We talk about the immaculate vibes that the city is feeling on this playoff run for the Detroit Lions.
Then Fletcher Sharpe previews the playoff game Saturday against the Washington Commanders. A full transcript of the conversation is after the audio.
Jer Staes
Hello and welcome to your daily Detroit. It is Wednesday, January 15th, 2025. I am Jere Staes, and I am coming to you from what has been known as the Motor City, but let's just be honest, this town is one giant lion's den from corner to corner, county to county. Fletcher Sharpe, thank you so much for joining me on this because we got to talk about it. The vibes are immaculate in Detroit right now about the Lions. We're going to talk about some vibes, we're going to talk about the game, but let's start with the vibes because this town is buzzing.
Fletcher Sharpe
It's kind of insane, like when you on paper know something could be as important and you've heard about it being that important. And then you actually experience it and it's like 50 times more.
Like I said it last year when I was watching the game against the 49ers in the playoffs, where you've given me guff, people give me guff where it's like, oh, you gonna jump on the bandwagon, you gonna drink some of the blue Kool-Aid? I've been a fan of the Lions on and off for 30 years.
As long as I've lived, I've liked them, I've hated them for different reasons. But that was like the first time last year watching them be one half way from the Super Bowl where I was like, wow, it's like electric.
I feel the electricity around this team and unfortunately it did not work out for them and they came back 50-fold stronger, maybe not necessarily in terms of injuries, but in terms of how they're playing, the vibes around the entire organization is insane. Like if you say anything about the Lions, you have people who don't even know what a football looks like, breaking down Jared Goff's read progressions and Jameer Gibbs, his running stance.
You have people who don't who can't open a book properly telling you like the full diagnostic report on Dave Montgomery's leg. It's crazy. Like you have people who have never cared in their life who are swept up so much by the entire aura surrounding that team at Ford Field.
I've seen other cities go through stuff like this. Like I imagine Kansas City has like a large following around the Chiefs, but like I haven't seen it and experienced it being inside of it and like this happening now is it's a lot. Anywhere you look, there's Honolulu Blue, almost anywhere.
Jer Staes
There are people running around, Fletcher Sharp, that as I know them, I wouldn't know them being into the Lions. But now, they are locked in 100%. People are coming up to the studio at times at the building we're at and it's like, oh, what about the Lions? I'll be in the queue line.
You know what they'll be doing? Talking about the Lions. It is the dominant conversation because it's, I think, not just about football. And we're going to talk about the football but a sense of pride. And not just pride for something like hosting the Super Bowl or hosting something, which is great and very special, but there is an extra sense that our team earned this and went through blood, sweat and tears for decades. And in the last few years been able to really turn it around under Dan Campbell and say, you know what, this is ours, man. This is ours.
Fletcher Sharpe
I'm pretty sure I can say this definitively, for every single person alive who's a fan of this organization. There has never been a point in anyone's life that the number one team in the NFL, top of the standings. If they get to the Super Bowl, they will be the host side. There has never been a time ever where that's been the Detroit Lions, never.
Like even playing Madden, like you'd still be far-fetched. They'd find a way to lose one or two games and someone else slides ahead of them. But there's never been a point ever where it's like the number one seed, the number one entire seed for the entire playoffs has been the Detroit Lions, ever, except for now. So just to experience that, I mean, like you said, I was in a lift and my driver like didn't really speak very good English, but they mentioned the Lions on the radio and he turned that all the way up.
I didn't know it went as high as it did. To just hear them talk about nothing like even important, just like the Lions did this and this is what's happening here. And he was just nodding his head, like yeah, yeah, and I was like wow, like this is, I don't want to say like a mania, but like it's taken over. And to your point, even people who I've mentioned sports to once or twice and they look at me like I'm a Neanderthal, are like, "oh my god, did you see what at the game? Did you see this, did you see that one play?" It's like, wow, it's really sweeping people up, and it's in a very cold part of the year.
It's a very warming and uniting thing to see across the city that like every team, every organization, almost every business and company is getting behind this team and doing what they can. And I think the most hilarious one to me is the Michigan Panthers, the team that also shares Ford Field with the Lions who they were able to get Jake Bates from. Whenever Jake Bates does anything good, they're like, I wonder where he was this year.
Wonder where he came from. And I can appreciate that, just seeing the support. I don't want to say mind boggling, but it's just surprising to see how strong it is from as many people. I mean it fits with the Detroit thing is they'll stick behind you, but they really do like winners. Like if you win, they will love, they'll love you, period, but they will love you way more if you're a winner and right now, as of now, they are the ultimate winners so far this year.
