WEBVTT - #632 Packers Unscripted: Bring on the bye 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:11.120 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:14.520 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:17.360 by my trusted colleague Weston hod Kowitz. It's the bye week. 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:21.080 We thought we would revisit life on zoom here with 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:25.239 Packers Unscripted, hopefully just for one episode. Um, we'll get 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:27.680 through this one and uh and hopefully things will be 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:31.440 back to normal next week. But western the Green Bay 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:34.479 Packers have gotten to that bye week at nine and 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:38.519 three with a very impressive thirty six home victory over 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:40.360 the l A Ramp. So I was getting ready for 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:43.080 work this morning, Michael, as of a lot of Americans do, 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:45.080 and I was thinking about, Hey, how am I going 0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:48.000 to start Packers Unscripted? Where we're gonna do one shot 0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:49.560 here this week and then you and I are both 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:51.720 going to go off into the distance for a few days. 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:54.800 What is the number one point that I want to 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:59.040 make as we jump into another edition of Packers Unscripted 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:02.440 and this bye week spe actual week thirteen. Addition, you 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:04.679 know what I came up with, Mike? What was that 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.679 I'm going to use this moment before we talk about 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:10.400 the game, before we talk about those other things. To 0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:16.840 just mention Matt Lafleur as the NFL Coach of the Year. 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:19.680 I almost said defensive coach of the year. The guy 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.320 has not gotten the credit he deserves now. The first thing, 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:23.800 if you ever would mention this to matth flor, you 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:25.319 tried to ask him about, you know, being the first 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:27.119 to forty victories or whatever that was, and that didn't 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:30.720 go that great. He's not gonna about don't want to 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:33.960 talk about it. But the thing is is they've moved 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:36.560 the hashes on him so much. Right, I felt like 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:39.240 in two thousand nineteen he deserved to be the NFL 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:41.000 Coach of the Year. It was it was the biggest 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.080 turnaround Enfranchise history year over year in terms of wins 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:47.600 and losses. So they gave it to John Harbor whatever 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.160 this year, Mike, What what this team has done to 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:53.680 be nine and three, to not have anybody's four straight 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:57.440 months exactly four straight months when they started the first 0:01:57.440 --> 0:02:00.240 practice of training camp to when they played the Los 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:04.559 Angeles Rams on on Sunday, Mike, they went without any 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.760 real breaks in between. They've had injuries, they've had adversity, 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:10.960 they've had distractions, and Matt Lafleur has kept this team 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:12.880 focused on what's in front of them. He's going to 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.359 talk about his assistance, He's going to talk about the players, 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:16.840 and they all deserve a lot of credit. We're gonna 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:18.640 talk about them here in the moment. But I just 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.320 wanted to use this beginning segment of Packers on scripted 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:24.760 to talk about the fact that Matt Lafleur is pretty 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.839 darn good at what he does. Yeah. Absolutely, And I'll 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:30.480 go back to what I wrote about in my postgame 0:02:30.600 --> 0:02:34.560 editorial after the game on Sunday night. Matt Lafleur has 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:39.280 coached forty four regular season NFL football games as a 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:42.760 head coach in this league, and he still has yet 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:45.720 to have a losing streak. And the reason I bring 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:49.400 this up again now, if there were if there were 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:53.000 any moment in these three seasons that two and a half, 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:55.280 two and two thirds, whatever it is right now where 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:57.240 Matt Lafleur has been the head coach of the package, 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:00.160 if there were any moment where one loss was going 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.880 to turn into two, it was potentially this one. Because 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.440 you lose a heartbreaker, obviously in Minnesota, you come back 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:10.440 from two touchdowns down, it's not quite enough. Minnesota wins 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.040 on a walk off. Okay, you you you swallow that. 