"They don't get paid to be in neutral"

We didn't have outrage. We didn't predict doom. We just had that familiar Lions-fan instinct to protect ourselves by looking away.

Marshall and David admit: we almost didn’t watch. Heck, David didn't watch a play until after the game was over. After a season of unmet expectations and emotional whiplash, staying engaged felt like work, and disengaging felt like self-respect.

But then the game started, and something else became clear: whatever the record says, these players didn't coast.

Maybe it's an example of what David says: they don’t get paid to be in neutral. And maybe it's a harbinger of what's to come next season.

What does it mean to show up with intention when the season’s slipping away? What does effort look like when the stakes are lower? Marshall and David talk through preparation, professionalism, and why “just going through the motions” isn’t an option at this level, or in life.

We share what we feel—it's something close to respect—about a team that keeps playing hard even when the story isn’t shiny anymore. Effort itself is a form of integrity.

And then we dig into roster reality, and responsibility by both coaching and management. Because fans like us aren't satisfied with neutral. We're hoping that next season, an organization that's learned how to win will finally shift into overdrive.

Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”