Jer Staes
You mentioned Jake Bates and it reminded me of how much of an ace is whoever's running the Lion's social media. First off, they do great recaps. It's just cracking me up. But you mentioned Jake Bates and I thought it was hilarious that they did a Jack Fox highlight reel. That cracked me up. If you don't know, Jack is the holder for Jake Bates for those kickoffs. They did a Jack Fox highlight reel and really highlighted his contribution to the team, and I mean, it was fun but like also, it was pretty funny.
Fletcher Sharpe
I mean, Jack Fox is the punter for the Lions. So the joke is for those who don't know, all of his highlights were him holding kicks for Jake Bates because there's been like three or four games that this year where he's not punted at all. Like his highlights have been him on the sideline whipping a towel, clapping on the sideline, holding a football, talking to the coaches, running back into the locker room, running out of the locker room and warming up, and then holding the like nothing, no game action.
There's some games where he sees zero game action, and it's funny because even though there's been games where he hasn't punted at all, at least three or four, he's the Pro Bowl starter for the NFC for punting. So when he does kick, he's very good. It's just he also doesn't need to do it because the offense, he's either going to go for it on fourth down or they're busy scoring a touchdown. The social media team for the Lions is doing a really great job.
I think that's part of the reason why it's been helping, because you have some young people who don't really care about sports at all, like in any capacity. But when you meme well online, people love it. The biggest meme that they've had has been the Lions having Sonic and Knuckles with Jameer Gibbs and Dave Montgomery. People love watching Jameer Gibbs run and then go collect rings and then get into the end zone.
It's like the end of the level Sonic thing or Dave Montgomery running over people. And then they do like the little knuckles punch sound from the game. People love that stuff. They probably have like a 17 year old running their social media account. It works and that's like a great way to get people involved and for the people who actually want other content.
They have behind the scenes footage. I know after the game against the Vikings, Amiek Robertson was pretty emotional about how the game went because it was an important game for him, and just you see the behind the scenes of the players. Obviously you see him on the field, you see him with their helmet off, but you see them do silly things off the field. You see them have their serious talking head moments.
You see the little honest painful moments. I mean, one of the funnier things I think I've seen from that was after one of their games. Dan Campbell was like, yeah, you're doing great and look at skip over there. Over there just puking. The camera cuts to John Skipper literally just puking in a bucket. He's like, whatever he's doing, he's doing great.
And he just throws up a thumbs up like, yeah, whatever. Get the camera away from me and it's like, these are endearing things. You have a friend who has situations where like they might go to a party and it's like, oh, I'm not feeling well. It's like, look at that guy. That's my guy.
I know Dallas Cowboys fans don't really want to hear this at all. They don't want to just challenge them for the title. But like, the Lions kind of feel like America's team.
Maybe not America's team trademark, but like the all American team. They had a chart of the states rooting for teams left in the NFL playoffs. And like, save for the states that had like actual NFL teams, like obviously Kansas City, Kansas City, LA is the Rams, to a degree, most of them were the Lions logos, which I honestly found a little surprising, because in Michigan, everyone loves the Lions, but you don't expect to look at Oregon and they're like, yeah, we want the Lions to win, too.
Or look at South Dakota, and they're like, yeah, we want the Lions to win. That's something where you're like, oh, that's interesting. I don't know the connection there, but hey, thanks, you know?
Jer Staes
We'll talk about the game in a second, but I have a question to ask you. Let's say the Lions pull it out and win against the Washington Commanders. When you come into the studio next, if I get a large picture of blue Kool-Aid, will you drink it on our Instagram?
Fletcher Sharpe
If they beat the Commanders and then find a way to get to the Super Bowl.
Jer Staes
If they get to the Super Bowl, you'll do it.
Fletcher Sharpe
If their last game is in New Orleans. Win or lose. The week before, because there's going to be a week of leading up, all of the stuff happening in New Orleans, then I will for sure.
Jer Staes
Okay, then. All right, I will hold you to it. Let's talk about the game coming up against the Washington Commanders. Right now, the CBS Sports puts them at a nine and a half point favorite. That's the Lions as a favorite over the Washington Commanders. I get nervous when favorite lines run that big. So why don't we start there? Nine and a half points. Yay or nay?
Fletcher Sharpe
It's tough because you want to just say yeah, do it, because it's a rookie quarterback facing the team with the best record in the league. Typically it tends to fall that way toward like the team.
But Jaden Daniels is doing everything people thought Caleb Williams would do with the Bears, with the Commanders. Like he came in there, there was a bad organization, and they're like he's gonna come here, yes he won the Heisman Trophy the year before. But they're kind of a dumpster fire. He's rejuvenated that offense.
On paper, their offense is not good. Their offense is literally Jaden Daniels getting the ball to whoever he can get the ball to. He's going to be the NFL rookie of the year offensively by like a wide margin. Anyone saying anyone else is silly. He's a very talented player. He's mobile, but he can also throw. The Lions tend to struggle with mobile quarterbacks, because if they decide they want to run the ball, the way the Lion's defense is set up to play man coverage, you probably have one or two people watching him, and those people are not quick enough to stay with him if he decides to run.
