WEBVTT - #557 Packers Unscripted: Taking care of business 0:00:10.720 --> 0:00:14.600 Hi, everybody, Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.680 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by my 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:21.000 trusted colleague Weston Hodkowitz, were coming to you here from 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:24.880 our studio at lambeau Field and West. The Packers coming 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.560 off of a thirty five to twenty road victory down 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:31.760 in Houston over the Texans. I kind of call this 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:34.960 a taking care of business type of victory because you 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.400 knew the Packers were the better team, but yet you 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:40.320 knew Houston they had played a lot of really good teams. 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:42.199 You weren't really quite sure what you're going to get 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:45.320 out of the Texans. But the Packers got on the 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:48.280 board early, took control of this game and really never 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:50.240 let up. Well, and it's the thing that you point 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:54.080 out there too, it's the national football. Yeah, you never 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:55.880 know what can happen in a given week. Just look 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:59.080 at the Seattle Arizona game. Every these games have to 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:00.720 be won and lost, have to go out there and 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:02.680 actually do it on the field, and Green Bay did that. 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:05.680 I know it wasn't the picture perfect performance I'm sure 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:08.840 Matt Mflour and his guys wanted, but offensively, they came 0:01:08.840 --> 0:01:10.760 out and set the tone right away, which is what 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.240 they needed to do after how things ended last week. Defensively, 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:16.479 they're still trying to get those turnovers going. They did 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:19.360 get one late, but they started the game with three stops. 0:01:19.640 --> 0:01:22.119 You know, some three and outs to begin to begin with. 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.400 You're leading twenty one to nothing at halftime. It just 0:01:25.520 --> 0:01:28.520 felt like at at every interval after green Bay scored 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.080 for the sixth straight series to begin the game, it 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:32.880 just felt like green Bay was in control and the 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:36.920 Packers stayed there. Yeah quickly. Here wes serious x M. 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:40.720 NFL Radio Channel eight is the only radio outlet dedicated 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:43.520 to the National Football League seven days a week, three 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:46.920 sixty five days a year. On the offensive side, here 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.680 west a few takeaways for the Packers from this game. 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:53.680 Number One Davante Adams has his second monster game of 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:57.920 the season in his second full or sorry, third full 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:01.720 game of the season. Thirteen catches a hundred ninety six 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:04.760 yards two touchdowns. He comes up four yards shy of 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:07.400 the first two hundred yard receiving game for the Packers 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:12.240 since that was Jordie Nelson. Of course. Jamal Williams steps 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:14.760 in for Aaron Jones. Jones misses the game with a 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:18.040 caff injury. Williams just goes out and does his thing. 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:20.840 A hundred and fourteen yards from scrimmage, seventy seven on 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:25.000 the ground, thirty seven receiving punches in the clinching touchdown 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:27.400 late in the fourth quarter. And then the other thing, 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:30.720 also injury related. On the offensive line, Billy Turner flips 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:32.880 over from right tackle the left tackle to fill in 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:35.919 for David Baktieri. Rick Wagner comes off the bench to 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.799 take turner spot at right tackle, and the offensive line 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:42.280 frankly doesn't miss a beat. Lots of really good developments. 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:46.040 As you said, not entirely clean, there were. There was 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:47.959 the stretch of three and ounce there in the second 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:50.360 half where things were stalling and sputtering and you weren't 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:52.519 sure what was going on. But at the end of 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.360 the day, missing a couple of really really big time 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:58.520 offensive players, Packers put thirty five points on the board. 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:00.880 They did, Mike, And the thing I love the most 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.160 about this performance from Green Bay as you go into Friday, 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:07.320 you and I we we were doing unscripted last Thursday. 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:09.000 We thought we had an idea of what this game 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.000 was gonna look like. Heck, we did final thoughts on Friday, 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:13.840 thinking we had an idea of what this game was 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:16.160 gonna look like. I thought this was a game where 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.880 Aaron Jones really had to have a big day, and 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.959 lo and behold, because of a calf tweak there, Aaron 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:24.480 Jones doesn't even end up playing in this So on 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:28.480 basically forty eight hours, notice you gotta run with Jamal Williams, 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:31.880 and boy did he run. I mean this, I thought 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:35.680 really epitomized his value to this team and exactly why 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:37.680 I've always been so high on him as a player. 