WEBVTT - #458 Packers Unscripted: The bigger picture 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:21.040 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:24.279 I am Mike Spofford sitting next to my partner in crime, 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.440 Wes Hodkowitz. Were coming to you here from our studios 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:29.840 at lambeau Field and West, a couple of days removed 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:32.720 from the Packers sixth victory of the season, Green Bay 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:36.479 at six and one after seven games. And you know 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:39.000 that I don't like to look ahead, I don't like 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:42.320 to peer down the road. But bear with me for 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:44.440 a second here because I want to start today's show 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:47.520 with a little bit of a big picture look at things. 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:50.320 And what I mean by that is you look at 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.360 what the Packers have done on offense the last three 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:57.600 games without Davantae Adams, not only getting victories, but the 0:00:57.640 --> 0:01:00.800 progress we've seen in the offense and getting a lot 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:05.839 of these younger guys involved. Jake Kumero, Alan Lazard, more 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:10.800 snaps for Marquis Valdez, Scantling until he obviously got injured 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.640 and then was limited in his snaps against Oakland. But 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:18.720 whenever the Packers get Davante Adams back, you have to 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:22.200 believe that the experience that these young receivers have gotten 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:25.440 that They've not only gotten in and played taken snaps 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:27.840 with Aaron Rodgers, but they produced and they've been on 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:31.000 the winning side of things. This is something that's gonna 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:33.200 bode well for the Packers down the road here as 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:35.480 we get to November and December. Don't you think the 0:01:35.480 --> 0:01:37.800 most important storyline I think to the early part of 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:40.080 the season for the offense is the fact that they 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.040 are now three and oh without Davonte Adams. And as 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.200 Aaron Rodgers said, he cautioned it during his postgame news conference, 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.320 He's like, don't get it twisted. We need him back. 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.360 This offense needs Davante Adams. The offense will be better 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:54.600 with him. But let's be honest, Mike, if the Green 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:56.160 Bay Packers are going to make a Super Bowl, if 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.680 they're gonna make an NFC championship game, it stands to 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:00.480 reason that there's going to be a star or two 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:02.480 on this team right now that won't be available for 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.160 that team. It just that's the way it works out 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.600 right now for the receiving corps, they're learning to lead, 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:12.000 their learning to live without their leader being on the field. 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:14.839 I love the comment. It didn't really fit into any 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:17.000 of our stories, but I really did like the comment 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:19.880 that uh, you know Rogers had after the game when 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.120 he's like, you know, you look at Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:27.359 James Jones, Randall Cobb, this lineage of receivers going back 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:30.639 to even you know, Donald Driver as well. But each 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:32.440 of those guys, when they've been a veteran, they were 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:35.200 in front of that room. And in Davante's case, he's 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:39.120 learned from Jones, Cobb and then obviously Geordie and now 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:41.880 he's that guy at twenty six years old that he's 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:45.040 had to be the one that everyone turns to, and 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.480 he relishes it. I remember even talking to him two 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:50.200 years ago when this whole thing was going to start, 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:52.400 and he's like, yeah, I don't I don't mind. I'm like, 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:55.080 I'm ready for this, And you knew based on his 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:57.200 confidence and the way he carries himself it wasn't going 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.959 to be too big. But when he's not on the field, 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:02.440 that's when it's up to Mark quiz Valdes Scantling to 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:04.920 play through the injuries that he did to make two 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:08.359 critical catches in that game, the longest place from scrimmage 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:12.480 of the season in only twenty snaps, Jake Kumro reaching 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:14.880 out for the touchdown, al Lazard having a drop earlier 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:16.760 in the game, but then coming back into having a big, 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.080 leaping catch in the red zone when maybe the past 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:21.000 wasn't exactly where it needed to be and he went 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:24.080 up and got it. Those are the moments that in 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.200 weeks sixteen, seventeen and into the playoffs, if the Packers 0:03:27.240 --> 0:03:30.000 happen to be so fortunate, is really going to benefit 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:31.680 this group because the thing I think a lot of 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:34.840 people forget