WEBVTT - #554 Packers Unscripted: Final rundown 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:14.560 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:18.079 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, joined as always 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:20.959 by my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz. Were coming to you 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:25.160 from our new and improved studio here at lambeau Field 0:00:25.320 --> 0:00:31.160 and West Packers Buccaneers Sunday PM Central Time kickoff. It 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:34.520 will be the national doubleheader game on Fox. The entire 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:37.080 country will get to watch this one, and it certainly 0:00:37.080 --> 0:00:39.240 wanted to look forward to. Not just because of Aaron 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:42.720 Rodgers against Tom Brady, though that's certainly a big enough reason. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.320 About the Packers four and oh, the Buccaneers are three 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:47.760 and two looking to avoid a two game losing streak. 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:50.240 This is one I think, even though it's so early 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:52.480 in the season, you just get the sense it could 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.680 have some playoff implications down the road. Yeah, you really 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.920 do believe that. And when you look at the way 0:00:57.960 --> 0:01:00.520 that these teams match up, like I said you earlier 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:02.400 this week, I think the one area where the Bucks 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:05.160 really need to clean things up is the penalties, the discipline. 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:10.039 But in terms of just you know, talent scheme defense, 0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:12.880 they're as good as anybody in the NFC right now, 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:15.800 and and being able to obviously build this offense now 0:01:15.840 --> 0:01:18.920 around Tom Brady has been the big key for them, 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:21.679 but they have a running back, they have playmakers at 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:25.560 tight end and receiver. Their defensive front is one of 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:27.520 the best in the league right now. Not only can 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.760 get pressure, can stop the run. And I think also 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:32.520 we'll have to see, you know how this injury report 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:36.119 shuffles out with Mike Evans and Leonard for NET. But overall, 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:37.880 I mean you look at the way that they're able 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:41.080 to win every single down. Uh, that presents a lot 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:42.600 of challenges and that was one of the big topics 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.000 that Matt Lafleur really discussed this week and his interactions 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:47.120 with the media. Yeah, well, before we get to our 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:49.120 keys to victory on both sides of the ball, a 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:52.360 little bit of sponsored business here. Serious x M NFL 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:56.640 Radio channel is the only radio outlet dedicated to the 0:01:56.720 --> 0:02:02.280 National Football League seven days a week and fifty five 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:05.800 Sorry about that or no, can't short change them on 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:09.680 that one. Well you mentioned it West. The penalties From 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:14.280 a statistical perspective, Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been flagged for 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:17.680 forty two penalties in five games. That's an average about 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:19.799 eight per game. The Packers, on the other hand, only 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:23.680 nineteen penalties in four games, only five per game. I 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:27.480 think the discipline, you know, is going to be a 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:30.440 big factor in this game. You don't if you're the Packers, 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:32.320 you don't want to get into the kind of game 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.520 that the Bears got into with the Buccaneers last Thursday, 0:02:35.520 --> 0:02:37.400 which is where the flags were kind of flying on 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:41.480 both sides and uh and ultimately ended up hurting the 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:44.760 Buccaneers more than Chicago. I don't think the Packers want 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:46.520 to get into that kind of game. If the Buccaneers 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:49.120 are gonna put themselves in tough down and distance or whatever, 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:52.000 don't help them out, don't do them any favors in 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:54.040 any other direction. Yeah, and you know, it's one of 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:56.000 those things too that you look at this mic and 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.000 in the way Green Bay has won to this point 0:02:58.040 --> 0:03:01.080 of the season. Yeah, you've had amazing performances out of 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:04.359 individual players. You've had big you know, stops defensively, big 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.040 plays defensively, and obviously Aaron Rodgers. But if you look 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:10.480 at it from a bigger level, where the areas that 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:14.080 they've kind of dominated their competition, time of possession with 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:17.400 what they've accomplished in that area, protecting the football and 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:20.200 being able to, you know, make sure that they're continuing 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.399 their drives and not relinquishing field position. And the other 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:26.160 thing is discipline. It's penalties. I mean that game against 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:30.480 Detroit green Bay that was a pretty thoroughly one victory. 