WEBVTT - Mac & Bone Show - Ryan Wood Interview 

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<v Speaker 1>Ryan Wood will be ready as well.

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<v Speaker 2>He is the Packers beat writer for the USA Today Network.

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<v Speaker 2>He joins us here on the Mac and Bone Show

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<v Speaker 2>to give us a scoop on the Green Bay side

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<v Speaker 2>of things. He might be hung over from celebrating the Brewers'

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<v Speaker 2>World Series win last night.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not sure. Ryan, what's going on, man? How you doing?

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<v Speaker 3>I'll tell you this. You guys have come to the

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<v Speaker 3>Badger State at a very... Very rare time. 95% of

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<v Speaker 3>the time, this is a Packers state. I mean, this

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<v Speaker 3>is football. It's the final weekend of October. It's all

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<v Speaker 3>Packers up here. You drive around the streets of Green

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<v Speaker 3>Bay right now. We're not even talking Milwaukee. Green Bay.

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<v Speaker 3>You see the Halloween lights. They're all blue and yellow.

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<v Speaker 3>And they've been that way for a couple weeks. So, yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it's a Brewer state at the moment.

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<v Speaker 4>Someone on our text line today, Ryan, said maybe... The

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<v Speaker 4>Panthers catch the Packers crowd a little sleepy and hungover.

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<v Speaker 4>I had to point out, I'm pretty sure the folks

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<v Speaker 4>of Wisconsin can drink and party on back-to-back nights.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, the batteries up here go more than one evening.

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<v Speaker 3>They go maybe more than a week sometimes. Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't think there's any concern there. But, you know, to

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<v Speaker 3>the point you just made, it's kind of what happened

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<v Speaker 3>last year, isn't it? The Panthers come up here, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't think much was expected in terms of them walking

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<v Speaker 3>out of Lambeau Field with a win.

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<v Speaker 1>And what do you know?

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<v Speaker 3>They did. And so it's going to be hard for

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<v Speaker 3>the Panthers to sneak up on the Packers this time

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<v Speaker 3>because it just happened a year ago. That doesn't mean

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<v Speaker 3>the Packers team can't go out and lay an egg.

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<v Speaker 3>They did that week three. And the last time they

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<v Speaker 3>hosted a short week game at Lambeau Field against the

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<v Speaker 3>Atlanta Falcons, they got blown out on their home field.

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<v Speaker 3>That can happen. But if that happens, I don't think

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<v Speaker 3>it's because the Panthers snuck up on them. They know...

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<v Speaker 3>They've got to bring their A game.

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<v Speaker 2>That's a good point. That's a very good point. All right, Ryan,

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<v Speaker 2>let's talk about Green Bay. I'm interested to see what

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<v Speaker 2>you think the offense approach will be. The Panthers are

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<v Speaker 2>in a situation where, man, they're playing two young corners.

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<v Speaker 1>We don't even know who the one starter is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be.

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<v Speaker 2>The other is a rookie who's played well, but a

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<v Speaker 2>rookie in Will Lee with Jackson and Hornout. But also,

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<v Speaker 2>when they're watching the tape in the Packers' offices this week,

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<v Speaker 2>they're seeing a hideous run defense there. Do you think

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<v Speaker 2>they see it as a week with Jacobs back to

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<v Speaker 2>finally get a run game going? Do you think they

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<v Speaker 2>attack the corners? Do they do a little bit of both? Like,

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<v Speaker 2>how do you think they'll play it offensively tonight?

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<v Speaker 3>I think this is a week, especially with what happened

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<v Speaker 3>a few days ago for the Panthers run defense, that

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<v Speaker 3>if I don't see the Packers run the ball tonight,

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<v Speaker 3>I very much begin to doubt whether it's going to

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<v Speaker 3>happen at any point this season. Now, with that said,

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<v Speaker 3>As much as that was a hideous run defense, this

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<v Speaker 3>is a hideous Packers offensive line. It is quite possibly,

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<v Speaker 3>if not likely, the worst offensive line in the NFL.

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<v Speaker 3>So I don't have a degree of confidence for this

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<v Speaker 3>Packers run game against anybody right now. You look at

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<v Speaker 3>last week, four days ago, Josh Jacobs comes back against Detroit.

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<v Speaker 3>They've got their running back back. It was 36 yards

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<v Speaker 3>on 11 carries. That's not great, obviously. So the Lions

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<v Speaker 3>have a better run defense than the Panthers do. As

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<v Speaker 3>much as the Lions' back end is bad, their front

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<v Speaker 3>is quite good. And so can this Packers' run game

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<v Speaker 3>get on track for really the first time on season?

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<v Speaker 3>This is a historically bad run game. They're averaging 60

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<v Speaker 3>yards rushing per game to this point in the season.

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<v Speaker 3>The last team in the NFL to average 60 yards

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<v Speaker 3>rushing per game through a season was the 1946 Detroit Lions.

