WEBVTT - #823 Packers Unscripted: Packing for Philly 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:16.520 Hi, everybody. 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:20.400 Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:23.680 I am Mike Spofford, joined by my partner in crime, 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:27.200 Weston Hodcoats. We're coming to you hear from our studios 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.560 at lambeau Field to continue previewing as we did on 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:34.479 our last show, the NFC Wildcard Playoff. 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:35.959 It'll be coming up Sunday. 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:40.840 It's a three point thirty Central time kickoff from Lincoln 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:45.040 Financial Field in Philadelphia, Packers against the Eagles. Probably the 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.600 best place to start here, Wes is the injury update 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:53.600 with both teams. Because Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.240 is back in practice on a limited basis, but all 0:00:57.360 --> 0:00:59.800 reports are he is on his way to getting out 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:03.160 of cushion protocol. The Eagles even released one of their 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:07.520 backup quarterbacks, both Ian Book, the former Notre Dame quarterback, 0:01:08.920 --> 0:01:11.640 which is obviously a sign that they expect everything to 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.840 everything to go to full clearance for Jalen Hurts by 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:19.320 the time Sunday's game rolls around. On the Packer's side 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:23.240 of things, Jordan loved practicing, but on a limited basis. 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:26.880 His elbow is still sore from that injury. On Sunday 0:01:26.880 --> 0:01:29.800 against the Bears. He has the feeling back in his 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:32.240 hand and all that. It's not about gripping the football 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.880 as it was, but the initial injury that led to 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:38.679 all the numbness in the hand, the banging of the elbow. 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.880 The elbow is sore. So he's still trying to work 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.440 through that, and obviously the Packers are hoping that maybe 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:46.880 by the end of the week he could be a 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.840 full participant in practice and getting closer to full health. 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:51.600 Yeah, I mean the other thing was too. I mean, 0:01:52.320 --> 0:01:54.440 we only saw the stretching at the time in wits 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:56.440 for shooting this. We haven't seen him throw. I will 0:01:56.480 --> 0:01:58.640 have that privilege of going out to practice and see 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:01.040 what the throws look like. I'm sure I will take 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:04.120 a video and we'll have the NFL Network news desk 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:06.400 sending me a DM asking me if they can use it, 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.280 because everybody's going to be concentrated on how he's throwing 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.040 the football. But yeah, the fact of the matter is 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.040 that you know, we're talking with Bull Melton number of 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.440 guys in the locker room on Wednesday, and as both said, 0:02:16.440 --> 0:02:18.800 he's like, listen, he's going to be out there. We've 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:21.200 taken so many reps with them, We've taken all these 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:23.560 things that the main thing is just how Jordan feels 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.640 going into game day. The pieces around him will be 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:30.680 ready for this thing. So but but certainly this is 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:32.880 the way this thing works. I mean, Edgrin Cooper talked 0:02:32.880 --> 0:02:35.200 about it to it his locker. You're not gonna find 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:37.000 even guys that aren't on the injury report. You're not 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:40.480 going to find anybody that's feeling great on January ninth. 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:42.880 I mean, these guys have been through some battles here 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:44.840 for the last four four and a half months. So 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:47.440 for Jordan and his sake, you know, we got to 0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:50.440 see what the downfield passing game looks like, what the 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:53.239 the accuracy looks like. But I mean, he's a gamer, 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:55.519 and he's tough, and he'll be out there on Sunday. 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.200 Yeah, He's certainly done his share of playing through injuries 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.040 so far. This seaon not something he necessarily had to 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:03.160 deal with last year in his first year as a starter. 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.440 Was that funny the knee injury. The knee injury from 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:08.440 Week one, which he missed a couple of games, But 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:10.639 then you know, wasn't really all the way back when 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:14.000 he was back on the field, and then the groin injury, 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.480 which then he also had to try to play through, 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:19.080 and then he never really got healthy until after the 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.560 bye week when we saw his season start to take 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:24.400 off and start to resemble the Jordan love we saw 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:25.440 at the end of last season. 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:27.680 I got to go back and make Lauren Stone now 0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:31.560 Lauren Anderson, our wonderful colleague out there. She was the 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:33.000 one I think I put on that, or maybe it 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:36.120 was Nicole Tim. I did that project last year looking 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:38.080 at all the starting quarterbacks in the league that started 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:40.840 all seventeen games that were not on the injury report, 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.000 and there was only four of them. One of them 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:45.520 was Dak Prescott. We know how his season went. And 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:48.120 then obviously Jordan was another one of them. And fortunately 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:49.840 he's been out there all year, but he's had a 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:51.120 battle through some things as well. 