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Speaker 1: Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from

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Speaker 1: Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. He is my

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Speaker 1: partner in crime West hot Kowitz for coming to you

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Speaker 1: here from our studios at lambeau Field and West. A

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Speaker 1: few days away now from the regular season finale, Week

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Speaker 1: eight teen, it will be Packers at Lions at Ford

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Speaker 1: Field in Detroit. Before we talk about that game in particular,

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Speaker 1: I want to discuss another subject, and that is that

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Speaker 1: we've we spent a lot of time on this show

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Speaker 1: talking about the history that Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams

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Speaker 1: have made or on the verge of making, all of

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Speaker 1: these types of things, but we have neglected, and that's

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Speaker 1: mostly my fault, to talk about a significant piece of

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Speaker 1: history on the coaching side of things, and that is

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Speaker 1: that Matt Lafleur last weekend got his thirty ninth victory

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Speaker 1: thirty regular season victory as the head coach of the

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Speaker 1: Packers in his first three seasons, which is now the

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Speaker 1: most wins ever by an NFL head coach in his

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Speaker 1: first three seasons. And there's no there's no overstating how

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Speaker 1: impressive that is. It's one of the most impressive things

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Speaker 1: I've ever seen in the coaching realm. And and this

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Speaker 1: is no disrespect to George Seyffert whatsoever, but when that

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Speaker 1: passing the torch happened in San Francisco, it happened in

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Speaker 1: a way that really barely ever happens in the National

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Speaker 1: Football League. He was handed a corvette, and he drove

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Speaker 1: the car like a corvette. The Green Bay Packers were

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Speaker 1: at a crossroads. Two thousand eighteen was the worst year

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Speaker 1: that this organization has had on so many different levels,

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Speaker 1: really in my lifetime, the last twenty years. I don't

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Speaker 1: think the Floor gets enough credit for how quickly he changed.

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Speaker 1: It's not like the culture needed an entire overhaul, It's

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Speaker 1: not like the roster need an entire overall. But they

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Speaker 1: had to get back to being the Green Bay Packers again,

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Speaker 1: and the Floor did that. They come out the gates

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Speaker 1: thirteen and three. I thought then and there he should

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Speaker 1: have been the Coach of the Year. It was the

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Speaker 1: biggest single season turn around in franchise history in terms

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Speaker 1: of wins. I felt like that was the moment where

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Speaker 1: he was the Coach of the Year. They decided to

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Speaker 1: give it to John Harbaugh last year. Pretty dominant on

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Speaker 1: all sides, all phases. He again doesn't get the award.

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Speaker 1: When you're sitting and you've now played forty eight games

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Speaker 1: in the regular season, you've won thirty nine of them.

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Speaker 1: I think the proof is in the pudding there. And

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Speaker 1: the fact of the matter is the flour can credit

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Speaker 1: his assistance, he can credit the football team. He can

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Speaker 1: do everything to take the shine away from himself, which

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Speaker 1: he tries to do quite regularly every time we asked

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Speaker 1: him about it. And it's fine. It's a humble humility

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Speaker 1: is a good thing. But as I wrote an insider

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Speaker 1: Inbox a couple of weeks back, if people don't start

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Speaker 1: paying attention to this, they're gonna miss one of the

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Speaker 1: really truly special coaching jobs we've seen. This isn't some

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Speaker 1: Johnny come Lately. Matt Lafleur is here to stay, and

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Speaker 1: people better get used to it. I mean, you gotta

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Speaker 1: start recognizing that achievement, because it's pretty incredible what he's on.

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Speaker 1: This run he's been on. Yeah. Absolutely, As you mentioned,

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Speaker 1: the thirty nine wins in the first three seasons, one

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Speaker 1: more than George Seafort, who won thirty eight games in

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Speaker 1: the regular season his first three years with San Francisco.

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Speaker 1: Seaford had a Super Bowl championship in there as well.

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Speaker 1: Folks have been asking, you know about the larger historical context,

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Speaker 1: what about any three year run in the NFL. The

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Speaker 1: record is forty games, forty victories, and that's Mike Ditka,

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Speaker 1: the of the Chicago Bears. Seven. The Bears went fifteen

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Speaker 1: and one, fourteen and two, and then eleven and four

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Speaker 1: in a year that only had fifteen games as opposed

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Speaker 1: to sixteen because of the strike, and there were three

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Speaker 1: replacement games in there. The Bears went two and one

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Speaker 1: in their three replacement games. That all added up to

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Speaker 1: forty wins in forty seven games. Uh from Mike get

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Speaker 1: Mike Ditka. So Matt Lafleur with the extra game this year,

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Speaker 1: with the seventeenth game, has a chance to match match

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Speaker 1: Mike Get because Mike did because forty wins in three seasons.

