Stafford vs. Goff REVENGE GAME! Rams-Lions SNF SHOWDOWN!

[Music] hey everybody welcome back to sports not we're here highlighting the NFL game of the week of course Sunday night's game the Detroit Lions kick off their season against the Los Angeles Rams in Detroit at Ford Field a game that lines up the two wildcard matchup or I should say the matchup from last year 24-23 win for the Lions a great game one that was very close Matthew Stafford had a a nice game against his old team and it all seemed like things were popping there for the Lions of course they go the NFC Championship Game and lose to the 49ers but this has become now because of the quarterback situation Jared gof all that uh a little bit of a rivalry and of course when you lose to a team in the playoffs what you want to do is you want to come back the next year and beat them so to talk about that I bring in my good friend Ryan dude from the Los Angeles football network lafb you can check them out if you want to read more about the Rams Chargers USC UCLA you name it they got it up there but Ryan this game highlighting this game this week uh it's a big one of course Detroit opening up at home on Sunday Night Football a lot of people looking at the Lions Ryan as a team that uh could get back to the NFC Championship Game and perhaps the Super Bowl a lot of folks like them and the Rams of course had a great surprising year last year a lot better than people thought they would be thanks to for example rookie pukaa now they come back back even stronger this year as well Blake km the running back they drafted out of Michigan uh I'm really excited about this game man what what sticks out for you so far I mean just at the top of this we'll get into some detail but this game itself to be the first Sunday night game I think the NFL schedule makers were real smart to do that yeah absolutely and uh Scott so good to just be talking live football again no more offseason talk um you're Notre Dame Fighting Irish got a nice win to start the season my USC Trojan got a nice win to start the season and now we got NFL coming here just uh basically 24 hours it kicks off Thursday and then this game as we're talking about Sunday night the prime time um game and yeah what a great game to kick the season off the LA as you mentioned it was the Rams last game of the season as they lost and now they start the season same place same team against the Lions and it really is becoming a a buding rivalry you know uh we were talking on my Ram show a while back that you know you have these division rivalries that that stand the test of time and you kind of have these outer division inner inner conference whatever you want to call them rivalries that kind of come around every decade uh I can think back to you know you had Colts and Patriots and then when pay Manning went the Broncos it was like Broncos Patriots and you have those non-divisional rivalries this is becoming one Rams and lions I think as you mentioned with the quarterbacks uh Trading Places um with you know some coaches that have trained Aubrey Pleasant went to the Lions now he's back with the Rams um most recently Jonah Jackson was a offensive lineman for the Lions the Rams signed him this offseason to their offensive line so a lot of synergies there I think you look at the the differences in in the cities and kind of how they are in Detroit and Los Angeles and there's been comments not anything bad by other coaches but comments made about that and fans kind of took off with it and ran with it just the differences of style so um that's what really stands out to asking your question like we'll get into the nree of the game but I think the fact that this has become somewhat of a rivalry uh makes it so fun and I think it's two teams that are are I don't think there's a lot of hate towards them so it's a fun rival because everyone can kind of get behind it it's not like oh man I can't stand watching the Patriots anymore I don't want to watch that anymore like these are two teams I think that nationally are kind of like yeah like they're cool they're fun teams like we like Matthew Stafford we like sh mve we love what they're doing out in Detroit so it's it's a fun rivalry it is and I mean you look at it again I mentioned earlier rematch of last season the Lions won their first playoff game in 40 years 40 against the ram of course Matthew Stafford his game 367 yards two touchdowns against his old team as well the significance of this of this game though too I think it's starting the regular season as I mentioned the Lions a lot of people looking at the Lions and the 49ers are favored just a little more to go back to the Super Bowl but the lions are right there Lions have a favorable schedule I looked at that they play only two games Outdoors All Year by the way and and you look at that the high stakes National TV coverage this is really I think the opportunity for both of these teams to to set the tone for their season for the Rams to go on the road and beat you know the second best first best whoever you talk to team uh in the NFC on the road would be huge and then for the Lions to come in and and and reassure people that yes they are truly a contender when you look at that significance you look at both these rosters they've changed quite a bit both of them as you mentioned a little bit when you were talking earlier um so so this one's going to be really interesting because there there really is a lot of stake even though it's only week one yeah well this is the first game in a decade where we won't see Aaron Donald on the defensive line for the Rams we've talked about it all off season but now they have to actually go out and play without him and you know the defense has been the biggest question mark for this Rams team since his retirement um and another big question just last week trading of Ernest Jones who we all believe was their best defensive player remaining and out of