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:16.360 It's a it's a kick in the gut, but your 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.280 quarterback is playing on a fractured pinky toe. You have 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:23.040 to replace your left tackle again. You never really know 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:25.919 week to week who's going to be out there on defense. Fortunately, 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:28.799 the Packers did get Rashawn Gary back to help with 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:30.560 the edge rush, and he was a big factor in 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:33.400 this game against the Rams. But then also you're facing 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:37.160 a Rams team that came into your building last January 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:40.680 and saw its season end, so there's that bad taste 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:43.200 in their mouth. They were coming off of two straight 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:46.520 losses and had their bye week to rest and regroup 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.320 and be as healthy as possible to come in here 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:52.520 and take on a Packers team somewhat limping from a 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:57.640 health perspective into its long waited bye week. Yet where 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:00.160 were we at the end of three quarters? West A 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:03.160 sack fumble that sets up a touchdown, a couple of 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:06.520 big plays to Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, and a 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.320 pick six by Russeul Douglas, and the Packers are up 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.520 by nineteen points on the Rams with one quarter to go, 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.240 and then you let a J. Dillon grind out some yards, 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:19.360 good old cold weather power running style to to kill 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:21.840 some clock in the fourth quarter, and you're walking away 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:23.880 with another victory and get into this bye week at 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:26.160 nine and three. So I know, Coach of the Year 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.240 it's supposed to be a single thing, single season thing, 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:32.080 and I get that, but you look at this whole 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:35.080 package with Matt Lafleur and where he is heading into 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:38.000 the stretch run of his third NFL season, there's no 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:41.159 question that he has not gotten the credit that he deserves. 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:43.320 Well in the big reason we do this is because yes, 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:45.200 there's five games left to the regular season. But Mike, 0:04:45.240 --> 0:04:46.640 you've been doing this a long time. You know how 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:48.720 this process works. They don't pick the coach the year 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:50.359 after the Super Bowl. They pick it as soon as 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.120 the season's over, like when it ends, like in four 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:56.320 or five weeks. And the fact that he just doesn't 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:58.919 it's funny you see profoitball focusing some of these places. 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.080 They throw up, Hey, who should you? The coach is 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.680 best coaches in the game. The guy just never gets 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:05.599 enough credit for it. And and I don't as I 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:08.760 mentioned earlier, the moving the sticks here on him, whether 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:11.320 it's oh, you have Aaron Rodgers. Well, but Aaron Rodgers 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:13.680 everyone was saying he was past it when they got 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:16.120 it in two thousand nineteen, and here they are having 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:18.080 a success. They are he has an m v P 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.200 season in Lafleur's offense in two thousand twenty. Well that's 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:23.640 because Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Rodgers again, and it was. 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:25.360 But I mean, the fact is is that look for 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:28.760 it's all a marriage. So I just want to make 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:30.960 that point. There's a lot of great things to talk about, 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:32.240 a lot of you know, this first half of the 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.120 season offensively, defensively, what they've been able to accomplish to 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:37.400 get to nine and three, But you have to give 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:40.760 credit to the shepherd in the field here with these guys, 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.560 and and that has Ben Matt Lafleur. Yeah. Absolutely, And 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:46.160 if there's and not to say that there aren't other 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:49.560 assistant coaches that deserve a lot of praise, but there 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.640 are two that I want to talk about in particular 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:53.760 on this show. First we'll start on the offensive side 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:56.600 of the ball and Adam Stanovich and what he has 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.600 done with this offensive line. Aaron Rodgers said it after 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:02.679 the game. Okay, you're facing a defensive front that has 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:06.320 two future Hall of famers in Von Miller and Aaron Donald, 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:10.280 and then Pro Bowl slash all Pro caliber edge rushier 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:13.440 in addition in Leonard Floyd. And you're going up against 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:17.359 that group without three of your preferred starters, if you 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:19.120 want to call at that on the offensive line, with 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:23.279 David Baktiari, Elton Jenkins, and Josh Meyers all on the shelf. 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:28.760 And yet Aaron Rodgers drops back times, gets sacked only once, 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:33.479 almost escaped that sack um as well, and the Packers 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:35.719 were able to grind out enough yards on the ground, 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:38.640 staying committed to the running game, pounding away a J. 