WEBVTT - #667 Packers Unscripted: Minnesota musings 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:10.480 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:13.960 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:16.400 by my trusted colleague Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to you 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:20.080 hear from our studios at lambeau Field and West. Week 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:25.720 one is here. The Packers will open the season at 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:31.680 Minnesota against the NFC North rival Vikings on Sunday this week. 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:35.839 It's a three pm Central Time kickoff. Before we get 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:38.520 to talking about this opponent in a big division game 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:41.839 here in week one, a little bit of an injury 0:00:41.920 --> 0:00:44.440 update as far as where things stand with the Packers, 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:46.800 and I guess when I say update, maybe it's more 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:51.280 to say there's still some injury uncertainty with exactly where 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:53.520 things are gonna go this week with Green Bay. Hearing 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:56.120 from Matt Lafleur at the beginning of the week, it 0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:59.280 sounds like David Bakti is working his way into the 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.360 eleven on a levin the team reps in practice. Not 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:05.399 so sure about where things are with Elton Jenkins. We 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.120 did find out last week it sounds like Robert Tunny 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:11.720 in at tight end is has been pretty close, if 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:15.080 not completely full go in in the eleven on eleven. 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:17.880 Also still kind of in a wait and see mode 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:21.360 as to what may or may not happen with Christian Watson, 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:24.480 him having missed all of the preseason games, hasn't played 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:27.440 in an NFL game yet, what will be his role 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:32.040 comes Sunday. And also at wide receiver, Al Lazard currently 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:36.280 not practicing. The last couple of practices that we've that 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.440 we've been able to watch, he's been off to the side. 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:42.080 It's an unspecified injury. Nothing about it has been discussed. 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:45.880 But on balance, I think you have to say the 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:49.960 Packers look pretty darn healthy for this Week one matchup, 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:53.000 But there is a little bit of uncertainty here and 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:54.960 there in a couple of spots, which is what is 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:57.000 going to happen when you have a fifty three man roster, 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.559 And certainly when the Packers went into the camp having 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.480 a few of these guys and n f I and 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:03.920 p U p uh, this was kind of how it 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:05.920 was all going to sort of lay out. But the 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.240 one big positive that I think Green Bay has going 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:12.400 for itself compared to last year is you know, much 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:15.560 fewer season ending injuries, you know, last year, or a 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:17.680 couple of a c ls in camp. There are some 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:20.520 ankle injuries in camp that wipes some guys out. They 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:24.680 pretty much got to the starting line here unencumbered. That's 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.400 a positive first step. Now, certainly I know a lot 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:29.040 of people out there and I've been seeing it an 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:31.400 inbox and we've gotten the tweets people worried about the 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:34.799 al lazard thing. We don't know and and I don't 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:37.440 think that means it's not a big deal. I don't 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:38.960 think that means it is a big deal. I think 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.200 it just the packers are not obligated to give an 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:46.040 injury report until Wednesday practice report with the designations to 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.320 follow on Friday. The kudos of the media corps, many 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:52.600 of our brethren and in journalism, uh, they tried six 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:54.840 different ways from Sunday to to get some information out 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.120 on Matt the floor on on Monday morning, and the 0:02:57.160 --> 0:02:59.919 floor wasn't having it in a very positive and respectful way. 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:02.119 Just they're not going to go there right now. So 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:05.440 I think the build up in the process, I've you know, 0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:07.079 we'll talk about some of these other things soon enough, 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:10.640 but just listen and even mentioned that Wednesday practice and 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.320 how you know, some guys were breathing kind of heavy again, 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:15.160 you know, trying to get back into the football shape, 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.079 trying to get prepared for a six quarter or a 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:21.040 four quarter excuse me, hopefully four quarter game in Minnesota. 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:23.800 That's where this is all about. It's about ramping up, 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:26.000 It's about being prepared and having as many of those 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.560 playmakers available as possible. Yeah, well, if you prepare for 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:30.919 a six quarter game, you're definitely going to be ready 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:33.679 for a four quarter game. But let's talk a little 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:38.160 bit about the vikings here Week one opponent. We discussed 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:40.000 this a little bit in the off season as well. 