WEBVTT - #553 Packers Unscripted: Back from the bye 0:00:01.160 --> 0:00:14.160 Hi, everybody. Welcome to a new and improved edition of 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:18.000 Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:21.040 joined in the same room for the first time in 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:26.200 the season by my trusted colleague Wes Hodkowitz West. Welcome 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:29.520 to our new studio here at Well. What's cool, Mike, 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:31.280 because you've been a part of this now for a while. 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:33.040 You've been doing our own scripts here I think the 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.120 last what seventeen eighteen of them in our grand new 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:38.760 studio here at lambeau Field when I've been stuck in 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:42.919 my boss Barber's office. So I'm happy to join you. Finally. 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:46.479 We are managing this the best that we can. But 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:48.239 I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel to 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:51.559 have just a small bit of normalcy seeing your beautiful 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:55.160 face here on this wonderful Tuesday. Well, the feeling is mutual, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:58.040 my friend. So before we get going here, I do 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.000 want to throw out a little bit of sponsor business 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:04.760 to our good friends at Sirius XM. NFL radio channel 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:09.039 on Sirius XM is the only radio outlet dedicated to 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:12.399 the National Football League seven days a week, three hundred 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.319 and sixty five days a year. All right West. The 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:20.120 Packers bye week has concluded and they are getting ready 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:23.880 for a trip to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.560 The Packers are four and oh. The offense is ranked 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.440 among the best in the league. The defense is ranked 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.360 middle of the pack in various important categories. I want 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:38.560 to just get your thoughts here. Offensively, this has been 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:42.240 the story that's dominating the Green Bay Packers in how efficient, 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:45.280 how productive the offense has been. But we always hear 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.680 from Matt Lafleur. You look at the film, Yes, there 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:50.960 are always ways to improve. So on the offensive side 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:52.840 of the ball. As the Packers are coming out of 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:55.280 the bye week here, what do you see as a 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.640 potential area of improvement. Well, I think the one thing 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:00.960 I would like to see, especially now, is you see 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:03.560 the offensive line. They finally have a set five. It 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.200 appears to be with Lucas Patrick at right guard and 0:02:06.560 --> 0:02:08.440 Billy Turner right tackle. I think they have a good 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.440 feeling for what they have in the backfield. I basically 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.320 isolated in those red zone situations where I think they 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.120 can take that next step. Now, it's interesting they've actually 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:20.720 been pretty productive when they're kind of between that five 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:22.359 and twenty yard line. I mean, you look at the 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.520 passes to Robert Tanian against the Falcons, some of the 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:28.119 plays that they've generated there. But when you get more 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:30.960 towards those golden goal situations, that's where it's been kind 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:33.240 of hit or miss for them at this point. They've 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:35.960 had some great triumphs there and they've gotten stopped twice 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:39.120 in fourth and goal from the only one. Obviously Jay 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:41.560 Alexander sort of bailed them out of that last one, 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:44.320 and then certainly it happened again there against the Falcons. 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.120 But I think if they can find the right remedy there, 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:49.320 and that was one thing that after that game, Matt 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:52.280 la Flour kind of you know, lamented the call and 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:53.600 in some of the things he wished he could have 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.760 changed because I'll tell you what, Mike, in the eighty 0:02:56.840 --> 0:02:58.880 yards in the middle of that field, the Packers have 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:01.440 been really difficult to stop. It's just a question of, okay, 0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:03.400 when the defense is then able to condense a little 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:05.760 bit more still winning those downs. I think if the 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.760 Packers really you know, harness that area this game, uh, 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:12.000 they're going to be really a force here in the 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:14.200 second I guess technically second quarter of the season I 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:17.120 almost had second half of the season. Sure, I'm with 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.519 you there. I mean, this is definitely nitpicking with the 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:22.320 way the offense is rolling and the points that it 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:24.560 has been putting up. But if I were to point 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:26.560 to one area, I would say short yardage. And it 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:28.600 goes along with what you said. You mentioned the two 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.320 fourth and goals at the one against the Vikings and 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.760 the Falcons where the Packers were stopped. They were also 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:36.200 stopped on a key fourth and one at midfield in 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:39.040 New Orleans. Now, as it turned out, none of those 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:42.480 stops damaged the Packers as much as they potentially could have. 