nowhere trade him for peanuts and and so now you've got essentially Christian nosb and Troy reer as your two linebackers who is certainly if he's healthy a big downgrade from Ernest Jones so we got to see no Donald no Jones a lot of new faces on the back end they resigned Darius Williams they they signed cam curl um but then the other big thing and I don't know if we were gonna get to the Scot but I'll jump into it is the offensive line they spent a ton of money on yes we're gonna protect Matthew Stafford we want to run the football um they obviously drafted Blake Corin like you mentioned KY Williams who had a fantastic thousand yard season last year even after missing four games um so really excited about that they went out and resigned Kevin doson as I mentioned they signed Jonah Jackson They drafted Steve Avala last year so invested heavily this offensive line and it's been banged up already and it's not official but as of the time of this recording it's looking like both starting tackles Rob havenstein and Aller Jackson will be out for this game so that could change in the next few days but as of now it's not looking good and Jonah Jackson who they signed as a guard four days before the game they're now saying we might move him to Center and move our Center over to guard so there's a lot of interesting story lines with this Rams team and I I don't want to say like I've learned over covering this team since they've been back here in La that sha McVey and lesne know what they're doing and uh even if it seems chaotic on the outside they always seem to have a plan but certainly from the outside it seems like there's quite a bit of chaos that's happened over this last month well let's talk a little more about that you talked about the the investment in the offensive line despite the injuries uh with some of those guys but they really adjusted their offensive strategy to under Shawn McVey to be more of like that downhill approach you talked about uh of of the offensive line but you also talked about Blake corm and then Kiren Williams obviously there as well how is that going to fit in with what they usually do and Matthew Stafford maybe the pressure not as much on him right so what what have you seen with the Rams the difference with that different offensive philosophy yeah well for one the big change they made last year is they kind of went more from a um a Zone scheme to more of a gap scheme uh in the running games that was kind of AIG big change right off the bat there bringing over Michael llor as their offensive coordinator and obviously sha MC runs the show but there's a little adjustment there but you know when they're when they're humming they're running the football 25 plus times we pound the table of the time like if this team runs the ball 30 times a game they're going to win it's just it's if you look at the data over the last like five or so years minus 2022 it was a disaster they they went at like a 90% clip when they run the ball not 30 plus times um so that is what they want to do and drafting Blake Corum at the time was seen as a head scratcher cuz he's in extremely similar style Runner to kir Williams and usually the philosophy for most people most coaches most people in the media is you want that thunder and lightning you want those two guys to compliment each other and give you a different kind of style and what the Rams did is they said we know the style we want and we never want to not have that on the field so if Kiren Williams isn't out there we want a guy that's going to do the exact thing that Kiron Williams does they drafted Blake corm so that they can literally run the exact same plays no matter who is in the backfield instead of having to have different packages for different Personnel groupings so it was a different philosophy than the rest of the league we'll see how it plays out but certainly to your question like as great as Matthew Stafford is they want him throwing the ball less and they want to run the ball more which then opens things up for play action for getting these guys in space puka AA Cooper cup Demarcus Robinson all these guys Jordan Winnington who they're really high on after drafting out of Texas in the sixth round it'll open things up for that if they're able to really run the Rock in this Gap scheme with both Williams in corm yeah it's going to be fun to watch and see the differences there now on the Lions on the other side of it the Lions you know a talented team they lost some games last year they probably shouldn't have and then we saw what happened against the 49ers in the in the NFC championship game and it seems to me like they are they've improved in certain areas offensively and defensively but really I look at it as hey Dan Campbell as much as people like him because he is who he is he's an ex player he's full of you know uh you know what and vinegar and all that stuff but he was inexperienced as a head coach going in the playoffs against a guy uh like Shanahan in San Francisco uh to me it seems like they just need to execute better than they did last year they should be on the same plane but there's not a lot of changes there other than yeah a couple coaching changes here and there on the staff but other than that I think this Li team is built for what it is it's got its quarterback and Jared gof gave him the deal in the off season of course they have henden hooker behind him as kind of the guy in Waiting um what do you see about this Lions team that makes you think and a lot of the rest of the world think that they might have a shot at getting back to the Super Bowl yeah I mean I I love this this Lions team uh I love a lot about Alman ran Brown obviously former Trojan is my guy so good their biggest I mean they had two big Acquisitions but their biggest acquisition the offseason Scott was the fact that Ben Johnson offensive coordinator decided to stay Aaron Glenn as well Aaron Glenn their DC also had head