WEBVTT - #547 Packers Unscripted: 2-for-2 0:00:01.080 --> 0:00:20.439 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted Social 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:23.759 Distancing Style from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:28.040 joined as always by the one and only Wes Hodkowits, 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:30.960 and Wes, I need to start this show by offering 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:34.240 an apology to our regular listeners and viewers. Our plan 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:37.960 was to do two shows per week during the regular season. 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:41.120 We did not meet that goal a week ago. Long 0:00:41.159 --> 0:00:44.200 story short, I'll spare you the details. Just duties and 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:48.879 other responsibilities and things got in the way all of 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:53.000 us involved in this, including our producer Marvin Um. So anyway, 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:56.120 we apologize for that. We are going to try to 0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:59.240 forge ahead and do two shows a week and we 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:02.200 appreciate you sticking with us as we roll with the 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:07.360 punches here in So with that, Wes, we have a 0:01:07.480 --> 0:01:10.920 second Packers victory to talk about. Forty two, twenty one 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:14.319 Sunday at lambeau Field. The Packers double up on the 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:18.720 Detroit Lions, and fitting that the score was a double 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:21.600 up because doubling up at the end of the first 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:24.440 half beginning of the second half with those two touchdowns 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:27.279 was really what swung this game in Green Bay's favor. 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:29.840 So Here's what's funny. We did inside our inbox last 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:31.680 week and somebody asked me, Hey, is there any chance 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.520 that the Packers could repeat what they did against the 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.520 Minnesota Vikings. I'm like, they had an all time like 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:41.479 incredible performance. There's no chance you're gonna have another five yards, 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.080 forty plus points, thirty plus first downs and no turnovers. 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:46.880 That was the first time it had happened in franchise history. 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:49.920 A week ago against Minnesota in Lo and behold they 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:53.160 come up twelve yards shy in like four first downs 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:55.480 of like hitting those same marks again. I mean they 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:58.800 were off to just this trepid start right now. But 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:01.320 you know, you talked an important thing there, Mike, and 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:03.840 it's something that over the course of time here, especially 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:06.880 over the last few years, it's become so important with 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:10.000 the deferring the opening kickoff for teams trying to double 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:11.760 up at the end of the half, and then going 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.920 into the second half. Uh, this was as picture perfect 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:16.840 as it gets in terms of how the Packers went 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:20.519 about it. And then that you know carry to start 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.560 the second half, a seventy five yard touchdown that Aaron 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:27.200 Jones started the third quarter with. You couldn't ask for 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:30.160 a better swing for Green Bay, not only on the scoreboard, 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.320 going from being down four what was it, fourteen to ten, 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:37.040 two up twenty four to fourteen. Not only just that, 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.960 but just the momentum swing, the way it changed the defense, 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.080 the way the offense started approaching the game differently. Uh, 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:44.920 it was everything you could have wished it to be 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:47.160 for the Packers and they come out on top and 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:49.680 now two and oh in the NFC North. Yeah, well, 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:51.760 I don't know if I've ever seen that double up 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:54.280 on either ends of a halftime so close together. The 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:58.760 Packers scored a touchdown fourteen seconds before intermission, and then 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:01.359 Aaron Jones went of any five yards to the house 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:05.560 twelve seconds into the third quarters. So twenty six seconds 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:08.440 on the clock is all that had lapsed essentially between 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.440 those two touchdowns. And yeah, it it really in a sense, 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:15.000 it capped the Packers come back from being down fourteen 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:18.480 to three after one quarter. It was an accomplishment enough 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.639 just to be able to grab the lead by a halftime, 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:24.520 but then to suddenly be ahead ten points before the 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:28.000 Lions even got the ball in the second half. Was 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:29.880 was really a big swing. And you look at you 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.000 look at two sequences here west when the Packers are 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:35.640 down fourteen to three, the touchdown that got them to 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:38.960 fourteen to ten, Aaron Jones accounted for forty five of 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:41.800 the seventy five yards on that drive. Then he bust 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:44.280 the seventy five yard run to start