1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:21,040
Speaker 1: Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com.

2
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,279
Speaker 1: I am Mike Spofford sitting next to my partner in crime,

3
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,440
Speaker 1: Wes Hodkowitz. Were coming to you here from our studios

4
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,840
Speaker 1: at lambeau Field and West, a couple of days removed

5
00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,720
Speaker 1: from the Packers sixth victory of the season, Green Bay

6
00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,479
Speaker 1: at six and one after seven games. And you know

7
00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,000
Speaker 1: that I don't like to look ahead, I don't like

8
00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,320
Speaker 1: to peer down the road. But bear with me for

9
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,440
Speaker 1: a second here because I want to start today's show

10
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,520
Speaker 1: with a little bit of a big picture look at things.

11
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,320
Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is you look at

12
00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,360
Speaker 1: what the Packers have done on offense the last three

13
00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,600
Speaker 1: games without Davantae Adams, not only getting victories, but the

14
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,800
Speaker 1: progress we've seen in the offense and getting a lot

15
00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,839
Speaker 1: of these younger guys involved. Jake Kumero, Alan Lazard, more

16
00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,800
Speaker 1: snaps for Marquis Valdez, Scantling until he obviously got injured

17
00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,640
Speaker 1: and then was limited in his snaps against Oakland. But

18
00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,720
Speaker 1: whenever the Packers get Davante Adams back, you have to

19
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,200
Speaker 1: believe that the experience that these young receivers have gotten

20
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,440
Speaker 1: that They've not only gotten in and played taken snaps

21
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,840
Speaker 1: with Aaron Rodgers, but they produced and they've been on

22
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,000
Speaker 1: the winning side of things. This is something that's gonna

23
00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,200
Speaker 1: bode well for the Packers down the road here as

24
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,480
Speaker 1: we get to November and December. Don't you think the

25
00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,800
Speaker 1: most important storyline I think to the early part of

26
00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,080
Speaker 1: the season for the offense is the fact that they

27
00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,040
Speaker 1: are now three and oh without Davonte Adams. And as

28
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,200
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers said, he cautioned it during his postgame news conference,

29
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,320
Speaker 1: He's like, don't get it twisted. We need him back.

30
00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,360
Speaker 1: This offense needs Davante Adams. The offense will be better

31
00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 1: with him. But let's be honest, Mike, if the Green

32
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,160
Speaker 1: Bay Packers are going to make a Super Bowl, if

33
00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,680
Speaker 1: they're gonna make an NFC championship game, it stands to

34
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 1: reason that there's going to be a star or two

35
00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,480
Speaker 1: on this team right now that won't be available for

36
00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,160
Speaker 1: that team. It just that's the way it works out

37
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,600
Speaker 1: right now for the receiving corps, they're learning to lead,

38
00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,000
Speaker 1: their learning to live without their leader being on the field.

39
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:14,839
Speaker 1: I love the comment. It didn't really fit into any

40
00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 1: of our stories, but I really did like the comment

41
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,880
Speaker 1: that uh, you know Rogers had after the game when

42
00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,120
Speaker 1: he's like, you know, you look at Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson,

43
00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,359
Speaker 1: James Jones, Randall Cobb, this lineage of receivers going back

44
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,639
Speaker 1: to even you know, Donald Driver as well. But each

45
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 1: of those guys, when they've been a veteran, they were

46
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,200
Speaker 1: in front of that room. And in Davante's case, he's

47
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,120
Speaker 1: learned from Jones, Cobb and then obviously Geordie and now

48
00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,880
Speaker 1: he's that guy at twenty six years old that he's

49
00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,040
Speaker 1: had to be the one that everyone turns to, and

50
00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,480
Speaker 1: he relishes it. I remember even talking to him two

51
00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,200
Speaker 1: years ago when this whole thing was going to start,

52
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,400
Speaker 1: and he's like, yeah, I don't I don't mind. I'm like,

53
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,080
Speaker 1: I'm ready for this, And you knew based on his

54
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,200
Speaker 1: confidence and the way he carries himself it wasn't going

55
00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,959
Speaker 1: to be too big. But when he's not on the field,

56
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,440
Speaker 1: that's when it's up to Mark quiz Valdes Scantling to

