WEBVTT - #357 Packers Unscripted: Cold weather coming 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:21.000 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:24.840 I am Mike Spofford. He is my trusted colleague west Hodkuits. 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:27.520 We're coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:33.720 Field West. It's almost your Packers Dolphins Sunday afternoon pm 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:38.600 Central Time kick off and our last show of the week, 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:41.720 and that always means keys to victory for the Green 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:43.880 Bay Packers. Where do you want to start with this one? 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:46.280 I think it goes back to the takeaways and turn 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:48.800 over margin. I know that comes up it seems like 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:50.760 every week, and I know every week it seems like 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:52.519 I say, well, this is the week it really matters. 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:55.600 But I think if you look at the statistics and 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:59.280 the statuets this week, it really shows how paramount it 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:04.120 is the fact that the Dolphins biggest like victory this 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:06.160 year for them has been their ability to take away 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:10.280 the football. The fifteen interceptions. If you get beyond that, 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:12.920 it's been kind of tough for them. They've had a 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:16.360 hard time moving the ball consistently, whether it has been 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:20.919 Ryan Tannehill or Brock Oswiler quarterback. Defensively, as you pointed 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:23.639 out on our Final Thoughts video, They've given up yards 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:27.560 there too, specifically against the runs. So they're big play production. 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:29.440 Their ability to be five and four at this point 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:31.160 of the year has been able to being able to 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.319 take away the football. Packers have to make sure that 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:38.400 doesn't happen. Yeah, they the statistic Dolphins have fifteen interceptions. 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:40.880 Aaron Rodgers is only thrown one. We looked it up 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:45.080 earlier today. It was against Buffalo, which was that Week four. Yeah, 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.840 Buffalo against Week four was Rogers only interception this season. 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:51.200 So yeah, I've kind of had the feeling all week 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:54.920 that if Rogers continues to not throw the ball into 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:57.080 Harm's way, which he's done a great job this year, 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.000 and it's not as though teams have had a bunch 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.320 of opportunities to intercept the ball on Aaron Rodgers. I 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:06.160 like the Packers chances here because the Dolphins defense, you know, 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:09.080 they rank really in the you know, the bottom third 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:12.800 of the league essentially and in yardage, and you know, 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.000 they they've had they've had some ups and downs in 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:18.520 terms of points allowed. But quite frankly, was you know 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:20.960 they would have lost, they would have been hung with 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.600 a really bad loss against the New York Jets last 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.519 week if not for a pick six um from their 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.960 defense to pull out a thirteen to six victory. So 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:31.200 I agree with you. It's not as though we're sitting 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:33.280 here saying the Packers need to win the turnover battle 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:35.480 three to nothing or something like that in order to 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.799 win this game. But you can't let this Dolphins defense 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:41.880 continue to feed on the turnover thing that has sort 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:44.639 of been their spark to get to this point where 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:46.519 they're five and four, even though they're playing with a 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.000 backup quarterback. Yeah, and and that's really I think one 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.040 of the things that they've been able to use to 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:54.200 to get through that time is that if brock Oswather 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.440 has done anything really well and these whatever this has 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:59.000 been now four or five starts he's made, yeah, it's 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:01.400 the fact that he has part at the football relatively 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.240 well compared to you know what happened in Houston where 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:06.880 he ultimately lost his job for that reason, and then 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:08.920 you know that these short intervals of time he had 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:12.320 with Cleveland and Denver. So I think this is gonna 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:15.440 be really interesting also seen exactly what form, uh this 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:18.920 secondary takes for the Dolphins. I mean, they said coming 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:21.400 out of Miami this week Adam Gaze said, everything's resolve 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.560 with Rashad Jones. Where they're gonna go with that. Are 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:27.080 they're still gonna be trying to rotate through with Minca 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.360 Fitzpatrick or how they're gonna handle all those safeties, because 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:32.680 it