Speaker 1: Hi, everybody.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com.
Speaker 2: I and Mike Spoffor, joined as always by my partner
Speaker 2: in crime, Wes Hodquitz. Happy New Year to everybody. We
Speaker 2: are coming to you hear from our studios at lambeau
Speaker 2: Field and Wes. The Packers will be taking on the
Speaker 2: Chicago Bears in the week eighteen regular season finale on
Speaker 2: Sunday at lambeau Field. We'll kind of get to more
Speaker 2: of the specifics on the Bears in a minute, but
Speaker 2: the big story from Wednesday here at twelve sixty five
Speaker 2: Lombardi Avenue was that there's kind of finally kind of
Speaker 2: been an answer on the JayR Alexander knee injury situation.
Speaker 2: He had to go in for another procedure. Sounded like
Speaker 2: it was just a scope cleanup type of thing. But
Speaker 2: his situation with his knee is he is most likely
Speaker 2: out for the rest of the season now. The Packers
Speaker 2: not going to have him practice. He won't be trying
Speaker 2: to come back at this point to play in the playoffs.
Speaker 2: So you know, it's disappointing, certainly because I think all
Speaker 2: of us were hoping somewhere along the line that jay
Speaker 2: R Alexander, the Packers' best cornerback, would be back on
Speaker 2: the field at some point, but it's a reality that
Speaker 2: the team has been dealing with with him not playing
Speaker 2: for quite a while. So now it's moving forward with
Speaker 2: the guys you have.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is for sure, Mike. And as you said,
Speaker 1: I mean it's not just that Gerry Alexander's their best cornerback.
Speaker 1: He's one of their best players when he's healthy and
Speaker 1: he's right. We saw it in twenty twenty two he
Speaker 1: was able to finally come back from that shoulder injury.
Speaker 1: Plays at all pro level. But the last two season,
Speaker 1: whether it was the back, the shoulder, or now the knee,
Speaker 1: there's just been this never ending chorus. It feels like
Speaker 1: an ailment set have kind of plagued him and it
Speaker 1: has caused the Packers to really have to shift gears. So, yeah,
Speaker 1: I feel bad for you Green Bay and where they're
Speaker 1: at right now and how they got to try to
Speaker 1: figure this thing out. But at the same time, as
Speaker 1: Carrington Valentine said in the locker room, a lot of
Speaker 1: guys had talked about, I mean that they've been through this,
Speaker 1: they know what's going to be required of them. They
Speaker 1: know the domino effect that is going to come from that.
Speaker 1: I think the bigger thing now for Green Bay is
Speaker 1: figuring out exactly what happens with the safety room, because
Speaker 1: there's such a domino effect with these safeties that also
Speaker 1: affect what happens at cornerback. Javon Bullard right now still
Speaker 1: limited with the with the ankle, but he's the one
Speaker 1: healthy guy quote unquote next to Xavier McKinney. You still
Speaker 1: don't have Evan Williams out with the quadrcept injury. Then
Speaker 1: obviously Zane Anderson gets the concussion on Sunday. So there's
Speaker 1: been so many different things that when we always talk
Speaker 1: about offensive line play, right, you like to have your
Speaker 1: best starting five, you like to have them playing together.
Speaker 1: The secondary hasn't really been able to do that for
Speaker 1: one reason or another in the domino effect of moving
Speaker 1: around Keshawn Nixon or Bullard or having to go in
Speaker 1: and out with Valentine and also Eric Stokes. Green Bay
Speaker 1: knows what the challenges and dangers that lie ahead against
Speaker 1: some of these other NFC teams are with their offensive
Speaker 1: passing games, and these guys are gonna have to be
Speaker 1: up for that challenge.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they absolutely are. And here's what I hope. Obviously,
Speaker 2: you hope that everybody can be healthy and available, but
Speaker 2: looking ahead to next week when the playoffs start and
Speaker 2: when everything is on the line, this is what I
Speaker 2: hope for the Packers in the secondary that whatever group
Speaker 2: can practice next week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, you hope
Speaker 2: that that is the group that can play the entire
Speaker 2: game in the playoff game. Because what we've seen when
Speaker 2: this Packer secondary has shown itself to be the most
Speaker 2: vulnerable is when guys have gone down during a game
Speaker 2: and then the musical chairs start and you have guys
Speaker 2: having to shift around and play different positions, and Jeff
Speaker 2: Hafley is still trying to make all the calls and everything,
Speaker 2: but he's got guys in spots where they weren't practicing
Speaker 2: during the week. Because you have your plan, you practice
Speaker 2: that plan. It's not that they don't know these other
Speaker 2: positions because obviously they can play them during the game.
Speaker 2: But there's a big difference between knowing what to do
Speaker 2: and practicing the actual game plan at those spots. And
Speaker 2: we saw the game at Detroit. Evan Williams went down
Speaker 2: early in the game, Javon Bullard went down late in
Speaker 2: the game, and there was this constant shuffling around as
Speaker 2: far as figuring things out in the back end, and
Speaker 2: it made it really tough on the defense. Last week,
Speaker 2: the Packers defensively in the first quarter were pretty darn good,
Speaker 2: but then Zane Anderson goes down. The domino effects starts.
