WEBVTT - #15 Packers Unscripted: Big questions for 2016 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:20.040 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:23.760 I'm Mike Spofford alongside West Hodkowitz, coming to you here 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:27.960 from our studios at lambeau Field and West. We don't 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:30.200 like to jump ahead too much when we talk about 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:34.640 the NFL, but I think an interesting thing statistically in 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:38.800 NFL history, certainly in recent years, is the playoff field 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:43.120 and how on average, I believe it's over the last 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:46.680 decade or so, five teams of the twelve in the 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:50.760 playoffs do not get back to the playoffs the following year. 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:54.400 So if you look strictly at the NFC, that means 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:57.920 two to three teams from last year's playoff field supposedly 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:05.320 will not be back now. Green Bay, Minnesota, Seattle, Arizona, Carolina, 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:09.039 and Washington where the six NFC teams last year. So, 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:13.520 just for grins and giggles, who do you think are 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:17.240 the most vulnerable teams in the NFC to perhaps not 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:20.679 repeat their playoff appearance. Yeah, it's it's a grins and 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:23.440 giggles time of the season right now for us as 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:25.600 we get ready for the regular season. These are the 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:28.479 things that everybody always likes to talk about. I'm sure, 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:31.800 it's somewhat a cop out, but I think it probably 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:34.280 starts with Washington just because they kind of were the 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:37.640 Cinderella at the ball last year things fell their way 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:39.720 in the division. I think a lot of people are 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.920 expecting the Cowboys to make a run, not only you know, 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:45.320 at the NFC title, you know, the NFC tub, but 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:47.440 actually get to the super Bowl with the wow things 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:49.440 had ended the year before and Tony Romo and what 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:53.640 they had built up. Romo goes down in Washington, a 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:55.840 team that was in a lot of turmoil going into 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.720 last season is the one that ended up stepping up. 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:00.760 And I think that's a at it to to what 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.720 they were able to accomplish and how they were about 0:02:03.760 --> 0:02:06.080 to be able to go about their season and underneath 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.200 Kirk Cousins. But at the end of the day, I 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.400 think that also leaves in probably the most vulnerable right 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:12.680 now because there were a lot of things that had 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:14.760 to slant in their direction to to get there in 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:18.200 the first place. Yeah, that NFC East, i think it's 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.520 fair to say, is maybe the most wide open of 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:25.720 the divisions in the NFC. And Dallas you mentioned they 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:29.080 were in the playoffs in the number three seed actually, 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:31.760 and then they did not get back, mostly due to 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.920 that injury to Tony Romo. The Detroit Lions, another team 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:38.000 from teen that was in the playoffs, did not get back. 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:41.720 In the question I have, I think and I agree 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:45.200 with you about Washington and and the NFC East, but 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:50.480 does Carolina end up suffering that Super Bowl hangover there? 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.840 Sort of? I don't have the statistics in front of me, 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.160 but they're sort of that trend of the team that 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:58.799 loses in the Super Bowl. There are several years over 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.560 the last decade or so that the team that loses 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:03.239 in the Super Bowl does not get back to the 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:05.919 playoffs the next year, sort of this hangover type of thing. 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.880 Do you think that that might happen to the Panthers. 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:11.320 It's a good question. I think the way that division 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:14.480 is structured, unless we see some some really quick rebuilding 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.080 in the NFC South, that they still are the favorite 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:21.119 by leaps and bounds at this time. And it's also 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:23.520 an interesting aspect when you look at everything that they 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:25.720 had lost last year. They're the injuries that they had 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:29.079 at receiver. Um, you know Thomas Davis playing with basically 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:32.400 a broken forearm and in the Super Bowl, uh, and 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.239 and they still made it as far as they did. 