WEBVTT - #460 Packers Unscripted: On the mend 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:20.599 Hi everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:24.000 I am Mike Spofford, sitting next to my partner in crime, 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:25.920 West hod Kuwitz. Were coming to you here from our 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.360 studios at lambeau Field West. Were another day closer to 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:33.320 Sunday night football at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City Packers 0:00:33.360 --> 0:00:37.080 against the Chiefs in a big Week eight showdown. And 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.640 as we stand right now, we're taping this episode on 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:43.479 Thursday morning, before the Packers hit the practice field on Thursday, 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:46.800 before the Chiefs hit the practice field on Thursday. There's 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.440 a lot of uncertainty with what's going on with injuries 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:54.360 to some key players. Here. Patrick Mahomes, the m v 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:57.720 P quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. He actually was 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:01.720 listed as a limited participant in the Chiefs Wednesday practice. 0:01:01.800 --> 0:01:05.720 He made some throws, he was involved a little bit 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:08.480 in practice. They're leaving the door open that he could 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.679 potentially play on Sunday night. And on the Packers side 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:16.560 of things, Davante Adams went through stretching in warmups with 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.880 the team for the first time since his turf toe injury. 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:24.840 Now he did not ultimately participate in practice, but just 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:27.960 wondering maybe what kind of a sign this is. Does 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:30.320 this mean the door is open for Davante Adams to 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:33.800 play on Sunday night? A lot of uncertainty, but what 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:35.119 do you make of it right now? Well, I will 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.920 say this, the door is definitely there for Davante Adams 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:42.000 because last week Mark Quisvelde, Scantling and Geronimo Elison didn't 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:44.560 practice at all and then there they were on Sunday 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.320 playing a fifty four combined snaps that matchups. So I 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:52.000 wouldn't discount anything at this juncture in terms of Adams. Now, 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:53.680 there's a lot of things they have to weigh out, 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:57.160 much like with Allison and Valdes Scantling. I'm guessing it 0:01:57.240 --> 0:01:59.520 is something on Sunday morning they'll take a look at 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:01.520 and they'll exactly where he's at and if he could 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:05.320 potentially go. The thing that's interesting about the Mahomes thing. 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:07.600 I tackled this an insider inbox a little bit on 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:11.960 Thursday morning. This one's peculiar to me on a number 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:14.520 of different levels. If this would if they be playing 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:17.480 the New England Patriots. I totally get the gamesmanship. I 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:20.360 totally understand that, you know what you're trying to do right. 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:23.799 Is there some kind of subterfuse your gamesmanship going on here? 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:25.600 I think that's what a lot of people are wondering 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:29.080 and I and my thought is, if there is, I 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:31.639 don't see why what it? What's the value in it? 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.880 If there isn't, I don't see what's the value in 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:37.320 pushing out a quarterback that just had a dislocated need. 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:39.280 That's your franchise that's gonna be up for a contract 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:42.960 extension soon for the sake of of wanting to push it, 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:44.880 you know, in nine days or whatever, it would be 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.440 removed from that injury. That doesn't make a whole lot 0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:49.000 of sense to me. I'm not going to coach their 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:50.600 team though, I'm not gonna, you know, look at this 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:52.840 situation and try to act like I know what's going on. 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:55.200 If they feel like he's healthy enough to go after 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:57.800 and throw passes. Certainly, the reports were that there was 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:00.960 no ligament damage, you know, so so coudas them for that. 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:03.200 But man, there's a big thing and play here for 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:05.280 the Kansas City Chiefs. They are looking at Super Bowl. 