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:43.920 What's what's interesting about this with Minnesota to me is 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:46.760 that you have a new regime at the top, a 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:51.720 new general manager, a new head coach, regime change in Minnesota, 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.520 but yet the cast of characters on the field is 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.640 going to look awfully familiar. When you're talking about Kirk Cousins, 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:03.240 Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thalan on the offensive side, 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:06.560 and guys like Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith and Patrick 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:10.360 Peterson at cornerback who's been in Minnesota for for a 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:14.960 little bit now, similar cast of characters to what we've seen. 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:19.760 Daniel Hunter another one on defense, but mixing in now 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.400 a couple of former Green Bay Packers on that defensive 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:27.240 side's Darius Smith Channon Sullivan. Just overall, what are your 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:31.120 impressions of sort of where things are headed with with 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:33.839 the Minnesota Vikings right now? You know, same deck of cards, 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:35.920 a different dealer. Is sort of the way I've looked 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:37.680 at this all week. I mean, when you look at 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.920 you know, Kevin O'Connell, it's gonna be interesting. Probably hearing 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.000 gave floor talk about him this week because these are 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:46.279 two guys that didn't work together at all. Yeah, but 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:50.599 they basically followed the same exact script to be coming 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:54.480 head coaches, spending time in Washington. Both of them worked 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:58.200 it for you know, Sean McVeigh at the Los Angeles Rams. 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:01.400 So the process as for these guys, even though Conna 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:04.360 played a couple of years in the league, both quarterback backgrounds, 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:07.039 it sort of makes sense. I mean, this is that 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:10.839 Shanahan Tree we've talked about. The interesting thing for him 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:14.039 is the fact that offensively, you know, you can say 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:18.120 whatever you want about Kirk Cousins, but justin Jefferson just 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.640 turned twenty three years old. Delvin Cook when he's healthy 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:24.120 is still among the best running backs in the National 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:25.960 Football League, and I think they feel better about their 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:28.960 offensive line. So there aren't a lot of situations you're 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:30.960 gonna walk into as a first year head coach where 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:32.360 you have a receiver that I think a lot of 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:34.839 people would say is in the conversation for being among 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.360 the best at his position right now despite how young 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:39.800 he is. Remember all those positive things that Davante Adams 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.839 talked about last year with him Delvin Cook again, that 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:45.159 a guy that can control the pace of a game 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:48.919 if a defense lets him do that. The big question 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:51.599 mark for me is defensively, what this is gonna look like, 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:55.240 because even when things weren't going great for Minnesota, you 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.640 always could hang your hat on a Mike Zimmer defense. 0:05:59.240 --> 0:06:04.000 The double A app looks strong linebacker play, strong cornerback play. 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:07.920 In its prime, that sort of deteriorated. So now you 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:10.760 have ed Donnitel in there. You bring in you know, 0:06:10.800 --> 0:06:13.760 Mike Smith is the outside linebacker coach, you have Mike 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:17.400 Petton as the the oversight in the senior administrator role. 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:20.640 That's gonna be really interesting because I think the biggest 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:23.320 storyline that's gonna kind of permeate through this week is 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.360 the Packers matching up against Darius Smith. And if you're 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:29.200 looking at the Minnesota Vikings and a conference that's wide 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.760 open in a division where it's probably not gonna take 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:36.080 a lot to run away from Chicago and Detroit, Minnesota 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:37.839 still very much in the thick of this thing. Yeah, 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:42.240 and it's interesting when you talk about the these two 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:45.920 head coaches sort of coming from the Sean McVeigh tree, 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:48.599 so to speak. And there's been some talk in the 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:53.240 locker room already about, well, you know, how similar will 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:57.359 this Vikings offense under Kevin O'Connell be to what the 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.800 Packers have been practicing against in training camp up all 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:06.160 summer long. And Devandre Campbell, um me, Bill Hubert from 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.840 s I, a few other reporters. We were at Campbell's 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:13.280 locker after practice on Monday, and he gave a really 0:07:13.320 --> 0:07:16.360 interesting answer to that whole similarities with the offense thing. 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.880 He said, yeah, we're probably going to see some things 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.480 that we recognize. There will be some things that are similar, 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:26.200 but the Vikings have just as the Packers had with 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.440 Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams and Aaron Jones and all this. 