coaching interviews but uh he had interviews but Ben Johnson was seen as a shoe in to get one of the head coaching openings and decided to pull out and stay so I mean that was their biggest acquisition with retaining him um because that he obviously has become one of the great offensive Minds in the game today um but the other one I mentioned they lost Jonah Jackson but they almost upgraded getting Kevin zedler from Baltimore to fill his spot at guards this offensive line You could argue is one of the best offensive lines in football with Decker glass now rag now Z Len and P Su who arguably is the best tackle in football so they have the protection that Jared gof needs we know what kind of quarterback he is when he's pressured versus when he's not and they really have invested in that offensive line they obviously have a great receiver in N mon ra St Brown um and they have Sam laapa who you know top five probably quarter or top five tight end they have great running backs and Jay Gibbs who they drafted early last year and David Montgomery the big question for them on offense then I'll get the defense quickly but the big question on offense is who is that other vertical threat outside of alond Ross Brown you would say Sam lafora is their quote unquote wide receiver too but they lose Josh Reynolds and the role and Jameson Williams hasn't quite lived up to that first round pedigree so he has a talent to but it's kind of who's going to be that next guy because to be a true Contender you really outside of maybe the Rams in 21 when Cooper cup won the Triple Crown and was a Do-it all guy you kind of need a few more options in Your Arsenal um to keep things guessing so I love this this offense especially with uh their OC returning and then defensively I mean you gotta love the pass rush right yeah I think Aiden Hutchinson certainly has lived up to to his high draft profile and and being being the Michigan kid the Detroit kid and being right here at home um they got great backers in Alex anzelone and Jack Campbell and I think that they're they're talented on the back end too with you know Brian Branch they drafted Alabama and terion Arnold who they just drafted this year Alabama guys that is your guy I love arold that is your guy so you're right Scott I mean I'm getting longwinded but to me this this might be the team to beat in the NFC I mean there's a lot to like about this Detroit Lions team and the Rams have a really really tall task ahead of them they do and I I think you know we'll get now to to how we think the game will end up as we as we come to a close here real quick highlighting the sports knots game of the week in the NFL week one is you you mentioned the injuries for the Rams I think that yes if if they can't get that offensive line fully healthy it's going to be tough for them uh but I think though that if if they if they go out to Detroit uh I think it's going to be a closer game I don't think as as as much of a difficult task as it is I like what the Rams have done I like the attitude now the defense is a question right you don't know like you said without Aaron Donald there he's been so so good and to play without him to see how they do um I like the lions in this game and and and I think they win it maybe by a score um but I I think the Rams are G to show some Moxy I think they're going to do okay out there yeah I mean we know the Rams are going to be well coached we know they're goingon to be well prepared um the offense if both tackles are out and so they got a you know Joe Noom they'll slide over probably at left tackle to play um and then we'll see who they end up putting at right tackle whether it's Warren McLendon or or someone else they brought in but um I think they'll still play well they they hopefully can get the running game going a little bit to take the pressure off Stafford um but yeah the the defense is the big question mark they've looked really good in training camp Scott and they looked really good in joint practices we obviously didn't see them in preseason because the Rams never play any starters um and so their rookies Jared verse and and Braden Fisk we didn't get to see um Byron young we didn't I mean we didn't see anyone Kobe Kobe Turner so really just so much unknown and then you lose Ernest Jones last week to trade and so this defense until I see it it's hard for me to pick them against this this Dynamic Lions offense I agree with you though I think it's gonna be a great game I think the Rams are gonna fight hard um play really well but I do think the lions come out on top but as long as the Rams keep it close to me that's it's a good I know there's no moral victories in in football but to me with how much newness around this because again new defensive coordinator too I they lost their defensive coordinator and their assistant defensive coach uh to the Falcons so with how much newness there is as long as it's a competitive close game I think that's a win for the Rams absolutely all I know is that we get Sunday Night Football and we start with an amazing game with the Rams at the Lions and we're going to be back each week as we were last year to highlight one of the big games of the week sometimes it'll be two depending if it's a really busy week and we got some good games we will do that with you but Ryan and I will be back to talk about that of course all the football coverage you want you can find up at sportsnut docomo in this case for example when you got got an LA team involved you can also check out the LA football network lafb right and you can follow Ryan to there on x.com as well Ryan dude lafb uh to follow what's going on in La his staff does an amazing job out there so make sure you do that Ryan we'll get back together next week and we'll talk about another great game thanks for being with us can't wait looking forward to it all right for everybody here at sports notot enjoy your NFL weekend and we'll see you next week