WEBVTT - #761 Packers Unscripted: Headin’ down to Dallas

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<v Speaker 1>Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from

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<v Speaker 1>Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. He is the

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<v Speaker 1>one and only Weston Hodkowitz. We're coming to you, hear

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<v Speaker 1>from our studios at lambeau Field to talk Packers Cowboys.

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<v Speaker 1>It will be the NFC Wildcard playoff from AT and

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<v Speaker 1>T Stadium Sunday. It's a three thirty Central time kickoff.

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<v Speaker 1>And Wes you look at this Cowboys team in twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three, twelve and five, they win the NFC East

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<v Speaker 1>Championship and everybody talking, of course about that eight to

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<v Speaker 1>zero record at home. They've actually won sixteen straight home

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<v Speaker 1>games now. Their last loss at AT and T Stadium

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<v Speaker 1>was in Week one of last season to the Tampa

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<v Speaker 1>Bay Buccaneers and Dak Prescott having I guess what would

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<v Speaker 1>amount to a career year for him. He's the one.

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<v Speaker 1>He's the guy that makes this engine go for Dallas.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I wrote in our insider inbox, Colm, I mean

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<v Speaker 2>he is at the peak of his powers right now.

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<v Speaker 2>I think you're seeing a guy that for a number

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<v Speaker 2>of years showed a lot of promise. Obviously was a

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<v Speaker 2>franchise quarterback, a starting level quarterback. But this year leading

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<v Speaker 2>the National Football League in thirty six touchdown passes thrown

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<v Speaker 2>forty five hundred yards passing, and his utilization of all

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<v Speaker 2>those weapons around him, I think has really been a

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<v Speaker 2>difference maker. Dallas, pound for pound, is one of the

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<v Speaker 2>most complete football teams in this playoff. I mean when

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<v Speaker 2>you look at what they can do to you schematically

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<v Speaker 2>with their receivers. Tony Pollard is a very underrated running back.

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<v Speaker 2>I felt like he'd spend that way for a number

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<v Speaker 2>of years now, and as the Cowboys always do, the

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<v Speaker 2>years change, but their offensive line has always been stout

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<v Speaker 2>in my opinion of future Hall of Famer and Zach

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<v Speaker 2>Martin there at right guard. So many things to like

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<v Speaker 2>about Dallas, But at the controls is Dak Prescott and

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<v Speaker 2>he's getting the most out of that unit.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you mentioned leading the NFL in touchdown passes with

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<v Speaker 1>thirty six. That's actually the second highest total in his career.

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<v Speaker 1>He had thirty seven one other season. He has a

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<v Speaker 1>one oh five point nine passer rating, which is a

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<v Speaker 1>career high for him. And with those weapons. It starts

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<v Speaker 1>with Cede Lamb one hundred and thirty five catches, seventeen

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and forty nine yards twelve touchdowns. And then the

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<v Speaker 1>number two guy is the state of Wisconsin's most famous grandson, Ferguson,

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<v Speaker 1>with seventy one catches, seven hundred and sixty one yards

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<v Speaker 1>five touchdowns. Those two combined for twenty five hundred of

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<v Speaker 1>Zach Prescott's forty five hundred passing yards and seventeen of

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<v Speaker 1>his thirty six passing touchdowns. And I don't want to

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<v Speaker 1>take anything away from Ferguson, but when you watch the

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<v Speaker 1>Dallas Cowboys and the big highlights, it's ceede Lamb. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the this is the explosive weapon. This is the

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<v Speaker 1>guy that changes games, changes field position, puts points on

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<v Speaker 1>the board from anywhere on the field. And it's going

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<v Speaker 1>to be really, really interesting to see. You had mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>on our last show, Jayar Alexander coming back from the

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<v Speaker 1>suspension seem like his shoulder was healthy, the way he

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<v Speaker 1>was flying around on defense. This is the kind of

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<v Speaker 1>matchup that jay R Alexander lives for. And you gotta

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<v Speaker 1>believe that he's going to get a healthy dose of

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<v Speaker 1>ceed Lamb on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 2>After Yeah, I think the word I've been using all week,

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<v Speaker 2>or the phrase I've been using is as much as

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<v Speaker 2>schematically possible.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, to be lining up against Lamb.

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<v Speaker 2>I think in a lot of ways, Chicago was a

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<v Speaker 2>good preparation matchup opponent for Green Bay because Dallas is deeper.

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<v Speaker 2>But again, much like DJ Moore and the Bears, everything

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<v Speaker 2>runs through Lamb. I mean, you just don't roll out

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<v Speaker 2>of bed and wake up and have one hundred and

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<v Speaker 2>thirty five catches, seventy receiving yards and double.

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<v Speaker 3>Digit touchdowns, right.

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<v Speaker 2>The guy does it in all different kinds of capacities,

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<v Speaker 2>and he can make every catch, he can run every

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<v Speaker 2>route on the tree, and the bond that he's developed

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<v Speaker 2>over the last three years with Dak Prescott is outer

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<v Speaker 2>worldly and everything else builds off of that. I think

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<v Speaker 2>you touched on Jake Ferguson. You know, just a blue collar,

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<v Speaker 2>ready made Wisconsin football player that has gotten to Dallas

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<v Speaker 2>and has taken his game to another level and has

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<v Speaker 2>been able to sustain it.

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<v Speaker 1>Guy can work the middle of the field and move

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<v Speaker 1>the chains like he's He's not Travis Kelcey or George Kittle,

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<v Speaker 1>but he's getting there.

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<v Speaker 3>He gives them what they need.

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<v Speaker 2>And Dalton Schultz was the guy there for years and

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<v Speaker 2>They've had a lot of name brand tight ends. But

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<v Speaker 2>I think over the last you know, two seasons, we've

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<v Speaker 2>seen this, this kind of morphing of the passing game

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<v Speaker 2>and how Ferguson has sort of turned into one of

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<v Speaker 2>those go tos for them. Michael Gallup has dealt with

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<v Speaker 2>some injuries in the past, has had some things.

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<v Speaker 3>But as dangerous.

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<v Speaker 2>Brandon Cooks is a guy that has done it at

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<v Speaker 2>such a high level. The list goes on and on

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<v Speaker 2>and on with this Dallas passing game, and because there

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<v Speaker 2>is so much variance there, I think it's allowed Mike

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<v Speaker 2>McCarthy to really open this thing up with him taking

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<v Speaker 2>back the play calling. This year, there has been no

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, they are fifth right now in total offensive yards.

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<v Speaker 2>They are the highest scoring offense in the National Football

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<v Speaker 2>the almost five hundred and fifty points scored this year.