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:40.320 Was there a seventy five yard run that ended up 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:43.560 on Sports Center? No, But the thing is is that 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:47.280 he's so darn consistent. Nineteen carries seventy seven yards, four 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:50.160 catches thirty seven yards. He gets that touchdown at the 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:52.280 end of the game that you asked him about on Monday, 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:55.000 what it felt like to get back in there. And 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:58.880 he's a good pass protector, He's reliable this game. Once 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:01.320 it was known that Jamal excuse me that Aaron Jones 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:04.480 wasn't gonna play, it had Jamal Williams written all over it. 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:07.400 In your right, Davante Adams had a magnificent performance, but 0:04:07.920 --> 0:04:10.280 I just thought it was another good reminder for a 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:12.960 guy that has really been underrated through his entire career 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.560 in Green Bay of what that player presents and what 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:18.320 he provides to this offense. Yeah, no question about it. 0:04:18.400 --> 0:04:21.400 And after, you know, admittedly a rough week on offense 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.279 down in Tampa, the Packers got things back into gear 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:28.039 and really it's it started with Davante Adams right from 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:30.479 the right from the opening drive, a couple of short 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:33.400 passes to Adams, one of those being for the touchdown. 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.599 But then late in the first quarter, I guess you'd 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.080 call it a go route back shoulder type of throw 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:43.320 down the sideline that Adams admitted he didn't even see 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:45.080 the ball until it was right on top of him 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:48.279 because of the the lights, uh, you know, in the 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:51.800 the indoor stadium down there in Houston. But he makes 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:54.159 a twenty eight yard catch on a third down to 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:57.159 uh to move the chains, and that was really the 0:04:57.200 --> 0:05:00.120 one that's that sort of started this big explosive a 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:02.919 for Davante Adams. He follows it up with a thirty 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:05.880 six yard catch I believe, later on that drive. Then 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:08.640 he gets the forty five yard touchdown early in the 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:13.159 fourth quarter. The Houston Texans decided to try to play 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.880 single high safety and they didn't always shade that safety 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:20.000 over to Davante adams side. And when that was happening, 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:23.280 Aaron Rodgers was going to call the route and call 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:25.840 the play to let Davanta Adams make a play. And 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.120 they made the Texans pay every single time. Yeah, And 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:30.840 that was the part of it that really was the 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:34.240 most quizzical to me is that the Texans really were 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:37.760 pretty committed to that. And when you don't have Aaron Jones, 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:40.280 I actually expected that we might start seeing more too 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:43.360 high safety looks and more shading over to Davante's coverage. 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:47.280 They didn't do that. Now, maybe that sometimes if you're 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:50.200 a boxer, right, you got your punches, you have your strengths, 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:52.040 and that's what you roll with in a in a fight. 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.160 You're not going to try to become somebody or not. 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:57.039 But I was kind of blown away. I mean, three 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.720 catches on the first original series, he had to touchdown 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:02.400 to end the first series, and then he gets the 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:05.560 twenty eight yarder on the sideline, which was a magnificent 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:09.159 pass and catch, and Vernon Hargreaves had phenomenal coverage on 0:06:09.200 --> 0:06:12.799 that play, and then two plays later you got Adam 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.680 streaking across the middle for thirty six. They just had 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.880 no answer for him. And as I wrote an insider 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:24.440 inbox for Tuesday, Mike, we're witnessing greatness now with Davante Adams. 