WEBVTT - #565 Packers Unscripted: Big rival, big game 0:00:01.120 --> 0:00:15.320 Hi, everybody. Welcome to a Thanksgiving edition of Packers Unscripted 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:18.800 from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:22.200 the one and only W. W. Hodkowitz. We're coming to 0:00:22.239 --> 0:00:25.079 you here from our studios at lambeau Field, and certainly 0:00:25.120 --> 0:00:28.520 happy Thanksgiving to all of our viewers and listeners out there. 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.720 Happy Thanksgiving to you Weston. Yeah, Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Mike. 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:34.880 A lot to be thankful for this year. I wish 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.680 circumstances are a little bit different. I wish you and 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:40.600 I were it was the old days. You and I'm 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:45.279 at a metal you know, table together, no masks, just 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:48.879 frolicking around. But this is the world we live in. 0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:50.600 I'm happy to be here, happy to be healthy, and 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:54.560 happy for some Packers football this Sunday against Chicago Bears. Yeah. Well, 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:58.000 it will be Sunday Night Football primetime audience, the final 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.160 game of the big Thanksgiving weekend of all of the 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:06.320 football activity around the country lambou Field, seven pm Central 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:09.520 Time on Sunday night. And as we talked about on 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:12.680 our last show, There's Almo. You almost can't overstate the 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:17.040 importance of this game because while the Packers can try 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:19.199 to take a three game lead in the NFC North 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:22.000 with five to play. The Bears are looking at trying 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:25.720 to get within one game with five games to play, 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:29.320 and the dynamic of this division race is going to 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:33.880 completely change depending on the result of Sunday night's games. 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:37.039 So as we get into this here, where does the 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.880 path to victory start for the Green Bay Packers to 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:43.760 get to eight and three? I mean, honestly, Mike, it's 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:45.679 probably as simple as just trying to keep the Bears 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:48.880 off the scoreboard. Uh. This season, the Chicago Bears, it's 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:50.680 been a grind for them to put up points. And 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:53.520 during their four game losing straight now I mean ten 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:57.920 points three against the Saints, seventeen against the Titans, thirteen 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:00.720 against Minnesota. Now, credit to them, their defense has kept 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:03.280 them in a lot of these things, but they just 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:05.360 haven't been able to produce points to come up with 0:02:05.440 --> 0:02:08.720 victories in this season, only one game with more than thirty, 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.880 only two with more than twenty three. So for the 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.040 Green Bay Packers, I really do believe this is it's 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.160 as simple as it can be. It you put up points, 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:19.120 you score early, you established momentum. No, it's not an 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:22.680 easy defense to do that against but if you get production, 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.000 it's ultimately going to be something that I don't think 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:27.200 the Bears, with the way that they're situated right now, 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:30.600 especially as the temperatures begin to dip here, they're not 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:34.760 really built for a shootout. Yeah, that's definitely not the 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:36.560 type of game that the Bears want to get into, 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:38.919 and certainly it would behoof the Packers to get off 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:41.919 to a strong start and put that Bears defense, Bears offense, 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:46.280 excuse me, behind the eight ball, I think defensively for 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:48.960 the Packers. I think this whole thing starts, and I 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.840 hate to use cliches, but it all starts with stopping 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:54.480 the run. And I have my reasons for for using 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:58.760 that cliche. In this particular matchup. The Chicago Bears have 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:01.680 lost four straight game aimes. They've had a chance to 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:04.520 catch their breath on their bye week and reassess and 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:06.520 look at everything and figure out how they're going to 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:10.760 move forward offensively. Specifically, now, as you and I are 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:13.720 taping this, we did cheat a little bit, taped it 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:17.080 a little early, so we don't know at this particular 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.720 moment whether the Bears are going with Mitch Dubiski or 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:21.880 Nick Foles, or who is going to be the quarterback. 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.800 But I think regardless of who the quarterback is for 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:28.040 Chicago on Sunday night, the Bears are going to come 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:32.360 into lambeau Field with a fierce commitment to run the 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:35.480 football to help out that quarterback. And here's the things. 