Jared turns, fakes the gifts, SATs looks, looks, looks, Jared still looking middle throws and so God cuts down Detroit Lions Isaac Tesla, And it's crazy that it is week fourteen of the NFL season.

I am Tim Twentyman.

This is twenty in the Huddle podcast.

He is Jeremy Riseman.

Does a great job over at the Pride of Detroit.

And right now you guys are in your November money raising campaign for the University of Michigan Rogo Cancer Center that finishes up on Saturday.

So it's a great cause.

You guys do a lot of stuff surrounding it.

Just where did that start, Jeremy?

Why is it important?

Yeah?

I think it was just once I realized I had a platform that reached enough people, I thought it would be good to use it for some sort of good.

I know, Lions fans are a rabid fan base, and I'd like to kind of like push that towards a common good.

And every month, you know, it started with me just growing out the mustache for this month, and people seem to get get a kick out of it, including some people inside the building here, and so yeah, I kind of ran with it because people got excited about that, and I channeled that towards something that felt like a good cause for the common good.

That's a good cause and good for you.

Now let's talk about Thursday.

Yeah, that's a big game.

Yep.

It has become a big game just because of what has transpired over the last say month and a half for the Lions.

Is Jeremy has it reached must win territory?

You hate to say that when the calendar just flips to December, but it's a big one and it seems pretty must winish if you're talking about certainly a division title, but even you know, the playoffs.

Yeah, I mean when you look at the playoff picture, obviously the Lions still need to jump one team, and with the Cowboys kind of nipping at their heels, you don't want to make it two teams that they have to jump, right, And so you know, you look at some of the numbers, you know, somewhere between like a thirty and forty five percent chance of making the playoffs right now, if they lose this game, it kind of drops into that like ten to fifteen range, depending on which model you're using.

So you know, I would say it's not quite full must win, but considering the Cowboys are one of those teams that could be nime at their heels.

I mean, if you're not going to win this one, you probably have to run the table.

And it's at home.

And Dan Campbell talked about November being I almost said November November being you know, moving month, and and they were, you know, they didn't move enough.

You know, they moved back three and three over the last six I believe it is.

They haven't won back to back game since Week four.

In Week five against Cincinnati in Cleveland.

That's a long time ago, Jeremy.

And so it just seems like a big game just to get December off on the right foot, and and and to make this stretch run you feel good about the start of the stretch run at home.

Yeah, it's the Dallas Cowboys.

You gotta win this one.

Yeah, And it would feel you know, signature wind might be overstating a little bit, but again, like a big win, a win that that feels like you're getting things on the right track.

You know, no disrespect to the Giants, they've been playing some tough football, but you know, that doesn't feel like a signature win, it feels like they haven't really beaten a team that feels like a true contender in a little bit here, and I would say, yeah, doing it at home, doing it on national stage, doing it at night, doing in front of a RACKUS crowd, that'll do a lot too, I think, bring a lot of more confidence into this environment, both inside and outside the building.

How crazy is this NFL season?

Ben that we're talking about this that Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore I think are currently out of the playoffs.

In Indianapolis, Denver, and New Orleans or New England is in the NFC North that's been completely turned upside down.

The Chicago Bears lead the division and are the number one seed in football.

I mean, it's it's kind of crazy, and I think it's why everybody loves the NFL is and there's always that worst to first story and everything else.

But this has been a crazy season.

Crazier than I would say most.

But I think the NFL does a really good job of like creating that parody, whether it's with the draft, whether it's with you know, the schedule obviously played a huge pactor, I think in where the Lions are at and where the Bears are at and just I think it also is a reminder that the difference between the first place team and the last place team is never as big as you think it is.

I think maybe we get used to college football and like we see these, you know, twenty eight point games every week in the NFL.

It's not like that, you know, any I truly do believe in the end of given Sunday kind of motto that surrounds the NFL.

And and you know, it can be frustrating or exciting, depending on which end you're on each year, but it's it's thrilling, nonetheless.

Chicago for real, your book.

Man, It's so hard because I've been of the belief that they're not.

You know, there are a lot of I'm a statistical guy, and a lot of the indicators of like regression that they have.

You know, they have this crazy turnover margin.

I think it's let me check my notes here, it's crazy.

Like they got a plus seventeen point differential.

The next closest is plus nine.

So I mean you put that that the point differential, the turnover differential, the point differential.