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:27.479 This isn't just a Pro Bowl receiver. This guy should 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:31.039 be an All Pro I mean he's he's arguably and 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:34.520 I think very quickly making you know, the best receiver 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:38.760 that I've covered on this beat. Uh. He has athleticism, 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:40.920 he knows how to run the entire rout tree. He 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:45.320 has you know, unwavering confidence with in in you know, 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:48.320 being on that same page with Aaron Rodgers, he just 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:50.719 brings it all. And then, by the way, with the 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.040 Packers dealing with the injuries that they're dealing with right 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:56.680 now at the skilled positions, everybody knew Davante Adams was 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:58.039 going to get the ball in this game and the 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.480 Texans couldn't do anything about it. Uh. Aaron Rodgers has 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:04.440 said many times, he said it publicly, he said it 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:06.479 to me in interviews I've done with him for the 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:10.520 Packers year book and and other settings. No disrespect to 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.600 any of the great receivers that he has played with 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:17.440 Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb. The list 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:22.320 goes on, But Davante Adams has the most raw, pure 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:25.520 athletic talent of any of those guys. All those guys 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:27.720 have produced is you know not You're not gonna It's 0:07:27.760 --> 0:07:30.800 not about comparing the stats. Aaron Rodgers says, when it 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:35.040 comes to pure talent on the football field, Davantae Adams 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:37.680 is the best guy he's played with. And I know 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:40.880 a lot of fans they worry sometimes of all, well, 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:43.040 Rodgers is trying to force the ball to Adams, and 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:44.880 you know that was the big question with the pick 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.559 six down in Tampa on the third down and all that. Well, 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.640 there's a reason you're you're maybe you're gonna take some 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:52.720 good with some bad there. But there's a reason that 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:54.920 Aaron Rodgers is going to feed the ball to Davanta 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:58.040 Adams because when he's out there, he's the best guy 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:00.760 on the field, playing and simple. There's no one that 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:05.800 compares to him. And yes, the Packers have solid running 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.560 backs and Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams, but this passing 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.600 game is about number seventeen and if he stays healthy 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.440 and can avoid You know, he's had these injuries the 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:17.080 last couple of years that have kept him out for 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:19.680 two three games here there. If he can avoid that 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.480 kind of stuff, this offense can still find another gear. 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.360 I really believe that. Well. And it's funny too. You 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:26.280 bring up the whole thing about Rogers saying that this 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:29.240 is the most physically talented guy he's had. He's told 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.360 his old receivers this. I mean, James Jones is recounting 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:34.520 this story to me and some of the other guys 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:36.720 on the Packers pregame show a couple of weeks ago. 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.040 I mean, he sat down in the off season for 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.000 lunch with Rodgers, and Rogers said, yeah, this is the 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:43.920 best receiver I've ever played with. He told James Jones this, 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.520 and I don't think you can deny it. I mean, 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:51.080 the way in which he plays the position is exceptional 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:53.480 to begin with. He has all the tools and all 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:56.000 the mental capacity to handle that and play at a 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.360 high level. But for how many people dogged him for 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.640 his athletic says him coming out of Fresno State and 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:03.679 just weren't really sure what this guy was gonna be 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.679 because he wasn't at like one of these big SEC 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:08.959 type programs. Well, and people wonder to coming out of college. 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:12.160 He put up these huge numbers with with car as 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:14.840 his quarterback. But people wondered was that was this just 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.080 a product of the system this you know, the spread, 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:20.120 the spread offense, Fresno State chuck it all over the place. Well, 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.000 Davante Adams prew when he got into you know, his 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:26.120 his third fourth seasons here in the NFL. He proved 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:28.760 he is a big, big time player. And I hate 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:30.959 that analogy because you're absolutely right, that's something that gets 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:32.480 thrown out time and time again. What are they a 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:34.959 product of the system? I got to work today, It's 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.240 a product of my car getting me here. It just 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:40.240 happens that way, right, But you have to be able 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:41.840 to catch the ball. You have to be able to 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:44.480 make the most of those opportunities. And he had an 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:48.440 historic run at Fresno State and basically two years and 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.320 he was able to be the player that he became. 