Herman Moore on Stafford’s Return and the Detroit Lions

NFL All-Pro, Pro Bowler and Detroit Lions legendary wide receiver joins Spencer Raxter and EZ to discuss the Detroit Lions first playoff birth in nearly a decade as well as the their week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings and their playoff game vs Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Like, Subscribe and leave your comment below!

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What up though welcome back to the world redweights live sports.com I’m easy spin Rex Young Chris no JB we got Detroit Kool-Aid and Boer in the building but we’re also joined by the legendary Detroit Lions wide receiver Herman Moore hey what’s good what up man hey I

Gotta get you I gotta get that theme music man I keep forgetting to bring it uh but I’mma tell you what man I I every time I go to the games and I come out and I’m looking I’m like dude just the The Vibes just the I’m I’m older now but

I’m thinking wow man I can goddamn run like at least one hitch route little slant route little Endzone phade hey hell yeah can you can you play tight end whoa whoa whoaa got play tight end what you trying to say what you trying to say because a brother like to eat and

Like weight that he’s got all of a sudden go to the tight end I’ll be a big I just be a big Z receiver how come how come like uh I I actually do wonder that like wide receivers like towards the end of the career cuz tight ends are like

Bigger guys like a little bit slow like how come no one ever try to transition to that position is it just too hard the body’s too banged up or or what I think it’s a natural progression if you are a receiver you you start to get a little

Bit slower uh but you start putting on a little bit more muscle because it’s easier to go up than it is down I found as a wide receiver in weight uh so typically if you’re 6’4 you know whether I’m 223 225 pounds or 240 250 that’s

Just going to be speed and or muscle um so I I think that’s a great trans trans for a wide receiver especially if they have size to go from wide receiver to tight end because you’re going to have some advantages too go ahead I just wanted to get right

Into it like this is this is playoff week the lions are this the first ever home playoff game hosted in Ford Field I just wanted to get into your mind a little bit about how different it is for a professional athlete for an NFL player

To get into that playoff mode is it the same as how you prepare for a regular season game or what goes into preparing for a playoff match up well the playoff game is is not as bad as people think it’s if anything it becomes a little bit easier because

You’ve gone through pretty much all the scenarios during the season and while you’re opponent you may not have played that opponent you’re you’re definitely prepared but they’re going to not be at any advantage or disadvantage nor will you it’s all about how you prepare and I

I was going to say you know tell tell you this is that um the the hardest thing is practice is practicing during the week because you’re getting all the Reps then you’re doing a lot of the work so when it comes down to game time you

Know you only have 30 maybe 40 plays offensively or defensively to make an impact or win a football game on that side of the ball so um the playoff and the games it’s all about Focus it’s mental preparation and it’s about just coming in sharp I don’t think you even

You go out you’re going to rest the legs of your players because you want your team to be fresh uh coming in you don’t want guys getting injured or being um overdoing it in practice so I I would see this as being more of a subliminal

And a more of a mental week of preparation uh for this Detroit Lion team more so than just physically going out running these guys into the ground speaking of these guys this happens to be a a former one of our guys Matthew Stafford and I’m sure you had a personal

Relationship with him uh he was here 12 years what was your initial reaction once that news became official uh Matthew Safford having in Detroit to play uh us at home for first sign it’s 93 man I don’t think you could I don’t think you could have written this any

Better in terms of like the epic matchup of a star franchise quarterback leaving and being traded to a team and then having another player who was supposed to be their franchise leader be brought to another team one has already taken his team to the Super Bowl and then you

Got another one now who’s been part of the Resurgence and the turnaround that’s happened with the Detroit Lions football team so now you really get to see this head-to-head matchup and I think all things being equal uh you have the Detroit Lions defense that’s you know not playing the greatest of football but

But I think they’re playing adequate enough to be able to come away with wins uh but they’re going to have to cut down on some of the big plays you got an offense in um Golf and all the receivers around him and St Brown you know using

