WEBVTT - #829 Packers Unscripted: The schedule speaks 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:13.960 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:17.200 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:19.919 by my trusted colleague Weston Hodkowitz. We're coming to you 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:23.800 here from our studios at lambeau Field West, fresh off 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:27.760 of the schedule release for the twenty twenty five season. 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.720 The Packers' schedule is out there, The entire NFL schedule 0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:33.720 is out there, and we're going to spend the bulk 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:36.479 of this episode talking about it. And I'm just going 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:40.680 to start with your thoughts. When you first glanced at 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:43.920 the schedule, what was the first thing you noticed. 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:46.320 My eyes went to one thing, and it was what's 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.279 happening Week one? And that's the green Bay Packers are 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:54.040 back at lambeau Field for the first time since twenty eighteen, 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:57.720 the first time as Matt Lafleur in the position of 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:01.320 Packers head coach. The Green Bay Packers will play a 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:05.560 home opener at lambeau Field in Week one, and I 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:08.200 just felt like this was important because I know you're 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:11.520 the big baseball buff I'm not, but I will say 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.319 I always felt like when opening Day happens in Major 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:17.760 League Baseball, if you're playing the home at home during 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.280 opening Day, that's a big deal. There's been so many 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.119 times I can't tell you where the Brewers will start 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:23.720 on a road trip and then eventually they have their 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.200 home opener, and my attention has already gone off to 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:30.760 some other places. The NFL the season, every weekend, every 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:32.640 Sunday is huge, and I'm not saying it's not. And 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:35.319 we've had some awesome Sundays the last few years. Obviously, 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:38.600 Jordan Love I'll never forget his first home opener as 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:41.440 the starting quarterback against the New Orleans Saints two years ago, right, 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:44.720 But I just think there's something special about actually having 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.000 that first game right out of like the eight. What 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.680 I did not anticipate was oh, hey, four days later, 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:53.160 we're gonna do this again. Who wants to play again? 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:56.520 Because they'll welcome in a very talented, very deep, very 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:59.680 dangerous Washington Commanders team. But the fact that Green Bay 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:01.320 did I only get that opener. They're going to take 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:03.080 on the Detroit Lions the first time I think in 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.200 twenty four years they're hosting the Lions and an opener. 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:08.000 I think it's the first time since five that they're 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.440 playing them at all. That that is a fitting way, 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:13.200 I feel like to at least start off what is 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:16.919 somewhat of an uneven but always going to be imperfect schedule. 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.360 It is kind of crazy that it took this long 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.080 into Matt Lafleur's tenure for the Packers to get a 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:24.200 week one home games. 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:25.960 Because longest stretching franchise history. 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:29.200 Yeah, the Packers had opened their one hundred season in 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:32.280 twenty eighteen with a home game against the Bears, and 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.640 then they did not open another season at home until 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:37.880 season one oh seven, which is what this one. 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:40.840 And they requested that one, Yeah, in eighteen. 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:41.480 Yeah, that's right. 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:44.160 It's been actually just straight up booked for one since seventeen. 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.520 Yeah, well you and you hinted at it as well. 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:51.720 It's it's an interesting one to two right off the 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:55.639 bat when you're playing actually two teams that played each 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:59.040 other in the NFC Divisional Playoffs last year, the Lions 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.240 and the Commanders. It'll be back to back, both games 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.280 at Lambeau five days in a span of five days. 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:07.560 The two games are just four days apart, a late 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:11.840 Sunday afternoon and then a Thursday night game. And it's 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:14.960 very interesting to me that it fell that way in 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:19.280 a year in which the NFC, which of course includes 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:21.640 the Packers, has the eight home games and the nine 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:25.040 road games, that when you actually have one more road 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.440 game on the schedule that you would start out with 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:30.080 back to back home games, Because now that leaves you 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:34.040 with nine road games out of your last fifteen, it 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:40.240 becomes a bit unbalanced in that regard. But starting out 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:43.240 against Detroit and Washington, two playoff teams from a year ago, 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:48.560 two teams with Super Bowl aspirations, it's a tremendous opportunity 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:52.040 getting both of those teams at home right out of 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:55.080 the gate. It's a tremendous opportunity for the Packers to 0:03:56.520 --> 0:04:00.680 make a statement of sorts as to where twenty five 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.400 might be headed for green Bay. The other intriguing thing 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:06.240 I think, just with opening against the Lions in particular, 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:10.160 is they have a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator. 