sounded like, and again as a non expert, I'm 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:35.320 not a beat writer for them, it sounded like that 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:37.360 was sort of the crux of this whole thing is 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.160 they were trying to rotate guys and maybe Rashad Jones 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:43.560 wasn't happy with that, whatever, But when he's on the field, 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:46.280 he's a really dynamic football player, and I think he 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:48.080 has two or three of those picks on the season, 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.000 and as I mentioned earlier this week, a guy like 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:52.640 Kiko Alonso has three picks. I mean, they have a 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:54.440 lot of guys and a lot of different body types 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:55.760 that can make plays on the football and you have 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.080 to be aware of that. Yeah, I think looking at 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:00.880 this game from another perspective, I really think this game 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:03.360 could come down to the running backs. You have Frank 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:07.440 Gore on the Dolphins side with a partner in Kenyan Drake, 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.760 and then the Packers obviously have Aaron Jones and Jamal 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.200 Williams and looking at what I would consider the number 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.160 one guys for each team. Frank Gore, I think, has 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:18.960 really been kind of the backbone of this Miami offense 0:04:19.200 --> 0:04:22.720 since brock Oswiler particularly had to take over as the 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:25.599 starting quarterback. And you know, I wrote a piece on 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:29.359 it for our website this week. You know, Frank Gore's career, 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:32.520 to me is is really really impressive and you can't 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.679 have anything but the utmost respect for what he's done 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:39.040 over fourteen years. He ranks fourth all time in the 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:41.880 NFL in rushing yards. He's going to end up in 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.680 the Hall of Fame someday. He's had seven career games 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.200 against the Green Bay Packers West if you include regular 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:51.080 season and postseason, most of them with the forty nine 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.240 is the one game two years ago with the Indianapolis Colts. 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:59.960 Frank or has seven rushing touchdowns and three yard games. Again, 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:03.160 it's the Green Bay Packers over the years. With what 0:05:03.240 --> 0:05:05.919 he means to this Dolphins offense. Right now, the Packers 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:08.920 can't really let him get going and do his thing, 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.600 so to speak. I think you have to you have 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.520 to make brock Osweiler be the guy that beats you there. 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:17.040 You can't let them run the football and keep Aaron 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:18.960 Rodgers off the field. Yeah. And you know who's a 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:22.400 really good advocate for that, the Chicago Bears giving up 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.720 a hundred yards. I mean, Frankore average six points, so 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:27.320 he looked like he was twenty four year old franc 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:29.159 Or in that football game. I mean, just and Drake 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:31.640 had a pretty good game for for them against Chicago 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:33.160 as well. He did. And then it was actually I 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:34.880 think it was was a Gore that picked them up 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:36.760 at the end there when Drake had the fumble, whatever 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.600 the case may be. Here's the other side of this though, too. 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.400 Frank Gore is thirty five. He has a fourteen year veteran. 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:44.600 The last three games, he's not had a catch over 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:47.520 nine yards or excuse me to carry over nine yards, 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.000 averaging right in that three mid three range, little lower threes. 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:54.000 The Packers need to make sure that that trend continues. 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:55.960 I think we saw in that game two years ago 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:59.000 against Indianapolis Colts, and I know the Packers were obviously 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:00.880 ready for him, They've seen him number of times, but 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:03.600 I'll be honest with you, I kind of counted Frank 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.200 Gore out a little bit going into that matchup. I 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:08.200 just wasn't sure a guy that thirty five years old, 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:10.800 thirty three years old at that time, how effective he 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.520 can be. And Frank Gore still showed in those first 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.720 five yards how difficult he is to take down. When 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:18.880 he gets a lane, he gets a block, how he 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:21.480 executes on it. Now he doesn't have the game changing 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:23.640 power anymore. If he gets to the second level, chances 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.280 are he's not getting the third. But the fact of 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.440 the matter is when you get back to this offense 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:31.360 without Ryan Tannehill, it's been predicated on moving the ball 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:34.480 consistently and then also having