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.960 When Matt Lafleur took over. The Minnesota Vikings have a 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:36.680 completely different cast of of the perimeter weapons, the skill 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:38.840 position players, whatever you want to call it. When you 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:43.679 talk about Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson and Adam thieland 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:45.720 and I know they're trying to get Er Smith back 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:50.320 at at tight end. So yeah, there there are concepts, 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:55.040 there are similarities, but but offenses are still going to 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:58.680 be tailored to the personnel that's running them, right that 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:02.040 That's what the best coaches do. They find what their 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:05.640 personnel does best, and then they get that too, uh, 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:09.720 they get that to fit um from a conceptual standpoint, 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:11.440 So as much as the Packers are going to have 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:15.120 some idea of the motions and and all the pre 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:18.560 snap stuff, you don't really know how this offense is 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.760 gonna look with Kirk Cousins taking the snaps and Dalvin 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:25.200 Cook taking the handoffs and Justin Jefferson and Adam Fieland 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:28.360 catching the passes until you really, you know, see what 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:31.080 the first quarter, quarter and a half look like out there. 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:34.040 And that's just one of the one of the challenges 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:37.440 here in Week one for green Bay going up against 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:39.600 a team with a brand new head coach and a 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:42.000 new regime. And that's why it's such a great litmus 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:44.640 test for this defense, this Packers defense that we've talked 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:46.640 so much about. We've spilled so much ink over it 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:50.120 during the offseason, the expectations, what they think this unit 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:53.120 could be the starting eleven of that Nickel package that 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:56.160 we've talked about so much. Um, there's a lot of 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:58.160 weapons you have to neutralize in this game, but there's 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:00.200 also a lot of opportunities to I mean, I do 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.480 look at it as you know, Minnesota has had a 0:09:02.559 --> 0:09:06.120 hard time getting this offensive line right when when we've 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.400 set it time and time again all of these shows 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:11.480 for the last five six years, when you pressure Kirk Cousins, 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:14.360 the direct impact of the outcome of that game when 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:16.560 he is seeing you know, a lot of guys in 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.960 his face and you know, facing some sacks and pressure 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:22.920 and turnover generating place. That's been the key to Green 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:25.880 Bay winning these games during the Kirk Cousins era against Minnesota, 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:27.640 and they have to get back to their bread and butter. 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:31.960 At the same time, I think the curious thing for 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:34.240 me is also going to be seeing this Packers offense. 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:37.240 You know, you talk about how different you know this, 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.640 this could potentially look with Kevin O'Connell now running the 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:44.520 show in Minnesota, this Packers offense now without Davonte Adams, 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:48.000 maybe more on the running backs, maybe depending on how 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:51.080 everything works out, David Box tr Elton Jenkins back or both. 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:56.400 There's so many question marks, which is somewhat expected for 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:58.679 a Week one opener, But in terms of the personnel 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:01.880 aspect of it, what the offenses, defenses, and even to 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.320 some extense special teams, the form they're going to take 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:06.680 probably one of the more intriguing ones I think I've 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.440 covered here in recent memory. Yeah, and what you said 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:14.720 as well with regard to Minnesota's defense, they're they're the 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:18.360 familiar faces. They're the new additions, like as a Darius Smith, 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:26.480 who having essentially not played all of if he's healthy, 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:30.280 you know that he's also fresh, right, he's going to 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:33.800 be as ready to go um as anyone. And uh 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:37.360 and and a guy like Channon Sullivan who had a 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:44.120 really important role here in Green Bay secondary for multiple seasons. 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.280 That's a big boost for a team like Minnesota to 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:49.880 get a proven guy like that, whether they're using him 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:52.080 as a number three, number four corner. I'm not sure 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:54.800 exactly what, you know, how their depth chart lays out, 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:57.680 but that's a big boost because that's a that's the 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:00.360 type of depth piece that in the last couple of 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.520 years of the Mike Zimmer era, they didn't really have 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:07.360 that at cornerback. You sort of knew your best chance 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:10.720 against Minnesota was, Okay, spread them out and test the 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.120 depth in the secondary and then really go after him. 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:16.000 And we've seen Aaron Rodgers have some big games in 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:19.800 recent years against that defense. Now we'll see Daniel Hunters, 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.360 Darius Smith being the guys coming off the edges. You know, 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:26.000 Harrison Smith back there, you know, whether he's playing center 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:29.360 field or on the line of scrimmage. But it's going 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:32.079 to be interesting to see just what this Minnesota defense 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:35.520 looks like with with a few new pieces, but but 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.640 yet being mixed in with with the old guard, so 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:40.800 to speak. And if I may, Mike just jump in. 