WEBVTT - #904 Packers Unscripted: Almost here

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<v Speaker 1>Hi everybody, welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers.com.

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<v Speaker 1>I am Mike Spofford. He is my partner in everything Packers.

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<v Speaker 1>Wes Hodkiewicz, we're coming to you here from the Pottawatomie

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<v Speaker 1>Sportsbook studio inside the walls of Lambeau Field. Wes, on

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<v Speaker 1>our last show we did a rather extensive preview of

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<v Speaker 1>the Minnesota Vikings and what they will be bringing into

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<v Speaker 1>this week one matchup. Sunday at US Bank Stadium. So

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to start this episode by just diving right

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<v Speaker 1>into it. It's keys to victory time. What is it

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<v Speaker 1>going to take? There are a lot of things that

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<v Speaker 1>the Packers need to do well to win this game.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a big challenge on the road, division opponent, season opener,

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<v Speaker 1>all of that. What rises to the top of the

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<v Speaker 1>list for you as a key to victory?

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<v Speaker 2>15 years covering the Green Bay Packers, 20 years as

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<v Speaker 2>a professional journalist in some shape or form. I'm going

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<v Speaker 2>to give you the most obvious answer in the history

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<v Speaker 2>of the NFL. You have to keep a lid on

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<v Speaker 2>that passing game. The Minnesota Vikings, when you look at

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<v Speaker 2>the way that they're built right now, there is nothing

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<v Speaker 2>that Kyler Murray wants more. There's nothing that Kevin O'Connell

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<v Speaker 2>wants more than to be able to get Justin Jefferson

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<v Speaker 2>and Jordan Addison going right off the bat. I think

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<v Speaker 2>it would set the tone for the entire season. There's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of good points you raised in many of

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<v Speaker 2>our discussions this week. They ended last season on a

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<v Speaker 2>major high note with five straight wins. But it is

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<v Speaker 2>a new year. And if you're the Green Bay Packers,

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<v Speaker 2>I look at the Vikings right now and very similar

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<v Speaker 2>lens as what the Detroit Lions were four years ago,

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<v Speaker 2>whatever that was when they finished nine and eight. They

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<v Speaker 2>got a very competitive win over Green Bay to end

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<v Speaker 2>that season to knock the Packers out of playoffs contention.

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<v Speaker 2>The Minnesota Vikings, they want to be the spoiler here

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit. but they need their receivers to do it.

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<v Speaker 2>And I felt like the air was let out of

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<v Speaker 2>the balloon last year when the Vikings realized the ceiling

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<v Speaker 2>that was going to be on top of that passing game.

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<v Speaker 2>Justin Jefferson having two touchdowns that season, 12.5 yards per catch,

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<v Speaker 2>just not the type of dynamic numbers you're expecting from him. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>Kyler Murray, he's not going to come in there and

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<v Speaker 2>I think light this thing up the same way Sam

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<v Speaker 2>Darnold did. I think there's going to be a lot

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<v Speaker 2>more components to this thing. But you know O'Connell, the

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<v Speaker 2>way that these guys are thinking right now, they want

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<v Speaker 2>to get the ball in the hands of Jefferson and Addison.

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<v Speaker 2>And for the Vikings, win, lose, or draw, I feel

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<v Speaker 2>like that is going to be the fuel that gets

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<v Speaker 2>this engine running this season.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, this game feels like a battle of the explosive plays, right?

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<v Speaker 1>Because we haven't seen Kyler Murray running Kevin O'Connell's offense.

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<v Speaker 1>But yeah, when you talk about Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison,

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<v Speaker 1>TJ Hawkinson, And you look at Kyler Murray's history in Arizona,

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<v Speaker 1>he's never going to be mistaken as a ball control quarterback.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, this is a guy who wants to strike,

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<v Speaker 1>wants to hit you downfield. And the Packers are very

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<v Speaker 1>much the same way. And you know how this is

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<v Speaker 1>in these indoor, like, loud stadiums. And I want to

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<v Speaker 1>get more into that noise issue in a little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>But these games have a way of of getting a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit chaotic and a little bit almost too intense

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<v Speaker 1>at times, whether you're sitting there watching it, whether you're

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<v Speaker 1>playing it, whether you're standing on the sidelines trying to

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<v Speaker 1>call plays. And it feels like one of these games

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<v Speaker 1>that could devolve into big gashes down the field both

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<v Speaker 1>ways and which team is going to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>limit the opponent from doing that better. So what you

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<v Speaker 1>said right off the bat to keep a lid on

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<v Speaker 1>the passing game, I think the Minnesota Vikings are saying

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<v Speaker 1>exactly the same thing about the Packers.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, totally. And I mean, you go back to the

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<v Speaker 2>very beginning with Christian Watson. I mean, what was the

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<v Speaker 2>first pass that Aaron Rodgers threw to Watson back in 2022?

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<v Speaker 2>They went for the goal ball right off the bat.

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<v Speaker 2>Watson beat his guy. He didn't make the play, but

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<v Speaker 2>it just showed you that that potential was there for

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<v Speaker 2>this Packers offense. And with a guy like Watson, you

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<v Speaker 2>add in now the Jaden Reeds and the Matthew Goldens

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<v Speaker 2>of the world. Oh, and then by the way, there's

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<v Speaker 2>Tucker Kraft hungry for his first game back out there,

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<v Speaker 2>his action. not on the injury report at all this week.

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<v Speaker 2>He talked about not having a rep count, being full go.

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<v Speaker 2>This guy has been champing at the bit for the

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<v Speaker 2>last 10 months to get back on the field, and

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<v Speaker 2>now he has an opportunity to do it in front

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<v Speaker 2>of a lot of family and friends that are going

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<v Speaker 2>to be there. So I think you and I, in

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<v Speaker 2>some shape or form, going back to the offseason program,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it was with the Packers yearbook, whether it was

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<v Speaker 2>our content on Packers.com, we have talked about all these

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<v Speaker 2>weapons the Packers have assembled specifically on the perimeter. They

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<v Speaker 2>narrowed it down. They got their big three. They've built

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<v Speaker 2>the offense around Watson, Reed, and obviously trying to get

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<v Speaker 2>Matthew Golden more opportunities. Well, now we're going to get

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<v Speaker 2>a chance to see it. And for Minnesota, the high risk,

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<v Speaker 2>high reward kind of makeup of Brian Flores' defense, that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be put to the test because they're going

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<v Speaker 2>to be trying to get that clock as close to

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<v Speaker 2>zero as possible for Jordan Love in the pocket. But

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<v Speaker 2>the more you send, the more you kind of throw

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<v Speaker 2>your chips on the table there, the more there are

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<v Speaker 2>those opportunities for a potential explosive play if the right

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<v Speaker 2>guy isn't covered up at the right time. So that

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be the ultimate chess match in this.