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:53.080 So yeah, for Davante Adams, I wrote about it again 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:55.440 an inbox where I think right now, despite missing these 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:58.040 first these last two games because of that hamstring, he's 0:09:58.040 --> 0:10:00.760 still on pace for over a hundred catches fifth, hundred yards, 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.400 fourteen touchdowns. He's he's in a different planet right now, 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:06.360 and it's gonna be fun if he could stay healthy here, 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:08.280 It's gonna be fun to see what the season can become. 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:10.679 Gotta give a quick hat tip to Tom Fanning to 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:13.800 I know he gave credit to Elias because they actually 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:17.280 are the ones that confirm the stat But three core 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:21.040 three receivers in NFL history have had two games in 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.440 a season where they had at least thirteen catches, at 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:27.719 least a hundred fifty receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Davante 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:31.960 Adams is among them. And the Packers still have eleven 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.120 more games to play this season, ten more games that 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:37.920 played the season. Well, we need to shift gears to 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:39.560 the defensive side of the ball. I want to do 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.440 that quickly here, but gear up for game day. Packers 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:45.960 fans open a Packers checking account from Associated Bank and 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:48.920 score a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. Learn 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:53.040 more at Associated bank dot com. Backslash Packers. All right, 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.360 defensively for Green Bay in this game, West, you mentioned 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.720 it was twenty one nothing at halftime. Packers are pitching 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:02.080 a shutout. At the midway point, the Texans end up 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:05.559 scoring twenty points, the last touchdown kind of in garbage time, 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:07.520 you could say, because the Packers were up by three 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:09.800 scores with you know, less than three minutes to go. 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:17.000 Three things defensively that I took away from this game. One, 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:21.440 we saw Preston Smith have his most impactful game of 0:11:21.480 --> 0:11:23.760 the season. And I'm not just talking about the fourth 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:26.640 and one stop, which was a big play and a 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:29.320 really really strong individual play by him. With the Shawn 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.960 Watson running kind of an option there on fourth and 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:35.800 one at midfield, Preston Smith held his ground, got ahold 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:38.080 of Watson, made the tackle. But there were other plays 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:42.600 where Preston Smith is in the backfield getting pressure, creating 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.800 some potential tackle tackles for loss in the running game. 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:50.240 I really thought his Uh, we're seeing his game get 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.760 back to where it was a year ago. The second 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:59.240 point was the red zone stops on defense, And because 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:01.240 I had I had meant and that late last week 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:05.880 both on this show the Final Thoughts video, Packers haven't 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:08.400 been where they were last year in terms of red 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:12.800 zone stops on defense, and they got two of them 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.760 in the second half when there were some moments there 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:20.200 where the Houston Texans were potentially generating momentum for a 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:22.360 big comeback. They got a block punt in there. The 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.760 Packers offense was stalling out everything else, but the Packers 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:29.120 hold them to two field goals into red zone possessions 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.760 and that kept things as a as a multi score 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:35.959 lead for Green Bay. And then the other thing I'll 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:41.960 say is that this defense, they continue to find guys 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:47.360 here and there too chip in that you just wonder, Okay, 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.920 what's their role, what's their potential role going to be 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.360 down the road. We see Darnell Savage missed this game, 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:55.600 Raven Green ended up going out of the game. We 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.160 see late in the game, Vernon Scott and Henry Black, 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:00.960 a couple of rookies, a seventh round pick, an undrafted rookie. 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:04.600 They're making plays on the defensive side. Kamal Martin makes 0:13:04.640 --> 0:13:08.640 his NFL debut, the rookie, fifth round draft pick linebacker 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.120 out of Minnesota. He sure looks like he's earning going 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.960 to earn more snaps here as time goes on. My 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.840 point is this Green Bay Packers defense is far from 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:24.080 a finished product. In we're seeing, we're seeing different faces 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:26.559 jumping in and yes, Kevin King has missed the last 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:28.720 couple of games. They certainly want him back. You certainly 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.120 want Darnell Savage back. But we're seeing an evolution here 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.640 with what's going on with this Packers defense. And I 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:37.080 thought there were some really positive signs on Sunday, so 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.079 many things that you pointed out there, and I agree 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.360 with all of them. I mean, first starters. Just to 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:44.960 do a quick hat tip to to Preston Smith, this 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:48.360 is this game is more than sacks. It's more than pressures. 