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Speaker 1: Regarding the Coach of the Year, I am absolutely with you, Um,

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Speaker 1: and we probably didn't talk about it enough on this

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Speaker 1: show at the time, but but Matt Lafleur was very

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Speaker 1: deserving of Coach of the Year in nineteen his first year,

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Speaker 1: he took over a team that had missed the playoffs

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Speaker 1: back to back seasons, um and uh and yes things

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Speaker 1: had as far as the way things have gone in

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Speaker 1: the last three decades, um at at lambeau Fielding with

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Speaker 1: the Green Bay Packers two thousand eighteen was as close

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Speaker 1: to rock bottom as it gets. Maybe not. It wasn't

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Speaker 1: as bad as two thousand and five, which I think

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Speaker 1: was a four and twelve season that was that was

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Speaker 1: probably the rock bottom of the last three decades, but

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Speaker 1: close enough, certainly. And he not only got the Packers

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Speaker 1: right back into the playoffs, but they were the number

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Speaker 1: two seed. You know, they got a first round by

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Speaker 1: and all of that is first year. That being said,

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Speaker 1: I think the coach of the Year discussion this year

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Speaker 1: is very interesting. And here's here's the context. Here's the

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Speaker 1: context that I'll put it in. For a while, it

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Speaker 1: was looking like, for a while in one it was

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Speaker 1: looking like this would be either Cliff kings Bearer or

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Speaker 1: maybe Bill Belichick with what was going on in Arizona

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Speaker 1: and New England. To use your phrase, the shine has

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Speaker 1: worn off a little bit on those Not to take

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Speaker 1: away from two teams that are both headed to the

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Speaker 1: postseason and could you know, have some magic here in January,

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Speaker 1: who knows, right, But now lately you certainly have to

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Speaker 1: consider Mike McCarthy a legitimate candidate for Coach of the Year,

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Speaker 1: Zach Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals and suddenly where they are,

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Speaker 1: Mike Vrabel has the Tennessee Titans in position now after

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Speaker 1: losing Derrick Henry, who was probably the single most important

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Speaker 1: player on his team, the Titans now are in position

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Speaker 1: to be the number one seed potentially in the a

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Speaker 1: f C. My point is that while we've seen all

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Speaker 1: of these other coaches sort of rise and fall in

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Speaker 1: this potential candidacy for Coach of the Year, Matt Lafleur

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Speaker 1: has sort of been there the whole time. He's he's

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Speaker 1: he's been a candidate. He's been a candidate since the

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Speaker 1: day he got this job. And I know it's not

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Speaker 1: a three year thing. It's it's supposed to be for

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Speaker 1: an individual season. But he's been right in the mix

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Speaker 1: the whole time and never really fallen out of it.

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Speaker 1: And I think that I think that speaks volumes as

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Speaker 1: to the type of um the culture that he has

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Speaker 1: built here. I basically you have two coaches of the Year.

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Speaker 1: I'd be willing to accept. And one is Mike Rabel

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Speaker 1: just based on the standpoint of I think he used

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Speaker 1: a very compelling argument for how he's kept that team afloat.

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Speaker 1: I even made the comment I don't typically tweet during

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Speaker 1: football games. I just liked, if I'm watching, I just

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Speaker 1: watched people like to like do the second screen thing. No,

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Speaker 1: that's not me. But after they won, I believe that

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Speaker 1: was what was that two weeks ago they had that

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Speaker 1: big win late I actually tweeted. I was like, that's

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Speaker 1: a gritty football team and the ways that they found

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Speaker 1: to win this season, I think you got to tip

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Speaker 1: their cap to him, and not only now Derrick Henry,

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Speaker 1: but also A J. Brown being back. I mean, they're

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Speaker 1: gonna be a formidable team here in the postseason. That's

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Speaker 1: a creditive Rabel or it's the Fleur Yeah, because what

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Speaker 1: because what speaks to what la Fleur has done this

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Speaker 1: year in winning thirteen games so far that the Packers

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Speaker 1: haven't necessarily had to deal with through his first two seasons.

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Speaker 1: As all of the injuries there have been, there are

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Speaker 1: injuries that happen every year. But as we talk about,

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Speaker 1: it's it's which are the guys that get hurt, right,

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Speaker 1: and we're talking about We're talking about a five time

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Speaker 1: All Pro and David Bactieri who hasn't played all season,

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Speaker 1: a second team All Pro, a pair of second team

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Speaker 1: All pros, and Jaire Alexander and Zadarius Smith, and then

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Speaker 1: another Pro Bowl offensive lineman and Elton Jenkins goes down,

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Speaker 1: you know, a double digit touchdown guy at tight end,

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Speaker 1: and Bobby Tounyan goes down. I mean, the the injuries

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Speaker 1: that the Packers have dealt with and that that Matt

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Speaker 1: Lafleur and his coaching staff have had to have had

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Speaker 1: to manage and deal with all season long. That speaks

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Speaker 1: to why I think he's he's a top candidate for

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Speaker 1: Coach of the Year this year for very different reasons

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Speaker 1: than he should have been Coach of the Year two

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Speaker 1: years ago. Absolutely, and two years ago he should have

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Speaker 1: did it because it was this incredible turnaround that year

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Speaker 1: the AP voters decided, you know what, we're gonna go

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Speaker 1: with John Harbaugh, which, by the way, the other thing

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Speaker 1: I love to people insider inbox bringing up, hey, if

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Speaker 1: you have the m v P, can they'd not be

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Speaker 1: the Coach of the Year two years ago? That wasn't

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Speaker 1: a big deal for the Baltimore Ravens, but yet that's

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Speaker 1: the direction they went. Yeah, they had they had Lamar Jackson.

