Ben Johnson & Bobby Slowik Staying Is Huge 

I like the 4th down attempts because if he didn't drop the ball we wouldn't be talking about it. The problem was the drop

What a cerebral analysis by Chris. So refreshing to get intelligent insight and opinion by someone who played the game at the highest level.

This is a great take Chris. You’re right, it was dark after the loss and “knowing” Ben Johnson was going to leave. The rabbit hole you go down. Then we finally hear the news straight from the horses mouth and suddenly the darkness dissipated and our stock shot up. Love your channel and input. Can’t wait till next season!

Context. Losing in the NFC championship is a joke compared to decades of hopelessness. I'm not even joking. Every outsider keeps telling us how HORRIBLE and GUT WRENCHING it was. No. Not really. Wasn't too bad. We got an owner. We got a GM. We got a coach. We got an OC. A lot of young talent. Cap space. I'm ok spending the next decade losing in some never-before-seen way in the NFC championship game. Maybe go to the Superbowl once or twice. Sure. sounds FANTASTIC.

Thanks for the nice comments on our new owner, Shellia Ford Hemph. I live in downtown Detroit, and I lived in the area for a good portion of my life. Here are how most people feel about the ford family in general. The Ford family goes back to the aristocrats and that type of lifestyle that is now gone. The Fords are a great family with a rich tradition and this modern Ford family is even more impressive. The children of William clay Ford & Martha Firestorm Ford are the next generation and that includes Marth Ford Hemph. William Clay Ford treated the team like a pet project, and he bought the remaining part of the Lions share in 1964. The same guy who thought the Detroit Lions should be Honolulu blue in color after looking at the Pacific Ocean on his way to Hawaii. Great show today,

Up to this game the Lions had made 14 of their last 15 attempts on 4th and short. There are so many games we won due to that, it really is what got them there, and I don't think you should play scared, or change the identity of who and what you are when you get to the playoffs. Keeping Ben was HUGE!

You nailed it my man. Plus not everyone is motivated purely by money. This entire crew has the opportunity to be heroes for all time to a city that has been kicked to the curb. It says a lot to this organization top to bottom

One of the few ppl I’ve heard who actually look at the nuance with those 4th down calls, thx!

Well said about Lions, and this comes from a long suffering ole greybeard Bears fan since I was 9. But I sense the time of considering the NFC North as a doormat is fast ending.

Finally, one of you analysts get it. The Lions kicker is very limited. That is why Campbell chose what he did. Also, very good on the Campbell situation. The Lions will be back and hungrier and better.

You're spot on about the kicker and the decision to go for it. Love your analysis.

Most (non bandwagon) fans have had to endure national pundits scorching MCDC about play calling when they prescribed a blowout loss before the coin toss. We also understood that each of those plays existed and were there, the QB dropped it in their hands and they simply couldn’t hold on. As a fan that was around for the early 90s success I ask that national media stay away from Detroit and continue kissing HOF ass because they ignore this franchise most of the season.

Ben Johnson, unfinished business, let’s fucking go. On a mission

That team went wayy further than it should’ve. They’ll win the Super Bowl next year. That’s why Ben came back.

Lions season ticket holder, excellent take!! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Be nice if it's detroit vs houston in superbowl 59 in new orleans

If the team really wants the players to take less money to make the entire team better, it better damn well start with the coach. This is a sign of leadership by Ben Johnson. There is more to life than money. They have potential to win a ring if they all decide to not be selfish. He made the first move……if Goff, Penei, St Brown, Hutch, etc….follow suit, they could be the next dynasty. Ben put this thing in motion, let’s see where it goes.

It think it's odd how everyone in NFL outside of loyal Lions fans think the world ended with this loss. Fire the coach who has turned the tide, he won more more games than anyone else in Lions history? Next year our Hope can be a Superbowl, and optics not BS says it is a realistic.

As a fa of you ad the Detroit lions, I wish you were a few yrs younger Because you sir! Are the definition of what type of player Holmes and Dan strive to bring into the organization. Love the show brother!!

