WEBVTT - #562 Packers Unscripted: Tough but triumphant 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:14.760 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:18.479 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford sitting alongside my 0:00:18.560 --> 0:00:21.320 trusted colleague West Hodkowitz. Were coming to you here from 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:25.960 our studio at lambeau Field and West. The Packers post 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:29.760 a twenty four to twenty victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:33.920 this past Sunday at lambeau Field. Much more difficult than 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:37.960 anyone had hoped or expected, but the Packers got the w. 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.080 They are seven and two and they are still sitting 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:43.120 in first place in the NFC North. So this has 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:45.280 been my big message this week, Mike. I know it 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:49.280 wasn't the dominating victory everybody projected. I'm sure that person 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:51.519 that had thrown down a hundred thousand dollars on a 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:53.800 Packer straight up. Victory was kind of sweat and bullets 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.880 there into the fourth quarter. But what I come back 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:00.920 to is this game I thought showed a step for 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:03.120 Green Bay. I know that's a weird take to have 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:05.640 when you only beat a one win team by four points, 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:08.560 but I felt like they did what they needed to 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:11.000 do in this game against the Jaguars that they didn't 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:13.600 accomplish against the Vikings, who have now since gone on 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:16.640 a huge run here, and and that was in the 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:19.840 fourth quarter when the Chips were down. They needed a 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:23.759 response offensively, defensively, and even to a certain extent special teams. 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:27.319 They were able to at least muster enough to get 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:29.760 that win. What are you going to get a lot 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.280 of style points out of that victory? No? Is this 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:34.240 now the sixth game that the Packers have played with 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:36.360 the Jaguars all time and which has been decided by 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.520 under you know, in single digits. Yes, But I just 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:44.319 felt like this game showed one again just how brilliant 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:48.240 Davante Adams is into that. The defense, even though it's 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.360 been kind of hidden underneath a lot of things this year, 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.760 when it needs to find that gritty performance late the 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:58.840 pass rush getting into Jake Luton's face, they were able 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:00.400 to do it, and they were able of the seal 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:05.120 of victory. Yeah, the down the stretch, crunch time performance 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:08.080 of the defense was very reminiscent of last year, frankly, 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:12.280 with the Packers won because the offense wasn't always clicking 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.480 all that great in twenty nineteen. The defense needed to 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:18.320 make some of these fourth quarters stands and Sunday's game 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:21.520 reminded me of that. I will say this though, because 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.000 it wasn't the Packers best performance, it's not a performance 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:27.400 to be very proud of. Frankly, and yes, the weather 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:29.519 is a bit of an equalizer for an underdog and 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:33.000 all that, I get it. But an Insider Inbox reader, 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:36.320 as I got done with my game recap and the editorial, 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:38.240 we had that stuff posted on the website, and as 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:41.679 you know, I stay late after our game coverage because 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.000 I like to just get the Insider Inbox column from 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:46.240 Monday morning written and out of the way so I 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:47.920 don't have to get up at the crack of dawn 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:51.160 on Monday morning to get it done in time. An 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:54.080 Insider Inbox reader sent in what I thought was was 0:02:54.160 --> 0:02:58.480 almost the perfect line that what occurred in that game 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.320 was the recipe for are an upset. You had a 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:05.360 special teams touched down by the Jaguars. You had two 0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:09.480 uncharacteristic turnovers by the Packers, a fumbled by Davante Adams 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.040 that leads to a touchdown, an interception by Aaron Rodgers 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:15.880 that leads to a field goal. That's seventeen of Jacksonville's 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:20.519 twenty points in essentially those three instances right there, and 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.360 yet it really was the recipe for an upset. But 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:26.960 as you said, the Packers needed a response on offense 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:29.800 when they fell behind twenty seventeen. They put together the 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:32.200 seventy five yard drive and got the job done. And 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.760 then the defense not once but twice has to make 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:39.240 stops there at crunch time in the fourth quarter. And 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:42.560 if there is anything you can hang your hat on 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.520 from this game, it's that in bad weather, in bad conditions, 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:48.680 you were able to do that in the fourth quarter. 