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:43.760 I mean, that was the one piece that fell out 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.640 of place for Minnesota that never got fixed during the 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:50.040 Zimmer era when you lose Xavior Rows and Trey Wayne's 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:54.160 and they not saying these were l pro type corners, 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.880 but they had a process and it just got it 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:01.760 unraveled so fast, and it all happened at the same time, 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:05.040 and they ran into a scenario where nobody stepped up 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.280 in that interim. Now Patrick Peterson comes in. They do 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:10.040 seem like they found a little bit more of an 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:13.079 identity there, But to me that that's where this thing 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.920 starts for them, because if the next fusion is cool 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:19.800 for Daniel Hunter, that's a big injury. But let's say 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:21.679 everything's chill there and he can come back and be 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:23.719 the player. He's still only twenty seven years old or 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:27.679 whatever it is. The back surgery for Zitarius Smith, they 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:29.680 have a feel pretty good idea, but what they're gonna 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.160 get out of that pass rush, it's about what's behind it. 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:34.559 And even as good as Harrison Smith has been throughout 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:36.200 the course of his career the last few seasons, it 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:39.040 just hasn't been enough. Well, I'll take care of a 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:41.559 little bit of sponsored business here. West Serious x M 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:45.200 NFL Radio delivers hard hand, hard hitting analysis and up 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:48.320 to them in the NFL News that true football fanatics 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.800 need seven three six and at Cousin subs, we have 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:55.400 something for everyone, like our Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Mac and 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:57.960 Cheese Golden fries and creamy shakes, all paired with your 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:01.679 favorite sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin subs fifty 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.840 years of better. All right, I'm gonna put you on 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:08.160 the spot here with a little hip mystery trivia question. Here, 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:14.880 Wes Bud Grant. No, how many times? How many times 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:19.000 prior to this year have the Packers and Vikings opened 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:24.400 the season against one another? How many? Would you say? Okay, 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:27.960 so a couple of years ago, was it when it 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:30.160 was at Minnesota? That was the first time the Packers 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:32.200 had ever opened in Minnesota. I'm trying to remember how 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:36.320 that worked. I'm gonna say it's six very close this, 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:39.520 this will actually be the eighth. There was a weird 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:41.520 stat like that where it was either Green they hadn't 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:45.000 opened there or the Vikings hadn't open here. Ever, no, 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:49.400 that yeah, the Packers hadn't opened in Minnesota? Like was 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:51.280 that was? Yes, it was the first. It was the 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.640 first game of the of the COVID season with the 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:56.840 with the remember schedule or at least day. I was 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.440 walking around the office all puffy chest because I felt 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.240 so good about that. Said, hey, did you know since 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:04.360 the Packers have never opened the season at Minnesota, and 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:06.400 then the all the interns looked at me like you 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:10.480 are old and you are a loser. Well, it's interesting 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.200 because if you look at you look at the history. Now, 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:18.520 this this game will sort of go down in history, 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.560 not necessarily from the Packers side, but from the Viking side. 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.120 It's Kevin O'Connell's first game as the head coach of 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:29.520 the Minnesota Vikings. Right you look at these openers, as 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:31.440 we just talked about, was the first game of the 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:35.120 COVID season with no fans in the stands. Two thousand eight, 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.920 Week one, Aaron Rodgers first game as a starting quarterback 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:43.680 two thousand and three, the first game in the redeveloped, 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:47.920 renovated lambeau Field was against the Minnesota Vikings. Here in 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:52.800 Green Bay, Mike Holmgren's first game as the Green Bay 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.960 Packers head coach was against the Minnesota Vikings. And the 0:14:56.000 --> 0:15:00.560 other one of significance was nineteen sixty two, which was 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:04.960 the first game when the Packers were defending their first 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:07.800 title under Vince Lombardi. They won the championship in sixty one. 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:11.280 In their first title defense began against the Minnesota Vikings 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.160 with a big victory. But the interesting thing you look 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:21.160 at since that first game of Mike Holmgren's head coaching 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:24.480 career nine two. There was also an opener in ninety four, 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.480 and then I said, oh, three oh eight in two 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:32.000 thousand and twenty. All of those last five Packers Vikings 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:36.560 openers have been decided by nine points or less. Like 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:39.760 there haven't been haven't been any blowouts in there. Now 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:43.960 in the Packers had a pretty good handle on that game, 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:46.720 but yet that game was so back and forth in Minnesota, 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:48.440 you know, put up a couple of touchdowns in the 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:50.520 fourth quarter and started to make you think, oh, what's 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.840 going to happen here? That ended up being a nine 