn't even believe
what I was watching half the time, but the guy
can still throw a ball and find a receiver. And
you start to realize that that experience at
the quarterback position becomes more and more
and more valuable as the years pass on. You know
where I'm going with this. Like Jared Goff, can
he become more and more and more and more valuable
as the years go on? At any rate, I'm getting
off the off course here. We're talking about
coaches. I just don't know where the Steelers
are headed. And I don't know if they're going
to get rid of an Arthur Smith at this point.
That's OK. The last name. The reality. I just
don't see a realistic group of OCs out there
that are available. Last name. Let's say the
Ravens do make wholesale changes. Does Todd Munkin,
the offensive coordinator, the Ravens do and
I see where you're going with this now. Again,
better than where we are. I'm not sure who we
get, who they dig up out of the ether to fill
this role. I mean, there's nobody else out there
I can think of. So, yeah, it could be a Todd
Monk and it could be somebody that, you know,
a team that just decides we're gutting everything,
we're starting over and we're going to throw
these people out there into the free agent market.
I don't know. I don't have answers at OC, which
is what scares me most for this offseason. I
just don't see clean answers there. The defensive
coordinator stuff I see, but we're also closer
to keeping Kelvin Shepherd than we are John Morton.
So. Wheels within wheels. A lot of conundrums
here. There's just a lot to really pick over
there. I don't, I hate, I hate having to shop
for coordinators because I do feel like sometimes
a little bit of it is like you're, you're either
getting a guy who was a head coach that got fired
at Dable. Let's just take a guy like Dable, right?
You're getting a guy like him that was had his
shot at head coach and didn't work out, leaves,
goes back to being an OC, finds that magic again.
And I have no doubt that could possibly happen
with Dable. Okay. And I feel, I do feel like
he could do some stuff with golf. I feel like
he could work with him, but the rest of these
guys, like you're going to bring some young buck
up. I mean, I don't know. I, who do you bring
up in that case? Do you go try and take, uh,
do you go try to take somebody from, you know,
somebody else's staff? That's a QB coach or an
assistant OC type deal. I mean, if you go get,
you're going to go to the Shanahan or McVay tree.
Yeah. That's what you're gonna have to go grab
potentially hung up and come though Liam Cohen
tree potentially the Kellen Moore tree Knowing
knowing that the person's never called plays
because all those guys call their own plays Yep,
therein lies the weakness I can tell you two
names that do not intrigue me whatsoever. Okay,
Matt Nagy from the Chiefs never called plays
He was a complete and total bust with the Bears.
Yep, and then the second one This is a little
bit intriguing. Just... No, you know, I'm gonna
leave the list at Matt Nagy. He's really the
only one that I'm just not. Just leave it on
that negative note that nobody wants Matt Nagy.
No. No, he's not a... That's a guy who keeps
a seat warm. He's like John Morton. Keeps a seat
warm. Exactly. I don't know. Alright, real quick.
I'm gonna talk about Jared Goff's press conference
and then I'm gonna dive into injury reports.
Okay. Excuse me, Dan Campbell's press conference
regarding Jared Goff. He said he's a stud. We
love him. We love this guy. He's a winner. Do
you take it the same way a lot of the talking
heads did that the Lions are going to extend
Jared Goff now? I think they will restructure.
I think they'll extend and restructure. They
can't have that $70 million cap it next year.
Golf so they're gonna restructure his deal which
will mean committing to him for a couple of years
Which I don't think is the worst thing. I'm not
gonna lie to you. You don't like it. I don't
like it It's the worst thing. Well, let me ask
you this. Let's suppose you go draft a quarterback
this year Okay, let's just suppose you do who's
out on your top of your list. I Mean, obviously
Mendoza is friggin amazing Diego Pavia is amazing
in terms of offering, you know dual threat on
that I mean, I love You hear he's going back
to school, but Lenora Sellers from South Carolina
intrigues me. Here's the thing, Chet. I don't
want to be the last of the Mohicans, and that's
what's going to happen to the Lions with golf.
If we have four more years of a stationary quarterback
that has absolutely positively no mobility when
the pocket collapses, you are doing something
that the rest of the NFL isn't doing. And so
therefore you're having to place more importance
on your offensive line, more importance on your
runner game than any other pocket passer means.