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<v Speaker 1>It hasn't been.

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<v Speaker 3>Done since the 1940s. And oh, by the way, even

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<v Speaker 3>with Josh Jacobs back against Detroit, they left Motown with

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<v Speaker 3>60 rushing guards against the Lions as a team. It

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<v Speaker 3>didn't exactly bolster that run game. So if they're playing

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<v Speaker 3>the Carolina Panthers camp, I don't think anything's going to.

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<v Speaker 4>They didn't even have helmets back then, if I'm not mistaken.

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<v Speaker 4>That's how long ago that was. Or face masks.

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<v Speaker 3>The 1946 Detroit Lions. That's correct. That's hard to do.

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<v Speaker 1>That is crazy.

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<v Speaker 4>We're talking to Ryan Wood here on the Mac and

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<v Speaker 4>Bone Show. He's on social media, on Twitter, at ByRyanWood.

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<v Speaker 4>Give him a follow for any Packers insight heading into

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<v Speaker 4>the game tonight. A lot of injuries on both sides, Ryan.

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<v Speaker 4>Matthew Golden is a guy we've been watching on the

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<v Speaker 4>Packers side, the wide receiver. How much does his status

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<v Speaker 4>impact this game tonight?

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<v Speaker 3>Quite a bit. He's had a breakout second season recently.

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<v Speaker 3>He's the first-round pick last year for a franchise that

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<v Speaker 3>had gone 22 years without drafting a receiver in the

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<v Speaker 3>first round. It was the longest streak in the NFL.

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<v Speaker 3>And then Matthew Golden comes onto the scene last year

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<v Speaker 3>as a rookie, the first-round pick, and he barely plays.

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<v Speaker 3>Some of that's injury. Some of that's just being buried

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<v Speaker 3>in a crowded receiving room. And the Packers this offseason

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<v Speaker 3>really rearranged the furniture. They let Romeo Dobbs walk in

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<v Speaker 3>free agency. They traded Dontavion Wick's to the Philadelphia Eagles,

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<v Speaker 3>all with the idea, first and foremost, of getting Matthew

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<v Speaker 3>Golden on the field, getting him targets, and making him

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<v Speaker 3>a much bigger part of this offense. That has worked very,

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<v Speaker 3>very well to this point in the season, but it's

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<v Speaker 3>not all Matthew Golden either. Christian Watson's the alpha. He's

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<v Speaker 3>wide receiver one. He's good to go. So long as

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<v Speaker 3>Christian Watson's on the field, Jordan Love is going to

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<v Speaker 3>have a guy that he can really target this Panther

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<v Speaker 3>secondary with, and The strength of this offense has been

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<v Speaker 3>the verticality of their passing game. They are very explosive.

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<v Speaker 3>They're a little too explosive player bust, and that's where

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<v Speaker 3>they've struggled to sustain drives this season. But this is

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<v Speaker 3>a Packers passing game that can hit a bomb on

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<v Speaker 3>you at any time, from anywhere, any moment of the game.

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<v Speaker 1>No doubt. No doubt. And that worries us with our

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<v Speaker 1>corner situation for the Panthers. No doubt.

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<v Speaker 2>Ryan, let's go to the other side of the ball

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<v Speaker 2>defensively for the Packers. No Micah Parsons. So he is

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<v Speaker 2>yet to yet to be able to play off that injury.

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<v Speaker 2>It seems like Van Ness, though, has been a pretty

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<v Speaker 2>good pass rusher. What are the what are the what

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<v Speaker 2>are the strengths and what are the I know they're

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<v Speaker 2>forcing turnovers and picking off passes. So what are the

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<v Speaker 2>strengths and weaknesses.

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<v Speaker 1>Of that unit?

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<v Speaker 3>Jonathan Gannon, like a lot of the NFL, has really

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<v Speaker 3>ripped the pages from Brian Flores' playbook, and he's adopted

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<v Speaker 3>that eight-men-up blitz pre-snap look at the line of scrimmage

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<v Speaker 3>where he drops guys, he sends guys. It's hard to

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<v Speaker 3>know who's coming and going. They've gotten some success with that,

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<v Speaker 3>being able to bolster the pass rush without Micah Parsons,

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<v Speaker 3>but it hasn't been every week. I mean, just in

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<v Speaker 3>Detroit this past week, Jared Goff picked them apart because

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<v Speaker 3>Jared Goff had nobody in his face. And every time

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<v Speaker 3>they did have someone in his face, like Carl Brooks

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<v Speaker 3>on the last drive or Brenton Cox Jr., they got

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<v Speaker 3>blocked into Jared Goff. There's been a roughing the passer.

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<v Speaker 3>That's been a big point of conversation for all season, really.

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<v Speaker 3>The Packers have been called for eight roughing the passer penalties.