this is a very young receiving corps and 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:38.400 Davante Adams included in. The more experience you get playing 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:40.440 through those situations, the better it's gonna, you know, serve 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:42.160 you in the long run. Yeah. I just look at 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.680 it like this. I mean, obviously the Packers are hoping 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.680 to get to Vante Adams back sooner than later, and 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.960 you hope you don't have any other injuries down the 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:54.960 road to the receiving corps that will be multiple weeks 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:57.040 or like a month or whatever. This is now that's 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.960 going on with Adams. But let's be real. I mean, 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.520 somebody's going to tweak a hamstring like Adam Feland did 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.640 for the Vikings last week. Somebody's going to turn an 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:08.400 ankle again. It's going to happen. And even if it's 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:12.080 just for that one game, maybe it's the one road 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:15.000 trip to Minnesota in week sixteen, or maybe it's the 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:17.960 maybe it's a road trip coming up to San Francisco, 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:19.880 which is looking like a big game in the NFC 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:23.039 playoff picture, where one of those top guys you're not 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:26.520 going to have them. Well, now, Alams are Jake Kumro, 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:29.960 these guys have made big plays, caught touchdown passes from 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:34.080 Aaron Rodgers. They're gonna step in if they're called upon 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:37.120 in those situations, and they're not gonna blink. They're gonna 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:40.039 be like, hey, I've been here, I've done this. The 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:43.159 confidence level is going to be there, and the confidence 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:46.039 level in from the rest of the offense will be 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:48.039 there as well, because it's not gonna be like, oh, well, 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:51.679 so and so's not playing today. I mean, nobody feels 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:54.520 that way on this offense. And and why would you 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.120 when Davonte Adams is out and you go out and 0:04:57.120 --> 0:04:59.520 put up six touchdowns and forty two points in a 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:01.320 home game, not to put you on the spot, did 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:03.000 you get a chance to watch the Monday night football 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:07.960 game at all. England has been just completely snake bitten 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.400 at fullback, and if you know anything about James Devlon 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.760 in the history of that offense, that fullback position is 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.000 very critical there. We make so much about it with 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:18.560 San Francisco, but what Devilon does for the Patriots is important. 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:22.000 Certainly last year it was exactly his backup Johnson. He 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.680 gets hurt as well. They were using a linebacker at 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:26.760 a certain point in that game against the Jets as 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.200 their fullback is the guy who's blocking for Sony Michelle 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:33.200 and in James White. It's incredible, but at the same time, 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:36.400 Bill Belichick says it. Mike McCarthy always talked about it too. 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:38.720 You need depth, and you need guys to be able 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:40.640 to play more than one position and step up when 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.440 the opportunity arises. That's what the good football teams do, 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:46.599 because if you put everybody's roster next to each other 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.040 at week one by week seventeen, if you can keep 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:52.320 any of those rosters together, it stands a reason that 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.159 team would be pretty good. But you have to be 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:58.000 able to weather the hits and nicks and bruises that 0:05:58.000 --> 0:05:59.880 are going to hit you throughout the course of a season. 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:02.440 Another thing McCarthy always used to like to say is 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:04.720 it's not about the starting eleven, it's about the starting 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:08.039 fourteen or fifteen. You know your yours four, your top 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:10.719 four cornerbacks, your your top three safeties. Look at what 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:13.680 Will Redman is doing this season in his first season 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:17.320 playing that spot in the receiving corps, especially in this 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:19.800 game where Matt Lafleur made a very concerted effort that 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.320 we're going to rotate these guys. You know you can't 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.880 play Allison sixty snaps. You know you can't play MBS 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:28.800 sixty snaps. So Al Lazard plays fifty one, Jake Kumero 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:31.720 plays forty three. These are guys that up until two 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:35.000 weeks ago hadn't really been playing at all offensively and 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:37.240 going into the game with a game plan to be 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:40.920 very aggressive and to attack the Oakland Raiders defense down 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:43.280 the field. And I just that's why yesterday and I 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.080 