Speaker 2: Javon Bullard, who had just come back from a two
Speaker 2: week absence, wasn't one hundred percent, hadn't been practicing full
Speaker 2: and let alone practicing the position he was then forced
Speaker 2: to play when Anderson went down. So my hope for
Speaker 2: this Packer's secondary that has to move on without jyr
Speaker 2: Alexander for the rest of the way here is that
Speaker 2: whoever's practicing next week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, hopefully they
Speaker 2: can play together for the entire game in the playoffs,
Speaker 2: because then I think that gives the Packers their best
Speaker 2: chance to win.
Speaker 1: And I give a lot of, you know, kudos in
Speaker 1: respect to what Jevon Bullard has done this season, because
Speaker 1: he's absolutely he've been putting some tough spots. Yes, because
Speaker 1: he starts the year as the starting safety next to
Speaker 1: Xavier McKinney. They start the adjustment where he moves down
Speaker 1: into the slot because one, they need a Kishawn Nixon outside,
Speaker 1: but it also got Evan Williams on the field, and
Speaker 1: Evan Williams kind of proved himself along with Bullard as
Speaker 1: being one of their top eleven guys. And there's a
Speaker 1: lot of years, Mike where the Packers wanted to Len
Speaker 1: blessed to have a Xavier McKinney on their roster. Very
Speaker 1: possibly you could have had two rookies starting back there
Speaker 1: on this absolutely with how with how Green Bay had
Speaker 1: to approach this thing, so you know, Bullard has had
Speaker 1: to kind of pinball back and forth, I think, and
Speaker 1: you know, fans can say whatever they want. I know
Speaker 1: at some point I think they were bickering at him
Speaker 1: to the point that Kishan just shut down his Twitter.
Speaker 1: But Kishawn Nixon, I think has had an extraordinary season
Speaker 1: for what has been asked of him. He's still a
Speaker 1: top notch kickoff returner, which is one of the big reasons,
Speaker 1: you know, getting the contract last year. But he's taken
Speaker 1: his game to another level as a cornerback. Last year,
Speaker 1: he was the nickel in this year, as he's told
Speaker 1: this countless times now, he's been a perimeter cornerback. He
Speaker 1: was a perimeter cornerback with the Raiders, but he just
Speaker 1: hasn't had the reps. Yeah, game and now back to
Speaker 1: back seasons now, I think over eight hundred defensive snaps
Speaker 1: each of those seasons. The Packers desperately needed a guy
Speaker 1: like that that not only can step up in the
Speaker 1: face of injuries, but also allow Jeff Hafley to move
Speaker 1: around those pieces whether he's inside or outside.
Speaker 2: I agree with you one hundred percent on Keishawn Nixon.
Speaker 2: I put in one of the headlines of one of
Speaker 2: the columns Insider Inbox Columns that I wrote last week.
Speaker 2: I think Keishawn Nixon has had a vastly underrated season
Speaker 2: in terms of what he has contributed with bouncing back
Speaker 2: and forth between the between boundary corner slot corner, proving
Speaker 2: for a number of games that he that he can
Speaker 2: be this team's number one corner when asked to be
Speaker 2: when Jay R Alexander is not available. And yes, you
Speaker 2: play cornerback in the NFL, guess what you're gonna get beat.
Speaker 2: You're gonna give up completions. You might get flagged for
Speaker 2: DPI once in a while. It's part of the life
Speaker 2: of an NFL cornerback, right, But what Kishaw Nixon, What
Speaker 2: Keishaw Nixon has done. I agree with you one hundred
Speaker 2: percent that he that he has taken his game to
Speaker 2: another level. And I think Kishaw Nixon is probably the
Speaker 2: biggest reason the Packers' secondary has been able to withstand
Speaker 2: so many games without Jay or Alexander and and things
Speaker 2: haven't just completely fallen Apart as frustrating as things were
Speaker 2: in the back end against Sam Darnold, you have to
Speaker 2: remember this defense also just shut out the New Orleans
Speaker 2: Saints on Monday Night, you know, a little over a
Speaker 2: week ago, so we've seen what this defense can do.
Speaker 2: I think I think Nixon has been and will continue
Speaker 2: to be a big part of it. And and I
Speaker 2: appreciate you bringing him up because because he deserves he
Speaker 2: deserves more recognition than he has gotten to this point
Speaker 2: in the season.