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<v Speaker 2>And for the Packers, I actually think the thing that's

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<v Speaker 2>also sort of the subcategory of this game is it's

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<v Speaker 2>almost like the past and the danger and the risk

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<v Speaker 2>of the past, how that can potentially also set up

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<v Speaker 2>the run for both teams, right? If we're seeing more

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<v Speaker 2>to shell, how do the teams adapt to that? It's just,

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<v Speaker 2>this is the beauty of football. We can talk about it.

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<v Speaker 2>There's all the narratives you and I have filled so

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<v Speaker 2>many column inches over the last eight months discussing what

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<v Speaker 2>the 2026 season is going to look like for the

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<v Speaker 2>Packers on Sunday. We start to find out.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, absolutely. The, And as much as I just talked

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<v Speaker 1>about all the explosive plays and everything and how that's

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<v Speaker 1>going to play such a big role in this game,

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<v Speaker 1>it feels like from the Packers' perspective, when you're the

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<v Speaker 1>road team coming into this environment, Brian Flores, his defense

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<v Speaker 1>with all the crazy exotic looks and everything that he's

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<v Speaker 1>going to give Jordan Love to decipher at the line

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<v Speaker 1>of scrimmage and all that, finding some measure of balance

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<v Speaker 1>on offense to try as best you can. And it's

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<v Speaker 1>hard because Brian Flores never plays honestly, so to speak, right?

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<v Speaker 1>He gets crazy up there. But you have to try

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<v Speaker 1>to get that defense to play you honestly. And the

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<v Speaker 1>way you do that is by not being just completely one-dimensional,

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<v Speaker 1>not giving them a read exactly on where you are.

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<v Speaker 1>And the Packers aren't going to have Josh Jacobs. This

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<v Speaker 1>is Marshawn Lloyd's time to step in. It's going to

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<v Speaker 1>be a little bit of a committee approach because Marshawn

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<v Speaker 1>Lloyd is not going to get 25 carries in his

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<v Speaker 1>first game, his first real NFL game as a starter

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<v Speaker 1>in three years in this league. But the Packers have

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<v Speaker 1>to find some way to create offensive balance and to

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<v Speaker 1>keep Brian Flores from getting too crazy to where he

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<v Speaker 1>can just overwhelm and confuse the pass protection unit. And

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<v Speaker 1>he's going to have that crowd noise on his side.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, one of the most critical things I think happened

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<v Speaker 2>during the preseason that we saw and the times that

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<v Speaker 2>the number one offense was out there is the fact

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<v Speaker 2>that Marshawn Lloyd, he was not inhibited at all. They

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<v Speaker 2>left him out there for the entire series. Now, how

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<v Speaker 2>many of those series are you going to get throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the course of the game? We'll wait and see. But

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<v Speaker 2>it's not like the Packers felt like, OK, well, on

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<v Speaker 2>first and second down, we got him out there. Third down,

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<v Speaker 2>we got to get Chris Brooks in. They didn't play

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<v Speaker 2>it like that. And they had their starting quarterback back

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<v Speaker 2>there that he needed to protect. the Packers feel confident

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<v Speaker 2>about everything that Marshawn Lloyd can be as a football player.

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<v Speaker 2>It's the other stuff around that that has been the

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<v Speaker 2>cause for pause, right? So now that we're actually at

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<v Speaker 2>that point, that inflection point, as the confidence starts to

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<v Speaker 2>build with him, as he starts to get those reps

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<v Speaker 2>underneath his belt, reminding us all that this is only

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<v Speaker 2>his second regular season official NFL game on Sunday, that's

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<v Speaker 2>where I think you're going to see number 32 really

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<v Speaker 2>take off. But talking to guys in the locker room too,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, Caleb Johnson, the quarterback, the running back that

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<v Speaker 2>the Packers just acquired from Pittsburgh, the former third-round pick

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<v Speaker 2>and All-American at Iowa, he said he feels really confident, too,

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<v Speaker 2>with where he's at with this first weekend and was

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<v Speaker 2>quick to remind us all, and certainly it's never something

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<v Speaker 2>that I have to be reminded of, but Ben Sermons

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<v Speaker 2>has been through this before. He's done this for 10

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<v Speaker 2>years in terms of onboarding a running back on short notice,

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<v Speaker 2>so To your point, whether it's Lloyd, whether it's Brooks,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it is a guy like Caleb Johnson getting some opportunities,

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<v Speaker 2>whoever is back there in the backfield, the Packers have

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<v Speaker 2>confidence in it. The key is going to be the

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<v Speaker 2>production that you're able to get, right? They need to

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<v Speaker 2>do a better job. There needs to be less contact

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<v Speaker 2>before the line of scrimmage. That falls on the offensive line.

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<v Speaker 2>That falls on the tight ends. It falls into everybody

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<v Speaker 2>in that equation. If you give your running backs a

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<v Speaker 2>chance to make some room and make some plays and

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<v Speaker 2>That's where I feel like the breaking point really can

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<v Speaker 2>come for this Minnesota defense.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. And on the other side of things, when I

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<v Speaker 1>think about what the Packers need to do defensively, everybody's

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<v Speaker 1>going to say, oh, well, you got to shut down

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<v Speaker 1>Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison. It's like, okay, you're not going

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<v Speaker 1>to shut those guys down. They're going to make plays.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the NFL. These guys are among the best

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<v Speaker 1>in the business. My perspective on it is when it

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<v Speaker 1>comes to trying to limit the explosive plays, are you

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<v Speaker 1>going to make Kyler Murray throw from the pocket or

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<v Speaker 1>are you going to let him run around and create

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<v Speaker 1>his own throwing lanes and try to gash you that way?

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<v Speaker 1>Because if Kyler Murray is hemmed in in a pocket

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<v Speaker 1>with those, you know, the six foot six Anthony Campbells

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<v Speaker 1>of the world putting up their hands and trying to,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, disrupt those passing lanes for him, life gets

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<v Speaker 1>difficult for a quarterback of his stature. But of course

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<v Speaker 1>his game is to create his own throwing lanes by

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<v Speaker 1>stepping up, by getting outside. This is one of those

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<v Speaker 1>games where the last statistic I'm going to look at

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<v Speaker 1>when we get our statistical packet after the game. the

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<v Speaker 1>last one I'm going to look at is how many

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<v Speaker 1>times did the Packers sack Kyler Murray? Because I think

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<v Speaker 1>it's going to be completely irrelevant in this game. It's

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<v Speaker 1>not about sacking him. What the Packers need to do

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<v Speaker 1>as best they can is to make him throw the

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<v Speaker 1>ball from the pocket. And if Kyler Murray can beat

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<v Speaker 1>you from the pocket with Addison and Jefferson and Hawkinson

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<v Speaker 1>and those guys, I'll tip my cap to him. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think Kyler Murray will be able to beat the

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<v Speaker 1>Packers from the pocket if they can keep him there. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>And that's been the recipe for success, right? That's how

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<v Speaker 2>they've done it twice before against him. It's kind of funny.