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:36.120 And I think with Cam Newton and what he brings 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:41.120 the table, uh, you're talking about, uh, generational quarterbacks. So 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:44.960 I guess for me the division I'm probably more concentrated 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:47.600 on right now is out West because last year, when 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:51.120 we did our preseason predictions, um I picked the Rams 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:53.560 to make the playoffs, and I felt pretty good about 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:55.920 that pick. I thought the defense, even if they didn't 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:57.920 have all the offensive pieces to get there, the defense 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:00.400 was going to carry them this season. And now with 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.800 Todd Griley on offense and what they still have defensively 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:06.440 and in that those trenches, I think that's gonna be 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:09.840 a really fun race to track. When you have Seattle, 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.480 then obviously Arizona having the success that they've had recently, 0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:14.720 I think that's gonna be a fun one to be 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:16.920 a part of it. I still am looking for Los 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:19.360 Angeles to make that jump, depending on how case Keenum 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.960 and were, depending on how they handle that with Jared Goff, 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:24.360 how that all shakes out. But getting back to the 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:27.840 original question as it relates to Carolina, I think there 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:29.279 is something to be said for that as far as 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:32.040 having that let down, But someone else is gonna have 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:33.400 to come up and challenge him in that division if 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:35.440 it's going to happen. Yeah, I think the biggest thing 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:38.480 that Carolina will have to overcome is the departure of 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:41.400 Josh Norman, the star cornerback. He was a big part 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:45.320 of that defense. But you mentioned offensively, the receiving corps 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:48.279 should be much improved for Cam Newton, and cam Newton 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:50.640 won an NFL m v P with a receiving corps 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.520 that nobody was talking about, so, uh, there's there's a 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:55.640 lot to be said there. And Josh Norman going to 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:59.839 Washington and providing potentially a big boost to Washington's bid 0:04:59.839 --> 0:05:02.520 to repeat as NFC East champs. Yeah, that's a huge 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.279 signing for them in terms of you know, I watched 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:07.680 them last year and no disrespect at all to Will 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.080 Blackman and in the career that he's had for himself, 0:05:10.120 --> 0:05:13.040 but it just seemed like in that wild card game, 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:14.880 the Packers were kind of able to exploit him a 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:17.440 little bit. They got a little thin in that secondary. 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:18.720 I think that's one of the reasons that the Green 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:22.080 Bay was able to make that comeback. It is interesting, though, 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.680 I've never you've been around this a lot longer than 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:28.360 I have. I can't ever recall another situations like Norman's 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:32.320 where the franchise tag was extended. It was sitting out 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:34.920 there and then revoked and then he goes and signs 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:38.320 with another team. I can't recall that ever happening that 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:41.880 was recently. Yeah, that was that was a really strange situation. 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:45.200 The way out, Yeah, it didn't seem like it would 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:48.800 be anything acrimonious, and then suddenly it became this big 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.840 contentious thing. And and less than twenty four hours later, 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:54.960 Josh Norman had a new team. So um interesting to 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.120 see how that plays out in the NFC. Well after 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.480 the break, will focus a little bit more on the 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:03.400 NFC North, in particular, looking ahead to back with more 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:23.640 on Packers Unscripted. Right after this Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.599 Mike Spofford alongside Wes Hodkowitz and West. Let's focus a 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:30.960 little more specifically on the NFC North as we look 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:34.760 at When I look at the Packers three opponents, I 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:38.839 see three major changes that will have an impact on 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:42.839 the NFC North race this season. You have Detroit no 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:47.760 longer with Calvin Johnson. Megatron has retired, the Bears will 0:06:47.760 --> 0:06:50.640 no longer have Matt Forte a running back the Packers 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.120 are used to seeing twice a year and has had 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:56.680 plenty of productive games against Green Bay and then Minnesota 0:06:57.080 --> 0:06:59.159 opening a brand new stadium and as we know, the 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:02.799 Packers opening that stadium as far as the first regular 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:07.279 season game in Week two. So as far as those adjustments, 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:10.480 those major changes amongst the Packers opponents, which one do 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:13.960 you think will have the biggest impact on the division race? 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:17.400 In Yeah, that's an excellent question. I would say it's 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.920 gonna probably be Calvin Johnson just based on the terms 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:24.680 of he was. He was a once in a generation player. 