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Speaker 1: He was the he was the Cats. Me out right,

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Speaker 1: I'm a couple of things. I just want to say

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Speaker 1: here quickly, just to close the point on the floor.

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Speaker 1: I loved how there was this argument early on about

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Speaker 1: Sean Payton all these injuries and things that the Saints

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Speaker 1: have gone through, and certainly they've been hit by injuries

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Speaker 1: and illness more than any other team in the National

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Speaker 1: Football League, no question about that. But then everyone wanted

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Speaker 1: to bang the trumpet for him as a coach of

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Speaker 1: the Year that the Saints fell off the flour has

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Speaker 1: been doing this since Week one, basically lost everyone outside

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Speaker 1: of Aaron Rodgers, and he'd even lost him for you know,

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Speaker 1: for one week, and they came within six points of

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Speaker 1: handing the Kansas City Chiefs. They're only lost up until

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Speaker 1: last week. So be that as it may. I just

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Speaker 1: think there's so many great awards that the Associated Press has,

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Speaker 1: Offensive Player of the Year, m v P, all these

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Speaker 1: different things. I think they tend to get him right.

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Speaker 1: The batting average hasn't been great on coach of the

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Speaker 1: Year these last few years. No disrespect to Mattnege, no

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Speaker 1: disrespect to Kevin Stefanski. There is a lot to be

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Speaker 1: said for being able to have a turnaround, But I

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Speaker 1: think they got to kind of figure out what's what

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Speaker 1: they want to emphasize here because they moved the goal post.

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Speaker 1: And if you look back over the last ten fifteen years,

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of really random coaches that ended up

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Speaker 1: being the NFL Coach of the Year. When I feel

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Speaker 1: like that honor should be a little bit more prestigious. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: And I think and and go going back away is

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Speaker 1: not to get not to go too far back into

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Speaker 1: the history. But I always felt it was extremely unfortunate

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Speaker 1: that when Mike McCarthy put together that thirteen and three

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Speaker 1: season in Green Bay in two thousand and seven, his

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Speaker 1: second year at the Helm, when he had gone eight

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Speaker 1: ate his first year, Brett Farve became an m VP

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Speaker 1: candidate again in two thousand seven, Well, it just so

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Speaker 1: happened that the New England Patriots ran the table and

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Speaker 1: we're sixteen and oh, and there was sort of like

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Speaker 1: this obligation to give the Coach of the Year to

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Speaker 1: to Bill Belichick. Um because of what because of what

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Speaker 1: the Patriots had accomplished there and and Mike McCarthy got

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Speaker 1: got overlooked for what I thought was was a tremendous

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Speaker 1: coaching job. So, yeah, these these awards, they aren't perfect.

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Speaker 1: Stuff happens, but um, but I hope, I hope the

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Speaker 1: Fleur gets due consideration issue even though I do believe

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Speaker 1: there there are other there are other worthy candidates. Um.

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Speaker 1: You know, the the cupboard is not bare in terms

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Speaker 1: of the potential candidates here. But uh, but over the

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Speaker 1: course of the entire season, from Week one until now, um,

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Speaker 1: I think I think Matt Fleur, Matt Fleur has been there.

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Speaker 1: He's been in this mix, He's been in the discussion

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Speaker 1: the whole time, and he's never let anybody down. And

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Speaker 1: the fact that once again for a third straight season,

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Speaker 1: he has not lost back to back games as a

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Speaker 1: head coach, to me, that is that is his most

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Speaker 1: impressive accomplishment if I look at the three years in

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Speaker 1: total right now. Yeah, and to be able to manage

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Speaker 1: everything that's happened over the last twelve months in Green Bay,

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Speaker 1: salary cap issues of things in the off season program,

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Speaker 1: I think you got to give a lot of credit

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Speaker 1: and then I'll also you know, mention this too. I mean,

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Speaker 1: the Packers want to win a super Bowl. That's all

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Speaker 1: they're really focused on, and that is totally appropriate. But

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Speaker 1: what Aaron Rodgers said after they clinched the NFC North,

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Speaker 1: when he gave that speech to the huddle afterwards, about

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Speaker 1: enjoying these moments, enjoying these victories, understanding how difficult it

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Speaker 1: is to win in this league. It's not that have

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Speaker 1: your cake and eat it too scenario to appreciate when

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Speaker 1: you have individual accomplishment. And I think that's something that

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Speaker 1: is important to remember with la Fleur is that it's cool.