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.480 There's a chance that this wouldn't just be the only 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:11.280 matchup between the Packers and Chiefs. So I just I 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:14.680 look at the Blong game here, and Matt Moore looked 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:16.960 okay last week. And if you feel like he can 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:18.880 guide the offense and give you a chance to win, 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.960 I don't see the reason you'd push Mahomes early other 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:24.000 than this week. You just want to create a little 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.079 bit more chaos in the mind of the Packers. Yeah, 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.200 and I wonder if that that may be what's going 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:30.440 on here. But at the same time, if you're a 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.280 Packers fan, I think you look at this as Hey, 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:36.840 if Patrick Mahomes is maybe going to be back sooner 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:39.760 than later, but if it's not this Sunday, does that 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:43.000 mean he might be on the field the following Sunday 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:45.960 when the Chiefs are playing the Vikings. So there's a lot, 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:49.800 you know, a lot of um ramifications here going on 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:53.360 with this with regards to Adams and the Packers. Though 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.240 here's here's a question for you. Now. Obviously, as I say, 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:58.640 the Packers haven't hit the practice field on Thursday, they 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:02.360 also have another practice on Friday. Adams has been out 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:05.400 for multiple weeks. It's not quite the same situation as 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.880 MVS and Alison, who basically just missed one week of practice, 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:11.760 they got them ready to go, and they played on Sunday. 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:15.800 Matt Lafleur said on Wednesday after practice that the decision 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:17.839 on Adams could go all the way up to game time. 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:23.200 What I'm wondering is, with missing multiple weeks, if Adams 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.479 doesn't practice at all this week, would he really be 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:28.839 ready to get out there and play. Or when a 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:31.360 guy has been out for a stretch of time, does 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:33.680 he need to at least see some practice reps. I'm 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:35.279 not sure, And this is Matt la Fleury is the 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:37.799 first time head coach. We always could get a feel 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:40.200 for things with Mike McCarthy a little bit. In these instances, 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.560 we really don't know how la Fleur is going to 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:46.520 handle us. So that's just another element of the uncertainty 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:48.960 as the week goes along. The answer to your question 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:51.440 is whether or not Adams can one get out of 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:53.880 his stance explosively and if you can get out of 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:56.240 his breaks, So you don't necessarily need to be in 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:58.280 an in game setting to know that. If you can 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:01.039 actually simulate that practice or in a you know, a 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:03.200 rehab or walk through with some of the trainers to 0:05:03.240 --> 0:05:05.680 get a feel for that, that's gonna be a Davante 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:08.240 Adams decision. That's gonna be him knowing his body. Because 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.240 if you remember Mike from the very first interview he 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.480 did about this, he wants to come back when he's 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:14.600 fully healed, when he knows he can help the football team. 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:17.200 The Green Bay Packers are three no without Davante Adams. 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:20.200 Do they win those three games more decisively with him? Sure? 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.039 But they still the ends justify the means, And I 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:25.640 think he understands that they need him for the long 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.120 run here. So if it needs to take another week, 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:29.640 you'd be smart with it. But I'll tell you what. 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:31.159 If he can go out there and he feels like 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:33.960 he's Davante Adams and can do what he needs to do, 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:36.560 that's gonna be I think really the biggest test for 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:39.080 him him at least being able to go out and 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:40.880 do the stretching, because we've seen it in practice the 0:05:40.920 --> 0:05:42.599 last few weeks. He's done a little more than just 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:45.960 walking around to at least make that advancement. I think 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.640 bodes well that if even if it isn't this Sunday night, 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:51.760 Davante Adams is getting closer that return of the field. Yeah, well, 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:54.919 elsewhere on the injury report for the Packers UH safety 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:57.960 Darnell Savage, the rookie first round pick out of Maryland. 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:01.000 He was back on the practice field for the first 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:05.680 time since his ankle injury from the Dallas game. Now, 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:08.920 the Packers had a very light workout on Wednesday. They 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:12.320 were not in helmets, not in pads. It was pretty 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.000 much a walk through speed type of practice. They did 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.960 some drills, UH position drills that were a little closer 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:21.440 to full speed, but then the bulk of the other 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:25.200 work was walked through in terms of installing the game plan. 