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<v Speaker 2>It is not a easy equation to solve, especially inside

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<v Speaker 2>that stadium. But Mike, getting back to the original premise

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<v Speaker 2>of your question, in these moments, you want your best

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<v Speaker 2>on their best. Yeah, And to me, jyr Alexander is

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<v Speaker 2>still very.

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<v Speaker 3>Much the best.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. When you when as you said, you look at

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<v Speaker 1>the whole picture of this Dallas offense, like, oh, by

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<v Speaker 1>the way, Tony Pollard has a thousand rushing yards and

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<v Speaker 1>six touchdowns. And I know, a thousand yards maybe isn't

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<v Speaker 1>what it was before now that there are seventeen games

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<v Speaker 1>in the regular season, et cetera. But when the NFL

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<v Speaker 1>is the passing league that it is, it still means

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<v Speaker 1>something for a running back to get to a thousand yards.

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<v Speaker 1>And Pollard has done that on a team that you

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<v Speaker 1>know where you know, there's only one football and there's

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<v Speaker 1>a bunch of guys that that crave that ball. And

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<v Speaker 1>the other thing statistically, I'll mention too, that stands out

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<v Speaker 1>to me about this Dallas offense. And I meant this,

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<v Speaker 1>I believe. In one of the earlier Insider Inbox columns

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<v Speaker 1>this week, the Cowboys scored five hundred and nine points

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<v Speaker 1>this year, two hundred and ninety six. So if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to go round numbers three hundred out of five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred points in the first half, Yeah, these guys will

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<v Speaker 1>jump on you and make you play from behind. That's

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<v Speaker 1>what they like to do, especially at home. When you

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<v Speaker 1>look at the scores of their home games at AT

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<v Speaker 1>and T Stadium.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, and just to quickly mention that peace on Pollard there,

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<v Speaker 2>because you're right, a thousand rushing yards. This offense is

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<v Speaker 2>different though than it was in the early days of

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<v Speaker 2>DAK when it was.

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<v Speaker 1>The when it was zekeke Elly's show.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Pollard has a thousand rushing yards, Mike, as a team,

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<v Speaker 2>they almost have two thousand though, because of how they

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<v Speaker 2>can use a guy like CD Lamb in that, because

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<v Speaker 2>of some of the multi dimensionality of Dak's Prescott's game,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's what keeps a team honest, that's what allows

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<v Speaker 2>you to open up some of those explosive opportunities. But

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<v Speaker 2>dan Quinn, and I'm sure we'll pivot here to the

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<v Speaker 2>defense shortly, but dan Quinn is one of the most brilliant,

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<v Speaker 2>even handed coordinators in the National Football League and it's

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<v Speaker 2>been that way for decade. But the thing about it is,

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<v Speaker 2>as Matt Lafleuur talked about, based on their relationship in Atlanta,

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<v Speaker 2>his defense has evolved. And again, when you look at

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<v Speaker 2>what Green Bay has done well this season defensively, it's

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<v Speaker 2>been when they've been staked to a lead and the

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<v Speaker 2>defense can play with that. The defense can shut teams down.

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<v Speaker 2>When you get into the red zone, you can kind

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<v Speaker 2>of move your chest pieces a little bit more. Quinn

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<v Speaker 2>is a master at that, and that's why again, this

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<v Speaker 2>McCarthy offense and Quinn defense, they've together have been able

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<v Speaker 2>to play off each other really.

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<v Speaker 3>Well this season.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's a good point you bring up about Green

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<v Speaker 1>Bay's defense, because when you look at the twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>three season, there were really only two games for me

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<v Speaker 1>that come to mind where the Packers gave the Packers

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<v Speaker 1>gave their own defense a lead and it got away,

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<v Speaker 1>And it was early in the season in Atlanta and

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<v Speaker 1>then late in the season in Carolina. But otherwise, when

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<v Speaker 1>the Packers have built a lead offensively, the Packers defense

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<v Speaker 1>has come right along and been able to been able

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<v Speaker 1>to hold it in there. With regard to Dallas defense,

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<v Speaker 1>the two guys, of course that get a lot of attention.

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<v Speaker 1>Micah Parsons fourteen sacks. I believe Matt Lafleur called him

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<v Speaker 1>a freak show accurate in his press conference. A guy

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<v Speaker 1>who he lines up all over. He will rush the

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<v Speaker 1>passer from anywhere. He's not a bad cover guy either

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<v Speaker 1>when they decide to drop him into coverage. But he's

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<v Speaker 1>so disruptive and so valuable as a pass rusher. He's

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<v Speaker 1>almost always, you know, more often than not, certainly getting

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<v Speaker 1>after the quarterback. And then the other guys you know,

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<v Speaker 1>oh yeah, the Cowboys lose Trayvon Diggs, last year's you know,

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<v Speaker 1>league leader in interceptions part way through the season. This year,

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<v Speaker 1>they lose him for the rest of the year. And

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<v Speaker 1>then all Deron Bland does is go out and get

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<v Speaker 1>nine interceptions set an NFL record with five of those

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<v Speaker 1>returned for touchdowns this season. Parsons in Bland are the

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<v Speaker 1>guys that you have to know where they are on

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<v Speaker 1>the field, and those are the guys who are the

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<v Speaker 1>ultra ultra high impact guys on this Cowboys well.

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<v Speaker 2>And there's one guy who lit not be overlooking him,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's Rashid Walker. Who've seen Michaeh Parsons. He spent

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<v Speaker 2>that time with him at Penn State, and I just

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<v Speaker 2>had a lot of glowing things to say about him

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<v Speaker 2>in the way the type of pro that he's developed

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<v Speaker 2>into since he's gotten to Dallas. The thing I love

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<v Speaker 2>about Parsons is that it's that he is the hybrid

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<v Speaker 2>pass rusher. It was the way he was built coming

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<v Speaker 2>out of school. He's going to be able to do

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<v Speaker 2>everything for you. And again I'm just going to read

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<v Speaker 2>off these stats because they're incredible. He has sixty four tackles,

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<v Speaker 2>he has thirty three quarterback hits. Fourteen sacks, but thirty

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<v Speaker 2>three quarterback hits. Some teams don't have thirty three quarterback

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<v Speaker 2>hits for a season. I mean, like, just a remarkable

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<v Speaker 2>amount of output. That he's had those sackyards, totally one

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<v Speaker 2>hundred and fifteen tackles for lost eighteen and is also

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<v Speaker 2>forced to fumble.

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<v Speaker 3>But to look at what.

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<v Speaker 2>They do with him is the brilliance in that defense.

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<v Speaker 2>The fact that you can't just pinpoint him to one spot.