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Speaker 1: It's it's neat that there's a coach of the Year.

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Speaker 1: I understand it's it's a very subjective thing, but it's

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Speaker 1: it's cool. If it's cool to be coach of the year,

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Speaker 1: it's okay. And I think if if it would work

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Speaker 1: that way, uh, it would be amazing for La Fleur.

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Speaker 1: The biggest point though, I thought you raised her. That

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Speaker 1: is very valid as just to get duke and sideration.

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Speaker 1: There hasn't been enough votes cast for Matt Lafleur the

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Speaker 1: last two years. It would at least be nice to

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Speaker 1: see him get a better run at it this year. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would agree. I would I would absolutely agree. Serious

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Speaker 1: x M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up

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Speaker 1: to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need

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Speaker 1: seven three and at Cousin Subs, we have something for

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Speaker 1: and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or

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Speaker 1: sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs, we believe in better

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Speaker 1: all right, West. The Packers are headed to Detroit for

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Speaker 1: the regular season finale. The plan is to start the

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Speaker 1: game with the starters. We don't know, Matt la Fleur says.

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Speaker 1: They have developed a plan for how to work through this.

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Speaker 1: We don't know how long the starters are going to play.

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Speaker 1: Maybe it's going to be one quarter, two quarters, three quarters,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, but the Packers are essentially Matt la

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Speaker 1: Fleur has decided, you know, yes, there there's a risk

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Speaker 1: of injury any time you put guys out there, but

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Speaker 1: he's willing to accept the risk of injury over what

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Speaker 1: he feels is the larger risk of giving the guys

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Speaker 1: this week off and then the following week with not

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Speaker 1: having a game over the over wild Card weekend um

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Speaker 1: as we talked about our last show, then suddenly it's

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Speaker 1: three weeks um between games. So so the Packers are

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Speaker 1: going to Detroit. They are preparing this week with their

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Speaker 1: with their frontline players ready to start the game, and

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Speaker 1: then we'll see how it unfolds from there. I honestly

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Speaker 1: don't think it. I even wrote about it for our website.

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Speaker 1: I don't really think this is a big of a deal,

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Speaker 1: is what it's sort of become. I think it honestly.

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Speaker 1: This is a week in which there isn't a lot

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Speaker 1: to write about because the game really in a lot

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Speaker 1: of ways doesn't matter. But the one thing, there's a

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Speaker 1: couple of things that that hit me on Wednesday about it.

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Speaker 1: One it was Davante Adams discussing it because he was

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Speaker 1: asking a very intelligent and terrific way by Jason Wildy

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Speaker 1: about the difference between this and then you guys don't

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Speaker 1: want to play in preseason? What's the difference and Davante,

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Speaker 1: it's it's so obvious when you think about it, but

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Speaker 1: you don't really it doesn't hit you right away. As

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Speaker 1: he mentioned in the preseason, which when he set is pointless,

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Speaker 1: which I don't disagree with him for players of for

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Speaker 1: players of statue. Yeah, what what good is going to

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Speaker 1: come out of Mike Spott for going over to a

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Speaker 1: local you know, middle school and writing something for their

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Speaker 1: school paper, right, I mean, it's just it's a different level. Um.

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Speaker 1: But but the thing is is that he mentions in

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Speaker 1: training camp, you're going pretty hard in those practices. You

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Speaker 1: have padded practice. You have padded practice day after day.

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Speaker 1: There is an element of almost you need some rest

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Speaker 1: with those to kind of de escalate a little bit. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: And for fans who don't know, training camp practices are

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Speaker 1: significantly longer, greater duration than regular season practices, it is.

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Speaker 1: It is a it is much more of a daily

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Speaker 1: grind on the field in training camp than it is

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Speaker 1: during the regular It's more like a play. It's not

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Speaker 1: just a dress rehearsal. I mean, they are really going

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Speaker 1: after it in right now. It isn't like that they

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Speaker 1: get their plays in. They have their script in, but

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Speaker 1: everything's been installed. They've run a lot of these schemes.

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Speaker 1: It's just trying to figure out what are we going

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Speaker 1: to install for this game. It's about it's about the

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Speaker 1: game plan and just refamiliarizing everybody with certain concepts in

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Speaker 1: the playbook that they're choosing for this particular contest. So

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Speaker 1: you're not going all that hard in those games, so

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Speaker 1: in those practices. So that's where this three weeks comes

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Speaker 1: in that we keep talking about if if they wouldn't

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Speaker 1: play on Sunday, and I wrote this an inbox too. Okay,

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Speaker 1: the game doesn't matter. We know all that. So that's

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Speaker 1: where you just avoid the risk. Aaron Rodgers is under pressure,

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Speaker 1: throw the ball away, you know, I mean take an

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Speaker 1: intentional ground and call these type of thing. I think

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Speaker 1: there's it's a very physical game, it's an important game.