Their schedule has been relatively easy, and it's very tough down the stretch, but you have to give them some credit.

They do and and I think there's also this possibility that maybe Chicago wasn't that team in October, but with a new coaching staff with a new scheme, like you can become that team by November December.

So they kept their head above water during those times when they were kind of melding together.

And now, I mean, they just beat the Eagles, and that's not an easy team to be.

There's something to say about playing with confidence too.

Yeah, you know, they look to me like a very confident bunch.

And you know, when you've got some of the right systems in place, you're confident and you you can make place takeaways their tops in the league at When you can run the football, you create takeaways.

That stuff travels and you can win.

So will know in three weeks for sure.

They got to play Green Bay twice in the next three weeks.

I think that's where we will know if they split with Green Bay or beat Green Bay twice.

I'll be a believer.

They lose a couple of times and you kind of know where things stand.

They got the forty nine ers in there too, so all that's kind of good news for Detroit, right, Like those teams are going to beat up on.

The you know how this is going for both of us, right, well, you know where this is trending.

This is trending week eighteen in Chicago in January, meaning something for both teams and it being a crazy big game in the cold, Ben Johnson, all of it.

You know, that's where this is headed.

Yeah, it just seems kind of inevitable at this point.

It's our fate, yeah, absolutely, all right, biggest concern with Detroit right now before we start looking ahead to Dallas.

Yeah, I mean I think it's been the past defense recently.

You know, there's obviously a lot of talk about the pass rush.

We just talked to Kelvin Sheppard and he's you know, he pretty bluntly said, like it needs to be way better.

Yeah, And you know it's to me, it's not even just necessarily about the sack numbers or the pressure numbers or things like that.

It's giving up the big plays.

Yes, allowing the quarterbacks to sit back in the pocket for three seconds at a time.

The lines have given up the most thirty yard passing plays on the season, and it's it's way more than the rest of the league.

Dallas Cowboys, they're tied for the most thirty plus yard passing plays on offense, So that's gonna be a big challenge for him this week.

You know, it's funny, they've got to marry that rush and cover a little bit better.

Too.

Too much time for quarterbacks to throw.

I think you guys were talking about down in the in the media room before we came up here.

Lions allowing the most time for opposing quarterbacks throw almost three seconds.

Yeah, that's an eternity in this league.

And so to Shepherd's point, they need to up that pressure.

They need to marry that that Russian cover.

I don't care who you are in this league, you cannot cover these kind of athletes at wide receiver for three four five seconds.

You're just not going to be able to do it.

So, whatever it is, whether it's guys winning more of their one on one opportunities or shep kind of scheming it up a little bit more, that they've got to do something to affect the opposing quarterback a little more than they have.

So then what is it as simple as playing better pass defense?

The key to winning on Thursday?

Kind of what's your number one thing going in at a game.

The Detroit Lions do this.

Yeah, there's a great there's you know, the great opportunity for for a win.

Yeah.

I mean that certainly is near the top, right, because it's not just about you getting pressure.

It's about covering two really really turn good Yeah, wide receivers and George Pickens and Ceedee Lamb.

You know, if you want to flip it over to the offensive side of the ball.

I think getting the run game going is a key.

I mean last week against the Packers, that was a first game that they had crossed over one hundred yards a game and lost.

Usually if they crossed over that threshold, you know things are working for this offense.

And you know, given some of the injuries at wide receiver at tight end, I feel like if they can get the game going on the ground, you know that.

Frees them up.

The play action works a little bit more, you get the Cowboys a little bit off bounce, you keep that Cowboys offense off the field as well.

So I think the offense has the opportunity to kind of dictate the pace of the game, and I think maybe that's the best way that they can do it.

Yeah, and that's gonna be a big test this week too, because you're talking about potentially the best defensive tackle dual in the league in Quinn and Williams and Kenny Clark in the center of that Dallas defense.

And look, I give Jerry Jones credit, like he said, we needed to do something different.

We needed to transform our defense.

We needed to be better against the run.

Well, the last three weeks since Quinn Williams has been their teams are averaging sixty nine point six yards per game run in the football.

And this is a Detroit Lions team.

You know as well as I do.

They want to run the football.

That sets up the play action everything else.

Jeremy, I think this is a great test this week for this interior offensive line.

No doubt.

Graham Glasgow was back at practice this week.

