WEBVTT - #474 Packers Unscripted: Bye-week boost 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:20.880 M Hi, everybody, Welcome to Packers unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:24.880 I am Mike Spofford, joined by my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz, 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:27.840 were coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.840 Field and West. The Packers have begun their preparations for 0:00:32.520 --> 0:00:36.440 the big NFC showdown coming up Sunday night football in 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:39.360 San Francisco or Santa Clara. I guess is where the 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:40.800 game is going to be played, but against the San 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:45.280 Francisco forty Niners and Matt Lafleur. Packers were back on 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:47.879 the practice field for a brief workout on Monday, as 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:51.200 everybody came back from the break over the bye. Matt 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:55.560 Lafleur spoke to reporters, spoke to the media after practice, 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:58.560 and he wasn't going to get into a lot of 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:02.279 specifics as to what did the self scout reveal, Like, 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:03.960 what did you guys find out? How are you going 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:06.160 to go about fixing things? Of course, he's not going 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:09.080 to share all the nitty gritty details, but he did 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:12.000 talk a little bit about each of the three phases 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:14.320 of the game for the Packers. I don't think there's 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.800 any major revelations here, but the Packers. The bottom line 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:19.880 is the Packers know what they have to work on 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:23.199 heading into this home stretch of the final six regular 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:25.040 season games. They do, and I mean the nice thing 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:26.920 for them is they finally have some time to sit 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:29.039 back and rest. A lot was made of the fact 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.640 that they aren't that banged up going into the buy 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:34.360 and that's true from a perspective of guys not actually 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:38.400 you know, missing practice time, but they were still so 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.039 to get some bodies a little bit healthier. Get that, 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.200 you know, week week and a half of rest and 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:47.240 recuperation going into San Francisco game. This is where I 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:49.000 look for Green Bay to put their best foot forward 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:52.040 on Sunday. And you know, even more so, you know, 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:54.040 talking to Kenny Clark and some of these guys in 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:55.600 the locker room these last two weeks and when we've 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:59.560 had availability, they understand where they fit in the grand 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:01.960 scheme of things. The defense No's Trumon Williams talked about 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:03.800 it again on money. They mean, they have work to do. 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:07.000 They are by far, you know, not a finished product 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:08.520 yet at this point in the season. They feel like 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:11.280 their best ball is still ahead of them. Offensively, you've 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:13.919 seen intervals of dominance, and you've seen intervals of lulls. 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:16.720 They're trying to smooth that out, and special teams certainly 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.520 has made some changes even going into the by. But 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:23.520 where I stand on this right now is that you know, 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:25.400 all these years, Mike, you go back and these are 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:28.399 the prime years of Mike McCarthy's tenure too. The way 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:29.920 the Packers have come out of the by and a 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.040 lot of seasons has really been an indication of where 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:34.760 this team is going to go in the long run. 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:37.400 I think there's a stat somewhere around maybe seven and 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:39.680 three over the last ten years coming out of the 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:42.480 bye week. They need to make those adjustments. There's gonna 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:44.360 be some mounth scouted looks, I'm sure of it on 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.960 Sunday against San Francisco, and they need to find, you know, 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.800 some of those galvanizing moments that really make a good 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:53.880 team championship caliber. Yeah. Well, when you look at things 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:55.840 on the offensive side of the ball, I think the 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.760 thing that that continues to stick in the craw of 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.000 Matt la Fleur. I guess, if if I'm allowed to 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:06.280 use that phrase, is is the penalties. The I saw 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:09.359 a stat this morning actually unfortunately didn't have it for 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:12.079 the story that I posted on the website last night, 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:16.280 But I believe the Packers have a total of twenty 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:20.880 five either false start or delay of game penalties through 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:23.960 the first ten games of the season two and and 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:26.519 now those are only five yard penalties, but those five 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.560 