Show notes
Coming off their first loss since Week 5, the Buffalo Bills (10-3) head to Michigan to take on the NFC’s top team, the Detroit Lions (12-1) in what is shaping up to be another high-scoring shootout Sunday afternoon in a battle of leading Super Bowl contenders.To get you ready for the game, this week on the Billieve podcast, host John Boccacino welcomes Jeremy Reisman, editor-in-chief at Pride of Detroit, to break down the key matchups and players to watch as the Bills look to prevail in a potential Super Bowl preview.After discussing the state of the Lions, we explore the similarities in coaching styles between Sean McDermott and Dan Campbell to see where the coaches are similar in their approach and where they differ. Shifting gears to Detroit's offense, we discuss what Jared Goff does so well, why he's the perfect QB for the Lions and how his pre-snap rituals are so essential to set up this offense for success. Goff is proficient at making sure he's got the right protections and knows where his hot routes are, and because of all that pre-snap work, he makes running Detriot's offense look easy. Goff can hit his timing routes over the middle of the field and isn't afraid to uncork an accurate deep ball, and he loves to connect with talented WRs like Amon-Ra St. Brown over the middle or Jameson Williams either on a crossing pattern or on a deep ball. Because Goff gets rid of the ball so quickly, it makes it difficult for defenses that want to blitz, because Goff will easily find the open receiver. The key to stopping Goff? Generating pressure with the front four while dropping seven into coverage.Detroit also boasts one of the best offensive lines in the league, and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich and the Bills are going to have their hands full trying to contain St. Brown, Williams, TE Sam LaPorta and dual-threat RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. One major difference between last year and this year is Goff has improved at taking the check-down passes to his backs, Gibbs and Montgomery, who are skilled at making defenders miss in space. Gibbs and Montgomery are two of the better RBs at creating yards after contact, and they benefit running behind talented linemen like RT Penei Sewell, RG Kevin Zeitler, and center Frank Ragnow.Defensively, the Lions are the walking wounded, with 13 players on IR, including DEs Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport and LB Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes. Despite the injuries, the Lions have still won 10 straight, possess one of the best third-down defenses and are getting healthier down the stretch. Reisman says edge defender Josh Paschal seems the most likely to return, and that DTs DJ Reader and Levi Onwuzurike could also return. We discuss how the Lions like to make opposing offenses one-dimensional, how it should be a fun matchup between Buffalo's second-ranked pass offense vs. Detroit's No. 1 pass defense, and how the defensive backs and safeties—led by Kerby Joseph, Terrion Arnold—have fueled the league’s second-best scoring defense. One way to attack is through the run game, and if James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson can be successful, that could set the stage for Josh Allen to find open receivers downfield. While Detroit doesn't surrender a lot of big passing plays, they are vulnerable on outside/boundary passes, which could position Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, Dalton Kincaid, and Mack Hollins for big receiving days.We close by offering up score predictions as the Bills look to rebound from their worst defensive performance of the year.Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too.The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, The Code of Conduct, Leading the Charge, and Jamie D & Big Newt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices