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.880 This was the statistic I got off of Actually the 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:42.920 Chicago Bears website, they're my counterpart. Their senior writer at 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:47.480 their website had his Tuesday afternoon chat. So I stalk 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:50.080 your Wednesday afternoon chat. You guys have a battle. Yeah, 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:52.360 we're we we bet we battle with our live chats 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.280 day after day. But I I stalked it a little 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:57.680 bit just to see what what Larry Meyer. Larry is 0:03:57.720 --> 0:04:00.000 a great guy. I talked to him at the Combine, 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.120 you know, on an annual basis, and and see him 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:06.320 when we are traveling. But he he had a statistic 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.400 that really struck me. West and here it is. The 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:12.320 first three games of the season, the Chicago Bears averaged 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:14.880 a hundred and thirty eight rushing yards per game and 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:18.760 they were three and oh. Since then, the Bears have 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:21.920 averaged fifty two rushing yards per game and they are 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:25.280 two and five now looking at the aggregate totals. That 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.440 means in the first three games, the Bears rushed for 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:31.000 over four hundred yards, and in their last seven games 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.480 they haven't even hit the four hundred yard mark on 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:37.440 the ground. I think if the Bears are looking to 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.720 reset and reassess and figure out how to get this 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:44.119 offense going, it goes back to being committed to running 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:45.480 the ball. And I don't I don't know if it's 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:48.880 going to be Cordurell Patterson, if David Montgomery will be healthy, 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:52.600 if it's going to be the wide receivers taking handoffs, 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.839 whatever the case might be. But I think the Packers 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.840 have to be ready for the Bears to be strongly 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:00.880 committed to the run and this game, and that's where 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:02.960 it starts for the Packers. Yeah, and the right now, 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:05.039 I mean, there's still a whole week to play out here, 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:07.640 but it does look promising for Montgomery to potential to 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:09.520 be back for this game. That's sort of the reports 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:11.760 coming out of Chicago right now. But to get to 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:14.600 your previous point, that's been the big issue. It's not 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:16.800 that there's a difference between not having a running game 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:19.719 and not having a running back, and that's where the 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:23.000 Bears have been here since basically, well one, they lost 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:25.039 Cohen right away at the beginning of the season. That 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:26.880 was a big blow to their offense, and then not 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.640 having Montgomery due to this concussion. As you said, Cordorill 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.599 Patterson is handling a lot of the handoffs now, and 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.880 as fast as he is. It's a different game when 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.080 you're in the backfield and there's all those bodies as 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:40.159 opposed to when you're in the open field and you 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:43.159 can create we'll talk about keys to victory here. He's 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:46.360 certainly among them, but he's just not a natural running back, 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:48.680 although if you go back, he did hurt the Packers 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:50.560 a little bit during his time out of the backfield 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:54.599 in New England. So David Montgomery here, as you and 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:56.160 I have said for basically the last two and a 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:58.400 half years, this is the guy that they need to 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:01.560 lean on. He needs to be the man. They made 0:06:01.640 --> 0:06:05.440 so many decisions, including last year with Mike Davis cutting 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:09.240 him midseason, to commit to Montgomery. If he's back on 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.760 the field, this game changes a lot because, as you 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.520 pointed out with those statistics, it hasn't even been a 0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:16.919 situation where they can't run the ball. They just haven't 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.640 really even seemed to have it in their d n 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:22.240 A offensively without him on the field, still a lot 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:24.960 of weapons to worry about, regardless of who the quarterback is. 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:29.400 Allen Robinson is one of the most underrated receivers in 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:32.080 the National Football League. He can hurt you. I think 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.840 Cole Clement has had some big moments this year. He 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:38.360 can hurt you. But that backfield, if Montgomery's back there, 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:40.960 that's where my eyes are at for. Find Mike mc 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.200 patton and this Packers defensive line. Yeah, and the Packers 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.799 on on the run defense side of things. We've just seen. 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.040 We've seen so much up and down with it. The 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:53.080 first half against Jacksonville, James Robinson looks like he's running wild. 