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.080 But when you look at the fact that if you 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:50.160 take out the uh the kneel downs at the end 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:51.360 of the half or the end of the game, you 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.520 take those possessions out, the Packers have scored on twenty 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:58.040 seven out of thirty five possessions so far in four games. 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:02.480 And when you look at three of those stops we're 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:05.800 due to the fourth and ones, the two at the 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:08.760 goal line and the one at midfield. This offense is 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:13.600 like super super close to almost literally being unstoppable. So 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:17.760 you know, the Packers have options in the backfield. Aaron 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:20.680 Jones he obviously converted. I believe it was on a 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:23.240 fourth and goal at the one. In one of the 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.840 other games he did score at the goal line there. 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:29.279 I think that was against New Orleans. You have Jamal Williams, 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.200 you have a J. Dillon as another option as a 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:34.320 power back. Obviously Aaron Rodgers has run plenty of play 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:37.480 action passes out of short yardage. But I think if 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.080 if the Packers shore up that we heard from Matt 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:42.400 Lafleur all last season about wanting to be in those 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.400 manageable down and distances on third down, you get into 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:48.039 third and short and fourth and short, the Packers, the 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:50.440 Packers can convert those at a better rate, and if 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:52.719 they do, they're going to be that much more dangerous. 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.440 And one thing that you know, we talked about that, 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.000 but I actually really do like the aggressiveness that Matt 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.119 Laflour has shown in those situations. That think absolutely I agree. 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:03.120 If you go back about ten years, Mike, there was 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:05.800 always like this pressure, Okay, this is where you maybe 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.400 want to, you know, look to have a field goal 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:10.120 or something like that. But as much as as great 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.119 as it is to have three points on the board, 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:15.120 there is something about that field position advantage that a 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:18.320 team puts themselves in and being able to manage that 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:20.120 throughout the game. And I think that that's one of 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.279 probably the hallmarks of this year's team time of possession 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:26.479 and field position. The opposition hasn't had a lot of 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:30.599 great opportunities in terms of where they've started from, and 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:33.280 even in those situations, whether it was the JayR Alexander 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:36.159 sack or the Packers making the Falcons go the long 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:38.840 way and then ultimately I believe getting stopped when they 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:41.080 tried to move the ball down after the fourth and 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:45.240 goal stop uh at lambeau Field last week, so that 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:47.719 the defense, I thought they have really been put into 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.000 an advantageous situation in that regard. And you know, you 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:53.120 want to be able to floor always says that you 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:55.159 want to do, you know, all gas, no break, you 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:57.200 want to keep your foot on the pedal, and they've 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.680 definitely done that. Again, it's just about taking that next 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:02.359 step up and really putting themselves in an area where 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:05.960 I mean, you look offensively, whether it's total yards, points production, 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:08.560 few in the league right now have done what Green 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:12.159 Bay has done. Yeah, absolutely well. On the defensive side 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:15.360 of the ball, What would you pinpoint as the most 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:19.240 important area of improvement for Mike Petton and his career. Well, 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:21.880 we saw it in the Atlanta game. It's the run defense. 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:25.080 And that's the one benefit that I think we've seen. 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.000 As many injuries as the Packers have had to deal 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:30.520 with here in the first half of the season, how 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:33.800 guys have responded. They didn't have Kenny Clark for the 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.840 last three and a half games, So what does that mean. 