a potential home run threat 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:36.920 there with Drake. This type of game, if it ends 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.160 up being in the mid thirties, could be the kind 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:41.200 of game that they want to get franc Or out there. Yeah, 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:44.120 And with regard to the flip side with the Packers 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:47.600 and Aaron Jones, this Miami defense, as we said, kind 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.560 of predicated on the interceptions there twenty eight in the 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.359 league against the run West. I mean this game and 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.880 we're talking about potentially cold weather, mid thirties temperatures. It's 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.480 snowing outside right now is we're taping this episode. I'm 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:02.000 not sure if there will be snow on the ground 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:06.120 comes Sunday afternoon. But Packers really need to be able 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:07.840 to run the football in this game. I think they 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:11.239 should be able to run the football against this Miami 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:14.160 Dolphins defense. And and let's face it, Aaron Jones, he 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:16.960 had the first fumble of his career, his brief NFL 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:20.400 career last week. It came at a critical time unfortunately, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.440 really was the turning point in the loss at New England. 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:25.760 I know he's put it in the right perspective. But 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.600 if there's anybody on this Packers offense who's coming into 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:31.640 Sunday's game with maybe a little bit of a little 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:33.800 bit of anger, a little bit of edge to his game, 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:36.080 you know, it's Aaron Jones. You know he wants a 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:38.320 little bit of redemption for what happened on that first 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:40.360 play of the fourth quarter last week. Yeah, Mike, and 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:42.600 last week you asked me kind of put me on 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:44.440 the spot a little bit. It came up an inbox 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:46.679 as well. Could that be the week where Aaron Jones 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:49.160 has a hundred yards? I said I didn't think so, 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:51.240 but I also said I thought he'd be really important 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.320 to that game. I think that he was. He absolutely 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:56.720 was This is the kind of game though, where I 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:58.800 think and if he doesn't have a hundred yards, I 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:00.840 could still see him in Jamal Williams having a lot 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:04.400 of production. I just think that that threat is there, 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.400 and it's very real when you look at how they 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:10.280 match up with the Dolphins and potentially as well Mike. 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:12.520 You know, you go back to some of the more 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:15.800 difficult stretches the Packers have gone through with their offense 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:19.440 and trying to find efficiency. Home base a lot of times, 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:22.280 while this is a structured pass offense, you know, on 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:24.840 West Coast principles, home base a lot of times has 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.680 been the run game. It's been the reset button. I 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:29.640 think it could be like that in this game. I 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.120 you know, we talked about the fumble last week. Aaron 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.560 Jones said the same exact thing in his locker that 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.800 he tweeted that he said to his coaches, he was 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:39.120 accountable for it, he stepped up to it, he wants 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.200 to be better from it. And I think one of 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:44.319 the bigger positives was actually Ben Sermons saying it wasn't 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:47.640 like it was a careless error that he made, or 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:51.040 it wasn't some huge fundamental breakdown or something where he 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:53.640 just he just exposed the football. It was it was 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.320 it was a football play. The ball came out and he's, 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:59.040 to Sherman's credit, he wasn't being on the complete So 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:01.240 there's things you still and do with that juncture. But 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:05.679 it almost takes the perfect punch out that Lawrence Guy 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:08.200 delivered to be able to turn over the football there. 