yard penalties that changes second and three to second and 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:31.520 eight and and you know, and gets you in those 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:35.360 behind the chains types of situations. And to be averaging 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:38.000 two and a half false start or delay of game 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.640 penalties on offense through the first ten games of the season, 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:45.000 you can see the the opportunity there to become much 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:48.440 more efficient offensively, to put yourself in better third down 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.960 situations if you can just you know, you're not going 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:54.280 to eliminate them completely. They're part of the game, but 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:56.480 if you can reduce those because two and a half 0:03:56.480 --> 0:03:59.160 per game through ten weeks, that's a lot. Yeah, the 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:01.360 in the delay games, that's always a little bit of 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:03.520 an altered statute because there's two instances in the last 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.360 couple of games when the Packers have actually taken them. 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:07.839 To give J K. Scott a little extra room, true enough, 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.800 but that being said, you know the specific instances that 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:12.880 Aaron Rodgers talks about that he needs to be better 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:15.080 in in Matt Laflora is discussed and trying to get 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:18.159 those calls, and they had some communication helmet, you know, issues, 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.240 and that's been prevalent, I think throughout the league trying 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.560 to deal with some of those things at times. But 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:24.640 the one I go back to is the false starts, 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:27.520 because that's the one I felt like going back to 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:30.200 lambeau Field, David smooth some of those things out. It's 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.000 a tough environment to be in Los Angeles and I 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:35.200 know it was a very pro heavy Packers crowd, but 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.760 there were still a lot of Chargers fans to making 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.960 their voice heard and that's difficult to work through those changes, 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:42.880 but you've got to be able to shore that up 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:45.599 at home. It's unacceptable to have those at home. You 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.039 need to be able to find answers there and that 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:50.080 was a big point of emphasis, and I'm sure as 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.799 they went through some of the self scouting and trying 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:56.400 to find ways to you know, maximize their offensive opportunities, 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:58.400 that's something they go back to. There was a play 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.080 against Carolina and I don't know exact measurables of it, 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:02.960 but I believe it was something along the lines where 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.479 they had, like I want to say, a nine yard 0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:07.200 run by Aaron Jones and there was a false start. 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:09.400 That takes it from being second and one back to 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:11.800 second and second and six, third and one back to 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.159 third and six. The percentage change every yard you go 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:19.400 back is is huge in this league. In credit to 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:21.400 Green Bay, one of the reasons they are eight and 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:23.159 two is they've worked through some of those things. You 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.640 had the Davante Adams thirty four yard catch on second 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.600 and you know, twenty six or whatever it was. You know, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:31.640 you can find ways with your playmakers to do that, 0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:33.600 but you can't live that way and they need to 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.240 find those answers. Yeah. I mean, right now, offensively, the 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.680 Packers are converting. I believe they're at thirty seven point 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:43.520 two on third down. It's in the bottom half of 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.760 the league. It's it's below the midway point. That's not 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:50.120 a horrible number. Thirty is not horrible, but you'd like 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.120 to be you know, once you're in the forties on 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:55.960 your third down conversions, you're you're in a pretty good spot. 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.320 I mean what Matt Lafleur found out as he looked 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.840 at all the numbers, and this is sort of self fulfilling. 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:05.560 I mean, it's it's kind of obvious that, you know, 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.760 third down in seven or less versus third down and 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:12.640 eight or more. But he found a really large discrepancy there. 