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.480 That means that Tyler Lancaster has to step up at 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:42.560 nose tackle. It means Kingsley Kiki has to become a 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:46.320 force there in that dime defensive line role, and both 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:49.080 of those guys did that. They lost Kamal Martin at 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:51.360 the beginning of the season. So here's Chris Barnes out 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:54.840 of nowhere. He has to be the rundown linebacker. Christian 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:57.440 Kirksey goes down with an injury, then it's up to 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:00.280 Barnes and Tye Summers to fill in. And I think 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:02.839 what ultimately happened. The Packers did take some bumps and 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:06.359 bruises here early on, but that Atlanta game, to me 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.120 showed that yet even if they don't have Clark out there, 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.240 even if they don't have Kerksy out there, they can 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.440 be a good run defense, and I thought the defensive 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:16.520 front put together their best performance. Now can they stack 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:19.720 it against Ronald Jones in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this 0:07:19.800 --> 0:07:22.600 upcoming weekend, because they probably you know, we'll see what 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.040 happens with practice, but it appears likely that they'll be 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:27.200 getting Kenny Clark here back sooner than later. We'll have 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:30.440 to see what happens with Kirksy. Kamal Martin returned to 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:32.280 practice as well this week, so maybe he'll be in 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:35.640 the fold here soon. But the lessons that the Barnes, 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.440 the key Keys, the Lancasters learned over these first four weeks, 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:41.600 I think that's gonna pay dividends for the Packers in 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:43.760 the long run. Yeah, I agree with you. I think 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.720 the the way Mike Petton has been forced to UH 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.600 to reach into his depth a little bit and getting 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:52.560 some of these guys, especially a young guy like Barnes 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:56.440 and undrafted rookie UH certainly falls into that category. We'll see, 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:58.880 as you mentioned Kamal Martin getting back to practice if 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:01.440 within the next few weeks, maybe he's able to get 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:05.840 on the field. Though, getting that experience early in a 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:09.080 rookie season can can really pay off down the road. 0:08:09.120 --> 0:08:11.440 I agree with you there. If I were to point 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:14.440 to two areas I wrote this in in inbox over 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:17.720 the bye week, tackling and takeaways. I think those are 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:20.840 the two areas that Mike Patton's defense can improve upon. 0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:23.480 I thought the first two games of the season, the 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:27.320 tackling was solid and we weren't talking about miss tackles. 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.040 But the last two games the Saints and the Falcons, 0:08:30.360 --> 0:08:32.200 we all know what happened in New Orleans with the 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:36.640 miss tackles on Alvin Kamara. Against the Falcons, there were 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.240 several miss tackles again, but it was it was different 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:42.640 in the sense that the the miss tackles actually prevented 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:46.120 the defense from putting themselves in really good situations. They 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.480 were missing tackles for loss, where then the ball carrier 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:51.280 was getting back to the line of scrimmage or getting 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:54.280 a two or three yard gain. And I guess in 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.760 some ways this goes hand in hand because if you 0:08:56.840 --> 0:09:00.240 get a get an offense in second and fourteen as 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:03.920 opposed to second and nine, well that's when the takeaways 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.839 might start to happen. And the Packers, you know, they 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:10.760 hurt themselves and didn't give themselves those opportunities against the 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.920 Falcons because of the mistackles. Over All, the Packers are 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:17.760 plus three in the turnover margin through four games. That's 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:19.960 a good spot to be in because you're on pace 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.080 to get into plus double digits by the end of 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.040 the season, and that is where you want to be. 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:27.240 But they're plus three mostly because the offense has zero 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:31.360 turnovers the defense only has three takeaways, and three takeaways 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.240 through four games, there have been opportunities for more. I 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:38.560 think if the Packers start to capitalize defensively on those opportunities, 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:40.840 we will start to see a different look to this 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.200 unit as the season goes along. Yeah, and and it's 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:45.600 funny you bring that up, because this defense is different 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:47.559 when they're in second and third and long just the 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:50.199 way they can use the Darius Smith changes. And as 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:53.480 I mentioned with Kingsley Kiki, you