If he wants to look to throw the ball down the field, you got to maintain coverage. Which as we saw with Josh Allen, the Lions were kind of slow to do. So that's a little worrisome. I do think the Lion's offense is better than the Commanders defense, so I don't think it's going to be a shootout. I just don't know if I think the Lions are nine points better than the Commanders. I'm thinking probably something closer to 32, 26, 25.
Something around there. I've seen people count the Commanders out, albeit, it was the Chicago Bears. They had a Hail Mary that they completed for a touchdown. If I watch a team do that during a season, I'm never going to count them out, because it shows that they have the ability, they've run the play well enough to do it again. And with the Lions luck, Kindle Vildor will be in there and somehow commit a pass interference in the end zone. I'm not going to count them out yet.
Jer Staes
Or Kindle Vildor. I swear, I swear, he's going to find you one day and you're going to deserve it.
Fletcher Sharpe
He is, and he's going to clothesline me and I'm not even, I'm going to be like, you know what, man, that's totally fair. I'm not even going to like, they're like, you want to file a police report? Nope. I deserved it. My bad. My bad.
Jer Staes
Alright, so if the Lions are going to close the door on the Commanders, what do they need to do?
Fletcher Sharpe
Really, they need to limit Jaden Daniels as much as possible, which is hard, again, cause he's super talented, but they need to, kind of the same way they did with the Vikings and they've done in the past, be as physical as you can with receivers. I mean, obviously like don't commit stupid holding calls, no dumb pass interference plays, but it's the playoffs.
As you saw with the Vikings, if you watched the Vikings play the Rams, they're gonna let you hand fight. If a receiver tries to engage with you by hand fighting, they will let you guys hand fight down the field. Justin Jefferson for the Vikings was complaining the entire time because he thought he was being held. They'd show replays of him grabbing people and shoving people. If they're going to let you guys hand fight and be physical, be physical back.
Make them throw a flag. Don't have a back breaking penalty that's going to afford them 45 yards forward, but hand fight. Be physical, don't let anyone get open. And with the linebackers, it's probably going to fall a bit more on Anzalone than anyone else. If you are the linebacker responsible for Jaden Daniels, keeping him in the pocket, don't lose sight of him because while he doesn't want to run the ball, he can run the ball. Like he's not going to run for 170 yards.
He's not gonna pull a Lamar Jackson and just be quick outside there or even a Josh Allen and go for 20 rushing touchdowns. But he is a capable runner, and he's athletic and he can get out of the pocket. So make sure you keep him in the pocket and make you beat him with his arm which he can do. But if the defense plays the way it's supposed to play, they should be fine.
Getting Terrion Arnold back, who is a full participant in practice this last week, would be great, because one, he's a starter who's coming into his own, he's playing well.
And two, it gives you a chance to now, put him across from Amiek Robertson, instead of having to try to move Amiek somewhere else. And three, the biggest thing, it keeps Kindle Vildor off the field for a bit longer, which, helpful. That's very helpful. You want to put him on the field with a safety over top.
You don't want to put him on the field and put him on an island, because Terry McLaurin, while he's not necessarily the best receiver in the league, he's capable. And I think he would put Kindle Vildor in a blender, and it would be not good for the Lions defense.
Offensively, they just they have to convert. The Commanders have a decent defense, it's a pretty good defense. It's not the best defense in the NFL, definitely not the best defense left in the playoffs. If they can convert when they need to convert and keep the drives going for long, they'll be fine. One of the keys to that is again injuries.
Dave Montgomery is looking to be back, which would be great. He had three games off. I mean, he's not going to be as healthy as he was from the beginning of the season, but it gives a chance to let Jameer rest, go back to their two back situation. Kevin Zeitler got hurt during the last game. Having him back would be very helpful. I do know it might not be as likely as Terrion or Dave Montgomery, but having him back would be great.
Just be prepared. I know the Lions had a bye week which was great for them to rest. But this year in sports especially, teams who are coming off of a bye in the playoffs have tended to come out kind of flat, and the Commanders will be coming out with something to prove.
They want to show that they are here, not because their division is weak, but because they deserve to be here. So they're going to try to punch you in the mouth. Withstand that. Counter the pressure and keep your foot on them and they should be fine.
The last time the Lions met the Commanders in the playoffs was January 8th, 2000. Washington won that 27 to 13. I remember that game made me really sad. Fun fact, that game was played before the current Commander's quarterback, Jaden Daniels, was born.
Jer Staes
So, I've got a grudge Fletcher Sharpe, and this grudge is a little bit with Vikings fans, because here's the deal.
Fletcher Sharpe
Biggest cry babies in the world.