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:32.480 But where was the turning point in that game? It 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.520 was some of the extracurricular stuff that the Lions started doing. 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.119 That green Bay was able to keep their heads about themselves, 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:39.800 and we'll be able to pull that out in the 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:42.320 second half. New Orleans. Now, there are a couple of 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:44.680 penalties there that I think the Saints probably would object to, 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:48.440 but they were flags nonetheless, and obviously going into the 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.200 Atlantic game too, so I think again, my biggest key 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.480 for this matchup is if the Packers play clean football, 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:55.480 if they don't put the ball on the ground, if 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:59.000 the defense isn't able to turn it over the Bucks defense, 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:01.480 and you keep the time of possession to feel position, 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.800 and also keeping yourselves in managuble down in distance. It's 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:08.000 a very not rudimentary way to win a football game, 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:10.120 but it's very meat potatoes. I think there's a solid 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:12.360 blueprint there for what green Bay needs to do well 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.520 on the offensive side of the ball. The Packers are 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.880 fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. The Tampa Bay 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:21.120 Buccaneers number one rush defense in the league. This is 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:24.360 going to be interesting because the Packers are fifth in 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.240 the NFL running the football, but the last two games 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.160 New Orleans and Atlanta, the Packers have not cracked a 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.480 hundred yards rushing in those games. That number five ranking 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:35.800 built more off of the first two games of the 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:39.480 season than the last two the Buccaneers. This was the 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:42.120 number one rushing defense in the league in twenty nineteen. 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.640 If I'm not mistaken. They've simply carried that over that 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:48.000 defensive front. Yes, missing Vita Vea now that he's out 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.320 for the season with a broken leg, but that defensive 0:04:51.320 --> 0:04:54.400 front is formidable. They've carried over what they've done from 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:58.800 twenty nineteen here into and with as much as I 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:00.839 think it could be a strugg for the Packers to 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.279 run the ball as far as the key to victory, 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:06.159 I kind of look at okay, if Davante Adams is 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:09.120 coming back and all signs are pointing to Adams getting 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.600 back on the field on Sunday, I think the Packers 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:14.640 Aaron Rodgers and Matt Lafleur. They need to get Davante 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.000 Adams into the flow of the game quickly. He's been 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.760 out for you know, two and a half games, plus 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.120 the bye week. It's been it's been a bit of 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.640 a break and you don't you don't want him to 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:27.800 to not feel comfortable out there as the game goes along. 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:30.120 You want him to get into it right away. Yeah, 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:31.800 and he's proven in the past two that he can 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:34.120 hit the ground running after missing some time and play 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:37.320 really well right off the bat. Full participant in practice 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:39.680 on Wednesday. All signs pointing up right now for him 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.560 coming back from that hamstring injury. But this does really 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:45.000 scream to me a Davante Adams type game because the 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:47.640 last two games, and really the last two and a half, 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:49.599 if you call out the second half against you know, 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:52.960 the Lions, it came down to defenses wanting to take 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:55.640 away Aaron Jones. So what were the counters to that. 0:05:55.680 --> 0:05:58.000 It was Alan Lazard stepping up, It was Robert Tony 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:00.520 and getting open. It was Jamal Williams coming a really 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:04.000 valuable threat as a receiver. Well, eventually you've got to 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.640 get back to your three time Pro Bowl receiver. He 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:09.760 seems like this is a tailor made matchup if the 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:12.640 Buccaneers really are trying to stop the run to win 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.880 Adams with winning his one on ones to get open downfield. 