brought it back at the end of our show to 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.159 talk about Lafleur and Rogers a little bit, because I 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.600 just thought both of those guys were at the peak 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.480 of their respective powers, and that Rogers showed a lot 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:54.800 of confidence in young guys. Think about that, Mike. I 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:57.920 mean he had a drop with Lazar there early. We 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:00.040 know everything that happened against Detroit that could have in 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:02.920 a really tough situation to play through, like oh boy, 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:05.240 here we go again. But he showed a lot of 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:07.680 confidence throwing tight balls in a great windows. Same thing 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.960 with the Aaron Jones touchdown. Twenty yards for the touchdown 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:14.080 and a week ago, as Jones said himself, a much 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:16.360 less difficult catch and he wasn't able to bring it 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.440 in in the thirty three yard that he could have 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:20.840 walked into the end zone. But that's what you have 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:23.640 to do in for the floor. You know, they're going 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:26.400 back to Jimmy Graham. They had Marcedes Lewis integrated in 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:29.440 this thing. They used that two running back formation out 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:30.840 of the shotgun and that's what they did a lot 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.240 of motioning with Danny Vitally out of it. They made 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.920 the necessary adjustments, Mike, and we say it time and 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:39.440 time again, but when you're six and one and you 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:42.400 look at where the Packers are at, they're doing it 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.920 because they're winning more than one way, and offensively, very quietly. 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:49.280 Now we're looking at an m v P quarterback potential, 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:52.280 you know, in terms of that candidacy in an offense. 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:54.160 Now that's on the precipice of being in the top 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:56.760 ten and total yards. So it's just it shows you 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.440 how quickly these things can turn if your team evolves, 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:03.120 mature develops. Yeah. Well, I know we're a little bit 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.200 short on time today and I apologize for that, but 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.440 I did promise on yesterday's show we would get to 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:10.400 a little bit of of a review, excuse me, of 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:13.240 what went on in the NFL in Week seven. The 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.720 most significant game from the NFC North point of view 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:20.360 was the Minnesota Vikings going into Ford Field putting up 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:23.440 forty two points on the Detroit Lions, coming away with 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.760 a forty two to thirty victory, a game that's actually 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.280 closer than the final score indicated, because that was a 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:30.560 one score game with about three or four minutes to go. 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:35.839 But the biggest two big things here. Number one, Kirk 0:08:35.880 --> 0:08:38.760 Cousins has shaken off all the criticism that was thrown 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:41.400 his way and he's really starting to light things up 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:44.400 with that Minnesota passing game. But the other thing is 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:48.800 this was a road division victory for the Minnesota Vikings, 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:52.880 and until then the Packers at Chicago was the only 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:55.680 road win in the NFC North as far as the 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:58.760 division matchups. So this was a big one for the Vikings. 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:01.400 They're now five and two, right on Green base heels 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:05.280 at six and one, and the Chicago Bears now three 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.520 and three, and the Detroit Lions become the first team 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:10.840 in the division to fall below five at two three 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:12.920 and one. I still say it's too early to just 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:16.200 call it a two horse race, way too early to 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:19.400 do that. But Minnesota going on the road and chalking 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:23.319 up a road division victory was a significant occurrence. We 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.560 talked so much about Mike Zimmer and his defense, double 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:29.040 a gap, all those typical things that we talked about 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.559 twice a year. I think one thing he does get 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:33.880 enough credit for is how good of a football coach 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.120 he is and how much good of a leader he is. 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:39.240 The Vikings were able to kind of turn that narrative 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:41.120 on its head. I mean, you go back three weeks ago, Mike, 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.360 there's this questions about the Stefon Diggs want to play 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:46.400 for the Vikings. Is Kirk Cousins really the answer here? 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:50.040 There was that ugly offensive outing at Soldier Field. They 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:52.520 lost a division game to the Chicago Bears, and everybody 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:56.360 was wondering just where the Minnesota Vikings headed. Well, Kirk 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:59.480 Cousins have been putting up some big numbers since then. Yeah, 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:01.400 in in, you know the other thing is too at this. 