That was a great, great sign for his availability for Sunday.

But then with Ratledge and whoever's at left guard, if it's a Waika or somebody else, they need to.

Have a game.

Yeah.

They need to have a really good collective effort along the interior, try to contain those guys and get this run game going.

They just they need a good performance the offensive line overall, but I think those three guys in the center need a really good.

No doubt, and you're right, it's definitely going to be a big challenge this week against the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are kind of like in this weird position because I mean, you can see the difference when you watch the games, right with those two guys in there, But at the same time, you look at the teams that they've played over those three games.

It's the Eagles, which have struggled to run to the ball, It's the Raiders, have one of the worst running games in the league, and then the Chiefs, which is kind of like a middling team, And so you consider the lines probably a better running team than both all three of those teams.

So it's a good test for both sides.

And when it comes to Lions interior offensive line, like we saw them against the Giants pretty much do whatever they want.

And it wasn't just the big home run hits from Jamior Gibbs, like they were hitting on those medium chunks that I think they've missed for a lot of this year.

And so if they can kind of bounce back from you know, probably not a great game against the Packers.

I think they have an opportunity to really establish themselves and kind of build that momentum towards the rest of the season in terms of building a solid, more consistent run.

We talked earlier about the differences a year can make in this league.

How crazy is it that we're talking about the Philadelphia Eagles as a very good Vie Barley had two thousand yards last time they strikes again.

Isn't it nuts?

All Right?

The matchup you're most looking forward to watching on Thursday we've talked about.

Yeah, but if it's one we've talked about already, go ahead.

But is there is there anything else out there?

I'm always a fan of wide receivers versus corners.

It's it's one of the more fun things to watch in this league.

So I'm looking at George Pickens first.

You know, maybe a Meek.

I don't know if the Lions are gonna travel their corners necessarily, but a Meek always seems to like really step up his game against these big, physical receivers, and Pickens has been on.

Fire over a thousand yards.

Yeah, I mean he's been great the last three games alone, twenty four catches, three hundred and seventy eight yards and two touchdowns, So it's gonna be a big And those are two like very prideful, very emotional guys.

They're out on the field, so Mike, you know, might get a little chippy, might be a little fun to watch there on Thursday night.

I'm gonna go to the other side, okay.

And I'm gonna say Jamison Williams versus Bland, drown Bland.

If that's the matchup.

We'll see if Diggs is back this week or not.

I know they started his practice window this week.

He could play as well too, so they can have both those corners.

But whoever is against Jameson Williams.

I thought that was big last week for him to step up.

You lose, I'm on Rossie on nine minutes into the game.

Tom Kennedy has to step up.

But you're looking for the number two guy to be the number one guy, and I thought Jamo was And I think that's a very encouraging sign for this offense for him that when they needed it, he had seven catches, one hundred and forty four yards a touchdown.

Probably wants that fourth down play back.

I know the ball was behind it, but in my book, I agree with John Moorean when he says, look, if it touches a receivers hands, he should catch it.

But I thought that was encouraging and I think that'll be an interesting one.

We didn't see Saint Brown to start the week on the practice field.

Seems a little doubtful he plays, in my opinion.

We'll have to see, but they're gonna need another Jmo type of game, and that's an aggressive, you know, talkative frunch back there, and that could get a little chippy too and could certainly be fun to watch.

One good news for Detroit.

Kirby Joseph back at practice.

We haven't seen him in six weeks.

Jeremy, what kind of impact do you think he can have immediately?

Man?

I mean huge?

Right, He's he's kind of a turnover machine for them, and that feels like that's something just like that extra juice that the entire team could use.

Right if turnovers just don't help your defense get off the field, but they put your offense in advantageous situations.

The Lions are six and one in games in which they just get a single turnover, just one, which means, of course they're one and four without him.

So, and they haven't.

I feel like they've struggled to really produce those interceptions.

You know.

Not not that Thomas Harper is playing poorly.

I don't think he is.

And he actually you know, he has the latest turnover for the team in a game that you know was tight against the Giants.

But Kirby's just kind of on a different level there with with his ball skills, with his ability to run sideline to sideline.

So if they can get him back this week, wouldn't be surprised to see him pick off Deak once or twice.

You know, there's gonna be opportunities, Yeah, because you know Dak is gonna send it down the field to pickens in Ceedee Lamb, especially when he sees or what he thinks he sees as a one on one matchup Kam Kirby in that knee, Is he still the same player in terms of speed, the ground he can cover over from the center, you know, field position over there down towards the sideline.