Speaker 1: I think a lot about Tremon Williams too. I mean,
Speaker 1: there a lot of years Tremont Williams is a future
Speaker 1: Packers Hall of Famer, did get to a Pro Bowl
Speaker 1: during his career, but there were a lot of years
Speaker 1: where Tremon wasn't even considered Like the QB or the
Speaker 1: CB one. Yeah, there are a lot of years where
Speaker 1: it was you know, obviously you go back to the
Speaker 1: Charles Woodson days and then and then Al Harris, and
Speaker 1: then you have a guy like Casey Hayward come in
Speaker 1: as a rookie and have six interception. Sam Shields is
Speaker 1: a top corner. But what was the thing about Tremon
Speaker 1: that made him so special was he was always available,
Speaker 1: He was always out there, and he did it at
Speaker 1: a high level. And there's something about that where with
Speaker 1: Keishawn Nixon, former undrafted free agent as well, a guy
Speaker 1: that you know, he had some injuries coming out of college,
Speaker 1: he had some stuff going on, wasn't able to probably
Speaker 1: show the speed that he really truly has that speed
Speaker 1: that I thought was evident when he was able to
Speaker 1: recover on that pass to Jordan Addison that he was
Speaker 1: able to break up in the end zone. Right, that's
Speaker 1: what you need to navigate a season. And again, we'll
Speaker 1: see how far the Packers can run this thing, but
Speaker 1: I don't think they're in the position there are today
Speaker 1: without Kishan.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I totally agree with you there. Well, turning the
Speaker 2: page to the Bears, Chicago is coming into lambeau Field
Speaker 2: on Sunday. I remember Wes, you and I, you know,
Speaker 2: we have those conversations at the end of our shows
Speaker 2: about other results from around the league. And when Washington
Speaker 2: beat Chicago on the Hail Mary, I remember both of
Speaker 2: us sitting here talking like, well, let's you know, Chicago
Speaker 2: was four and two, they were one play away from
Speaker 2: getting to five and two and really riding high with
Speaker 2: their rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and everything he was doing.
Speaker 2: And we sat here and said, well, let's see how
Speaker 2: the Bears respond to an absolutely devastating loss. The season
Speaker 2: went completely off the rails after the Hail Mary. The
Speaker 2: Bears have not won a game since. They have lost
Speaker 2: ten straight. Now, obviously the head coach has been the
Speaker 2: head coach was replaced along the way, and the Bears
Speaker 2: are obviously going to be into a full fledged coaching
Speaker 2: search in the offseason. And on the flip side of
Speaker 2: the streak things, Matt Lafleur is eleven and zero against
Speaker 2: the Chicago Bears, trying to go twelve and oh has
Speaker 2: not lost to Chicago since taking over as the head
Speaker 2: coach of the Packers. So I'm just gonna throw this
Speaker 2: I'm gonna throw this at you right away. What are
Speaker 2: the keys to victory for the Packers to give the
Speaker 2: Bears their eleventh straight loss and to win their twelfth
Speaker 2: consecutive game in this rivalry. Sorry, I threw it at you, fense.
Speaker 1: No, no, no, I'm no. There's a lot that goes
Speaker 1: into this answer. It's not ay, I can't come up
Speaker 1: with one. It's the because you don't want to be
Speaker 1: flippant about this right because the Bears, as Matt Lafleur said,
Speaker 1: the Bears are in NFL team, they're hungry. If you
Speaker 1: watch the film, they're still hungry. But it's not a
Speaker 1: good football team. It just isn't. And there's no other
Speaker 1: way you can slice it. I feel like at times
Speaker 1: their defenses formed. Caleb Williams has done an extraordinary job
Speaker 1: protecting the football this season.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker 1: But the change off and the trade off to that,
Speaker 1: as he's been sacked sixty seven times. They got all
Speaker 1: these receivers, they've gotten them opportunities, but not necessarily explosives.
Speaker 1: I think DeAndre Swift I was really high on that
Speaker 1: earlier this season. I'm not as high on it now.
Speaker 1: I just don't think he's quite had the season. He
Speaker 1: probably wanted it that the Bears wanted. So when you
Speaker 1: asked me what the key to victory this is, for me,
Speaker 1: it comes back to Caleb Williams. Because I'm not saying
Speaker 1: you need to turn it over because he may protect it,
Speaker 1: but you can't allow him to get into the rhythm
Speaker 1: that he got into in that first game at Soldier
Speaker 1: Field because he was feeling it. And when a guy
Speaker 1: like that, that's that talented and feels that much comfort
Speaker 1: within the pocket, within his arm and being able to
Speaker 1: make those throws, he's going to make plays. The Packers
Speaker 1: can't allow that to happen this game. Yeah, I know
Speaker 1: there's the continuum, the contingencies out there about whether it's
Speaker 1: the sixth seed or the seventh seed. Packers will welcome
Speaker 1: in anybody they have to face. Obviously the road would
Speaker 1: be easier if they're the six But that being said,
Speaker 1: that's not why Green Bay needs to win this game.
Speaker 1: They need to win this game because they need to
Speaker 1: have that feeling of Okay, we need to get back
Speaker 1: to where we were at mentally after the Saints game,
Speaker 1: right where we can be dominant, we can impose our
Speaker 1: will on teams. And we can be able to extract
Speaker 1: whatever we need to extract from an opponent that has
Speaker 1: lost ten in a row. You don't want to give
Speaker 1: them that victory. And as I also mentioned our Insider
Speaker 1: Inbox Calumn this week, hal Packers handled things in twenty one.
