WEBVTT - #815 Packers Unscripted: Difficulty in Detroit 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.320 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:22.560 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:24.920 by my trusted colleague West Honkoitz. We're coming to you 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:29.640 Hear from our studios at Lambeaufield to review last Thursday's 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:32.839 trip to Detroit and unfortunately WES had ended in a 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:36.600 disappointing thirty four to thirty one loss to the Lions 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:40.800 at Ford Field, a walkoff loss field goal thirty five 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:44.199 yardfield goal on the last play of the game. I 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:48.360 would characterize this as a disappointing loss, but by no 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:51.199 means a discouraging loss. When I look at where the 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:53.120 Green Bay Packers are, would you agree with that? 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:57.040 Yeah, I and any other year Packers went up against 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.880 the best team in the NFC and maybe they'd still 0:00:59.880 --> 0:01:02.720 be their division, maybe they'd be second their division. Unfortunately, 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:05.400 we know what the North is this year. So that 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:07.840 was the hard part about it. When you realize that 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:09.880 the Packers now are nine to four and they've lost 0:01:09.880 --> 0:01:13.760 to statistically in the standings the three top teams in 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:18.000 this conference in Philly, Minnesota and now Detroit twice. Green 0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:20.440 Bay played a lot better in this game than they 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:23.320 did the game at Lambeufield a month ago. I thought 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:25.760 you saw some of the corrections that they needed to make. 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:29.839 They made those. The problem was, though, as we've seen 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:32.840 time and time again, Detroit is one of the most 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.800 consistent teams in the National Football League in terms of 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:38.399 executing what they are looking to do on the field. 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:42.480 They run the ball efficiently, they don't take negative yardage plays. 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.360 The more comfortable that Jared Goff gets, the less that 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:49.160 it's on his shoulders to kind of play hero ball. 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:54.280 The better that this team plays indefensively, I absolutely tip 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:56.840 my cap to them because for as a defensive front 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:58.840 that was as beat up as they were going into 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:02.880 this thing. The Lions, I thought, really brought it to 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:05.880 Green Bay and the trenches in this game. So there 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.920 were a lot of positives, there were some areas for improvements, 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.680 some negatives. But at the end of the day, and 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:13.720 we'll talk about this later in the week with Seattle 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:19.000 and what's coming at this loss to the Lions. As 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:22.720 long as Green Bay channels did it appropriately against Seattle, 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:26.600 against New Orleans, against Minnesota and then Chicago, I mean, 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:28.880 this could be something that really helps propel you into 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:30.520 the playoffs. They just need to make sure it doesn't 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:32.960 snowball the opposite way because green Bay played them really tough. 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:36.480 Yeah, I thought so too, And I want to do 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:39.520 the I'm gonna call it the reverse dom Capers here. 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:41.359 Oh yeah, Pepers always used to go to Let's start 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:44.280 with the negatives, start with the positives. Okay, there are 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:46.720 positives to talk about from this game, and I want 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:49.240 to get to those, but I want to do those 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:51.840 later because I want to start with the regrets, because 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:55.440 there are a lot of regrets for the Packers. You 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:58.560 mentioned Detroit's banged up defense and how they kind of 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.120 took it to green Bay, especially in the game. The 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.600 slow start on offense in a game that turned out 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:07.120 to be turned into a shootout, right frankly offensively, the 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:10.799 slow start going punt punt fumble on the first three possessions, 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:15.960 especially when that second possession was starting near midfield, when 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.880 the defense for Green Bay had gotten a stop of 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.880 the Lions deep in their territory. So you get good 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:24.120 field position on your second drive of the game, down 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:25.919 seven to nothing, but you don't do anything with it. 