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:29.760 He was the wide receiver of the two thousand eight 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:32.760 to two thousand sixteen time frame. I mean, he was 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.160 a legit threat anytime he stepped on the field. We've 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:38.680 talked about it before, Joe Wit kind of quipping a 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:40.520 little bit that he's no longer going to have as 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.040 much gray hair as he used to have. But he 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:45.760 was just there was no one really like him. And 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.840 that's no disrespect to Matt Forte. Matt Fourte was is 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:52.600 a terrific running back as well, but Calvin Johnson was 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:54.840 the one percent he was the cream of the crop. 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:57.520 In taking him out of that rivalry now, I'm just 0:07:57.560 --> 0:07:59.840 really interested to see what the Lions are able to 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:01.280 come up with this here. It sounds like they're going 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:02.800 to be moving to more of a no huddle type 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:06.560 scheme again, but without him on the field, he was 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:08.680 he was the difference maker. Yeah, I think this is 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:12.520 a huge challenge for matt Stafford, the veteran quarterback. Now 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:15.160 for the Lions to not have Calvin Johnson really for 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:19.720 the first time in his career there with Detroit and yeah, 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:21.840 they're going to change some things as far as their 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:26.000 offensive scheme and whatnot, But taking away a weapon like that. 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.720 If you think back to the early days of Brett 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.920 Farve in his career when he lost Sterling Sharp, Farve 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:35.520 actually in a lot of ways became a better quarterback 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:38.320 because he wasn't so focused on that one guy. But 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:41.160 that was also very early in forest development as well. 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:44.960 Taking away Calvin Johnson at this stage of Matthew Stafford's career, 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:49.280 I'll be really curious to see just what happens to 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:53.320 his play at quarterback and how he leads and conducts 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:55.760 that offense going forward. Yeah, I mean just going through 0:08:55.760 --> 0:09:01.120 his stats just really quickly. I mean one reception over 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:05.720 eleven thousand yards. I mean, my goodness, being able to 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:08.400 do that, and what nine NFL seasons, what the averages, 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.439 the production you have to have, and he played through 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:14.280 a lot, as we saw. So now at the same time, 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:18.200 to your point, now we've seen the history will show 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.240 that the Lions can be resurgent, they can come back 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:23.079 and compete for a division title. I think everybody's expecting 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:25.439 Minnesota to be the one that that is probably the 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.360 biggest threat right now to Green Bay. So them actually 0:09:28.400 --> 0:09:31.880 starting that first game at US Bank Stadium, Uh, that 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:34.160 is also going to be an interesting kind of new 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:36.560 curveball to this. Packers are used to playing in domes 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:38.920 in in Minnesota. They did that for number of years 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.600 in the Metrodome. But this is going to be a 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:44.080 new wrinkle to this this rivalry, and that is one 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.600 thing when that day comes around in September, I'm gonna 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:48.360 be interested to see how that plays out as well. Yeah, 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.720 I think we're definitely looking forward to that trip and 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:54.080 seeing just what that new stadium entails, what kind of 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:58.280 atmosphere environment excuse me, there will be there. I I 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.880 think the this new stadi him in Minnesota will will 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:05.000 really be interesting the first year because the Vikings had 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:07.319 and I know it's not that they made the playoffs 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:10.240 every year or anything, but the Vikings had a really 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:13.240 significant home field advantage with that Metrodome and with that 0:10:13.400 --> 0:10:16.280 noise and teams that came in there, and particularly teams 0:10:16.600 --> 0:10:19.040 unlike say the Packers and Bears, who were there every year, 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:22.400 but teams that came in there, you know, not every year, 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:24.439 not all the time. It was a really tough thing 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:27.120 to get used to and to play well. And I'm 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:30.640 really curious to see if the new U. S. Bank Stadium, 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:35.199 you know, has that same sort of annoying, frustrating environment 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.080 for opponents that the Metrodome did. Yeah, and before you know, 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:41.920 the Seahawks ended up having their whole situation with Century 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.800 Link Field, and in the everyone talks about how loud 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.319 it isn't there. I mean, the Metrodome was really the 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:51.040 beginning of all that. It was the horn and the crowd. 