Rynolds and then you know you bring in um you know just s Porter you know depending on what happens with his injury but you got a running game you know you got this balanced offense and a fairly decent defense against another really good offense and a pretty good

Defense coming all together and it’s not going to be one of those boring opening Wild Card Weekend game so I’m looking forward to it man I think this is this has everything you would want uh in terms of storyline in the media and I just wanted to ask about

Some of the guys coming back from injury that some of them already played we saw chony Gardner Johnson out there you had the interception we saw Lee mcneel make some big plays get some pressures on the quarterback how hard is it for a player that’s coming off of an injury that has

Been off for a long time to just boom right into the playoffs where it’s the most intense football they’ll see all year you know it comes down to really where are they in their preparation you know are they more of a veteran player the younger players I

Think would struggle in a situation like that but if you have a few years under your belt it’s is just about being mentally prepared uh physically you’ve been prepared all year because that’s what the offseason’s for that’s what training Camp’s for and right now it’s who’s the healthiest team going into the

The playoffs um that will will ultimately give themselves the best chance to win I will say this it’s it’s if you mentally check out on a team and you’re not around and because your injury or your time away doesn’t allow you to be a part of the the game

Planning or being a part of those meetings uh because you’re in such intensive rehab then it’s a little different but I I just think guys aren’t going to miss that much time uh so when Johnson now being back in the mix I think them getting healthier in the

Secondary um you know that’s going to be a a big key component to them but I think if I’m looking at this game it’s going to come down to their defensive scheme more so than the individual players it’s going to be how do they contain uh what they don’t know is going

To happen and what type of Playbook is going to be thrown at them uh from the Rams speak the guys missing time we had some injuries in the week 18 what are your thoughts I guess again as a guys been the playoffs what are your thoughts on unresting guys versus

Heading to the playoffs with a little bit of momentum there and obviously Detroit line deal with some injuries because of that reason yeah I I think I was a little concerned about coming into this one about letting G get get injured you know you’re going to be there was a lot that

Need to happen for them to go into the number two seed position I get it you don’t know what may happen you saw Philadelphia basically crashed and burned against the Giants but Dallas ended up winning which you know took them to that number two seat position

But uh I think at the risk of players getting injured knowing that you have that postseason play regardless you’re going to be playing at home I don’t think I risked too much uh at on the line at that point I don’t think there’s anything to prove because you’re going

To have to face those teams no matter what it’s throwing your way and I’d rather face whomever it doesn’t matter if it was even was San Francisco if you were going to be able to play them at home so you got to go through all these teams regardless it’s about who’s going

To be healthiest uh that’s going to make the difference in the playoffs and that’s what we saw the teams that came in uh most healthy most rested uh the momentum is it’s it’s done I mean the momentum is what gets you there then you come off of that high energy and all of

A sudden it comes back down to just being serious and FOC focused uh and that’s what it’s going to it’s going to make the difference it doesn’t matter about all the hype it doesn’t matter about guys being all you know ready to go and geared up and all that stuff that

That’s not what’s going to win playoff games it’s going to be the team that pays attention to detail and and focuses in more on the the you know the ples and the exactness of of what they need to do in their sound and their assignments and

Things of that nature and I look at it as obviously this Detroit Lions team is extremely young you’ve got a lot of players in their first second third year out there a lot of guys that haven’t experienced playoff matchups even veterans on this team that haven’t experienced playoff matchups how much do

Those guys kind of lean on the Jared gofs the Chanty Gardner Johnson’s and even the coaching staff for how the playoff football should feel or how they should prepare for that guys that have been there before for the guys that have already been there you can look at a coach you

Can look at uh veteran guys like a Jared G who have that experience and other players that may have played in postseason play but the only thing they can give you is how to mentally you know what get your mind right how to rest your body how to prepare during the week