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.920 Then you punt, and then the fumble occurs at the 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.560 end of an explosive catch and run by Christian Watson, 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:34.440 a gain of twenty yards. You're across midfield, but he 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:36.640 doesn't protect the football. It comes out and the Lions 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:38.520 get it back. They turn that into a field goal, 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.920 so you've gone punt punt fumble and you're down ten 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:46.200 to nothing. So the slow start there a very big regret. Obviously, 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:50.080 fourth downs another regret in this game. The Lions end 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:52.560 up converting four out of five on fourth downs. Two 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:55.000 of those are fourth and goals that turn into touchdowns, 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:59.440 and then obviously the fourth and one call at the end, 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:02.560 which allows them to then run the clock out before 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.440 they kicked the field goal, so the Packers don't get 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:08.400 the ball back, and really that was kind of the 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:13.800 culmination the biggest regret for me defensively in this game 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:16.520 for Green Bay. You know, you're not going to just 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:19.360 shut down the Lions. They're too good, right, They're going 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:22.479 to make plays, They're going to get points. What was 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:25.480 really the regret defensively in this game for Green Bay 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:31.039 was the last two drives. Because the defense had gotten 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:35.080 an interception and a fourth down stop back to back 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:39.440 in the second half. The Packers offensively turned both of 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:43.119 those into touchdowns, which really kind of you know, changed 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.960 the whole complexion of the game. But then Detroit's last 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:51.000 two drives they were just slowly methodically grinding the clock. 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:54.000 They get a touchdown, and then they kill the last 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:55.920 three and a half minutes to kick a field goal. 0:04:56.680 --> 0:05:00.560 Those are the regrets that stay out to me. And 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:03.760 then of course you have the the offensive pass interference 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:05.880 in the red zone, which the Packers only end up 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:07.640 getting the field goal that ties the game instead of 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:10.599 a touchdown to take the lead. All of those fall 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:14.200 in the regret category. I'll let you expound on any 0:05:14.320 --> 0:05:15.800 or all of them if you wish. 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:19.240 Yeah, I kind of feel like Aaron Rodgers here is 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:22.400 like okay, like you're asking them them like I'm I 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:24.440 threw a whole lot at you. No, No, it's not 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.000 even that. It's just when you say, expounded what I want, 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:29.680 there's so much to expond upon. You touched on a 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.279 lot of it there. Let me just start off with 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:35.960 this what happened on those last two series. Green Bay 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:37.880 needs to get stops, no question about it. You can't 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:40.000 let them leak down the field the way they did. Absolutely, 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.360 But that is this is what Detroit does seventy six 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:46.880 offensive plays thirty six minutes a time of possession. They 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.440 wear on you, they lean on you, they play physically, 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:52.080 and then they just try to sort of push you 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:54.839 over over the course of a sixty minute game. Not 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:56.520 to say that that's what they did at the end. 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:59.240 I think green Bay was competitive from beginning, middle and end. 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:02.719 But it just shows you when you apply that type 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:07.159 of pressure what the Lions are able to achieve. And 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.640 this was one game, Mike. For as many regrettable moments 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.040 as there were for green Bay, Detroit had a fair 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:14.919 amount of them. The interception that Jared Goff has that 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:18.320 turns into a Keishawn Nixon pick, his first pick of 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:21.360 the year, that leads to points them deciding to go 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:25.080 for it on fourth and one. I believe it was, 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:27.880 or maybe fourth to two at their own thirty one 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:30.760 yard line while they're leading twenty four to twenty one. 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.839 I mean, that's a controversial decision in the third quarter, 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:37.040 and all the other ones, the fourth downs, I agreed 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:39.240 with all of them. And you had to read this 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:40.880 when I wrote this an inbox, I'd be curious to 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.159 see your thoughts on it. Matt Lafleur's point about a 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.600 week or two ago about the red zone and when 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:48.799 you're passing deep in the red zone, either the play 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:52.280 is there or it's not. You're going off schedule. The 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:54.719 bang Bank nature of it is what ended up happening 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:57.000 at the end of the first half, and then obviously 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:00.640 the one that they converted late, and credit Jared Goff. 