know, with Kenny Clark 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:56.680 coming back here, the number of ways that Mike Patton 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:58.400 is going to be able to use him. This guy 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:01.840 doesn't have to be in eighty five percent defensive, you know, 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:05.200 snap player, you can be more strategic in terms of 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:07.079 the dime defense or if you want to use them 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:10.040 on rundowns given the situation. That's what they needed to 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:12.760 see from that defensive line group. And you know, a 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:15.280 real big positive for green Bay was Rashawn Gary being 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:18.360 back at practice two on Monday. If he's able to play, 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:20.400 You've seen the way that they can move all those 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:23.600 pieces around. There's just a swagger to that group. There's 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.640 just a momentum shift that you feel in a lot 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:28.839 of times that ends up leading to take aways. It 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.880 leads to the force fumbles, which was a huge emphasis 0:10:31.880 --> 0:10:35.160 going to this season. It leans, it leads into timely 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:38.920 turnovers like the the interception that Chandon Sullivan had a 0:10:38.920 --> 0:10:41.520 couple of weeks ago for the pick six, and certainly 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.559 Jaire Alexander that's just the one thing left for him, 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:47.040 I think, to becoming an elite cornerback in this league. 0:10:47.440 --> 0:10:50.440 He talked about that interception he almost had two weeks ago. 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:52.560 He's looking to the end zone. He needs to look 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:55.240 that ball in. He does that, he becomes a five 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.320 interception player in this league per season. That's when you 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:01.160 start to realize exactly what his upside is going to be. 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:04.240 In addition to being a lockdown, shutdown cornerback, yeah, you 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:07.480 look at the takeaway opportunities. The last couple of games. 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:11.439 You mentioned Alexander with a possible pick six against New Orleans, 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:13.360 but he wasn't quite able to bring the ball in. 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:15.560 There were two other times the Saints put the ball 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:18.160 on the ground, once on a kickoff return, once on 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.920 a sack by Kiki of Drew Brees, but the Packers 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.520 weren't able to come up with those fumbles. Matt Ryan 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:26.960 threw a terrible pass quite frankly on a on a 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.480 slant and the Packers had two defenders. I believe it 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:33.800 was Barnes and Savage, both essentially taking the ball away 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:36.040 from each other in a sense, because they each had 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:39.520 a chance to to get that one, and unfortunately the 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.240 Packers didn't come up with it. But those are the 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:44.040 opportunities that you have to you have two seize on 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:47.280 it because Drew Brees is only gonna fumble on a 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:49.680 sack maybe once a game, right, Matt Ryan is only 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:52.960 going to throw that bad pass into traffic once a game. 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.800 The Packers didn't capitalize on those opportunities. You start capitalizing 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:59.720 on those down the road. I think the picture changes 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:03.280 for the defense um quickly. Here was a little more 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:06.080 sponsored business. Gear up for game day, folks, Open a 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.680 Packers checking account from Associated Bank and score a fifty 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:13.360 dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. Learn more at Associated 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:17.400 bank dot com. Backslash Packers. All right, well, give me 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:20.400 your thumbnail sketch here of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:24.840 Packers opponent for this Sunday. They lost Week one on 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.679 the road NFC South rival in New Orleans there oh 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.959 and one to start the Tom Brady Era. Then they 0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:34.280 win three straight and they've got a thirteen nothing lead 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:36.920 last Thursday night in Chicago, looking like they were going 0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:40.280 to make it a four game winning streak. Suddenly everything turns. 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.600 The offense can't get anything going. They only kicked two 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.760 more field goals at Soldier Field the rest of that ballgame. 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.199 The Buccaneers come out on the short end, and suddenly 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:52.840 they're sitting at three and two and looking to avoid 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.480 three and three after six games with an undefeated Packers 0:12:56.480 --> 0:12:59.040 team coming to Tampa. Yeah, it's funny too, Mike, because 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:00.920 Tampa Bay I think is gonna be a headache for 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:03.520 everyone this year that you're never gonna be able to 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:05.880 sleep on them. But you're also not sure what you're 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:07.960 gonna get in the Buccaneers, and that game was a 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.440 perfect example of that. You know, for them to get 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:12.840 a hundred yard game out of Ronald Jones, who looks 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:14.680 like he's going to be an exceptional running back in 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.320 this league. You know Tom Brady, we know what he's 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:19.280 kind of become at age forty three. I mean, he 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.360 can still win you a ballgame, but it's very high percentage. 