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.560 Both of their coordinators from last year got head coaching 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:16.040 jobs elsewhere. There's obviously plenty of confidence in Detroit on 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:17.800 both sides of the ball that they can keep this 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:20.640 thing rolling with Dan Campbell and the players they have 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:24.360 and everything they've got going. But sometimes you just never know, 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.279 and there's gonna be a lot of unknown with regard 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.080 to there always is with a week one game, but 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:32.200 then a Week one game against a team that has 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:35.640 brand new coordinators on both sides of the ball. I'm 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:39.240 not sure that I can recall anything like that happening 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:41.120 in recent years around. 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.160 Not where you lose both. And obviously some of that 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:46.920 is somewhat telegraphed because Ben Johnson probably could have left 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:49.400 for a job last year. Oh sure not to yeah, 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:52.279 But so my point being with that comment is the 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:56.680 Lions obviously have been bracing for his leaving here at 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:59.719 some point and obviously had their plans in place for 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.920 how are going to go about handling that. I will say, though, 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.000 especially as it relates to the NFC North, a really 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:10.520 interesting question Insider Inboxes past week asking about the probability 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:14.919 of the Chicago Bears not taking a step forward with 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.200 Ben Johnson taking over as the head coach, but also 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.360 the Detroit Lions taking a step back without him as 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.800 their offensive coordinator. That is an interesting way to look 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:26.680 at it, because what is the probability of those two 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.440 things both happening. Is Chicago going to make a big jump, 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:31.360 but is Detroit going to take a step back. Is 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:33.520 Detroit going to keep the training on the tracks, But 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:37.240 is Chicago going to become this giant that everybody's been 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:38.839 thinking they were going to be for the last I 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:40.840 don't know decade that they've been billed as a lot 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:42.960 of times during the off season. We'll have to wait 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:50.080 and see. But past happenings don't always indicate future success. 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.160 So I'm just very interested to see if Detroit can 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:56.600 legitimately stay on top of the mountain in if Chicago 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.360 can actually claw itself back into this thing. In either case, 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.479 with the Packers standpoint two very intriguing matchups against the Lions, 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:05.200 and that they open the season and they also travel 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:08.080 there for Thanksgiving again second time in three years. And 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:11.320 then in Chicago's case, you actually won't see Ben Johnson. 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:13.840 You won't be a part of that rivalry yet until 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:16.840 what week fourteen. Yeah, they start that stretch of two 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:19.880 games in three weeks, two very interesting ways to go 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:23.000 out tackling one of the two of the Packers' biggest rivals. 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:25.760 Well, you mentioned the Thanksgiving game in Detroit, and that 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.719 was the other thing that really caught my eye right away, 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:32.800 and it's what I wrote about on the website. In 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:35.320 my column, you wrote the ten things about the schedule, 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:39.000 and I kind of focused on this one particular element, 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:42.280 which is that the Packers have two Thursday games, so 0:06:42.360 --> 0:06:46.880 you have two short weeks, and so that gives you 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.640 two different segments of your schedule. War you're playing two 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:52.800 games in a span of five days, but the two 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.480 games in five days are Lions Commanders and then Vikings 0:06:56.520 --> 0:07:01.599 Lions the week of Thanksgiving. The Packers have nine games 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:04.000 on their schedule in twenty twenty five against teams that 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:07.679 made the playoffs a year ago. Four of those nine 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:11.200 are in these like Sunday Thursday, these two games within 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:14.280 five days things. We've been a part of these before 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:16.240 West because every team has to deal with it when 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.360 you play a Sunday followed by a Thursday. And yeah, sure, 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:21.520 there's plenty of times where you win when you lose one, 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:25.320 and that's how this league goes. But man, you can 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:28.120 really set yourself up with a lot of momentum if 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.000 you can win both of those games, and you can 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:35.240 really find yourself, you know, struggling and needing a reset 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.160 if you drop two games in a span of five days. 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:43.760 These are inflection points in any given NFL schedule when 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:46.720 you have to when you have to cram two games 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.840 into such a short timeframe. There and the fact that 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:54.320 all of the matchups, the four matchups in these two 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:56.880 five day spans that the Packers are dealing with, one 0:07:56.960 --> 0:08:01.360 in September, one in November leading into things giving the 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:05.080 matchups are huge, they're going to have made the major 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.680 implications because of the teams that the Packers are facing 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:10.040 in those in those matchups. 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:12.360 An excellent point by you, And I mean, is there 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:14.640 any better example of what you just talked about than 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:17.680 the twenty twenty three Packers. I mean, their season was 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:20.720 at a crossroads when they hosted the Los Angeles Chargers. 