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:55.760 Then the second half against Jacksonville, the Packers clamped down. 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:59.400 Robinson doesn't get a whole lot. Jonathan Taylor doesn't get 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:01.440 much at all the first half for the Colts this 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:03.880 past Sunday. Then in the second half, the Colts run 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:06.200 game gets cranked up and and the Packers are on 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:08.760 their heels and suddenly can't stop the run again. It's 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.960 it's been this up and down, this up and down thing, 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:14.480 and you know the Bears. The Bears are looking at 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:16.800 that film. They they're going they're going to try to 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:19.280 figure out a way to get this ground game going 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.760 and the and the Packers need to get some some 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:26.120 measure of steadiness and consistency with their run defense. Because 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:28.520 whoever the quarterback is for Chicago, I think it's probably 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:30.560 going to be True Whisky, but we'll just have to 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:33.680 see for sure. Whoever the quarterback is for Chicago, the 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:36.800 Packers have to put the game in that person's hands. 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:38.200 And if it is True Whisky, you have to be 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.560 aware of the scrambling and the running around and whatnot 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:44.840 more so than anybody else. But that's that's who the Packer. 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:47.240 The Packers have to turn the Bears offense over to 0:07:47.240 --> 0:07:50.280 the quarterback and not let that running game control the tempo. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.400 You know, we always talked about in the past, you know, 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:56.560 Aaron not Aaron Rodgers, but Brett Farve, if he would 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.080 have just come a little bit earlier to Green Bay 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.080 and if Sterling shar but it just lasted a little 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.560 bit longer, you know what that could have been like together. 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:08.320 Matt Nage never was able to cross paths with Matt Forte, 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.520 but my goodness, what a combo that would have been 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:13.160 when you think about the style of offense that Naggie 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:14.960 wants to run, and there have been needed to be 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:18.000 a lot of concessions for to kind of tailored to 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.000 the personnel in Chicago. But that's really the back that's 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:24.320 been missing from this team since he left five years ago. 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:26.960 Uh and and just the guy that can be a 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.360 he can be a bell cow, he can run between 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:33.120 the tackles, he can catch. I think Montgomery has a 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:37.160 lot of those trades, but he just doesn't seem to 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.320 have that final one where it's like, this is a 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:41.280 guy that you can just ride playing and play out 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.040 or he's still a young developing player who has had 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:47.400 some injury issues and hasn't hasn't really established that consistent 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:50.400 presence yet. He may get there, but he's not there yet. Yeah. 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.400 It's just it's I I because I was incredibly high 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:53.840 and I remember saying that to you. I'm like, when 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:55.439 they had to trade all those picks to get klil 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:58.080 Mac that draft I was I would have been totally 0:08:58.080 --> 0:09:00.360 fine if David Montgomery was my first pick the third 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:03.679 round that year. But for you know, whatever reasons, injuries, 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.920 offensive structure, it hasn't happened yet, and the Packers have 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:08.960 to make sure on Sunday that it doesn't happen if 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:11.280 he is on the field. Yeah, alright, Well, before we 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:14.240 switch to the offensive side of the ball for green Bay, 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.240 here serious x M NFL radio channel is the only 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:21.360 radio outlet dedicated to the National Football League seven days 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:24.520 a week, three hundred sixty five days a year. And 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:27.000 Packers fans be sure to gear up for game day. 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:30.439 Open a Packers checking account from Associated Bank and score 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.480 a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. Learn more 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:37.520 Associated bank dot com backslash Packers. All right, on the 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:39.640 offensive side of the ball here for Green Bay, this 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:42.400 is this to me is the is the interesting statistic 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:44.840 going into it West. We know the Bears defense is good. 