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<v Speaker 2>This is only the third time that he's going to

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<v Speaker 2>be playing the Packers. A litany of injuries kind of

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<v Speaker 2>contributed to him not always being out there when those

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<v Speaker 2>two teams have met. But When you look at his numbers,

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<v Speaker 2>quickly just going back on it, he's completed almost 68%

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<v Speaker 2>of his passes against Green Bay, but in those two

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<v Speaker 2>games only threw for 488 yards, one touchdown against two interceptions,

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<v Speaker 2>and then more importantly, 13 carries for 35 yards, 2.7

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<v Speaker 2>yards per attempt. That's what you want to see because

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<v Speaker 2>the higher that that gets, the more opportunities there's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be for explosive plays in the passing game. To

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<v Speaker 2>your original point, I think this is such a good

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<v Speaker 2>thing because, and it's such a great thing to point

0:11:08.110 --> 0:11:10.780
<v Speaker 2>out with this matchup, This will probably be the first

0:11:10.820 --> 0:11:13.540
<v Speaker 2>time that Brandon Cisse, almost like Christian Watson back in 22,

0:11:13.540 --> 0:11:16.420
<v Speaker 2>is going to be thrown right into the fire. He's

0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:17.939
<v Speaker 2>going to know what it's like to be out there

0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:20.420
<v Speaker 2>in that environment playing against that type of opponent and

0:11:20.460 --> 0:11:24.160
<v Speaker 2>seeing this type of quality receiver. Certainly, I think he

0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.479
<v Speaker 2>had a pretty good introduction into the NFL based on

0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.470
<v Speaker 2>what he saw throughout the spring and the summer here

0:11:29.490 --> 0:11:32.910
<v Speaker 2>on Green Bay, but Jefferson's different. And Addison, when he's right,

0:11:33.130 --> 0:11:36.630
<v Speaker 2>is different. So him, Keyshawn Nixon, the guys on the

0:11:36.670 --> 0:11:37.970
<v Speaker 2>back end, they're all going to have a part to

0:11:38.010 --> 0:11:41.390
<v Speaker 2>play in this. And certainly, you know, Jonathan Gannon, we

0:11:41.410 --> 0:11:44.890
<v Speaker 2>were talking to Xavier McKinney on Wednesday. You know, he

0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.960
<v Speaker 2>knows Kyler Murray extremely well, and there's been some pointers

0:11:48.020 --> 0:11:50.080
<v Speaker 2>and some examples and things that he's already given to

0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:52.660
<v Speaker 2>his defenders as far as how to go about defending him.

0:11:53.260 --> 0:11:54.760
<v Speaker 2>None of that's going to leak out into the media.

0:11:54.780 --> 0:11:56.490
<v Speaker 2>Xavier said they're not going to give away that plan,

0:11:56.570 --> 0:11:59.390
<v Speaker 2>but there is a familiarity there and the Packers have

0:11:59.410 --> 0:12:00.310
<v Speaker 2>to use that to their advantage.

0:12:00.580 --> 0:12:03.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and the other thing, the last thing I think

0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:04.780
<v Speaker 1>I want to say about this game, I mentioned it

0:12:04.860 --> 0:12:06.820
<v Speaker 1>on our last show. I talked about it in our

0:12:06.860 --> 0:12:11.220
<v Speaker 1>Three Things video after practice on Wednesday. I think the

0:12:11.340 --> 0:12:13.660
<v Speaker 1>X factor in this game is the building. It's U.S.

0:12:13.710 --> 0:12:17.850
<v Speaker 1>Bank Stadium because any time you go on your first

0:12:18.010 --> 0:12:20.970
<v Speaker 1>road game of any season is always a big challenge

0:12:21.070 --> 0:12:25.370
<v Speaker 1>because you've just spent a whole month of training camp practices.

0:12:25.690 --> 0:12:27.670
<v Speaker 1>How many times do you use the silent count in

0:12:27.710 --> 0:12:30.449
<v Speaker 1>a training camp practice? You don't, right? You don't get

0:12:30.510 --> 0:12:33.429
<v Speaker 1>to that until the last week or two before the

0:12:34.860 --> 0:12:39.699
<v Speaker 1>first game. And in many cases, if you're opening the

0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.179
<v Speaker 1>season at home, you're not practicing silent count until week

0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:46.080
<v Speaker 1>two or week three. So that's a big challenge in itself.

0:12:46.140 --> 0:12:48.920
<v Speaker 1>I already mentioned Brian Flores and all of his crazy

0:12:48.980 --> 0:12:51.220
<v Speaker 1>looks and what he tries to do to confuse the

0:12:51.900 --> 0:12:54.770
<v Speaker 1>protection unit as far as who's blitzing and who's not.

0:12:55.170 --> 0:12:56.890
<v Speaker 1>And the Packers have to be on their P's and

0:12:56.929 --> 0:13:01.850
<v Speaker 1>Q's with the assignment, as well as with the snap count,

0:13:01.890 --> 0:13:04.990
<v Speaker 1>the silent count. All that stuff creates this big challenge.

0:13:05.630 --> 0:13:08.699
<v Speaker 1>And on top of that, I think this is going

0:13:08.740 --> 0:13:11.500
<v Speaker 1>to be a Minnesota fan base coming into this building

0:13:12.059 --> 0:13:17.990
<v Speaker 1>on Sunday with a sense of renewed hope. Because They

0:13:18.030 --> 0:13:21.290
<v Speaker 1>went through an awful season last year at the quarterback

0:13:21.309 --> 0:13:24.830
<v Speaker 1>position with JJ McCarthy and everybody's trying to wait for

0:13:24.870 --> 0:13:26.950
<v Speaker 1>him to figure it out and to get things going

0:13:27.030 --> 0:13:30.569
<v Speaker 1>on the right track. And it never happened. And now

0:13:30.809 --> 0:13:34.690
<v Speaker 1>there's a new quarterback stepping in who is, who gets

0:13:34.730 --> 0:13:38.010
<v Speaker 1>a clean slate from the Minnesota fans, you know, just

0:13:38.130 --> 0:13:41.240
<v Speaker 1>as Sam Darnold had a clean slate from the Minnesota

0:13:41.260 --> 0:13:42.520
<v Speaker 1>fans a couple of years ago.

0:13:42.660 --> 0:13:42.900
<v Speaker 2>Right.

0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:45.920
<v Speaker 1>And then we saw what he did in Kevin O'Connell's offense.

0:13:46.550 --> 0:13:50.200
<v Speaker 1>This Minnesota crowd is going to be fired up big

0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:54.520
<v Speaker 1>time for their rivals from across the border coming into

0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:57.020
<v Speaker 1>their building in week one to kick off the new season,

0:13:57.300 --> 0:14:00.160
<v Speaker 1>and it's an environment the Packers have to be ready for,

0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.140
<v Speaker 1>and they have to be able to manage it properly.

