WEBVTT - #818 Packers Unscripted: New vibe from New Orleans 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:16.480 Hi, everybody. 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:20.160 Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.439 I am Mike Spafford, joined as always by my trusted 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:26.280 colleague Wes Hodkotz. We're coming to you here from our 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:30.960 studios at Lambo Field to preview Monday Night football. It 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:35.080 will be the Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.159 Saints this coming Monday Night and West. There are a 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:40.040 lot of ways to look at this game, and we'll 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:42.919 talk about, obviously, the playoff implications and all that for 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:45.800 the Packers. The Saints are coming in here at five 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:50.480 and nine, But the last thing you want to do 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:52.800 is look at the Saints as a five and nine 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:53.600 football team. 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:55.920 The easiest way to say. 0:00:55.760 --> 0:01:00.320 It is, since the coaching change, this team is three 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:05.200 and two under interim coach Darren Rizzy, and those two 0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:09.920 losses are by seven points to the Rams and by 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.759 one point to the Commanders, both of whom are right 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:16.080 in the thick of the playoff chase in the NFC. 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.119 This is a this is a Rams team that is 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.080 that may not be making the playoffs this year. I'm sorry, 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:24.280 a Saints team that may not be making the playoffs 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:29.160 this year, but they are going to give Green Bay 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:31.319 everything the Packers can handle. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:34.360 You know what, you just made me realize, Michael, I 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:38.200 got Darren Rizzy's record wrong in this week's Game Program 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:41.040 because he lost last week to the Washington Commanders. He's 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:42.880 now three and two as an interim coach, not three 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:45.679 and one, like well, ja, here's three and one Monday. 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:47.160 Yeah, and he was. 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:50.720 He was a whisker a two point conversion play from 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:57.040 being four and one. But sorry, the drawback to game 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.080 program publication as opposed to our oddline work where. 0:01:59.880 --> 0:02:01.520 Oh wait, we can just go and fix it. 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:03.920 Yeah, it's just like my old school newspaper days. You're 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:06.600 gonna have to live with that one. Had Kowitz. No 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.400 my number one thing I said, I put it an 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.640 insider inbox this week. Darren Rizzy has this team playing 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:13.560 inspired football. 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:13.960 He does. 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:15.120 They are banged up. 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:17.760 They have had a lot of injuries, particularly on the 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:21.320 offensive side of the ball, at premier positions, at key positions. 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:25.560 But they still fight and I think in the second 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:27.360 half of that game against Washington it was a pretty 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:30.680 lethargic start. They make the switch over to Spencer Rattler, 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:33.560 it just seemed like they were more competitive from that 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.920 point and in again, this is a team that technically 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:39.960 is not out of the hunt yet because of how 0:02:40.000 --> 0:02:42.400 things have sort of shuffled in the NFC South. So 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.160 I imagine that's probably gonna be their rallying cry throughout 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.640 this week is Hey, let's just win football games. Darren 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:50.920 Rizzy would love to be a head coach. There are 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:52.919 guys that are gonna want to play for him. Yeah, 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:57.520 let's put on a show. That being said, it would 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.880 be disingenuous for me to act like this is, you know, 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.360 the Detroit Lions or the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints have 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:06.720 some pretty gaping holes at a lot of different positions. 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:08.760 They have guys that you can hurt you but you know, 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:11.160 you take a guy like Mark Weisvelde Scantling for example, 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:13.919 and Quez obviously did it here for a long time 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:17.760 explosive player. He was released by Buffalo early this season, 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:19.680 and now he finds himself as a starting receiver for 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:22.200 the Saints. It just kind of shows you the way 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:25.000 that this thing is sort of unfolded for them this season. 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.600 Ye Alvin Kamara is still very dangerous on the ground, 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:29.520 but there's been games when he's been a non factor. 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:29.800 Too. 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:32.280 He is their leading receiver so far on this season. 