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:02.680 He was decisive, they were effective in what they were 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:05.880 trying to run, and to me, in addition to the 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.880 final two defensive stands, that was the difference. If Green 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:10.360 Bay keeps them out of the end zone and one 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:12.720 or two of those instances, yeah, this thing maybe goes 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:14.679 a different direction. It certainly would have had a different 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:15.800 flavor going into halftime. 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.120 Yeah, when you talk about those fourth and goal plays, 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:21.480 the passes, those passes being there right away, I totally 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:24.280 agree with you there. One of the keys to that though, 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:26.520 is the balls on the two yard line or three 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.280 yard line in both of those instances, where when you 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:33.440 have Jamior Gibbs and David Montgomery defensively, you have to 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:36.080 be prepared for anything they might do. They might run it, 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.480 they might throw it. You know, it can be anything 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:41.840 which does make and the Lions know that you know, 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.840 obviously fourth and goal from the seven, if they decide 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.600 to go for that, you're going, okay, they're probably gonna 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:49.760 throw the ball here right well, fourth and goal from 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:52.360 the two, you don't know. And and the Lions use 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:56.200 that to their advantage because because those running backs are 0:07:56.240 --> 0:08:01.560 so tough and are capable of of pounding those balls 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:03.800 in from the goal line. The Packers actually did a 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:07.160 really good job stopping the other than the very first 0:08:07.160 --> 0:08:09.679 one at the beginning of the game, stopping those guys 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:12.560 from getting the rushing guests. They made Jared Goff throw 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:16.360 the ball into the end zone. But unfortunately they unfortunately 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:19.480 they weren't able to stop those It was really it 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.520 was really disappointing to see on the second fourth and 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:26.720 goal where they scored in the second half, that the 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:28.720 Lions came out of the huddle and kind of quick 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:31.480 snapped on the Packers and the defense wasn't set and 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:35.319 wasn't ready right. That's the kind of thing that can't 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.679 happen in a crucial situation like that. And and you know, 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.360 it's not like the Lions been do and hurry up 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:43.480 stuff and this and that throughout the game. It's like boom, 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:45.120 they just you know, they came out of the huddle 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:46.880 and they're like they rush up to the line and 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.520 snapped the ball, and you know they caught the Packers 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:52.079 to you have to give them credit. And if you're 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.240 the Packers, you have to say that that can't happen. 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.840 You have to be ready for the Lions to try 0:08:56.880 --> 0:09:01.400 something different at any moment, and and they just they 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:04.560 That's how Detroit stays a step ahead of opponents most 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:05.040 of the time. 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.719 And kudos to Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson on this too, 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:09.679 because green Bay, if you look at the film this year, 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:11.320 Mic and all these teams do when they're playing them, 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:14.120 green Bay has been extraordinary in goal to go against 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:16.440 the run this season. How many times has it been 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:18.560 where the Packers have actually gotten off the field there 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.760 or they found a way to turn over the football. 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:25.160 It happened again in this thing, and it happened primarily 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.280 because teams are trying to run against them and they're 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:30.760 not having success. Detroit made the right correction. They tried 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:32.640 to sneak it, they tried to run it, they tried everything, 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:34.600 and then finally they go back to the pass. They 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:36.640 trust their quarterback to make the right lead and he 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.280 achieves that. The disappointing thing for me is that Detroit 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:42.880 finishes this game, Michael, even with an a'man Ross Saint 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:46.199 Brown ten yard run, thirty four carries for one hundred 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.199 and eleven yards three point three yards per carry. Jamiir 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:53.320 Gibbs had forty three yards on fifteen carries. That's the 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:57.080 number three in the fan voting for the Pro Bowl 0:09:57.160 --> 0:10:00.360 right now. Forty three yards on fifteen carries, and one 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.280 of those went for twenty yards. Green Bay helped them 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:04.640 in check a lot of the ways you have to 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.560 