0:14:02.179 --> 0:14:05.500
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was a lot better when there weren't 65,000

0:14:05.500 --> 0:14:07.640
<v Speaker 2>people and their shouting and screaming and all that when

0:14:07.660 --> 0:14:11.400
<v Speaker 2>Aaron Rodgers first tested it many years ago. But all

0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:16.050
<v Speaker 2>these things added up. When you look at how... You know,

0:14:16.070 --> 0:14:18.530
<v Speaker 2>you go back two years ago, the Packers fell into

0:14:18.570 --> 0:14:21.260
<v Speaker 2>a hole against Minnesota, weren't able to climb out of it,

0:14:21.310 --> 0:14:23.140
<v Speaker 2>tried to in the fourth quarter, but once that fan

0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.300
<v Speaker 2>base was invigorated, once they were going, it becomes a

0:14:26.340 --> 0:14:29.180
<v Speaker 2>self-fulfilling prophecy. Even last year, I understand that the Green

0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:30.700
<v Speaker 2>Bay had all their reserves out there, and it was

0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.140
<v Speaker 2>just a very select few starters going, but you look

0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.390
<v Speaker 2>at how things went for Clayton Tuna, that offense, when

0:14:35.410 --> 0:14:37.750
<v Speaker 2>things started to spiral in that first quarter, how the

0:14:37.810 --> 0:14:41.250
<v Speaker 2>fans inside U.S. Bank Stadium responded to that it just

0:14:41.290 --> 0:14:44.790
<v Speaker 2>kept unraveling and unraveling and unraveling. So, um, certainly it'll

0:14:44.810 --> 0:14:47.590
<v Speaker 2>be a much different ball game than it was, um,

0:14:47.930 --> 0:14:50.710
<v Speaker 2>last season, but I mean, it's the same type of

0:14:50.750 --> 0:14:53.170
<v Speaker 2>principles that'll be in play for Green Bay. So I

0:14:53.190 --> 0:14:55.270
<v Speaker 2>think the thing that's really cool about it, uh, we've

0:14:55.290 --> 0:14:58.000
<v Speaker 2>all spilled a lot of ink talking about Jordan Love,

0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:02.280
<v Speaker 2>his development, where he's taken this thing, uh, cool common collected,

0:15:02.580 --> 0:15:05.280
<v Speaker 2>his ability to handle these types of situations, It's going

0:15:05.300 --> 0:15:07.120
<v Speaker 2>to be put to the test, not only with his

0:15:07.180 --> 0:15:08.820
<v Speaker 2>own play style, but with how he rallies the guys

0:15:08.860 --> 0:15:10.300
<v Speaker 2>around him, some of the dudes that haven't been in

0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:14.970
<v Speaker 2>that position before. So it's exciting and as, as difficult

0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:17.250
<v Speaker 2>as it can be in as much of a mismatch

0:15:17.260 --> 0:15:19.410
<v Speaker 2>or mix up, whatever you want to call it in

0:15:19.450 --> 0:15:22.730
<v Speaker 2>terms of a week one divisional matchup right off the bat.

0:15:23.790 --> 0:15:25.930
<v Speaker 2>I think there are some really cool storylines to follow

0:15:25.970 --> 0:15:28.310
<v Speaker 2>within it too. And seeing how Green Bay starts this

0:15:28.350 --> 0:15:30.950
<v Speaker 2>thing in a pretty critical game against one of their

0:15:30.990 --> 0:15:31.830
<v Speaker 2>NFC North rivals.

0:15:32.630 --> 0:15:36.790
<v Speaker 1>Okay. most annoying noise at us bank stadium the skull

0:15:36.830 --> 0:15:40.750
<v Speaker 1>chant the horn the led zeppelin song or the prince

0:15:40.810 --> 0:15:42.550
<v Speaker 1>let's go crazy when they score.

0:15:42.790 --> 0:15:44.910
<v Speaker 2>I think it's the horn for me okay i the

0:15:45.010 --> 0:15:48.130
<v Speaker 2>the i've always said this um it's the synthesize it

0:15:48.170 --> 0:15:49.369
<v Speaker 2>was kind of like when we were used to be

0:15:49.410 --> 0:15:52.030
<v Speaker 2>at lumen field right or it's like okay the horn's

0:15:52.070 --> 0:15:53.590
<v Speaker 2>really loud but it also helps when you have all

0:15:53.610 --> 0:15:56.770
<v Speaker 2>these speakers here also blaring the horn for sure um

0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.240
<v Speaker 2>you know teams have music i mean you go but

0:15:59.500 --> 0:16:01.260
<v Speaker 2>you look at all these college programs they all got

0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:04.450
<v Speaker 2>their own little gimmicks right the badgers do So that's

0:16:04.470 --> 0:16:06.970
<v Speaker 2>all good. And I do love, generally speaking, I really

0:16:07.010 --> 0:16:09.490
<v Speaker 2>do like the game presentation that the Vikings have. Gets

0:16:09.510 --> 0:16:13.380
<v Speaker 2>people into it. They've used that facility to its maximum potential.

0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:17.620
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, I think the Skoll thing I respect because

0:16:17.660 --> 0:16:19.700
<v Speaker 2>it's like, dude, it's not easy to get an entire

0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:22.960
<v Speaker 2>fan base doing one singular thing. I mean, I'm trying

0:16:22.980 --> 0:16:25.020
<v Speaker 2>to get the Packers fan base to stop doing the wave.

0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:30.410
<v Speaker 2>And either way, it's not working out very well. But

0:16:30.450 --> 0:16:31.610
<v Speaker 2>to have the Vikings fans.

0:16:33.690 --> 0:16:35.990
<v Speaker 2>Um, you know, be so, I mean, that started as

0:16:36.030 --> 0:16:37.710
<v Speaker 2>kind of a gimmicky thing and then they all, they

0:16:37.730 --> 0:16:40.060
<v Speaker 2>absorbed it and they've made it their own and I

0:16:40.100 --> 0:16:42.060
<v Speaker 2>respect it. It's just when you start to bring in

0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:44.060
<v Speaker 2>all the other elements that it's kind of like, okay,

0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:46.600
<v Speaker 2>well it's cool in theory, but how much of this

0:16:46.660 --> 0:16:49.070
<v Speaker 2>is actually being boosted by the atmosphere in some of

0:16:49.090 --> 0:16:50.150
<v Speaker 2>the technical things.

0:16:50.330 --> 0:16:52.110
<v Speaker 1>I always feel like for all the times I've been there,

0:16:52.150 --> 0:16:54.930
<v Speaker 1>and this goes back to the Metrodome as well, to me, what,

0:16:55.340 --> 0:16:59.000
<v Speaker 1>what really juices up the fans is the Led Zeppelin song,

0:16:59.060 --> 0:17:00.820
<v Speaker 1>the fire and ice. I don't even know what the

0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:03.480
<v Speaker 1>name of the actual song is, but it's something about

0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:09.200
<v Speaker 1>something about, you know, the Viking, you know, Norseman, whatever.