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.440 Foster Moreau a guy that I respect at the tight 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:38.880 end possession. Defensively, a lot of veterans on that side 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:42.000 of things. Green Bay is still a heavy favorite going 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:43.760 into this thing on Monday Night, and it's because of 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:46.120 the way they perform, the consistency that they've had, and 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:48.080 the fact that they're getting this thing back at lambeau 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:51.800 Field winning. You're in right, that's pretty much the mantra. Yep, 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:53.320 the Packers have to take care of business. 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:55.520 Yeah, absolutely, it is a take care of business game 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:59.560 for green Bay. Looking at at the Saints, since Rizzy 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:03.120 took over as the interim coach, you mentioned most of 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:05.160 their injuries have been on the offensive side of the ball. 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:07.960 There's been a lot of shuffling of personnel at quarterback, 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:12.240 at running back, at wide receiver, everywhere. They've only scored. 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.240 The Saints have only scored more than twenty points once 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:20.760 since Rizzy took over, but they have not allowed more 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:23.960 than twenty one point right in a game. Defensively, since 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:28.039 Rizzy took over, the backbone of this Saints team right 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:32.919 now is its defense. They have thirty seven sacks on 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:35.479 the season. They have eleven different players who've contributed to 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.120 those sack numbers. Of course, everybody's talking about the eight 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:42.400 sacks that they got last week against Jayden Daniels and 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.680 the Washington Commanders, when, as you mentioned, they made the 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:49.360 switch at quarterback from Jake Hayner to Spencer Rattler. They 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:52.400 were down seventeen to nothing. They came all the way back, 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.240 but they end up losing twenty to nineteen because instead 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:57.919 of playing for overtime on their final touchdown, they decided 0:04:57.960 --> 0:04:59.240 to go for two and go for the win. 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:01.880 They didn't get it, so Washington survived it. 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:11.919 But this, uh, this Saints defense, they they're to steal 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:15.080 a term from Larry mccaern, they're a salty bunch. It's 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:17.760 it's and it's yeah, you know it's a veteran like 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:20.440 Cam Jordan's in the middle of it, of course, yes, 0:05:20.520 --> 0:05:22.479 but there are a lot of other veterans on this 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.440 defense as well that have that have been around the 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.159 block in the NFL, and these guys, these guys know 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:28.080 how to play defense. 0:05:28.200 --> 0:05:30.680 I don't know how much you've dove in all this. 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:34.800 I was completely I'm blown away by exactly what is 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:37.360 going on with the Saints defense, because you're right, they've 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:38.080 played really well. 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:39.960 They got off to a terrible start to the season. 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.760 Right. They're still thirtieth in total yards, they're twenty seventh 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.800 in rushing yards, they're twenty eighth against the pass. They 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:50.320 are third to last in goal to go. There are 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:52.560 so many things statistically that tell you this is a 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:56.920 bad defense, but the eye test is different. And when 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:58.400 you look at you know you have a guy like 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:02.040 is it Brian in the middle of that defense, Brian 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:02.919 Berz Braziz. 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:04.000 I never could pronounce it. 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:04.719 I know it's a true. 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:06.400 It's a truth every year. Yes, he's there. 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:08.120 He's their sack leader, Brian Berzee. 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:10.400 You're getting a guy at a three tech position that's 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:12.720 getting you seven and a half sacked. Carl Granderson has 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.240 been doing it at a high level forever. Chase Young has 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:18.400 taken some ridic some criticism this year, but still has 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:20.479 five and a half sacks or five sacks this year. 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:24.280 Tyron Matthew, the honey Badger is still back there. To 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:27.080 Mario Davis, I mean this is and as you mentioned already, 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:31.040 Cam Jordan, this is a name defense. These are premier 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.480 players and a lot of veterans, and some of them 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:36.000 are getting, including Davis, a little longer in the tooth now, 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:40.360 but they're competitive and I feel like when Rizzy took 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:43.720 this thing over, and obviously a guy that has done it, 0:06:44.080 --> 0:06:47.200 one of the best special teams coordinators in the last decade, 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.920 the last two decades in the National Football League, has 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:52.400 been waiting for that opportunity. He finally gets it, and 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.240 it just seemed like guys have responded to his leadership. 