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.480 It's allowing guys to create plays. Mike Evans leading the 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:29.000 league in touchdowns right now. That defense, for as up 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:30.920 and down as they were last year, if you didn't 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.640 pay enough attention to the Buccaneers, their defense was terrific 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:36.800 last season, and a lot of those same playmakers are back, 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:40.680 though now they've lost Vita Villa, So from that regard, 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.720 you can't sleep on them. But at the same time, 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.920 way too many penalties against the Bears came back to 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:50.920 haunt them. An inability to finish drives in the second half, 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:53.680 an inability to establish a four minute offense at the 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:55.320 end of that Bears game that could have shut the 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:59.040 door on it, and overall just not enough execution. And 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:01.600 I think in some regards that's probably a product of 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.440 a team that has just had to come together this season. 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:08.400 New quarterback, new coach, new philosophies. There's been a lot 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.920 of upheaval in Tampa Bay with their personnel. Not to mention, 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:14.319 you know, you have Gronk there now is their tight end. 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:18.000 So in that regard, it doesn't necessarily surprise me. There's 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.600 been some up and down roller coaster ebb and flow 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:22.760 here in the early part of the season. But at 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:25.920 the same time, you can't look at that and be like, well, 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:29.360 you know, the Packers, this is an automatic win. They 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:32.080 need to play more disciplined, They need to be efficient, 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:34.280 especially early on, to set the tone in that game, 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:35.720 and they need to be able to close it out 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.440 because if you look at the winds and losses for 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:41.560 the Buccaneers so far this season, when they've closed things out, 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:43.800 they've won. When they have been able to get a 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.120 result like they did against Chicago. Yeah, Tom Brady, it 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:49.560 looked like he had things going there for a while, 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:52.960 but you look at his overall season so far, and 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:55.920 as you mentioned, new head coach, he's coming into a 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.280 whole new offense, he's learning a whole bunch of stuff. 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:01.720 But Tom Brede, he's made his share of mistakes. So far, 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:03.800 He's thrown two pick six is this year, if I'm 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:06.960 not mistaken, one against New Orleans, one against the Chargers. 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.000 He was able to come back from a seven teen 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.520 point deficit against the Chargers and and pull out that 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:14.600 victory a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure Thursday night 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.400 it can't be fun for a quarterback in his early 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.160 forties to have to play a game on a short week. 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:23.360 With the travel up from Tampa to Chicago. That was 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.400 you know, the circumstances were not in the Buccaneers favor there. 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:29.640 But again, they started out the game with a thirteen 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:31.480 nothing lead. It looked like they were going to cruise 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:35.440 to another victory, and then everything turned for them. This 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:38.280 this is a this is an interesting one West because 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:41.120 with the way things are in the NFC right now, 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:43.720 Seattle is five and oh, the Packers are four and oh, 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.520 the Rams are four and one, the Bears are four 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:49.720 and one. I mentioned Tampa Bay here. They they're trying 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.480 to avoid a three and three start. They really after 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:55.560 that loss last week on Thursday Night, they really want 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.120 to get to four and two and keep themselves in 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:01.000 that conversation amongst the content or is at the top 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:04.080 of the NFC, especially with this year, there's only one 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:06.360 first round by in the playoffs, you get the number 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:09.120 two seed, you're still playing in a wild card game. 