June Mailbag! Why the Detroit Lions are still ascending, the Bills' leading receiver, Aaron Rodgers, "gun" gestures
You've got questions. Here's our answers, starting right in the NFC North.
Good morning! Let’s have ourselves an American Football chat, shall we?
What a smorgasbord of questions this month in the Go Long Mailbag. Phenomenal submissions by all.
On the docket…
The defending NFC North champs. Dan Campbell lost both coordinators. Does his crew have another gear? (Yes.)
Several Lions players are due extensions the next two seasons. Who’s the odd man out?
Who will lead the Buffalo Bills in receiving? There are many candidates.
How much does Aaron Rodgers have left?
Jersey ads. 18-game seasons. The next “point of emphasis” in officiating.
Also: Thanks to all who’ve taken the time to subscribe and read our piece on Terry Fontenot’s Atlanta Falcons.
Let’s get to it.
Hey Tyler,
Packer fan from The Netherlands here.
The NFC North again looks to be an intriguing division this upcoming season. Lions must return to the median at some point right? It does feel like their sense of invincibility has been damaged.
I actually think Bears might actually force us to change our longstanding chant about team.
I am still relatively concerned about WR room in GB. Apart from that their roster looks good to strong. No SB contender though in my mind. They still seem to miss the gritty nature the Eagles for example do possess.
Curious to hear your thoughts.
And one more question: what would you recommend to EU fans that really want to learn the game, above and beyond just watching a game. After 15 years of watching NFL I can recognize formations, understand the intricacies of each position, know the route tree and I can distinguish a good from a bad O lineman. However I would really like to hit next level and be able to recognize what is going during a game. Would you recommend any online courses, people to follow, YT channels, etc. Anything you say about this would be helpful.
Thanks,
Roel
and…
Tyler:
I hope that I'm not too late for your June mailbag, but I'm wondering what you think of all the changes the Detroit Lions have been going through since the NFC Divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders back in January.
With the loss of both the offensive and defensive coordinators, and the retirement of Frank Ragnow, it seems that whether the team likes it or not, there are big changes ahead for the team.
Do you think that they can survive all of that and make a serious Super Bowl run?
Ken
Roel & Ken:
Love it. So cool to hear from you both. Thank you for finding us ‘round the world. Figured it’d be best to tackle this question all in one answer and thrilled you guys brought up the NFC North. (I can report we’ll be bringing back Bob McGinn for our North-centric pod in 2025.)
The last thing I’m going to do is bet against Dan Campbell. For one, I feel like he’ll get his wish in welcoming a live lion onto the sideline at some point and it’d be difficult for J.J. McCarthy and Jordan Love to complete passes if they’re missing a limb or two.
Last season ended with a belly flop of a performance against the Washington Commanders. It was ugly on defense, but shockingly ugly at quarterback as well. It’s fair to question Jared Goff’s playoff ceiling after that four-turnover, 17-incompletion nightmare. This same Commander defense was waxed one week later by Philadelphia Eagles.
Then, you factor in the brain drain of losing both coordinators: Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.
Then, you take a look at their murderous schedule. In addition to their own loaded division, Detroit faces Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Washington, Philly and L.A. Rams all on the road.
Then, you realize they’ve paid up for several stars and money could get tight.
The mood in Detroit has been unbridled hope the last three years. Now, I feel like this fan base is already entrenched in a state of “Show Me.”
My best prediction?