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:58.280 So keeping points off the board has been critical for them. 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.240 It's so one thing that the Saints have been okay 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.479 throughout the course of this year, and certainly going up 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.200 against the Packers offense that has now had was it 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:08.040 four or five games in a row with thirty plus points, 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:10.160 that's gonna be a big tipping point in this matchup. 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.920 It just when you look at things statistically and you know, 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:16.680 we don't cover the Saints, We're not there every day, 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:20.800 we're not on the New Orleans beat. But it just 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:25.680 seems like something changed with this defense when Dennis Allen 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:29.080 was dismissed and when Darren Rizzy took over a head coach, 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.040 And I don't know what it is. I can't necessarily 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:34.000 explain it. But you look at things statistically and it's 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:37.120 very different. I mean, in this league, as competitive as 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:40.400 it is, any defense that can go five consecutive games 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:42.760 and not give up more than twenty one points, that's 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:45.760 a defense that's doing something right. But yes, when you 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:49.120 look at the overall season, because of some absolutely horrendous 0:07:49.160 --> 0:07:54.000 games they had defensively earlier this year, their numbers overall 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:57.040 for the season defensively are not going to scare anybody. 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.800 So it's hard to figure out. It's hard to figure 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:03.600 out in that sense, other than to say that something 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:06.440 changed with the way this defense has been playing since 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:07.680 since Rizzy took over. 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:10.800 Well and man point this out too, sure so leading 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.520 up to Dennis Allen being dismissed in Dennis allen obviously 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:17.040 history of defense, there, yeah, twenty six points allowed, twenty 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.560 six points allowed, fifty one points allowed in a shellacking 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.080 at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thirty three 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.160 points allowed, twenty six points allowed, twenty three points allowed. 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:28.680 Since Rizzy has taken over seventeen fourteen to twenty one eleven, 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:31.000 and that was good enough to beat the New York Giants, 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.640 and then twenty last week against Jaden Daniels in a 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:36.840 Washington offense that has lit up a lot of squads 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.000 this year, and that had jumped out to a seventeen 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:42.640 to nothing lead, and then but Washington could not put 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:45.800 the Saints away. Yea, only after the seventeen to nothing lead, 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:48.880 Washington managed a field goal three points for the rest 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:51.640 of the football Yeah. So, and then I did see 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:55.080 a stat too. I think Alante Taylor in their slot cornerback. 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:57.319 Someone had mentioned this on Twitter has given up a 0:08:57.320 --> 0:09:00.000 lot of production this year though, and that that's another 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.240 possession that you know, you look at. You know, Jaden 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:04.680 Reid potentially some of these options in the middle field 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.040 something Packers might potentially try to take advantage of. 0:09:07.440 --> 0:09:10.040 Well, on the offensive side we've been talking about, they 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:14.439 made the switch from Jake Hayner, who had been designated 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:18.480 to start in place of Derek Carr, who has a 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.520 is it a left hand injury, It's an injury to 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:27.760 his non throwing hand. But hayn really really struggled against Washington. 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.640 They made the switch to Rattler, who had also played 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.360 some earlier in the season. He's got one hundred and 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:35.760 twenty pass attempts now on the year, as a rookie, 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:38.640 was a rookie fifth thrond draft pick. A couple of 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:40.959 things stand out. One is that he's only thrown two 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.400 interceptions in those one hundred and twenty pass attempts, but 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:47.400 he's been sacked fourteen times in one hundred and twenty 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:51.520 pass attempts. Those those numbers kind of kind of stand 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:54.440 out to you. One very positive, one very negative there, 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:58.960 And you mentioned Alvin Kamara. Marquis Veldiz Scantling. Kamara is 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:02.560 just shy of fifteen hundred total yards on the season, 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:05.040 combining the rushing and receiving, and he is the team's 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:07.920 leading rusher. He is the team's leading receiver yardage wise. 