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.680 I think, I think maybe a larger discrepancy than than 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:19.120 you would normally find because when it's been when it's 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.359 I believe the number is when it's been third and 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:23.560 seven or less or third and six or less one 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.880 or the other. The Packers are actually above fifty. That's 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:31.880 pretty darn good. But the problem and the reason they're 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:34.680 at thirty seven percent overall in their third downs is 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.039 because they've had way too many of the third and 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:40.160 fifteens and the third and twelves, and the really really 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:42.720 tough spots which have been a result of either those 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:46.120 false start penalties or holding penalty or a sack on 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:48.680 first or second down that that really puts you behind 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:51.120 the chains. Those are the things that you know it. 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:54.640 Matt Lafleur. Yes, there are going to be some unscouted looks. 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:57.680 They're gonna do some new things I think against San Francisco, 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:00.479 and as we move forward here into December that maybe 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:03.840 we haven't seen yet. But Matt Lafleur's goal offensively is 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:07.080 just to improve the efficiency, and it's not about drawing 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.080 up a whole bunch of new XS and O stuff. 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.120 It's like, what do you do to sharpen things up 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.040 and become more efficient down the stretch. And that's what 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:16.760 they're focused on. Yeah, and it's interesting too because when 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:19.080 you go back into those third and eight pluses or 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:21.560 third and twelves, that's where you're seeing the Packers having 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:23.040 to empty it out a little bit more. In credit 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.440 to Aaron Rodgers, they have found ways to be successful 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:28.520 in those intervals, but there's so much more predictability to that. 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:31.240 When you have those type of looks, you know more 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:33.120 what you're getting. When this offense is at its best, 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:35.480 and we've seen it, especially on some of these first 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.320 series of games this season, it's when they can be multiple, 0:07:38.360 --> 0:07:40.400 when they can go with bunch formations, when they're able 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.320 to shift their personnel on any given play on any 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:47.800 given you know possession, that's where they're going to make 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:50.720 their money and that's where this offense is. Ultimately, if 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:52.720 they get on a deep run here into the playoffs, 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.480 that's where they have to be successful. As as great 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:58.360 as it is to put the ball in Aaron Rodgers hands, 0:07:58.360 --> 0:07:59.800 and he's one of the best in the league when 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:03.080 it ms to being able to dictate those situations. You 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:05.600 see the Aaron Jones is you have the Davonte Adams. 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.320 You need to win those early down situations to make 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:11.120 them their most dangerous, and that's when this offense is 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:13.360 at its peak. Yeah. Well, on the defensive side of 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:16.160 the ball, We've been talking about it for several weeks 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:19.200 so of the Packers, so as defensive coordinator Mike Petton, 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:24.520 it really has been the explosive plays allowed that that 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:28.440 that's really hurt this defense. I'm not an XS and 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:30.920 OS expert. I don't know exactly how you go about 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:34.880 fixing this thing. Matt Lafleur has made comments about communication 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:38.520 a little bit in terms of not only getting the 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:42.160 right defensive personnel in the field, but then all the 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:45.120 pre snap stuff, making sure everybody has the call, maybe 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:48.160 not trying to change the call at the last minute 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.640 quite so often, which is how certain guys can get 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:53.240 out of position. I also think there's maybe a little 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.560 bit of a balance that Mike Petton is trying to 0:08:56.640 --> 0:09:00.320 find in terms of the the aggressiveness to go for 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:02.839 the ball because the turnovers are such a big part 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:05.000 of the game and have been such a big part 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:07.360 of what this defense has done, but not at the 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:10.720 expense of, you know, risking giving up those twenty and 0:09:10.760 --> 0:09:14.640 twenty five yard pass plays that have really hurt this defense. 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:17.560 So I'm just curious your thoughts on kind of where 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:21.160 things stand with this defense now and and what needs 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:24.560 to be done to to cut down on some of 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:27.400 those explosive games. Yeah, it's it's something that I think 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:29.719 is probably the biggest thing that had to be a 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:33.640 point of emphasis in the scouts scout self scouting process. 