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:23.800 They beat the Chargers, and then they surprise the world 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:27.880 and they beat a streaking Detroit Lions, completely turned the 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.800 season around, and the week after that beat the Kansas 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:32.400 City Chiefs, who end up going on and winning the 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:32.920 Super Bowl. 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:33.160 Right. 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:35.760 Yeah, I mean that's that's the difference that the team 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:38.800 that went from four and six to suddenly being right 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:40.839 there at six and six by a matter of just 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:41.880 taking care of business. Yeah. 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:46.600 Absolutely, it's a as as I said, these are these 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:48.920 are crucial stretches and the fact that the Packers have 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:52.120 two of them on the schedule and the matchups that 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:55.200 they're facing in those are are going to have such 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:59.559 big implications in the NFC picture if things go somewhat 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.800 as we expect with teams like the Lions and the 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:06.040 Commanders and the Packers and the Vikings staying as contenders. 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:08.679 So before we shot this, and we also did our 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:12.840 little Q and a video as well beforehand, I have 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.079 a one guy. There's one human being that I will 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:18.040 always say yes to an interview. It's Mike Keller, good 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:19.880 friend of mine, do the pregame radio show with them, 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:22.800 works for iHeartRadio to Milwaukee. And I told him like, 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:24.240 this today is the only day I was like. I 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:25.959 was like, I wasn't, but it was because of Mike. 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:27.640 I'm like, I'll do it for you. We have enough 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:29.760 other stuff going on, I'll do it for you. So 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:31.800 the point I'm illustrating with that is we got into 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:34.199 an interesting discussion. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:36.560 on this, because the question came up about all of 0:09:36.640 --> 0:09:38.240 us thinking that we were going to be playing the 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:40.960 Gremit Packers will be playing on Christmas here based on 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:42.800 the fact that they were going to take on Chicago 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:44.200 Bears on that Saturday in week sixteen. 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:45.360 Yeah, December twentieth. 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.280 So my question for you is, and then I'll tell 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:50.680 you what my response was this, would you rather be 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:54.800 home on Christmas for a game or be in Detroit 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:56.800 for Thanksgiving? Or be on the road doesn't have to 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:59.040 be Detroit, but just be on the road for Thanksgiving 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:00.000 or home on Christmas. 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:07.160 US. Given my druthers, I would probably say home on Christmas. 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:12.600 But I will say this play playing on Thanksgiving. I 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:17.080 don't mind. I don't mind the Detroit game because A 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.840 it's a quick flight and B it's the earliest game 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:22.000 on things true. So you know, I mean I have 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:24.360 I've covered. I'd have to count it up. I think 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:28.120 I've covered four or five of the Packers Thanksgiving games 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:31.120 in Detroit in my tenure. And now this year they 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:33.360 moved the kickoff back to noon Central. It used to 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:38.000 be eleven thirty and uh and with that eleven thirty kickoff, 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.000 like I'd be I'd be walking back in the door 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:43.559 at home at like six thirty for a late Thanksgiving 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.360 dinner with my family. You know, can't quite get back 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:49.120 that early now because they've they've moved the kickoff back 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:53.640 to twelve. But but I I've never minded that the 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:58.199 Thanksgiving game in Detroit because because of how close it is, 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:02.400 and because it's the early one last year hosting Thanksgiving, 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:06.000 you know, with the night game, you know, eating all 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:08.160 the turkey during the day and then having to work 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:09.959 really really late hours with. 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:11.760 All of our Yeah, we were super productive. 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.600 That was that was That was tough. That was tough, 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.360 and it was the uh, that was the if I'm 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.400 not mistaken, that was the start of what was at 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:21.640 four night games in a row or whatever last year. 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:24.560 So at least there's nothing like that that's on the 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:25.920 twenty twenty fifth schedule. 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:28.360 If I never have to eat turkey in the ford 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.240 Field press box again in my life, though, I wouldn't 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:32.240 necessarily well upset. 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:34.640 And and that's the thing is when I know that 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:38.080 I'm coming home to have Thanksgiving dinner, like I just 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:39.840 don't even eat the turkey and the press. 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:41.360 Well good because it's usually gone by the time you 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:42.280 end up getting and. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:44.680 I don't even I don't even worry about it, you know, 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.440 I just maybe grab a couple of side dishes that 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:49.040 I know aren't going to be back at home. 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:50.679 But I I just it was something the question I 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:52.000 come up with Mike and we're doing the show on 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:54.240 because it was like I kind of, you know, dodged 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:56.440 a little bit of a fiasco there and not having Christmas. 