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:50.160 There's still going to be a game this season where 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:51.760 he has two and a half sacks and and it 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:54.240 really shows up and he ends up being in the 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:57.160 NFC Defensive Player of the Week thing that those things happen. Yeah, 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.640 I agree, But you also need games like this because 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:01.679 as you mentioned, yeah, it was the fourth and one stop, 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:03.400 but it was also how he was able to flush 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.560 DeShawn Watson earlier in that game and then that led 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.760 to Chris Barnes's first career sack. Uh. You you have 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.160 to be able to to play throughout a full game 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.400 and not just be all about Okay, did I get 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:15.640 a sack and I get a quarterback hit. There's other 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.960 ways to impact the game. But the bigger issue that 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.920 you brought up there, and it happened with with Kamal 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:26.400 Martin in particular. You talk about building towards something. I 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:29.520 feel like this defensive front and with having Kamal Martin 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:33.640 back now, is building towards something. Certainly, Deshaun Watson leaked 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:35.760 out and kind of changed the some of the stats 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:38.960 on the rushing yards, but David Johnson only had forty 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:41.520 two rushing yards. Duke Johnson wasn't able to do anything 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:44.840 and from the backfield as a runner either, and that 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.240 was a testament too. I think Kenny Clark getting back 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:49.160 and he's still working his way back from the groin. 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.480 I thought Dean Lowery played better. I thought Kingsley Kiki 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:54.600 has been a really nice addition concerning they didn't have 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:57.280 Tyler Lancaster. I thought the front stepped up in this game, 0:14:57.720 --> 0:14:59.880 and you saw a young guy and Kamal Martin who 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:03.040 started this game as the run linebacker, the number two 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.960 linebacker that was basically just going to be in the base. Well, 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.280 then you have Chris Barnes leaving with the shoulder injury. 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:10.160 Barnes leaves on the first play of the second half. 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.040 He already had eight tackles and then a couple, you know, 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.200 a series or two later. Kamal Martin is now the 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:19.760 solo linebacker, the key communicator of the defense, and he 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:21.640 was up for it. I think he has a lot 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:24.400 of explosiveness to his game. He made some big thumping 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.720 plays in this game. The defensive front, in the inside 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:31.360 linebacker position is such a pivotal role in NFL defenses 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.080 and there has to be a marriage between the two 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:35.800 of them. And I thought for Kamal Martin coming out 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.680 and it being his NFL debut, his first football game 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:41.360 in eleven months, if you go back to his injury 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:45.400 at Minnesota, was a really encouraging start for him. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.760 We've we've seen we've seen over the course of the 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:51.880 season so far, as brief as it's been. You know, 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:54.360 we see Chris Barnes, an undrafted guy out of U 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.400 c l A, come in and hopefully he can, you know, 0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:00.520 get some of his injury issues straightened out and beyond 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:02.840 the field more. Camal Martin now is is back from 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.320 the knee injury that knocked him out during training camp. 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:08.800 Came back, got a couple of weeks of practice in 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:14.640 got himself out there on the field and this defensive backfield. Yeah, 0:16:14.880 --> 0:16:17.680 you I mean to be missing quite Frankly, West, I 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:21.360 mean to be missing two of your four starters in 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:26.720 the secondary in King and Savage, and to have this 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:31.320 receiving core of Will Fuller, Brandon Cooks, Randall Cobb. I mean, yes, 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:33.560 they made some catches and at the end of the day, 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:35.960 Deshaun Watson ended up with over three d yards. As 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:38.040 they said, there were a chunk of those that were, 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.760 you know, really in garbage time after the game was decided. 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.960 But um, but this Packers secondary held up just fine 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:48.720 against a pretty decent receiving corps and a pretty decent quarterback. 