57
00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,920
Speaker 1: play through the injuries that he did to make two

58
00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,359
Speaker 1: critical catches in that game, the longest place from scrimmage

59
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,480
Speaker 1: of the season in only twenty snaps, Jake Kumro reaching

60
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,880
Speaker 1: out for the touchdown, al Lazard having a drop earlier

61
00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:16,760
Speaker 1: in the game, but then coming back into having a big,

62
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,080
Speaker 1: leaping catch in the red zone when maybe the past

63
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,000
Speaker 1: wasn't exactly where it needed to be and he went

64
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,080
Speaker 1: up and got it. Those are the moments that in

65
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,200
Speaker 1: weeks sixteen, seventeen and into the playoffs, if the Packers

66
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,000
Speaker 1: happen to be so fortunate, is really going to benefit

67
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:31,680
Speaker 1: this group because the thing I think a lot of

68
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,840
Speaker 1: people forget this is a very young receiving corps and

69
00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,400
Speaker 1: Davante Adams included in. The more experience you get playing

70
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,440
Speaker 1: through those situations, the better it's gonna, you know, serve

71
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,160
Speaker 1: you in the long run. Yeah. I just look at

72
00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,680
Speaker 1: it like this. I mean, obviously the Packers are hoping

73
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,680
Speaker 1: to get to Vante Adams back sooner than later, and

74
00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,960
Speaker 1: you hope you don't have any other injuries down the

75
00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,960
Speaker 1: road to the receiving corps that will be multiple weeks

76
00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,040
Speaker 1: or like a month or whatever. This is now that's

77
00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,960
Speaker 1: going on with Adams. But let's be real. I mean,

78
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,520
Speaker 1: somebody's going to tweak a hamstring like Adam Feland did

79
00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,640
Speaker 1: for the Vikings last week. Somebody's going to turn an

80
00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,400
Speaker 1: ankle again. It's going to happen. And even if it's

81
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,080
Speaker 1: just for that one game, maybe it's the one road

82
00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,000
Speaker 1: trip to Minnesota in week sixteen, or maybe it's the

83
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,960
Speaker 1: maybe it's a road trip coming up to San Francisco,

84
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,880
Speaker 1: which is looking like a big game in the NFC

85
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,039
Speaker 1: playoff picture, where one of those top guys you're not

86
00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,520
Speaker 1: going to have them. Well, now, Alams are Jake Kumro,

87
00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,960
Speaker 1: these guys have made big plays, caught touchdown passes from

88
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,080
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers. They're gonna step in if they're called upon

89
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,120
Speaker 1: in those situations, and they're not gonna blink. They're gonna

90
00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,039
Speaker 1: be like, hey, I've been here, I've done this. The

91
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,159
Speaker 1: confidence level is going to be there, and the confidence

92
00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,039
Speaker 1: level in from the rest of the offense will be

93
00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,039
Speaker 1: there as well, because it's not gonna be like, oh, well,

94
00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,679
Speaker 1: so and so's not playing today. I mean, nobody feels

95
00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,520
Speaker 1: that way on this offense. And and why would you

96
00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,120
Speaker 1: when Davonte Adams is out and you go out and

97
00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,520
Speaker 1: put up six touchdowns and forty two points in a

98
00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,320
Speaker 1: home game, not to put you on the spot, did

99
00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,000
Speaker 1: you get a chance to watch the Monday night football

100
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,960
Speaker 1: game at all. England has been just completely snake bitten

101
00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,400
Speaker 1: at fullback, and if you know anything about James Devlon

102
00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,760
Speaker 1: in the history of that offense, that fullback position is

103
00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,000
Speaker 1: very critical there. We make so much about it with

104
00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,560
Speaker 1: San Francisco, but what Devilon does for the Patriots is important.

105
00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,000
Speaker 1: Certainly last year it was exactly his backup Johnson. He

106
00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,680
Speaker 1: gets hurt as well. They were using a linebacker at

107
00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,760
Speaker 1: a certain point in that game against the Jets as

108
00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,200
Speaker 1: their fullback is the guy who's blocking for Sony Michelle

109
00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:33,200
Speaker 1: and in James White. It's incredible, but at the same time,

110
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,400
Speaker 1: Bill Belichick says it. Mike McCarthy always talked about it too.