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:56.120 And yeah, well though they'll still have that, it's gonna pass. 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:58.080 They're still they're not getting rid of the horn. I 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:00.520 just remember my first time in two thousand twelve going there, 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:04.240 and and being told, okay, we're out there too. Where 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:07.400 there is the press box, wasn't you know window paned 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:11.040 off from everybody you're in the crowd as well. Basically, yeah, 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:12.480 we were right in the middle of it, and I 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:16.160 had I had my headphones on the entire time trying 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.920 to drown out the sound because I mean, it was 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:21.120 hard to concentrate for me just trying to write a 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:24.560 story on deadline, let alone winning a professional football game. 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:27.600 So it is, and we've seen there's so many renderings 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:29.160 of it. I haven't gotten to read a whole lot 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.360 of this stuff on and it's been really popular the 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:34.640 stories that have been done on on what the stadium 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:36.959 is going to be like. But it will be interesting, 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:39.880 especially the last two years after being at in at 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:42.680 the Gopher Stadium to where they were outside and you know, 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.000 playing it's kind of kind of a smaller, a little 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:48.120 more intimate type setting, you might say. I thought, I 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:50.800 thought that was interesting how that played out. And and 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:55.480 Minnesota certainly ended up playing that super cold playoff game 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:58.800 against against Seattle after all those years of their home 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:01.000 playoff games being in the Tredome. That was a nice 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:04.320 change of pace, I guess you might say for the NFC. Absolutely, 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:06.160 the Packers to getting back to the Bears now, They're 0:12:06.160 --> 0:12:08.920 gonna have a change of pace with Jeremy Lankford now 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:11.400 instead of Matt Forty. Matt Forty a dual threat guy. 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:13.640 As you mentioned, I don't have the exact stats up 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:15.400 in front of me, but I found a lot of 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:18.199 ways to to hurt Don Caper's defense over the years. 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:20.640 So I'll be interesting to see what Langford can do now, 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.480 and and Kevin White and him getting added the equation 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:26.559 as well. Yeah, the Bears relying on some changes amongst 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.960 their offensive weapons. So we'll be back to talk a 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:32.520 little bit more about the Packers schedule after the break 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:51.440 back with more on Packers Unscripted. Right after this Welcome 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.200 back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford alongside West, hod Kowitz 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:57.640 and West. We touched on that Week two game in 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.280 Minnesota opening up US Bank Stage for the regular season. 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:07.040 That's a part of a tough double opening, you might say, 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:08.880 with weeks one and two with the Packers going to 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.960 Jacksonville and then going to Minnesota. A couple other tough 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:17.880 stretches of the schedule, three consecutive road games, in November Tennessee, Washington, 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:21.520 and Philadelphia, with the latter two against the two NFC 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.520 East teams, both being in prime time on the road. 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.640 And then you finished the season with three consecutive division games, 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.040 playing all of your division opponents Chicago, Minnesota, and Detroit 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:36.120 weeks fifteen through seventeen of the regular season. So I've 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:37.880 been throwing a lot of questions at you today, So 0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:39.720 I'm gonna throw this one at you. Two of those 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:43.080 three stretches Weeks one and two, the three road games 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.920 in November, the three division games to finish up, Which 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.520 do you believe is the most crucial part of the 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:52.439 Packers schedule in you know what's funny, I'm gonna go 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:54.840 with option D Okay, I'm not even gonna go with 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.600 one that you just gave me. A um. As far 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:00.920 as treacherous and difficult, I still maintain it. The November stretch, 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:04.120 that's brutal, and Mike McCarthy has talked about it a 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.319 lot in terms of this regular season schedule not having 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.320 a lot of rhythm to it. But for me, I 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:11.560 think the most crucial stretch for them is actually gonna 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:14.040 be after the bye week, where you have three home 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.440 games in the span of about eleven twelve days. Those 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:20.800 are critical in terms of you need w's there