But you do realize, like you brought Mendoza,
he's a pocket passer, Bill. He's slow. He's not
a runner. He's not a runner. He's slow with average
arm strength is his scouting report. A, he won't
be available so we don't have to worry about
it. B, his foot speed's a lot better than Jared
Goff's. I mean, I'd argue anybody right now in
the NFL save Aaron Rodgers' foot speed is better
than... than Jared Goss. I think one of the problem
is a lot of the guys that are coming out in this
draft, Mendoza, Dante Moore, Garrett Nussmeyer.
Let's just take those three guys. I love Dante
Moore. You like Dante Moore. Again, he's a pocket
passer. Better at vertical throwing than Mendoza.
He's better deep down the field. He's got a strong
arm, very accurate, but he's a little thin. OK,
he's young. He's very young. He's only a sophomore.
He's a slower runner. All right, so he's not
as quick. As you would, I look at Oregon quarterbacks
and I guess Oregon quarterbacks have made me
feel like they're they're a little more mobile,
the bone knicks route, that type of thing. And
he lacks a little consistency on short passing.
So you're looking at another pocket passer. So
you've got two pocket passers in Mendoza and
Moore. I think Moore is probably coming out this
year from what I understand. And then you got
Garrett Nussmeyer from LSU. Also, he's supposedly
the best of the pure passers. in the group but
again another slower guy that's not a very mobile
quarterback so now you're down when you get down
into the rest of the group look at a guy late
round guy right like a project like Carson Beck
he's Jared Goff 2 .0 he's a slow pocket passer
who can place a good ball okay inconsistent deep
though and then you're looking at Pavia and Aller
all right like Pavia is I feel like he's a system
quarterback. Like there's a system thing there.
I don't see him being a good NFL quarterback.
Just put it where it is. You can say he is, but
I just don't see a quarterback class coming out
here who can really help us. You'd go with like
Mateer from Oklahoma. All right. He's fast. He's
quicker, moves a little quicker, but he's also
short. He's not that big. You're looking at more
of like a maybe a bow nexus type guy in him But
I don't I just am not sold on these guys come
on the draft So that leaves you with what it
leaves you with Kyler Murray. How do you feel
about Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett? You think
they can do any like Kyler is basically forgotten
in Cardinal land I would much prefer Mac Jones
to either of them. Okay. Okay Mac Jones not a
bad option I'll tell you what if you can get
a Mac Jones, maybe I just don't know Again, we
go back to this, like, what do you need and how
bad do you need it? If they can extend golf for,
you know, get another season or two out of him,
I could see them going that route and restructuring
his whole deal. That's what I think is probably
going to happen. So let's go to the injury report
and I'll tell you why I'm concerned with all
of this. Yep. Yep. All right. Tristan Colon.
Yeah. Wrist didn't practice. Ely McNeil abdomen
didn't practice. I'm going to stay with the offensive
line. Penne Sewell ankle didn't practice. Well,
Coyote Awasika, illness, didn't practice. Taylor
Decker, shoulder and the same illness, didn't
practice. Christian Mahogany, illness, limited
practice. Giovanni Manu, knee, limited practice.
And then rounding it out, let's go back to the
secondary. Avante Maddox is banged up. He's dealing
with the back and same illness. I'm in raw st.
Brown knee and ankle still dealing with that
Thomas Harper concussion protocol same with Alex
and Zaloni I wouldn't expect either of them to
play so again, it's not so much the injuries
this year Chad It's the fact that not only is
your starting offensive line dinged up It's your
second string and now third string players that
are dinged up And so in a game where the weather
is calling for a high of 26 a low of 18 probably
cloudy As the Bears like to say, Chicago Bear
Weather, he who establishes the running game
more successfully is going to win said game.
With that offensive line and the injury report
we just saw, I am a little dubious. They're dinged
up. On the fact that the Lions will be able to
establish the run. Your guy, Jared Goff. You
know how I feel about him in the weather. All
right, I get you. The gloves on. And here's my
part about why I don't want to extend him is.
A. He needs a really strong offensive line. B.
He needs a running game. C. He needs indoor environment.
The elements are rough for him. There's just
too many ifs. And I am coming to the conclusion
that I don't think that Jared Goff will win a
Super Bowl in the NFL with the Lions or with
any of us. Jared Goff needs to train in like
the Arctic over the summer and get used to throwing
in cold weather. He needs like a simulator or
something like that to train in. So he can't
just step outside of Allen Park and do it? No.
At the outdoor field? Not in the summer. Not
in the summertime. Okay, got it. It's got to
be windy and cold, and it's got to replicate
what Green Bay and Chicago are going to be like
in the winter months is what I want. All right,
let's head over to the Bears. Jonah Jackson,
ex -lion, is dealing with the same illness that
everybody's dealing with. He's a starting guard.