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:47.199 They don't give up a lot of points. Their first 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:49.760 in the league in third down defense. Packers are fourth 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:52.360 in the league and third down offense. That's an interesting 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:55.559 matchup here. But here's the thing. The Chicago Bears are 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:58.920 four in the league against the run. They're actually giving 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:02.120 up a hundred and fifth teen rushing yards per game, 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:04.719 which is slightly which about a yard per game more 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:07.360 than Green Bay. The Packers are actually ranked thirteenth against 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.080 the run for all of their ups and downs in 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:12.760 in that phase of things. I think the Packers, Matt 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.880 Lafleur in this offense needs to have a certain commitment 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:19.000 to the run here against the Chicago Bears defense, whether 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.440 it's Aaron Jones or Jamal Williams or whoever you want 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:25.839 to to to feature more. Packers have got to get 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:28.560 the ground game back. It's much like the Bears. The 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:30.600 Packers have to get their ground game back to where 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:33.760 it was in September in terms of the production for 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.720 this offense to uh to really be at at at 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:39.560 full steam and full strength for four quarters. And I 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.040 think the Packers will look to do that on Sunday night. Yeah, 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.080 And I think even if you listen to Matt Lafleur 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.160 coming out of that game and even sort of the 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:49.400 the tone of his voice here the last week or so, 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:51.440 they want to be more committed to the run. When 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:54.960 they were really offensively pushing the tempo earlier this season, 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.319 it was because they were running the ball well, specifically 0:10:57.320 --> 0:11:00.520 with Aaron Jones. So the question here is going to 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:05.320 be finding the tempo right because to some extent, I 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:09.720 understand why they didn't run the ball more. Against Indianapolis, 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:12.360 they opened in a five receiver set. It was a 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.800 great call. They got one on one looks for Davante Adams. 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.960 But as we saw going back to the Mike McCarthy era, 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:23.280 that's a great aggressive mindset to have. But if that's 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:26.079 an incompletion, you're looking at second and ten, and then 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:28.160 you're looking at third and long. If you aren't able 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:31.760 to find either another pass or break a run, that's 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:33.960 where you start to play from behind a little bit. 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:36.520 I thought one of the things Green they did exceptionally 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:38.719 well during their four game winning streak to start the year, 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:41.080 was that there was such a good balance. But all 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.160 those past concepts sort of were predicated on what they 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:47.280 were establishing with the run. They've been up against it. 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.600 Aaron Jones has been hurt. Tyler Irvin now is dealing 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:52.680 with a second injury. He had the risk now he 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.640 has a rib injury. They've had to really make all 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.880 these modifications. But I just go back to that tried 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:02.040 and true stat Mike. It's not fun. It's not some 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:06.080 like great PFF for sabor metric thing, But if you 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:08.520 look at the history here when Aaron Jones touches the 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.280 ball twenty or more times in a game, it turns 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:13.480 out pretty good for Green Bay and they just haven't 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.800 been able to get in that vicinity as of late. Yeah, 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.080 and I was looking up some numbers and I actually 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:22.679 uh wrote about that in the Wednesday Insider Inbox edition. 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:27.120 Aaron Jones only had fourteen touches against the Indianapolis Colts. 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.120 So you wonder, like, why aren't the Packers giving them 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:32.319 ball more? Well, the Packers only ran fifty seven offensive 0:12:32.360 --> 0:12:34.880 plays in the game. The two three and ounce in 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:38.760 the third quarter and combined with you know, the Colts 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:40.560 with the long drives and then you have the fumble 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:42.760 on the kickoffs so you lose a possession. There the 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:45.440 number of opportunities the package try to run on those 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:48.319 two three, Yeah, and and they did, they did exactly, 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.360 But overall, the number of opportunities are down. When we've 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.560 seen Aaron Jones getting the twenty plus touches per game, 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:58.120 the Packers are running, you know, well north of sixty 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:01.120 offensive plays total, They're up at six sixty eight, you know, 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.200 maybe even seventy plays. I think the first game of 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:06.280 the season against Minnesota, green Bay ran like seventy five 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:09.120 offensive plays. I mean, just think the difference between seventy 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:12.640 five plays in Week one and fifty seven plays last week. 