WEBVTT - #475 Packers Unscripted: Formidable 49ers 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:20.639 M Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:23.360 I am Mike Spofford. He is the one and only 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:26.680 West Hodkowitz. We're coming to here from our studios at 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:29.760 lambeau Field West. It's our Wednesday show, our middle of 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:33.000 the week show, and that means we start looking ahead 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:36.680 at the Packers next opponent, the San Francisco forty Niners. 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.599 It will be a seven pm Central Time kickoff on 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:44.440 Sunday Night Football from Levi Stadium in Santa Clara. This 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:49.159 forty Niners team, they are currently the top team in 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:53.080 the NFC and tied for the best record in all 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:58.000 of football at nine and one. Um, let's take a 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:01.160 dive here into the offense and defense for the forty Enners. 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:05.120 On offense, Jimmy Garoppolo is the quarterback. Last year was 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:08.759 supposed to be his first year as a starter as 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.240 the guy in the spotlight that got cut short by 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:15.800 a knee injury. So this year he's the guy and 0:01:16.800 --> 0:01:18.720 he's had some ups and downs in terms of the 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:20.920 statistics and whatnot. But at the end of the day, 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.440 the forty nine are nine and one and they look 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:26.120 to me at the quarterback position. Like they have a 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:29.000 quarterback whose arrow is pointing out he's a winner. I mean, 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:30.760 that's the biggest thing that stands out to me. He 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:32.440 was a winner when he had to fill in, and 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.000 with the New England Patriots, he's been a winner since 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.360 he's gotten to San Francisco. I don't know the exact stats. 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:39.160 I want to say it's something like nineteen and two 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:41.760 as a starter, and there is something to be said. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:44.840 I'm not one of those guys that subscribes the quarterback wins, 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:47.040 but you can't also deny the fact that this guy's 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:48.800 had a lot of success in a very short window 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:50.880 of time with what he's being asked to do. And 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.680 last week I thought was a very telling performance for him. 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:55.480 As I said on Monday's show, I mean, this is 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.800 a situation where that running game, the second ranked run 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:00.760 game in the NFL, it was there for him. Matt 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.680 Breeda did not play in that game with the ankle. 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.840 He needed to be able to carry the forty Niners, 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:08.200 and as Kyle Shanahan said after the game, he did that. 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.120 They won that game because of their quarterback. The thing 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.640 that is interesting about him though, for this day and 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:15.800 age and in two thousand one. No one would have 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:17.960 thought anything different to this, but he does, you know, 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:20.040 put the ball in jeopardy at times. He has ten 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:23.400 interceptions in ten games this season. That is a number 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.720 that you know, you go back to again twenty years ago, 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:29.920 sixteen interceptions for a season. No one would scoff at that, 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:32.240 but now you know teams are putting such a premium 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:35.560 on protecting the football. That is one slight window that 0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:37.880 I think the Packers could potentially take advantage of. But 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:39.200 at the end of the day, this is a guy 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.320 that's going to probably end up throwing for well over 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:43.720 four thousand yards. He's proven that he's a starting caliber 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:46.960 quarterback in this league in credit to John Lynch, and 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.239 you know, you look at the job that Kyle Shanahan's 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.840 done being able to find him, develop him, and turn 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:53.400 him into the quarterback that I think a lot of 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:56.160 people thought he could be. Well, you mentioned the way 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:58.720 the Fortys won their last game, but for the bulk 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.440 of the season, Kyle Shannon the hand has predicated this 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:04.360 offense on the ground game and they have what a 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:06.680 lot of people have referred to as a three headed 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.200 monster on the ground. When everyone is healthy, Matt Brita, 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:13.600 Tevin Coleman Raheem Mosterd. Now Brita is the guy who's 0:03:13.639 --> 0:03:17.560 been injured of late, and at this point we really 0:03:17.560 --> 0:03:20.160 don't know exactly what his status will be for Sunday 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.080 night against the Packers. But these three guys, if you 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:27.560 if you take their numbers and combine them in terms 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:29.919 of looking at it as though this