In this episode of The Official Detroit Lions Podcast, Lions team reporter Brooke Kirchhofer and lead writer Tim Twentyman break down highlights from Detroit's performance vs. New Orleans and what's ahead for the Lions in Week 2 at Buffalo, talk with Thursday Night Football analyst Andrew Whitworth about the upcoming contest and sit down with associate head coach/wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery.
Brooke and Tim kick things off discussing what went right for Detroit in overtime both offensively and defensively. With the Week 1 win in the rearview mirror now, the Lions prepare to take on Buffalo on Thursday Night Football. Brooke and Tim talk about the downside to a short week, such as recovery time for the offensive line, in particular. Tim assesses the pieces Detroit has for the Week 2 matchup, including who the Lions might miss on that offensive line as well as their weapons in Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown. For the other side of the ball, the two discuss what Detroit's defense needs to do against quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Brooke then talks with Whitworth, first looking at the NFL as a whole and how Week 1 went across the league before focusing specifically on the Lions' performance against the Saints and what he thinks about Detroit's offensive line. For this Week 2 battle in Buffalo, he talks about what he expects to see out of both teams, emphasizing how the short week affects what coaches decide to throw at players.
Brooke also asks Whitworth about his experience as a player and now analyst in loud, hectic fan environments. With the Bills opening their new Highmark Stadium on Thursday, he's sure this game will be high up on his list in terms of noise level. However, he doesn't think it's anything the Lions can't handle given the stadium atmosphere they and their fans have created at Ford Field.
Brooke and Tim then sit down with Montgomery, who talks about what it's like from the coaches' perspectives to handle a short week and quick turnaround vs. a solid Bills team. He discusses St. Brown's skill set in the pass and run game, Gibbs' new role as the bell cow and managing his workload, his conversations with Jameson Williams after an up-and-down Week 1 performance and what Sam LaPorta brings to this offense.
Brooke and Tim close out the episode by giving a shout to Detroit's special teams, including what Tay Martin has brought to that phase of the game that was on display in Week 1.
Highlights from this episode of The Official Detroit Lions Podcast:
- 0:20 – Week 1 overview
- 1:13 – Injury assessment on a short week
- 6:02 – Preparing for the Buffalo Bills
- 8:49 – Breaking down Buffalo's defense
- 10:23 – Whitworth's overview of the NFL in Week 1
- 14:48 – Whitworth's perspective on Blake Miller
- 17:35 – Whitworth's relationship with Derrick Barnes
- 19:06 – Expectations for Thursday Night Football
- 29:30 – Montgomery's perspective on a short week
- 31:40 – St. Brown's playmaking ability
- 32:51 – Gibbs' role for the Lions' offense
- 37:59 – Looking ahead at Buffalo
- 38:55 – Benefits of having LaPorta back
- 41:53 – Montgomery's increased role on Dan Campbell's staff
- 43:40 – Special teams success