0:17:09.609 --> 0:17:10.570
<v Speaker 2>Um, all right.

0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:12.330
<v Speaker 1>Wes is, Wes is going to look up the name

0:17:12.350 --> 0:17:15.770
<v Speaker 1>of the song. I think that music is what, is

0:17:15.830 --> 0:17:17.320
<v Speaker 1>what really fires them up.

0:17:17.390 --> 0:17:19.310
<v Speaker 2>I guess it's called the immigrant song.

0:17:19.369 --> 0:17:21.830
<v Speaker 1>There you go. Is that it? Yes. That's that. Sure.

0:17:21.869 --> 0:17:23.590
<v Speaker 2>I'm right on that. Um, yeah. Yeah.

0:17:23.869 --> 0:17:26.730
<v Speaker 1>But it's, they, the lyrics talk about land of the

0:17:26.830 --> 0:17:28.930
<v Speaker 1>ice and snow and all of this. And that's the.

0:17:29.130 --> 0:17:30.399
<v Speaker 2>What year do you think that was released?

0:17:30.940 --> 0:17:33.260
<v Speaker 1>It had to be in like the seventies, right?

0:17:33.260 --> 0:17:33.560
<v Speaker 2>1970.

0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:33.740
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:35.700
<v Speaker 2>Okay. Off Led Zeppelin three.

0:17:36.780 --> 0:17:38.160
<v Speaker 1>Led Zeppelin three. There you go.

0:17:38.500 --> 0:17:39.910
<v Speaker 2>You probably, did you own that as a kid?

0:17:39.990 --> 0:17:42.649
<v Speaker 1>No, I did not own that. I did not own that.

0:17:43.190 --> 0:17:45.750
<v Speaker 1>But I think, I think that's the, I think that's the,

0:17:45.950 --> 0:17:49.859
<v Speaker 1>the audio element that really like you know, juices up

0:17:49.900 --> 0:17:52.100
<v Speaker 1>the fan base and gets them going, especially at the

0:17:52.140 --> 0:17:54.340
<v Speaker 1>very beginning of the game, you know, the first third

0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.940
<v Speaker 1>down for the opposing offense, you know, that kind of stuff.

0:17:56.980 --> 0:17:59.260
<v Speaker 1>And then when they get their offense going and then

0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:01.379
<v Speaker 1>you get the Prince music with the, let's go crazy

0:18:01.420 --> 0:18:04.220
<v Speaker 1>when they score and all that. I mean, it's, if

0:18:04.260 --> 0:18:07.000
<v Speaker 1>you let, if you let the Vikings take control of

0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:10.659
<v Speaker 1>the game, that stuff is, that stuff is constant. It just, it,

0:18:10.810 --> 0:18:13.270
<v Speaker 1>it will last all four quarters and it'll drive you

0:18:13.390 --> 0:18:16.340
<v Speaker 1>absolutely nuts in and Drives, drives me nuts. And I've

0:18:16.380 --> 0:18:18.100
<v Speaker 1>never had to try to play a football game there.

0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:19.639
<v Speaker 1>I'm only trying to do my job. Yeah.

0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:21.460
<v Speaker 2>That's the nice thing about having an open air press box.

0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:24.420
<v Speaker 1>And it was open air at the Metronome too.

0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:29.139
<v Speaker 2>It is interesting. Two, two stadiums, both in the NFC

0:18:29.180 --> 0:18:30.940
<v Speaker 2>North that are open air and two of the louder

0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:33.460
<v Speaker 2>ones too with Detroit, especially now that they've been more relevant.

0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:36.440
<v Speaker 2>Be curious if Chicago ends up going that direction. And

0:18:36.460 --> 0:18:38.440
<v Speaker 2>then you and I are just, our heads are ringing.

0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:40.100
<v Speaker 2>three times a year. Yeah.

0:18:40.140 --> 0:18:43.760
<v Speaker 1>Detroit, Detroit, it's the, it's the gongs on third down, right?

0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:46.340
<v Speaker 1>As soon as, as soon as, I mean, by almost

0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:48.960
<v Speaker 1>before the guy gets tackled on second down, they start

0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:51.919
<v Speaker 1>the gongs for third down, you know, when, when the

0:18:51.980 --> 0:18:54.900
<v Speaker 1>opposing team has the ball. And then if it gets

0:18:54.940 --> 0:18:57.460
<v Speaker 1>to fourth down, they just keep the gongs going and

0:18:57.609 --> 0:18:58.290
<v Speaker 1>they don't stop.

0:18:58.410 --> 0:18:59.129
<v Speaker 2>Big gong guys.

0:18:59.390 --> 0:19:03.209
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. But we'll get to that when, when Ford Field is,

0:19:03.330 --> 0:19:05.410
<v Speaker 1>is on the agenda. But for now we do need

0:19:05.430 --> 0:19:07.010
<v Speaker 1>to pay some bills. So let's hear a quick word

0:19:07.030 --> 0:19:12.119
<v Speaker 1>from our sponsors. Sirius XM NFL Radio delivers hard-hitting analysis

0:19:12.180 --> 0:19:19.119
<v Speaker 1>and up-to-the-minute NFL news that true football fanatics need 24-7, 365.

0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.159
<v Speaker 1>Did you know Lambeau Field is just one of our

0:19:21.240 --> 0:19:25.929
<v Speaker 1>state's many wonders? Start making unforgettable memories on your next vacation.

0:19:26.350 --> 0:19:32.530
<v Speaker 1>Discover Grandad Bluff and more at TravelWisconsin.com slash wonders. Welcome

0:19:32.550 --> 0:19:37.959
<v Speaker 1>back to Packers Unscripted. Wes, week one. Your thoughts on

0:19:38.260 --> 0:19:41.420
<v Speaker 1>the kickoff opener Wednesday night in Seattle? Not the type

0:19:41.460 --> 0:19:45.630
<v Speaker 1>of game anybody was expecting, obviously, when the defending Super

0:19:45.670 --> 0:19:49.630
<v Speaker 1>Bowl champion starting quarterback exits in the first quarter, but.

0:19:51.150 --> 0:19:53.580
<v Speaker 1>A huge missed opportunity by the New England Patriots.