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:28.080 Savage was listed as a full participant. I guess we'll 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:31.480 see what happens on Thursday, assuming they're putting pads on 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:36.760 for a more full speed practice later today. But this 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:40.160 is an interesting development here because, um, we've seen some 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:42.839 issues obviously with the big plays being allowed by the 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.120 Packers defense. And I'm one who maintains it's never just 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:48.960 one person. But you know, guys on defense have to 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:50.760 have to do their jobs and you have to make 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.960 it work. But if you get Savage back, that could 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.080 change the look of things here on the defensive side 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:58.400 of the ball. The one position that's been hit hardest 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:00.679 with injuries to this point of the season, seven weeks 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.960 in is safety you already lost, you know, Raven Green, 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:05.960 who was the primary backup to both of those guys 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:08.640 and had a really big role as that hybrid linebacker. 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:11.560 So he's out of the equation. Then you lose Savage 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:13.920 right when he's you know, looks like he's really coming on, 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:17.760 flying all over the field, making plays, you know, deflecting passes, 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.560 hitting hard. Uh. He seemed to really be building that 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:22.800 rapport with Adan Amos back there, you know, is that 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:25.520 one to punch and then he goes out of the equation. 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.200 I think Will Redman has really stepped up, but there 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.200 was even some domino effects with how they've been able 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:34.080 to utilize Amos without Green and without Savage. So if 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:35.600 you can get him back in the fold, I think 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:38.120 that goes a long way for how this defense defends 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:40.640 the middle of the field. And this is gonna be 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:43.440 interesting again. We're gonna have to see how Thursday's padded work, 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.080 what it looks like, and how this team is gonna 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.360 you know, who's going to be available, who isn't when 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.320 you get into that type of practice. But the fact 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.400 that you know, the walkthrough was what it was, but 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:55.600 they did individual periods of fact that he was out 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:57.000 there and he was able to do all of it. 0:07:57.480 --> 0:07:59.920 It at the very least tells you that they feel 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:03.040 after bole that the ankle can handle that type of exercise, 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:05.400 that type of work, and you know they'll be smart 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:06.920 with it and hopefully get him back in the folds 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:09.280 here on Sunday night. Yeah. And another guy who has 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.880 returned to practice for the Packers, young tight end Robert Tanyan. 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:15.560 He's missed the last couple of games with a hip injury. 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:18.960 He injured the hip in the Dallas game, same game 0:08:19.000 --> 0:08:23.640 that Darnell Savage got hurt. And we've seen obviously the 0:08:23.680 --> 0:08:26.480 production from the tight ends over the last couple of games. 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:31.080 They've been worked in to everything that's going on on offense. 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:34.360 Certainly with Adam's being out. You get Robert Tanyan back 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:36.440 in the mix here with what Jimmy Graham has been 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:39.360 doing lately. And Marcedes Louis Lewis had kind of a 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:41.480 quiet game against the Raiders, but we know what he 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.320 did against the Detroit Lions in the Monday night game. 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.439 You start to round out that position group a little bit. 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:49.880 And and just as much as that position has been 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:52.559 involved in what's going on here, it could really get 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:54.680 interesting if the group as a whole is back to 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:57.000 full strength. Well, Tanyan is the hybrid, right, I mean, 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.240 he's the cross between your Graham and your and your 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.880 Louis and learning from both of those guys. It was 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:03.920 a story I wrote during training camp. He wants to 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.160 be the past catcher that Graham is, He wants to 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.720 be the blocker that Lewis is. Those are the goals, 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.600 Those are the perfection that he's trying to attain and 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:14.880 for him to continually improve over the last two and 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.000 a half years now with Green Bay, I think really 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:19.360 speaks to him and his maturity level and understanding where 0:09:19.360 --> 0:09:21.679 he needs to get to as a former receiver at 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:25.200 that position. Robert Tonyan made a phenomenal catch and going 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:26.920 back to I believe it was the Dallas game if 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.120 I remember that, Yeah, it was that sideline play, kind 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:32.439 of an off schedule busted play and uh and he 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.040 turns his route up the sideline, you know, and on 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:38.080 the fly adjustment and Rogers throws it out there and 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:40.480 uh