The timeout was nothing. They had already lost. The fourth down calls were fine, it was dropped passes that really killed them. The first 4th down was made, it would have been converted but Reynolds dropped it. Had he made that catch the second one would never have had to have been made. It's not just Reynolds either. He dropped passes, that one and a big 3rd down. St. Brown dropped one, Laporta dropped one. Had they not developed butterfingers San Fran never comes back. Detroit keeps pace, the big lucky 50 yard catch never happens. Every analyst screaming at Campbell is an idiot,. 28 coaches in the league would say they wouldn't make that call, but they were watching the game on TV percisely because they wouldn't make that call, and I don't see any team offering Stephen A. a head coach job....ever.

Chris - Great analysis of the Lions loss and their future. I think Ben Johnson and Dan Campbell screwed up a few times in their NFC Championship loss, but I think (hope) they will learn from this. Thanks to their owner, Sheila Ford, and GM Brad Holmes, the Lions are setup to be a very good team for the next few years.

I'm fine with the 4th down attempts it's the 2nd half play calling that had me puzzled. Too many gadget plays, they ran one end around for a TD in the 1st then never did it again, Montgomery didn't get enough touches. Its like Detroit kept trying to land haymakers up 17 instead of sticking with the jabs that got them the lead to begin with.

They are 14 of 15 from 4th & 3 or under this season….they were the right calls

Thanks Chris for the ability to bring your perspectives to light and paint the bigger picture ,

Succinct intelligent analysis . Impressive!

Lions fans love Dan. At least the many, many that I know.

Uh, hmmmm. Detroit Lions will make the playoffs next season. It is a very good and, now, a hardworking team. I loath The NFL but love The Detroit Lions. I am no longer a fan or follower of The NFL and wish The Lions well. GO DETROIT LIONS👍🏾🏈

Lmao 49ers took their points, guess where they are heading to? Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. So continue to defend idiotic decisions based on ego and not logic! It’ll get you nowhere but sent home! I’ve never seen such arrogance. When you are too arrogant to take points, you deserve to lose! Apparently having big balls and scoring 0 points is more valuable than taking the points. I don’t wanna hear this bullshit about your kicker. You didn’t even give him an opportunity so quit acting like he’s at fault. Enjoy your coach’s big balls while you sit on the couch. Also the stunt Ben Johnson pulled, shady as hell! So much arrogance going around for a team that haven’t done shit.

Dan Campbell getting fired within the. Ext year with or without Ben Johnson is a huge joke, our fanbase is super loyal but sometimes super dumb. Saying replace Goff with a proven rookie on Hendon Hooker is something I hear too now, ridiculous.

No the 15 million wasnt real. Especially no hc experience. We picked up Matt Betts cfl but a beast, trey Quan , smith, ridley, deashea as cb coach. Ben said he has unfinished business in Detroit. We need megatron to be our wr coach, Barry rb coach. We already killing f/a plus 7 picks in the draft. Already talking about trading for jaycee horn. After Dan said that the next day he said we will get back Here and take it all.

Enough with the analytics. Analytics don't score points. They don't read the field in real time. They don't factor in momentum. They don't line up under center, etc...

The Lions ownership has been the same (The Ford Family). The family tasked the daughter to run the day to day, and she finally hired competent people to oversee Football Operations. That's the key difference.

Badgley stats with the Lions this year are 6/6 with the longest being a 54 yard FG. Know it's difficult for the cult follower's of DC to accept that he screwed the pooch. Not a game manager st this point

Dan Campbell wasn't your average coach hire. He is there literally for a culture shift which doesn't just happen in a year or 2 of being planted in the seat. A Culture shift takes years, and usually starts with short success to knock down walls that felt impassable in the past. Keeping Ben Johnson is great for team moral, Campbell is great because he runs the team like the heart of Detroit beats.

Wayyyy too many people are overcriticizing the 4th down decisions. And I am not bummed out whatsoever nor should any Lions fan.