111
00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:38,720
Speaker 1: You need depth, and you need guys to be able

112
00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,640
Speaker 1: to play more than one position and step up when

113
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,440
Speaker 1: the opportunity arises. That's what the good football teams do,

114
00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,599
Speaker 1: because if you put everybody's roster next to each other

115
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,040
Speaker 1: at week one by week seventeen, if you can keep

116
00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,320
Speaker 1: any of those rosters together, it stands a reason that

117
00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,159
Speaker 1: team would be pretty good. But you have to be

118
00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,000
Speaker 1: able to weather the hits and nicks and bruises that

119
00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,880
Speaker 1: are going to hit you throughout the course of a season.

120
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,440
Speaker 1: Another thing McCarthy always used to like to say is

121
00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,720
Speaker 1: it's not about the starting eleven, it's about the starting

122
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,039
Speaker 1: fourteen or fifteen. You know your yours four, your top

123
00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,719
Speaker 1: four cornerbacks, your your top three safeties. Look at what

124
00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,680
Speaker 1: Will Redman is doing this season in his first season

125
00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,320
Speaker 1: playing that spot in the receiving corps, especially in this

126
00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,800
Speaker 1: game where Matt Lafleur made a very concerted effort that

127
00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,320
Speaker 1: we're going to rotate these guys. You know you can't

128
00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,880
Speaker 1: play Allison sixty snaps. You know you can't play MBS

129
00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,800
Speaker 1: sixty snaps. So Al Lazard plays fifty one, Jake Kumero

130
00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,720
Speaker 1: plays forty three. These are guys that up until two

131
00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,000
Speaker 1: weeks ago hadn't really been playing at all offensively and

132
00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,240
Speaker 1: going into the game with a game plan to be

133
00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,920
Speaker 1: very aggressive and to attack the Oakland Raiders defense down

134
00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,280
Speaker 1: the field. And I just that's why yesterday and I

135
00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,080
Speaker 1: brought it back at the end of our show to

136
00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,159
Speaker 1: talk about Lafleur and Rogers a little bit, because I

137
00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,600
Speaker 1: just thought both of those guys were at the peak

138
00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,480
Speaker 1: of their respective powers, and that Rogers showed a lot

139
00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,800
Speaker 1: of confidence in young guys. Think about that, Mike. I

140
00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,920
Speaker 1: mean he had a drop with Lazar there early. We

141
00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,040
Speaker 1: know everything that happened against Detroit that could have in

142
00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,920
Speaker 1: a really tough situation to play through, like oh boy,

143
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,240
Speaker 1: here we go again. But he showed a lot of

144
00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,680
Speaker 1: confidence throwing tight balls in a great windows. Same thing

145
00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,960
Speaker 1: with the Aaron Jones touchdown. Twenty yards for the touchdown

146
00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,080
Speaker 1: and a week ago, as Jones said himself, a much

147
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,360
Speaker 1: less difficult catch and he wasn't able to bring it

148
00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,440
Speaker 1: in in the thirty three yard that he could have

149
00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,840
Speaker 1: walked into the end zone. But that's what you have

150
00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,640
Speaker 1: to do in for the floor. You know, they're going

151
00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,400
Speaker 1: back to Jimmy Graham. They had Marcedes Lewis integrated in

152
00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,440
Speaker 1: this thing. They used that two running back formation out

153
00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:30,840
Speaker 1: of the shotgun and that's what they did a lot

154
00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,240
Speaker 1: of motioning with Danny Vitally out of it. They made

155
00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,920
Speaker 1: the necessary adjustments, Mike, and we say it time and

156
00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,440
Speaker 1: time again, but when you're six and one and you

157
00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,400
Speaker 1: look at where the Packers are at, they're doing it

158
00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,920
Speaker 1: because they're winning more than one way, and offensively, very quietly.

159
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,280
Speaker 1: Now we're looking at an m v P quarterback potential,

160
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,280
Speaker 1: you know, in terms of that candidacy in an offense.