and he leaps and not only makes the grab, 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.600 but then gets both feet and bounds. I think it 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:44.680 was the play that he heard his hip on the 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:48.040 basically the way he landed. He tried to gut it 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:50.679 out and and play some more snaps. But then at 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:53.640 the end of that drive, when um, he was throwing 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.440 a block when the Packers were getting close to the 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:58.480 end zone there, that ended up being his last play 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:00.280 he had to He was limping and he came out 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:02.360 kind of holding that hip. Yeah. I mean, and to 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.640 be honest with you, I didn't get the big, you know, 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:08.439 brunt of the Jamachael Finley era. I got kind of 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:09.840 the end of it in terms of the time I 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.080 covered this team, and the end was very up and 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:14.120 down with what you were getting from him week to week. 0:10:14.559 --> 0:10:16.640 But I think with this particular group, what I like 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:19.000 about it is you're seeing it probably is the deepest 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.320 group the Packers have had here at least during my time. 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:24.840 And you know, covering this locker room in that Marcedes 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.439 Lewis looks much more comfortable in this offense. We'll talk 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.240 about it in a second. But Jimmy Graham, the way 0:10:29.240 --> 0:10:31.520 that he stepped up in that ballgame, you know, kind 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:34.000 of a little bit of a must need, must have 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:37.840 type performance. From him, especially in some critical off schedule plays. 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.120 And then you have Jay Sternberger now who's coming off 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:42.600 of injured reserve here, being one of the two that 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.760 they designated to return. So with that group, there's a 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:49.800 lot of potential in it in in every single one 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:51.520 of those guys. If even when you throw if you 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.640 want to throw Evan Bayliss in there, they all bring 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:58.160 something different to the party. So it's gonna be interesting 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:01.160 here if you can get Tanying back, get back into 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.520 more of your two tight end sets. Because one thing 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.280 we really haven't seen during Tanyan's injury, Packers don't play 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:10.160 Jimmy Graham and Mercedes Lewis on the field together hardly 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:13.360 at all, Like they like, they script their stuff differently 0:11:13.400 --> 0:11:15.360 for them. Tanya will play with both of them, Yeah, 0:11:15.440 --> 0:11:18.839 but it's very rarely the two veterans together. So this 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:20.920 is gonna be something that I think if you get 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.240 Tanya back in the fold and you get Sternberger maybe 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:25.640 being able to contribute down the line here, that could 0:11:25.640 --> 0:11:27.640 be a position group that the Packers really lean on 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.000 in the second half of the season. Yeah, well, where 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:33.440 do you think things are with Jimmy Graham Because Aaron 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.600 Rodgers very effusive in his praise of the game that 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:41.480 Graham had against the Raiders this past weekend. In some 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:43.800 of the games leading up to that, there was production 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:47.320 from Graham, but also some missed opportunities that he'd be 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:50.360 the first one to wish that he had him back obviously. 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:53.760 Do you think what we saw against the Oakland Raiders 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.960 four catches for sixty five yards plus a touchdown? Do 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:01.520 you think what we saw is the beginning of something 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:07.240 here with Jimmy Graham moving forward? Is this is? Uh? 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:11.000 Is this the kind of game that gets a veteran 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:15.440 who maybe hasn't produced the way he's the way he 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:17.520 would have wanted to through his first season and a 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:19.760 half in Green Bay? Is this the kind of game 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:22.679 and and the kind of vote of confidence from the 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:25.160 quarterback that gets the guy going. I think so, I 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.240 really do. Because the thing is, and I've said this 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:29.640 to you before, they don't need Jimmy Graham to be 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:32.959 two thousand eleven Jimmy Graham. That isn't why he's here. Uh, 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:35.720 they don't need Aaron Rodgers, you know. I mean, everybody evolves, 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:38.520 Everybody adapts in terms of what they were years ago. 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:41.320 To what they are today, and Graham plays a position 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:43.840 that has had a lot of success into the thirties. 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:47.240 Look at Marcedes Lewis still doing it in your thirteen now, um. 