the third quarter, 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.160 and he was on his way to a career day 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.880 two hundred and thirty six yards from scrimmage rushing and 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:55.840 receiving combined, the third most in Packers history, a career 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:58.040 day for number thirty three. And I tell you what, 0:03:58.080 --> 0:03:59.760 I hate to say this because I don't want to 0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:03.120 you know, jinks him or anything, but this might not 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:05.320 be the first time this year we're talking about a 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:08.960 two hundred plus yards from scrimmage day for Aaron Jones. Well, 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:10.640 and the reason you can say that, Mike, is because 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:13.080 it happened last year against Kansas City, So over the 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:15.600 span of what maybe ten games now, it's happened twice 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:18.320 for him. An incredible performance. The thing I love the 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.039 most about it, too, is that Jamal Williams had eight 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:23.440 carries for sixty three yards too in this contest. If 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:25.120 he would have had the touches, he probably would have 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:27.880 went off for a career Day two, everything was clicking 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:29.760 in the right way. The Packers got banged up on 0:04:29.800 --> 0:04:33.560 the offensive line, but they were still able to adjust 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:36.960 and be able to create those opportunities Matt Patricia. In 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:40.279 this plan for Detroit, they wanted to take away Davante Adams. 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:42.960 That was apparent from the first kickoff of this game, 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.280 and Adams, also dealing with the hamstring issue, only had 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.520 three catches for thirty six yards, but they made them 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:52.240 pay with the opportunities that they created with Aaron Jones. 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:54.520 And I liked a line that Jones gave us in 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:58.240 the postgame zoom call. He mentioned, how you know, early on, 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:00.880 you gotta remember his longest carry against Minnesota was only 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.680 fifteen yards, so early on he's getting these three four 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:06.520 or five yard carries, and you're kind of wanting to 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:08.839 break one here. You're wanting to actually sort of, you know, 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:11.120 make a statement and not just have all these you know, 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:13.880 short things underneath. Yes, they help you move the chains, 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.400 but they're not really those back baked, blake, back breaking 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:22.440 type plays and received exactly. Mercedes Lewis came came up 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.159 to him on the sideline and he said, hey, listen, 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.440 just stay at it, you're going to be able to 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:28.840 break the big one. They got the twenty two yard 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:30.919 pick up off the pass underneath at the end of 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.120 the first half that you were talking about with that drive, 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:35.159 and then to come up with the seventy five yard 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:37.560 or a hundred and sixty eight rushing yards a career 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:40.520 high for him, two hund thirty six all purpose yards, 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:42.800 the most buy a Packers running back in team history, 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:47.400 the third most overall behind Billy Houghton, and then also, um, 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:50.800 you know Don Hudson. An incredible performance by Aaron Jones 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.839 and being able to really make the Detroit Lions pay 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:56.400 for picking their poison and wanted to take away Davante 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:58.359 Adams of the passing game. Yeah, well, I want to 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:00.400 talk a little bit more about some of those pieces 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:02.400 the Packers have on offense, but I don't want to 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:05.440 forget about our sponsor business here. So folks gear up 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:09.200 for game day, open a Packers checking account from Associated 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:12.960 Bank and score a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop gift card. 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:18.200 Learn more at Associated bank dot com. Backslash Packers. Well, 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.560 through two games here West, the Packers have one thousand 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:26.280 and ten yards of total offense, which is like mind boggling. 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:29.680 But here's the thing we saw. Davante Adams have the 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:32.680 monster game against the Minnesota Vikings. Aaron Jones is the 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:35.719 one with the monster game against the Detroit Lions. But 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:38.800 you don't have a thousand yards of offense through two 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:42.479 games if the complementary pieces are not doing their part. 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:45.200 And you look at what's going on here. Mark Quisvelde 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:47.599 Scantling has over a hundred and fifty receiving yards and 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.000 a touchdown. Um Alan Lazard has over a hundred yards 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:54.040 receiving and a touchdown through two games. Jamal Williams has 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.400 over a hundred yards from scrimmage in two games. Robert 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:01.159 Tanyan has a touchdown pass that the eight ends chiming 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:05.960 in on on Sunday with a score. So, yes, they've 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.520 had these big games from the big stars, and that's 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:11.320 what you need to that that's what you need to win. 