Speaker 1: What happened at the end of the twenty two season,
Speaker 1: You can't tell me that that wasn't the thing that
Speaker 1: started to light the fire with the Lions. They ended
Speaker 1: both of those seasons feeling good about themselves. I see
Speaker 1: no reason to give Chicago any semblance, any room for hope.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't. You definitely don't want to do that.
Speaker 2: When I look at the Bears, they what they've done.
Speaker 2: You see glimpses of what the Bears are capable of
Speaker 2: the second half on Thanksgiving against the Lions, right where
Speaker 2: they almost pulled it off, and then that ended up
Speaker 2: being the game that got Matt Eberflus dismissed because they
Speaker 2: botched the clock management at the end of the game.
Speaker 2: You'll look even last Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks,
Speaker 2: the Bears defense showed up and played they were you know,
Speaker 2: they they took They took a Seattle off as the
Speaker 2: Seattle Seahawks had a ton to play for in that game,
Speaker 2: and they couldn't move the football. They couldn't score points
Speaker 2: against the Bears in Chicago last Thursday night. There So
Speaker 2: there there are times that either side of the ball
Speaker 2: for Chicago can you know, can show shows what it's
Speaker 2: capable of and and can give you problems. But when
Speaker 2: I look back at the first game Chicago and Green
Speaker 2: Bay at Soldier Field, I think one of the biggest
Speaker 2: reasons the Bears stayed in that game is because they
Speaker 2: surprised the Packers with Caleb Williams and the running ability, Yes,
Speaker 2: the way he scrambled around and the way he also
Speaker 2: ran design runs, the zone read stuff. I think that
Speaker 2: that got the Packers on their heels a little bit.
Speaker 2: And that element to Chicago's offense in that game was
Speaker 2: was a huge factor in the Bears putting themselves in
Speaker 2: a position to win it at the end with the
Speaker 2: field goal that Green Bay blocked. I think you you
Speaker 2: just you, you bottle up Caleb Williams in whatever way
Speaker 2: is necessary, and you don't let them, you don't let
Speaker 2: it run around, you know, and and and those off
Speaker 2: schedule type of players are the design quarterback runs if
Speaker 2: the Packers shut those down, I think I think Green
Speaker 2: Bay's defense will will be just fine against uh against
Speaker 2: Caleb Williams on Sunday. On the offensive side of things,
Speaker 2: just you know, just stay balanced, no need to get crazy,
Speaker 2: I think, uh, I think Green Bay this is a
Speaker 2: game where I expect the Packers to really get their
Speaker 2: mojo back on offense. I you know, I believe that
Speaker 2: how things are going to play out in terms of
Speaker 2: certain guys on the injury report who may or may
Speaker 2: not play. You know, I don't know. I don't really
Speaker 2: want to get into all that. I think, uh, I
Speaker 2: think this is a game where you you re establish clean,
Speaker 2: solid execution on the offensive side of the ball that
Speaker 2: you try to take into the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Did you see what KILLB Joes's longest pass of the
Speaker 1: season was. Have you looked at that at all? No,
Speaker 1: forty seven yards? They have a couple in the forties,
Speaker 1: but yeah, nothing more than forty seven yards, which is
Speaker 1: which is interesting, all right, because you look at a
Speaker 1: lot of squads, there's there's that one seventy yard right
Speaker 1: off the bat score, those sort of things. They've really
Speaker 1: struggled with the explosives DeAndre Swift has a fifty six
Speaker 1: yard rushing touchdown, and.
Speaker 2: He had the forty yard or against against in Chicago
Speaker 2: against the Pack.
Speaker 1: Against Green Bay, which may be probably one of the
Speaker 1: longer runs that Green Bay's given up all season. I
Speaker 1: might be the long it might be the longest. But yeah,
Speaker 1: I agree with you. I just think that Keileb Williams,
Speaker 1: he is their best player, and he's a young player
Speaker 1: and he's got a lot ahead of him. I think
Speaker 1: he's going to be a headache for the NFC North
Speaker 1: for years to come. I think this has been a
Speaker 1: really challenging year. Yeah, I feel like, you know, you're
Speaker 1: hearing him talk this week when he was asked about
Speaker 1: what you want from the next head coach and what
Speaker 1: you want from you know, he talked to what he
Speaker 1: wants to be coached, He wants to be challenged, and
Speaker 1: in some ways, I just feel like this year kind
Speaker 1: of felt like a continuation of his time at USC.