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:11.960 So the fight for the top of the conference and 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:14.240 to try to get that first round by it's going 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:16.360 to be pretty heated all the way along. And Tampa 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.320 Bay wants wants to keep themselves in that mix. Yeah, 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.520 and you and I could have a two hour roundscripted 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:26.160 where I continue to just be beside myself about these 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.560 seven teams making it at each conference, but we won't 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:32.360 go there. We'll save that discussion for January. Perhaps I'm 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:34.880 looking forward to that. Yeah. What I do think though, 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:37.720 is the one whether you're viewed as a benefit or 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:39.800 a detractor. The one thing that this change has made 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:41.400 is it's given a kind of more of a college 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.320 football field now where it's like, Okay, you gotta play 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:46.080 well from week one if you want to be the 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:48.560 number one seed in your conference, you have to be 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:51.600 able to keep that going to play for the national championship, 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:55.240 so to speak. So that that's what's at stake here. 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:58.120 That's why it actually really did matter that the Vikings 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.040 weren't able to pull off that win over Seattle because 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:02.960 now Seattle's five and oh and the Packers are trying 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:05.560 to get to catch up and stay stay at that pace, 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:10.400 especially in an NFC that appears to have just incredible 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:12.399 parody this year when you look at the issues that 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:14.399 San Francisco has had and some of these other teams 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:18.120 already taking two losses to begin the season. So yeah, 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:20.720 that's why this game is pivotal. And it's pivotal from 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.320 the Tampa based perspective too, because here they are in 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:25.520 a position where they can try to get some distance 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:28.399 in the South if they get this win. So I 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.680 think it's gonna be a great matchup. Seeing the chess 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:33.720 match between Mike Petton and Tom Brady and then obviously 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:36.639 Aaron Rodgers going against the pressure packages in the front 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:40.159 that the Buccaneers have. It's gonna be great theater. The 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:43.200 only question I have is you're going down to Tampa. 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.159 It's gonna be eighty five degrees or whatever it's going 0:17:45.200 --> 0:17:48.040 to be. Uh, we haven't seen those type of conditions 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.600 in a while. Um, you know, I go back to 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:53.280 I think it was when they played Tampa and fourteen. 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:55.520 It was a pretty toasty day in December, if I 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:59.159 remember right. But the guy's gotta get acclimated to that, 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:00.399 and they've got to be able to a rise of 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.960 the occasion they did in New Orleans, they did in Minnesota, 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:06.480 they have to do it again. Well, you mentioned the 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:09.520 Packers trying to keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:11.280 is five and oh, the Packers are going to try 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:13.080 to get to five and oh you've also got the 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:16.080 Chicago Bears at four and one is if the Packers 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:19.040 were to stumble, suddenly there's a tie a top the 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:21.960 NFC North. So Green Bay trying to trying to keep 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:25.119 themselves there. Really interesting though. Before we go here, I 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.239 just have to get your opinion on what's going on 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:31.400 in Seattle, because Cam Newton for the Patriots is one 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.280 yard away on the goal line from beating the Seahawks 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:36.280 on the last play of the game. Can't do it. 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:40.600 The Minnesota Vikings have multiple fourth downs, both on offense 0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:43.280 and on defense to try to put the Seahawks away, 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:47.720 and they can't do it. And the Seattle Seahawks. The 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:51.800 Seattle Seahawks have the worst defense in the league statistically 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:54.440 in terms of yards allowed, which which when you think 0:18:54.480 --> 0:18:58.280 about it, is is a mind boggling. They have the 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:02.040 last ranked defense in the league in terms of yards allowed, 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:06.280 yet they're five and oh and uh, this this race 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:09.480 in the NFC for playoff spots, playoff positioning, everything else, 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:11.760 It's going to really really be entertaining here as we 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:14.439 go along. You had to edit my insider inbox for Tuesday. 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:16.199 I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this too, 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:17.879 because I know a lot of people always asking. It 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:19.840 came up a lot last season about green Bay and 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:21.919 in thirteen and three, what does that mean? What does 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:24.439 it mean when you're five and oh? But you know 0:19:24.560 --> 0:19:26.560