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.800 Dillon laying out some punishment with those runs. What what 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:45.240 this offensive line has done under the tutelage of Adam 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:50.320 Stanovich and Luke butkus Is is really phenomenal because it 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:54.280 just you you cringe at the thought of these injuries. 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:56.839 And we all saw Elton Jenkins go down in Minnesota, 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:59.159 and we we feared the worst and it was the worst. 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:01.200 And he's out for this reason and potentially a very 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:05.640 long time. And yet this offense still doesn't seem to 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:08.520 miss a beat that you know, yosh Naiman steps in. 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:11.120 You know, Lucas Patrick is filled in at center. We've 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:14.640 talked about, you know, John runyon Um, you know, taking 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:17.000 over at at left guard while Jenkins had to play 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:20.560 left tackle. All that. Whoever the Packers line up with 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.239 up front, they get the job done. They do Mike 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:27.240 and everybody. Their heart hurt for Elton Jenkins because of 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.600 what he did for this team, how selfless he was 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.040 and how he went about it. In the fact, he's 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:34.080 just a pretty darned good human being. But it wasn't 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:36.760 a panic in terms of losing him at left tackle 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.520 because over those first three games, those first three starts 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.840 with yosh Nijman, they felt like this guy he can go. 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:46.360 And seeing him get comfortable has been the thing that's 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:49.720 been the most, uh, the coolest part of this whole situation, 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:52.760 because he had to deal with Bosa in San Francisco, 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:54.200 and then you see him and he comes out and 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:57.320 he has Von Miller, he has you know, Aaron Donald sometimes. 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:59.200 I mean the fact that there's Leonard Floyd, who has 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:00.680 been off to one of the best starts, maybe the 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:03.560 best start of his career. He has to contest with 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.040 all that, and he was up for the game. And 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:10.280 just seeing his athleticism and his size. I don't scout. 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:12.800 I don't know anything about scouting. Certainly the Packers did 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:14.600 their whole work on this young man coming out of 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:17.080 Virginia Tech. But I just don't know how you don't 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.920 look at him at six ft seven three and fourteen 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:22.040 pounds and don't see a draft pick. I I don't 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.119 see how this guy went undrafted. But that being said, 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.760 they got him, and they got Elton Jenkins in two 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:32.600 thousand nine. They handed both of those players to Adam Stenovitch, 0:08:32.640 --> 0:08:36.080 to Luke Buckus, and they said, okay, start developing this talent. 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:39.880 In seeing where both of those guys have come. Jenkins 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:43.000 already a Pro Bowl player, Niagement becoming a guy that 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.720 can be reliable at the most important position on the 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:49.440 offensive line. It's it's a testament to everything they've put 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:51.560 in and the fact that Green Bay is I've wrote 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:55.240 an insider inbox on Tuesday. They've gone twelve games without 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:57.280 a five time All Pro left tackle, a guy that 0:08:57.440 --> 0:08:59.280 very easily could end up in the Pro Football Hall 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:02.120 of Fame, and Jenkins and Niger made it look at 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.680 as easy as they did. That isn't how it works. 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:07.760 In the NFL. But fortunately for Green Bay it's worked 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:10.160 out here. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean how many games have 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:12.960 we seen where other teams have had big time offensive 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.600 lineman go down and and it's it's part of life 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.920 in this league. But then suddenly teams are adjusting their offense, 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:21.720 their jail breaks with regard to the pass rush. The 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:26.440 Packers between the plan, the execution, the players and their development. Obviously, 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:29.720 the patients with Josh Nijaman has has paid off here 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:33.240 because the Packers invested a lot, a lot of time, 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:36.240 a lot of resources in developing him, whether it was 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:38.920 practice squad, an active roster spot, even if he wasn't 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:42.240 playing much. But then when when the call came, he 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:44.200 has answered that call. I want to shift to the 0:09:44.240 --> 0:09:45.960 defensive side of the ball, but I'll take care of 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:49.240 our sponsor business here. First West Series x M NFL 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.439 Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:57.240 NFL news that true football fanatics need seven three six 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:00.200 and at Cousins Subs, we have something for everyone. Our 0:10:00.240 --> 0:10:03.840 Wisconsin Cheese Kurds, mac and Cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, 0:10:03.880 --> 0:10:05.880 all paired with your favorite sub or sub in a 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:10.120 bowl Cousins subs we believe in better all right. On 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:13.640 the defensive side, I don't know what more you can 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:17.920 say about defensive coordinator Joe Berry and what he has 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.880 done with this unit. I mean, I realized fans are 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:22.720 going to react the way fans are going to react. 