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<v Speaker 2>He's going to move around, and I think that makes

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<v Speaker 2>the pass rushers around him even better. I have been

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<v Speaker 2>so incredibly press by Deron Bland, though, because I'll tell

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<v Speaker 2>you this, Michael. Whether it's the Al Harris effect, whatever

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<v Speaker 2>it is, the ballhawking abilities of these Dallas defensive backs

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<v Speaker 2>over the last few years have just been extraordinary. In

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<v Speaker 2>this day and age, now, quarterbacks are starting to lessen

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<v Speaker 2>up a little bit. You're seeing a few more interceptions

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<v Speaker 2>than you did per se five years ago, when Aaron

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<v Speaker 2>Rodgers was sort of setting the standard of Hey don't

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<v Speaker 2>turn over the ball at all. Guys are taking a

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<v Speaker 2>few more chances, but it's still really rare to see

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<v Speaker 2>a guy above that five interception threshold. Bland met that

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<v Speaker 2>just with the touchdowns to be able to get to

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<v Speaker 2>that plateau, right and then adding on the rest, this

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<v Speaker 2>is a defense, and you made a great point when

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<v Speaker 2>we did our three Things video on Wednesday. Their offense

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<v Speaker 2>protects the ball, the defense takes the ball away. That's

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<v Speaker 2>the bruprint. That's how you win football games in the

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<v Speaker 2>National Football League, and it's something that Mike McCarthy and

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<v Speaker 2>his team have done really well this season. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely, with regard to the three Things video. I looked

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<v Speaker 1>it up. The leg low this year in giveaways on

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<v Speaker 1>offense was fourteen. Amazingly, that was the Houston Texans with

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<v Speaker 1>a rookie quarterback. They were the league low and fourteen giveaways.

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<v Speaker 1>The Cowboys only had sixteen. The Packers only had eighteen.

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<v Speaker 1>So both the Cowboys and the Packers protected the football

0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:20.640
<v Speaker 1>pretty well. From the Packers' point of view. When you

0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.920
<v Speaker 1>look at this Cowboys defense and the way they've taken

0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:26.760
<v Speaker 1>it away, you cannot stress enough how important it'll be

0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:30.120
<v Speaker 1>to protect the football in this game. We don't talk

0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:33.240
<v Speaker 1>much when we do these previews and looking at the opponent.

0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:36.360
<v Speaker 1>We don't spend much time on the special teams on

0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:38.200
<v Speaker 1>the other side. But there are a couple things that

0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.000
<v Speaker 1>are worth mentioning here before we get to our keys

0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:45.120
<v Speaker 1>to victory. Yeah, we will get too shortly. The Dallas

0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:48.360
<v Speaker 1>Cowboys this year have blocked two punts, so the Packers

0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.679
<v Speaker 1>need to be on their p's and ques with regard

0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.679
<v Speaker 1>to punt protection. And I don't need to remind anybody

0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:58.720
<v Speaker 1>how punt protection submarined the Packers' last appearance in the playoffs.

0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:01.440
<v Speaker 1>Will leave it at that. The other interesting thing with

0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:04.920
<v Speaker 1>regard to the Cowboys special teams is this rookie kicker,

0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:09.679
<v Speaker 1>Brandon Aubrey. He's a twenty eight year old rookie. He

0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:12.800
<v Speaker 1>was a soccer star at Notre Dame and then went

0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:14.280
<v Speaker 1>into professional soccer.

0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:15.160
<v Speaker 3>He played the MLS.

0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.040
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, played professional soccer when he came out of Notre Dame.

0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:20.679
<v Speaker 1>I think he came out of Notre Dame in like

0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:22.920
<v Speaker 1>twenty sixteen or something. As I said, he's twenty eight

0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.440
<v Speaker 1>years old. He's a rookie in the NFL. He had

0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:30.080
<v Speaker 1>gotten into football playing for the Birmingham squad in the USFL.

0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:35.600
<v Speaker 1>The Cowboys found him, brought him in, and prior to

0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:39.560
<v Speaker 1>last week against the Washington Commanders, he was thirty five

0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:43.040
<v Speaker 1>for thirty five on field goals on the season. Last

0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.520
<v Speaker 1>week he had one blocked and then he also missed

0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:48.600
<v Speaker 1>one that was actually under forty yards, his first two

0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:52.120
<v Speaker 1>field goal misses of the season. So he's thirty six

0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.679
<v Speaker 1>for thirty eight. But this is a guy who has

0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:57.559
<v Speaker 1>been He has been a weapon, and he has been

0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:01.960
<v Speaker 1>a consistent producer for a Cowboys offense that, as you mentioned,

0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:03.960
<v Speaker 1>is the highest scoring in the league this year.

0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:05.960
<v Speaker 2>So many points I want to make off of this.

0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.640
<v Speaker 2>The first one is John Fossil one of the best

0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.439
<v Speaker 2>in the business when it comes to special teams. And

0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:16.040
<v Speaker 2>I give so much credit to Jerry Jones, his personnel

0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.200
<v Speaker 2>department and Mike McCarthy. They thought outside the box this

0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:23.480
<v Speaker 2>season because basically, Mike, they got torpedoed from the playoffs

0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.920
<v Speaker 2>last year because of their kicking situation, and they had

0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:30.240
<v Speaker 2>to find an answer for it. They waited, They waited

0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:32.280
<v Speaker 2>a long time. They didn't go and sign a guy

0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:33.839
<v Speaker 2>on the first day of free agency. They didn't bring

0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:34.360
<v Speaker 2>in a veteran.

0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.600
<v Speaker 3>They thought they had to think a little bit.

0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:38.600
<v Speaker 2>Differently about how they wanted to approach this thing, and

0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:41.439
<v Speaker 2>obviously that bet has paid off. And to see a

0:13:41.480 --> 0:13:44.120
<v Speaker 2>guy like Aubrey come in and perform the way he

0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.559
<v Speaker 2>has again it shows you there are so many different

0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:49.560
<v Speaker 2>ways to go about this thing. The Green Bay Packers

0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:53.280
<v Speaker 2>they have a punter too that came from the development

0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:56.960
<v Speaker 2>leagues and sometimes especially at those specialist positions, Mike, there's

0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.920
<v Speaker 2>only thirty two of them. There aren't a lot of opportunities,

0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.040
<v Speaker 2>especially now with the COVID phase kind of ending. There

0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.600
<v Speaker 2>aren't a lot on the practice squads anymore. You have

0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:07.400
<v Speaker 2>to earn a job to keep a job in this league,

0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.480
<v Speaker 2>and obviously Aubrey has done that. I do need to

0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.559
<v Speaker 2>quickly touch on too, the Turpen kid, who I think

0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.520
<v Speaker 2>also might have come from one of those development leagues too,

0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.640
<v Speaker 2>if I remember correctly, their kickoff returner. He's only had

0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.200
<v Speaker 2>ten opportunities this year. He made a bunch of buzz

0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:23.600
<v Speaker 2>during training camp because he's five nine and one hundred

0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:26.600
<v Speaker 2>and fifty pounds right, but almost averaging thirty yards per

0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:30.440
<v Speaker 2>kickoff as well. They play good special teams and when

0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:33.120
<v Speaker 2>Mike McCarthy went down there and he brought Fossil in

0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:36.320
<v Speaker 2>as his special teams coordinator. They had that relationship already.