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:14.920 It's a huge difference over the course of the game. 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:18.680 So it's it's all of it's all of that. It's 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:22.160 it's about getting it's about getting the offense, you know, 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:26.480 in in that consistent move the chain's mode to get 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.800 Aaron Jones all those opportunities that you'd like him to get, 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:31.680 because you do want Aaron Jones to touch the ball 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:34.400 more than fourteen times in a game. Everybody would admit that, 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:38.240 you know exactly. And again it's one of these deals 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:40.760 where you just have to figure out exactly what's working 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:42.840 for you. I thought last week, even though green Bay 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:46.760 did come up short, Okay, that's the reintegration of al 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.800 Lazard in the offense. That's having Robert Tonyan and you know, 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.440 your main playmakers. I even made the comment during the 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:56.040 game that you know, after a game in which against 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:59.080 the Jacksonville that they were swinging in Jowan Winfrey from 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:01.880 the practice squad. He played a half dozen plays. It 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:05.120 was more your standard four top four receivers. In this 0:14:05.160 --> 0:14:10.240 game with Lizard Adams mvs. Obviously, and then e q 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:14.600 st Brown getting the twenty three yards screen. The biggest 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:17.280 question I have going into the month of December here is, Okay, 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:20.280 you've you've gotten this far. You've got Aaron Jones healthy, 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.080 Jamal Williams is doing fine. What does this look like? 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:26.120 What does the Matt Lafleur offense look like as you 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:29.040 move into the month of December. How much running are 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:31.200 we going to see? What are the allocations of snaps 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.600 going to look like? We always used to joke about 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:35.880 I personally, did you know Mike McCarthy had always have 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.400 this list of Okay, well we gotta get Eddie Lacey, 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.600 this mini carries, and James starts, this mini carries, and 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:42.800 Christian Michael this mini carries. I remember even seeing it 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.600 on the board. It never worked out that way, but 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:48.400 Mike had what he was aiming for, just seeing what 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:51.480 the preparation is and how that gets affected throughout the 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.480 course of the game. That I think that starts on Sunday. 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.560 I think you're facing a team that, yes, you said 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:58.760 they are giving up yards on the run, but I 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:00.480 think their tenth in the in the league when it 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:02.760 comes to average yards per carry. They hold up their 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:04.680 end of the bargain, but they're there to be had. 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:06.320 I think it's a great test for green Man. I 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.720 think it's something they need to do look at, specifically 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.640 as a running the game to be able to bounce 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:13.120 back after what some of the things that came upshot 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.760 against Indianapolis. Yeah, and not that we need to belabor 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:18.320 the belabor the point on third down because third down 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:20.400 is always important. But as I said, the Bears are 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.240 first in the league and third down defense percentage wise. 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:25.440 The Packers are fourth in the league and third down 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:28.720 offense percentage wise. They're going to be some critical, critical 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.480 third downs in this game on Sunday Night that that 0:15:31.520 --> 0:15:34.040 will factor in. I want to just get your thoughts 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.520 on some other games on Sunday, since we get to 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:40.480 watch the bulk of the Sunday slate before the Packers 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.160 will kick off in the evening. Your thoughts on on 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:47.440 Carolina going to Minnesota. And I bring this up because 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.760 Carolina is a team the Packers will be playing in December. 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.240 That game has now been slated for Saturday night on 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:58.000 December nineteenth at lambeau Field. But if you ever if 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.960 you ever want an example of the NFL being a 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.360 week to week league. As we talk about. Two weeks ago, 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:07.320 the Carolina Panthers gave up forty six points to the 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:11.280 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Seven days later, they shut out the 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:15.600 Detroit Lions and one to zero. I don't know if 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:18.480 I've ever seen that from forty six points allowed to 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:23.680 zero from week to week. But my point is Carolina, 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:25.640 you don't really know what you're gonna get. And now 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:29.240 Minnesota is they're they're hanging by a thread here in 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:31.880 the NFC North because of that lost to the Dallas Cowboys. 