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Speaker 1: But at the same time, I don't think it is

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Speaker 1: the danger that everybody wants to present this as preseason.

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Speaker 1: There's no point in it because you could get it.

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Speaker 1: You could get a non contact injury, as we saw

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Speaker 1: with Jordy Nelson. These guys don't need these reps. They're

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Speaker 1: installing stuff in practice. They don't want to show the

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Speaker 1: stuff they've installed against the opposite AI to put that

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Speaker 1: on film. This is a different animal. And for the

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Speaker 1: Packers to actually go out there on Sunday, do they

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Speaker 1: need to play? Probably not, but to be able to

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Speaker 1: keep that momentum going and keep building and keep the

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Speaker 1: wheel turning. As Edvante Adams said, I think there's a

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Speaker 1: lot of value in that. Well, we will see, We

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Speaker 1: will certainly see how things unfold. I will say this

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Speaker 1: with regard to however long Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and

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Speaker 1: and the front line guys play, I don't think there's

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Speaker 1: anything one way or another that that Aaron Rodgers can

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Speaker 1: do or not do that will that will impact the

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Speaker 1: m v P voting. UM. I'm not going to get

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Speaker 1: into all of the Hull Barker stuff. It is not

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Speaker 1: worth our time to discuss that. What I do want

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Speaker 1: to say is that, UM, I think it's pretty clear

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Speaker 1: cut on the field that Aaron Rodgers is the m

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Speaker 1: v P in the NFL. You said it an inbox.

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Speaker 1: I've said it as well before. To me, I felt

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Speaker 1: like a few weeks ago, it felt like it was

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Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers, Jonathan Taylor, and Tom Brady and with a

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Speaker 1: few games to go in the regular season, Okay, like,

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Speaker 1: how is this going to shake out? Now? You know

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Speaker 1: Taylor had the nationally televised game, you know, in prime time,

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Speaker 1: had like a forty plus yard run but then was

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Speaker 1: held to like sixty some yards on his other carries.

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Speaker 1: He didn't have that big monster game down the stretch.

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Speaker 1: And the Coults are sitting there at nine and seven. Yes,

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Speaker 1: they'll probably make the playoffs. They beat the Jaguars, they'll

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Speaker 1: get in, But ten and seven, it's I think it's

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Speaker 1: hard to vote for an m v P on a

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Speaker 1: team that that loses seven games. You look at Tom Brady,

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Speaker 1: He's got the shiny year statistics, certainly in terms of

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Speaker 1: the yards and the touchdowns, then Aaron Rodgers has. But

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Speaker 1: with the Buccaneers in the fight for the playoff by

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Speaker 1: and the number one seed, Tom Brady got shut out

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Speaker 1: by the New Orleans Saints in a game that he

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Speaker 1: only need to put up ten points to win because

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Speaker 1: his defense held New Orleans to nine. He got shut out.

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Speaker 1: And yes, Aaron Rodgers had a terrible game against the

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Speaker 1: Saints back in Week one, but games in December matter more.

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Speaker 1: And to me, that sequence of events, with the fact

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Speaker 1: that Rogers has continued this run where every week he's

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Speaker 1: throwing either two or three touchdown passes with no interceptions,

365
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Speaker 1: and the Packers are finishing now on with a with

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Speaker 1: a winning streak here and and have clinched the number

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Speaker 1: one seed with a week to go. I think the

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Speaker 1: separation has occurred between Aaron Rodgers, Jonathan Taylor and and

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Speaker 1: and Tom Brady, that this is that that this award

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Speaker 1: should be Rodgers. Since Week one, the guy has thrown

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Speaker 1: thirty five touchdown passes and two interceptions, and he's lost

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Speaker 1: one game because the other Packers losses when he didn't play.

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Speaker 1: He's lost one game on a walk off field goal. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and he threw a seventy five yard touchdown to give

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Speaker 1: his team to give his team a chance to win

376
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Speaker 1: that game late. So to me, it's just I don't know.

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Speaker 1: I honestly don't know how in good conscience any voter,

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Speaker 1: whether you whether you're taking in the off the field

379
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Speaker 1: garbage or not, I don't know how any voter and

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Speaker 1: good conscience can really can really say that Aaron Rodgers

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Speaker 1: is not the m v P. To me, there are

382
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Speaker 1: more valid candidates for the Coach of the Year discussion

383
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Speaker 1: we just had than the m v P one. This

384
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Speaker 1: is a slam dunk for Aaron Rodgers. I think so.

385
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Speaker 1: And I agree with you. I think you should go

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Speaker 1: back to back. I think it should be number four

387
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Speaker 1: for him. The other thing I want to is I

388
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Speaker 1: just I want that focus to be on what happens

389
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Speaker 1: on the football, absolutely and absolutely this is the one

390
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Speaker 1: thing that's funny, right My um my dad recently retired

391
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Speaker 1: congratulations pod worked for forty years close to it, a

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Speaker 1: nearby paper mill here celebrate, Yeah, exactly. I don't know

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Speaker 1: what his day to day was like. I don't know

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Speaker 1: what happened there. I knew what he was like when

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Speaker 1: he came home. I knew what he's like when he

396
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Speaker 1: was my dad, But I had no idea what was

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Speaker 1: going on at his place of business, as he has

398
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Speaker 1: no idea really ultimately what happens at mind now these days.