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.240 It shows you that it's all about consistency. You're five 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.520 and two. The Minnesota Vikings are not five and two 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:10.400 because they blew everybody out of the water. They're five 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:12.959 and through because they work through some setbacks, work through 0:10:13.000 --> 0:10:16.320 some adversity. For the Packers perspective, you almost want to 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:18.240 see some of those losses mount here early in the 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:20.960 season because you don't want them to be in playoff contention. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.760 You don't want them to be indivisional contention. When you 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:25.960 get to that week sixteen Monday night football game at 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.040 US Bank Stadium in December. You you want them to 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:31.240 be kind of out of that. But Zimmer finds a 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.120 way to rally these guys. Their defense is looking younger 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:36.280 again after I call them old about three weeks ago. 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.560 And you know, Stefon Diggs, I'll tell you what, man 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:43.040 feeling gets so much tension rightfully. So he's a great story. 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:45.880 He's a Pro Bowl receiver, Stefon Diggs is coming on 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:48.679 and he seems to whatever happened there with him and 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:52.040 Kirk Cousins, he's worked through it. And then when you 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:54.600 add in the fact that Dalvin Cook is probably one 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:57.160 of the top five running backs in this league. Now, um, 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.880 so many different things moving in the Vikings direction. And 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:03.160 in for the Detroit Lions, garry On Johnson now injured, 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:06.120 certain things that they're gonna have to work through. It's 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.160 gonna be a tough sledding ahead for Detroit. Yeah. Well, 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.679 you mentioned Minnesota's defense, and I just want to point 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:12.880 this out because obviously a lot of Packer fans are 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.320 concerned about what was going on on defense against the 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:18.360 Oakland Raiders and the Raiders putting up four hundred plus 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:21.439 yards and all this Minnesota Vikings defense gave up thirty 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:24.920 points to the Detroit Lions. It's it's the way this 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:27.880 league goes. Sometimes you get into games like this where 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:30.920 the offenses just start moving, moving the ball up and 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.880 down the field. It's the way things can go. And 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:36.320 the bottom line is both the Packers and the Vikings 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:39.720 had enough offense to come out on top on in 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:42.719 games where their defense, you know, didn't quite have its 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:45.360 best game on a particular day. And let's to to 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.439 use your let's be real comments again here. Matthew Stafford 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:51.320 is a very good quarter Yeah, the Packers have played 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.920 good quarterbacks so far to this point in the season. 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:56.439 If you're gonna play Stafford and he doesn't turn the 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:58.720 ball away to turn turn the turn over the football, 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:01.520 you have to be prepared to win a shootout. Unfortunately 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:03.560 for the Vikings. Unfortunately for Cousins, they were able to 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.319 do that that matchup. But yeah, it's it's gonna be 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:08.680 a gut check here for Detroit trying to bounce back 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:10.120 from that and show that they can be the team 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:13.240 that everybody thinks they are. Yeah. Absolutely, the Chicago Bears 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:16.360 a lot of questions floating around in Chicago now after 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:21.160 quite frankly an abysmal offensive performance. Don't be fooled by 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:24.120 the thirty six to score. The Chicago Bears were down 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:27.200 twelve to ten at halftime and really got blown out 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:29.760 in the second half at home by a very very 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:32.839 good New Orleans Saints team that has a very very 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:37.480 good defense. But the lack of offensive production when the 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:41.560 game mattered was really really startling, and it's raising a 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.480 lot of questions in Chicago is to just where this 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:47.360 team is headed with Mitchell Robinsky a quarterback. Yeah, I'll 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:51.040 tell you what, Mike, I'm a little annoyed by one thing. Okay, 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:53.480 And I'm not saying Traubinsky. You know, when you see 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:55.880 what Patrick Mahomes has done and Deshaun Watson has done, 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:58.040 right or wrong, he's going to be compared to those 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:01.000 two guys. The rest of his career comes with the territory. 