0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.120
<v Speaker 2>I think you've seen that really grow. And I think

0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:40.760
<v Speaker 2>he saw some of the things that went wrong in

0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:42.480
<v Speaker 2>Green Bay during his time here, and I think he's

0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.560
<v Speaker 2>kind of rectified them now that he's been in Dallas.

0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.600
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, both of these teams with a rookie kicker, obviously,

0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.560
<v Speaker 1>the Packers Andras Carlson. He's still working through some things,

0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:54.000
<v Speaker 1>trying to get to a level of consistency that it

0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:57.960
<v Speaker 1>appears Brandon Aubrey again, twenty eight years old, found it

0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:02.440
<v Speaker 1>right away when he came into the NFL. And special teams,

0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:04.400
<v Speaker 1>one way or another are going to be a factor

0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.680
<v Speaker 1>in this game. It certainly feels that way to me.

0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:10.200
<v Speaker 1>I'll take care of sponsor business here, Wes, and then

0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:14.120
<v Speaker 1>we'll get to our keys to victory. Serious XMNFL Radio

0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:16.880
<v Speaker 1>delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL

0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:20.720
<v Speaker 1>news that true football fanatics need twenty four to seven,

0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:23.880
<v Speaker 1>three sixty five. And at Cousin Subs, we have something

0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:26.840
<v Speaker 1>for everyone like our Wisconsin Cheese curds, mac and Cheese,

0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:29.480
<v Speaker 1>golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite

0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:33.120
<v Speaker 1>sub or sub in a bowl, cousin subs fifty years

0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:36.480
<v Speaker 1>of better. All right, Keys to victory here, Wes, I'm

0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:38.360
<v Speaker 1>gonna go I'm gonna start on this one and I'm

0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:40.840
<v Speaker 1>gonna go back to I think I mentioned it on

0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:42.680
<v Speaker 1>our last show. If I didn't, I know you and

0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.520
<v Speaker 1>I talked about it, perhaps with the microphones off. But

0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:49.400
<v Speaker 1>I see this game as one the way, with what

0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:51.960
<v Speaker 1>the Cowboys have done all year on offense, with where

0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:56.240
<v Speaker 1>the Packers currently are on offense over these last couple months,

0:15:56.760 --> 0:15:58.960
<v Speaker 1>I see this as a game where both offenses are

0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:02.440
<v Speaker 1>going to be able to move the football. And it

0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:04.720
<v Speaker 1>just feels to me like this is a game that

0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:08.200
<v Speaker 1>will be decided in the red zones. You have to

0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:10.760
<v Speaker 1>be the better team offensively in the red zone. You

0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:13.320
<v Speaker 1>have to be the better team defensively in the red zone.

0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:15.960
<v Speaker 1>It's going to come down to who can finish drives

0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:19.440
<v Speaker 1>and whose defense might be able to stop a drive

0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:21.560
<v Speaker 1>and force a field goal. That is that difference of

0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:26.440
<v Speaker 1>four points here four points there on the scoreboard. I

0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:29.840
<v Speaker 1>think this is a red zone, you know, do or

0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:31.360
<v Speaker 1>die type type of game.

0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:33.720
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And for me, it all goes back to the

0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.000
<v Speaker 2>original premise that we open the show with, and it's

0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:40.000
<v Speaker 2>Dak Prescott. It's pressuring him, it's turning over the football,

0:16:40.400 --> 0:16:43.720
<v Speaker 2>and it's being able to get those takeaways that maybe

0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:46.880
<v Speaker 2>haven't always been there. This season when playing the Dallas Cowboys,

0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:49.640
<v Speaker 2>one interesting thing I've noticed with them when you look

0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:54.360
<v Speaker 2>at their season so far eighteen game seventeen games over

0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:57.960
<v Speaker 2>eighteen weeks, only four times has he been held underneath

0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:02.800
<v Speaker 2>a ninety passer rating. They've lost three of those. When

0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:05.800
<v Speaker 2>you're able to get in completions, when you're able to

0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.760
<v Speaker 2>get him in third and lungs, and obviously being able

0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:08.760
<v Speaker 2>to get interceptions.

0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.840
<v Speaker 3>That has been a huge key in catalyst to this thing.

0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:16.960
<v Speaker 2>And the tangent that builds off of that is Ceedee Lamb.

0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:19.960
<v Speaker 2>Now there isn't as many convenient stats with him. He's

0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:22.280
<v Speaker 2>had big games where they've lost, he's had games where

0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:24.959
<v Speaker 2>he hasn't really contributed that they've won. But if he

0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:27.800
<v Speaker 2>goes off Michael, the job for the Green bit Packers

0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:31.560
<v Speaker 2>gets exponentially more difficult. So containing those two I think

0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:34.119
<v Speaker 2>is the biggest part. As you said, they're going to

0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:36.880
<v Speaker 2>get yards, it's making sure that those yards don't turn

0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:39.119
<v Speaker 2>into points, and in addition to the red zone, one

0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:40.760
<v Speaker 2>of the best ways to do that is getting the

0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:42.280
<v Speaker 2>football back in your quarterback's hands.

0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:44.560
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and I think the other thing that goes along

0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:47.000
<v Speaker 1>with that, with regard to Prescott and Lamb in this

0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:52.960
<v Speaker 1>offense is the explosives, because we talk all the time

0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:56.199
<v Speaker 1>about how does a defense respond after it gives up

0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.720
<v Speaker 1>an explosive play. They can be really hard to bounce

0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.120
<v Speaker 1>back from there, especially hard to bounce back from when

0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:04.960
<v Speaker 1>you're on the road when that explosive play happens and

0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:09.159
<v Speaker 1>the crowd starts going crazy and suddenly it just feels

0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.880
<v Speaker 1>like everything is against you, and all of that momentum,

0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:15.000
<v Speaker 1>you know, for the home team is moving along and

0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:19.080
<v Speaker 1>it becomes very difficult to get stops trying to limit

0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:23.199
<v Speaker 1>those explosive plays and make the Cowboys, you know, earn it.