and 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.000 there's there's gonna be a lot. I mean, the Giants 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:26.200 with Ben McAdoo knows the Packers well, the Cowboys are 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:28.320 fixing to be better this year, and the Bears is 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.840 always a tough game, and what will be the color 0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:35.640 rush there's a game as well. That's the one I 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.200 keep looking at because that's the only extended time that 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:41.240 the Packers have at home. To your point, though, the 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:43.920 first two openers, first time in ninety six years, whatever 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:46.560 it is, two back to back road games. You're in Jacksonville, 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:48.600 which is gonna be hot. We've already talked about what 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:51.960 Minnesota probably be like with them debuting. There's there's stadium 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:54.720 in the regular season. But that November stretch, man, I 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:56.800 think that's gonna be a difficult one with two primetime 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.600 games and uh and against two pretty decent opponents as well. Else. Yeah, 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:03.600 you raise an interesting point about that October stretch at home, 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.120 because if the Packers are going to find any sort 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:09.840 of rhythm and get on any kind of a role 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.400 in the regular scene, that's where you have to do it. 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:15.520 I totally agree. And as we've talked about before, you 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:18.960 can't have a better finish to a schedule than playing 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:22.000 all three of your division opponents back to back to back, 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.480 two of them on the road at Chicago and at 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.840 Detroit in weeks fifteen and seventeen, and then that Christmas 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:31.840 Eve Day game at lambeau Field against the Vikings in between. 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:35.720 You know, we we've discussed it many times before. It's 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:41.080 hard to see this division being decided by anybody before 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:44.160 those final weeks of the regular season. Absolutely, and there 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:45.800 is a little bit of a reprieve there because once 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:48.800 you do get past the Eagles on November, that's where 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:50.720 you do have back to back home games against the 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:53.360 Texans and Seahawks, and then you get into this extended 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:56.000 stretch of divisional games. Personally, that's the part of the 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.840 schedule I really like. I think that it adds another 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:01.280 nice little caveat to it because if you go back 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:03.920 the last three or four years, that NFC championship, NFC 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.080 North Championship has come down to that last game of 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.960 the season, and the Packers have played every team in 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:12.240 the division to decide that in those you know, consecutive years. 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.040 So I think it's gonna be really exciting. You have 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:18.240 some noon start times. If they happen to stay there, obviously, 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.800 we'll see. But it is it's that's that's what the 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:23.800 NFL is all about. That's what the regular season is 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.160 all about. You gotta win your division to get in 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:27.920 the playoffs, and you have to win as many of 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:30.280 those other games as possible to get a better seed. 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:33.120 And at that point, once the they get to that 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:35.040 Bears game on December eighteen, I think the Packers will 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:36.800 have a good idea of where they're at now. It's 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.040 just gonna be a matter if they can finish it out. Yeah, 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:41.440 and you you look at maybe a couple of spots 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:45.360 that the schedule Tilton green Bay's favor You might say 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:47.600 that those first two games in December, you have the 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:51.920 Houston Texans coming in. That's a southern warm weather team 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:54.040 coming up to Green Bay in early December, so it 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:56.160 could be kind of cold in a tough environment. And 0:16:56.160 --> 0:16:59.320 then Seattle the following week obviously a big rivalry there 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:01.120 and see out on one of the top teams in 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:06.000 the NFC. But again Seattle, Seattle doesn't win the super 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:09.520 cold playoff game in Minnesota, without the miss twenty seven 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.879 yard field goal. That was not Seattle's best performance in 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:15.640 those kinds of conditions. So you wonder if they're coming 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:18.680 in and it's cold at Lambeau Field, how they'll respond 0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:21.000 in that environment. It is interesting. I remember originally when 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:22.840 this happened, I was hoping there'll be a Jacksonville game 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:25.040 in December. But now the way the schedule lines up, 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.240 a lot of cold football games will be played between 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:30.320 Green Bay Chicago. The Packers are gonna have to put 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:32.840 their long sleeve sweaters on those for those games. Yeah, 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.119 it sounds good. Well, a long time until then, but 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:37.440 something to look forward to. So we got one more 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.359 segment to go West back with more on Packers Unscripted. 