But ultimately if you’re a young player unless you’ve experienced it um and you or you have someone who’s a veteran that’s going to be out leading the charge and setting the example it it’s a first for most of them it’s a first for a lot of these young guys you know don’t

Forget you know the Detroit line is one of the youngest teams in the NFL and and being that this is this is New Territory for them but I think their ability to respond to it means if I’m a coach if I’m anyone like Jerry G I’m focusing saying listen minimize the penalties and

The mistakes we need everything we need everything to click be sound in the assignments he’s got to not take unnecessary chances uh with the football the running backs have to protect the football and defense they have to get after it don’t give up the big plays uh

Try and force some turnovers and and all those things I mean it’s going to be very basic uh in terms of how you get them prepared and for these these players who haven’t experienced it it’s just going to be take a deep breath um I’m Jerry G I’m going in and saying

Listen play your best leave it all out there but play smart play smart and aggressive and be sound in everything you do and if you do those things the rest will take care of itself you the game will end up being what it’ll be if you go out and take care of your

Business and sound in your assignment um I’m around St Brown cuz we got weeks to talk about playoffs if you want to come back on either day this week I’m I’m totally down but I got to ask man our guy got snub from the the Pro Bowl yeah how 1500 yards 10 touchdowns

It’s crazy so so I’m gonna go ahead and tell you like this and this is this is very specific to to St Brown and I think even my guy Calvin man would agree you know what he’s a pro bowler those the stats that he had the U things that he

Did to be deserving of a position to get snub is is is wrong and for me this is his second Pro Bowl whether he gets as an alternate whether he ends up alterate still going or not um this is one hell of a year for that young man and just

Really super proud of just his professionalism the way he goes about his business so I tell I’m telling this to him Amar St Brown you killed it you did it you know what you all pro bowl and in my opinion if I had to give it to

You I’d make you all pro because you did what you’re supposed to do you’re doing it the right way you’re doing it as the underdog all the time that’s what we do sometimes we have to deal with in Detroit but I tell you what keep up it

Just the great work the great work ethic and man he making us proud you know what I’m saying so all hands team man that’s my guy I love it love watching them work and this is a guy we’ve seen get that outside motivation from stuff like this

Before is a guy who can name every single player that was draft or every single wide receiver that was drafted before him do you think he builds another list with this do you think this is another thing that he puts out there he says all right you guys are going to

Keep sleeping on me just wait I’m going go for 2,000 next year well see here’s the thing that comes out to that it it’s it’s it’s it’s a double-edged sword he can be in the greatest condition he could be as prepared as he wants to be what if Jerry

G gets hurt what if the offensive line has injuries you know you don’t you don’t get this opportunity to be there all the time every season just because look at Justin Jefferson you know yeah he’s been coming on strong since he’s been back from an injury Amara St Brown

May get injured and they have to take a step back for a second you don’t know so to get snubbed or to be pulled out of that I just tell them like this man he he doesn’t have to to build a hit list

Or an agenda list or or or a list to go after people who kind of you know been against him and all those things man he’s doing it the right way by being professional and by staying focused and the rest will be the rest you know he

Can only control his part and from what I’ve seen so far he’s he’s catching the football like he’s supposed to he’s running routes he’s playing tough he’s blocking he’s doing everything man and I just you know I I I can as a as a player who’s had success at the NFL level and

Has been a you know all pro and all these things I’m just telling you I I know one when I see one and this young man is doing his thing and along with a lot of the other players and even the ones that are supporting him in that

Position so even Jared G I thought had an opportunity to to also make the Pro Bowl yeah um so yeah there were there were a few snubs I thought that were there them but this was probably the most egregious yeah absolutely and Gibs as well well Monte too mon Monty too

Yeah 12 tou at the time yeah um it was surprising to me man I I have to admit and um but but to him like I said man we all see the work we see the work that they put in I like the fact that this is

A very unselfish team you feel the energy man I don’t feel any like they’re being false I don’t feel like they’re they’re they’re being these guys that are arrogant or uh about themselves when they’re out there and I mean that’s that’s what makes you feel proud as an