161
00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,160
Speaker 1: Now that's on the precipice of being in the top

162
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,760
Speaker 1: ten and total yards. So it's just it shows you

163
00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,440
Speaker 1: how quickly these things can turn if your team evolves,

164
00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:03,120
Speaker 1: mature develops. Yeah. Well, I know we're a little bit

165
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,200
Speaker 1: short on time today and I apologize for that, but

166
00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,440
Speaker 1: I did promise on yesterday's show we would get to

167
00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:10,400
Speaker 1: a little bit of of a review, excuse me, of

168
00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,240
Speaker 1: what went on in the NFL in Week seven. The

169
00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,720
Speaker 1: most significant game from the NFC North point of view

170
00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,360
Speaker 1: was the Minnesota Vikings going into Ford Field putting up

171
00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,440
Speaker 1: forty two points on the Detroit Lions, coming away with

172
00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,760
Speaker 1: a forty two to thirty victory, a game that's actually

173
00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,280
Speaker 1: closer than the final score indicated, because that was a

174
00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,560
Speaker 1: one score game with about three or four minutes to go.

175
00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,839
Speaker 1: But the biggest two big things here. Number one, Kirk

176
00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,760
Speaker 1: Cousins has shaken off all the criticism that was thrown

177
00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,400
Speaker 1: his way and he's really starting to light things up

178
00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,400
Speaker 1: with that Minnesota passing game. But the other thing is

179
00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,800
Speaker 1: this was a road division victory for the Minnesota Vikings,

180
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,880
Speaker 1: and until then the Packers at Chicago was the only

181
00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,680
Speaker 1: road win in the NFC North as far as the

182
00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,760
Speaker 1: division matchups. So this was a big one for the Vikings.

183
00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,400
Speaker 1: They're now five and two, right on Green base heels

184
00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 1: at six and one, and the Chicago Bears now three

185
00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,520
Speaker 1: and three, and the Detroit Lions become the first team

186
00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,840
Speaker 1: in the division to fall below five at two three

187
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:12,920
Speaker 1: and one. I still say it's too early to just

188
00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,200
Speaker 1: call it a two horse race, way too early to

189
00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,400
Speaker 1: do that. But Minnesota going on the road and chalking

190
00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,319
Speaker 1: up a road division victory was a significant occurrence. We

191
00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,560
Speaker 1: talked so much about Mike Zimmer and his defense, double

192
00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,040
Speaker 1: a gap, all those typical things that we talked about

193
00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,559
Speaker 1: twice a year. I think one thing he does get

194
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,880
Speaker 1: enough credit for is how good of a football coach

195
00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,120
Speaker 1: he is and how much good of a leader he is.

196
00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,240
Speaker 1: The Vikings were able to kind of turn that narrative

197
00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,120
Speaker 1: on its head. I mean, you go back three weeks ago, Mike,

198
00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,360
Speaker 1: there's this questions about the Stefon Diggs want to play

199
00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,400
Speaker 1: for the Vikings. Is Kirk Cousins really the answer here?

200
00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,040
Speaker 1: There was that ugly offensive outing at Soldier Field. They

201
00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,520
Speaker 1: lost a division game to the Chicago Bears, and everybody

202
00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:56,360
Speaker 1: was wondering just where the Minnesota Vikings headed. Well, Kirk

203
00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,480
Speaker 1: Cousins have been putting up some big numbers since then. Yeah,

204
00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,400
Speaker 1: in in, you know the other thing is too at this.

205
00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,240
Speaker 1: It shows you that it's all about consistency. You're five

206
00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,520
Speaker 1: and two. The Minnesota Vikings are not five and two

207
00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,400
Speaker 1: because they blew everybody out of the water. They're five

208
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,959
Speaker 1: and through because they work through some setbacks, work through

209
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,320
Speaker 1: some adversity. For the Packers perspective, you almost want to

210
00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,240
Speaker 1: see some of those losses mount here early in the

211
00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,960
Speaker 1: season because you don't want them to be in playoff contention.

212
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,760
Speaker 1: You don't want them to be indivisional contention. When you

213
00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,960
Speaker 1: get to that week sixteen Monday night football game at

214
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,040
Speaker 1: US Bank Stadium in December. You you want them to

215
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,240
Speaker 1: be kind of out of that. But Zimmer finds a

216
00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,120
Speaker 1: way to rally these guys. Their defense is looking younger

217
00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,280
Speaker 1: again after I call them old about three weeks ago.