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.839 I'll also mention this too, though all credit in the 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.760 world the Tampa Bay very stout run defense, I don't 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:24.039 know if they've really seen a threat like what Green 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:26.720 Bay presents though in this matchup as well. I would 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:29.760 agree with that. Certainly. A week ago Thursday night against Chicago, 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:32.279 the Bears have almost no running game to speak O. Yeah, 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.560 and Austin Eichler the two weeks before that, I believe 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:37.680 gets injured. The matchup only has two carries and the 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.640 charges completely abort the run and you can go a 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:44.160 different direction. So, uh, the first quarter of this game 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:46.279 is just going to be thrilling to watch, just to 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:48.800 see what exactly the initial game plan is going to 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:50.960 be a Green Bay and how on the other side 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:53.280 of the field, Todd Bowls and the Buccaneers are gonna 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.680 try to attack it. Yeah. Well, and certainly when you're 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:59.760 facing a defense as formidable as this one with Tampa Bay, 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:02.800 I don't know if you can count on, you know, 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.880 having five or six cracks in the red zone like 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.960 the Packers have have had regularly here throughout the year. 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:11.880 So I think there's a premium on finishing drives too. 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.840 You're only gonna get so many shots against this defense 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:17.000 in the red zone to try to to try to 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.040 punch the ball in the end zone, and the Packers 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:21.040 have to finish those drives. We talked about the short 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:24.480 yardage situations and whatnot the other day. Whatever it takes, 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:27.760 you can't be settling for field goals, especially when Tom 0:07:27.760 --> 0:07:30.120 Brady's the quarterback on the other side. Yeah, and I 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:32.560 agree with that wholeheartedly. In the other aspect of it too, 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:35.600 There's gonna be six thousand, maybe more people there, and 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:37.960 there's probably a lot of rowdy Buccaneers fans that are 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.280 gonna be really excited for this matchup, So I think 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.120 there could be some Packer fans in there. We've heard 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:46.480 from a few and inside inbox who have tickets for 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:48.640 Sunday's games, so I think they are going to be 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:52.320 maybe some some Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Za, Darius Smith, 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:56.360 Jersey sprinkled throughout to Raymond James Stadium, and I'm sure 0:07:56.360 --> 0:07:58.560 that welcome that too. But like Davante Adams, said, it 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:01.240 really doesn't even matter, just he is excited to potentially 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.720 have some people to play in front of again, and 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:05.560 and just seeing the way that they manage that game, 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:07.800 the momentum of it. I've only covered one game at 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.840 Raymond James Stadium. It was that game in two thousand 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:12.800 and fourteen where for a minute there it looked like 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:14.680 Josh McCown wasn't going to be able to like really 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:18.000 complete a forward pass and the Packers one handedly. The 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.320 only downside of that is that's when the dreaded calf 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:23.480 injury flared up for Rogers. So you know, it is 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:26.280 a winnable game. It's a winnable matchup, but the Packers 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:28.160 have to stay on top of themselves. It was my 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:31.320 big thing I wrote an insider inbox this week. You know, 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:33.319 you got to four and oh, that's a great start 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:35.240 to the season. That puts you in pole position here 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.240 right now with Seattle in this NFC race for the 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:41.040 number one seed. But you have to continue that train. 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.480 You have to be able to push that momentum forward 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.440 because as we've seen too and if you let a 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.439 good start go to waste, then you let the rest 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:51.720 of the group kind of catch up to you again. Yeah, well, 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:54.000 we'll shift gears to the defensive side of the ball 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:56.280 in a moment. But gear up for game day, folks. 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.400 Open up Packers checking account from Associated Bank and score 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.720 a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. Learn more 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:07.199 at Associated bank dot com. Backslash Packers. All right, when 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:09.520 I look at this game on the defensive side of 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:12.120 the ball for the Packers, the first thing that jumps 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:14.440 out to me as a key to victory is to 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:18.760 tackle Ronald Jones. Because if you're Ronald Jones and you're 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:20.760 looking at the film of the Packers against the New 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.439 Orleans Saints and what Alvin Kamara was able to do 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:27.720 with breaking tackles, turning short gains into big ones, etcetera, etcetera, 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.400 Ronald Jones is like, all right, get me the ball. 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.000 Here we go, right. I mean that that's what he's thinking. 