I think that'll be interesting to watch too.

How much the time off and how much the knee.

He was wearing a big brace on that on that left knee when we watched practice on on Monday, So we'll see if he is the same player.

All right, who needs to step up besides Hutch you know, yeah along that pass us because we talked about a little bit earlier and Shepherd brought it up that look, we're not affecting the quarterback enough to run any style of defense.

I think he was very honest, yeah, and he said, look, you know, Leam did some good things on Thanksgiving.

We've seen a little bit you know of him since he's been back.

But they need somebody else or multiple people, Right, who's that guy that that that that can kind of step up and provide them a little spark to that to that rush game the end of the season.

I think, I mean, I think the most obvious have answers.

Marcus Stavenport.

You know, he played you know, twenty some snaps in his kind of return last week.

He's a guy that they have a lot of faith in.

Right, He's a guy that they I think when he that as healthy as when they're they're most comfortable with him.

He can play like fifty sixty steps because he can be in there for the run game, he can be there for the pass rush.

He's physical, he's got a great long arm.

I think Al KaDee Mohammad still has a little bit of that in him.

We saw a little bit more of it earlier in the season, maybe a little bit less of it now.

But I also think the lines can get a little bit more creative, you know, get some some other guys involved.

You know, of their four most recent SACT one and a half of them are from Brian Branch.

You know.

Yeah, he's a guy that's good toward the line.

Maybe mix in a couple of corner blitzes.

You know, Jack Campbell has proven that he can blitz.

I think they need to have some more from.

Derek Barnes too.

For sure.

I haven't said his name enough now.

Obviously he affects the game in terms of his versatility, what he does spying rushing quarterbacks, and that's been a huge part of his game.

But just the your pass rush, go get the quarterback when when they do send him, he's getting a lot of those one on one opportunities.

He's a guy to me that I'd like to see maybe step up a little bit.

I'd like to say his name a little bit more, right at the at least a few more times on on game.

Day tap into pass rushing there.

I like it.

Well, it's obviously a huge game Thursday night.

Jeremy will be there, coming for the Pride of Detroit.

I do love that mustache.

Yeah, going away, It's going away.

He's got one more week of the mustache.

Jeremy, Thanks for taking the time.

Appreciated, man, appreciate it.

Welcome back to the toy M Huddle podcast.

Happy to welcome and Roy Lopez, defensive tackle for the Detroit Lione.

Is I doing right?

I'm good man.

I appreciated you.

Have no appreciate you.

You coming on.

Let's start with this first year here and you're obviously coming over front from Arizona.

One of the things, one of the reasons why you're here is Brad was telling a story about just going up against Frank gregg Now and Frank being like, byro Lopez is like one of the hardest guys I've ever had to play against.

Effort.

How much did you appreciate the fact that an all Pro player like Frank grag Now said that about you and that it kind of spurred this this thought of what you could mean for this for the middle of this line's defense.

Yeah, I think you know, it's it's one of those things that you know when people probably play against ro Lopez or you know, people signed when the team signs Rore Lopez, you know, people probably have never really heard of me.

You know, I'm not just this big high name that played a big school or a high draft pick.

But you know, here I am, you know, swinging and banging, you know, in the middle of the trenches, and uh, it's it's been fun, man.

And to hear those compliments you know from you know, a player of that stature is just you know, I don't we don't take it lightly.

You and my family don't take it lightly.

And uh it's cool, man.

You know, recognition is always great.

You know, it's fun and uh, I love the game of football, you know, so when it one kind of pays you back like that, it's a you know, it's definitely a nice thing to hear because those guards don't get love, man, And those guards just don't don't get any love, you know, So to be here in this position, it's it's it's great and uh, you know I've gotten a couple of those throughout my career, you know, from from great centers that I've played against, and you know, future Hall of Famers kind of just be like Mande, you can play, you can play, you know.

So that's always fun to hear, and it's been great.

What is it about this scheme that maybe fits your game?

We slowly seen your reps increase, your impact increase.

What is it about Shep's scheme?

Maybe who's around you that that that kind of just seems to fit your style play?

Yeah, I think just the mindset of of this defense and the mindset we play with, and the group of guys for sure, you know, from top to bottom, you know, and starting with Shep, you know.