Joe Tyron Shoyinka, backup defensive end, is
dealing with a concussion. Don't expect him.
Romadouzai is still dealing with a foot. He's
their stud wide receiver, former first round
pick last year. I wouldn't expect to see him.
Nick McLeod's dealing with the same illness.
He's a cornerback. I think he probably will play
because he's been limited. Eze Trapillo, backup
offensive tackle, knee quad injury. He's limited.
He'll play. Josh Blackwell, cornerback, dealing
with a bum shoulder, but he has been a full participant.
Luther Burden, the third, this year's second
round draft pick wide receiver stud. quad injury,
but he's been a full participant and same with
Olamidi Zacharias, third wide receiver, slot
wide receiver. I expect him to go as well. So
I want to say, Chet, this is nine of the last
10, the Lions go into a matchup in a game where
they are by far the more injured team. And I
just, this does not bode well in any way, shape
or form, I think for the outcome. Yep. The lion
is only negative three bears. So the bears are
favored by three, the over -under is 50 .5. So
Vegas is expecting some fireworks and some shootout.
I mentioned the weather, you know, the field's
gonna be terrible, you know, footing's gonna
be hard to get. I don't like that only McNeil's
not playing. It would be a game that Williams,
the rookie, you know, should be a run stuffer,
but who knows if that's gonna happen. Yeah. Why
don't you give us your fantasy outlook and then
we'll do predictions. Mm -hmm. So, I have a couple
concerns. Along the lines of our quarterbacks
in this game. It isn't supposed to be gusty But
it will be a little breezy for this game cold
and breezy is rough passing weather Everything
I have read about this game is and you look at
the over -under at fifty and a half points There's
gonna be some scoring everybody thinks there's
gonna be about four to five touchdowns thrown
in this game he from Caleb to from golf and I
just don't I don't know if I see that or not.
And if they are, they're going to be shorter
touchdowns. I think we're going to get any big
explosives, as John Morton likes to call them.
I think you're going to see some running game
stuff here. I think Swift might have a game as
he is. He's not injured, right? He's healthy
at this. He's healthy from what I understand.
Yeah. So he's I think he's going to have a pretty
big game against the Lions. I have a feeling
now. The one thing we got going for us is this
Dan Campbell pride and you know how they can
be. They want to win this game, whatever. Personally,
it does no good for them to win this game. Like
losing has so much upside in this game, but nobody
wants to see the Lions lose to the Bears and
lose the last game of the season. So I'm going
to go with Swift on the Bears side. I'm going
to say Amun Ra comes out. He's going to play.
He's not 100 percent, but I think he and JMo
can do some damage to this Bears D backs, these
Bears D backs. If, if, if golf can get any time.
in the pocket at all. We'll see if that happens.
It's going to depend on who we roll out there
on that O line. And based on your injury report
doesn't look pretty. So I think maybe Jamo can
get some short passes and run with them for a
bit and tear up this defensive backfield. So
I'm going to take Jamo for the Lions. I'm going
to take Swift for the Bear. And, you know, I've
gone with Gibbs and or Monte everywhere. Tried
to call a Monte game when it's a Monte game.
Tried to call a Gibbs once again. Our run game
is in disarray. This could be the game where
we rush for 200 freaking yards. I don't know,
but it's it's too much of a gamble to call out
those things in the fantasy world. So I'm going
to take Jamo and Swift on the other side of the
ball. I don't know that either quarterback is
going to blow up for you as far as that goes.
I have a question for you, Bill, before we get
into predictions. As I looked over all this stuff
and I started trying to find the players were
going to click and blow up in this game. Are
the Bears for real? We can spin right into our
prediction with this, but are the Bears for real
or are they fake? They have a fourth place schedule.
They benefited from a fourth place schedule this
season. I think you and I have seen that. Okay.
The Lions, if they lose here, we'll get a fourth
place schedule next year. The New England Patriots
are in the same boat. They benefited from a fourth
place schedule this season. Do you see this?
Like, I don't really want to win this game. I
hate to say it. As much as I'd like to beat Ben
Johnson, sweep Ben Johnson on the season. It
does us no good. What are your thoughts? Yes,
to answer your initial question. You think the
Bears are for real? Meaning if for real, I mean,
they won the division going away, you know, they
made that. Stake that claim pretty early, I guess.