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.560 Yeah, well on the defensive side. As far as injuries go, 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:56.920 the Packers getting a little bit of good news. Kway 0:03:56.960 --> 0:04:00.920 Walker Evan Williams Walker with the anchor Williams with the 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:04.160 quad injury. Both of those guys have missed the last 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:07.720 three games of the regular season. They were back on 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:10.600 the practice field for the first time since those injuries, 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:15.839 both on a limited basis, but trending toward potentially being 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:20.120 available on Sunday. And those are two guys, you know, 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:23.719 basically full time starters. Williams wasn't a full time starter 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:26.479 at the beginning of the season, but essentially as the 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.040 season went along, both of those guys full time starters, 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:31.400 and the Packers would obviously love to have them back. 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:33.880 Well, and you're gonna need all your inside linebackers for 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:36.320 this one. You would imagine the Packers will probably play 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:39.960 a fair amount of base just because of the threat 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:42.760 not only of Barclay but also with Jalen Hurts and 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.039 being able to contain their running game and some of 0:04:45.040 --> 0:04:47.839 the short yarded stuff. So yeah, quay Walker is a 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.320 huge part of this. I think ISAIAMH McDuffie has a 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.000 big role to play. Eric Wilson potentially could as well. 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:55.560 But at the end of the day, Mike, you and 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:58.400 I everybody wants to see kway Walker and Eddrian Cooper 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.120 on the field together. That type of speed, that type 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.760 of athleticism, being able to cover those fifty three yards 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:06.520 sideline to sideline. There aren't a lot of teams that 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:09.480 can do that, and for one reason or another injuries wise, 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:11.479 they haven't been able to see that combination a lot 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:15.000 this season. Also the inexperience of Cooper early on. But 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:19.599 where Cooper's at right now in the progression he's made, Yeah, 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:21.839 I mean, the more fifty six is on the field, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.960 the more sevens on the field, I think the Packers' 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:28.240 defense in terms of especially the speed of it definitely increases. 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:28.600 Yeah. 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:29.200 Absolutely. 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:33.080 And Zane Anderson, the safety, he is still he has 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:34.400 not yet returned to practice. 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:36.000 He is still in concussion protocol. 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:39.479 So if the Packers can get Evan Williams back, we 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:42.320 know Green Bay doesn't have jay R Alexander, but if 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:45.359 you get Williams back, you at least get back to 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:51.320 that nickel secondary that is the preferred group when you 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:54.359 don't have Alexander, which would be McKinney and Williams in 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.560 the back end, Javon Bullard playing the slot, and then 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:01.440 Nixon and Valentine playing the outside cornerbacks, and then you 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.760 have guys like whether it's Corey Ballentine or Eric Stokes. 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:06.520 Guys like that. 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:08.640 If you want to go to six defensive backs at 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.240 some point, that may not be something we see. As 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.920 you just mentioned because the Packers may be playing more 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:17.479 base defense with regard to the running threat of both 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:20.559 Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts. 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:21.880 We broke down a. 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:24.520 Lot of different aspects of the Philadelphia Eagles on our 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:27.080 last show. Was there anything you felt that we missed 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:29.200 or that you think is worth pointing out here before 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:32.240 we get into the Keys to victory for Green Bay? 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.159 I'm gonna be a little self serving here. Obviously. I 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:37.480 wrote a story this morning on hackers Dualt Palm about 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:41.520 to use an old catchment phrase, uh looking at Christian 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:44.400 Watson's injury yea, and in the follout from that, the 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.720 emotional impact of that, the on field impact of that, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.440 and it was great. I mean, a lot of guys 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.880 talking about this in the locker room afterwards on Wednesday. 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:57.279 Had a long conversation with bau Melton about it, and 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.359 I really like something both said at the end of it. 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.320 And obviously, these guys are playing for Christian and certainly 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:05.000 they want to be able to step up in his absence, 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:09.000 and you know, leadership wise, performance wise, they've been in 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:11.360 the spot before they want to do it again. But 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:13.560 I thought it was really interesting what Bo said in 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:15.960 a question I'd asked him later on in the interview 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:18.760 about you know, everybody talks about how deep they are, 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:22.040 but just how tight knit that group is. And as 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:25.160 he said, I mean, you got to remember when Dobbs 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:27.680 and Watson were drafted and then they added Reid and 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.280 Wix the following year. For two and a half years, 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:33.000 they heard about how young they are, how inexperienced they are, 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.520 how you know, these guys they're not going to be 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.480 able to do it, and they've continually had that chip 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:41.880 on their shoulder and overcome those types of things. Certainly 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.240 they've gone through some different stuff this year as well. 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:47.040 There were drops. There was the issue there early in 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:50.440 the season with Romeo Dobbs and then him not being available. 