running game had 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:33.080 one feature running back. The production they've had on the 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:36.400 ground is considerable. As you said, they were ranked number 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.280 two in the league in rushing offense going into the 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:43.480 Arizona game, and really that their last two games the 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:46.240 Seattle Seahawks, which they lost in overtime and then the 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.440 comeback victory over Arizona, those are the only two games 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:54.040 this year where they've really struggled from the football, struggled 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:55.760 to get it going and had to put the game 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:59.480 on garoppolo shoulders. And you know, with where the Packers 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:01.680 are with their run defense and some of the struggles 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:04.640 they've had, especially over the last month against the run, 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:07.440 you know Kyle Shanahan is coming into this game looking 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.280 at getting that ground game cranked up again. Yeah, and 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:12.400 it's funny you mentioned the three at a monster I'd 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:14.240 even throw the fourth head in there too with Kyle 0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:16.960 us Check. He doesn't carry the ball like those guys do, 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:19.920 but he's a valid point out of the backfield. So 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:22.080 it is kind of a happy accident how this all 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:24.720 came together for San Francisco, though Jerick McKinnon was supposed 0:04:24.760 --> 0:04:26.800 to be the guy for them two years ago, and 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:28.599 he's had a series of injuries that he's had to 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:30.799 work through. Yeah, they paid him some pretty big money 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:34.040 to come over from Minnesota as a as a free 0:04:34.080 --> 0:04:36.560 agent and and to be a key guy in the 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.320 running game, but injuries have prevented him from really stepping 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:41.880 into the spotlight. Yeah, So Brita and most they became 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.320 sort of the one two combo, and then you add 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:46.480 Tevin Coleman into the mix, and and here you are 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:50.000 with three different backs that all present different challenges. That's 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:52.800 what stands out to me. It's really interesting though, because 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:55.240 it seems like out of the three, none of them 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:57.640 have really been playing their best ball at the same time. 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.599 Maybe one guy breaks out and then somebody else does, 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.920 but it's not like it's just been one continual circle 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:05.839 of guys just going in there and getting ten twenty 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:08.719 yards of pop. I mean, they they just kind of 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:11.200 wear you down. That's the way they approached this thing. 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:13.279 They felt like they need to make a big move 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:15.160 at the debt trading deadline. They went and got you know, 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:18.720 Emmanuel Sanders. I mean, you've seen Deebo Samuel step up 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.360 for them at receiver. George Kittle has missed a couple 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.680 of games here with knee and ankle injuries. But you know, 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.440 if this team is going to be as successful as 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.840 I think they feel they can be with the start 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.279 that they're off to and and you know the identity 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:34.880 they've established, it has to start on the ground and 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.560 from the Packers perspective, that's where you have to stop them. 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.040 You have to be able to do that. Now, that's 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:43.480 not an automatic keat to victory. Just ask the Arizona Cardinals. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:47.560 You also need to keep tabs on Garoppolo. But that's 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:49.760 what is the most dangerous about the fort They can 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.440 just beat you in so many different ways, and over 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:54.560 the course of season they've proven that and that is 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:56.560 ultimately what has gotten them to nine and one. Well, 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:59.120 you mentioned George Kittle, the tight end. He is the 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:01.840 leading received or on this team with I believe it's 0:06:01.839 --> 0:06:05.240 five forty one receiving yards and he is still the 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:07.880 leading receiver on this team, despite the fact that he 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:10.479 has missed the last two games. Now he's another guy 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.640 that we aren't sure what his injury status will be 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:16.240 come Sunday night. But when you look at this game 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:20.080 from a matchup standpoint, the two things that have, you know, 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:22.560 really bugged the Packers over the last four to six 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:25.560 weeks have been the running game and have been handling 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:29.039 big time tight ends. And uh, this is exactly what 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:33.080 the forty Niners build their offense on if they can 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.920 get George Kittle back. And that's taking