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:35.680 So the Packers have got to have have got to 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.080 turn that on its head and say, Okay, this is 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:40.240 a guy. I mean, we've we've seen Ronald Jones likes 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:43.600 to do spin moves. He's he's quick, he's tough to 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.160 bring down. The Packers have to be sound in there 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.000 tackling and not let this guy turn two and three 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:52.600 yard carries into first down carries that move the change. Yeah, 0:09:52.640 --> 0:09:54.439 this is the one thing where it's like, if Green 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:57.280 Bay could have just played right away the next week 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.520 we talked about is a bye wee can effect momentum 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:01.920 A run defense is probably the one area that I 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:04.240 think really could have probably benefited from just keep going 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:06.240 because they were coming off their best performance of the 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:09.760 season against Atlanta and just a reminder the next week, 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:11.679 Todd Gurley then went off for whatever it was, a 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:14.720 twenty rushing yards in the Falcons next game. I mean, 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:18.040 that was a good, solid performance. Tyler Lancaster played up 0:10:18.080 --> 0:10:21.200 played exceptional. You had Kingsley. Keiki has been able to 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.160 to shed blockers and regardless of whether he's pass rushing 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:26.760 or defending the run, has made some strides like you've 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.440 even seen montrevious Adams get more comfortable here as he 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:32.040 started to play a little bit more consistently. Oh and 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:34.600 by the way, now you potentially get Kenny Clark back 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.600 in the fold. So for with the exception of what 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.800 fourteen fifteen plays, this defense has had to go without 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:43.400 their Pro Bowl nose tackle through the first you know, 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:46.200 month of the season. So if you're able to get 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:48.040 him back on the field, and as I've been saying 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:49.920 all along, if Mike Petton can be a little bit 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:53.199 more uh not creative, but just unpredictable with how they're 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.480 exactly they want to use him and what scenarios he 0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:58.560 needs to be on the field for that. This really 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:01.080 does boil down to me like a game where as 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:03.480 good as Ronald Jones is and he's great, and if 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:05.480 love Leonard fer Nette is out there, we'll have to see. 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:08.920 But the Packers coming off of that performance against Atlanta 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.600 and getting back Kenny Clark, it's all set up for 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:13.480 them to really, you know, kind of change the narrative 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:15.280 with that group here after having kind of a slow 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:17.200 start to the season. Yeah. And the other thing I 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:19.000 look at on the defensive side of the ball, and 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.800 I talked about it in our previous show, is that 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:23.600 in this one, I think you got to get a 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:26.959 takeaway from Tom Brady in some way, shape or form. 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:30.360 The Packers defense only three takeaways in four games. We 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:33.880 talked about the Packers offense, no turnovers. You're taking care 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:36.920 of the taking care of the ball. On the offensive side, 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.760 you can get an interception or a strip sack type 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.600 of play on Tom Brady. I think that's the that's 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.240 the one type of play that could that could really 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:47.199 either set the tone if you do it early in 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:49.640 the game, or shift the momentum if it happens later 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:53.640 in the game like this the Zarius Smith forced forced 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:57.200 fumble on Taysom Hill in New Orleans. I think one 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:00.000 takeaway here from the Packers defense could go a really 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.959 long way on Sunday in this matchup. Yeah, and tracking 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:04.520 the rest of the week. I mean, as we show 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:06.760 as we talk right now, neither team has had their 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.840 padded practice, so we'll see exactly what this the forecast 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:12.040 is here for Mike Evans and what his availability is 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:13.680 going to be. Certainly it's a different game if he's 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:15.959 not on the field. O. J. Howard has had these 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:19.120 issues now too. But then you've got Rob Gronkowski who's 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:20.719 been off to kind of a slow start getting back 0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:22.760 into his NFL career. You don't want to make this 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.920 the week that Gronk goes off against you. So there's 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:28.599 so many different reasons and things that I think factorated this, 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:31.800 But for me, it's just comes down to what that 0:12:31.920 --> 0:12:34.680 quarterback is doing in the pocket. And if the Packers 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:37.000 are able to pressure Tom Brady a little bit, are 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:39.640 you able to not allow him to to see the 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:43.400 entire field? Is Darius Smith up in his business? That's 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:45.520 going to be a big, important, critical role to this 0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:48.120 because at some point in the game is good and 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.040 as solid as Ronald Jones is and that running game 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:53.120 is the game is going to be in you know, 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:56.320 tom Brady's hand. Where do the Packers how do they 0:12:56.360 --> 0:12:58.800 respond to that? Where are they in that play that? 