0:17:40.440 --> 0:18:00.440 Right after this Welcome Back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spafered, 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.880 alongside Wes Hodkiwits and West have been throwing questions at 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.400 you the entire show, so I'm gonna throw another one 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.280 at you. At the at the time that we're taping 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:13.359 this episode, there are two training camp practices left in 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:17.000 the training camp for the Packers. So to this point, 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:21.760 do you have a favorite moment in training camp? Oh? Wow, 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:25.560 favorite moment during training camp this is unscripted, so you're 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.200 just throwing all these curveballs at me. It's Tim Wakefield 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:32.200 and I'm just swinging at all the knuckleballs here. Um, 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:35.399 I'll go with the night practices. That was probably my 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:38.320 favorite moment, the return of the night practices. And I 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:42.040 understand a lot of players don't necessarily like them. Yeah, 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:45.560 Aaron Rodgers said, he is, he does enjoy them, but 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:49.160 there is just something special to me about it. Only 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:52.320 happens so many times a year, and you know the 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:56.160 two thousand, However many people show up for those those practices. 0:18:57.200 --> 0:18:59.920 It just I just always have really positive memories though, 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:02.480 And it's just there's something just very tranquil about it. 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:04.600 The weather is usually a little bit cooler at that 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:07.280 time and night, the sun is going down, starts sunny 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:10.320 ends you know at night. There's an atmosphere to those 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:14.120 workouts that that you can't you can't have whether if 0:19:14.160 --> 0:19:16.280 it's a nine am or a noon or whatever. There's 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:20.080 something about being in a nice summer evening in Green Bay, 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:23.440 Wisconsin and there's football going on for people to watch. Yeah, 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:25.720 And and I mean there's some there was some fun 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:27.480 moments too. You know when you go back to those 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:31.159 those practices and the way that they played during this 0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:34.320 whole training camp. You know, Aaron Rodgers and when he 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:36.920 was out there leading the offense. I mean, there there's 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:39.000 a lot of memories that I think, um, that I 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:41.000 think can be had out of that. I know you 0:19:41.119 --> 0:19:43.200 even mentioned it a little bit earlier too. I mean, 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:46.000 some of these performances that we saw from these receivers 0:19:46.000 --> 0:19:48.600 and tight ends really really stood out. Yeah, and that 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:50.680 was what I was going to say, is my favorite moment. 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:53.840 I believe it was actually the last of the night practices. 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:58.280 It was the first practice that we saw Jared Cook, 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:01.760 the new tight end free agent acquisition in the off season. 0:20:01.840 --> 0:20:05.399 He came off pup from the foot surgery in the 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:08.800 off season, and he lit the place up. I mean, 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:11.520 he and Aaron Rodgers looked like they had been a 0:20:11.600 --> 0:20:15.400 quarterback tight end combination for the last five or six years. 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:18.240 And it was the first training camp practice for Cook. 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:22.960 His real really his introduction to the Packers fans who 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:26.040 came there to watch that night. I don't know how 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.959 many touchdowns he had in the red zone work. It 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:31.080 was a red zone and goal line kind of night, 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.240 but uh, that's what the packers were working on. But boy, 0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:36.120 there had to have been at least four or five 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:39.280 touchdowns just to him alone on all sorts of different plays. 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.280 It was really an impressive and for me, a memorable 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.720 practice in terms of a guy introducing himself to his 0:20:45.800 --> 0:20:47.560 new team and his new fan base. Yeah, and it 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:49.879 was definitely a positive first impression that you want to 0:20:49.880 --> 0:20:52.000 set if you're cooked, because the two biggest question marks 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:53.920 what were they when he came to Green Bay. One 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:56.359 he didn't have a touchdown catch last year, and two 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.640 people like questions about his hands on that particular night 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:02.560 call everything that was thrown his direction and was a 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:05.720 legitimate threat inside the red zone. It was really a 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:08.600