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<v Speaker 3>Jordan Love, who's been hit over 50 times this season,

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<v Speaker 3>more than any quarterback in the league, has yet to

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<v Speaker 3>get a roughing the passer penalty. So Packers fans kind

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<v Speaker 3>of scratching their head about the math on that. But

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<v Speaker 3>this is a pass rush without Micah Parsons that has

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<v Speaker 3>shown it can get after the quarterback, and it has

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<v Speaker 3>shown that it can be blanked. It's hard to know

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<v Speaker 3>week in and week out what to expect from it.

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<v Speaker 4>Ryan, so much of this league is about what you're

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<v Speaker 4>coming off of, what's ahead, when do you get a team.

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<v Speaker 4>How big is this game for the Packers' season tonight?

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<v Speaker 4>Because they're in the NFC North. Also, up next, it's

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<v Speaker 4>Minnesota-New England, right, coming up after this game?

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<v Speaker 3>Correct. It is huge. They need this game. This game

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<v Speaker 3>puts them at 5-3. To your point, they're in the

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<v Speaker 3>NFC North. Every team in the NFC North is plus 500.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, 5-3 in other divisions is a really good record.

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<v Speaker 3>It might be leading your division. They're last place in

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<v Speaker 3>the division at 4-3 right now. That's the NFC North

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<v Speaker 3>in 2026. So just in terms of keeping pace, they

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<v Speaker 3>need this game. They get the weekend off, obviously, and

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<v Speaker 3>then it's to New England. And then it's a Vikings

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<v Speaker 3>defense that, against this offensive line, Good luck. They need

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<v Speaker 3>to get the games that are winnable. This is a

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<v Speaker 3>winnable game for the Packers now. It's a winnable game

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<v Speaker 3>for the Panthers, too, and both of these teams very

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<v Speaker 3>much in the same boat, where a lot of times

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<v Speaker 3>in these short-week games, players hate them. Their bodies haven't

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<v Speaker 3>recovered yet. They're sore. It's painful. These two teams are,

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<v Speaker 3>I think, going to approach this game different because coming

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<v Speaker 3>off the losses that both of them had, came off

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<v Speaker 3>of very different losses, but the type of losses where

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<v Speaker 3>you want to go back out Monday and play more

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<v Speaker 3>football because that wasn't it, and it leaves a very

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<v Speaker 3>bitter taste in your mouth. I think both of these

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<v Speaker 3>teams have that similarity. They're carrying that into this game.

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<v Speaker 2>Last thing I want to ask about is how everybody

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<v Speaker 2>feels up there about Matt LaFleur as coach. This has

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<v Speaker 2>not been a terrible start, but it's certainly below the standard,

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<v Speaker 2>and I know People were already questioning his status going

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<v Speaker 2>into the season. How are fans kind of feeling about LaFleur?

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<v Speaker 2>And is there really like a hot seat situation with him?

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<v Speaker 1>Like internally, what do you think?

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<v Speaker 3>Not internally. He just got extended this offseason. Everyone coming

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<v Speaker 3>out of that Chicago playoff meltdown to your biggest rival. Everyone, media, myself, fans.

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<v Speaker 3>Everyone outside that building looked at that game and thought,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, it's been seven years. It's probably time. It's

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<v Speaker 3>probably time at this point to turn the page, to reset.

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<v Speaker 3>Ed Policy, Packers president, said nope. He said this offseason

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<v Speaker 3>it was shocking to him that there was any thought

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<v Speaker 3>that someone who's won as many games as Matt LaFleur

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<v Speaker 3>in this league, and he has won a lot of games,

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<v Speaker 3>would be on the hot seat. So the Packers, he's

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<v Speaker 3>not on the hot seat there. The fans, very much

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<v Speaker 3>depends on the week. They snapped the three-game winning streak

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<v Speaker 3>in Detroit four days ago. During that three-game winning streak,

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<v Speaker 3>I think that fan approval was rising. It was frankly

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<v Speaker 3>shocking that this team, without Micah Parsons, with this offensive line,

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<v Speaker 3>without Josh Jacobs, had started 4-2. I didn't see that.

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<v Speaker 3>And good coaches can get their teams to win games

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<v Speaker 3>when they don't have all the pieces, when they're not

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<v Speaker 3>clicking at the highest level, they still go out there

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<v Speaker 3>and win. Matt LaFleur was doing that. If he loses tonight...

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<v Speaker 3>Will the fans put him back on the hot seat? Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 3>That's kind of where they're at. What have you done

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<v Speaker 3>for me lately? And it's very much a week-to-week proposition

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<v Speaker 3>at this point.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, man. Great stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>Great information. It's a huge game for both teams. It's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be intense tonight. Ryan Wood, thank you so much, man,

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<v Speaker 2>for coming on. Appreciate you.

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<v Speaker 3>Take care, guys.