nothing away from 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:39.760 um Raw. I believe it's Ross Dwelly. I was trying 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.120 to remember the first name. Um He's obviously stepped in 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:45.480 as the number two tight end in Kittle's absence, but 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.840 George Kittle is a premier player in this league. You've 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.400 been able to watch Kiddle much this year, only only 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:54.000 a little. So I've watched I've watched San Francisco quite 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.400 a bit because spoil alert checks notes he's on my 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.560 fantasy team. But here's here's the thing is that you 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:04.040 can't replicate him. Either he plays or he doesn't and Dwell, 0:07:04.120 --> 0:07:05.600 he's made a couple of catches here, he has a 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:08.599 couple of touchdowns. But kit will just add such a 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.800 different to mention to this game. And it's not even 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:12.120 the fact that I mean, as long as catch this 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.960 here's forty five yards. It's the way he moves the chains. 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:16.880 I mean, you want to look at a running game 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:19.280 that wins down in distance and then you've got a 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.400 guy like Kittle that can win third downs, third and manageables. 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:24.760 That's how they moved the football, That's how they've been 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.320 a difference maker. He didn't really set the world on 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:29.520 fire this year like he did last season when he 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:32.240 sort of was just their go to for their entire offense. Yeah, 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:34.480 his numbers were off the charts for a tight end, 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:37.560 completely ridiculous, credible. So it's come down to earth. But 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:39.520 it's funny when you have forty six catches for five 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:41.960 and forty one yards and two touchdowns and you've missed 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.280 two games and that's coming back down to earth in 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:46.600 Week twelve in the NFL. I mean, he's just he 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:49.320 is a difference maker. He is a monster. If he plays, 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:51.720 that is the number one focus. You have to shut 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.840 him down. You cannot let him get loose, especially with 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:56.680 some of these issues the Packers have had against tight 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.800 ends as of late. If he doesn't play, though I'm 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:02.080 not saying that's a position you can overlook dwell, he 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:04.880 could step up. There's different guys that could become targets 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:07.440 for Garoppolo in this offense, but there is no one 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:10.040 like George Kittle. And you can ask Robert Tyne and 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:12.120 he trained with them during the offseason. They're good friends, 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:15.600 they share an agent. This guy is just different. He 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.520 is arguably the best tight end in the game right now, 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.240 him and Travis Kelsey probably going back and forth for 0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:25.800 that distinction. And if he's out there, he's problems. Yeah, yeah, 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:29.480 And that's certainly an injury situation. We'll be watching all 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:31.640 week long and it could be one of those things 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:34.120 that we may not find out until ninety minutes before 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:37.599 kickoff whether he's suiting up or not. Because, uh, the 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:41.800 forty Niners, they understand how big this game is just 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:43.760 as much as the Packers do. When you have nine 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.360 and one versus eight and two going at it in 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.480 the NFC in Week twelve, and the forty Niners are 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:52.840 going to give all these injured guys as much opportunity 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.360 as possible to to get ready to take the field 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:57.319 Sunday night. Yeah, I mean this is one thing too. 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:00.079 They are so banged up right now, the four d 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:02.520 Niners are. And Kyle Shanahan, to his credit, he went 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:04.839 to the podium on Monday and he went through kind 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.000 of where they are with everything, and he admitted that 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:08.840 as we talked about, there's a guy coming back from 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:11.000 a concussion, one of their linebackers are open it back. 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.160 The rest of it is kind of up in the air. 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:17.400 Brita Kittle, Sanders working through the rib injury, even you know, 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:20.880 Deebo Samuel having a shoulder coming out of that game. Yeah, 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.320 Emmanuel Sanders had missed some time and then he was 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.560 back for the Arizona game. But it seems that his 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:30.160 his status is not entirely certain moving forward, even though 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:32.640 he came back and played last Sunday. Yeah, I'm actually 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:34.080 I'm gonna look that up. I'm kind of curious how 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:35.880 much he actually has played him in that game. Yeah, 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:38.920 he only played thirty six snaps, So they were very 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.839 smart with him. The hope was is that he's going 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:44.360 to be able to you know, take another step this week. 