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.440 And I'm not saying he's playing particularly well right now, 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.240 But Mike, I don't care who your quarterback is. If 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:10.319 you can't run the football, you're never gonna make your 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:12.880 life easier on that quarterback, especially a young one. Well, 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:15.000 in this particular game, they didn't even try to run 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:18.840 a troutball seven rushing attempts and Mitch Droubinsky had fifty 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:21.240 four pass attempts. And again I and I looked at 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:23.760 the halftime stats and believe it was twenty three or 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:27.160 twenty four pass attempts and five runs in the first 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:30.040 half when the game was twelve to ten. They didn't 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.280 even try to run the football. And that's not how 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.720 you're gonna win with Mitchell Drabinsky in my opinion, and 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:37.800 here's the thing you look at, you know, in New 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.439 Orleans perspective, Teddy Bridgewater is playing great. He's going to 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:43.400 earn himself a lot of money this offseason, whether it's 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:47.080 somewhere else. Right, But they didn't have Alvin Kamara, So 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:50.920 what did they do? Letavius Murray the old war horse there. 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:53.880 He goes right in there and get some nineteen yards 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:57.160 and makes life easier on who I will still consider 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.600 to be a young quarterback at twenty six years old. 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:03.040 I get it. There are sky high expectations for true Bisky. 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:04.880 People want him to play out of his mind, and 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.760 that is rightfully so. He's a second overall pick that 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.040 comes with the job description, that comes with the contract 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:14.560 you signed. But I've just been absolutely amazed that with 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:17.160 David Montgomery and in some of the steps that look 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:18.720 like they're gonna taken. They are beat up on the 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:21.760 offensive line right now. They couldn't run the ball the 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:23.800 last few weeks, and in this particular game they didn't 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.400 even try. In the worst case scenario. Right now, for Chicago, 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.960 as you alluded to Keem Hicks's injury, they're now their 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:32.440 defense is getting banged up to so seeing all those 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:34.440 things fit together is going to be something to watch. 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:38.120 There is one more game I want to talk about, though, Yeah, absolutely, no, Yeah, 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:40.200 And I I just have one other comment with regards 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.640 to the Bears. They have a lot to work through now, 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:45.000 and they don't have their bye week anymore. They just 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:47.600 came off of their bye week and did not perform 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:51.400 up anything close to up to expectations. They're in a 0:14:51.400 --> 0:14:53.840 tough spot now because they're playing the rest of the 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:55.920 way without a break, and they've got some stuff to 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.160 work and they got a Chargers team coming into this 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:01.080 week that, while they have been dis pointed and disheartened 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:04.280 this season, that's still a dangerous team. Don't be fooled 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:07.440 by that two and five record the Chargers, and we'll 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:10.040 be talking about them soon enough here with them on 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:13.720 the Packers schedule. But that Chargers team, you talk about, 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:16.840 an absolute kick in the gut loss to the Tennessee Titans, 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:19.200 the way that game turned at the goal line in 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:21.400 the last two minutes there. I mean, boy, oh boy, 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:25.000 that the Chargers. They're not the twelve and four team 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:26.640 of last year, but they're not a two and five 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:28.520 team either. In my opinion, they really aren't, but it 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:31.760 also shows you the difference one yard makes. I mean, 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:33.960 credit to Tennessee, Mike. I've been saying since Week one, 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.120 they've had to work through some things Ryan Tannehill as 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.360 their quarterback. Now, their defense I think has always played 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:41.400 well this season. Like I I'm really high on the 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.120 Titans and what Mike Vrabel is doing there and they're 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:47.440 defending their turf and in the Chargers basically their their 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:49.960 record could almost be inverted if they could convert these 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:52.560 these short yardage one yard plays, and they just haven't 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.640 been able to do it so far this season. The 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:56.800 thing I want to close on, almost like the West 0:15:56.800 --> 0:16:00.320 Hot Kouwitz moments the show, is I did I watch 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:03.800 the entire New England Patriots in New York Jets game. 