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:36.800 Easy for me to say, yeah, that's the one to 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:40.880 where there's so many different things that stitched together that 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.320 not only can result in being able to play cohesive, 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:49.400 you know, lockdown defense or having those breakdowns that it's 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.800 always difficult to pinpoint one specific thing because I get 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:54.800 it from Mike Patton's perspective. You've got a lot of 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.520 ball hawking players in the secondary. They have a really 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:00.720 productive pass rushing combo upfront in of the league's best 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.360 young nose tackles, and Kenny Clark in the middle. So 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:08.559 all intensive purposes, this should be a dynamic, an impactful 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.920 defensive unit, but there's been too many of those situations 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.720 where guys come free for not even just the seventy 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:17.160 five yard touchdown type of I'm talking about the thirty 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.400 forty yard passes in the middle of the field, fifty 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:22.160 yards here and there. That is the chunk plays that 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:25.240 it's difficult to come back from. Fortunately, Green Bay might 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:27.640 have one of the top run you know, red zone 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.240 defenses in the league right now that they've been able 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.760 to survive that. But if offenses start to chip away 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:36.199 at you there and you don't find answers, that's when 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.679 you start to see the damn breaks to live. So 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.120 that's where it's it's tough to put a finger on it. 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:44.040 And this is the most unique thing I was. I 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:46.240 was thinking about this last week and I looked it 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.719 up just now. Packers are right around that ranked uh 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:53.840 spot right now for scoring defense you know, points point all, 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:55.480 which at the end of the day, you can make 0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:58.880 an argument that's the most important one of all, but 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:01.400 a lot of times it's not always the same, but 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.320 it's sometimes equate storre you rank in total yards. In 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:06.240 this case, it does it. The Packers are twenty eight 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:09.760 right now in totally yards per game. The defenses above 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.920 them in scoring points per game. New England at one, 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:17.439 San Francisco had two, Buffalo is three. They're leading both categories. 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:23.120 Then it's eight fifteen, fourteen, eighteen, four, seven, five, ten, six, twelve. 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.760 That's where teams rank in total yards, and then you 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:29.160 have Green Bay with twenty eight. It's such a strange anomaly, 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:31.440 and that's why I brought it up on the show before. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:33.320 I get kind of punchy when people talk about this 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:36.160 being like the twelve or you know, eleven defense. I 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:38.880 still don't see it like that, because while there were breakdowns, 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.400 teams were also scoring quite a bit too, a lot 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:44.280 of shootouts the Packers had to win that season. This 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:47.040 hasn't been that case. So it's it's in this in between. 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:49.760 But unless you get it corrected the last six weeks 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:52.120 of the season, your record, your stats are what you 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.000 say you are in some regarden. That's why the Packers 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:55.520 have to get it cleaned up. Yeah, I mean there 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:58.920 have been certainly been offenses that have put up the 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:02.600 four US yards. You know, the defense that we saw 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:06.160 from the Packers in September, Now, granted that was a 0:12:06.160 --> 0:12:09.520 Bears offense that's been struggling all year, a Broncos offense 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.800 that's been struggling all year. So some of that was 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.520 was the result of the opponents, but you can also 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:17.600 just you know, you go by the eye test, the 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:22.199 defense doesn't look the same as it did earlier, and uh, um, 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:25.120 you know, those big plays they kind of started in 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:28.520 Week two against Minnesota. Then they came back in Week 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:31.720 five against Dallas when Dallas was way behind, and you know, 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:33.800 they started taking these big chunks of the field, and 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.880 then it's kind of been a problem since then. It's it's, uh, 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:39.120 it's not something that they've been able to curb. Now, 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:42.680 looking at the stats against Carolina, they only allowed I 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.200 believe it was only three plays in that game of 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:48.160 twenty plus yards, but there were a whole bunch of 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.920 past completions that were in that fifteen to nineteen yard 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:54.360 range that Carolina still racked up four hundred yards by 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:57.559 the end of the game. Yes, the defense obviously made 0:12:57.600 --> 0:12:59.560 the big stand at the end, and at the end 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:02.480 of the day, Carolina only had what sixteen points on 