Speaker 1: Not say Dian developed there, he certainly did, but it
Speaker 1: just I just look at Caleb Williams and everything he offers,
Speaker 1: and there was a reason why he was the top
Speaker 1: quarterback over Daniels and over all these other you know,
Speaker 1: Bo Nicks and these young guys penics that have been
Speaker 1: out there and he just it just feels like it's
Speaker 1: been kind of stuck in neutral for them. Now Green
Speaker 1: Bay needs to make sure for at least one more
Speaker 1: day that's still the case.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we'll see where things go in the future
Speaker 2: with the Bears. It feels it feels to me, now
Speaker 2: this is just me talking. When they drafted Justin Fields,
Speaker 2: it felt like the Bears had a decent offensive line
Speaker 2: in front of Justin Yields, but then he didn't have
Speaker 2: any didn't have any game breaking type of weapons to
Speaker 2: get the ball to. So then as they were trying
Speaker 2: to evolve things, and now they've made the transition to
Speaker 2: Caleb Williams, they focused on getting offensive weapons, you know,
Speaker 2: they have. They signed Dj Moore to a long term,
Speaker 2: you know, lucrative contract. They drafted Roma Dunze in the
Speaker 2: in the first round. You add DeAndre Swift to the backfield,
Speaker 2: all these things, but then the offensive line kind of
Speaker 2: falls apart, and so Caleb Williams is constantly under pressure
Speaker 2: and he's getting sacked a ton and all this and
Speaker 2: so on on. You know that kind of the whole
Speaker 2: group just hasn't really been put together offensively for the Bears,
Speaker 2: and that's what they're going to look to do moving
Speaker 2: forward with Williams and whoever the next head coaches and.
Speaker 1: Styles make fights. I mean, that's why maybe Chicago pushed
Speaker 1: them as much as they did, because Green Bay was
Speaker 1: really struggling with their pass rush earlier this season and
Speaker 1: it's been sort of the Spickett that's gone on and
Speaker 1: off for them throughout the course of the air. Obviously
Speaker 1: wasn't good enough last week in Minnesota. So pressure is
Speaker 1: going to be a paramount, you know, and trying to
Speaker 1: find ways to not only be smart about how you
Speaker 1: approach him, but also making sure that he just doesn't
Speaker 1: get into a rhythm offensively.
Speaker 2: All right, I'll take care of some sponsor business here
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Speaker 2: outlined on our last show, the Packers' playoff picture is
Speaker 2: that they can get either the six seed or the
Speaker 2: seven seed. If the Packers win and Washington loses, the
Speaker 2: Packers will get the six. If Washington wins, or if
Speaker 2: the Packers lose, green Bay will be the seven. If
Speaker 2: green Bay is the seven, the Packers know they would
Speaker 2: be going to Philadelphia because Philadelphia is locked into the
Speaker 2: two seed. If the Packers get the six, there's the
Speaker 2: possibility of playing either the Los Angeles Rams or the
Speaker 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers know that would be on
Speaker 2: the road, of course as a wild card team. I'm curious,
Speaker 2: did you see and maybe correct me if I'm wrong
Speaker 2: if I didn't see this right? But did I see
Speaker 2: that the Rams are not playing Matthew Stafford next week?
Speaker 1: See?
Speaker 2: That's really interesting.
Speaker 1: Jimmy Garoppolo is starting.
Speaker 2: Jimmy Garoppolo is going to start for the Rams. And
Speaker 2: that's interesting to me because the Rams are, you know,
Speaker 2: fighting with essentially the Buccaneers if the Buccaneers were to win,
Speaker 2: fighting with the Buccaneers for the three versus the four seed,
Speaker 2: and you know, and maybe there's an injury issue with
Speaker 2: Matthew Stafford that they need to you know that they
Speaker 2: want him to rest up and get healthy. But if
Speaker 2: the Rams follow the four seed, you're getting the loser
Speaker 2: of the Lions Vikings game. You're getting a fourteen win
Speaker 2: team in the first round of the playoffs, which you
Speaker 2: can avoid that if you make sure you get the
Speaker 2: three seeds. So I was just very curious to hear
Speaker 2: that Matthew Stafford's not going to play when the different
Speaker 2: I mean, I know it's the playoffs. You have to
Speaker 2: beat everybody regardless, I get that, but you're going to
Speaker 2: get a fourteen win team if you're the four seed.
Speaker 1: You know. The tough part though about this, Michael, I
Speaker 1: agree with you one hundred percent just for the record,
Speaker 1: but and I'm not saying there is a big difference there.
Speaker 1: Obviously look at the wins and losses. But you're either
Speaker 1: fac in Minnesota with Washington or Green Bay. Like no
Speaker 1: matter what, if you look at you know Sean mcvay's
Speaker 1: track record against Green Bay, he's really struggled against the
Speaker 1: Packers during the Matt Lafleour era. They lost again this
Speaker 1: season I understand they were really hurting.
Speaker 2: Ever, yeah, they were really banged up that game.
Speaker 1: But I think this is good. People are going to
Speaker 1: take this a lot of different ways when you look
Speaker 1: at how banged up the Rams were at various intervals
Speaker 1: of the season. In the fact that I think there
Speaker 1: was a stat now that I don't want to get
Speaker 1: it wrong, but basically the Rams are one of very
Speaker 1: few teams that have come back from one to four
Speaker 1: records to win a division make a playoff, and they've
Speaker 1: done it twice. Now underneath McVeigh, this has happened twice
Speaker 1: in his tenure where they've gotten off to these slow starts,
Speaker 1: So I almost understand it now. Again. Matt Lafleur made
Speaker 1: such a brilliant point on Wednesday when he said the
Speaker 1: you know whatever, Basically, the only thing that can happen
Speaker 1: the decision you make. It is what it is like,
Speaker 1: whether you're right or wrong. You have to make the
Speaker 1: best decision you feel like for your football team, and
Speaker 1: the results will tell you whether or not it was correct.