399
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Speaker 1: The thing I don't understand about the Rogers fiasco is

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Speaker 1: all this is there's so many people on the outside,

401
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Speaker 1: and it's been like this for you know, last five years,

402
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Speaker 1: six years. It seems like where everybody wants to draw

403
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,919
Speaker 1: conclusions and have these these grandiose statements about things, but

404
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,159
Speaker 1: they're not the ones actually in the locker room. And

405
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,120
Speaker 1: when the argument gets made about the bad teammate about

406
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Speaker 1: these off the field distractions, it didn't show up in

407
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Speaker 1: the winning lost column. This season, and when time came

408
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Speaker 1: to it, and when time came to play football in July,

409
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Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers was there. I'm not privy to any of

410
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Speaker 1: those conversations. I don't know what those things have been

411
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Speaker 1: like with Brian good Quins, but all I can go

412
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Speaker 1: off of is what I've seen. And what I've seen

413
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Speaker 1: is a thirteen and three team, a quarterback with the

414
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Speaker 1: best passer rating in the NFL this season. You know,

415
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Speaker 1: for so many years people want to dog him for

416
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Speaker 1: the QBR. He leads that darn statute. I couldn't tell

417
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Speaker 1: you one thing about it, but I know he's He's

418
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Speaker 1: leading that category. Aaron Rodgers is the most valuable player

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Speaker 1: to the league's winning his team. And I, as I

420
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Speaker 1: wrote an inbox, I'm like, if you neglect to recognize that,

421
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Speaker 1: you're just denying reality and to over think it and

422
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Speaker 1: draw these other conclusions. If Aaron Rodgers had these stats

423
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Speaker 1: and the Packers were five and eleven right now, I

424
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Speaker 1: don't think you and I would be sitting up here

425
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Speaker 1: talking about why he's the m v P. No, we're

426
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Speaker 1: not doing that for Jonathan Taylor right now. In the heck,

427
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Speaker 1: they they got nine wins on the season. So I

428
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Speaker 1: just think, you know, I don't know, it's gonna be weird.

429
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Speaker 1: I think that when this thing is all said and done,

430
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,240
Speaker 1: however many years or whenever that ends, there's gonna be

431
00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,719
Speaker 1: a lot of dissecting about what what exactly all this

432
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,600
Speaker 1: was about, because it isn't just one thing. To me,

433
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,960
Speaker 1: It's it's a lot of things. And ultimately, I think

434
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,879
Speaker 1: the guys in that locker room, the guys that he

435
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,639
Speaker 1: connects with, they're the ones that speak the loudest. And

436
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:40,119
Speaker 1: for the Green of Packers, it's led to a lot

437
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,680
Speaker 1: of winning and it has them once again in the

438
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,159
Speaker 1: driver's seat in the NFC. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, with regard

439
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,240
Speaker 1: to the NFC, before we go, I just want to

440
00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:51,240
Speaker 1: touch on where things are with regard to the playoff picture.

441
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,359
Speaker 1: We all know the Packers have the number one seed,

442
00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,720
Speaker 1: they have it clinched. There is one spot still available,

443
00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,399
Speaker 1: so I'm gonna put you on. I'm gonna put you

444
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,200
Speaker 1: on the spot here, Wes. The forty Niners are playing

445
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,639
Speaker 1: the Rams. If the forty Niners win, they get the

446
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,399
Speaker 1: last playoff spot. If the Rams win that game, the

447
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 1: New Orleans Saints can get the last playoff spot with

448
00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:15,800
Speaker 1: a victory over the Atlanta Falcons. So what do you

449
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,200
Speaker 1: think Who's going to get that final wild card spot

450
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,280
Speaker 1: in the NFC? I think the New Orleans Saints are

451
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,960
Speaker 1: And the main reason I say that is I think

452
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,800
Speaker 1: the Rams kind of like Green Bay has been on.

453
00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:28,520
Speaker 1: The Rams have been on a big run here too

454
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,400
Speaker 1: to end the regular season, and I just feel like

455
00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,439
Speaker 1: San Francisco has been way too up and down in

456
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,040
Speaker 1: While you give San Francisco a lot of credit for

457
00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,359
Speaker 1: how they handed it to the Rams, I think this

458
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,160
Speaker 1: game will be different in l A. I feel like thing.

459
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,719
Speaker 1: I just feel like the Rams, in addition to being

460
00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,400
Speaker 1: the more talented team, are the more consistent team. Um.