0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:25.200
<v Speaker 1>By moving the chains down the field is going to

0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:28.840
<v Speaker 1>give you more opportunities to get the stops that are

0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.120
<v Speaker 1>going to force field goals as opposed to giving them

0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:33.960
<v Speaker 1>those those opportunities to get into the end zone. I

0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:39.840
<v Speaker 1>mentioned obviously the turnover thing already. I think this game

0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:44.520
<v Speaker 1>also if somebody commits a turnover one turnover in this

0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.960
<v Speaker 1>game could be the difference. And as I mentioned on

0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:50.160
<v Speaker 1>our three Things video, the Packers kind of got away

0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:53.080
<v Speaker 1>with being that one team last week that committed a

0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:55.480
<v Speaker 1>turnover against the Bears that was the only turnover in

0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:57.840
<v Speaker 1>the game. The Packers were able to overcome it. It's

0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.680
<v Speaker 1>going to be a lot harder to overcome that type

0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:02.080
<v Speaker 1>of mistake in this game.

0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:04.440
<v Speaker 2>And that's why it brings me to my last point here,

0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:09.120
<v Speaker 2>and that's just play free. Don't play careless, but play free. Yeah.

0:19:09.119 --> 0:19:11.400
<v Speaker 2>I mean, I don't want to use that expression about

0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:13.560
<v Speaker 2>playing with house money, but you did sneak your way

0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:14.320
<v Speaker 2>into the playoffs.

0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:14.479
<v Speaker 1>Here.

0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:17.399
<v Speaker 2>You are the seventh seed. Probably people are counting you

0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:19.840
<v Speaker 2>out a little bit, especially considering you're playing Dallas on

0:19:19.920 --> 0:19:23.560
<v Speaker 2>their turf. It's turf, get your grammar right West. The

0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:26.640
<v Speaker 2>fact is that with the green Bay Packers, when they

0:19:26.680 --> 0:19:29.520
<v Speaker 2>get into that rhythm we talk about the Dallas Cowboys

0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:31.440
<v Speaker 2>putting up points early in the first half, When Green

0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:33.840
<v Speaker 2>Bay puts up points early, when they can kind of

0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:36.879
<v Speaker 2>get the snowball going a little bit, that's when this

0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:39.640
<v Speaker 2>team is at its best. I really enjoyed what aj

0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:41.879
<v Speaker 2>Dillon said at his locker. When he was addressing the

0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.840
<v Speaker 2>media on Wednesday, he said, Hey, listen, we still have

0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:47.239
<v Speaker 2>a goal of winning the Super Bowl. This wasn't just hey,

0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:49.560
<v Speaker 2>we made the playoffs. Thanks, we'll see you later. You'll

0:19:49.560 --> 0:19:52.600
<v Speaker 2>take your door prize and head home. No, they have

0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:54.720
<v Speaker 2>big goals. They have a mission. There's an idea in

0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:56.119
<v Speaker 2>the back of their minds that we knew what this

0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:58.000
<v Speaker 2>quarterback was and we knew what we could do this

0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:01.520
<v Speaker 2>season right off the gate, even if others didn't. This

0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:03.840
<v Speaker 2>is their opportunity now to go up against a Dallas

0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:06.240
<v Speaker 2>team with the weight of the worlds on their shoulders,

0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:09.320
<v Speaker 2>with the expectations on their shoulders, with some stuff in

0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:12.120
<v Speaker 2>the media already about hey, what does this all mean

0:20:12.119 --> 0:20:14.080
<v Speaker 2>for Mike McCarthy if they you know, if they go

0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:16.520
<v Speaker 2>out early, or how much they how far they make it.

0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:19.240
<v Speaker 2>Green Bay is playing like a team that is the

0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.840
<v Speaker 2>youngest in the National Football League, but not the shortest

0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:27.520
<v Speaker 2>on experience. They've gone through all these trials and tribulations.

0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:30.760
<v Speaker 2>Now now it's up to see what all those games

0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:33.040
<v Speaker 2>and all those moments can kind of do to push

0:20:33.080 --> 0:20:35.120
<v Speaker 2>them now to towards something special.

0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:37.560
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I want to ask you one more question with

0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:40.880
<v Speaker 1>regard to the quarterback situation. We all know Jordan Love

0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:44.400
<v Speaker 1>this will be his first, his first official NFL playoff game.

0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:48.240
<v Speaker 1>I actually asked him if Aaron Rodgers had ever talked

0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:50.400
<v Speaker 1>to him about his first playoff game, which he said

0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:52.280
<v Speaker 1>he didn't. He didn't really know anything about it, and

0:20:53.119 --> 0:20:55.400
<v Speaker 1>you know, which is fine. I wasn't gonna I wasn't

0:20:55.400 --> 0:20:57.400
<v Speaker 1>gonna press him on it. But for those who remember it,

0:20:57.920 --> 0:21:00.240
<v Speaker 1>of course, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception on his first

0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:02.880
<v Speaker 1>playoff pass and then and then went on to put

0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:05.960
<v Speaker 1>up forty five points, bringing the Packers back from twenty

0:21:06.000 --> 0:21:09.080
<v Speaker 1>one points down in Arizona in the second half to

0:21:09.119 --> 0:21:11.760
<v Speaker 1>get that game to overtime and unfortunately ended up losing

0:21:11.800 --> 0:21:18.160
<v Speaker 1>it on a rather controversial non call. Anyway, I digress.

0:21:18.520 --> 0:21:21.320
<v Speaker 1>My question to you with regard to the quarterback situation

0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.919
<v Speaker 1>is with Prescott. Do you think he's going into this

0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:29.400
<v Speaker 1>these playoffs not just for the Cowboys and the franchise

0:21:29.480 --> 0:21:31.760
<v Speaker 1>and everything there, but as Dak Prescott going into these

0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:36.040
<v Speaker 1>playoffs personally with something to prove he has. He has

0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:38.520
<v Speaker 1>two playoff wins I believe in his career, but he

0:21:38.560 --> 0:21:40.720
<v Speaker 1>has taken a lot of heat and a lot of

0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:45.560
<v Speaker 1>criticism for the Cowboys exits in the playoffs. On his watch,

0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:51.240
<v Speaker 1>it just this this situation strikes me as as one

0:21:51.320 --> 0:21:55.119
<v Speaker 1>where the Cowboys quarterback is the one with a massive

0:21:55.200 --> 0:21:56.600
<v Speaker 1>chip on his shoulder coming end of.

0:21:56.560 --> 0:21:59.120
<v Speaker 3>This game, no no, no doubt. And I actually kind

0:21:59.160 --> 0:21:59.840
<v Speaker 3>of liken it.