Speaker 1: In terms of the public narrative, everybody else has the
Speaker 1: benefit of twenty twenty hindsight, right, These coaches have to
Speaker 1: figure out Okay, what is in the best interest of
Speaker 1: my football team. I'm gonna stick with that, and then
Speaker 1: we'll let the results be what they are.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I wish I could remember the exactly Floirqule because it
Speaker 1: was pretty well said the way you put it. But
Speaker 1: long story short, if this is the route that Sean
Speaker 1: McVay feels like they got to go with the Rams
Speaker 1: to be as healthy as possible going to the playoffs,
Speaker 1: let it lie, because I mean, if there's a team
Speaker 1: that has been playing with house money more than any
Speaker 1: other squad in the NFC over the last month and
Speaker 1: a half, it's la Yeah.
Speaker 2: And I guess I was caught off guard by it
Speaker 2: because I wasn't aware of something injury wise with Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 2: Maybe I was just ignorant that or whatever, I you know,
Speaker 2: And so if there is some kind of an injury
Speaker 2: and they're resting him for that reason like that, I
Speaker 2: get it, you know, clearly. But it just when I
Speaker 2: first saw the news that Stafford wasn't gonna play, I
Speaker 2: was caught off guard because there is a you know,
Speaker 2: there is a difference in the seating that that the
Speaker 2: Rams are playing for.
Speaker 1: And then you're gonna be going up against the Seattle
Speaker 1: team that I think still wants to get to ten
Speaker 1: wins and prove that we should have been in this
Speaker 1: conversation for the post. Ye so yeah.
Speaker 2: A couple other questions I want to throw at you. One,
Speaker 2: who do you think gets the last spot in the AFC.
Speaker 1: I would love to say the Cincinnati I would every
Speaker 1: I think everybody want. I think everybody wants to see
Speaker 1: Joe Burrow with the way he's playing. They want to
Speaker 1: see Joe Burrow get into the playoffs. But Denver is
Speaker 1: the one in control.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're gonna be playing a Kansas City team that
Speaker 2: has nothing to play for and they're basically resting, resting
Speaker 2: the vast majority of their guys.
Speaker 1: But the big guys obviously, I think I saw something.
Speaker 1: I think the Denver Broncos are like double digit favorites
Speaker 1: in this yeah so approach of Kansas City.
Speaker 2: So if Denver wins, they get it. If the Broncos
Speaker 2: don't beat the Chiefs or you know, the Chiefs JV
Speaker 2: or what you call it, Carson Wentz chief the Carson
Speaker 2: Wentz Chiefs, then then Miami is the next team that
Speaker 2: can take that playoff spot. But now I hear Tua
Speaker 2: is on the injury report and his status for this
Speaker 2: game is not certain.
Speaker 1: Got the hip, Yeah, he's.
Speaker 2: Got a hip issue. So then if Miami were not
Speaker 2: to get it, then it would fall to Joe Burrow
Speaker 2: and the Bengals. If the Bengals can win their last game,
Speaker 2: which is they play on Saturday. So then if they win,
Speaker 2: then they sit and scoreboard watch on Sunday to see
Speaker 2: if maybe it falls their way to get that final
Speaker 2: playoff spot in the apses.
Speaker 1: And there is a Pittsburgh Steelers team that desperately needs
Speaker 1: to win that game too. When we're just talking about
Speaker 1: momentum entering the postseason, Pittsburgh cannot go into the postseason
Speaker 1: on this kind of slide.
Speaker 2: Yeah they had, I mean yeah, if Pittsburgh loses this game,
Speaker 2: would it be four losses? Yeah, I mean yeah, I'm
Speaker 2: sure it's happened before. But I mean these are all
Speaker 2: pretty It's pretty rare for a team to enter the
Speaker 2: postseason on a four game losing streak.
Speaker 1: Philly, Baltimore, and Kansas City, I mean those are nine.
Speaker 2: The back end of their schedule was absolutely brutal.
Speaker 1: The problem is they just weren't over the competitive in.
Speaker 2: Those games, right, So they didn't they didn't really make
Speaker 2: a strong run at winning any of those contests. All right, Well,
Speaker 2: last one I'll throw at you Lions and the Vikings
Speaker 2: yep for the NFC North Crown the number one seed
Speaker 2: in the NFC in the first round. By the loser
Speaker 2: drops to the five seed and has to go on
Speaker 2: the road as a wild card team. Lions are at home.
Speaker 2: Both teams obviously, you know, playing pretty darn well. What
Speaker 2: are your what are your thoughts on how that went unfold?
Speaker 1: Vikings? I have the Vikings winning this, okay. I and
Speaker 1: I'm not just trying to be a hater with the Lions,
Speaker 1: but I think the Lions, I mean credit to then
Speaker 1: that second half they pulled it together against San Francisco.