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.040 They're proving they've got some depth on this defensive roster 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:55.040 and I think it's going to pay dividends down the road. Well, 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:58.880 and Mike, what is Mike Patton's favorite defensive package. It's 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:03.160 really that hybrid six defensive back nickel that they run 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.119 so often now with an extra safety as kind of 0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:11.200 playing an inside line. So the first quarter of this game, 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:15.000 that spot is Raven green in it's Chris Barnes. They 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.360 finished this game without either player, so that meant it 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:21.280 required you know, you saw Vernon Scott come off the bench. 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:23.840 I'll tell you something right now, folks, I watched him 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.800 during training camp. I'm not a scout. Brian Goodkin say, 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.840 isn't asking for my opinion on any of these guys. 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:33.240 Vernon Scott can play. He has some speed to him, 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:36.600 he has great size for safety. He's going to factor 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:38.760 into this thing here sooner than later. I think they 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:42.360 found something in this TCU safety. And then he got 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:47.880 Henry Black practice squad elevation on Saturday, basically because they 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:49.840 were going to be down Darnell Savage, They're gonna have 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:53.400 some other injuries. He plays late, has two solo tackles 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:55.560 and six snaps and then he forces the fumble at 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:58.480 the end, pops the thing up like it was almost 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:00.280 like one of those pops like the second ace, the 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:02.640 fielder's choice. That was like a carnival game, the way 0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:07.000 that if that happens in mad and you're like, well, 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:09.800 what a glitch, But in then age your names comes 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:12.800 down with it. It's it was garbage time, but it 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:15.560 also came after an onside recovery. The Packers needed to 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:17.400 seal this thing. They need to put the final nail 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.040 on the coffin and he did that. I just was 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.040 really impressed, and I'll say it to Josh Jackson. I 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:25.840 thought had a much better performance in this game. He 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.479 played well in the first half the previous week against 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.280 Tampa Bay. Some things win against him, and he came 0:18:31.280 --> 0:18:34.959 back and played well in that boundary spot opposite Jaire Alexander. 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:39.080 And just to close the point on this, JR. Alexander's 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:41.880 turning into a special player, Mike. He's twenty three years old. 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.920 He still has a lot ahead of him. But as 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:48.439 I wrote an inbox on Tuesday, he's kind of turning 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:50.600 into sort of one of those Durell Rivas types where 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:52.119 it's like, Okay, you're not going to see him have 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:56.000 five six interceptions, but a game like this, Deshaun Watson 0:18:56.040 --> 0:18:58.160 barely ever even looked over at him when Will Fuller 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:00.320 was covering up. Yeah, he had Deshaun wats and had 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:04.280 no interest in looking at Gire Alexander's side of the field. 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:07.440 I went through the defensive film yesterday, coming back coming 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.600 back into work after after all of the game coverage 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:14.480 on Sunday, and yeah, I mean there's there's a mixture 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:18.080 of Alexander playing press, playing off he's actually playing more 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:21.280 off coverage than press in this particular game. But there's 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:24.600 no there's no one static way that you know that 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:27.480 that Petton makes the calls and that Alexander goes about 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:29.920 it as as the number one corner. Watson just had 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:32.360 no interest in even and even looking there and even 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:34.720 wanting to challenge him. Then when he did late in 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:36.600 the game on the ball over the middle and the 0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:38.520 back of the end zone, Alexander gets his arm in 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:41.040 there and rips it out, So you know, Fuller ends 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:42.879 up getting the touchdown on the next play against a 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.560 different type of coverage. But those are the types when 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.200 when when the play is there, Alexander is making him 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.960 making them and he's not getting challenged all that much 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:54.320 by quarterbacks because they're they're just not interested in taking 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:56.800 that chance. And he's a different type of corner though too, 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.080 because for so many years it really was that press 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:02.879 man style. Jerry Alexander's is a darn good zone cornerback 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.560 and he's dangerous because of how quickly he can collapse 0:20:05.600 --> 0:20:08.119 when the balls go in his direction. That's what kind 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:09.920