0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:01.359
<v Speaker 2>The more I've been reading and the more I've been

0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.840
<v Speaker 2>listening to stuff out of Dallas this week, It almost

0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:05.679
<v Speaker 2>in some ways does remind me of Matt Ryan in

0:22:05.680 --> 0:22:08.639
<v Speaker 2>twenty sixteen, which could, you know, be a positive for

0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:09.560
<v Speaker 2>the Cowboys.

0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:09.760
<v Speaker 3>In the long run.

0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:12.840
<v Speaker 2>Ryan was kind of at that point where it was like, Okay,

0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:15.480
<v Speaker 2>Atlanta's had some success, but are they really going to

0:22:15.520 --> 0:22:16.720
<v Speaker 2>are they going to put something together?

0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:17.000
<v Speaker 3>Yeah?

0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:17.840
<v Speaker 1>Are you going to prove it?

0:22:17.920 --> 0:22:19.200
<v Speaker 3>Are you going to get to a super Bowl?

0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:19.280
<v Speaker 2>And?

0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:20.639
<v Speaker 3>Shoot, they almost won it.

0:22:21.400 --> 0:22:24.240
<v Speaker 2>I think that's the moment that DAK is chasing, because

0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:26.520
<v Speaker 2>let's be honest, Mike, it isn't just about Dak. It's

0:22:26.560 --> 0:22:29.160
<v Speaker 2>when the when they made the move that, hey, Mike

0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:31.280
<v Speaker 2>McCarthy is going to be the new head coach. Jason

0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:32.920
<v Speaker 2>Garrett's out, We're going to go to Mike.

0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:34.240
<v Speaker 3>All of this.

0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:36.359
<v Speaker 2>The first thing Mike said I think almost in his

0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:38.399
<v Speaker 2>press conference was how excited he was to work with

0:22:38.520 --> 0:22:41.320
<v Speaker 2>Dak and build that relationship. They felt like they had

0:22:41.320 --> 0:22:43.399
<v Speaker 2>their franchise quarterback. How do we get them to the

0:22:43.440 --> 0:22:46.000
<v Speaker 2>next level now? How do we bring it there? Well,

0:22:46.200 --> 0:22:49.480
<v Speaker 2>they're on the precipice now, but because of the way

0:22:49.520 --> 0:22:51.960
<v Speaker 2>the league is gone, there is no number two by anymore.

0:22:52.040 --> 0:22:53.480
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, there's a wild card game.

0:22:53.320 --> 0:22:55.680
<v Speaker 2>Against the number seven seed and you're going to have

0:22:55.720 --> 0:22:56.720
<v Speaker 2>to go through the.

0:22:56.680 --> 0:22:57.439
<v Speaker 3>Green Bay Packers.

0:22:57.440 --> 0:22:59.600
<v Speaker 2>You're going to have to potentially go through you know,

0:22:59.680 --> 0:23:01.840
<v Speaker 2>these squads to make a run at this thing, and

0:23:01.960 --> 0:23:03.800
<v Speaker 2>every single one of these games is going to be

0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:06.600
<v Speaker 2>a battle. So I think, yeah, I think it is

0:23:06.600 --> 0:23:10.400
<v Speaker 2>a big test for Dak Prescott seeing exactly, Okay, everything

0:23:10.440 --> 0:23:12.280
<v Speaker 2>you've done and the stats you've put together and the

0:23:12.280 --> 0:23:15.720
<v Speaker 2>production that you've had with this team, three consecutive twelve

0:23:15.720 --> 0:23:18.920
<v Speaker 2>win regular seasons, how far does that get you into

0:23:19.000 --> 0:23:19.920
<v Speaker 2>January and February.

0:23:20.040 --> 0:23:23.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the Cowboys. The Cowboys as a franchise, not only

0:23:23.040 --> 0:23:27.160
<v Speaker 1>have they not won a Super Bowl or not yeah,

0:23:27.240 --> 0:23:29.520
<v Speaker 1>not gotten to or won a Super Bowl since the

0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:31.919
<v Speaker 1>nineteen ninety five season. That was the last time they

0:23:31.960 --> 0:23:34.600
<v Speaker 1>actually made it to the NFC Championship game was back

0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:37.720
<v Speaker 1>in nineteen ninety five. That's where why you know, all

0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:42.000
<v Speaker 1>this pressure is on Dallas now heading into this game.

0:23:42.040 --> 0:23:44.160
<v Speaker 1>It's going to be interesting to see how they respond,

0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:48.159
<v Speaker 1>how the crowd responds. If if the Packers you know,

0:23:48.400 --> 0:23:50.719
<v Speaker 1>take a lead in the third or fourth quarter, how

0:23:50.760 --> 0:23:54.879
<v Speaker 1>does how does the crowd respond to that, and in

0:23:54.960 --> 0:23:57.520
<v Speaker 1>terms of the home field advantage and whatnot.

0:23:57.640 --> 0:23:59.640
<v Speaker 2>That reminds me, I don't think. I don't think I've

0:23:59.680 --> 0:24:03.320
<v Speaker 2>covered lost in Dallas yet because my first game was

0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:05.120
<v Speaker 2>twenty thirteen, the Matt Flynn comeback.

0:24:05.200 --> 0:24:07.720
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, pack the Packers have not lost in that stadium.

0:24:07.760 --> 0:24:08.359
<v Speaker 3>That's wild.

0:24:08.400 --> 0:24:10.760
<v Speaker 1>So the first real Packers first game in that stadium

0:24:10.840 --> 0:24:13.560
<v Speaker 1>was Super Bowl forty five. But yes, then, since then,

0:24:13.600 --> 0:24:15.840
<v Speaker 1>there was there was the Matt Flynn game, there was

0:24:15.920 --> 0:24:19.560
<v Speaker 1>the playoff game in sixteen. Two regular season games in

0:24:20.040 --> 0:24:24.240
<v Speaker 1>seventeen and nineteen the Packers want, you know, the one

0:24:24.280 --> 0:24:28.720
<v Speaker 1>with Rogers threw a late touchdown to DeVante Adams to win.

0:24:29.080 --> 0:24:31.199
<v Speaker 1>To win one of those, Aaron Jones had, you know,

0:24:31.359 --> 0:24:35.400
<v Speaker 1>like a four touchdown game down at AT and T Stadium.

0:24:35.440 --> 0:24:39.119
<v Speaker 1>So Packers as a franchise have a lot of a

0:24:39.160 --> 0:24:42.320
<v Speaker 1>lot of historical success in that building, so we'll see

0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:45.600
<v Speaker 1>what happens before we go. I want to get your

0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:48.120
<v Speaker 1>thoughts on some of the other wild Card games on

0:24:48.359 --> 0:24:51.840
<v Speaker 1>what the NFL now regularly calls Super wild Card Weekend,

0:24:52.280 --> 0:24:54.640
<v Speaker 1>with six games and all first on the NFC side.