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:15.800 But to establish any level of consistency with the offense, 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:18.440 you've got to have these other guys chipping in. And yes, 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.280 there have been some drop passes. Tanyan dropped one, MVS 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:24.120 dropped a couple in Minnesota. All that the Packers know, 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:26.400 there are things that they can smooth out, but they 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:30.400 are getting the contributions, the complementary contributions to their star 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:34.320 players that has really taken this offense to another level. Yeah, 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:36.440 it really has, Mike, And you know, we talked about 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:39.240 Joside Deguire last week and the contribution that he made 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:41.240 and certainly end up having the shin an ankle injury, 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:44.000 so he was out of this game against the Lions. 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:46.840 But it's those type of players that maybe aren't necessarily 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:50.760 a top ten round drafted player in a fantasy football league, 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:52.760 but the type of guys that make your football team 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.600 better and make your offense more efficient. I think Robert 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:59.280 Tanian fits perfectly. It's it's incredible the journey he's been 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:01.960 on and how being a practice squad player making a 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:05.240 transition from receiver back in two thousand eighteen to now 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:08.440 being in fitting into a system of offense. He wasn't 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:11.400 even that wasn't even here when he started in Green Bay. Uh. 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.400 Those are just how the domino is kind of aligned 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.320 sometimes and how the chips fall and it works out 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.400 really well. He fits the scheme well. He he's improved 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:22.280 as a blocker, he's made plays underneath, and then certainly 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:24.000 when the time came for him to get that pass 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:27.040 in the end zone, a rocket that Aaron Rodgers just 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:29.040 shot at him. He was able to bring that in 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:32.640 in a big momentum, really ceiling type play for this offense. 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:35.560 But he goes beyond that. It goes back to Jamal 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.440 Williams as a complimentary piece. It goes back to a 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:40.440 guy like MVS, who I think was written off by 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:43.600 a lot of people last year. MBS is averaging twenty 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:45.439 two yards of catch right now. I mean there is 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:48.760 a home run power with him that you just can't find. 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:52.559 And as I wrote in in inbox this week, I mean, 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:57.120 could the Packers have benefited from drafting receiver Absolutely, with 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.160 that of receivers still had an uphill climb to beat 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:03.000 out these top three guys on the step chart. Absolutely, 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:04.679 that would have been an investment in the future. That 0:09:04.679 --> 0:09:07.439 wouldn't have been an answer for two thousand twenty. Brian 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.800 Goodkin's know what he was doing. He did go and 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:12.200 get Devin Funch just to help out, to to be 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:14.040 able to round that room out, give them some depth. 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:15.880 When that didn't work out, though, he didn't panic. He 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.480 stuck with what they already had and they've built the 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:20.880 offense around it. Now, you hope for the Packer's sake 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.520 that Davante Adams the hamstring injury isn't a big thing 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.040 going forward. Matt Laflour kind of played it off on 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:28.000 Monday that it was something a decision that was made 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:29.880 because of the way the offense was producing and the 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:32.520 fact the Packers were in the driver's seat. Maybe things 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:34.080 would have been a little bit differently if that was 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:37.360 a tightly contested game. But if Adams is fine and 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:39.160 you have Aaron Jones going off the way he's going 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.720 off right now, this offense has plenty of playmakers, there's 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:44.320 not an issue with there with that. Well, on the 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.720 defensive side of the ball, it was a very interesting 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.800 game because the Packers defense got off to about as 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:52.240 slow a start as you could. The Lions took the 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:55.320 ball down the field on their first two possessions seemingly 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.120 with ease, scored two touchdowns. As we said before, they 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:01.200 were up fourteen to three at to one quarter, But 