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.560 But he's also injured right now and his status seems 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:14.760 very much up in the air, so much so that 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:19.520 the Saints just signed former Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards Hilaire, 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:23.640 the former first round pick, to their practice squad. If 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:26.240 Kamara can't go and they need some more depth at 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:29.440 running back, Edwards Hilaire possibly could be elevated Monday night. 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:31.520 You know, there's a lot of there's a lot of 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.640 moving parts there, and with regard to MVS, he's only 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:38.440 caught fourteen passes thus far since joining the Saints, but 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:40.720 four of them are for touchdowns and he's averaging twenty 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:43.240 five yards a cat. Yeah, this is a guy, as 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:46.080 we know from his time in Green Bay, the speed 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:49.360 that he brings, He threatens defenses down the field, and 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:52.679 he will make big plays if if you're not on 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:55.360 your p's and q's with the coverage of this guy. 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:59.680 So really hard to say exactly what the Saints' offense 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.439 is going to look like coming out at Lambellfield. 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:03.520 On Monday Night. 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:05.760 The one thing we do know, at least as certain 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:08.600 as we can be, is that it will be Spencer Rattler. 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:10.680 And this is a young man who's trying to establish 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.280 himself as a quarterback in the National Football League, as 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.520 Darren Rizzy is trying to establish himself as a legitimate 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:21.079 head coaching candidate in the NFL. So a lot of motivation, 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:24.680 even for a team that just has five wins, right. 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:26.839 Ratler kind of reminds me of Matt Barkley from a 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:29.200 number of years ago, where I think going into last year, 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:32.160 his final year at South Carolina, everybody was expecting, Hey, 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:34.120 this is the guy that could potentially stamp himself as 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:37.280 an early pick, first round, second round, and then what 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.120 ends up happening is we get those run of those 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.280 six quarterbacks going the first twelve, and then Ratler and 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:44.920 the rest of the group is waiting for basically another 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.320 forty eight hours to get picked. Yeah, he ends up 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.920 falling to New Orleans, but still a lot of pedigree 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:52.920 there and a guy that was a gamer played some 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:55.000 big games for them over the course of the years. 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:58.640 Over at South Carolina. The weapons around him, though, is 0:11:58.679 --> 0:12:02.280 the issue, and as you touch Kamara obviously banged up. 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:06.080 They lost Taysom Hill already. He'll had a lot of 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:09.280 history of injuries at BYU. I mean when people talk 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:11.680 about him not really having a position entering the NFL, 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:13.600 that was one piece of why he went on draft 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:15.840 and eventually signed here as a college free agent. It 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:17.480 was also the fact of how many times he ended 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:19.599 up finishing the year injured and not being able to 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.640 be at the end of that season with the Cougars. 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:27.840 So he's gone. Chris Olave just had a nightmare season 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.240 not able to get to this point. Still they wouldn't 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.079 I don't think they still have actually ruled him out 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.640 for the year. But it's tough being the position that 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.320 they're in. MBS was a savvy signing for them. He 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:40.600 obviously is a guy that, as you said, could take 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:43.360 a top off the defense, a Packers defense that very 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:45.640 much prides itself on being able to keep coverage over 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:47.480 the top of their defense that they're not going to 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:50.400 get seventy five year touchdowns thrown against them. 0:12:51.320 --> 0:12:53.719 Jamal Williams is still in the equation for the New 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:54.440 Orleans Saints. 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:57.320 He could potentially be a lead back if it works 0:12:57.360 --> 0:13:01.200 out that way and you don't have Kamara in this thing. 