0:24:54.720 --> 0:24:59.440
<v Speaker 1>The Rams are at Detroit. The storyline is obvious rights itself,

0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:02.960
<v Speaker 1>with Matthew Stafford, the former Lions quarterback, going back to

0:25:03.080 --> 0:25:07.520
<v Speaker 1>Ford Field to try to ruin everything that the Lions

0:25:07.520 --> 0:25:09.800
<v Speaker 1>have built in the thirty years of history that the

0:25:09.840 --> 0:25:14.480
<v Speaker 1>Lions are working against to try to get a playoff victory.

0:25:14.520 --> 0:25:17.200
<v Speaker 1>And then the other NFC game Philadelphia at Tampa Bay.

0:25:17.240 --> 0:25:18.400
<v Speaker 1>Your thoughts on either of.

0:25:18.320 --> 0:25:22.280
<v Speaker 2>Those Detroit and Rams is just the highest amount of

0:25:22.320 --> 0:25:23.520
<v Speaker 2>drama that I think you could.

0:25:23.400 --> 0:25:24.520
<v Speaker 3>Ever dial up for a while.

0:25:24.720 --> 0:25:25.600
<v Speaker 1>Fascinating to me.

0:25:25.720 --> 0:25:30.119
<v Speaker 2>Not hatred, but definitely drama. Yes, I think it's a

0:25:30.160 --> 0:25:33.600
<v Speaker 2>trade that benefited both sides. You know, there's al always

0:25:33.600 --> 0:25:35.280
<v Speaker 2>this idea of hey, who is the winner and a

0:25:35.320 --> 0:25:37.479
<v Speaker 2>loser in a trade. I think it benefited the Lions

0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:39.640
<v Speaker 2>and it gave Matthew Stafford an opportunity to go win

0:25:39.680 --> 0:25:41.720
<v Speaker 2>a Super Bowl and kind of add to his legacy.

0:25:42.359 --> 0:25:44.399
<v Speaker 3>But now you're running into that crossroads together.

0:25:44.880 --> 0:25:47.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Stafford still feels like he has plenty left and

0:25:47.520 --> 0:25:49.800
<v Speaker 2>Detroit is finally in the playoffs once again, looking for

0:25:49.840 --> 0:25:53.199
<v Speaker 2>that first playoff win in my goodness, my lifetime, I.

0:25:53.200 --> 0:25:54.440
<v Speaker 1>Mean thirty two years.

0:25:54.520 --> 0:25:55.439
<v Speaker 3>Yeah almost so.

0:25:55.560 --> 0:25:58.880
<v Speaker 1>Their last playoff win was the nineteen ninety one postseason.

0:25:58.920 --> 0:26:03.960
<v Speaker 1>Their last playoff home game was the nineteen ninety three postseason.

0:26:04.000 --> 0:26:05.560
<v Speaker 2>I got it, which I do remember that one, but

0:26:06.440 --> 0:26:08.240
<v Speaker 2>be that as it may have been an excellent football game.

0:26:08.240 --> 0:26:10.240
<v Speaker 2>Excited to see Matthew Stafford back there and see where

0:26:10.240 --> 0:26:13.320
<v Speaker 2>that takes it. Can Philadelphia get itself back on the

0:26:13.359 --> 0:26:13.920
<v Speaker 2>tracks here?

0:26:14.080 --> 0:26:14.800
<v Speaker 1>Yeah?

0:26:15.000 --> 0:26:18.280
<v Speaker 2>Tampa Bay, by no means is a world beater. And

0:26:18.400 --> 0:26:21.520
<v Speaker 2>if you leak out this early after having the season

0:26:21.520 --> 0:26:23.160
<v Speaker 2>they had in the first half of the year.

0:26:23.320 --> 0:26:26.840
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the Philadelphia Eagles were ten to one after eleven games.

0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:30.360
<v Speaker 1>This what's interesting to me about this matchup, and that's

0:26:30.359 --> 0:26:33.159
<v Speaker 1>the Monday Night one is Philadelphia at Tampa Bay. The

0:26:33.240 --> 0:26:38.240
<v Speaker 1>Eagles have stumbled toward the finish line, and quite frankly,

0:26:38.359 --> 0:26:41.080
<v Speaker 1>since you know the Baker Mayfield one fifty eight point

0:26:41.160 --> 0:26:44.080
<v Speaker 1>three game at lambeau Field, the Buccaneers haven't done a

0:26:44.080 --> 0:26:45.960
<v Speaker 1>whole heck of a lot. I mean, yeah, they ended

0:26:46.040 --> 0:26:48.560
<v Speaker 1>up winning the division. You know, they shut out the

0:26:48.560 --> 0:26:53.000
<v Speaker 1>Carolina Panthers, but after the win over the Packers, they

0:26:53.000 --> 0:26:57.000
<v Speaker 1>had a loss in there. They haven't really looked all

0:26:57.040 --> 0:27:00.800
<v Speaker 1>that impressive. These are two teams that are not they

0:27:01.080 --> 0:27:03.520
<v Speaker 1>neither one is really going into the playoffs on some

0:27:03.560 --> 0:27:04.720
<v Speaker 1>sort of a big high note.

0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:06.280
<v Speaker 3>But somebody's gonna win.

0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:08.560
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, somebody is gonna win. And one of these two

0:27:08.560 --> 0:27:10.760
<v Speaker 1>teams is going to be among the last four standing

0:27:10.760 --> 0:27:15.080
<v Speaker 1>in the NFC heading into divisional weekends. So on the

0:27:15.119 --> 0:27:18.160
<v Speaker 1>AFC side, I think all of these are really intriguing matchups.

0:27:18.200 --> 0:27:22.080
<v Speaker 1>Cleveland at Houston, Miami at Kansas City, Pittsburgh at Buffalo.

0:27:22.240 --> 0:27:23.280
<v Speaker 1>Your thoughts on any of those.

0:27:23.440 --> 0:27:25.960
<v Speaker 2>Miami in Kansas City is a huge game because the

0:27:26.040 --> 0:27:28.560
<v Speaker 2>Dolphins really felt like they were Super Bowl contenders, but

0:27:28.600 --> 0:27:30.119
<v Speaker 2>they just weren't able to get over that hump. I

0:27:30.119 --> 0:27:32.080
<v Speaker 2>think the stat that the NFL put out there one

0:27:32.080 --> 0:27:35.320
<v Speaker 2>and five against teams in the playoffs right now, Kansas

0:27:35.359 --> 0:27:37.760
<v Speaker 2>City has stumbled. They've had their own issues, but still

0:27:37.760 --> 0:27:41.320
<v Speaker 2>have Patrick Mahomes who ultimately can be the equalizer for them.