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.240 But there were even some in the media West who 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:28.520 after week one, we're questioning, what in the world are 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:31.559 the Packers doing on defense? Right, it was one game. 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:36.080 Joe Berry stayed the course this defense. I know all 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:38.360 I know they I know all plays count. You don't 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:42.000 get to remove things. But two big plays by the Rams, 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:45.040 the two long touchdown passes to Van Jefferson and Odell 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:49.800 Beckham Jr. You take those two out. We're talking about 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:53.440 a shutdown performance of one of the best offenses in 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:55.880 the league. The Packers let two big plays get behind him. 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:57.960 Those are the things they're gonna look at. They're gonna 0:10:57.960 --> 0:10:59.679 work on in there, trying to make sure that doesn't 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:03.280 happen again. But the Rams, other than those two plays, 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:07.760 the Rams look completely flummixed and flustered on offense. To me, 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:10.480 in this game, and I and and the pit the 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:13.760 pick six by Russell Douglas obviously was a big highlight. 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:18.160 Rashaan Gary with the sack fumble. Preston Smith recovers inside 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.120 the ten yard line. The Packers cash that in for 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:22.840 a touchdown. The defense, I know, at the end of 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:27.319 the day there were whatever the twenty um six points 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.880 on the board, twenty eight points on the board, twenty 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:32.439 eight points on the board at the end of the day, 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.680 but that was not really a reflection in my opinion 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:38.240 of how this defense played against one of the most 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.400 explosive offenses in the league and the most important thing 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:44.320 of all, Mike. The defense gave the Green Bay Packers 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:47.040 a chance to win this football game. When you look 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:49.960 at the pick six with Resul Douglas, that the fact 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:52.560 that they were able to get the force fumble from 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.679 MS Shawn Gary turned that into points the fourth down 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.600 stop when l A decides to go for it early 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:01.360 on from their own twenty nine, you had Kenny Clark 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:06.240 penetrating into the backfield, redirecting Darryl Henderson that led to 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:08.480 Adrian name Is being able to tackle him a yard 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:11.600 shy the first or the first down. The next play, 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:16.400 Amos up ends Henderson, whose head then falls short and 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.960 down of the first down is the first body part 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:22.439 to reach the ground. Those type of plays, mike short 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:25.880 yardage situations, keeping them in third and manageables also have 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:29.160 been so important for them because I know what people 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.240 keep saying about, you know, the red zone defense and 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:34.240 the scoring defense and in that part of the area, 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:36.720 the third But the fact is they're making them go 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:40.200 the long way and they're making opportunities for themselves. And 0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:41.880 if you listen to them, they probably would tell you 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:44.600 there was two or three more takeaway opportunities in that 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:46.800 game that they weren't able to execute on. But what 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:48.839 I want to talk about though, as you mentioned with 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:53.200 with Joe Barry, I really loved the game plan he 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:55.120 came up for with this game because this is a 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:58.400 guy that was with Sean McVeigh for a number of years. 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:01.440 He was in l A when they were building that defense, 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:06.520 and seeing how he wanted to attack the Rams offense 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:09.680 with Matthew Stafford in there was really fascinating to watch. 