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:52.040 And quite frankly, the Packers, except for maybe the New 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.000 Orleans game back in Week three, the Packers hadn't really 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:58.920 been put in that situation to pull something out late 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:00.560 in the game in the fourth quarter. And yes it 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:03.880 was the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they did the job. There 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.880 are a totality of their experiences, though, and that's where 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:09.240 this team as they go into Indianapolis this week, in 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.000 Chicago the next week, and in Philadelphia as they marched 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:16.120 into into December, the all of these things lead up 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.800 to a playoff team. What makes you who you are? 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:23.640 It's almost like it it sort of builds your your resume. 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:27.560 And this is Okay, once we get to the postseason. 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:29.680 These are the things that, as you said, we hang 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.680 our hat on, and yeah, this isn't gonna be a 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:34.400 game I think five years from now where you are 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:37.040 gonna you and I are gonna be talking about. Remember 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:41.760 that Jaguars game back in two thousand twenty. Probably not um, 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:44.880 but I just feel like these can be the launching pads. 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:48.680 This game really wasn't pretty in any shape or fashion. 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:53.440 James Robinson had over a hundred yards rushing kick punt 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:57.120 return for a touchdown. But then there's little moments of 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:00.440 brilliance that were interspersed throughout it. The seventy yard touchdown 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:03.160 past to Marquis about this scandling the longest touchdown past, 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:06.240 I wouldn't even believe this. For Aaron Rodgers in in 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:11.280 six years, Uh, their ability, you know late where Jacksonville 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.400 had been stifling the run, Aaron Jones breaks one for 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:17.400 twenty yards. It's just those type of place And again, 0:05:17.480 --> 0:05:20.320 Davonte Ada is playing on a bad wheel with the 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:22.560 ankle injury in which he left for a moment. He 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:26.200 comes back, skies up obviously didn't affect his vertical and 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:29.200 catches in the air to pull down that winning touchdown, 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:32.240 the go ahead touchdown Preston Smith. Everyone's wondering where the 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:34.200 sacks are with him. He comes up with a sack 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:38.080 on third down, fourth and the pass rush just converges 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:40.279 on Luton. They don't let him get comfortable in a 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:42.120 situation where I think a lot of times people are 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:45.120 thinking three man rush. So there's just so many different 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.320 factors that I felt played into this game that, while 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:50.720 it's not gonna be one that we're gonna remember, so 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:53.440 to speak, if the Packers can get on a run 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.640 here and put that to good use now against a 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:59.120 much better Indianapolis Colts team on the road this Sunday, 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:01.680 it could be the type the performance that that fits 0:06:01.760 --> 0:06:06.600 into a winning streak where maybe it's not the headliner. Yeah. 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:11.080 Aside from the two defensive stands at the end of 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:14.719 the fourth quarter, which obviously were important, there are two 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:17.960 other things that I take out of this game if 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:22.320 I'm the Packers in terms of trying to build on something. 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:26.039 One is actually the defense against the run. And I 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:30.400 say that, yes, James Robinson solid performance. Twenty three carries 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:35.160 a hundred and nine yards, but Robinson had Robinson average 0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:37.919 six point eight yards per carrying the first half. In 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.520 the second half, the Packers cut that in half three 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.240 point four yards per carry in the second half. You 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:45.640 could see the defense against the run was much better. Now, 0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:49.040 that comes with one caveat, as Matt Lafleur had pointed out, 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.600 and as I wrote about Monday evening on our website, 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:56.560 right after the Davante Adams fumble, the Jaguars get called 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.200 for holding there in first and twenty, just outside the 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:02.320 red zone. Okay, that's where the defense needs to get 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.640 the stop force the field goal. So the turnover only 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:08.920 produces three points. But Robinson busts off on eleven yard 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:11.640 run and instead of second and really long there in 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:13.880 second and nine and a couple