I haven't blamed anyone for the loss, no one is saying it, but our defence didn't hold up and it has been the weak spot in the team all year. I remember when Chuck Daly got to the Pistions, it took years to get the players on board that had the toughness to play ball his way. The pistons lost in the east coast finals several times in a row before they got past the Celtics with Larry Bird. They also lost the first time they went to the NBA finals. You knew they would get there, and they did. This lions team will get there, because they have the right core of individuals. They are just a few additions on defence and a better kicker away from winning it all.

If you don't have faith that your kicker can hit a 46-yard field goal outside, that's on your organization.

The argument can also be made that Dan wasn't aggressive enough; had he gone for and made the TD at the end of the first half, everything else the same, the Lions win by 1.

Easily becoming my favorite football podcast. Good job Chris.

This video is exactly what lions fans needed; ty for the well spoken & well thought out analysis.

MCDC said a block was missed when they ran the football on their final drive.

Appreciate so much you giving Sheila her flowers! We are lucky to have her.

I also read once that Sheila was on the first women's sports teams at Yale

it's not "loyalty" that kept Ben Johnson in Detroit. That signifies that above other considerations, he stayed because he felt obliged to serve the team. While he is loyal to the team, he didn't stay because he felt like he'd be unloyal to the Detroit Lions - he stayed because he wants to be there. He loves the job, the people around him and the organization. His family likes Detroit and his kids are growing up there. That was the motivation to stay - and that is what *begets loyalty*. Loyalty is a byproduct of "do I want to be here, and do I like these people?"

Excellent analysis.

hell yeah - way to shout out Sheila and bring some realistic positivity

People are talking about the Lions now. It’s awesome.

All the coaches that were doing interviews over the playoffs lost

Points are too hard to come by in playoffs, always take the points

Chria long is a goofball who is always discrediting Goff.

Anyone else watch that paramount+ ad??? 🤣

Great video. I was devastated after the loss, but I kept telling people “as long as Ben Johnson comes back I don’t feel bad about this.” And now that he’s back I’m hoping that even with a harder strength of schedule, we can be looking at another championship appearance a year from now.

Your podcast is always so fucking good. Great perspective from dudes who played a long time, and always reasonable and balanced. I see a clip for your show I click

you have to admit. Lions look fukn amazing first half. just those 2nd half mistakes killed us. the drops and fumble. Lucky lucky bounce off vildors face mask. 9ers had no answer for us in first half. wish 9ers luck. next year we won't make those same mistakes

Been saying this since before the game even ended. Chris you nailed it, man - calling the TO pinned all hopes on a successful onside kick and threw away multiple better outcomes. I was not too shocked that they ran the ball, but I was FLOORED when the ref blew the whistle and signaled timeout. I was slightly more confident when Dan admitted in his presser on Monday that call to run the ball was a bad gamble, but he didn't appear to understand the mistake didn't end there because he even said: "We missed a block, and then had to call the TO". No, he didn't. And I hope someone somewhere can explain to him why, because if he believes that calling a TO there was smart, he's wrong.

Texans did right and gave Slowik and Johnson both a raise. Class move and a sign of further maturity from the Texans org. Cal McNair has grown up quite a bit as an owner after those really brutal early years after his father died. Caserio has really helped him find focus and lead their organization up over the last few years.

Chris has a fantastic way of being succinct with his commentary. He's a breath of fresh air. Love his analysis.

To think Campbell would get fired after a year if Ben Johnson left is one of the dumbest takes

Bet on it, game 1 next year is Lions at SF

Lions sb guransheed next season.

J love is great, goff, stafford

Cut Reynolds today!

C j is overrated

4th and 3yards and under they were like 14/16 and on grass 45+yd plus Badgley is 22%. They had a walk in TD but Jaymo whiffed on his blocking assignment.

It was a complete team meltdown

Great thoughtful analysis!

The stat no one is talking about is that the past 18 QBs that have lost their first Super Bowl have never made it back, and Goff is the most recent. This goes all the way back to 1995 in Super Bowl 29 with Stan Humphries. Statistically speaking, with or without Ben Johnson the Lions will never make it back to the Super Bowl with Goff behind center.