461
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:51,960
Speaker 1: To be honest with you, I would actually like to

462
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,359
Speaker 1: see the forty Niners in the playoffs more than the Saints.

463
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,760
Speaker 1: From a pure entertainment standpoint, I think they're a bigger

464
00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:58,960
Speaker 1: question mark. I have a hard time seeing the Saints

465
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,119
Speaker 1: getting on much of a run. Yeah, forty Niners are

466
00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,679
Speaker 1: a more balanced team, but but the schedule is what

467
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,440
Speaker 1: it is, and for the forty Niners this is a

468
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,960
Speaker 1: difficult opponent. I just don't see l A laying another

469
00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,159
Speaker 1: egg against San franc could happen but but if you

470
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:14,840
Speaker 1: put me on the spot for who I'm picking, I'd

471
00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,160
Speaker 1: probably pick l A and pick New Orleans to get in. Yeah,

472
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,320
Speaker 1: it's it's interesting because I think San Francisco has had

473
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,639
Speaker 1: a pretty strong push here towards the end, and the

474
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:30,679
Speaker 1: Rams while you know, extremely talented, but dealing with dealing

475
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,359
Speaker 1: with you know, a massive COVID list and all this,

476
00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,720
Speaker 1: and then there you know, their games getting rescheduled, moved around,

477
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,840
Speaker 1: and then you know, playing on a super short week

478
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,399
Speaker 1: and all this kind of stuff, and Matthew Stafford has

479
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,680
Speaker 1: been turning the ball over like crazy, and so that's

480
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,680
Speaker 1: where that's where I just I just wonder if if,

481
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,840
Speaker 1: if Now the game is in l A. As you said,

482
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,399
Speaker 1: it's at Sophi Stadium, But but I just wonder if

483
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 1: San Francisco will be able potentially to pull this out.

484
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,120
Speaker 1: And what's interesting in the larger picture in the NFC,

485
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,159
Speaker 1: the Rams right now are the two seed, and if

486
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,240
Speaker 1: they win, they will be they will be the two

487
00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 1: seed right behind the Packers. But if the Rams lose,

488
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:13,080
Speaker 1: there's suddenly this this potential domino ripple effect with regard

489
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,320
Speaker 1: to how all of the seating between number two and

490
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,160
Speaker 1: number five could shake out amongst the Buccaneers the Cardinals,

491
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,080
Speaker 1: who could steal the NFC West if if the Rams lose,

492
00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,200
Speaker 1: obviously the Cowboys are in that mix as well. If

493
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,040
Speaker 1: if the Rams end up losing the division, if they

494
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,160
Speaker 1: lose in the Cardinals win, the Rams go from being

495
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,879
Speaker 1: the two all the way to the five and suddenly

496
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 1: they're going on the road on Wildliad weekend. It's a

497
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,280
Speaker 1: huge it's a huge shift of fate, so to speak,

498
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,880
Speaker 1: for them. So um, really that if if there's one,

499
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,959
Speaker 1: if there's one game in in week eighteen, that that

500
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 1: has the biggest implications in in the bigger picture, it's

501
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,920
Speaker 1: this forty Rams. Yeah, and and I obviously should probably

502
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,040
Speaker 1: amend my previous statement to and say that, you know,

503
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,600
Speaker 1: New Orleans has to get past Atlanta for this thing

504
00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,760
Speaker 1: to become all relevant. But I us, you and I

505
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,760
Speaker 1: were discussing a couple of days ago with Atlanta. They

506
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,879
Speaker 1: are seven and nine, But I mean they're they're winning

507
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,240
Speaker 1: percentage as far as the opponents they face is less.

508
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,159
Speaker 1: I mean, they've had they've had plenty of opportunity to

509
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,919
Speaker 1: put themselves in a better position. And so I just

510
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,040
Speaker 1: think seanpa Falcons just continue to the Falcons just continue

511
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,640
Speaker 1: to come up short. That would be classic Falcons though

512
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 1: in a way is if the Rams do beat the forty,

513
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,000
Speaker 1: but then the Falcons would actually stop the Saints from

514
00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,399
Speaker 1: getting in, and then uh, and then the forty others

515
00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,720
Speaker 1: would would still get in any way, and they were

516
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,120
Speaker 1: back to the yearly question of is Matt Ryan still

517
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,080
Speaker 1: the quarterback? Right? The whole discussion, the whole discussion in

518
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:42,159
Speaker 1: Atlanta starts over last one before we go. As I

519
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,760
Speaker 1: mentioned before, the Colts most likely will be getting into

520
00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:46,919
Speaker 1: the playoffs. They just have to beat the two win

521
00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,679
Speaker 1: Jacksonville Jaguars in order to do it. And if that happens,

522
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:55,080
Speaker 1: then that sets up a Sunday Night football winner go

523
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,000
Speaker 1: home game between the Chargers and the Raiders if the Colts,

524
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,320
Speaker 1: if the Colts clinch a playoffs spot, then between Chargers

525
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,320
Speaker 1: Raiders it's essentially it's a de facto playoff game. The

526
00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 1: winner season is still alive, the loser's season is over.