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.080 I don't know the exact statistics. You're more of a 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.160 savant with the stuff, you might actually have them at 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:17.320 the top of your head, but how infrequently they blitzed 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:19.600 in this game. They were very comfortable with their four 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:22.760 man rush against Stafford and they trusted that rush with 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:25.840 Rashaan Gary to be able to apply pressure. All of 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:28.080 that's great, but playing able to play coverage a little 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:30.840 bit more. There were a couple of breaks. They have 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:33.199 to be able to clean those things up. But considering 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:36.280 Kevin King wasn't available, you know, Jaire Alexander wasn't available, 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:37.960 they had to do this with you know, some of 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:41.439 these makeshift parts in the secondary, they still were dominant. 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:43.760 And what I stand out and when I look at 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:45.760 this season that the storyline that I don't know if 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:49.400 anybody was talking about going into this year, was what 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:52.040 Joe Barry's defense was going to be able to do 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:55.240 for Kenny Clark because I think it's made him reach 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:57.559 the next level in his game. I've said it for 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:00.120 a long time, Mike, I feel like Clark is that 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:02.280 one of the best, if not the best. And that's 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:05.000 all I know Donald is in that conversation. But as 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:08.120 a two way defensive lineman, he gives you it all. 0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:10.840 He can pressure the quarterback, he can be used on 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:15.280 those third down situations, but he is affecting the football 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:18.280 game against the run. L A couldn't do it. I 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:20.840 think their longest carry with seven yards, and with the 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:24.280 inability from McVeigh to get the running offense going, that 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:29.280 is what allowed Green Bay to control this gamett in 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:32.840 terms of times of possession. Kenny Clark Man, I hope 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:34.760 he's a pro bowler. I think he should have be 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:37.640 an all pro consideration. This guy has reached the next 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:40.680 level in this Joe Barry defense. Yeah. I when I 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:43.120 came in on Monday after the game, I sat down 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:46.040 and went through the defensive film and now my weekly 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:49.240 what you Might have Missed segment is up on the website, 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:53.760 and I focused entirely on those two defensive tackles in 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.520 the middle, Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry because what we've 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:59.720 heard and it it bore itself out again in this 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:01.800 game him is that one of the keys to this 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:04.960 Joe Barry defense is being able to stop the run. 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:07.600 And we're not talking about stopping every play for zero 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:10.480 or one yard, but at the end of the day, 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.960 only allowing about anywhere from three to three point five 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:17.040 yards per carry for the other team without having to 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:21.080 commit those extra players to the run. Now, obviously the 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.080 fourth and short Adrian Amos is up in the box 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:24.760 and he's ready to shoot the gap. Right. That's a 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:27.120 different type of thing. But if you want to look 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:29.440 at the video clips of how the Packers stopped the 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.240 run with a light blox, they're a light box. Excuse me, 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.200 they're in the What you might have missed and what 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:36.840 Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry were able to do in 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:39.680 this game to be to be so disruptive, and whether 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:42.040 it was taking on double teams and holding the point 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:45.240 or sometimes beating the double team, and as you said 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.880 on the third and two early on, Kenny Clark leverages 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:51.960 a double team but gets into the backfield and redirects 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:55.160 Darrell Henderson so that Adrian Amos, who actually is playing 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:57.880 a deep safety at the snap, is able to come 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:00.400 all the way up from deep safety and make that 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:04.280 tackle for a one yard game because he's the unblocked guy. 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.160 These are the kinds of things that the Packers are 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:09.680 able to do in this defense, and we talked about 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:12.440 it West last week. The defense didn't have a good 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.320 day in Minnesota, and yes there there were injuries. They 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:18.800 missed Rashawn Gary probably more than more than anybody else 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:21.240 the way that game unfolded. But we talked about how 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:24.280 is this defense going to respond? Same thing with the 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:26.800 offense after you know, Jordan's Love had a rough day 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:29.720 in Kansas City, and those first three quarters against Seattle 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:32.440 when Aaron Rodgers first came back weren't very good on offense. 