of plays later there 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.200 in the end zone, and you didn't take advantage of 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:19.400 the holding penalty. But even with that one eleven yard 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:22.559 run in the second half, Robinson only average three point 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.400 four on his thirteen carries in the second half. So 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:28.880 I thought the Packers run defense, they got their act 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:31.800 together down the stretch in this game. The other thing 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:33.960 that I think you take away if you're the Packers 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:39.520 was the performance of Marquis Velde Scantling And I'm gonna 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.080 say this, not because the hundred and forty nine yards 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:45.440 was his career high and because the seventy eight yard 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.160 bomb was, you know, his career long touchdown pass. But 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:51.960 this was the best game of his career in my opinion, 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:56.080 because of the variety of plays that he made just 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.720 on four receptions, but the one the one was the 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:02.160 long bomb, but we saw him make a big play 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:05.040 on a shallow cross off the off the play action boot, 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.040 which is a pass that he has dropped a couple 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:08.840 of times this year and it's been a staple of 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:13.920 this offense. Right, we saw him. We saw him stay 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:16.960 alive and convert a third down in a scrambled mode 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.679 for Aaron Rodgers, which also he got a touchdown against 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:23.280 San Francisco the previous week in a scramble mode situation, 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:26.800 so that's another good sign. And then he took a 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:29.720 receiver screen one of those quick outs, bounced off a 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:33.439 couple of tacklers, moved the chains and got some significant yardage. 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:36.960 The variety of plays that Mark quis Velde Scantling made 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:41.000 on just four receptions, that's something that I think the 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:43.800 Packers would like to build on and to see more 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.840 of here. Down the road and when if you're hoping 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:49.520 as you're hoping to get Alan Lazard back off of 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:52.040 injured reserve, this is something that could really be a 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.520 positive sign for this Packers receiving corps. And you just 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.000 see the swagger that he got after that seventy eight 0:08:57.040 --> 0:08:59.240 yard touchdown passed. You know they've been able to connect 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.079 on some of these d balls lately. And what was 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:03.200 the issue last year when he fell into his dul drums. 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:04.920 They just weren't on the same page with those and 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:07.640 some of the quieter moments this season is not on 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.720 the same page, but those are game breaking moments in 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:13.800 when the Jaguars are going to defend green Bay the 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.720 way they were going to defend him a lot of 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.320 eight man boxes. They talk about the cover three on 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.079 the back end, sort of three different guys covering their 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.280 part of the field. You have to be able to 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:26.160 create those big deep ball opportunities to really keep a 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:30.080 defense honest. Because I tip my cap to to Walsh 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:32.520 and everything that that the Jaguars did, it was a 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:35.320 good solid game plan, but Green Bay was able to 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:38.480 crack open those explosive games when they needed to. That's 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:41.480 the dimension Marcus Valdes Scantling ads and we're gonna have 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:44.120 to see what this week holds for Alan Lazard. He'd 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:47.319 practiced for basically two straight weeks and then last Friday 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:49.400 did not. It does sound like he's still going to 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:51.880 be activated on Wednesday, which is the end of his 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.960 twenty one day period to do so. But man, if 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:57.280 they can get a healthy Alan Lazard on the field, 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:01.120 the ways in which Green Bay can you who's Marquez 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:05.319 Velde Scantling and be able to keep defenses and secondaries 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.240 you know, a little bit nervous, a little bit of 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:09.800 you know, turning in their bellies about where this guy 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:12.240 is going to be. My goodness, does that set up 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:14.360 well for them, especially with some of these Dome teams 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:17.160 coming up. Well, one thing we hadn't seen obviously, we've 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:21.280 seen Valda Scantling catch those deep balls and take the 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:25.040 top off the defense. But as I mentioned, those shallow crosses. 