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:58.800 I'm like, ah, I think I would have taken Christmas 0:11:58.840 --> 0:11:59.400 over being in. 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:02.680 Yeah, home on Christmas is always a good thing. The 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:04.840 other thing I want to mention though, with regard to 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.960 that Thanksgiving game, So you have the Vikings on the 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:11.240 Sunday before Thanksgiving at Lambeau, then you go to Detroit 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:17.400 for Thanksgiving. That begins the final seven weeks of the 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:21.200 regular season, in which five of the Packers NFC North 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:26.079 games are in those final seven including, as you mentioned earlier, 0:12:26.120 --> 0:12:28.679 playing the Bears twice in a span of three weeks 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:32.760 there in December. So you have Vikings Lions on Thanksgiving week, 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:34.880 you got the two games with the Bears in a 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.040 span of three weeks, and then you finish in week 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:42.679 eighteen at Minnesota. So five of your six division games 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:46.560 are essentially from Thanksgiving week to the end of the year, 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.160 really really backloaded in terms of those NFC North matchups, 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.240 and that's where they're intriguing piece to this schedule. 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.880 It definitely is. And again we were trying to find 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:56.800 some information on this as far as if there's ever 0:12:56.880 --> 0:12:59.640 been anything where it's been that backlogged. The only other 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.040 time they played five games in the last seven weeks 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:05.160 was since O two the ray alignment was twenty twelve. 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:07.840 But to have this many in that tide of a 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:12.200 window is remarkable. And to go two and a half 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.400 months without playing your division, it seems like I couldn't 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:16.599 give you the exact year on this. It seems like 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:18.720 they've actually done this a couple times now, at least 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:20.439 during my time covering the team, where they go these 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:24.559 elongated stretches without playing the NFC North and then everything 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:26.920 kind of feels funneled there at the end. Again, we'll 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:28.840 have to wait and see. Packers took care of business 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:30.520 last year against the AFC South. I think they might 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.199 have cleared out the AFC South by the time they 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.280 played Minnesota. Was it there was like one team I 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:36.440 don't think they had faced yet. 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:38.280 Yeah, I believe that's true. 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:39.760 By the time they had already wrapped up their four 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.080 games against the celt So it's just the way schedules go, 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:44.680 you know, the way you got to build a schedule somehow. 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:47.640 Not everybody's always going to be happy for me personally, 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:50.440 but neat to see another mid season by. I enjoyed 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:52.200 the mid season by as someone that you know is 0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:54.240 trying to formulate a life out of in addition to 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:58.839 having a career. But be that as it may, Yeah, 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:00.880 it's it's gonna be a vallenge and something that Packers 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:01.600 have to tackle. 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:04.800 Yeah, that the early bye is not ideal. We've we've 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.440 talked about that plenty of times in previous years. The 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:11.720 Packers have certainly had their fair share of early bye weeks. 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:15.280 And it's interesting because back in twenty twenty two when 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:18.480 the Packers went to London in Week five, I believe 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:20.960 it was the league gives you the option after an 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.680 international trip that you can take your bye the next week, 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:26.320 and the Packers chose not to because they felt that 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:28.320 week six was too early. They wanted to have the 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:33.160 bye later in the season. So the Packers have turned 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.400 down that early bye, Yet there's all these other years 0:14:35.400 --> 0:14:37.240 where the league just hands it to them anyway and 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:40.280 says year week five, week six, here's your buye. This 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:41.600 is when you get your week off. 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.360 And the year they got that London game. They turned 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:45.240 down the Week six by next Oh, here you go 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.800 Week thirteen, enjoy yourself, or in December, enjoy your break. Yeah, 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:49.320 they put it. 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.720 They put it at the extreme extreme. On the other end, 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.120 I'll take care of a little bit of sponsor business 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:57.120 here West and then we'll get back to it. Serious. 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.480 XMNFL Radio delivers hard hitting an als and up to 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.840 the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need twenty 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.320 four to seven, three sixty five. And at Cousin Subs, 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.440 we have something for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.120 mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.640 with your favorite sub or sub and a bowl Cousin 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:19.640 Subs fifty plus years of better. All right, we talked 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:22.760 about some general themes and whatnot with regard to the schedule, 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:27.600 but let's just highlight some individual games that catch your eye, 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:32.280 that get the old metaphorical circle on the calendar, what 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:33.480 jumps out at you. 