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:04.120 then the Packers defense clamped down a bit. The Lions 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.080 only scored seven more points over the final three quarters 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:09.800 of the game. They had you know, probably you know 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.560 around thirty five of their offensive yards just in the 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.920 first quarter, so things really changed. And as we saw 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:20.800 in Minnesota, this defense also made one of those game 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:23.360 changing type of plays, and this time it was with 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:25.720 the Lions backed up near their goal line. Very first 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:28.760 play of the possession, Channon Sullivan jumps a quick out 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:32.200 route to Danny Amendola, intercepts the pass and sort of 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:34.600 slides or dives across the goal line. It goes as 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:38.800 a seven yard interception return for a touchdown. But this 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:41.840 defense west The Packers have eighty five points through two games. 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:44.240 The defense has accounted for nine of them. There's something 0:10:44.280 --> 0:10:46.240 to be said for that. There definitely is Mike and 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:48.200 one thing, you know, as many yards as the Packers 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:50.400 ended up giving up in the second half against Minnesota 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:53.080 and also the first two drives against the Lions, but 0:10:53.120 --> 0:10:54.840 the one thing they've done really well as they played 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:58.240 disciplined football for the most part. You saw how you know, 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:02.079 really penalties did the Detroit Lions in in this game. 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:04.000 It's one of the things that backed him up. Also 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:06.839 with a couple coffin corner punts there from j K. 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:10.000 Scott being able to really win the field position battle 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.520 in the second half, But once they were in those predicaments, 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:15.120 the Packers defense took advantage of it. I thought Rashawn 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.800 Gary being able to avoid the cut block on Adrian 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:20.400 Peterson and still put pressure on Matthew Stafford that play 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.360 might be differently, might have played out differently if he 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:26.199 had an opportunity to pull that ball down and Gary 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:29.120 went to the ground instead, it gets forced out. Sullivan 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:31.600 makes a great play on the ball, game changing moment 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:34.880 there down the stretch. After being having a really difficult 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.560 time closing out the Vikings, the Packers defense did just 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:39.320 that in this game. And they did it with their 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:41.760 their starting defense, in their backup defense. I mean, it 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:43.840 was incredible the way that that fourth quarter played out. 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:47.280 Rashawn Gary getting a sack right and backs them up 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.160 forces of three and out. Next possession, they get a 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:52.240 sack from Vernon Scott and I think might have been 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:55.120 his first defensive snap in the NFL. You have you 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:59.040 have Garry also contribute there with Preston Smith, and then 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.319 let's be honest, mean, Josh Jackson made a nice play 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:03.560 down the sideline too, in single coverage in what could 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.720 have potentially been a home run type ball. They closed 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.240 this thing out the way you want to see them 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.240 close it out. The big issue here is going to 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:13.400 be the running defense here. If you don't have Kenny Clark. 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:15.480 Right now, the Packers are thirtieth in the league when 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:17.600 it comes to opposing rushing yards. You've got to get 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:20.080 that down. You can't allow teams to start fast on 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:22.559 the first and second down because that's when you're getting 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:24.640 in your behind the eight ball on third down. You 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.120 want to get those third and seven plus situations. That's 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.640 when Mike Petton's defense is at its best. And when 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:33.160 that happens, good things happened for this defense. Yeah, and 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.000 you've mentioned his name a couple of times already. Rare 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:39.760 Shawn Gary. He was a force on Sunday against the 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:43.439 Detroit Lions. And there it wasn't some big, huge statistical 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:45.679 thing like you know what what Aaron Jones did on 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:48.199 the offensive side of the ball. Gary did have one 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.280 and a half sex but as you mentioned the pressure 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:52.480 that he got on the pick six played by Sullivan. 