And I think the coolest thing about is you know, and and when you're in that huddle and breathing heavy in the Swiss rolling and man Jack Campbell's telling you to play like it's you know, there's no better feeling in the world, you know, and the stadium's going crazy.

It's it's it's a it's a great feeling, you know, to be in that huddle and you look to your left, you see Allen mcknw.

You look to your right, you see Ada Hutchison right, and uh, you know, guys are out there, Arvin Man starving to make plays names for themselves, names for this defense, and you know, we got such a high standard we set for ourselves, you know.

And I think that's the biggest thing is it's fun to play.

It's fun to play here, it's fun to play on this defense, and every week's a blessing.

It's I don't take it lightly.

For one of the things shep talked about this week was just needing to affect the quarterback a little bit more, and it basically said, I don't know if it's changing up personnel a little bit, maybe doing something schematically, but look, you know, the good pass defense in this league is a marriage between the rush and the cover.

How do you guys, You're really great at it.

At the beginning of the year, you kind of reached a little bit of low four sacks over the last four games.

How do you guys go about affecting Dak Prescott in the Dallas Cowboys a little bit more Thursday?

Yeah, it's playing fast man, play fast.

We do your move, throw hard, and commit to it.

And that's the biggest thing, you know, play confident and fly around like we have a great group of guys man, great football players, great men.

So to be out there, like it's just just.

You know, it's just back to the basics, you know, when you're practicing and do your drills and have purpose and everything you do and you understand that, you know, if you're tired, big air breathe, you know, one more play, right, just always kind of tell yourself one more play and uh, you know it, they'll come, you know.

I think that's the biggest thing is is you know, we're a great, great unit and and you know we compliment each other really really well.

And when you got a guy like Ada Huncheson, man, he's he's definitely special, crazier man.

He he makes it easier for everybody around him exactly just because of the exactly exactly.

And then Alaid McNeill can can rush the passer as well.

Right, he's a dog for sure.

I think that's the coolest thing about this room is everybody's got talent, man, and so you know, for it to be used, we got to play fast and play confident, and it's to be fun.

What's the biggest test Thursday Night?

Obviously an offense that comes in number one scoring, number one passing offense, they've got a lot of skilled weapons.

What do you see from them on tape.

What's the big point of emphasis this week for you as a defense and in that defensive line room especially.

Right you said that number one.

That means they're high in efficiency.

Right.

They like their plays, they like to run them, how they run them, the timing they run them, get them, you know, get them off script, get them off rhythm, you know, make plays when they come to us.

And and you know, I think that's the best thing about this union.

I keep saying, is this a great group of guys, you know, so.

We can do it.

I think that's the thing is play fast, play confident, get them off rhythm is I would say it's the biggest thing.

And uh, that's always fun.

You got a little juice for sure.

Has it been talked about?

Do you sense it maybe just an increase in the magnitude of the game, right, I mean they get the calendar slipped to December.

Obviously, you guys haven't stacked up the total wins that you want.

You know, where your place is, These games are important, now.

Do you get that sense or is it just business as usual?

Next game up?

Or do you sense there's a little bit something extra for this one?

No, for sure, there's definitely a sense of urgency, but there always is come November, December, January, you know, no matter who you're playing for, no matter what your record is, right like, and you know, I've been on a couple of teams that will probably already eliminated at this time of year, right you're still playing with that sense of urgency, right like, it doesn't doesn't at this point the record is, you know, you're still fighting, right I think that's the best thing about this league come December, and the fun game is playing man.

That's just so loud.

It's so loud.

Thursday was rocking at foreign fields, you know, so I think those are so fun to play man when you can just you can't even hear yourself, right or your hear is your breathing, and you're just your hard.

It's a magnitude of it's the cowboys, it's National TV.

There's no there's no beating around the bus man.

It's the real deal.

And blessed to be in the moment because you know, I tell my family all the time when when there's no better feeling, man, when you're you're in it.

You got sweat on your visor and you just hear the crowd, but all you can hear is you're breathing your heartright, and.

It's just so much like going on.

But you know, like you're able to slow it down, right, And I don't know if that's for everybody or it comes with playing years in the league, right, You're able to slow down in that moment and play the game.

For what it is.

And like there's to.

Be in a room that I am with a Lean and DJ and HUDs and Tyleek and all these guys that have played great football and played great football for years, they do it as well.