218
00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,560
Speaker 1: And you know, Stefon Diggs, I'll tell you what, man

219
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,040
Speaker 1: feeling gets so much tension rightfully. So he's a great story.

220
00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,880
Speaker 1: He's a Pro Bowl receiver, Stefon Diggs is coming on

221
00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,679
Speaker 1: and he seems to whatever happened there with him and

222
00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,040
Speaker 1: Kirk Cousins, he's worked through it. And then when you

223
00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,600
Speaker 1: add in the fact that Dalvin Cook is probably one

224
00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,160
Speaker 1: of the top five running backs in this league. Now, um,

225
00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,880
Speaker 1: so many different things moving in the Vikings direction. And

226
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,160
Speaker 1: in for the Detroit Lions, garry On Johnson now injured,

227
00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,120
Speaker 1: certain things that they're gonna have to work through. It's

228
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,160
Speaker 1: gonna be a tough sledding ahead for Detroit. Yeah. Well,

229
00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,679
Speaker 1: you mentioned Minnesota's defense, and I just want to point

230
00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:12,880
Speaker 1: this out because obviously a lot of Packer fans are

231
00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,320
Speaker 1: concerned about what was going on on defense against the

232
00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,360
Speaker 1: Oakland Raiders and the Raiders putting up four hundred plus

233
00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,439
Speaker 1: yards and all this Minnesota Vikings defense gave up thirty

234
00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,920
Speaker 1: points to the Detroit Lions. It's it's the way this

235
00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,880
Speaker 1: league goes. Sometimes you get into games like this where

236
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,920
Speaker 1: the offenses just start moving, moving the ball up and

237
00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,880
Speaker 1: down the field. It's the way things can go. And

238
00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,320
Speaker 1: the bottom line is both the Packers and the Vikings

239
00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,720
Speaker 1: had enough offense to come out on top on in

240
00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,719
Speaker 1: games where their defense, you know, didn't quite have its

241
00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,360
Speaker 1: best game on a particular day. And let's to to

242
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,439
Speaker 1: use your let's be real comments again here. Matthew Stafford

243
00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,320
Speaker 1: is a very good quarter Yeah, the Packers have played

244
00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,920
Speaker 1: good quarterbacks so far to this point in the season.

245
00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,439
Speaker 1: If you're gonna play Stafford and he doesn't turn the

246
00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,720
Speaker 1: ball away to turn turn the turn over the football,

247
00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,520
Speaker 1: you have to be prepared to win a shootout. Unfortunately

248
00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:03,560
Speaker 1: for the Vikings. Unfortunately for Cousins, they were able to

249
00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,319
Speaker 1: do that that matchup. But yeah, it's it's gonna be

250
00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,680
Speaker 1: a gut check here for Detroit trying to bounce back

251
00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,120
Speaker 1: from that and show that they can be the team

252
00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,240
Speaker 1: that everybody thinks they are. Yeah. Absolutely, the Chicago Bears

253
00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,360
Speaker 1: a lot of questions floating around in Chicago now after

254
00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:21,160
Speaker 1: quite frankly an abysmal offensive performance. Don't be fooled by

255
00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,120
Speaker 1: the thirty six to score. The Chicago Bears were down

256
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,200
Speaker 1: twelve to ten at halftime and really got blown out

257
00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,760
Speaker 1: in the second half at home by a very very

258
00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,839
Speaker 1: good New Orleans Saints team that has a very very

259
00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,480
Speaker 1: good defense. But the lack of offensive production when the

260
00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:41,560
Speaker 1: game mattered was really really startling, and it's raising a

261
00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,480
Speaker 1: lot of questions in Chicago is to just where this

262
00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,360
Speaker 1: team is headed with Mitchell Robinsky a quarterback. Yeah, I'll

263
00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,040
Speaker 1: tell you what, Mike, I'm a little annoyed by one thing. Okay,

264
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,480
Speaker 1: And I'm not saying Traubinsky. You know, when you see

265
00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,880
Speaker 1: what Patrick Mahomes has done and Deshaun Watson has done,

266
00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,040
Speaker 1: right or wrong, he's going to be compared to those

267
00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,000
Speaker 1: two guys. The rest of his career comes with the territory.