0:19:53.619 --> 0:19:57.060
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So I'll get back to Darnold in a second,

0:19:57.100 --> 0:19:59.000
<v Speaker 2>but I honestly, I was thinking about this when I

0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:00.840
<v Speaker 2>was going to bed. I had it on the second

0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:02.740
<v Speaker 2>screen last night. I had like two different things on

0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:04.139
<v Speaker 2>the back of my screen while I was working on

0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.320
<v Speaker 2>some stories. And As I was hearing stuff and then

0:20:07.340 --> 0:20:09.600
<v Speaker 2>kind of peeling my head back, I kept thinking, especially

0:20:09.660 --> 0:20:11.460
<v Speaker 2>once the Rome play happened at the end, I'm like,

0:20:12.300 --> 0:20:14.960
<v Speaker 2>I don't know. For as much as Darnold potentially having

0:20:14.980 --> 0:20:18.010
<v Speaker 2>a massive hip injury could be a problem, I don't

0:20:18.050 --> 0:20:19.570
<v Speaker 2>know if that night could have went any worse for

0:20:19.590 --> 0:20:22.970
<v Speaker 2>the Patriots. When you look now at these statistics, everybody's

0:20:22.990 --> 0:20:25.830
<v Speaker 2>bringing up about Drake May now 0-12 against winning teams

0:20:26.530 --> 0:20:31.410
<v Speaker 2>in his time there. A.J. Brown is reportedly high ankle sprain.

0:20:32.369 --> 0:20:34.170
<v Speaker 2>See how long that takes them out of commission here.

0:20:34.630 --> 0:20:37.030
<v Speaker 2>And then obviously Rome, no catches, and then has a

0:20:37.030 --> 0:20:39.430
<v Speaker 2>very rough drop there at the end.

0:20:40.340 --> 0:20:41.990
<v Speaker 1>With the interception right after that.

0:20:42.020 --> 0:20:42.699
<v Speaker 2>With the interception right after.

0:20:42.740 --> 0:20:45.119
<v Speaker 1>They would have had a first down in opposing territory

0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:47.120
<v Speaker 1>with a chance to add points, and then the very

0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:50.120
<v Speaker 1>next play is an interception, and Seattle's going the other

0:20:50.160 --> 0:20:51.359
<v Speaker 1>way to get points of their own.

0:20:51.420 --> 0:20:55.840
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so as far as to lose a Super Bowl

0:20:56.300 --> 0:20:58.600
<v Speaker 2>and then have to start the season that way.

0:20:58.740 --> 0:20:59.700
<v Speaker 1>Against that opponent.

0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:00.880
<v Speaker 2>That's a tough draw indeed.

0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:01.980
<v Speaker 1>Place.

0:21:02.140 --> 0:21:04.100
<v Speaker 2>That was about as rough as it gets. Now, I

0:21:04.140 --> 0:21:06.760
<v Speaker 2>think everybody with the Seahawks, they wait with bated breath here.

0:21:06.780 --> 0:21:09.380
<v Speaker 2>I know, I think Mike McDonald was saying that they think,

0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:11.979
<v Speaker 2>you know, they're hopeful for good news here with Darnold,

0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:14.199
<v Speaker 2>but you just, until that MRI comes back, you can

0:21:14.220 --> 0:21:14.920
<v Speaker 2>never be too certain.

0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:17.440
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they need to do the MRI. The initial word

0:21:17.550 --> 0:21:20.350
<v Speaker 1>is that they don't believe it's a fracture in the hip,

0:21:20.470 --> 0:21:23.290
<v Speaker 1>but whatever else may be going on there, we'll, we'll

0:21:23.330 --> 0:21:26.410
<v Speaker 1>have to see. But that, I mean, the, you know, Seattle,

0:21:26.570 --> 0:21:30.630
<v Speaker 1>Seattle's defense stepped up, made things difficult. For the Patriots

0:21:30.690 --> 0:21:33.369
<v Speaker 1>and Seattle's defense is what sees the momentum of the

0:21:33.390 --> 0:21:36.170
<v Speaker 1>game and the backup quarterback was able to make it

0:21:36.230 --> 0:21:38.800
<v Speaker 1>work and get just enough points on the board to

0:21:39.040 --> 0:21:39.859
<v Speaker 1>chalk up the victory.

0:21:39.890 --> 0:21:41.430
<v Speaker 2>This is why we talk about it, Mike. We spent

0:21:41.450 --> 0:21:44.440
<v Speaker 2>this whole training camp talking about Tyrod Taylor and last year, obviously,

0:21:44.480 --> 0:21:46.320
<v Speaker 2>with Malik Willis, why you want to have a veteran there.

0:21:46.440 --> 0:21:48.440
<v Speaker 2>Drew Locke has been there for years now, I think

0:21:48.480 --> 0:21:50.340
<v Speaker 2>over two different stints. I mean, this guy has been

0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:52.659
<v Speaker 2>a part of this program. He goes in there. He

0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:55.100
<v Speaker 2>did exactly what he needed to do to win that game.

0:21:55.140 --> 0:21:57.399
<v Speaker 2>He put Jackson Smith and Jigba in a position to

0:21:57.440 --> 0:21:59.930
<v Speaker 2>win that game for them and That's what you want

0:22:00.090 --> 0:22:01.109
<v Speaker 2>out of QB2. Yeah.

0:22:01.869 --> 0:22:06.250
<v Speaker 1>Well, looking around other week one games, elsewhere in the

0:22:06.350 --> 0:22:10.550
<v Speaker 1>NFC North, the Packers-Vikings is the only NFC North matchup.

0:22:10.609 --> 0:22:13.130
<v Speaker 1>The Bears and the Lions are not playing each other.

0:22:13.190 --> 0:22:15.969
<v Speaker 1>The Bears are on the road at Carolina. The Lions

0:22:16.070 --> 0:22:21.470
<v Speaker 1>opening at home against the Saints, I think. And I

0:22:21.550 --> 0:22:24.270
<v Speaker 1>said this either in my live chat or in Insider Inbox.

0:22:24.310 --> 0:22:26.710
<v Speaker 1>I forget with all these different platforms that we use.

0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:28.920
<v Speaker 1>I think the Bears are going to have a harder

0:22:28.960 --> 0:22:31.300
<v Speaker 1>time in Carolina than a lot of people are giving them.

0:22:32.280 --> 0:22:34.240
<v Speaker 1>A lot of people think, oh, the Bears are everybody's

0:22:34.300 --> 0:22:37.720
<v Speaker 1>darling defending NFC North champs. They're going to walk into

0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:43.620
<v Speaker 1>Carolina and roll those guys. Carolina stole a division championship

0:22:43.660 --> 0:22:45.899
<v Speaker 1>from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of last season,

0:22:45.940 --> 0:22:49.590
<v Speaker 1>and that is all the talk about Caleb Williams being

0:22:49.630 --> 0:22:52.920
<v Speaker 1>a quarterback on the rise, and he certainly is. Bryce

0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:55.340
<v Speaker 1>Young is also very much a quarterback on the rise

0:22:55.400 --> 0:22:58.219
<v Speaker 1>in this league, and I think Carolina's going to give

0:22:58.240 --> 0:22:59.600
<v Speaker 1>Chicago everything they can handle.