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:55.640 You look at the defensive film and Gary is just 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:59.560 a disruptor. He's he bothers the other team on almost 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:02.520 every single play with with his effort, with his hustle, 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:05.240 and quite frankly, with just the strength and power that 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:09.480 he has against offensive tackles, he's showing that he's going 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:12.560 to be a problem for opposing def for opposing offenses, 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.160 excuse me. And that's good news for the Packers. When 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.960 you have guys like the Smiths and like Jayar Alexander 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:22.760 and Kevin King and Darnell Savage, Adrian NamUs, those other 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:25.559 guys that that were a big part of this defense 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:28.160 last year. They're all back and now they've got another 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.960 piece in Rashaan Gary. They really do and sixty defensive 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:35.040 snaps so far, Mike, he has six tackles, one and 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:38.280 a half sacks, four quarterback hits. So let's look back 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:42.760 to last season play twoto defensive snaps had three quarterback 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.080 hits during those games. He's already surpassed it and basically 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:48.080 a fourth of the amount of snaps that he received 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:50.880 last season. He took his offseason seriously. And the other 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:52.680 thing I really like is, okay, so you don't have 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:55.360 Kenny Clark right now. That hurts the defense that that 0:13:55.440 --> 0:13:57.640 isn't good to not have your Pro Bowl defensive tackle 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.960 out there. But they created that Bronco base package where 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:04.280 they have two defensive tackles lining up as three texts, 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:07.760 and you have Preston Smith and also Rashan Gary lining 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:11.040 up on the edges, both solid stout run defenders. That 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:14.240 allows Zadarius Smith to sort of be that roving fifth 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:17.720 guy on the front. They were successful out of that package. 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:19.640 Now they've gotten beat on it a couple of times too. 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.400 But if you're not gonna have Kenny Clark, you're not 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:24.600 going to be able to replace him in conventional ways. 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:27.280 You have to do things differently. I like what I 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.640 saw from that package, and I think as much as 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:31.640 we talk about the dime defense, and that's when these 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.520 you know, pass rushers really make their paycheck, but it's 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:36.560 those early downs that I think the Packers have a 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.160 strength there with these outside linebackers. They can take advantage 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:41.000 of that. And for as long as they're gonna be 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:43.280 missing Kenny Clark, if you have another option that you 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:45.800 can lean on as far as defending the run, that's 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:47.880 gonna go a long way and being able to sustain 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.240 this defense for the long run and not just show 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.520 that you're just a base nickel dime defense that you 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:57.360 can do different variations to really take advantage of potential mismatches. Yeah, well, 0:14:57.360 --> 0:15:00.920 certainly through two games, defensive coordinator Mike Petton has filmed 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:03.160 the show of his guys of Hey, this is where 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:05.680 we're in command, where we're dictating to the offense, and 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:07.960 then hey, this is where we're kind of getting it 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:09.720 handed to us a little bit, and these are the 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:13.280 things we've got to shore up. So the Packers defense, yeah, 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:15.120 it's it's been up and down. I think it can 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.200 be a little bit unsettling to see that. But at 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:20.520 the same time, you know, with the way this Packers 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.040 offense is going, the Packers defense is going to have 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:25.760 some time to to work out their issues here. Well, 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:28.800 Green Bay is two and oh after two games. One 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:31.840 of five teams in the NFC actually West that are 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.840 two and oh. Chicago Bears are tied with the Packers 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:37.280 atop the NFC North at two and oh, and then 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:41.720 three teams in the NFC West, the Cardinals, the Seahawks, 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:45.320 and the Rams, not the defending NFC champion San Francisco 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.120 forty Niners, but those other three teams in the NFC 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:50.480 West are all too and oh. Just your thoughts that 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:53.640 where things stand right now through two weeks. Well, one 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:55.640 thing is I'm if I'm an NFL team, I'm glad 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:57.200 I don't play in the West right now. That is 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:00.080 that is a powerhouse division, and I think the the 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:02.120 Arizona Cardinals are really going to surprise some people. I 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.480 was talking about that last week as we were going 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:07.760 into the beginning slate of games here. But the one 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:09.560 thing I like about Green Bay is that for the 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.360 