268
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,440
Speaker 1: And I'm not saying he's playing particularly well right now,

269
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,240
Speaker 1: But Mike, I don't care who your quarterback is. If

270
00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,319
Speaker 1: you can't run the football, you're never gonna make your

271
00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,880
Speaker 1: life easier on that quarterback, especially a young one. Well,

272
00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,000
Speaker 1: in this particular game, they didn't even try to run

273
00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,840
Speaker 1: a troutball seven rushing attempts and Mitch Droubinsky had fifty

274
00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,240
Speaker 1: four pass attempts. And again I and I looked at

275
00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,760
Speaker 1: the halftime stats and believe it was twenty three or

276
00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,160
Speaker 1: twenty four pass attempts and five runs in the first

277
00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,040
Speaker 1: half when the game was twelve to ten. They didn't

278
00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,280
Speaker 1: even try to run the football. And that's not how

279
00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,720
Speaker 1: you're gonna win with Mitchell Drabinsky in my opinion, and

280
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,800
Speaker 1: here's the thing you look at, you know, in New

281
00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,439
Speaker 1: Orleans perspective, Teddy Bridgewater is playing great. He's going to

282
00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,400
Speaker 1: earn himself a lot of money this offseason, whether it's

283
00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:47,080
Speaker 1: somewhere else. Right, But they didn't have Alvin Kamara, So

284
00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,920
Speaker 1: what did they do? Letavius Murray the old war horse there.

285
00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,880
Speaker 1: He goes right in there and get some nineteen yards

286
00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,160
Speaker 1: and makes life easier on who I will still consider

287
00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,600
Speaker 1: to be a young quarterback at twenty six years old.

288
00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,040
Speaker 1: I get it. There are sky high expectations for true Bisky.

289
00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:04,880
Speaker 1: People want him to play out of his mind, and

290
00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,760
Speaker 1: that is rightfully so. He's a second overall pick that

291
00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,040
Speaker 1: comes with the job description, that comes with the contract

292
00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,560
Speaker 1: you signed. But I've just been absolutely amazed that with

293
00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,160
Speaker 1: David Montgomery and in some of the steps that look

294
00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:18,720
Speaker 1: like they're gonna taken. They are beat up on the

295
00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,760
Speaker 1: offensive line right now. They couldn't run the ball the

296
00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,800
Speaker 1: last few weeks, and in this particular game they didn't

297
00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,400
Speaker 1: even try. In the worst case scenario. Right now, for Chicago,

298
00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,960
Speaker 1: as you alluded to Keem Hicks's injury, they're now their

299
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,440
Speaker 1: defense is getting banged up to so seeing all those

300
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,440
Speaker 1: things fit together is going to be something to watch.

301
00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,120
Speaker 1: There is one more game I want to talk about, though, Yeah, absolutely, no, Yeah,

302
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,200
Speaker 1: And I I just have one other comment with regards

303
00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,640
Speaker 1: to the Bears. They have a lot to work through now,

304
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,000
Speaker 1: and they don't have their bye week anymore. They just

305
00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,600
Speaker 1: came off of their bye week and did not perform

306
00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,400
Speaker 1: up anything close to up to expectations. They're in a

307
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,840
Speaker 1: tough spot now because they're playing the rest of the

308
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,920
Speaker 1: way without a break, and they've got some stuff to

309
00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,160
Speaker 1: work and they got a Chargers team coming into this

310
00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,080
Speaker 1: week that, while they have been dis pointed and disheartened

311
00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,280
Speaker 1: this season, that's still a dangerous team. Don't be fooled

312
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,440
Speaker 1: by that two and five record the Chargers, and we'll

313
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,040
Speaker 1: be talking about them soon enough here with them on

314
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,720
Speaker 1: the Packers schedule. But that Chargers team, you talk about,

315
00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,840
Speaker 1: an absolute kick in the gut loss to the Tennessee Titans,

316
00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,200
Speaker 1: the way that game turned at the goal line in

317
00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,400
Speaker 1: the last two minutes there. I mean, boy, oh boy,

318
00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,000
Speaker 1: that the Chargers. They're not the twelve and four team

319
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,640
Speaker 1: of last year, but they're not a two and five

320
00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,520
Speaker 1: team either. In my opinion, they really aren't, but it