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:05.560 the board, So you take that anytime you can. But 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:08.520 the Packers know they're they're in this they're in this 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:10.720 uh you call it kind of you know, kind of 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.120 the middle ground. It's kind of a precarious place to 0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:16.280 be because of because of the yards that you've surrendered, 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:20.199 because you know, you get up against teams that are 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:22.760 more efficient in the red zone and uh and are 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:25.120 going to punch things in more often for touchdowns, and 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.600 then suddenly that points allowed number starts to climb. This 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:29.160 is where we're gonna learn about a lot about this 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:31.200 defense here in the last couple of weeks. Because yeah, 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:33.839 you mentioned Dallas. Dallas is leading the league right now 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:36.360 in total yards of offense. Kansas City is three. I 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:38.120 don't want to hear about Matt Moore. They still have 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.560 explosive playmakers there that can make life difficult. You know. 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:45.400 Detroit is eight, Minnesota's nine. Oakland, for as much has 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:47.840 been made about their situation, their eleventh right now un 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.800 totial offense. So they've played good offenses, productive offenses. This 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:54.079 week is going to be a huge test. San Francisco 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.000 is a dynamic and as versatile and multiple as teams get. 0:13:57.400 --> 0:13:59.920 But after that, you got the New York Giants, you 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:03.160 have Washington, you have Chicago. You need to lock down 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:05.840 in those games. The thing I liked about that Carolina 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.040 game was that, Okay, Carolina puts up four inner total 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:10.720 yards of offense. The Packers won that game, though, because 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:13.840 of their defense. Sometimes the yards aren't what matter most, 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.080 and it sometimes comes down to the points. But when 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.160 you look at those games beyond this week, I don't 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:19.960 care what the total yards are. I don't care what 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:21.520 the points are. If the Packers win the game, they 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:24.040 accomplished the goal. But going up against New York in 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:26.480 Washington Chicago, you expect them to be able to get 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.160 on a run there in December because of where those 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.160 offenses have ranked this season and some of the issues 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.560 that they've worked through. Yeah, all right, Well, before I 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:36.520 forget here west because I forgot yesterday after the long 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:41.560 break my brain. But select Cousin Subs locations are now 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:44.760 offering delivery. Whether you're ordering catering or your favorite sub, 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:47.680 they're delivering right to you when you order online at 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:51.800 Cousin Subs dot com. Cousin Subs we believe in better. 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:54.440 All right. Well, you mentioned one of the Packers on 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.440 the defensive side of the ball that I'd like to 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:59.520 talk about a little bit here and that's defensive tackle 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:04.240 Kenny Lark. He's in his fourth season. The statistics so 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:08.320 far through ten games don't really match up as far 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:10.640 as the tackles, the sacks, that kind of thing, don't 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:14.320 really match up to where he was last year. But 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.600 we started to see in that Carolina game before the bye, 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.400 it almost felt like the you know, I hate to 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:24.640 say old because Kenny Clark is not that old, but 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.240 but yeah, but it's sort of like the old Kenny 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:29.920 Clark started to start to come back. And I've been wondering, 0:15:30.000 --> 0:15:32.080 I'll be honest with you, West, I've been wondering much 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:34.400 of the season. Kenny Clark is not a guy who's 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:36.520 going to talk about it. But he was on the 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:39.000 injury report earlier this year with a calf injury. We 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:40.720 saw in the one game he got kicked in the 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:44.480 shin um. That can't feel too good. I think he's 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:48.120 been playing through some things and at the same time 0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:53.240 having to deal with how offenses are paying a lot 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:55.600 more attention to him in terms of in terms of 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:58.080 their scheme and how they want to handle him in 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:00.840 the middle of the defensive line. But his play really 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:03.880 stood out against Carolina, and I'm wondering, Okay, maybe is 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.200 is Kenny Clark season about to take off here? Yeah? 