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:49.600 But they all do in their own ways, right. I 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:53.040 thought that this game was a perfect, you know, symbol 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:55.840 of what Graham can bring to this offense when they 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:58.240 don't have Davante Adams, when they have to spread the 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:00.760 ball around. Because as Roger said, and I believe it 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:02.440 was to your question, Mike, there was only one of 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:04.800 those catches that he had where the play was really 0:13:04.800 --> 0:13:08.520 strictly designed for him. Everything else sort of came on 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:11.080 on feel, on instinct and being able to just play 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.600 the drive out, play the you know, the series out 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.520 and he had some critical moments in that football game. 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:19.480 The tight end position. I one thing I really liked 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.520 when Graham spoke to the media on Wednesday night that 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.160 he said is that you know, his opportunities will come 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:28.840 and basically paraphrase him somewhat, it's the nature of his position. 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.240 I'm a tight end. Tight Ends just don't very very 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:34.679 rarely have those ten catch a d R days that 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:38.040 like Davante Adams had. They are more economical there's gonna 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:39.640 be days where a tight end has a good game 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:42.079 but he only catches two passes for twenty yards if 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:43.959 he's doing all the other things that are required of 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:47.080 him as a blocker underneath being able to be an 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:50.360 outlet for the quarterback. Graham had some of those opportunities, 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.040 as you mentioned, and unfortunately some of them couldn't be converted. 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:55.320 But where he's at right now, I think that this 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:57.400 game could be a big boost of confidence, not that 0:13:57.400 --> 0:14:01.160 he necessarily needed it, but just a reminder to everyone that, Okay, 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.720 this is why the Packers signed him, and this is 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:06.240 what the element and dimension he can bring to this offense. 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:08.840 Because Mike, you know, as much has been made about 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.360 Graham and the decision to bring him back, you're not 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:15.559 going to find good tight end talent available every year 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.679 in free agency. And we've talked at nauseum about how 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.120 difficult it is the draft a guy right away and 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.520 have him play right away at that position. It's difficult. 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:26.520 So I just think the resurgence that you've seen from 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:28.720 Lewis and in some of these plays that Graham has made, 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:32.360 you know, it's his third touchdown already this season. That 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.480 gives I think it should give Packer fans hope that, Okay, 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:37.880 this is a unit that when you turn to it, 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:40.240 much like it did against Chicago in Week one, it 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.360 can produce for you, and it can be an outlet 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:44.120 for Aaron Rodgers when he needs it to be well. 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:48.240 Jimmy Graham certainly has two big believers in his corner 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:50.920 in Matt Lafleur and Aaron Rodgers, and I think he's 0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:53.240 going to continue to be involved in this offense. And 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.320 if and if he can and if he can continue 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:58.240 to cash in on those opportunities that come his way, 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:00.320 this Packer's offense is going to be better for it. 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.600 One other topic I want to get to today West 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:04.680 before we go. I mentioned earlier in the show the 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.440 Packers had a very light work out on Wednesday. They 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:10.160 really just put on shorts and helmets or sweats and 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.520 help I mean sorry, shorts and jerseys or sweats and jerseys. 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.880 They did not even have their helmets on. Very unusual 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:19.720 kind of a Wednesday practice, especially coming off of a 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:23.360 Sunday noon game, and and practice was even pushed back 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.040 a couple of hours later in the afternoon on Wednesday 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:29.640 from what has been the norm. So far. But I 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:32.760 was thinking about this when I was at practice when 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.560 the media was allowed to be at the early portion 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.560 of practice yesterday, and then even when I was driving 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.400 into work this morning, that you know, we saw through 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:43.440 through O T A S, through training camp, now through 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:46.600 the regular season, the times that Matt Lafleur has really 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:50.960 backed off physically on the practice demands on the players. 