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:06.200 Don't ask me how I managed to do this, but 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.080 I did. The Star Wars trailer was at halftime, Mike, 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:10.880 I wanted to wait for the Star Wars trailer, and 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:12.480 then afterwards I was like, I was working on the 0:16:12.480 --> 0:16:13.800 Player on the Rise story. I was like, I'll just 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:18.440 keep watching Sam Donald, who, by the way, played a 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:21.520 great game the week before and you know, hopefully still 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:23.280 have a bright future. In this league. I was incredibly 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:25.200 high on he was my number one quarterback in the 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.160 two thousand eighteen draft and beat a Dallas Cowboys team 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:32.240 that then just obliterated the Philadelphia Eagles in primetime on 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:35.720 Sunday night. But go ahead, So Donald goes over the sideline. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.480 He's miked up for this game. Why he would ever 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:39.920 agree to be miked up for a New England Patriots 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:42.720 game is beyond me, and I would never ever want 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:46.000 that for myself. He's on the thing. He says, I 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:47.960 believe you're saying to you, there's quarterbacks coach. I don't 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:49.920 think it was Adam Gays. He says, I'm seeing ghosts 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:52.120 out there. And if you know anything about Donald's day, 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:56.080 I'll just read the stats here for you quickly. Um, yeah, 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:58.280 this is It was an all timer, a three point 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:01.080 six passer rating aleve in of thirty two for eighty 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:05.480 six yards with four touchdowns or four interceptions. Excuse me, completions, 0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:08.080 four interests. I think someone Monday Football threw up of stat. 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:09.800 I think it was like the second time since nineteen 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:13.119 quarterback has had over thirty pass attempts under a hundred 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:16.760 passing yards and four interceptions just a nightmarish game for you. 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:21.119 He's seeing goes. One thing it tells you is where 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.840 the bar is when you play Bill Belichick in the Patriots. 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.880 It's still incredibly high. It's you know, if you look 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:28.800 at this game, Tom Brady had an eighty passer rating, 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.840 but they still won based on how they played defensively handily. 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:34.680 The point I want to raise here and I don't 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:36.240 I know pack Frians, you see, I don't need this 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.680 reminder West leave us alone. Your quarterback had a hundred 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.840 and fifty eight point three passer rating. We can create 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:46.040 any kind of narratives you want. My headline for inbox today, 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:49.240 the day that we're shooting this was that guy never 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:53.360 left talking about Aaron Rodgers. Because the narrative nationally this week, inevitably, 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.760 starting on Wednesday, is going to be Aaron Rodgers is back. 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:00.560 Aaron Rodgers never left. In The point I raised with 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.640 that is the storylines will ebb and flow. The quarterback 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.239 position is way too difficult in this league to just 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:09.120 play at a hundred and fifty pass rating every week. 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:13.720 Too many variables. I just hope in requests and ask 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:15.960 that Packer fans really appreciate what they have, and I 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:17.560 know they're gonna say, oh, we have twenty six years. 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.520 We've always appreciate it. But Aaron Rodgers makes this game 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:24.240 look a lot easier than it really is. Sam Donald 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.119 watching him play against the Jet against New England, especially 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:29.159 in the second half when things got really rough, I 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:31.680 felt bad for him because you see a young guy 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.480 there that is a one of the peak players in 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:36.240 this league. People say, oh, it's a bad quarterback. No, 0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:40.560 this is one of the best prospects the NFL at 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:43.439 this level. Thirty two jobs right starting quarterback. This is 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:45.920 one of the best prospects the NFL has to offer. 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:48.480 And he has a three pass rating against New England 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:50.399 defense that is one of the best in the NFL 0:18:50.400 --> 0:18:53.480 this season. Whoever crosses paths with New England, I know 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:55.080 I've been the first one to say they haven't truly 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.280 been tested. That shows you where the bar is, and 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:00.879 that shows you how good these players are. And it 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:03.000 shows you one more time, you don't need a hundred 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:05.000 fifty eight point three passer rating to know that Aaron 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:07.240 Rodgers is good. You see it every Sunday because of 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:09.560 what he brings the table, what how the way he 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:13.000