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:09.000 And it was interesting, you know, hearing some of the 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:11.600 comments from Jerry Montgomery last week because in some ways 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:14.720 I think there's talking to Tyler Lancaster about this Monday, 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:17.920 I think there's there's narrative that that Kenny Clark in 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:20.480 some ways has dropped off. I don't see that. I 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:23.000 think one. As Montgomery pointed out, he wouldn't go into 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.640 the exact specifics, but he said, I mean he's getting 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:27.560 double teamed a lot more in the running game, which 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:29.920 is what you expect. He's the premier nose tackle. That's 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:32.040 what's going to happen. So there hasn't been as many 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:35.360 of those one on one situations. The Packers again are 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:38.200 playing him a lot of the defensive snaps at this 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:41.120 point in the season. But that game against Carolina, Carolina 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.040 tried to block him one on one a lot more 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:45.160 than a lot of other teams did. And I would 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.280 imagine going to this game against San Francisco, you're going 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:49.280 to see that second guy having more attention on it 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:53.360 because whether it was you know, their center or trade Turner, 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.160 they just weren't able to match up with him, and 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:57.560 he was able to be disruptive. He came a little 0:16:57.560 --> 0:16:59.400 bit short of being able to get an actual sack 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:01.760 on the statue sheet, but Pro Football Focus had him 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:05.960 down for ten pressures, which under their metric and their measurements, 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:07.639 that's the most he's ever had in his career to 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.080 this point. And that's a lot for an interior past 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.080 a guy who never who really never lines up on 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:15.320 the edge at all. He's always inside. And I made 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:16.879 this argument at my story to the other thing you 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.000 gotta understand in terms of just the pass rush, he 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:23.359 has two outside linebackers now that are really shifting the 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:26.960 hourglass from last season. There are not as many opportunities 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:29.720 for a three fifteen pound defensive tackle to be the 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.640 first guy to the quarterback. Those guys are in that 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:36.080 O zone. They are making things difficult and it's getting 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:39.719 the ball all quick with my with the big thing 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:41.879 I think for for Clark here down the stretch is 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.840 going to be if they can one find ways to 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:46.840 give him some breathers here and there, because that's going 0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:48.399 to be important if they want to play an eighteen 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:52.000 or nineteen games season. And also, you know, figuring out 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:53.800 a good balance for when you want to have him 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:55.760 out there early on downs or when you want to 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.080 have him on third downs. I think the last few 0:17:58.119 --> 0:17:59.879 games you started to see them find a little bit 0:17:59.880 --> 0:18:03.720 more of, you know, a balance with all that. Maybe 0:18:03.720 --> 0:18:05.840 that's because Montrevious Adams is back and he seems to 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:08.240 have put the shoulder behind him. Kingsley Kickley is pay 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:12.760 playing more the more Kenny Clark is twenty four years old. 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:14.399 You want to be able to get him out there 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.720 as much as possible. But I think there is sometimes 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.520 that you know, you want to strike something there where 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.600 you're getting the maximum out of that player every single down. 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.879 And I think that's one area that maybe at this 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:26.520 point in the season, as you get into the month 0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:29.000 of November and December late in the year, where you're 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:32.600 starting to maybe figure out what that that right number 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:34.560 is going to be. Yeah, and we'll see as we 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.959 go into this San Francisco game here if they do 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:41.360 resume the double teaming in the middle on Clark, especially 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:43.159 with how they're going to want to run the ball. 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:46.840 The bottom line is whether it's Montrevious Adams, Kingsley, Kiki, 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:50.520 Dean Lowry, Tyler Lancaster, those guys are one on one 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:53.440 against the run, they've got to be able to They've 0:18:53.440 --> 0:18:55.040 got to be able to get off the block and 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.320 stay in their gap, or you know, keep Blake Martinez 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:00.439 and b J Goodson or in Burke's who verse at 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:02.960 the second level, keep those guys clean to be able 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:04.959 to make the play. Because yeah, if I mean, if 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:08.520 you're getting double teamed, then you're helping out a teammate 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:11.160