They know that feeling, right.

So when it's late in the game and you're.

Tired and you look over and he's tired, but like, oh it's on, Like it's like I need you, I got you, right, Like I think that's the coolest thing about this room is, you know sometimes we look at each other and we say, you know, I got you, I got you.

Listen, that's good, that's right, let's go.

So it's fun with.

Jack Campbell in the huddle.

I'm curious what kind of temper demeanor he is.

He strikes me as such like a hardcore, old school throwback kind of linebacker.

You know, was covering his mouth so we didn't spit blood on you all.

You know, when he had the mouth?

What kind of leader?

What kind of of guys jack in the huddle and just in the center of that defense.

Yeah, I think that that Baltimore game, right when is that when he happened?

That speaks for yourself, man, And when you look at your leader and he's telling you like, come on and he's got bluzzz moment.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, sir, I got you right.

Like it's he's he's been fun to play with, man, and uh so much trust that's putting him put into him, you know, from the coaches, from the players, and uh, you know, I'll go to work with him any day of the week, you know.

And he's earned that, he's earned that.

It's interesting you signed here from Arizona.

Obviously they had a you know, a plan for how you're going to fit into the defense.

But I found it interesting when you were just talking about the environment and the playing in huge games and stuff like that.

How much was that a part of your decision too?

What did you know about Ford Field, this team, the atmosphere, the culture, everything else.

How much was that a part of the decision, and not just the money.

No, it was a huge probably the biggest part for sure.

I think that because I knew you're going to get primetime game here in Detroit, You're going to get, you know, part of a roster that is willing to do anything it takes to do to win and so starving to win the whole thing, you know, and like I can't express it enough, the starvation that this team has to win to win the whole thing, to be the best in the world, right, to be the best in the world that week, to be the best in the world at the end of the season, I guess, And to be in an environment like that, like it's it's something that you know, I cherish, you know, I take mental notes throughout my time here, and it's it's it's been a blessing to watch people's routines, habits, their motivation factors and and and I think that's it's been great.

Man.

I've heard about DJ Reader for years and to play with him and to see his mannerisms, his techniques, his routines, his preparation, his everything.

Right, that's I've learned as much, you know, I've learned playing with him right, it's it's been.

It's been great.

Then I look over and I got Lee McNeil.

I'm taking notes on him.

I'm everything, man.

I view everybody as a teacher, and it's been.

It's been fun.

This this place has been nothing but great for me as a player, as a man.

We got another big one Thursday night, Dallas coming to town.

Big game obviously with with playoffs and and division implications for you guys to kind of hang in there, go get them, get after that a little bit, play your branded defense and hopefully you come out with juice on that.

Go get go, get them, go get them, you know, get after it.

I like that to do.

I like it.

Welcome back to the Twin Huddle Podcast presented by Microsoft.

Very happy to welcome in John Maschoda.

He does a great job covering everything Dallas Cowboys for the athletic John, Thanks for taking the time, appreciate you anytime.

Thanks for having me on.

All right, so let's start with this three game win streak.

What has been the biggest difference with this football team over the last three weeks.

You look at the three weeks and then you look at the previous six seven and it looks like an entirely different football team.

Well, what's been the biggest difference the last three weeks with this Dallas Cowboys football team?

I mean, you know how it is, it's it's almost never just one thing.

But the biggest thing from my perspective is the trade for Quinnon Williams.

It's just amazing how, you know, you put that type of force in the middle of the defense, and how all of a sudden the corners are playing better and the back end of the defense is all of a sudden making plays that they weren't making.

I mean, it's it's crazy to think, but they've turned the defense in from being I think the Bengals were the worst defense, but the Cowboys were fighting him for that spot for you know, the their first half of the season.

And then you get Quinn Williams and then you get to Marvion Overshown back who'd been out with a season ending knee injury from the year before, at linebacker, and those have been two of the probably the biggest things there.

But just the confidence that Quinn Williams brings, and then the way that it's changed up their front.

Now they run a lot more five man front with three defensive tackles out there.

It's completely changed the game on their defense, and that's what's been needed.

Their offense was good before that.

Honestly, the offense was probably pressing a little bit because the defense was playing so poorly.

But that Quinn Williams move has been such a confidence builder.

Yeah, to your point, I think it was a lot one hundred and twenty four point seven on the ground per game this year per game this year, but that number is sixty nine the last three weeks.