Speaker 1: I am very nervous for them with that defense, right yeah,
Speaker 1: And this is this is a big test, win or lose.
Speaker 1: This is a big test for that defense to see
Speaker 1: how they're gonna match up with all those weapons that
Speaker 1: Minnesota has. Yep. And obviously TJ. Atkinson is back now
Speaker 1: he's you know, you have to imagine this is going
Speaker 1: to kind of be a re revenge game for him
Speaker 1: on so many levels, going back up against the Lions
Speaker 1: and Kirby Joseph. I just think efficient efficiency wise, I
Speaker 1: don't know if there's anyone in the National Football League
Speaker 1: doing it better than Minnesota through all their phases of
Speaker 1: the game. I just I was so impressed by how
Speaker 1: they performed. Now again, they have to go out and
Speaker 1: do it on the road. But Kevin O'Connell's message was
Speaker 1: terrific as well this week, saying, I mean they're they
Speaker 1: understand around the road, but they're not going to be uncomfortable.
Speaker 1: They're going to go and play their style football. I
Speaker 1: think Sam Donald, if I saw that right, we could
Speaker 1: talk about the Pro Bowl guys in a second. I
Speaker 1: think Sam Darnold was. Was he selected as a starter
Speaker 1: for the Pro Bowl? I actually didn't. I think he was.
Speaker 1: We start talking again, I'll confirm it, okay, But I
Speaker 1: mean Sam Darnold's playing an extremely high level. We saw
Speaker 1: the plethora of weapons they have. I mean, for as
Speaker 1: much as we talked about Jefferson and Addison last week,
Speaker 1: Jalen Naylor, you know, really helped them win that game
Speaker 1: against screens oh big time. So you asked me that question,
Speaker 1: my answer is Minnesota, bike, I.
Speaker 2: Totally agree with you in terms of the concern with
Speaker 2: regard to the Lions defense. Watching that game on Monday
Speaker 2: night against San Francisco, a San Francisco with essentially a
Speaker 2: makeshift offensive line was having its way with the Lions
Speaker 2: defense until Brock Perdy bade a couple of arrant throws
Speaker 2: in the second half that got intercepted by Kirby Joseph
Speaker 2: because otherwise, you know, I thought San Francisco was on
Speaker 2: its way to matching the forty points that the Lions
Speaker 2: put up in that game. So I share your concerns
Speaker 2: about the Lions defense. It does sound like they may
Speaker 2: get Alex Angeloni, the linebacker back from the broken arm.
Speaker 1: He's offers a star. I got that. I really botched
Speaker 1: that golf is the starter.
Speaker 2: Oh GoF is okay, So.
Speaker 1: The other team's guy, it's a starter.
Speaker 2: Sorry, But so the Lions maybe getting Anzeloni back, which
Speaker 2: would be at least a stabilizing force in the middle
Speaker 2: of the defense. This is where and I'm with you
Speaker 2: in being inclined to pick Minnesota, but this is where
Speaker 2: I hedge because the game is in Detroit, and I
Speaker 2: think Minnesota's defense, which is predicated on the pass rush
Speaker 2: and all those crazy looks that Brian Flora wants to
Speaker 2: throw at you on third down. That kind of stuff
Speaker 2: isn't the same on the road as it is when
Speaker 2: you're at home and su home crowd is making all
Speaker 2: the noise on third down and the offense is in
Speaker 2: the silent count and everything like that. I think I
Speaker 2: think Minnesota's defense is going to have this is going
Speaker 2: to be Minnesota's Minnesota defense's biggest challenge of the season
Speaker 2: being on the road in Detroit against the Lions offense
Speaker 2: that looks about as unstoppable as anything right now. Heck,
Speaker 2: they blew they blew a fourth and goal, passed on
Speaker 2: a field goal, and did not score on a fourth
Speaker 2: and goal on Monday night in San Francisco, and they
Speaker 2: still put up forty points in the game. So you know,
Speaker 2: so that's just because the game is in Detroit. Like,
Speaker 2: that's that's where I hedge. I think it's gonna be
Speaker 2: a way of a game. It's an incredible way to
Speaker 2: end the regular season in the NFL with with so
Speaker 2: much on the line, a division championship and a number
Speaker 2: one seed in a first round by and all that,
Speaker 2: and then you know, to sort of launch everything into
Speaker 2: the playoffs. But but yes, you mentioned the Pro Bowl
Speaker 2: three Shortly before we turn the cameras on here, three
Speaker 2: Packers get selected to the Pro Bowls, Xavier McKinney, Josh Jacobs,
Speaker 2: and Rashaan Geary. Your thoughts on how that went down?
Speaker 1: I just, first and foremost, I feel, I mean, congratulations
Speaker 1: all three. Congratulations of the seven alternates for Green Bay,
Speaker 1: including first alternate Elton Jenkins. But you can't help it
Speaker 1: feel great for Xavier McKinney. Yeah, this is the guy
Speaker 1: that has not been to a Pro Bowl yet. I
Speaker 1: think has probably been deserving of it in the past
Speaker 1: during his time with the Giants, but didn't quite come together.