hold them in check. But the difficult thing about facing 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:10.079 the Detroit Lions is even if you keep them in 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.439 third and moderate, there's a chance they're still going to 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:14.720 go for it on fourth down. And when you stretch 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:17.280 out four plays like that while trying to get ten yards, 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:20.760 I mean, it's an aggressive mentality. We'll see whether or 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:22.679 not it's good enough to win a Super Bowl, yeah, 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.040 but certainly it's something that keeps you on edge the 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.719 entire time. And in this case, you know, obviously it 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:29.040 was probably the difference in the game. It was my 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:30.040 key to key to the game. 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:32.839 So yeah, I agree, and that's where I wanted to 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:35.160 start with the positives in this game for Green Bay 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.640 because as much as you look at thirty four points 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:40.959 on the scoreboard, that's not what you're looking for defensively, obviously, 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:44.280 But I thought the Packers run defense, by and large, 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:48.000 was pretty darn good against maybe the best one to 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.120 two punch at running back in the league, certainly the 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.200 best one to two punch at running back the Packers 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:55.080 have faced. Yeah, this season in Montgomery and Gibbs, you 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:57.200 were throwing out some of the numbers. I went through 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:00.640 a few other numbers looking at specifically Montgomery and Gibbs. 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:04.800 Twenty nine carries between those two guys, and they didn't 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:07.960 have one hundred yards ninety four twenty nine for ninety four. 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.199 You will take that. I mean, credit to the Lions. 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:14.080 They stick with the run because they make you honor it. 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.520 And that is what helps out Jared Goff so much, 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:18.880 is because you do have to invest so much in 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.800 stopping the run. But those twenty nine carries between those 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:27.440 two backs, only five of them, Only five of those 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.200 twenty nine went for more than four yards. I mean, 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:32.959 twenty four out of twenty nine rushes by those two 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:35.400 running backs, the Packers held them to four yards or less. 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:40.560 That I think has been the most positive sign for 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.439 this defense moving forward. And as the Packers hit the 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:45.360 stretch run here and we're going to and again on 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:48.120 our next show, we'll talk about Seattle and what they're 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:51.560 doing with their running game, But the Packers' run defense 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:53.920 has been pretty darn good, and I think, I think 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:57.080 if that's something, and you know, Packers are banged up 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.520 now in the secondary, the injuries to Evan Williams and 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.120 Javon Bullered, and we'll see how this all shakes out 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.719 here the final month of the regular season, But if 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:08.040 the Packers can hang their hat on some solid run defense, 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:11.240 then you kind of you make the adjustments the rest 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.720 of the way, right with everything else that you have 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:17.640 to do. I thought, I thought green Bay's run defense 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:18.800 was darn good in this game. 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:22.360 So it's a catch twenty two kind of situation here 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:24.720 because I thought green Bay almost sort of pushed Detroit 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.320 out of the run, but it forced them to sort 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:31.080 of synthesize that production with their screen game, which they 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:33.760 did do eleven catches for the two running backs between them, 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:35.720 So in one way, you look at that as almost 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:37.040 a little bit of a feather in the cap that 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:38.679 it's like, Okay, they had to find a different way 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:42.719 to generate early down yardage. But you still when you 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:44.520 look at what green Bay did the two games going 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:46.319 into this, and I don't remember the exact stats, but 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.520 I think it was thirty carries for eighty three yards. 