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:10.240 Aaron Jones is gonna learn from that. He's going to 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:11.960 get correct and I think he can still be a 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:14.120 really important player for them down the stretch. I said 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.160 it on inbox what Tuesday, microor Wednesday, The Packers are 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:18.880 going to need him. He has to move forward. Yeah, 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:20.640 he They are going to need him, and I think 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:23.480 he could be very big in this ball game. Weather 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:27.440 conditions here, wes what you know if it's mid thirties, 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.000 a little chili. I don't know if there's going to 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.080 be snow or not. But what do you how do 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:33.920 you think that plays into this game? Really the first 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.480 Chili game, although last Sunday night in New England wasn't 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:39.480 exactly warm. I mean that was that was kind of 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:41.920 chili as well. But um, but you are talking about 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:45.680 a team from South Florida coming up to lambeau Field 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:49.080 here in November for a game that frankly is going 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:51.559 to be a little bit colder than you would expect 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.959 for Week ten in the NFL. I actually be honest 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:57.200 with you, Mike, this might be a controversial answer. I 0:09:57.240 --> 0:09:58.960 don't think it's gonna be that big of a deal, 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:01.080 Okay in the re and I say that it actually 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:02.960 goes off of something that Clay Matthews said in the 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:06.800 locker room. Brock Osweiler played in even worse conditions in 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:09.040 this in Green Bay two years ago when he was 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:12.160 a starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. Texans lost that game, 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:15.920 but Osweiler actually played relatively well thirty five for two 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:18.360 and two and a touchdown. Uh. They just they just 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:20.800 had some fundamental things that fell through and the Packers 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:22.960 were able to execute when they needed to. That being 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.839 said Frank Gore. While also a you know, a Dome 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:31.280 West Coast type back, he's shown he can be in 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:34.640 those elements and get production. I think the bigger thing 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.640 in this is gonna be not necessarily how the Dolphins 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:42.320 react to the elements. It's gonna be more who's protecting 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.920 the football and are you exposing it? Due to the elements. Uh, 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:48.480 you know, your hands start getting a little colder, the 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:52.000 ball starts getting a little harder. You know, your fundamentals 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:54.400 are challenged a little bit in that just from the 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:57.440 the air temperature alone. So I think it's gonna be 0:10:57.480 --> 0:11:01.440 really important for the Packers specific fickally to be able 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.480 to what if there is an advantage there to be gained, 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.240 whether it's practicing outdoors, whatever it is, to make sure 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:09.200 you take advantage of that. Because the Packers are three 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.400 oh and one right now at home, this is an 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:14.080 opportunity to be able to get some momentum back against 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:16.560 a team that doesn't normally play in these conditions. I 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:18.880 just don't know if it's ultimately gonna be something that 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.200 turns the tie to the game. Yeah. I think another 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:23.840 thing we need to certainly touch on before the end 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.320 of the week here is special teams for this matchup 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:29.400 with the Dolphins. I I know I harped on at 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:31.560 last week heading into the game against the Patriots, and 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:34.880 we saw it. The game started with Cordorrell Patterson running 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.040 a kickoff back to the thirty six yard line, A 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:40.480 five yard offside penalty on the Packers tacked on and 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:42.439 Tom Brady gets to start the game from the forty 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.280 one yard line, you might as well kick the ball 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:45.880 out of bounds, right, I mean, if you're gonna give 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:47.880 it to him there, he only has to go fifty 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.280 nine yards for the opening touchdown and the Patriots are 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:52.520 up seven nothing. Then we see later in the game 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:56.640 the roughing the kicker are roughing, the punter call fifteen 0:11:56.679 --> 0:11:59.160 yards automatic first down. At the end of the day, 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:01.520 that cost the pack There's twenty four yards of field 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:03.160 position because they would have had the ball in the 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:06.440 thirty one Instead, when the defense got another stop, they 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:09.560 ended up with the ball in the seven yard line. Um. 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:12.560 So those those types of things continue to to hurt 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:14.640 the Packers on special teams, and they are facing a 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:18.440 guy in this game. West Jachim By saying that right Grant, 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:22.080 he has a return for a touchdown both off a 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.560 punt and a kickoff this season. This is a guy 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:27.680 who can impact the game and the Packers have to 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:29.840 make sure he doesn't. Yeah, and here's the two other 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:32.880 notes about that. The kickoff return out of his own 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:35.800 end zone for a hundred and two yards. The punt 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:37.720 return wasn't like this was some kind of thing where 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:39.040 the guy was going out of his own end z 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:41.520 on a punt seventy one yards back to the house. 