0:10:25.080 --> 0:10:27.640 He dropped a couple of those this year. But his 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:32.800 speed is dangerous in those situations. And finally, you know, 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:36.160 in the worst of conditions, ironically, where it would be 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:40.040 the most difficult to actually execute that play, they do 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:42.439 get it executed, and it turns into a thirty one 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:46.280 yard game. You start, you start using his speed horizontally 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:48.520 like that, and you start to scare a defense a 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.400 little bit too, because because it is difficult to defend 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.480 sideline to sideline with a guy like that. So I 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:56.840 just I think that's a really positive sign here for 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:59.360 the Packers. And I will just say this as well, 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.679 as you mentioned, the twenty one day window for Alan 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:06.679 Lazard to practice with the roster exemption is expiring this week. 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.120 If the Packers do indeed put him on the active roster, 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.760 just so everybody knows, that doesn't necessarily mean he's going 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:18.000 to play right away on Sunday against Indianapolis. But if 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:20.240 the Packers don't want him on injured reserve for the 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:22.440 rest of the season, they have to activate and they 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:24.400 have to put him on the fifty three this week 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:27.360 to have him available at any point the rest of 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.079 the way. So I just we'll see. I think Alan Lazard, 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:32.360 from what we're hearing, is close to coming back. I 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:34.280 just don't want everybody to think that as soon as 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.600 he's on the three, oh, that means he's playing. We 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:38.760 don't know that for sure. Yeah. And the thing is 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:41.240 too is there's so much added flexibility this year with 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:43.840 the practice one. I mean you saw it. It's Saturday 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:47.640 and Sunday. The Packers elevated four players between the two 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.800 COVID nineteen replacements and the other two that they're allowed. 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:54.040 Jowan Winfrey was up from the practice squad in that 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:57.040 game actually played seven offensive snaps for green Day at receiver. 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:00.640 So yeah, again, in the past it's almost been a 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:03.440 situation where you got your fifty three. That's the way 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:05.960 it's got to be. This year, with all the different 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.320 changes in maneuvering that teams have been allowed to do, 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:10.440 it gives the Packers a little bit more buffer. They're 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.319 depending on exactly when al Lazard is going to be 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:15.760 clear to play. Yeah, alrighty, Well, before I forget here, 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.800 West will take care of some sponsored business. Serious x 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:23.360 M NFL Radio channel is the only radio outlet dedicated 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:26.320 to the National Football League seven days a week, three 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:29.920 hundred sixty five days a year and year up. Four 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:33.120 game day folks open a Packers checking account from Associated 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.960 Bank and score a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:41.080 Lauren Moore at Associated bank dot com backslash Packers all right, 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:44.400 well as I mentioned at the top of the show, 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:46.920 the Packers are seven and two. They actually now have 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:50.679 a three game lead in the lost column on the 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:54.160 rest of the NFC North because Minnesota went into Soldier 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:57.520 Field in Chicago and beat the Bears on Monday Night football, 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.360 so Green Bay is seven into The Bears are five 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.800 and five. They now have their bye week. The Minnesota 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:06.160 Vikings and Detroit Lions are both four and five, so 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.720 the Packers have two losses. Everyone else in the division 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:11.320 has five. And I don't like to talk about this 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:13.440 too much because there are seven games to go, but yes, 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:16.400 if you like to get into the entire NFC playoff picture, 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:19.560 if the season ended today, the Packers would be the 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:22.880 number one seed in the NFC. Because of the Seattle 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.560 Seahawks losing and falling to six and three, Packers are 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.560 tied with New Orleans right now, seven and two top 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:33.200 the NFC. But first, your thoughts on the NFC North 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:36.160 and the Monday Night football game, which it sounds like 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:39.280 you got bored and gave up and decided to play 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:44.120 some video games. And it was I admit I watched 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.480 the whole I watched the whole game, but it was 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:49.839 not the most exciting Monday Night football. I mean, come on, man, 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.920 the Bears. The Bears had one first down in the 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:57.199 second half until the last twenty seconds of the fourth quarter. 