OK. And yes, I think we miss. I mean, if there's
one thing we miss outside of Frank Regnau this
season, it's Ben Johnson. So I think they're
well coached. I think Dennis Allen's yet another
defensive coordinator that couldn't handle being
a head coach. Okay, but he's a wonderful defensive
coordinator. Yep. I just want to talk to you
about this And I just want to see what this does
to change your mind So since November 9th, the
Bears beat the Giants at home 24 They then went
to Minnesota beat the Vikings 1917 they then
beat the Steelers at home 31 28 They then beat
the Eagles in Philly 24 -15. They came home lost
to the, or excuse me, went up to Lambeau, lost
to the Packers. No shame in that, 28 -21. Then
come back home, beat the Browns 31 -3, beat the
Packers 22 -16, lose a four point tilt out in
San Francisco 42 -38. So when you say, are they
real? I mean, I just look at that body of work
and it's more impressive than anything the Lions
have put together at any point this season. That
doesn't mean anything. The Lions are in the last
place. So you're comparing them to the Lions.
I'm sitting there looking at that. The only impressive
win in that group is the Eagles, and the Eagles
were down when they did it. We almost beat the
Eagles. That was an ugly game the week prior.
They lost to the Niners in San Francisco in a
very high -scoring game. I don't see how their
body of work is that impressive. Just my opinion.
I just don't see it. I think they benefited from
a fourth -place schedule. If they play our schedule,
do they get nine wins? Probably not. No, no,
no, no, no. But then they also wouldn't have
a first year head coach as well. I mean, like,
because they wouldn't have fired the previous
regime had they not had to have a fourth fourth
place schedule. At any rate, I don't think that
in comparison, I these apples and oranges. Well,
let's just say this. Let's say they get the it's
going to be bare weather for the first playoff
game. They get that at home. Yeah. Say they play
the Packers, their favorite in that game. And
then say they play whoever's left of the NFC
West, whether that's San Francisco, Seattle or
L .A., again, at Soldier Field, I like whoever
they play there. Will they lose in the NFC championship
game? Probably. But again, that's a great season.
If they if they win tomorrow, they get the two
seed, if I'm not mistaken. If they lose, what
do they get? They can't be any lower than the
three seed. They can't be lower than three seed
then no because the four seeds gonna be the Tampa
Bay Carolina winner Okay, and so yeah, they're
either the two seed or the three seed which yeah
Yeah, I mean if the worst -case scenario for
the Bears is they win week one and then have
to host Philly Which they will lose that in the
divisional game. That's just my prediction and
I you know, I said it earlier offline Philly's
a team that everybody's kind of sleeping on.
They've won five straight and I can see Philly
making some noise. Yeah, they wake up for this,
right? Yeah, yeah. This is what happens when
you have a program in place that just, you can
have a down season and still get to the playoffs
and roll because you have people like Hertz back
there and you've got, you've got Saquon and you've
got all these guys with immense ability, you
got a defense that's good. We talk about the
game being such razor thin margins. Yeah. No,
have the Bears done anything all that impressive?
Probably not, Chet. But the fact is, they did
go to Philly and win. They won in the margins,
right? They couldn't do that. They beat the Vikings
once. The Lions couldn't do that. They beat the
Packers once. The Lions couldn't do that. So,
you know, those are three examples right there.
They beat the Steelers. That's the difference
in the season right there. There's Packers and
Vikings. I mean, if you flip -flop those around,
you have a totally different division. So, a
game in the margins. I do think Caleb Williams
is going to be a superstar. Okay. I do think
he's... You're brought in on Caleb. He's the
best quarterback in the division now. Beginning
of the season we thought he was the worst. He
was an idiot and he wasn't going to last through
Ben Johnson. Do you remember that? Yes. Fascinating
what 16 -17 games does. So prediction. I'm going
to go low scoring. 1914 Bears. 1914 Bears low
scoring. Look at you. Not even tipping. that
over. Not even tempting it. I'm not too far off
from me, actually. I'm going to take 21 -17 bears.
Like it. All right. That's where I think we're
at. Maybe a field goal out of out of our guys.
And that's about that's about it. Go Honolulu
blue and silver. Thank you for listening to Detroit
Lions litter box. Expect our sister pod to come
up and running here as hot stove heats up the
Detroit Tigers litter box. Back to baseball,
baby. All right, Chet, we will do a postgame
recap. We'll do a couple offseason, you know.
draft, free agency, coordinator hires, but we're
getting close to signing off on the Lions. We're
almost done on the Lions pod for this season,
folks. Hang in there with us for this final game.
Go Lions. Go Lions.