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:44.080 So ron Zook said it when he was meeting with 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:46.760 the media on Thursday. Uh, this is a guy that 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:49.440 you have to stay on the entire game because he 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:52.600 has game breaking qualities in a time in which there 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:55.000 aren't a lot of guys in those capacities with game 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:58.360 breaking qualities. We know how kickoff returns to some extent 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:00.880 have been neutralized, so to have a guy that can 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:03.160 turn the tide, I think again, getting back to the 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:05.280 original reason why the Dolphins are five and four going 0:13:05.280 --> 0:13:08.480 into this game, They've done really well in situational football, 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:10.880 whether it is the takeaways or whether it is the 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:13.560 returns or being able just to move the chains. There 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:16.600 isn't an aspect of their team where you go, man, 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:18.760 this is this is we gotta shut this down and 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:21.160 we're gonna be fine. No, there's a lot of things 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:23.560 that you have to stay up on tune about. Grant 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.720 had a tremendous career. I believe it was Texas Tech. Yeah, 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:30.079 six round pick two years ago. A diminutive type receiver 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:33.480 five ft seven that's basically a big guy but boy, 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.560 he can run. It's basically was Hod quiz but uh no, 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:37.840 but I mean he just he has a lot of 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:40.080 physical gifts and and it's worked out here the last 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.120 couple of seasons for the Dolphins and maybe this is 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.720 the area west as we've been trying to decide, you know, 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:47.120 is the weather going to have an impact on this? 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:50.600 Definitely the kickoffs, it could be harder to get touchbacks, 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:52.599 and the temperatures in the mid thirties, you don't know 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:54.320 how it's going to affect the punting game and a 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:57.199 return a return man like this going against you, as 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.440 as Tremont Williams likes to say, you gotta be on 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.880 your peas and huge. Yeah, maybe they should have kept 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.080 around Drew Kayser this week, right, that was the whole 0:14:04.120 --> 0:14:05.599 thing last week, And well maybe he's in there for 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:09.520 kickoffs to avoid patters. There were so many strange story 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:10.880 There were a lot of There are a lot of 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.520 theories as to as to what was going on there 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.120 with actual that ended quickly, but to original point, Yeah, 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:17.440 I mean, this is I think a big game for 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:20.720 Mason Crosby. Uh and and then runs book and deciding Okay, 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.560 you know, Crosby has kicked in these conditions. He knows 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:25.040 what he needs to do. But I think it's probably 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:28.280 gonna be more about the strategy that goes behind. You know, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.400 where you're trying to place the ball, what you're trying 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:32.560 to do with it, Because I don't know, Mike, at 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:34.920 thirty four thirty five degree weather, how much you can 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:36.320 just count on being able to kick it out of 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:37.680 the back of the end zone every time. And even 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:39.680 if you do, this is the kind of guy like 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:42.160 Patterson who might still test you. Well. You'd like to 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:45.200 see at some point here the Packers really start to 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.280 give their offense some better field position. You look at 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:52.520 these last two games West, not including the possession the 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:54.840 Packers started at the one yard line after the goal 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:58.600 line stand, not including that one. The last two weeks, 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:01.560 the Packers have had four pos sessions starting inside their 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.800 own ten yard line. One of those was the drive 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.200 that ended with the Aaron Jones fumble. That drive was 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:11.120 actually about sixty yards that they drove. But when you're 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:14.000 starting on your own seven, yeah, the fumble happens at 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:17.560 the yard line and uh, and you don't get any 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.760 points out. I'm glad you brought that up, because that's 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:22.240 the old Dom Caper's theory. They're about, you know, if 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:23.800 you don't give up the big plays and you don't 0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:26.920 have big penalties against you, when you force an offense 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:28.360 to go the full length of the field, there's going 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:30.600 to be more opportunities there to be able to get 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:33.080 that takeaway in the Patriots case turned out to be 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.680 a very critical one in that game. Yeah, all right, 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:38.160 well before we go here, West, let's take a quick 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:42.320 look at what's going on around the NFL this week. 