Alum as a player that looks back at another one go you know what you’re doing it the right way and you’re doing it without feeling like you got to go out there and do it you know and such a distasteful way they’re they’re bringing grit as we see but they’re also bringing

Toughness uh that I think will get them over some of the deficiencies they may have in other areas man I could talk to you the guy all day man um real quick though we got a guy Boer in the building and he has this uh this this path I I’ll

Let him explain it Boer you want to ask her more about the path yeah yeah um I can’t right now I can’t hear you Herman but it’s an honor to talk to you there there’s this thing that i’ I’ve created here around the network and I would say

The city now called the Boer path and kind of just getting fans to lock in kind of on kind of going into the Super Bowl and saying that hey this is realistic now for this Lions team and I kind of want to ask you uh your vision

On this because you know first division in 30 years everything that’s going on um in my mindset now for fans and everything it’s is we put the so to to bed and um now it’s just every time this team takes the field it should be they

Can win this football game they can go win a Super Bowl everything going forward is POS POS about this team and that’s the path I created to where it’s hey no matter what happens this team should go their mindset should be Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl going forward

Going this year next year the year after and that’s kind of the path that I’ve kind of thought here and and tried to preach to the people want to see what your thoughts and hey maybe even if you want to join the Boer path for 2024 even

This year I’m I’m taking PE I’m anyone can hop on here well I I appreciate that I I’ll say this first uh that that’s always the ambition I wish I could say that that’s unique to just the Detroit Lions or any team that that’s the path forward I

Don’t care what their record is the year before every team that starts their season they they expect they’re trying to make the postseason play they’re trying to win their division they’re trying to get into the the postseason so they can go to a Super Bowl so it’s not

Going to be necessarily I would say unique but what I think you can hang your head on here is that it’s it’s a possibility you know it’s a real true possibility I don’t think this is where they’re trying to be in fear of uh a team being pulled apart so you

Don’t have to have that anxiety as a fan or as a player to say well which of our key players won’t be here next year you know there is you know some Rumblings that maybe they lose their offensive coordinator that could become a factor but I I’ll say this I think every fan

Should be wanting their team to be a champion and go to the Super Bowl every player should be looking at the path forward and be on that same path with you saying you know what Super Bowl or bus uh so I I see that right now now as

The ultimate goal every year all day every day uh that should be there so I I I’ll join that path there their chances of getting there you know is a different story because I just don’t think the road’s that easy if if so we’d see more teams that were dominant teams be

Superbowl champions uh one year doesn’t promise the next and so this year I think they ride this one as far as they can take it and if it ends up being in the Super Bowl win that damn game and bring it back get that one out the way

And get that off you know off off their back um but if not you you pick yourself up you you enjoy what happened this year and you come back next year with a Vengeance uh with the same expectation so that that’s my that’s my take on it

Um you just made this guy this guy’s weak this guy’s so D excited right now is it is it possible absolutely um but is it going to be easy and a given absolutely not speaking of the easy and given I the one ahead of him what what

Do you think of the game what are your uh what are your takeaways for this matchup what do you you want to say that one for later in the week uh I I’ll give you a quick hit and then we can come back and do it do it

Again um I I think what you got to be careful of and what the Lions have to be most careful of right now is I’m looking at their defense and again I just find some holes I find some ways in which you had only one guy really in Justin

Jefferson he has some support you got a backup quarterback but you let him almost go for 200 yards and and really be a factor when you only had one guy to Def to really defend uh that’s that’s problematic because the Rams are going to have a lot more um weapons to go to

They’re going to have a quarterback that is is Savvy and smart we know his grit and his toughness and Matthew Stafford and then defensively you know they’re going to have players who can make plays are they the same defense we’ve seen in the past when their Super Bowl runs no