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:05.520 Lucas Patrick is on their starting offensive line. He has 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.520 missed time this year due to injuries, but now has 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:11.800 since return. So it's just been this musical chairs on 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.760 the offensive side of the ball for New Orleans. And 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:15.920 obviously you're seeing it settle out how it's settled out 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:16.440 to this point. 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:19.200 Yeah, all right, well, let's dive right into it here. 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:23.720 Monday night, come kickoff, it's possible the Packers will have 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:27.680 their playoff spot clinched, although it seems somewhat unlikely just 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.000 because of the fact that the Falcons, who have now 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:33.000 made the quarterback switch from Kirk Cousins to rookie Michael 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:36.240 Pennix Junior. But they're playing a Giants team that has 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:38.079 lost what is it ten in a row? 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:39.720 Yeah, in a row, something like that. 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:43.640 So if the Falcons beat the Giants, the Packers will 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.600 not have their playoff spot clinch. They will need to 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:48.440 beat the Saints in order to clinch it. So what 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:50.560 are the keys to victory do you feel in this 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:51.640 game for Green Bay? 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:54.400 Well, first and foremost, just keep putting up points. As 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:57.520 you talked about with New Orleans, the issues are having 0:13:57.559 --> 0:13:59.160 on the offensive side of the ball. They might catch 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:01.040 you here and there, but especially if Kamara is not 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:04.520 involved in this thing or limited in this thing, green 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:06.160 Bay just I don't know if you need to score 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.200 thirty again, but you probably got to score twenty and 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:12.040 feel good about and protect the football defensively. You have 0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:15.520 to get after Rattler. You just have to. Sam Howell 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:16.959 is a veteran now, he's been in a league for 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:19.440 a number of years. But Green Bay just did not 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.560 allow him to get comfortable at all in the second half. 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:25.640 And see he looked when Sam Howell entered that game 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.840 in Seattle on Sunday night, he looked uncomfortable from the 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:31.560 very fift snap that he took and he never got 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:35.120 comfortable at all, and a lot of that had to 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:38.240 do with what the Packers were doing defensively upfront. 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.880 But for green Bay, I think it really it comes 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:43.760 down to just being able to execute the offense, get 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:47.040 off to a fast start, use the conditions to your advantage. 0:14:47.080 --> 0:14:48.720 You are you know it's going to be a Monday 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:51.400 night green Bay, Wisconsin going up against a team that 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.280 plays in a dome in the southern portion of the 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.720 state of the United States. I feel like it's all 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.480 there for green Bay. Honestly, it's just it comes back 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.120 to you just cannot overlook these type of opponents. There 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:04.240 was times where I said this to you, as soon 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:06.120 as I saw what the line was for this game, 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.600 you go back to I believe it was either twenty 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:11.440 twelve or twenty sixteen, but I think it might have 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:14.840 been twenty twelve where Jacksonville was coming to green Bay. 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:18.080 The Packers were like sixteen point favorites, and that was 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.800 a knockdown, drag out battle against I think it was 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:26.600 Chad Henny and they couldn't get any momentum in that 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:28.320 game and they won it, but I think it was 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:30.840 by like four points. I'm not saying you have to 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:34.200 go out there and just absolutely demolish this team, But 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:37.440 if you look at it, this is going to be 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:39.920 as well as it sets up for you down the stretch. 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:41.720 You have this game and then you're going to Minnesota 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:44.280 on a six day week. You have a little bit 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:48.080 more time to get refreshed after you know, a really 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:51.640 taxing trip out to Seattle. Just come out and do 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.040 what you have to do against a team that has 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:55.720 really struggled for most of the season. 