0:22:59.740 --> 0:23:01.860
<v Speaker 2>And I don't say this with any disrespect, but when

0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:03.530
<v Speaker 2>people are like, hey, the Bears are going to walk

0:23:03.550 --> 0:23:05.010
<v Speaker 2>in their role, the Bears didn't do that at all

0:23:05.050 --> 0:23:08.350
<v Speaker 2>last year over really anybody. So it's like, I don't

0:23:08.390 --> 0:23:10.609
<v Speaker 2>know how much you can talk about just going in

0:23:10.630 --> 0:23:12.189
<v Speaker 2>and imposing your will on a team. The Bears had

0:23:12.210 --> 0:23:14.330
<v Speaker 2>to scratch and claw to get those wins last season.

0:23:14.350 --> 0:23:16.470
<v Speaker 1>But you know what I mean. They're everybody's darling.

0:23:16.490 --> 0:23:18.930
<v Speaker 2>They are, dude. I'm with you 100% on what you're saying.

0:23:18.970 --> 0:23:22.970
<v Speaker 1>They're everybody's pick to click, so to speak, and I

0:23:23.010 --> 0:23:25.150
<v Speaker 1>just think this game, and I'm not saying Carolina's going

0:23:25.190 --> 0:23:27.669
<v Speaker 1>to win. I don't know, and I don't look at

0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:30.080
<v Speaker 1>point spreads and whatnot. I just get the sense that

0:23:30.380 --> 0:23:33.380
<v Speaker 1>people aren't talking about this as a challenge for Chicago,

0:23:33.420 --> 0:23:35.800
<v Speaker 1>that this is going to be a challenging season opener,

0:23:36.060 --> 0:23:37.500
<v Speaker 1>and I think it's very much going to be a

0:23:37.520 --> 0:23:38.399
<v Speaker 1>challenging game for them.

0:23:38.500 --> 0:23:40.620
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Will, and I think the biggest thing, and I'm

0:23:40.660 --> 0:23:42.240
<v Speaker 2>with you on Bryce Young. I think he's shown a

0:23:42.260 --> 0:23:44.180
<v Speaker 2>lot of growth, and I think he's another example, as

0:23:44.220 --> 0:23:46.640
<v Speaker 2>we've talked about countless times, especially with a quarterback like

0:23:46.660 --> 0:23:49.110
<v Speaker 2>Jordan Love. You need time to grow. You need time

0:23:49.130 --> 0:23:51.560
<v Speaker 2>to learn. Yeah. He had to do some on-the-job training.

0:23:51.600 --> 0:23:53.359
<v Speaker 2>When they pulled him back, that's when he started to

0:23:53.400 --> 0:23:56.570
<v Speaker 2>blossom a little bit. But my biggest thing with Carolina

0:23:56.590 --> 0:23:58.670
<v Speaker 2>right now is they don't have Rico Dotto anymore. So

0:23:58.750 --> 0:24:00.570
<v Speaker 2>what is that run game going to look like? Can

0:24:00.590 --> 0:24:03.550
<v Speaker 2>Hubbard be the face of that thing again? Obviously, the

0:24:03.570 --> 0:24:05.310
<v Speaker 2>rookie they had a couple years back that keeps him

0:24:05.369 --> 0:24:09.520
<v Speaker 2>tearing his ACL. There's prospects there, but Dotto was such

0:24:09.560 --> 0:24:12.440
<v Speaker 2>a big part of that comeback and that run last season.

0:24:12.500 --> 0:24:13.380
<v Speaker 1>Power running back.

0:24:13.820 --> 0:24:15.399
<v Speaker 2>Now they've got to do it without him. And Mike

0:24:15.420 --> 0:24:16.300
<v Speaker 2>McCarthy's got him back.

0:24:16.420 --> 0:24:22.449
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Detroit at home against New Orleans, I think the

0:24:22.490 --> 0:24:24.250
<v Speaker 1>Lions get their season off on the right foot.

0:24:24.369 --> 0:24:27.350
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they need to. When you look at how things

0:24:27.410 --> 0:24:29.850
<v Speaker 2>ended last year for them and the disappointment that I

0:24:29.890 --> 0:24:32.710
<v Speaker 2>know kind of flowed through that place and realistically that

0:24:32.750 --> 0:24:35.439
<v Speaker 2>game against Green Bay, pretty much deciding who was going

0:24:35.460 --> 0:24:36.780
<v Speaker 2>to be the team that kind of snuck into the

0:24:36.820 --> 0:24:39.040
<v Speaker 2>playoffs or at least sort of controlled their own destiny

0:24:39.060 --> 0:24:42.240
<v Speaker 2>there towards the end of the season. A lot for

0:24:42.400 --> 0:24:45.800
<v Speaker 2>the Lions to prove, Jameer Gibbs to prove. you know,

0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:48.520
<v Speaker 2>Amin Ra, all these guys, Jamison Williams. We talk a

0:24:48.540 --> 0:24:51.280
<v Speaker 2>lot about the Packers weapons. The Lions have just as many.

0:24:52.300 --> 0:24:54.220
<v Speaker 2>And you're going up against a New Orleans Saints team that,

0:24:54.480 --> 0:24:56.160
<v Speaker 2>you know, kind of also was sort of this team

0:24:56.200 --> 0:24:57.399
<v Speaker 2>on the rise at the end of last season. They

0:24:57.420 --> 0:24:59.440
<v Speaker 2>were just too far out of it where at least

0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:02.510
<v Speaker 2>the Panthers were in striking distance. So yeah, I mean,

0:25:02.670 --> 0:25:05.150
<v Speaker 2>there's no reason why Detroit shouldn't be favored in that.

0:25:06.290 --> 0:25:09.170
<v Speaker 2>Just mostly interested to see about through the course of season,

0:25:09.210 --> 0:25:10.610
<v Speaker 2>how that defense holds up. Yeah.

0:25:10.630 --> 0:25:14.780
<v Speaker 1>And they're looking for their star defender in Aiden Hutchinson

0:25:14.840 --> 0:25:17.439
<v Speaker 1>to return to form now that he's that much further

0:25:17.480 --> 0:25:22.030
<v Speaker 1>removed from that horrific injury that he had back in 2024.

0:25:22.030 --> 0:25:27.370
<v Speaker 1>The most intriguing game to me on the AFC side

0:25:27.410 --> 0:25:29.439
<v Speaker 1>of things, a couple of playoff teams going at it.

0:25:29.510 --> 0:25:35.550
<v Speaker 1>Buffalo is at Houston. The Houston Texans, that defense all

0:25:35.570 --> 0:25:38.649
<v Speaker 1>the way up to and including their loss to the

0:25:38.690 --> 0:25:42.699
<v Speaker 1>Patriots in the playoffs last year, that Houston Texans defense

0:25:42.770 --> 0:25:45.649
<v Speaker 1>proved it was for real. Is D'Amico Ryan's going to

0:25:45.670 --> 0:25:48.070
<v Speaker 1>be able to keep that going and keep that in

0:25:48.109 --> 0:25:52.790
<v Speaker 1>place with Josh Allen and company coming into Energy Stadium?