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.320 It didn't sound like there's any setbacks. And if you 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.560 follow the forty niners at all, Sanders has been a 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:51.720 great addition for them. They felt like they were a 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:54.520 veteran receiver away from really being able to fill that 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:57.320 offense out. And in his short time here, the three 0:09:57.320 --> 0:09:59.560 weeks or whatever it's been, he's been a big target 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.280 for Jimmy probably yeah, alright. Well, shifting gears to the 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:06.400 defensive side of the ball, the forty nine ers, their rankings, 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:09.760 their statistics just as impressive on the defensive side as 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:12.840 the offensive side. You don't get to eight no halfway 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:14.920 through a season and to nine and one after ten games. 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:18.240 About putting up some pretty good numbers this defense. The 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:22.920 biggest thing that sticks out to me the thirty nine 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:26.480 sacks that they have. They actually have a plus twenty 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:29.360 differential in sacks. They have thirty nine sacks as the defense, 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.840 they've only allowed nineteen on offense. That's a pretty big split. 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:37.160 This defense also has twenty two takeaways, which is third 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:40.840 in the league. Now, there turnover margin for the season 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:43.520 is only plus five and that's partly due to the 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:47.200 those interceptions of Garoppolos that you mentioned earlier, but twenty 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:51.199 two takeaways is number three in the league. This defense, 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:54.960 this defense gets after it west and the pass rush 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:58.560 in particular. Four different guys in the defensive front have 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.240 five or more sack in the season. You have Eric 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.640 Armstead with eight, Nick Bosa, the rookie number two overall 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:07.720 draft pick with seven, d Ford with six and a half. 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:15.040 Branson is a Brentson Buckner. Sorry, that's going back with yeah, sorry, 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:18.600 DeForest Buckner with five. Now Ford is a guy another 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.320 one of these guys on the injury list that they're 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:23.600 not sure, they're not sure what's going on there. But 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:27.440 still you've got you've got four guys on that defensive 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:29.720 front with five or more sacks on the year. You 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:32.040 can't just say, okay, well, we need to we need 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:34.520 to shut down Nick Bosa. It doesn't it doesn't work 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:36.800 that way with these guys. Yeah, And it's just incredible 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:40.240 to see how how they've rebuilt that defense. You know, 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.240 from the units that you and I remember from two 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:46.000 thousand eleven through and you know, there's so many talented 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.560 players and you had you had that group of Justin 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:53.760 Smith and Navarro, Bowman and and um Um the number 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.480 fifty two. Patrick Weller, the guy in the middle. I 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:58.920 was trying to remember I had some pretty good dbs 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:01.439 to go with the group. Slowly but surely, they've built 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.560 this thing back right and made you. Look at Jimmy Ward. 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:05.160 They drafted him a number of years ago out of 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:08.439 Northern Illinois. Fred Warner, who's leading them in tackles right now. 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:11.240 He was one of those auxiliary pieces when all the 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:14.080 Dominos fell from that trade that they made with the Bears. 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:17.160 They ended up with him on one of those extra trades. 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:20.760 But let's you know, Mike Spofford, let's be real here. 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.880 Nick Bosa is incredible, much like his brother. Someone asked 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.000 us an insider inbox this week, is there any other 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:29.640 team that's had to face both boases this here? Pittsburgh 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.600 actually had to do it. But it's not an easy task. 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:34.240 He's going to be a guy to keep an eye on. 