0:13:57.280 --> 0:14:01.960 I mean, the the ineptitude of the offense. I just honestly, 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:05.200 I you know, it's hard for me to say this 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:08.240 in some respects because I know Bears fans can be obnoxious, 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.160 but I honestly feel bad for Bears fan. One of 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.880 my best friends is a tried and true Bears fan. 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:16.920 We were texting during the game on Monday night. I 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:19.440 honestly feel bad for Bears fans having to watch that 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.560 offense that is that is just it's absolutely it just 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.640 makes you makes you ill watching a team struggle that 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:28.160 much to just move the football. Yeah. My my brother 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:31.000 in law, Mike, actually is a huge Bears fan. Grew 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:33.200 up in that area and his you know, his family's 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.880 from that area. He he sent me a meme which was, 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:38.880 I don't Jason Momoa. Do you know him at all? 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:40.920 And I think I think he's Aquaman. He was also 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:43.640 engaged thrones. Okay, guy, okay. He was one of the 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.080 I believe it was the Super Bowl commercials this past year. 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:48.600 One of the big popular ones. He's a big, hulking guy, 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:50.560 and then they also did this one where he's walking 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:52.320 through his house and he's taking all of his muscles 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:54.200 off and he ends up being like the slender dude. 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.200 He had sent me a meme which is the version 0:14:57.280 --> 0:15:00.400 of Jason Momo where he's like really like, you know, 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.400 pulked out. That's the Bears defense, and then the other 0:15:03.520 --> 0:15:06.520 version was the Bears offense. So Mike, that made me smile. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:10.520 But the thing I can't get over, Mike, you can 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:12.560 you can talk about the quarterback until you're blue in 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:15.360 the face, and it sounds like Mitchell Robinski very well 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:19.360 might end up being the guy again. But think about 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:21.880 all the years where the Bears are really strong contenders, 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:24.800 what do they have? They had a ground game critical 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:27.240 Patterson was their leading rush during this game. He rushed 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:31.080 for thirty yards. Now, I understand David Montgomery not playing 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:34.560 and everything, and Tera Cohen's hurt as well, but it's 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:37.280 just it's so unlike them, and I just feel like 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:39.720 when you don't actually establish the running game and you 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.360 are making life so difficult on your quarterback, I don't 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:44.520 care if it's fulls. I don't care if it's Jim Miller, 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:46.640 I don't care if it's Shane Matthews, I don't care 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.800 who it is. You're you're you're making life difficult. And 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:51.640 the reason why this game ended up kind of being 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:55.200 sort of a dud on my end is defensively, the 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:58.440 Bears are great. They have a really strong defense. Dalvin 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:00.720 Cook carry the ball thirty times, didn't get a hundred 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:03.760 yards as long as carry was fifteen yards fourteen yards. 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.560 I mean, the Bears defense can compete that. That's a 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:09.720 defense that they could win, you know, win some games with. 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:12.600 But offensively that that defense, that defense can clamp down 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:14.880 on anybody, there's no doubt about. But offensively, they're just 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:16.720 not getting it right now. And it led to uh 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.480 a really long night in which I finally decided, you 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:23.600 know what that Nintendo switches calling me yeah, and I'm 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:25.280 gonna have a little bit of fun. Well, I mean, 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.280 the Packers found out. The Packers found out a couple 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.080 of things similar to the Bears in terms of facing 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:35.120 that Vikings defense, where if Mike zimmer is going to 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.400 play his two safeties back, if he's going to play 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:40.360 cover two, if you can't run the ball against that 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:44.280 you're you're dead in the water against Minnesota, and the 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:48.240 Packers were struggling to run the ball. The Bears flat 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.160 out could not run the ball at all. Obviously, the 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:54.440 Packers were missing Aaron Jones in that game at Lamborfield 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.120 a couple of weeks ago. But then compounding that for 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:00.000 the Bears, they couldn't run the football against the two 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:03.280 high safety look and they had absolutely no answers for 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.520 the Vikings blitz. Anytime that Zimmer dialed up a blitz. 