But is this still a defense that’s formidable absolutely uh so big plays I’m still a little bit concerned with on the lion side we see the takeaways that’s smoking mirror to me because the quarterback just made some really bad throws uh and then there was some plays

You know obviously on their side by the Lions but the big plays are the ones that that are most glaring uh and then offensively just keeping guys healthy leapor is going to be a big part uh if he’s back I think they they have an opportunity to attack the Rams defense

Which is that definitely has some vulnerabilities irin we appreciate you joining on we’re going to each get one more question in here before before we let you go we don’t want to take up too much of your time but my question is there’s a big game on tonight you know

Michigan versus Washington they’re playing for the national championship game I’m Michigan State Spartan myself so I’m I’m I’m not cheering for anybody I’m not going to say who I want to win but we we’ll just see how it goes what are your expectations for this game and

Do you think Michigan can can pull it off come on Spence man first of all man you listen if State’s not in it you gotta go for Michigan unless you’re from the state of Washington you’re not from Washington no I’m not I know that I know that’s going against the grain man but

Listen I’m a Virginia guy Virginia Tech was in the championship and I went to Virginia as long as they were from the state of Virginia y’all be pushing for even though that’s just not what we do at UVA you know and especially if they’re part of a conference right you

Like the big 10 come on yeah show him some love give him give him that I can’t do it I can’t do it man all right well having said that then here’s what we do so I Michigan this is a a great great opportunity I don’t think it’s gonna slip through their

Their grasp I look for Michigan to win um and become you know 2024 national champions 2023 which whichever way they do it I know it’s based on the new year but uh I look at them being the champions in this one uh too much too much on Michigan side

Defensively I think offensively they’re just going to attack uh but be smart and we’ve seen just how this team just really stays together even in the face of uh seems like they’re gonna they’re going to lose things uh lose down the stretch um so I’m looking forward to it

I’ve seen a lot of Michigan people I’ve gone through they’ve had their gear on I say hey good luck tonight they say hey good luck next this upcoming weekend you know against the ram so we’re all we’re all in one come on man they’re in Michigan can’t do it sorry I can’t do

It her I’m uh I want to rock some gear to this Lions playoff game but I don’t got none yet do do you know anywhere I can go like to grab something like that um let me check it out uh yeah there’s this place I just saw it Oh my

Stuff you can rock my gear you can go to Lions Nation unite and I got my new one out today I don’t know if you can see it the Lions hired Dan Campbell the lion one right that’s that’s your that’s your commemorative shirt right there come on

Y’all want that y’all feel that come on oh yeah but you can go to Lions Nation unite we’re always dropping New Gear uh new game day gear that they can wear and then also we’re going to also continue to pour into this team and also Detroit

Sports team so check us out there Lions Nation unite we ready I got that one we we ready come on we ready we ready hey chrisy told me to if you guys are if you guys order by by Wednesday I think it is like the stuff will still get to them by

Saturday did I hear that correctly yeah we’ll do Expediting shipping and no extra cost if they order by Wednesday um they can get these get the shirts you can get your commemorative stuff man you can go on there and get some of this other cool stuff we ready let’s go come

On now we ready that’s awesome and then uh because you guys watching us rock with you and Herman rocks with you too uh 12% off for the Detroit Alliance 12 wins if you use a promo code Woodward 84 and what’s what’s the website again one more time Lions Nation unite there you

Go there you have it ladies and gentlemen the great Herman Moore thank you again for joining so much uh I’ll probably bugging you later later on the week to get uh get you back on before the game if you don’t mind I’ll hit you up we’ll see always appreciate

Appreciate you man thank you very much thank you so much thanks thanks D Herman’s the man he is the man there’s literally so many things like when you so many things I want ask you brought this taste I want to ask as a player like the the Saints and and Falcon

Situation is that is that un professional like no that we got to stop him there’s so many things I ask that guy appreciate Herman for joining us we did go over a few re even Herman will never get me to cheer for Michigan I’m just saying That