Jer Staes
Right? Because they're all like, well, we needed to have you know, be seated higher and all this other stuff. That wasn't even close against Los Angeles. It really made me kind of change my position on the Vikings team this year. And that game against the Lions. I feel like Dan Campbell at this point, he was being more magnanimous than anything else.
Fletcher Sharpe
While the fans of divisions don't necessarily like each other, like Lions fans and Vikings fans and Packers fans and Bears fans aren't necessarily the favorite people to see, but like the coaches and organizations typically respect each other. I think he was just, like, I'd rather have an NFC North opponent advance in the playoffs than you guys and we'll see you in two weeks type of thing.
I don't think he really thought that they were going to win. Two reasons. The Lion's curse this year exists. A team that plays the Lions tends to lose their following game. I think it's happened every game this season. The Vikings only lost to two teams all year.
They lost twice during the regular season to the Lions, and then they lost one more time during the regular season to the Rams. They lost to the Rams after losing to the Lions the first time. So of course, second time they play they lose to the Rams after losing the Lions again.
My biggest gripe with them, and I won't spend too long in it, and this is going to probably sound familiar to some Lions fans, is those fans were bailing on their team, like, well it's all scripted, they want the Rams to win because of what's happening in California. Just like they want the Lions to win, because they want and it's like, if you feel that way about your team, you should just never watch, ever again. If it's scripted, there's no point in you watching. Go read a book. Go touch grass or something.
I'm glad to not have to talk about him anymore because I've said many, many times, and they can rewind other episodes, they're led by a quarterback in Sam Darnold, who's just not good. No one has lost that much money, save for Elon Musk, as fast as Sam Darnold lost money from the end of week 17 to now, because he at least was looking at a contract worth maybe a hundred million dollars or so after a few years.
He'll be lucky if people want him to be part of their team at all because he showed when the lights get bright, he pees down his leg. You can't have a starter for a good team do that. I'm just glad that they're nothing to talk about for the rest of this year.
Jer Staes
So the game will be on Saturday night 8:00 p.m. on Fox. We will probably be on the air Sunday sometime, talking about the game with folks. It is such a big deal. A little programming note, we will not have a show on Martin Luther King Day. A federal holiday on that Monday.
Before we go, I want to mention, there are other sports. We're not gonna spend a lot of time on it because I know it's not the focus of people. I want to shout out that the Red Wings have been doing excellent lately, and Cade Cunningham has been lighting it up.
You and I were talking about it offline, Fletcher Sharpe. Share your couple of points real quick.
Fletcher Sharpe
The Red Wings, I won't say that they're turning it all the way around. I'm sure some of my friends who are Red Wings fans are like, I want to see more, I want to see more consistency, but like they are more pleased than they have been in the past.
The Pistons, the last time the Pistons had more than 20 wins was 2022. Since then, they had at most gotten 16, 17, 18 wins. They're currently 21 and 19. They're in a playoff spot.
Obviously, the year is not over yet, but they're playing well. Malik Beasley's been an amazing addition to their roster and Cade Cunningham legitimately is playing at an all NBA level. 24 points, almost seven rebounds, almost 10 assists per game. He's had at least a few triple doubles.
I know he's I think tied for the most in Pistons history with Grant Hill right now. This is like his third or fourth year, they've become the Pistons I've told people to wait for. They are exciting to play. Even if you're not a fan of the Pistons, you turn on the TV to watch them play.
They played the New York Knicks recently and they won and the fans in the Madison Square Garden, which is the Mecca of professional basketball, were clapping for Cade Cunningham who's not a player of theirs. The Knicks are actually good for once, to see them clap for an opposing player, lets you know there's something.
When Spike Lee sitting courtside, booing you personally, you've come a long way, because he reserves that for players who are not scrubs. When you think of people he's booed, it's Reggie Miller, Scotty Pippin, Michael Jordan. Not to say Cade is in that area, but when he's booing directly you, it's because he wants to disrupt you because he knows your team can't handle it if you're disrupted.
The only unfortunate side of the Lions being so paramount right now is the fact that other sports teams which are actually doing well don't really get talked about as much and that's kind of just the nature of the beast, unfortunately.
Jer Staes
Yeah. I'm sure we'll pick up some of it, especially after the Lion's season, which hopefully goes on for a bit longer. Fletcher Sharpe, so good to talk to you. I really appreciate you. We, of course, will be in touch. I appreciate all of the contributions you make, man.
Fletcher Sharpe
Of course, thanks for having me.
Jer Staes
All right, well with that, I am Jer Staes. Thank you so much for listening to your Daily Detroit. Thank you to our members on patreon patreon.com/dailyDetroit. Local media requires local support to survive. So thank you very, very much. Until tomorrow. Remember that you are somebody and we'll see you around Detroit.
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