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:54.440 And there's a couple of things I think that are 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:58.600 worth pointing out here. One, he's shone so far that 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:04.800 he's confident in the players that if they mentally get 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.400 the game planed down and they are locked in mentally 0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:09.960 on what's going on in the game plan, he doesn't 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:13.280 need to necessarily see all the physical reps during the 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:17.080 week in practice to be confident in what they're taking 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:20.960 into the game on Sunday. So that's one. The other 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:23.800 is that when I think about how this season has 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:27.280 gone for the Packers, you know, seven games, you're six 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:31.440 and one. I would argue that five of the seven 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:36.000 games so far this year, the Packers have clearly, without question, 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:39.040 been the better team in the fourth quarter of five 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:40.720 of the seven games. The two I would say they 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:44.200 haven't been were Philadelphia and Dallas. They weren't able to 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:46.720 pull it out against Philadelphia, and it worked out in 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:48.880 Dallas because they built a thirty one to three lead 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:50.400 and they were able to hang on even though the 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:53.760 Cowboys were getting the better of it in the fourth quarter. 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.800 But when you're the better team five out of seven 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.160 weeks in the fourth quarter, that's gonna lead to a 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:01.440 lot of wins. And I just starting to wonder if 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:04.960 you know, all of this is part of the bigger picture. 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:08.720 We've We've seen the back off physically and practice. We've 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:11.639 seen the Packers be the better team in the fourth quarter. Hey, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:13.840 there are a million ways to get this done. As 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:17.760 a head coach in the NFL, guys over decades have 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:19.920 done it all kinds of different ways. And one games 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:22.600 and one playoff games and one Super Bowls. This is 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:25.520 this is an interesting approach that Matt Lafleur is taking 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.040 in so far. You can't argue with the results. Well, 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:30.520 you certainly can't argue with that absolutely. I mean six 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:32.520 and one is six and one, however you get to it. 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:34.960 But what I like about this one, I think you 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:37.199 make a great point that when you look at how 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:39.000 fresh the Packers have been in some of these fourth 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:41.719 quarter situations and how they've been able to close out games. 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.600 You do wonder about the preparation aspect of it. You 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:47.080 wonder about the conditioning aspect, and certainly both of those 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:49.760 have been on point. The other thing I've wondered too, 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.120 and it wasn't totally applicable to the Thursday night week, 0:17:54.160 --> 0:17:57.199 but it's definitely applicable to a week like tonight. Excuse me. 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:00.679 You know, a process like this week is at you 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:04.919 have the Wednesday practice and if you get the mental 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:07.600 side of this thing down, if you get the game plan, 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:11.080 you get a good grasp for that maximizing not only 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.280 that time for guys to get their bodies back, because 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.720 as we've seen, the Packers injury port is still pretty big, 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:18.560 but to have them ready for that Thursday padded work. 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:24.520 If you can maximize that actual those padded sessions by 0:18:24.560 --> 0:18:26.920 maybe you know, taking off the gas a little bit 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:30.520 on Wednesdays. Is there an intrinsic benefit to that as well, 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.040 because there's so many times where I mean, Mike Karthie 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:34.879 would talk about all the time, like Thursday, that's your 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:37.439 work day, that's where you you know, you really get 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:39.560 a feel for your football team. Where things are at 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:42.320 and how they're going to play. What I like about 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:46.359 the Flour's theory here is that there's a lot of 0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:49.240 emphasis on the classroom. You know, they have the crick 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:51.520 over here where they can go through stuff and you 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:53.600 know see it on the screen. There walk through area 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:57.080 in and a a video area. So if you have 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.880 and you check all those boxes, and maybe you don't 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:02.919 have as many reps, you know in those non contact 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.800 Wednesday practices the traditional sense, does it allow you to 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:09.480 maximize not only a performance on Thursday or performance in 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:10.920 a Sunday. I think that's something you have to track 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:14.080 the whole season. But if this season goes the direction 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.800