321
00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,760
Speaker 1: also shows you the difference one yard makes. I mean,

322
00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:33,960
Speaker 1: credit to Tennessee, Mike. I've been saying since Week one,

323
00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,120
Speaker 1: they've had to work through some things Ryan Tannehill as

324
00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:39,360
Speaker 1: their quarterback. Now, their defense I think has always played

325
00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,400
Speaker 1: well this season. Like I I'm really high on the

326
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,120
Speaker 1: Titans and what Mike Vrabel is doing there and they're

327
00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,440
Speaker 1: defending their turf and in the Chargers basically their their

328
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,960
Speaker 1: record could almost be inverted if they could convert these

329
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,560
Speaker 1: these short yardage one yard plays, and they just haven't

330
00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,640
Speaker 1: been able to do it so far this season. The

331
00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,800
Speaker 1: thing I want to close on, almost like the West

332
00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:00,320
Speaker 1: Hot Kouwitz moments the show, is I did I watch

333
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,800
Speaker 1: the entire New England Patriots in New York Jets game.

334
00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,200
Speaker 1: Don't ask me how I managed to do this, but

335
00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,080
Speaker 1: I did. The Star Wars trailer was at halftime, Mike,

336
00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:10,880
Speaker 1: I wanted to wait for the Star Wars trailer, and

337
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,480
Speaker 1: then afterwards I was like, I was working on the

338
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:13,800
Speaker 1: Player on the Rise story. I was like, I'll just

339
00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:18,440
Speaker 1: keep watching Sam Donald, who, by the way, played a

340
00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,520
Speaker 1: great game the week before and you know, hopefully still

341
00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,280
Speaker 1: have a bright future. In this league. I was incredibly

342
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,200
Speaker 1: high on he was my number one quarterback in the

343
00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,160
Speaker 1: two thousand eighteen draft and beat a Dallas Cowboys team

344
00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,240
Speaker 1: that then just obliterated the Philadelphia Eagles in primetime on

345
00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,720
Speaker 1: Sunday night. But go ahead, So Donald goes over the sideline.

346
00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,480
Speaker 1: He's miked up for this game. Why he would ever

347
00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,920
Speaker 1: agree to be miked up for a New England Patriots

348
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,720
Speaker 1: game is beyond me, and I would never ever want

349
00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,000
Speaker 1: that for myself. He's on the thing. He says, I

350
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:47,960
Speaker 1: believe you're saying to you, there's quarterbacks coach. I don't

351
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,920
Speaker 1: think it was Adam Gays. He says, I'm seeing ghosts

352
00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,120
Speaker 1: out there. And if you know anything about Donald's day,

353
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,080
Speaker 1: I'll just read the stats here for you quickly. Um, yeah,

354
00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,280
Speaker 1: this is It was an all timer, a three point

355
00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,080
Speaker 1: six passer rating aleve in of thirty two for eighty

356
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:05,480
Speaker 1: six yards with four touchdowns or four interceptions. Excuse me, completions,

357
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,080
Speaker 1: four interests. I think someone Monday Football threw up of stat.

358
00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:09,800
Speaker 1: I think it was like the second time since nineteen

359
00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,119
Speaker 1: quarterback has had over thirty pass attempts under a hundred

360
00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,760
Speaker 1: passing yards and four interceptions just a nightmarish game for you.

361
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,119
Speaker 1: He's seeing goes. One thing it tells you is where

362
00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,840
Speaker 1: the bar is when you play Bill Belichick in the Patriots.

363
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,880
Speaker 1: It's still incredibly high. It's you know, if you look

364
00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,800
Speaker 1: at this game, Tom Brady had an eighty passer rating,

365
00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,840
Speaker 1: but they still won based on how they played defensively handily.

366
00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,680
Speaker 1: The point I want to raise here and I don't

367
00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,240
Speaker 1: I know pack Frians, you see, I don't need this

368
00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,680
Speaker 1: reminder West leave us alone. Your quarterback had a hundred

369
00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,840
Speaker 1: and fifty eight point three passer rating. We can create

370
00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,040
Speaker 1: any kind of narratives you want. My headline for inbox today,

371
00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,240
Speaker 1: the day that we're shooting this was that guy never

372
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:53,360
Speaker 1: left talking about Aaron Rodgers. Because the narrative nationally this week, inevitably,

373
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,760
Speaker 1: starting on Wednesday, is going to be Aaron Rodgers is back.