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.520 In the two previous games, Packers hadn't had a stretch 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.280 like that. I think only two stretches like that since 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:57.680 like nineteen fifty where they had back to back games 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:00.280 where they held teams in check that much. Yeah, without 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:04.040 allowing a rushing touchdown. Sure, so that's that is a 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:07.640 positive and I draw a lot from that. I think conversely, 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:09.640 green Bay had their own struggles trying to get the 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:13.200 run game going, but this game again proved that even 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:16.480 if things aren't blocked up perfectly, Josh Jacobs is gonna 0:13:16.480 --> 0:13:19.720 make you right. My key to victory for this game, Mike, 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:22.679 was the Packers need to run the ball better than 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:26.760 Detroit did. They didn't technically do that when you look 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:28.280 at the total yardage when you look at some of 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:32.280 those things, But again, I will look at Josh Jacobs 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:34.160 and what he has done and the way he has 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:37.360 been able to really make that running game and own 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.920 it and make that his own goes over a thousand 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:42.480 yards for the season. Now has eight rushing touchdowns in 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:44.560 his last four games, a streak that we have not 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:49.160 seen outside of Aaron Jones. This guy is legitimate, and 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:52.120 I just think when Green Bay is gonna be if 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.920 you can keep him healthy, get to the postseason with him. 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:57.560 I mean, I think number eight is going to do 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:03.600 some real damage. So run defense, run offense. Things did 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:05.520 you can correct on both sides of those things. But 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:08.920 the more and more I watched Josh Jacobs Mike and 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:10.360 I know I went on kind of my own little 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.960 tangent there. I just green Bay struggled for so long. 0:14:15.160 --> 0:14:17.040 And this goes back to McCarthy era. It's not even 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.640 just on Matt Lafleurke. Sure, they struggled so long on 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:21.680 goal to go situations and what do you do when 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:23.600 you're at the two or three yard line. You know, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.800 John Cohn used to take some of those handoffs, and 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:27.680 they tried to, you know, other running backs that aren't 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:28.760 always successful with it. 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:30.560 And we saw for a few years it just became 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:33.520 the DeVante Adams show that Aaron Rodgers to DeVante Adams. 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:35.720 That's how when the Packers got inside the five, that 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.280 was you know, other than the one year, the one 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:42.640 year Aaron Jones had the sixteen rushing touchdowns, which I 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:46.040 believe was Matt Lafleur's first season. Jones had sixteen rushing 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:48.760 touchdowns that year. Other than that, it always felt like 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:51.040 it was just it was like either Adams was gonna 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:53.120 Adams was going to get the ball in goal to go, 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:55.160 or the Packers might be kicking a field goal. So 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:57.040 I totally get where you're coming from. 0:14:57.080 --> 0:14:59.040 Yeah, so I mean him having so Jacob's having a 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:02.360 three touchdown game, you know, and that's the hard part too. 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:04.080 You have you have Christian Watson where he has the 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:06.800 early fumble, but kind of like his game last year 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:09.840 against the Lions, I thought Christian Watson was really critical 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.440 of what green Bay did and if at the very least, 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:14.440 I mean we could talk about the OPI if you 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.600 want to, but the forty six yarder to start the 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:20.920 second half, I mean that was huge to be for 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:24.560 green Bay to get that play early on, get that score, 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:28.160 that response to how the first half ended, and it 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:29.760 nearly was enough to pull out this win. 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.320 That's what I was going to say with regard to Watson, 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:35.400 I wanted to point out that, you know, he did 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:38.440 everything he could to make up for at that early fit. 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:42.600 The four receptions for one hundred and fourteen yards, the 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:45.200 big one down the sideline early in the third quarter, 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:51.280 all of that, you know, Watson, Watson was the explosive play, 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:54.120 was the explosive play guy. We saw don Tavian Wicks 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:57.320 get involved again. Four catches forty nine yards. Romeo Dobbs 0:15:57.320 --> 0:15:59.960 missed this game, he was still in the was still 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:03.880 on the concussion protocol. So what Don Tavianooks was able 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:06.920 to contribute. We saw Tucker Craft again. He was doing 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.840 his Tucker Craft things. Three catches forty one yards, gets 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:13.600 the touchdown, the twenty one yard reception where he kind 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.480 of gets labeled there near the goal line, but does 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:19.720 the kip up and now he becomes, you know, a 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:24.040 social media hero and everything with Sean michaels I Love 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:27.000 West has a story on that on packers dot com. 