0:25:52.869 --> 0:25:54.869
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm hoping not because, you know, James Cooks is

0:25:54.890 --> 0:25:59.250
<v Speaker 2>my running back. So, you know, go Bills. But no,

0:25:59.290 --> 0:26:02.970
<v Speaker 2>I mean, Houston was such an interesting squad last year

0:26:03.010 --> 0:26:05.510
<v Speaker 2>because they could not have started the season probably worse

0:26:05.550 --> 0:26:08.170
<v Speaker 2>than they did while still being in playoff contention.

0:26:09.290 --> 0:26:10.750
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, didn't they start 0-3?

0:26:11.530 --> 0:26:13.070
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, found a way to rally.

0:26:13.090 --> 0:26:15.369
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and they end up getting all the way to

0:26:15.390 --> 0:26:16.870
<v Speaker 1>the divisional round of the playoffs.

0:26:17.210 --> 0:26:19.129
<v Speaker 2>And then get smacked out of it again. So it's

0:26:19.190 --> 0:26:22.140
<v Speaker 2>like they've been in sort of this cyclical pattern here

0:26:22.200 --> 0:26:24.139
<v Speaker 2>while at the same time Buffalo's still trying to be

0:26:24.180 --> 0:26:25.919
<v Speaker 2>the team that kind of takes that next step and

0:26:26.320 --> 0:26:29.859
<v Speaker 2>obviously a massive change this year at the head coaching spot,

0:26:29.900 --> 0:26:33.020
<v Speaker 2>seeing if that can lead to a new direction for them. Yeah,

0:26:33.040 --> 0:26:35.180
<v Speaker 2>a lot of the line on that one. I think

0:26:35.540 --> 0:26:38.160
<v Speaker 2>overall it's a good benchmark throughout the league. I mean,

0:26:38.359 --> 0:26:41.600
<v Speaker 2>you can whether it's Kansas city and the questions, you know,

0:26:41.619 --> 0:26:45.000
<v Speaker 2>with everything happening there with Patrick Mahomes and, you know,

0:26:45.020 --> 0:26:47.000
<v Speaker 2>they got Denver right off the bat. And we talk

0:26:47.020 --> 0:26:49.050
<v Speaker 2>about the bears being a darling and the NFC. I

0:26:49.070 --> 0:26:52.610
<v Speaker 2>think everybody's kind of, you know, pumping up the Broncos

0:26:52.670 --> 0:26:54.590
<v Speaker 2>right now based on what they showed in that second

0:26:54.609 --> 0:26:56.909
<v Speaker 2>year under Sean Payton. Yeah.

0:26:56.950 --> 0:27:00.899
<v Speaker 1>And, and, Another one of those big division matchups in

0:27:00.940 --> 0:27:04.610
<v Speaker 1>week one, you look at the NFC East as Cowboys

0:27:04.670 --> 0:27:08.570
<v Speaker 1>against Giants and Eagles against Commanders. That whole division is

0:27:08.650 --> 0:27:13.490
<v Speaker 1>all division matchups in week one. Those are key ones

0:27:13.530 --> 0:27:16.169
<v Speaker 1>to keep an eye on, but anything else catch your eye?

0:27:16.310 --> 0:27:18.250
<v Speaker 2>Just excited, man. I think it's going to be fun.

0:27:18.570 --> 0:27:21.170
<v Speaker 2>It's a chance and an opportunity now to really get

0:27:21.390 --> 0:27:25.240
<v Speaker 2>and dive back into ball. Tonight, we're going to obviously

0:27:25.280 --> 0:27:27.800
<v Speaker 2>have this game between the 49ers and Rams.

0:27:27.820 --> 0:27:30.959
<v Speaker 1>Another Division 1 matchup, or Division matchup in Week 1,

0:27:30.960 --> 0:27:31.480
<v Speaker 1>excuse me.

0:27:31.600 --> 0:27:35.140
<v Speaker 2>Rams got in at whatever it was, 9.45 our time

0:27:35.200 --> 0:27:37.399
<v Speaker 2>last night. They're going to try to play this game,

0:27:37.760 --> 0:27:41.220
<v Speaker 2>staying on their regular body clock. Fascinating to watch. Slept

0:27:41.240 --> 0:27:42.810
<v Speaker 2>a little on the plane. Going to sleep at the

0:27:42.850 --> 0:27:45.850
<v Speaker 2>hotel and see how it all rolls out while the

0:27:45.890 --> 0:27:50.169
<v Speaker 2>San Francisco 49ers have almost relocated there. So that's going

0:27:50.190 --> 0:27:51.490
<v Speaker 2>to be the ultimate roll of the dice. And again,

0:27:51.510 --> 0:27:55.360
<v Speaker 2>a divisional matchup with huge implications. This is what you want.

0:27:55.520 --> 0:27:57.340
<v Speaker 2>This is what we've talked about. This is everything that

0:27:57.359 --> 0:28:01.220
<v Speaker 2>makes the NFL tick. And the fact that this game

0:28:01.260 --> 0:28:03.780
<v Speaker 2>is now being played on Wednesdays and Thursdays, right to

0:28:03.800 --> 0:28:07.020
<v Speaker 2>start off the season. Tells you everything we need to

0:28:07.080 --> 0:28:10.439
<v Speaker 2>know about the insatiable appetite for NFL football.

0:28:10.590 --> 0:28:13.609
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, absolutely. Well, we will have plenty to talk about

0:28:13.750 --> 0:28:17.250
<v Speaker 1>when we come back next week for our Tuesday show, Packers, Vikings,

0:28:17.390 --> 0:28:20.310
<v Speaker 1>everything else going on in week one. We will cover

0:28:20.350 --> 0:28:21.730
<v Speaker 1>it for you, but for now, we're going to call

0:28:21.750 --> 0:28:23.909
<v Speaker 1>it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be

0:28:23.950 --> 0:28:26.170
<v Speaker 1>sure to follow all of our coverage of the team

0:28:26.730 --> 0:28:30.060
<v Speaker 1>and everything from Sunday season opener at US Bank Stadium.

0:28:30.100 --> 0:28:31.900
<v Speaker 1>Wes and I will be sitting next to each other

0:28:31.980 --> 0:28:35.340
<v Speaker 1>with our laptops in that open air press box. trying

0:28:35.380 --> 0:28:37.780
<v Speaker 1>not to listen to the horn and the music and

0:28:37.820 --> 0:28:40.770
<v Speaker 1>the skull chants, and just trying to do our jobs,

0:28:40.830 --> 0:28:42.630
<v Speaker 1>and we'll do the best we can for you. But

0:28:42.690 --> 0:28:45.370
<v Speaker 1>until then, thank you for tuning in, everybody, and we

0:28:45.410 --> 0:28:47.370
<v Speaker 1>will see you next time.