374
00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,560
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers never left. In The point I raised with

375
00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,640
Speaker 1: that is the storylines will ebb and flow. The quarterback

376
00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,239
Speaker 1: position is way too difficult in this league to just

377
00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,120
Speaker 1: play at a hundred and fifty pass rating every week.

378
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,720
Speaker 1: Too many variables. I just hope in requests and ask

379
00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:15,960
Speaker 1: that Packer fans really appreciate what they have, and I

380
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,560
Speaker 1: know they're gonna say, oh, we have twenty six years.

381
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,520
Speaker 1: We've always appreciate it. But Aaron Rodgers makes this game

382
00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:24,240
Speaker 1: look a lot easier than it really is. Sam Donald

383
00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,119
Speaker 1: watching him play against the Jet against New England, especially

384
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,159
Speaker 1: in the second half when things got really rough, I

385
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,680
Speaker 1: felt bad for him because you see a young guy

386
00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,480
Speaker 1: there that is a one of the peak players in

387
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,240
Speaker 1: this league. People say, oh, it's a bad quarterback. No,

388
00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,560
Speaker 1: this is one of the best prospects the NFL at

389
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,439
Speaker 1: this level. Thirty two jobs right starting quarterback. This is

390
00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,920
Speaker 1: one of the best prospects the NFL has to offer.

391
00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,480
Speaker 1: And he has a three pass rating against New England

392
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,399
Speaker 1: defense that is one of the best in the NFL

393
00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,480
Speaker 1: this season. Whoever crosses paths with New England, I know

394
00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,080
Speaker 1: I've been the first one to say they haven't truly

395
00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,280
Speaker 1: been tested. That shows you where the bar is, and

396
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,879
Speaker 1: that shows you how good these players are. And it

397
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,000
Speaker 1: shows you one more time, you don't need a hundred

398
00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,000
Speaker 1: fifty eight point three passer rating to know that Aaron

399
00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,240
Speaker 1: Rodgers is good. You see it every Sunday because of

400
00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,560
Speaker 1: what he brings the table, what how the way he

401
00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,000
Speaker 1: leads in the victories that he amasses, and it's those

402
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,040
Speaker 1: type of things that really hit home the point that

403
00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,200
Speaker 1: this game is not as easy as he makes it look. Yeah,

404
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,200
Speaker 1: and I think I'll just close with the point that

405
00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,880
Speaker 1: we've seen Aaron Rodgers on days when he's not at

406
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,960
Speaker 1: his best and the Packers usually still have a chance

407
00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,000
Speaker 1: to win the game. That's as opposed to what you

408
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,720
Speaker 1: saw on Monday Night, when a young up and coming

409
00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,439
Speaker 1: prospect does not have anything close to his best and

410
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,800
Speaker 1: his team has no chance. And that's the difference between

411
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,320
Speaker 1: the guys who have done it and the guys who

412
00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,080
Speaker 1: are trying to figure it out. And the only thing

413
00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,280
Speaker 1: I asked, because there's gonna be ups and flows Aaron Rodgers,

414
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,200
Speaker 1: inevitably the last ten weeks this season, there will be

415
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,920
Speaker 1: a day where he doesn't have his a game. Yep,

416
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:46,959
Speaker 1: it'll happen, But you have to remember that in that

417
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,200
Speaker 1: particular day, the Packers are probably still going to be

418
00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,239
Speaker 1: in that ballgame. He's probably still not going to be

419
00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,280
Speaker 1: that bad considering you know sometimes what happens at that

420
00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,600
Speaker 1: position when things don't go right. Yeah, alright, with that,

421
00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,160
Speaker 1: we'll call it a wrap on this edition of Packers unscripted.

422
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,840
Speaker 1: Be sure to follow of our coverage of the team

423
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,159
Speaker 1: on packers dot com and you can subscribe to us,

424
00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,720
Speaker 1: like us on iTunes and other podcast services. On Twitter,

425
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,360
Speaker 1: He's at west hot I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers

426
00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,080
Speaker 1: for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll

427
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,200
Speaker 1: see you next time. M