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:00.640 That's gonna be a big thing to why. Yeah. On 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:04.120 the Packers hoping to get healthy On the defensive side 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.600 of the ball, Kevin King did not practice on Wednesday. 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:09.400 We'll see if there's any potential for him to return, 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:13.000 But Rashawn Gary back at practice for Green Bay. As 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.000 far as the pass rush goes on the offensive side 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:18.760 of the ball, Tyler Irvin as of this taping hasn't 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.760 practiced yet for Green Bay. So that's the injury situation 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:25.439 for the Packers, King and Irvin. Otherwise, everybody else so 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:29.240 far looks like they could be good to go on Sunday. Yeah, 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.160 and then you know, depending on what happens with Kevin, 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.640 that's where it might be Kadar Holman, could be Josh Jackson. 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:35.600 Somebody's gonna have to step up into that role in 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:37.840 that boundary corner spot because you just get the feeling 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:41.360 that they like Shannon Sullivan in that you know Nickel, 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:43.920 you know role. He can play perimeters, so he's not 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.400 out of that card either. But the way that Mike 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:48.480 Pettan has played this defense, he likes being able to 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:50.560 keep guys in certain spots, so that that would be 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:53.280 a big loss. And then also Tyler Irvin on returns 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:56.000 is the other thing to consider too. You have Sullivan 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:59.240 is the backup on kickoffs, Jackson is the backup on punts. 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:01.280 But then you know Areas Shepherd is obviously on the 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.320 fifty three man roster. Again, he handled those duties during 0:14:04.320 --> 0:14:07.400 the early part of last season. There's always gonna be questions. 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:09.560 They're seventeen weeks and you know it's a it's a 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:13.840 injury rate league. Um, so we'll have to see exactly 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.320 how that shuffles out. Yeah, well, before we go west, Um, 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:19.720 we'll take a quick look at some other games around 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:22.720 the NFC in Week six, and the first one that 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:26.000 jumps out to me is Chicago at Carolina the Bears 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.880 are four and one, They'll be coming off of you know, 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.120 the mini by after the Thursday night game, just like 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.440 the Buccaneers, so they'll be a little bit rested. A 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:36.640 lot of people wondering just where the Bears really are 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:38.960 at four and one, and with Folds at quarterback, and 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.800 where this is headed. Carolina a very quiet three and two, 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:45.480 tied for first place in the NFC South with the 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:48.760 Saints and the Buccaneers, who are also both three and two. 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:51.640 This is a really interesting one. I mean, hey, you know, 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:53.880 if you're talking about it under the radar team Teddy 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:58.520 Bridgewater and the Panthers Christian McCaffrey, these guys, that's a 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:00.960 tough division there. I know Atlanta is struggling, but the 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.640 Saints and the Bucks are are not to be trifled with. 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.840 And and Carolina can say, hey, if they knock off 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.800 the Bears, Carolina gets to four and two, sends a 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.200 whole sort of sets up a whole new picture for 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:14.560 the NFC South. Yeah yeah, and as Matt Rule kind 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:16.080 of tries to put his stamp on that team, it's 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:17.960 quite the way to start things out. Here's what I 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.560 love the most though. Okay, so lady on Bell is 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.360 a free agent now. And the big big scuttle buttons 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.520 who which which futured you know, Jets opponent? Is he 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:29.200 gonna end up signing with here or whatever. The thing 0:15:29.240 --> 0:15:32.240 that has completely flown absolutely under the radar this week 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:36.160 is Mike Davis facing the Chicago Bears. I mean, Mike 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:40.960 Davis has been terrific having to supplant and injured Christian McCaffrey. 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:43.640 You're absolutely right on Bridgewater. I've been the biggest Teddy 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:47.080 Bridgewater fan forever. I love the way he plays a position. 