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:33.920 That's just I gotta I have to comment on this. 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:36.760 That Panthers Lions game is the most bizarre thing I've 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.120 ever seen. It wasn't that crazy. With all due respect 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:41.720 to him. P J Walker from the XFL was starting 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:45.680 for the Panthers a quarterback. They don't have Teddy Bridgewater. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.200 I don't know what bridgewater status is for this week yet. 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.120 I do know it's kind of up in the area 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:54.440 yet with Christian because he's on my fantasy team and 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:57.840 it's currently killing me. But Minnesota, I think there's a 0:16:57.880 --> 0:16:59.920 stat out there's something like the last five games they 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:02.680 only allowed one rushing touchdown, so regardless of whether or 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.800 not McCaffrey's on the field. Uh, this Vikings defense is 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.600 playing much better. But both of these teams are sitting 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:12.680 at four wins going into the month of December. One 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:14.480 of them for sure is not going to have more 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:17.240 than that as they march into that that month. So 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:19.800 this is sort of last call if you want to 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:21.800 make a playoff run here, if the Vikings want to 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:25.640 show that they're for real. It's so tough to win three, 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:27.600 four or five games a role in this league. You're 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:29.520 gonna have a let up at some point. Unfortunate for 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:33.439 Minnesota it happened against the Cowboys at home. But you 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:35.080 can have a chance to get one back against the 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:38.600 Panthers or you're gonna be looking really far up now 0:17:38.600 --> 0:17:40.600 at this NFC North as you march into those last 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.880 four games. Yeah, no question about it. Um. Another interesting 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:46.840 one in the a f C. We saw the Colts 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:51.120 take on the Tennessee Titans on the Thursday night before 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.320 the Colts then took on the Packers. Well, now the 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:58.000 Tennessee Indianapolis rematches here already, these two teams playing each 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:01.520 other twice in a span of three weeks. The Colts 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:05.240 get the Titans at home. Both teams are tied with 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.399 the best record in the a f C South, um 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:11.000 so first place in in that division is on the line, 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:13.520 and both of these teams coming off of big wins, 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:16.280 both overtime wins. As a matter of fact, because the 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:19.600 Tennessee Titans beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime on a 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.879 Derrick Henry touchdown run. Just curious your thoughts on what 0:18:22.920 --> 0:18:24.639 we're gonna see here in the a f C South 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.480 with these two heavyweights going at it. Well, I understand 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:29.359 as difficult as it was for the Packers to lose 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:31.480 that game, the real thing you have to understand from 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.640 the Colts perspective is they're heading into a meat grinder 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:35.560 here at the end of this season. Now again they 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:37.439 have to face the Tennessee Titans. They were able to 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:39.119 turn them back. Can you do it for the second 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:41.280 time in three weeks? You get them at home? But 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:43.600 after that you're taking out a Las Vegas Raiders team 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:45.880 that has really surprised a lot of people. They still 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:49.119 have a game in Pittsburgh coming up, and for whatever 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:51.960 reason with how this a f C got scheduled out 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.320 this year, uh, they face the Texans twice in three 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:58.160 weeks as well. So it's a bizarre schedule that they 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:02.280 have lined up extremely a f C self heavy. But 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:05.920 in terms of Tennessee, yeah, it's a competitive final stretch here. 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:09.000 You're gonna have Green Bay. You do have a Cleveland 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.880 team that's off to a pretty good start playing competitive football. 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.280 But you have to show that you're still the team 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.800 that everybody thought you were when they think everyone sort 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:18.360 of pegged them just to be able to turn back 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.000 the Colts two weeks ago and it didn't happen. So, uh, 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.440 seeing if they can not only Okay, they ran the 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:26.280 ball exceptionally well against some fifty four yards whatever they 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:29.040 finished with, but they couldn't throw with a darn Can 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:31.080 you get the passing game going? That's ultimately I think 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:32.920