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.440 I'm really interested to see the Cincinnati Bengals come in 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:38.400 here after the bye. We haven't in all the content 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:39.920 you and I have done so far, we really haven't 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.960 talked much about that yet. But the Joe Burrow show 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:47.320 there with Daniels and obviously you know T Higgins and 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.240 everything he's done in this league. This is gonna be 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:53.480 our Jamar Chase excuse me, yeah, Chase. This is going 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:56.840 to be a huge, huge challenge trying to slow them down. 0:15:56.880 --> 0:15:59.480 I mean, people forget they just missed out of making 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.400 the playoffs, but there might not have been a hotter 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:03.600 team down the stretch last season than the Bengals once 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:05.920 they started getting everything together. Yea, it looked like I 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:08.520 mean in a lot of ways, Mike, it's really hard 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:10.960 for a guy to be in like legitimate MVP contention 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:13.080 when you're not on a playoff team. But I mean, 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:15.000 Joe Burrow, a case could be made that he was 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:17.560 the most important player to any team last year based 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:19.840 on what that could have potentially been like for Cincinnati 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:23.840 had he not been around. But they were able to 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.080 get some moment at the end of the season. Packers 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:28.040 have a tough stretch, and we've talked a lot about 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.680 that early stretch, but coming out of the by and 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:35.840 then immediately getting that greatest show on what Kentucky Bluegrass 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:38.680 down there in Cincinnati, that is not going to be 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:39.680 an easy task at all. 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:43.320 Yeah, and I'll say I'm looking forward to seeing Joe 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:47.200 Burrow and Jamar Chase like in person for the first 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.360 time because the only other time in the era of 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:53.160 those two stars for Cincinnati that the Packers have played 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:56.800 them was during one of the two I guess it 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:00.400 would have been twenty twenty one, one of the COVID 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:03.400 seasons when we actually weren't traveling, so that ended up 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:07.960 being the crazy overtime game in Cincinnati with the missed 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.240 field goals and everything else, and then the Packers ultimately prevailed. 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.080 But you and I have never seen Joe Burrow Jamar 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:17.560 Chase in that offense like live, you know, like. 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:18.760 We didn't eve get a chance to see him in 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:20.840 the joint practices. Yeah, no, that's true. 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:21.119 We did. 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.639 It's them with that too, because of his calf injury 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:23.960 or whatever. 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:27.359 It was. Yeah. Interesting, interesting tidbit I'll throw at you though, 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:30.000 because obviously the Packers and the Bengals don't play each 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:33.080 other all that often. The last two times Green Bay 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:35.120 and Cincinnati have played in the regular season, the game 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:36.040 has gone to overtime. 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:38.080 Oh wow, yeah, twenty seven. I didn't know that. 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.399 In twenty twenty one, and now here we are again 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:45.359 in twenty twenty five. But sticking with the AFC North, 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:48.320 I don't have to explain myself here, but certainly the 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:54.840 game in Pittsburgh under the lights, primetime game along the 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:58.840 Allegheny there in Pittsburgh, it's a great setting for football. 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.560 It's a wonderful stadium, that's a really neat place. And 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:04.040 if what we think is going to happen at the 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:07.400 quarterback position for that matchup, of course that that game 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:14.359 against Pittsburgh has ori. And then speaking of parking Rudolph right, yeah, yeah, exactly, 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:19.040 speaking of players that we haven't gotten to see live, Lamar. 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:20.080 Jackson, Yeah, finally. 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:21.879 Now, of course it's going to be at the end 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:24.440 of the season. Who knows where things could be injury wise. 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.440 Anything can happen in this league. But in week seventeen, 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:30.080 the Packers will be hosting the Baltimore Ravens either on 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.920 Saturday or Sunday. It's one of those games that could 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:37.280 that could end up being chosen for either day. But 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:40.600 the only time in the Lamar Jackson era that the 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.840 Packers and the Ravens have met was in twenty twenty one, 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:47.040 and Lamar Jackson was hurt and Tyler Huntley was the 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:49.959 quarterback for the Ravens in that game. Another one that 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.199 we were not there for in Baltimore, and another one 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:54.520 that was kind of crazy coming right down to the 0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:56.240 end and the Packers had to stop a two point 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:59.119 conversion in order to win the game as the as 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:01.800 Huntley was leading this like two touchdown comeback in the 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:06.600 fourth quarter. But I'll be I'll be really intrigued to 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:11.160 potentially see Lamar Jackson, you know, live and playing for real, 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:14.000 not just in a preseason game, but uh but live 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:14.680 and here we go. 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:16.920 Yeah, it was just it was impressive just watch him 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:19.560 in the you know, the joint Yeah, the joint practice, 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:21.280 you know. And just I mean the guy moves different, 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:23.399 he throws a ball different, and just he is he 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:25.960 is a specimen in every every way you could put 0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:28.320