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:54.840 You know, certainly you look at Christian Watson and his injury. 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.080 It is a huge, huge hit to take right on 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:01.240 the cusp of the playoffs. But this this room, by 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.960 and large, how close it is and how battle tested 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.880 it is, they feel like this is a great opportunity 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:10.360 for them. Now they have everybody from Jayden Reid at 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:12.320 the top to the guys right at you know, they're 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.080 gonna be filling in these spots with some of the 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:17.720 opportunities lower on the depth chart. Each guy, to a 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:21.400 man feels like they owe something to Watson, they owe 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:23.680 something to this offense to step up their game. And 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:25.320 I'll tell you this too. It didn't make its way 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:27.160 into the story because there's only so many words that 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:30.800 can be written, but Jaden Reid is very hungry to 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:34.280 kind of change the narrative with himself as well. Great start, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.679 fantastic start against Philadelphia. Came up big for green Bay 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:39.800 during the first half of the season. It's been a 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.760 little bit more of a slog in the second half. 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.760 He understands his role to play in this as well. 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:46.960 And I just they're going up against the number one 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:49.280 ranked pass defense the National Football Leaguey're going up against 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.680 the number one ranked defense by what twenty yards per game? 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.120 Twenty five yards per game. This is a significant test. 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:57.960 But green Bay is not backing down for this. And 0:08:58.000 --> 0:09:00.520 I will close this point by something that Maliki said, 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.400 And it doesn't matter who's on the field for green Bay, 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:06.360 who's ever lined up in front of them, you are 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:08.160 not going to be able to stand in front of us. 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:11.280 They feel like they have the explosivity within this offense 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.800 to still make those plays even without number nine available. 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:16.720 I tell you you can't say enough about the culture 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.000 that has been built in the wide receiver room in 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:22.400 Green Bay, because it is a bunch of guys that 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:26.440 are competing for playing time, completing, competing for snaps and 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:30.600 opportunities and targets and everything like that. But quite frankly, 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.600 you know, the the culture in the culture in that 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:35.880 room is so impressive, and I think it goes back to, 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.520 you know, even my early days with Packers dot Com. 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.680 And I'm talking about back in like two thousand and eight, 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:46.480 nine and ten, when the group is you know, Donald 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.640 Driver and Greg Jennings and James Jones, and then and 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:51.960 Jordy Nelson joins the group, and then a few years 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:54.880 later Randall Cobb joins the group, and then a couple 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.520 of years after that, DeVante Adams joins the group. And 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:01.360 the culture in that room and the coaches right now, 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.080 Jason Rabel, Ryan Mahafey, they deserve a lot of credit. 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:07.400 But it's also about was what was built in that 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:10.160 room over the years and has been passed along and 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:14.520 doesn't really seem to have ever been disrupted, even as 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:17.320 the as the personnel has changed, It's just the torch 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:20.520 continues to be passed in terms of the standard that's 0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:24.880 being set how everybody interacts with one another. They understand 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.360 everybody wants to get their catches in theirs and their 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:32.400 touchdowns and their paychecks, but those individual numbers is not 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:35.640 what it's all about. And that wide receiver room in 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:39.560 green Bay, I think is you can't ask for anything 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:40.760 better in terms of the culture. 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.600 No In Romeo and Christian have good heads on their shoulders. 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.480 I mean, if they would have come in without any 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:48.760 of that knowledge whatsoever, I think Green Bay would have 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:50.960 been fine. But I go back to twenty twenty two 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:53.640 and so much about that season was lost. But having 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:56.600 the opportunity to work with Randall Cobb and Alan Lazard 0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:59.040 that year, I mean I remember rome even talking about 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:01.720 his interactions with Sammy Watkins, who was only here for 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:03.760 a short time, right, but a guy that was a 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:06.400 former number four overall pick, that had done it at 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:08.440 a high level, was on the tail end of his career. 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:10.959 But kind of showing those young guys how this thing 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:14.520 works and how to carry yourself as a professional, that's 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:17.439 a huge, huge thing. And green Bay we've talked so 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:19.680 much about the depth all season long and guys not 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:22.320 getting their opportunities, guys like Bull Milt and Malik Keith 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:24.600 having to be patient just to get on the field, 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:28.240 let alone get a target. Well, now this is the chance. 