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:36.679 I just I love so many things about it. Eric 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:39.520 Armstead as a really consistent player. You know, you go 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:41.520 back and look at this Mike a number of years ago, 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:43.720 Solomon Thomas, he was supposed to be like their big 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:46.800 pass rusher. He's a rotational guy. The third or overall 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:50.040 pick from two years ago, three years ago, they was 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:52.280 that was the guy that that was the guy they 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.480 took at number three when they gave up that pick 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:56.800 to the Bears. When the Bears took Trabisky at two, 0:12:57.200 --> 0:13:00.240 then they took they took the Stanford defensive I'm in 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:02.400 there at number three anyway, I digress, But yeah, I 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.680 mean Kwan, Alexander, Richard Sherman. They just they've drafted well, 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.320 they've signed well. D Ford was one of the biggest 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:11.240 acquisitions of the off season, and they've found a way 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.560 with Robert Sala, who goes back a long way with 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:17.680 Matt Lafleur, and they both were quality control assistants with 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:20.800 the Houston Texans to building this group up. Because Mike, 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:22.480 let's look at this for a second. You were talking 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.600 about the turnover differential. Here's a couple other numbers for 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:30.520 you here. Fourteen points per game difference as opposed to 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.840 their opponents. They're averaging fourteen points more game than their opponents, 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:37.640 a league best fifteen point five points per game, an 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.720 average difference per game, and total yardage of a hundred 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:43.800 and thirty three point six. They are second right now 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:46.439 in total yardage as far as the defense one hundred 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.000 and fifty three and they are the best in the 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:52.720 game right now against the past Mike a hundred and 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:58.199 forty two point five passing yards allowed this season incredible. Well, 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:02.120 when you look at this team was absolutely dominant through 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:04.800 the first seven eight games of the season, if you 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.400 want to look at some things are changing though, because 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.600 through the first eight, sorry, through the first seven games 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:16.280 of the season, this Forts defense gave up more than 0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:20.040 seventeen points only once in seven games. But in the 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:23.600 last three games they've given up twenty five points per game. 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:27.520 They've given up twenty five in a victory, twenty uh 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:31.280 seven in a loss in overtime, and then I'm sorry, 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:33.240 they've given up twenty six per game because it's gone 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:38.560 and twenty six. So and yes, there have been some 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.840 injuries involved Kwon Alexander, who you mentioned, a linebacker in 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:43.600 the middle of everything. He's out for the rest of 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:47.120 the year. He's been placed on injured reserve. So that's 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:49.440 been a big loss for them. They have and we 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:52.960 mentioned d Ford is banged up, so they're dealing with 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:56.920 some things and their statistics are starting to regress at 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.160 least a little bit towards the mean, because they're early 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:03.640 in the season. Nobody could even do anything against these guys. 0:15:03.760 --> 0:15:07.040 And now over the last three games, there have been 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.440 some you know, some chinks in the arm or so 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:11.240 to speak, and teams have been able to put up 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:15.160 twenty plus points and give them give themselves a chance. 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:19.360 And certainly the Arizona Cardinals had opportunities to beat them 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:22.280 twice and uh and the Seattle Seahawks pulled out that 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.280 overtime game. Well, this is where the real test is 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.520 gonna come for San Francisco, because, yeah, you do look 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:28.560 at the first half of the season, the Bengals still 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:31.280 have struggled to find themselves. Pittsburgh was working through some stuff. 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:33.960 The Browns offense was not a good place. The Rams 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:38.240 have been struggling. Washington's Washington Carolina had a backup quarterback. Well, 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:41.600 now you go and you face Cliff Kingsbury's offense and 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.960 what they do in Arizona. You see them twice in 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:46.440 three weeks Seattle, and you play the extra quarter in 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:49.480 that game. Now you got Green Bay. Now you have Baltimore, 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:51.400 the top ranked offense in the league. That you have 0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.760 New Orleans, whom I think is three an offense in 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:56.520 the league. They got some real challenges coming up, and 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:58.240 this is the beginning half of it. And I think, 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:01.920 you know, talking to this week and hearing Matt Lafleur speak, 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:04.120 they understand the challenge that is in front of them 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:06.040 and they embrace it. I think there's a part of 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:07.800 Matt Lafloor, with all the ties that he has to 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:10.600 both Shanahan and Sala, that he's eager to be able 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:12.440 to kind of match wits a little