527
00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,160
Speaker 1: So Chargers Raiders, are you going to add in the

528
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:16,720
Speaker 1: other contingency to that? Well, Brandon Brandon Staley addressed that

529
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,920
Speaker 1: very He addressed that very directly. As far as the

530
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,679
Speaker 1: if you don't know what we're talking about it as

531
00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,560
Speaker 1: far as the whole idea that if the Colts were

532
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,280
Speaker 1: to lose to the Jaguars, the Chargers and the Raiders

533
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,159
Speaker 1: would both get in the playoffs if they tie. So

534
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 1: of course you could have this conspiratorial, you know, gentlemen's

535
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,880
Speaker 1: agreement to to somehow play seventy minutes of football and

536
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,320
Speaker 1: uh and have a tie. But Brandon Staley said, everyone

537
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:47,040
Speaker 1: respects the game and that's not going to happen because

538
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,320
Speaker 1: of because of the respect for the game. So this

539
00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:54,920
Speaker 1: is West Hackwits the anarchist, though not a big fan

540
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,760
Speaker 1: of you know. So there'd be nothing more hilarious than

541
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,439
Speaker 1: flexing a game in the prime time and then the

542
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 1: team goes out there, takes a knee and the whole

543
00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:09,240
Speaker 1: thing sEH is being thrown. Yeah that could yeah, that

544
00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,119
Speaker 1: could get that could get a bit, that could get

545
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:12,920
Speaker 1: a bit. I'll say this. I'll say this. It's going

546
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,960
Speaker 1: to it's it is more than likely, considering the chances,

547
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,920
Speaker 1: the very strong likelihood that the Colts will beat the

548
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,399
Speaker 1: Jaguars to get one of those playoff spots, that this

549
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,840
Speaker 1: will be a win to get in loser loser goes

550
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,440
Speaker 1: home games, the Darryl Bevil game out and Jacksonville win

551
00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,520
Speaker 1: one for the Bevil. You know, now, hey, let me

552
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,800
Speaker 1: put it this way. Let's let's boil it down like this.

553
00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,320
Speaker 1: Justin Herbert, I mean, I don't need to say any

554
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:40,600
Speaker 1: more about Justin Herbert. Everybody knows how much I love

555
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,000
Speaker 1: Justin Herbert. The games on the line, these are the

556
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,720
Speaker 1: type of games that young man is gonna have to win.

557
00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:46,800
Speaker 1: They may not win a Super Bowl this year, but

558
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,400
Speaker 1: these are the moments and things you want to see

559
00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,639
Speaker 1: him tested By the fact they got us In Eichler

560
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:52,520
Speaker 1: back to I mean, I think that's really going to

561
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:54,639
Speaker 1: help them now after he's done with his boat with COVID.

562
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,639
Speaker 1: So yeah, I definitely like the Chargers chances if they

563
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,159
Speaker 1: don't kneel. Yeah, I like the Argers in this one too.

564
00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,600
Speaker 1: If I'm a if I'm a fan of another team,

565
00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,879
Speaker 1: you know whose team is in the a f C playoffs,

566
00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 1: I think I'm kind of rooting for the Raiders though,

567
00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,639
Speaker 1: just because because the Justin Herbert like get hot. I know,

568
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:14,560
Speaker 1: this is a young quarterback who hasn't played in the

569
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,480
Speaker 1: postseason and has all of this, all of this January

570
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,120
Speaker 1: experience the big games and everything that he has to learn.

571
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,719
Speaker 1: But justin Herbert's one of those quarterbacks who's capable of

572
00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,359
Speaker 1: getting of getting that hot hand. If I'm another team

573
00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,399
Speaker 1: in the a f C, I'd rather see the Raiders

574
00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,760
Speaker 1: and then the Chargers. But that's just my love. I

575
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,000
Speaker 1: do think the Chargers will win this game. I love

576
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,040
Speaker 1: the way the f C shaping up though for years

577
00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,320
Speaker 1: to come, that is going to be an exciting conference

578
00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 1: with Burrow. With him, I mean to had some moments

579
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,280
Speaker 1: this year, a ton of a ton of young, young,

580
00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,800
Speaker 1: really exciting quarterbacks. But Herbert, Man, you want to get

581
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,200
Speaker 1: the Charges now because in five six years, if that

582
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:50,920
Speaker 1: kid stays healthy, I think they're going to be a

583
00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,240
Speaker 1: tough out. Yeah. I think so too. With that, we'll

584
00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:56,840
Speaker 1: call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted.

585
00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: Be sure to follow all of our coverage of Sunday's

586
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,000
Speaker 1: game from Ford Field in Detroit. We'll have it all

587
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,080
Speaker 1: for you on Packers dot com. For West, I'm Mike.

588
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:10,800
Speaker 1: Thanks for tuning in, everybody. See you next time. M