second straight year, you start off two and o in 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:13.400 your division, and it also coincides up being too and 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:16.280 no overall. That went a long way last year under 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.440 the thirteen and three regular season. If you pick up 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:21.600 these wins early in the division, good things are gonna 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:23.200 happen by the end of the season. It's going to 0:16:23.280 --> 0:16:25.200 keep you not only in the hunt for your division title, 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:27.280 but it's ultimately what's going to keep you up there 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:30.240 with the only one uh first round by into the 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:34.560 playoffs that that competition has just gotten incredibly heightened now 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:36.400 with the number two seed now having to play a 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:39.440 wild card game against the number seven seeds. So you 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:40.720 have to be able to stay out in front of 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.040 this race. It is a marathon, it's not a sprint. 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:45.440 But we also know if you don't start fast enough, 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:48.080 it's tough to make up that ground over twenty point 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:49.760 two miles. I know you're a big runner, Mic, so 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:53.880 obviously you understand that reference. But no, I mean, this 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:55.560 is the way it's gonna go. There's going to be 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.160 tough matchups. As we talked about last week. There are 0:16:58.200 --> 0:16:59.920 going to be a tough slate of games here, some 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.520 really good quarterbacks coming up on the Packers schedule. But 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:04.720 the more wins that you pick up here in September, 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:06.440 the easier your job gets throughout the course of the 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:09.840 long season. Well, interestingly, one of the teams in the 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:12.479 NFC that is not to and Oh is the New 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.520 Orleans Saints, the Packers opponent here at the end of 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.479 this week, coming up on Sunday Night Football. And I 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:21.560 was I was astonished west when I heard during the 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:24.440 Monday night football broadcast when the Saints lost to the 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:27.000 Raiders to to drop to one and one, that the 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:28.960 New Orleans Saints have not been to and Oh to 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:32.640 start a season since. That kind of blew me away 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:38.040 in a sense, because I'll be honest, nineteen, I think 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.880 the New Orleans Saints have been one of the best 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:44.280 teams in football and probably the best team over that 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.719 three year stretch in the NFC. Yet they don't have 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:50.080 an appearance in the Super Bowl to show for it. 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.320 They don't have an NFC titled to show for it. 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:56.840 And the Saints are sort of right where they always are. 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:59.480 I guess they're one on one. They're figuring things out 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:01.480 early in the season. I still think this is going 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:05.240 to be an incredibly dangerous, dangerous team in the NFC. 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:07.440 It should be a whale of a game Sunday night 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:09.520 down in New Orleans. Yeah, I mean, they're gonna it 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:11.800 hurts them that they're not able to have the fans there, 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:13.919 that that is such a huge advantage for them. I 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:15.560 think Aaron Rodgers is going to be able to take 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:18.359 advantage of that, you know, potentially with the snap counts 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:21.439 and and whatnot. But I'll say this, I mean, certainly 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:23.159 they were playing on the road. But one thing that 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:25.280 was kind of struck me about that game against Vegas 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:28.560 is that so we'd even saying that Vegas. Uh. What 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.480 struck me about that game is that Drew Brees wasn't 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.280 going off with that quick one to second clock that 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:35.920 he typically goes with. He was holding out of the 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.119 ball a little bit longer, and that there was some 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.600 issues downfield. Now, when you don't have Michael Thomas, certainly 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.359 that's changes the structure of your offense, but he was 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:46.040 having to really rely heavily on Elvin Kamara. Now we 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.040 got to see what happens with Thomas this week. There's 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.439 a long stretch to go from when we're taping this 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:52.520 on Tuesday to when they play on Sunday night. But 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:56.359 it's just he's such a game changer that I think 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:58.840 it really structurally just changes their offense when he's not 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:02.480 out there. So for Drew Brees seeing a game like that, 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:05.720 a performance like that, up and down throughout, and then 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:07.560 certainly the Raiders being able to close it out in 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:10.639