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.480 He looks confident again, he's standing tall in the pocket, 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:52.320 he's making plays. But here's Mike Davis who kind of 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:56.040 was left for dead last year. He's never really gotten 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:59.480 a full opportunity, and now he's making some place for 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:01.600 the Carolina Panthers. You want to talk about a guy 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:04.120 that probably has some fire in his belly going into 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.520 this game. I look at at Davis is a guy 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:08.400 that that could potentially be looking to break out. And 0:16:08.440 --> 0:16:10.600 it's a credit to him and also some of those 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:12.920 skill positions on the on the Panthers that they've been 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:15.640 able to wade through not having McCaffrey on the field. Yeah, 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:19.120 well another one here is well Atlanta is that Minnesota. Obviously, 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:23.840 the Falcons in the circle the Wagons mode with Raheem 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:27.080 Morris taking over as interim coach, will see, you know, 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:30.400 we'll see just what that does for the Falcons. The Vikings, 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:32.760 on the other hand, how do they bounce back from 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:35.600 that gut punch of a loss in Seattle, And not 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:38.920 just that one loss, but the Vikings here are looking 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.000 at their trying to avoid one in five. You know, 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:45.080 they need they absolutely have to win this game to 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:48.720 get to two and four or everybody's gonna absolutely right 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:51.240 Minnesota off if they get their fifth loss here by 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:54.640 mid October. Well, first and foremost, knock on wood that 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:57.280 this game gets played and everything turns out okay in Atlanta, 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:00.560 true enough, so sending positive vibes their way. Obviously they're 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:02.560 taking care of their business right now based off all 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:05.879 the reports. But this is an interesting game from Minnesota 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:10.160 because you just played your best effort, your best almost 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:15.359 four quarter game against Seattle and unfortunately you come up short. 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:18.240 How does that team respond Because as you and I know, 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:21.000 there aren't any glamour points in this league. You don't 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.520 get a nice little Asterix next to you for you know, 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:26.119 a job well done. You gotta win the game or 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.560 you don't. And unfortunately for the Vikings in that particular case, 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:31.679 they didn't do it. So now you're taking on an 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:34.480 Atlanta team that is really reeling, that is at the 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:37.200 bottom of the league. They made a coaching change, their 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:40.560 defenses and shambles. Right now, can you rise to the 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:43.639 occasion and do what you're supposed to do? I have 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.000 faith in Minnesota. I think they probably will if this 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.439 game gets you know, goes off without a hitch. But 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:50.760 it's a gut check because it's not always easy to 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:52.760 pull yourself back up by the bootstraps after you have 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.159 a you know, a really demoralizing loss like that that 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.840 goes right down to the wire. Yeah, And sometimes teams 0:17:57.880 --> 0:17:59.919 that lose their head coach, like the Falcon said that 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.280 first game, you know, there's there's there's a there's just 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:06.320 a different energy, there's a different attitude to everything. All 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:09.400 of the speculation over the head coaches future, that's all 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.240 taking care of the team is moving on, and it's 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:14.560 you know, sometimes those guys in the locker room and go, okay, 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:17.240 all right, you know what, what do we have to lose. 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:21.960 I mean absolutely the other one I want to talk 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:25.080 about quickly, um before we wrap this up here, though, 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:28.320 The Rams at San Francisco a very important game in 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:31.440 the NFC West because the Rams looking to get to 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.679 five and one, keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks in 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:37.600 their division and obviously with the Packers and Bears and 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:39.760 these other teams that have the top records in the 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:44.440 NFC right now. San Francisco forty Niners trying to avoid 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:48.239 getting their fourth loss this early in the season, and 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:52.960 they've had injury problems obviously Nick Bosa, Jimmy Garoppolo, and 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.720 the list is certainly longer than that. Eric Armstead as well. 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:59.119 This is a really really big game for San Francisco 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:01.680 to avoid loss number four, and it's a big game 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:04.080