0:27:41.440 --> 0:27:44.040
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the one in that Miami one and five was Dallas,

0:27:44.080 --> 0:27:47.639
<v Speaker 1>but it was when they were They hosted Dallas a

0:27:47.760 --> 0:27:49.960
<v Speaker 1>few weeks ago and that was their that was their

0:27:49.960 --> 0:27:50.560
<v Speaker 1>one victory.

0:27:50.600 --> 0:27:52.359
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the playoff team, and then they weren't able to

0:27:52.359 --> 0:27:54.400
<v Speaker 2>double up on it and had the issues against Baltimore.

0:27:54.960 --> 0:27:58.720
<v Speaker 2>But that's gonna be an excellent football game. Joe Flacco

0:27:58.840 --> 0:28:00.639
<v Speaker 2>back in the postseason against Houston should be.

0:28:00.640 --> 0:28:01.120
<v Speaker 3>A lot of fun.

0:28:01.160 --> 0:28:04.399
<v Speaker 1>What a what a quarterback matchup Joe Flacco, you know,

0:28:04.520 --> 0:28:07.720
<v Speaker 1>off the couch to lead Cleveland to the playoffs against

0:28:08.160 --> 0:28:12.480
<v Speaker 1>the off the presumed offensive rookie of the year in CJ. Stroud.

0:28:12.520 --> 0:28:17.720
<v Speaker 1>You talk about two, you know, diametrically opposed quarterback situations,

0:28:17.760 --> 0:28:20.800
<v Speaker 1>Flacco against Stroud. It's it's it's pretty interesting.

0:28:20.480 --> 0:28:22.959
<v Speaker 2>And I'm happy for Stroud. I wish him a lot

0:28:22.960 --> 0:28:24.520
<v Speaker 2>of success. I think he's gonna be fun to watch

0:28:24.520 --> 0:28:27.320
<v Speaker 2>for years to come. I need Joe Flacco to win this,

0:28:27.640 --> 0:28:29.320
<v Speaker 2>I need Kansas City to win this, and I need

0:28:29.359 --> 0:28:31.399
<v Speaker 2>Buffalo to take care of business. All right, and then

0:28:31.440 --> 0:28:34.080
<v Speaker 2>we got Joe Flacco going back to Baltimore in an

0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:37.960
<v Speaker 2>AFC Divisional playoff game would be unbelievable.

0:28:38.040 --> 0:28:39.640
<v Speaker 1>There you go, especially.

0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:42.480
<v Speaker 2>Consider he wasn't playing football three months ago. But hey,

0:28:42.480 --> 0:28:44.560
<v Speaker 2>and then I'm cheering on Pittsburgh too. Pittsburgh got the

0:28:44.600 --> 0:28:46.360
<v Speaker 2>Packers into the playoffs. Let's see if they can create

0:28:46.400 --> 0:28:48.840
<v Speaker 2>some magic over an Orchard Parker.

0:28:48.880 --> 0:28:51.480
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think, I think that Pittsburgh Buffalo matchup. You know,

0:28:51.840 --> 0:28:54.920
<v Speaker 1>Josh Allen seemed to have the Buffalo Bills rolling, then

0:28:55.760 --> 0:28:58.479
<v Speaker 1>didn't play very well in the first half against Miami

0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:01.080
<v Speaker 1>with the division title online. Then they got it together

0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:03.400
<v Speaker 1>in the second half and and they got the points

0:29:03.400 --> 0:29:05.520
<v Speaker 1>that they needed to be able to win that game.

0:29:05.560 --> 0:29:09.480
<v Speaker 1>And Pittsburgh, you know, for for everything with you know,

0:29:09.640 --> 0:29:13.240
<v Speaker 1>changing offensive coordinators and all this, and Mason Rudolph has

0:29:13.280 --> 0:29:16.280
<v Speaker 1>suddenly given that offense new life. It's like the Steelers,

0:29:16.680 --> 0:29:19.880
<v Speaker 1>the Steelers are a completely different team and the but

0:29:19.920 --> 0:29:23.000
<v Speaker 1>then defensively, they won't have TJ. Watt because of because

0:29:23.000 --> 0:29:24.880
<v Speaker 1>of the knee injury. I heard has already been ruled

0:29:24.920 --> 0:29:27.240
<v Speaker 1>out for that game. So that's a that's a major injury.

0:29:27.280 --> 0:29:28.360
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, they're going up there.

0:29:28.400 --> 0:29:31.680
<v Speaker 2>It's it's a mighty mighty climb for them, especially with

0:29:31.720 --> 0:29:33.960
<v Speaker 2>the way Buffalo has played over the last five games,

0:29:34.000 --> 0:29:35.960
<v Speaker 2>but still be a lot of fun to watch.

0:29:36.000 --> 0:29:37.640
<v Speaker 3>I'm excited. It's a good it's a good weekend slate

0:29:37.680 --> 0:29:38.400
<v Speaker 3>of games.

0:29:38.200 --> 0:29:41.240
<v Speaker 1>And then and the Tyreek Hill revenge game at Arrowhead

0:29:41.240 --> 0:29:44.960
<v Speaker 1>Stadium too, with with Tyreek Tyreek Hill going back to

0:29:44.840 --> 0:29:48.080
<v Speaker 1>h to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Lots of really,

0:29:48.120 --> 0:29:50.080
<v Speaker 1>really good storylines here on Wildcard.

0:29:50.120 --> 0:29:53.000
<v Speaker 3>The scriptwriters did a good job this year. Michael. Let's

0:29:53.040 --> 0:29:55.000
<v Speaker 3>see what they got written for us this weekend.

0:29:55.080 --> 0:29:57.360
<v Speaker 1>All right, with that, we are gonna call it a

0:29:57.360 --> 0:30:00.440
<v Speaker 1>wrap on this edition of Packers Uns Grip. I'd be

0:30:00.480 --> 0:30:03.480
<v Speaker 1>sure to follow all of our coverage of the team

0:30:03.800 --> 0:30:06.719
<v Speaker 1>and of the big wild Card game down in Dallas.

0:30:06.720 --> 0:30:09.480
<v Speaker 1>We will have it all for you on Packers dot

0:30:09.520 --> 0:30:12.600
<v Speaker 1>com for Wesiammike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We

0:30:12.640 --> 0:30:14.000
<v Speaker 1>will see you next time.