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:35.240 How is the offense going to respond? Well, we've seen 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:38.320 the response now on both sides of the ball. The 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:41.160 offense has been pretty darn good the last couple of games, 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:44.120 and the defense bounced back from that, from that game 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:47.320 in Minnesota with a with a real high quality performance 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:50.320 against a good offense. The Packers have gotten to their 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.560 bye week, there where they need to be, there where 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:56.480 they want to be. Now it's about getting rested, getting recharged, 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.040 hopefully getting healthy and seeing over these last five I 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.080 have regular season games now after the Packers come back, 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:05.720 who can they get back in the lineup amongst these 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.560 guys like bok tr and Alexander Maybe he's a Darius Smith, 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:11.440 Josh Meyers. These guys who's going to come back and win? 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.280 That's what we're waiting to see. Well, and the beautiful 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:16.240 thing about the way this season is working out for 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:18.440 the Green Bay Packers is I mean, this is gonna 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:21.720 sound so messed up, but there are seventeen games now 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:23.560 in Green Bay is three and a half games up 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:25.359 in the division. They're a half game out of the 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:27.520 lead right now at the Arizona Cardinals. There's a lot 0:17:27.560 --> 0:17:29.840 of opportunity not only to win some more football games 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:32.119 and rise in those type of standings, but also to 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:35.480 get guys back, whether it would be Zadarius Smith or JR. 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:39.359 Alexander here at some point, David bok Tr, you hope 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:41.399 that that works out. You hope that you know everything 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.640 that he's been through, we get through on the other 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:45.680 side of this thing and get back into a rhythm again, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.040 feel like himself because they're gonna need him. And I've 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:50.879 mentioned this number of times now, but especially with the 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.560 rushing offense, I just feel like box Tr really gives 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.040 you the entire package there. As much as we focus 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:58.399 on his past protection, he brings a lot to that 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:00.399 outside zone scheme, and I feel like they do need 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.680 him back out there. But with Zadarius, you think about 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:06.879 the way that Rashaan Garry's playing right now, Mike, to 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:09.639 see him kind of coming into his own man. What 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:11.960 that would look like during the postseason run if the 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.919 Smith Bros. Are out there with him, jire Alexander the 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:17.240 level in which he was playing at over the last 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:21.600 twenty some games, and all pro shutdown type cornerback. What 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:24.200 that could bring to this offense. Maybe pie in the 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.640 sky we have to see. But the Packers are giving 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:28.920 themselves time to get those guys back in the fact 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:30.720 that they've been able to win these games and put 0:18:30.760 --> 0:18:34.080 themselves in that position with Rasul Douglas coming off of 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:37.159 Arizona's practice squad, with Whitney Merciless coming in for a 0:18:37.200 --> 0:18:40.960 few games before unfortunately he has his biceps injury. Yash Nijman, 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:44.160 I mean, all these guys might the fact that they've 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.359 been able to get to nine and three that it's 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:49.119 it's more than I think anyone could have ever hoped. Yeah, 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.080 well you said it. Let's take a look at the 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:53.960 big picture here. As you said, the Packers have a 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:56.160 three and a half game lead in the NFC North 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:59.879 thanks to the San Francisco forty is knocking off the 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:02.439 Minnesota Vikings at the same time that the Packers are 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:04.040 playing the Rams, So it's a three and a half 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.320 game lead in the division. The Vikings have six games left, 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:10.720 the Packers have five. If I'm doing my math right. 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:12.639 If you want to go with the whole baseball like 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:15.960 magic number thing, I think the Packers magic number to 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:18.800 clinch the division is three. That is, any combination of 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:24.200 three Vikings losses and or Packers victory. Um would yeah, 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:26.560 I mean you have a magic number of three. And 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:31.200 we we just got past Thanksgiving weekend here, right, so, um, 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.040 the Packers completely in command of the NFC North and 0:19:34.080 --> 0:19:38.080 then as far as the conference as a whole, Arizona 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:40.600