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:45.000 And the Minnesota Vikings are on there by, so they 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.440 will sit uh where they are, which is five three 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:51.600 and one if I have that correct. Um. The other 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:56.560 game in the NFC North the Bears against the Lions. 0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:59.880 It is in Chicago. Here's an interesting thing, West, Sun 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:05.920 is November eleven, correct, correct. Thanksgiving is November twenty two, 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.400 So that's a total of twelve days. The Lions and 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:12.040 the Bears are playing each other twice in a span 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:15.760 of twelve days because they're playing this Sunday in Chicago 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:18.920 and then on Thanksgiving in Detroit, and the Bears have 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:23.200 a Sunday night football game against the Minnesota Vikings in between. 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:25.800 You talk about the you know, a key stretch of 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:29.360 your season for Chicago. They're five and three, They're right there. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.000 They've got three consecutive division games here in a span 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:35.560 of twelve days, two of them against the same team. 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:37.840 This is this is going to be big for Chicago 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:40.720 to announce whether they're really in this thing or whether 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:42.640 they're still kind of on the fringes. Yeah, and if 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:45.360 I know Adam Gaze, the whole theory down there. At 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:47.440 least what they've been saying is that they won't say 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:50.119 the P word right there. They're not talking about playoffs. 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:54.080 But you get two wins over Detroit, now you're starting 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:56.680 to put yourself in the conversation. You get a win 0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:00.000 over Minnesota add into that, well, then you've announced yourself 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.720 to the party. So uh, this is a critical stretch 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.960 for them, a critical stretch for the entire NFC North, 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:08.160 just seeing how this is all going to shuffle out. 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:11.120 The Packers having to go down to US Bank Stadium, 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:14.159 uh in preparation, but then for that matchup at Soldier 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:16.760 Field next month. So uh, it is a little bit 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.200 different schedule in terms of how the division has worked 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:21.760 out this year, but certainly from the Bears perspective. You've 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:23.920 got to get this one. And if you're Manatrician the Lions, 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.000 you're trying to keep yourselves in and there will be 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:27.840 no better way to do it than to knock off, 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:30.080 you know, the Bears right from the top. Yeah, an 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.159 interesting cross conference game. There have been a lot of 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:34.960 them this year, and we saw actually one of them 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:39.200 on Thursday night with Carolina against Pittsburgh, which started out 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:41.960 with a flurry of touchdowns and Pittsburgh kind of never 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:44.920 stopped scoring. They're rolling up fifty two. I believe I 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:46.959 heard that was the most points they've ever scored at 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:49.760 hines Field since they opened, since they opened, that's correct, 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:51.560 which also would probably make the most points that they've 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.120 scored at Hinesfield, like through three and a half quarters. 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.560 My god, I mean I watched basically that entire game 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.520 and it was incredible to see if hey, by the way, 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.240 just to go on a sidetrack, Greg Van Roten is 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.200 a starting guard for the Panthers. Did you know that 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:10.000 Greg Van Roten, the undrafted for the former Packer two 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.600 thousand twelve is a starting guard for the Panthers. That 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:14.879 was news to me. Wow, I didn't you can appreciate that. 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:16.760 I don't know if anyone else I did not know that. 0:18:16.800 --> 0:18:19.360 But the game I wanted to get to though, across 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.680 conference is the Saints coming off of that big win 0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:26.320 last week in New Orleans against the Los Angeles Rams, 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:28.520 the first team to beat the Rams. The Saints on 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:31.080 a seven game winning streak now since losing in Week 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:34.359 one to the Buccaneers. They're looking they're the team that 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.040 has the spotlight on them now with their winning streak, 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:39.040 with their record, the fact that they beat the Rams. 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:41.680