John and Zach take over this week to figure out what exactly is going on with the Detroit Lions defense. The pass rush is getting pressure, the secondary is giving receivers acres of open space, and somehow a defense featuring Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Alim McNeill, and the soon-to-return Brian Branch still can’t seem to stop anybody. They talk Kelvin Sheppard’s scheme, whether Brad Holmes needs to trade for a legitimate CB1, why the Super Bowl window is still wide open, and what needs to change before the Lions dig themselves a deeper hole.

On offense, they break down Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, the offensive line, and what they expect against Arizona. There are also library late fees, enchiladas, Kirby Joseph vacuum jokes, college football slander, and a reminder that Parking Lot Salad doesn’t rely on statistics or extensive research. We talk football the way it was meant to be talked about: from memory and the heart.

Follow the hosts here:
John Mahar: https://www.instagram.com/_grandjuan
Alex Bozinovic: https://linktr.ee/alexbozinovic
Mike Cronin: https://www.instagram.com/bonesnake3
Zach Martina: https://linktr.ee/ZachMartina

Michigan finally looked like the team we’ve been waiting for, which naturally means they lost. Bryce Underwood had his best game yet, the defense did its job, and one late comedy of errors turned a winnable game against Iowa into another frustrating Saturday. We break down what actually looked encouraging, what still isn’t working, and why the Wolverines might finally be ready to open things up against Minnesota.

Then it’s on to the Lions, where Jared Goff is dealing, the offensive line is settling in, and Jahmyr Gibbs continues to make NFL defenders look like they’ve been assigned to chase the fast kid at recess. We talk Detroit’s win, the emergence of some unexpected contributors, the battered Panthers waiting in primetime, and whether this is finally the week the Lions drop 40 on somebody.

Follow the hosts here:
John Mahar: https://www.instagram.com/_grandjuan
Alex Bozinovic: https://linktr.ee/alexbozinovic
Mike Cronin: https://www.instagram.com/bonesnake3
Zach Martina: https://linktr.ee/ZachMartina

Comedian and author Joel Walkowski joins us this week to talk Lions, Wolverines, and the particular kind of brain damage that comes from caring this much about football. Joel is also the author of Honolulu Blues: How Loving a Losing Football Team Created a Winning Man, his new book about Lions fandom, family, and surviving decades of disappointment. You can check it out here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Honolulu-Blues/Joel-Walkowski/9781637749043

We get into Michigan’s uneven start, Bryce Underwood’s progress, the offensive line, and the upcoming Iowa matchup before turning to the Lions’ loss to Buffalo, the state of the secondary, Brian Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, the Jets matchup, and whether Aaron Glenn knows this roster a little too well. And after watching former Lion Greg Dortch make a play against Detroit, we arrive at the only reasonable conclusion: we got Dortched.

Follow the hosts here:
John Mahar: https://www.instagram.com/_grandjuan
Alex Bozinovic: https://linktr.ee/alexbozinovic
Mike Cronin: https://www.instagram.com/bonesnake3
Zach Martina: https://linktr.ee/ZachMartina