I mean, they've been really good at stopping the run, and they'll obviously have to be really good Thursday.

Stopping the run just what Detroit wants to do.

But how does one guy like that just make such an impact in the middle.

Is it just he makes everyone around him better?

Is it the attention that he gets allowing other guys to have more one on one matchups?

What do you think has been the biggest difference, particularly with the run defense the last three weeks.

So they spent a decent amount of money to keep Osa Dougie Zua in the off season, and then in the Micah Parsons trade they got Kenny Clark from Green Bay and it looked like they would shore up defensive tackle there, but while it was improved, it wasn't to the level they needed.

Now you're adding Quinn and Williams, and none of those guys can really be double team now, and so because of that, it's almost like when quinnin was with the Jets, he was getting double teamed all the time because he didn't really have the other pieces around him like he has now.

And so I think that's been the biggest difference is it's allowed him to pressure the quarterback more because he's not getting doubled as much.

And then it's opening up things for Osa and Kenny because they're not getting doubled as much as they were before.

And so I just think that they're comfortable up front and they're not seeing that exact same type of attention that they were seeing before Thelliams' move was made, which now you know, most people around Dallas are saying, why didn't they make this move earlier in the season.

They tried, They tried.

Jerry Jones tried to trade Michael Parsons to the Jets for Quinn Williams, but the Jets didn't have the salary cap space.

But to then give Michael Parsons the contract that the Packers did, so it fell through, but they Aaron Whitecotton is the Cowboys defensive line coach and he is the guy that Quinn Williams really credits for when he was in New York, helping Quinn take his game to the next level.

So the Cowboys already had that guy in the room kind of going, you know, to bat for Hey, if we get Quinn Williams, do it, because this guy can change everything, and so far he's been right.

It's amazing when you're really strong in the center of your defense.

Just how much of a difference that makes to everything, including the outside.

But let's slip to the other side of the ball.

John, how do you slow down this high flying Cowboys offense?

I mean number one scoring offense, number one passing offense when they have struggled when they lost her in the season.

You mentioned the defense a little bit, but how has anybody slowed this this team down?

It looks like they have so many weapons, from Ferguson to the two receivers, to Williams doing really well as at running back.

Just heisole these guys down.

It's crazy because this has been a franchise that has spent big on running back for so many years, and then lately they just really haven't put in the resources, you know, moving on from Tony Pollard, I thought for sure in these one of these last two drafts that would use the first three round pick on a running back, and they never did.

I thought, maybe they do more in freequency, they go and get Javonte Williams.

And when it got into like the preseason part of this, right after training camp, they weren't even playing Javonte Williams like they already had him on ice, like, no, that's our guy, and we're all kind of looking around covering the team, like you guys know that already.

And so they've been right on it, don't get me wrong.

I mean, Javonte Williams has exceeded the expectations, but he's been a huge part of it because it's like you go into all these games and you know, the defense's biggest things.

They're like, we cannot let Ceede Lamb and George Pickens both just destroy us.

And so it's creating light boxes that obviously help the running game, and then the running game starts having success and then so all of a sudden, you got to creep a safety up and then now that's leeving single coverage on either George or CD.

And then so that coupled with I mean, it's ten year ten for Dak Prescott, but he's probably playing his best football.

It's it's clear him and Brian Shott and I'm around the same page.

They've been around each other for a few years now, and so it's really a little bit of all of that.

But making that trade for George Piggins after their draft it is probably been the biggest thing.

How big is this football game?

I talked to or I didn't talk to, but I listened to, you know, some of the Dallas audio over the weekend, and they all kind of seem that this stretch has kind of rejuvenated them a little bit.

They know they're in the playoff hunt, they know they're playing meaningful football games right now.

Just with talking with some of those guys, do you get the sense that they know how big this game is Thursday in terms of the NSC playoff picture and kind of putting themselves in a good spot down the stretch in December.

Yeah, there's no quoest I mean, it's a huge game just because right now where the Lions and Cowboys are in the playoff picture, But it's a huge game for the Cowboys if they were playing the Tennessee Titans, because they just I mean, they're in a spot now where they probably have to win out and they know that they put themselves in that spot with how they start off the season.

You go back to when the schedule came out like that was that first part was when they had to be hot because nobody thought that they would have even a chance to win all three of these games.