bit, because honestly, 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:15.000 who doesn't like playing chess with their friends every once 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:16.360 in a while, right, I mean, they want to be 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:20.480 able to have that challenge. This this battle though, it's 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:22.120 just incredible, and you and I are going to talk 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:24.240 about it all week long. But the implications of this, 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.400 what this is gonna mean, not only for green Bay. 0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:30.040 So much is put on green Bay right now, trying 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.400 to be in a tie for the league, for the 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:35.760 number one seed right now in the NFC, trying to 0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:39.320 maintain that advantage in the NFC North. But you've got 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:42.360 to look at it from San Francisco's perspective to their 0:16:42.480 --> 0:16:44.560 nine and one, and they still don't have that much 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.280 breathing room in their own division. I even laid out 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:49.680 the scenario that it's possible that they could be fourteen 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:51.640 and two and still end up being a wild card 0:16:51.640 --> 0:16:53.640 if they win out, but then they lose the Seattle again. 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.200 I mean, these are all the different, you know, mastinations 0:16:57.200 --> 0:17:00.600 of this playoff race that has to be taken into 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:02.880 account because while there are six or seven teams that 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:06.040 have kind of removed themselves from the pack, at this point, 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:10.160 those six and seven teams are so tightly knit together 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:13.119 that you know, the stake's going to be higher. And 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:15.600 that is why they're putting this thing on Sunday Night 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.200 football and you and I are flying in at five 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:19.560 in the morning on Monday morning. That's right, well, and 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:22.000 that you said it. The thing that is really interesting 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:24.880 about this matchup is it's not just eight and two 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:26.800 and nine and one, two of the teams that are 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:29.520 at the top of the NFC, but it's what's going 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:32.199 on in both of the divisions. Because the Niners are 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:34.560 nine and one, but the Seahawks are eight and two 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.280 right behind them, The Packers are eight in two, the 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:39.560 Vikings who are on there by this week, they're eight 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:43.640 and three right behind Green Bay. So and and then 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:45.879 it's not just these four teams involved, but you have 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:50.639 New Orleans there as well, and then you wonder, you wonder, Okay, 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:52.800 you know, are the Rams suddenly going to maybe make 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.880 a run because they get another shot at the Forts here? 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.919 And uh and who knows what else might happen in 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:03.000 that division. So it's really interesting all the things that 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.800 are going on and the impact that this game could 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:08.320 have on the bigger picture. But that being said, even 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:10.359 after this game, there's still five more weeks of the 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:13.399 regular season. As as these top teams are going to 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:15.320 go head to head a bunch, we would be remiss 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:17.480 if we didn't mention when we're talking about all these 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:20.520 injuries with the San Francisco forty Niners. Just to back 0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:24.040 up a second, their kicker, Robbie Gold has been injured 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:27.520 and their backup kicker whose name is escaping me at 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:33.760 the moment. He's the young rookie from he McLaughlin. He 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:36.719 he hit the big forty seven yard or whatever it 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:39.920 was to send the Seattle game that Monday night game 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:44.119 into overtime. But then he just completely duck hooked and 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.800 a winning opportunity in overtime that then gave the Seahawks 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:52.520 new life and Seattle ended up pulling that game out. 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:56.119 So another key injury there, because Robbie Gold, as we 0:18:56.160 --> 0:19:00.400 all know, veteran guy, extremely reliable, not quite sure actually, 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:04.359 uh where the forts are with McLoughlin and whether Robbie 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:06.200 Gold will be back this week or not. So that's 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:08.720 another injury situation to keep an eye. Yeah, and Gold 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:10.680 is having a weird year two man. I mean, after 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:12.879 all that conversation in the off season about if he 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:14.639 wanted to go back to San Francisco or not, or 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:16.560 if you want to get back to the Midwest. Well, 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:19.159 now he's suddenly thirteen of twenty on the year, and 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:21.800 that is coming after making thirty three of thirty four 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:24.159 last year and thirty forty one the year before that. 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:27.359