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:28.680 By the way, for those who are interested in what 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:32.160 Tucker Craft had to say about all the attention that 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:33.160 that play has gotten. 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:37.680 This guy, man, I'm telling you, dude, like they're gonna 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.520 build statues for him if he plays long enough. I mean, 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.320 touchdowns are great. He has seven of them, leads the team. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.600 He's over five hundred receiving yards on the year. But 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.880 those type of plays his mentality. He said it to 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:52.560 Bill Hubert after the game, and then he was talking 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:54.200 with us in the locker room on Monday about it. 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:57.960 He did not want to let Jack Campbell, Kirby Joseph, 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:00.280 any of those guys get any type of jew any 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.280 type of momentum off that play for laying him out. 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:05.160 He wanted to do something that was going to tell 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.000 them I'm still here. And he got to his feet 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:10.439 quicker than Jack Campbell did. Those are the type of 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:12.760 ball players you want to have on your team. It's 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:15.200 not about what you say. It's not about throwing your 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:19.399 helmet at someone's kneecap. It is about how you respond 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:24.639 in moments in which physicality are warranted. Tucker Craft did that, 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.760 and this dude, man, I'm telling you, when you're talking 0:17:28.760 --> 0:17:33.520 about heartbeat players, heart and soul players, guys that you 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:35.919 want to ride with you want to have your identity 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.800 built around. It's Tucker Craft because he does it the 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.199 right way. He's not looking to go out there and 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:43.600 injure people. He's not going out there to try to 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:47.760 be somebody that is going to become this big quote afterwards. 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:49.720 He wants to go play football. He did it that 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:51.879 way in South Dakota. He's doing it that way in 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.640 Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is going to play the game 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:56.560 the right way. And I can't tell you how much 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:58.600 respect I had for him. And I got to say 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:00.960 this too before you we go is a different direction. 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:04.520 The way we handle our things. People that are frequent 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:08.960 watches of our shows, read our content, you're at the 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:13.280 postgame press conferences. I'm in the locker room. I need 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:19.200 to say this once. Christian Watson again proved why again 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:21.680 while you have a heart and soul player like Tucker Kraft, 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:25.720 the way Christian Watson handles himself and the emotions that 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:29.919 were felt after that game, the fumble, the OPI, he 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:34.240 stood at his locker, his visiting room locker, and talked 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:38.240 about how it's on him. It's not about the officials, 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:41.320 it's not about what happened in the game. It's up 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:45.280 to him. If Kirby Joseph steps up and stops and 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:50.280 basically sets a screen, He's got to find a way 0:18:50.280 --> 0:18:53.639 around it. If there's a fumble after a twenty yard catch, 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:55.480 he has to find a way to protect the ball better. 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:59.400 Christian Watson, Man, when you're building the culture of team, 0:18:59.400 --> 0:19:01.080 and I've said a newnumerous times this season, when you 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:03.520 been in diversity hits, that really shows the true character 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:06.480 of an individual. I wish my character was stronger. It's not, 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:10.280 I'm gonna be honest with you, but I think Christian 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:13.320 Watson embodies everything you wanted a professional football player, and 0:19:13.359 --> 0:19:15.040 that Mike is the end of my diet trip. 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:18.080 All right, Well, he is a true pro. I want 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:20.120 to make a couple more points on this. 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:21.639 Game, please do I just made twelve. 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:25.760 Move on, No, that's okay. Because I realized this as 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:27.760 I was kind of jotting down some notes that I 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:30.040 know we call this Packers unscripted, but I was jotting 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:32.240 down some notes for the show and I didn't realize 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:36.800 it until this moment be talking about the Packers defense 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:38.960 and how I started that whole discussion by saying, Hey, 0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:40.639 the Lions are going to get their yards, They're going 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:44.080 to get their points. Right. The Packers' defense in this 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.760 game had back to back stops in the first half 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:50.800