I mean, when that schedule came out, you saw immediately like, man, right after the bye, they got Philadelphia, Kansas City, and then Detroit, Like are they going to even win one of those games?

And now they've already won two out of those three, and so because of that, yeah, there's no question they know how big this is.

But they're riding with a confidence that we just haven't seen them have all season.

Because obviously, when you beat the last two teams that have played in the Super Bowl, that's going to give you, you know, a lot more confidence.

And it's clear that they have that right now.

But there's no mistaking they don't feel like they can even lose one game and have a chance for the playoffs right now.

Any injury concerns heading into Thursday, John.

I'd say the biggest one is probably Jdvian Clowney.

He's I know, people know his name and they probably think, man, he's still in the league.

But he's been productive for them, and they've had him on kind of a pitch count round about thirty thirty five snaps.

But he was limping pretty bad after the game.

He was working on the resistance cords yesterday during their practice, and so I think he'll go, but I don't think he's going to be one hundred percent.

And the other one would be Tyler Goeyton, their starting left tackle probably won't go in this game, and so Nate Thomas, who started this pass game, will probably go again.

And Nate did pretty well, but he's not first round pick Tyler Geyton, And so those would probably be the two biggest ones.

What's the number one priority for Dallas?

You know, coming into Detroit Thursday night?

Obviously ruckus environment.

If they're going to win their four straight and sweep this street, this stretch that you talked about, what do they have to do what's the number one priority for them.

This is gonna sound way easier said than done, but it really is Jamiir Gibbs, Like, you can't give him those big home run shots.

You know, if he's gonna get five or ten yards here or there, that's fine, But you give him those big home run plays.

I just think that it could weaken everything in the defense and then all of a sudden, now there's the big pass plays too coming behind it.

So I think that's the biggest thing, and that's why you'll probably see them continue to go with these five man fronts with three defensive tackles.

So they're giving up something by showing that, but at the same time, they're basically telling you, we don't want to let opponents run on us.

And there's not a bigger home run threat than Gibbs, So I think everything starts there.

If he's having a big game, then that defense is in trouble, no question.

These two teams have seen each other quite a bit, you know, over the last few years here, But who's maybe one player that Lions fans might not know who's having an impact with that Dallas team and who could have an impact on the game Thursday Night.

Yeah, Demarvion Overstilm that I mentioned earlier is really like the heartbeat of the defense.

He just has not been able to stay healthy and it's been one knee injury after another.

But when he has played, I mean, he is a game.

He was a third round pick a few years ago out of Texas and I mean he just he's all over the place and the team feeds off of the way he plays.

And since he's been back, you can tell they're ramping him up more and more and he's been more of a playmaker there.

So I'd say defensively he would be the number one guy.

And offensively, really outside those those wide receivers, it really comes down to Dravonte Williams.

They don't they don't really have like they certainly don't have a Junior Gibbs or David Montgomery type thing, you know.

So it's like, if you can stop Dravonte Williams, you're probably stopping their run game.

They just, like I said, they didn't spend big in that area, and so those would probably be the two guys that maybe everybody doesn't talk about.

Well, John, it's we've been down to Dallas so many times here the last few years.

You get to come back up to Detroit, win little winter wonderland for you.

It should be a great contest.

How much have they talked about the environment and knowing what they're going to face it at Ford Field Thursday night.

It hasn't really been talked about a lot yet.

But I don't see any environment being tougher on them than this one that they're going to step into, because I mean, just for my times covering a couple of lines get there or Cowboys games up there, I know that there are Cowboys fans from Canada that will come down, and I do think that there will be Cowboys fans of the game, but not to the level that we've seen in previous seasons, and so that could certainly cause some issues for the offense and communication issues because they're really not going to play in a place that loud.

I mean, we were just recently in Las Vegas, but that's their first time in Vegas for a regular season game.

It was probably fifty sixty percent Cowboys fans there, so it's like they haven't really had that real tough road environment, and I think this will be their first one, so I would certainly look at communication.

Problems on offense are certainly a possibility there they were a little bit in Denver.

That would probably be the next toughest one that they've played this year.

Well, it should be a fun match up Thursday night football.

It means so much for both teams.

John, thanks so much for joining me again.

John Mashada does a great job covering everything Alice Cowboys for the Athletic.

Thanks so much, John, Safe travels up and we'll we'll see you on Thursday.

Sounds good.

Good talking to you.