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:30.679 And Bo did it last year in Minnesota, he did 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:33.560 it in Dallas. You look at you know, these guys 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.240 who have stepped up when they haven't had Christian Watson 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:38.240 in the past. Green Bay needs all of it because 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:40.120 as much as this game, in my opinion, as we 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.679 slide into Keys to Victory, is about running the football, 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.280 well you have to be able to keep them honest 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:47.600 with the passing game, and all four or five guys 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:48.880 that'll be up in this one are going to have 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:49.360 a hand in it. 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:50.160 Yeah. 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.240 Well, one other thought, just in terms of something I 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:55.600 heard in the locker room on Wednesday after practice that 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.800 I really liked, and hearing it from Jordan Love, who 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.719 is answering all these questions about his elbow and how 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:04.000 does he feel and you know, are you cutting it 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:07.280 loose or not? You know, et cetera, et cetera. But 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:11.960 he's asked about the playoff experience of last year, not 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.200 only for himself but for you know, for a lot 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:17.840 of these guys who were in the playoffs for the 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:20.800 first time last year, just like he was. And I 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.120 thought what I heard from Jordan Love was was to 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:27.240 me the right the right mental balance, I guess for 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.360 lack of a better phrase, and that, yes, what these 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:34.920 guys did in the playoffs last year provides a bit 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.640 of confidence that you can you know that that you've 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:39.920 been in this situation, you know how to perform, you 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:42.480 can get it done. The moment's not too big for you, right. 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.280 But in the same breath, Jordan Love says, but we 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:47.280 can't live on what we did last year against the 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:49.720 Dallas Cowboys. This is about going out there and having 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:53.320 to do it again, you know. And I just I 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.360 felt like it feels like mentally, for everything that's going 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:58.920 on with regard to the you know, the injuries with 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:02.959 the quarterback and with Christian Watson and JayR Alexander being 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:06.000 out now and all of that stuff that is swirling 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:08.760 around this team, and the huge challenge that you're facing 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:10.959 in the Eagles with the number one ranked defense, the 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:13.520 number one running back, all of all of this stuff, 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.560 it feels to me like, mentally, whatever happens on Sunday. 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:21.839 I think mentally, this Packers team is in the right place. Yeah, 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:23.920 and it was just it was good to hear that. 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:26.000 I think that I think that stems from the way 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:29.360 Matt Lafleur leads this team, but also the way the 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.880 locker room leaders lead this team. When you're talking about 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:36.160 guys like Jordan Love and Elton Jenkins and Xavier McKinney 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:39.520 and Josh Jacobs and those types of guys. I don't 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:41.200 know what's going to happen on Sunday, Wes, and we'll 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:42.880 talk about what the Packers need to do to win 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:46.800 the game. But the Packers are not going out there intimidated. 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:49.280 But they're also not going out there and you know, 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:52.040 in any sort of overconfident way because oh, yeah, well 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:53.959 we were the seventh seed last year and we walked 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:55.320 off the two seed and blew them out of their 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:58.319 own building. Like nobody's living off of that. Yes, it's 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:01.520 part of their history and it gives some confidence, but 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.160 they know that it doesn't matter once the ball gets 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:05.199 kicked off on Sunday. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.560 You played baseball at the collegiate level, I did. Did 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:11.720 you ever have a game? Thinking back? And I don't 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.040 know how good Lawrence was back then, but we. 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:14.679 Weren't very good. 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:16.880 Did you ever get off to a big lead, you know, 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:21.360 five to six run first inning? Sure, like what I 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:23.720 was thinking about. I wasn't a part of the love 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:25.760 press or scrum, but I was in some of the 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:28.520 other stuff. And in these topics come up about Dallas. Yeah, 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.280 I think the lasting takeaway from that game, and honestly 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:34.080 probably carried a little bit into the season, was when 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:36.800 you talk about the importance of a fast start. Yeah, 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:39.320 it's about building five six runs, or it's about scoring 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:42.280 twenty seven points against Dallas to get up. You know, 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.880 Dallas doesn't score in that game until literally the clock 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:49.040 hit zero in the first half. Right, Yes, it's important 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.200 to have that fast start, but it's also the momentum 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.240 that's derived from that, it's the confidence that's derived from that, 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.080 and it's the way you can take the air out 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:58.560 of the balloon. In a road venue. This is going 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.040 to be a much more hostile vironment than at and 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:04.080 T Stadium. Credit to the Cowboys. It's a good place. 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:08.160 It's an unbelievable venue for football. But Philly is different. 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:08.720 Yeah, it is. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:12.520 It's walking into the ECW Arena, you know, with those fans, 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:16.120 you know, cheering and shouting at you. That same type 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:18.600 of vibe is going to be at the link and 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:21.640 for green Bay, I feel like the lasting takeaway. Yeah, 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:24.160 you can't take anything from that. Nothing that you did 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:25.960 in Dallas last year is going to help you on 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:27.880 Sunday in terms of point that you put up on 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:30.440 the board. Yeah, but the reminder of how you have 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:32.840 to jump out on teams in the momentum you have 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.800 to build in that first quarter. Packers have talked about 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:38.200 it every single week of the season fast starts, how 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:40.280 critical it is in every game, but especially for this 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:42.360 football team, regardless of whether or not you take the 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:44.440 football first, regardless of whether or not you get the 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.200 ball first. That is I think one of the big 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:49.320 lessons that Green Bay learned from that game over Dallas, 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:52.360 and it is going to be absolutely critical to being 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:54.120 able to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.240 Yeah, well I want, I do want to get to 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.600 our keys to victory, but I will take care of 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:03.040 some sponsor business first. XMNFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:05.760 and up to the minute NFL news that true football 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:08.720 fanatics need twenty four to seven, three sixty five and 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.160 at cousin subs. We have something for everyone like our 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:14.520 Wisconsin Cheese curds, mac and Cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:16.400 all paired with your favorite sub or sub and a 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:20.720 bowl cousin subs. Fifty plus years of better all right, 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:22.560 Wes Keys to victory, there are a lot of them. 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:24.840 You've got to do a lot of things right to 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:27.840 beat a fourteen and three football team in their own 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:30.080 building in the playoffs. What's at the top of the 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:30.640 list for you? 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:34.560 I made an excellent point and insider inbox you always do. 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:38.640 I don't know about that, yeah, But going back to 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:42.000 the Saquon Barkley games the end of the twenty three season, 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.720 which honestly, if you think back on it, that loss 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:47.040 to the Giants, probably you're gonna go down as one 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:48.840 of the worst ones we've had in the laflor Era. 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:50.880 But that's bad. 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:55.120 But the lessons that were learned that day, I mean, 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:56.880 I think that was kind of in some ways the 0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.040 beginning of the run for Green Bay when they finally 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:00.760 were able to start stringing the victories again at the 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:03.680 end of the season. But you go back to that game, 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:08.000 green Bay defended Saquon Barkley so well. You go back 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.720 to this opener in Brazil, they defended Saquon Barkley so well. 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:14.360 And the point I was making with the insider inbox 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:18.960 Barb was that forty nine rushing yards on eighteen first 0:17:19.000 --> 0:17:21.440 half carries in those two games, two point seven yards 0:17:21.480 --> 0:17:24.760 per carry. In the second half of those two games, 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:27.800 one hundred and forty rushing yards on twenty six attempts, 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:30.960 five point four yards per carry. It's not even that 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:33.919 the Packers defense, oh they stopped defending the run. Well, No, 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:38.679 this is the problem that Saquon Barkley presents. He is 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:42.520 going to keep hammering on you until that door finally bashes. 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:46.840 In Green Bay, to the best of its ability, cannot 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.639 allow that door to fall. You have to be able 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:51.720 to keep up that wave of momentum. Certainly, you don't 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:53.639 want them to get off to a fast start, but 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:55.760 even if you get to halftime and he has ten 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.120 rushing yards, you have to treat it like he has 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:00.199 one hundred and forty. You have to treat it like 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:02.440 you have to be able to stop this guy on 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.760 every single down he touches the ball. Because you're talking 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:07.800 about all these different things that have to happen in 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:10.879 this game for the Green Bay Packers to win. Number 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:16.040 One is Saquon Barkley not running through this defense that 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:19.560 has been historically solid against the run. 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:23.879 Yeah, this is the type of challenge when it's when 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:26.560 it's a running back like Barkley, that is, it becomes 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:31.240 a different stop the run challenge because when an offense 0:18:31.280 --> 0:18:33.720 has the best running back in the league and a 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:37.200 guy who I believe this year he had four touchdown 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:41.240 runs of sixty five plus yard yep. The thing is, 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:46.159 no matter how much the Packers stop him, the Eagles 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:48.840 are going to keep feeding him the ball because he 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.360 is as much a big play home run threat as 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:55.680 anything that Jalen Hurts can do with AJ Brown or 0:18:55.760 --> 0:19:00.000 DeVante Smith or anybody else out there. So you can 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:02.840 stop him for two and a half, three even three 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.159 and a half quarters all you want, He's going to 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:08.840 keep getting the football and they will make you stop 0:19:08.960 --> 0:19:12.680 him for all four quarters. You know, thinking back to 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.480