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:09.280 Nick Foles was completely helpless back there he had. They 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:14.080 had no answers whatsoever. And Cordorrell Patterson running the second 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.679 half kickoff back for a touchdown gave the Bears the 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:18.520 lead and gave them a chance to win this game 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:20.760 and actually kept them in it all the way to 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:23.760 the end because the offense. The offense did absolutely nothing 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.720 and they couldn't even get in position for a Hail 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.919 Mary triad at at the end of the game. But 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:31.760 that being said, so the Packers have a three game 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.480 lead in the lost column. On the rest of the division, 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:37.800 the other really interesting developed well, a couple of interesting 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:40.480 developments here. As I mentioned, the New Orleans Saints also 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:43.360 seven and two along with the Packers, but they're now 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:48.320 dealing with a significant injury situation with quarterbacks degrees and 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.720 my goodness, you hope that breeze is okay. It sounds 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:54.480 like now it's been the last couple of games combined 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.800 that have created the ribs. The lungs was last week. 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:02.280 I mean, so um, when you say punctured lung, Mike, 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:05.320 I just I just immediately start grabbing my side. I get, 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:08.280 I get. You can't. I can't even I can't even imagine. 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:12.240 So the Saints dealing with significant injury at quarterback, and 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.360 then at the same time in the NFC West, you 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:19.639 have the Rams having beaten the Seahawks, and the Cardinals 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:23.280 went out a Hail Mary against the Buffalo Bills, a 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:26.320 great matchup between Kyler Murray and Josh Allen. Like we 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:27.960 had talked about last week. You knew that was going 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:30.000 to be a great game, and it turned out to 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:33.640 be the best finish of any game in the NFL. 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:36.840 But now you have the Cardinals, the Seahawks, the Rams 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:40.080 all tied at six and three atop the NFC West, 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:43.399 and the Cardinals and Seahawks get their rematch on Thursday 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:45.760 Night Football here in just a couple of days. So 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:48.919 a lot of really interesting things happening here in the 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.160 NFC as the second half of the schedule gets underway. 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:54.159 You mentioned to me when we were discussing, you know, 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:56.480 and we can get into this a different time, but 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:59.000 you know, like the m v P type candidacy for 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.400 Aaron Rodgers and the fact that these next few weeks 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:03.480 we're gonna learn a lot about him and this Packers 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.879 offense with Indianapolis, Chicago and honestly even Philadelphia has no 0:19:07.960 --> 0:19:10.840 slouch either after that, and certainly those are gonna be 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:12.719 big markers for him. But I feel like right now 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:15.320 Russell Wilson is in the middle of that. The fact 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.680 that he already has ten interceptions right now. I understand 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:20.080 he's been carrying them a lot of ways through this season. 0:19:20.440 --> 0:19:22.520 Running game has been just a carouself for them with 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:26.440 all their injuries there, But uh, that's very uncharacteristic of him, 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:28.320 and I think that's probably more of an indication of 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:30.360 the situations he's been put in and trying to make 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.720 some things happen that might not be there. The Cardinals, man, 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:35.520 I'll say it every single week on the show. There 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:38.440 for real Uh, they took some big hits to their defense, 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:41.680 but offensively, with Kyler Murray running those controls, they're a 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.280 legit threat and they're going to give every single team 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:46.560 in the West problems. And if they get into the postseason, 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:49.240 it's going to give NFC offensive and defensive coaches a 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.320 lot to think about. Yeah, I'll say this about the 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:54.400 NFC West because a lot of attention on Russell Wilson 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:56.520 and Kyler Murray and what those guys are doing, and 0:19:56.640 --> 0:20:01.560 rightfully so, But that Los Angeles Rams deef ense that is, 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:05.200 you know, and I know the San Francisco forty Niners 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:08.359 have had their injury issues on defense, that Rams defense 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:11.320 is by far the best defense in the NFC West. 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:14.080 And the fact that they got the win over Seattle, 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.479 they still have one more game with the Seahawks, they 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:19.840 have both games with the Cardinals. The Rams keep playing 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:22.880 defense like that and then you know, stay efficient enough 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:26.239