0:15:55.880 --> 0:15:59.200 Yeah, I think for me, I look at this the 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:03.720 fact that the Saints and that pass rush they did 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:07.680 so much damage against Washington and Jaden Daniels that got 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:12.800 the Saints back into that game. I look at Josh 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:16.200 Jacobs and the running game here as a really big 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:18.680 key because and I know, I just talked about how 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:22.240 looking at the Saints' statistics defensively for the entire season 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.280 can be misleading because of how different they've been since 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:29.840 Rizzy took over. But even as much as things have 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:33.800 changed with Rizzy, the Saints are still allowing one hundred 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:37.320 and thirty four rushing yards per game on the Over 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:39.880 the course of the season, they really stepped up their 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:43.800 run defense against Washington. They actually forced Daniels the quarterback, 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:46.240 to be the leading rusher for Washington in that game. 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.080 But Washington also doesn't have a running back like Josh 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.800 Jelcips And I think as much as the Green Bay 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:57.120 Packers offensive line, which has been playing pretty darn well 0:16:57.640 --> 0:16:59.560 of late, really for the last couple of months, I 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.120 would say, with the exception of the first half against 0:17:03.520 --> 0:17:06.560 the first quarter and a quarter and a half against 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:10.159 Detroit a couple weeks back, other than that little rough stretch, 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:12.800 the Packers offensive line has done a really, really good job, 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:16.040 and I think they can protect Jordan Love from this 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.800 pass rush. But I think the even better pass protection 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:21.240 for Jordan Love is going to be to get the 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.520 running game going. Yeah, and to make the Saints make 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:27.280 the Saints have to commit more personnel, commit more attention 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:30.639 to stopping Josh Jacobs and the running backs. And the 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:32.600 other thing I'll say as a key to victory in 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:34.280 this game is don't relax. 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:34.760 Yeah. 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:38.480 Washington got up on these guys seventeen to nothing, and 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.440 the next thing they knew they couldn't run the football. 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.199 Jaden Daniels is getting sacked all over the place, and 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:46.800 Spencer Rattler comes in off the bench and starts slinging 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.399 the ball all over the place, and suddenly the Saints 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:50.960 are back in the game in the middle of the 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.920 fourth quarter, and Washington's hanging on for dear life to 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:56.639 win a game that they thought they had at one 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.720 at halftime, because it looked like they did have it 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.240 one at halftime. But that's not how this league works, 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:05.280 and it'll be certainly be different with the Saints going 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:07.280 on the road. Now that game was in New Orleans, 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:09.320 it was it was a home game for the Saints 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:12.719 last week. But you just can't whatever is going on 0:18:12.800 --> 0:18:15.399 in this game early on. I expect the Packers to 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:18.640 come out throw some punches early and get a lead 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:19.399 on these guys. 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:20.360 But don't relax. 0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:24.200 Just keep punching and before we transition over to looking 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:26.359 at the other games, winning on special teams too, is 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:28.840 gonna be paramounting this. Rashid Shihed is one of the 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.760 in my opinion, one of the most underrated punt returners 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:32.320 in this league. 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:33.240 He's a dangerous play. 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:35.480 He is absolutely dangerous. He's returning one for a touchdown 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:38.080 again this season. I think he's averaging fifteen yards per 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:41.480 return Obviously a big punt return is going to factor 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:44.160 into that. But I when I saw him last year, 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:48.720 I just I this guy is a dynamic football player. 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:50.600 They'll use him a little bit on offense too. He 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.560 gets sprinkled in there as well. Somebody have to keep 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:52.919 an eye on. 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:56.040 But didn't he beat the Packers for a long touchdown 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:58.639 pass last year the game the game here at Lambeau 0:18:58.720 --> 0:18:59.400 he caught a. 0:18:59.400 --> 0:19:01.600 Long TV you're in that really rougher. I don't remember. 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:02.080 I think it was. 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:04.320 I think it was from Car before Car ended up 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:08.560 leaving that game with an injury. But yeah, he's he's 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:10.840 a fast, dude, dangerous player and he hit the Packers 0:19:10.840 --> 0:19:12.600 over the top for a touchdown last season. 0:19:12.640 --> 0:19:14.359 Yeah, you gotta imagine he'll be having that back in 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:18.240