Speaker 1: And now here he is this opportunity comes to Green
Speaker 1: Bay seven interceptions. Obviously, has been such a needle mover
Speaker 1: and just a tide turner for this defense. And to
Speaker 1: be able to be rewarded in this way, the way
Speaker 1: he's conducted himself with the media, the way he's been
Speaker 1: a team leader from day one, even when he signed
Speaker 1: here at twenty four years old, incredible for him. I
Speaker 1: also love it for Josh Shacops because here was a
Speaker 1: guy that did have He came to Green Bay with
Speaker 1: something to prove last year was not his best season
Speaker 1: and it was definitely not the type of year you
Speaker 1: want going into free agents. Sure, yeah, Josh Jacobs came
Speaker 1: back and showed I am still every bit the same
Speaker 1: running back I was when I was the NFL rushing
Speaker 1: champion two years ago and has done it. Has been selfless,
Speaker 1: has been fought through a lot of different things throughout
Speaker 1: the course of the year, but has always been available
Speaker 1: for his team. Those two signings, I don't think you
Speaker 1: can say enough about them and the impact on and
Speaker 1: off the field they've made. And then also Rashan Gary
Speaker 1: getting some respect. I think last year was, you know,
Speaker 1: kind of a snub. I felt like he was a
Speaker 1: first alternate just so happens he doesn't get the call. Yeah,
Speaker 1: this year he does get that opportunity. Thirty eight sacks
Speaker 1: now in his tenure with Green Bay. I think that's
Speaker 1: eighth all times since the official statistic in nineteen eighty two.
Speaker 1: So a guy that also is on the come up as.
Speaker 2: Well, I think there's I think there's something to be
Speaker 2: said for the player respect around the league for Rashaun
Speaker 2: Gary because he was not all that high in the
Speaker 2: fan voting. Correct and he ends up getting a Pro
Speaker 2: Bowl selection on this first round, not being an alternate,
Speaker 2: but like last year, but actually being selected this time.
Speaker 2: The player vote is part of the process, and I
Speaker 2: think maybe some respect was shown was thrown Rashaan Gary's
Speaker 2: way by his peers around the league in terms of
Speaker 2: him getting this recognition. So hats off to.
Speaker 1: Him, absolutely, and a guy it's done again, done it
Speaker 1: the right way, been around here, been accountable. It's been
Speaker 1: neat to see him come back from that ACL which
Speaker 1: is really the only hiccup he's had in his NFL career,
Speaker 1: and rallied from that. And then also I didn't realize
Speaker 1: the stakes were this high. Xavier McKinney gets the Star
Speaker 1: darting spot at free safety. That's the only spot Kirby
Speaker 1: Joseph not selected to the Pro Bowl. So that was
Speaker 1: kind of a one to two. Those two guys are
Speaker 1: going back and form in the fan.
Speaker 2: They were right up there at the top of the
Speaker 2: fan voting all the way along.
Speaker 1: And then the coaches and players put it over the
Speaker 1: top for McKinney. So again it shows you how difficult
Speaker 1: it is to make the Pro Bowl. Sometimes at some
Speaker 1: of these positions, it's neat to see x get that opportunity. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And as you said, the two free agents signings,
Speaker 2: Xavier McKinney Josh Jacobs, they both end up going to
Speaker 2: Pro Bowls and you know, in their first year with
Speaker 2: the big time, can't You can't say enough about what
Speaker 2: those acquisitions have meant to the twenty twenty four Packers
Speaker 2: and most likely beyond here. So listen, folks, the home
Speaker 2: of the twenty twenty five NFL Draft is right here
Speaker 2: in Green Bay April twenty four through April twenty six
Speaker 2: of twenty twenty five, So visit green Bay dot com
Speaker 2: slash Draft twenty five for more information. And with that,
Speaker 2: we'll call it a rap on this edition of Packers Unscripted.
Speaker 2: Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the
Speaker 2: team on Packers dot com. Wes has a story up
Speaker 2: on the site about the Alexander news as well as
Speaker 2: what's going on with the rest of the secondary. He
Speaker 2: also has a story on the Pro Bowl select Thank you.
Speaker 1: I'm sitting here celebrating because I think you're going to
Speaker 1: toss to the Pro Bowl things. So then you say Alexander,
Speaker 1: So I'm like sitting here like fist pumping it just
Speaker 1: fit the vibe. Okay, now say the Pro Bowl part.
Speaker 2: You have a story up on the Packers Pro Bowl selections,
Speaker 2: and later today there will be a story up on
Speaker 2: the Packers selecting the team winner of the ed Block
Speaker 2: Courage Award, So check for that a little bit later
Speaker 2: on on Thursday. That's a story that I was working
Speaker 2: on this week as well. So for Wes, I am Mike.
Speaker 2: Thank you for tuning in. Everybody, We will see you
Speaker 2: next time.