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:55.360 point victory for Green Bay and that's actually the largest 0:15:55.440 --> 0:16:00.080 margin of victory in a Packers Vikings opener um in 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.000 in the last thirty years. But um, definitely. Uh. It's 0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:06.520 always a different feeling, isn't it when you open the 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.720 season against a division rival. You've got seventeen games to 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:13.600 play here and only six of them are against your division, 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:15.400 but then one of them and in the Packers case, 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:19.400 the first two weeks Minnesota and Chicago, you're getting these 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:21.800 division games right off the bat. There's no there's no 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.680 time to waste to you gotta get into it right away. Yeah, yeah, 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:28.000 you're absolutely right. It's I've kind of gone back and 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.280 forth on this because how can you ever say a 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.640 game is a must win in a seventeen game season 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:34.680 now where the things go so long, and even last 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:36.720 year the Packers get you know, blown out of the 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.440 water by New Orleans, but then the Saints fall apart 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.560 and don't make the playoffs and Jameis Winston tears is 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:43.680 a c L. The Packers end up getting the number 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:48.240 one seed in the NFC anyway, But this year, what's 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.000 gonna be very interesting is to go back to back 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.520 in the division, to go out of the gates, not 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.000 only having to host Chicago at home, which I can't 0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.680 even imagine there's any scenario that plays out on Sunday 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:04.120 where the Packers are not heavily favored against the Chicago Bears, 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:08.639 knock on wood, everyone's health notwithstanding. But this game, you know, 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.679 playing at the US Bank Stadium, playing on the Vikings 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.760 home turf has always been a challenge. Green Bay got 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:16.879 a little bit better at it. Last year was kind 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:19.720 of a step back, but I look at this as 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:22.520 a huge opportunity though too because if you come out 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.440 of the gate and you knocked down Minnesota, which looks 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:29.000 to be your biggest competition in this division, the one 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.880 team that isn't in complete overhaul mode, you knock them 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:34.800 down a peg, and then you take care of busines 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:36.879 against Chicago. It doesn't get any better that as far 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:40.240 as starting off a season. So so, but at the 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:41.760 same time, if it doesn't work out that way, I'm 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:44.600 not going to be like screaming, you know, panic either. 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:46.800 But it's I just look at it. It's such a 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:50.240 great opportunity to sort of set the tone for your season, 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.960 um while also taking whatever air there might be out 0:17:53.960 --> 0:17:55.959 of that balloon for Minnesota, because I think there are 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:58.560 a lot of folks that side of the Mississippi River 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.320 that feel like, you know, with the moves they made, 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:05.000 that that's enough to get us back in the hunt. Here. Yeah, 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:09.320 it's it's interesting because the from uh not that anybody 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:12.879 has ever not fired up in week one, but I 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:18.920 think when you've had the Mike zimmer era had certainly 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:23.719 had its moments of success, but there's you you know, 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:26.560 there's going to be a new just a new energy 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:29.120 and a new attitude and everything that a new regime 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:32.040 is going to bring and then when you get when 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:34.400 you have that and you get to open at home. 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:38.320 Right when Matt Lafleur took over, first game was against 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.760 the Division ravel against the Chicago Bears, and it was 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:43.199 in prime time, but it was down in Chicago. You 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:46.439 didn't really get a sense of of of you know, 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:49.000 the home crowd and maybe the different energy that would 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.560 be a part of things with the new regime because 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:53.760 the opener was on the road. The Vikings are getting 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:56.399 the Vikings are getting this opener at home. From a 0:18:57.000 --> 0:19:01.320 from an atmosphere standpoint, um, this is going to be 0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:03.760 this is going to be a significant challenge. You know, 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:06.840 they're going to be moments in this game, whether it's 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.639 you know, Hunter Smith coming off the edge, or whether 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.480 it's you know Dalvin Cook maybe busting or run or 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:16.920 Justin Jefferson who had a big game um in Minnesota 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:20.040 last year against the Packers, you know, making a big 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:22.520 play down the field. The Packers are going to have 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:24.679 to you know, they're going to have to weather a 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:27.639 storm at some point in this game because if Minnesota 0:19:27.680 --> 0:19:30.240 get something going, that crowd is going to get behind him. 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:32.920 It's week one, it's their new head coach, the new regime. 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:35.320 All of that, Packers are going to have to weather 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:38.560 that storm and that becomes that becomes as big a 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:42.880 test in itself as as much as the opponent. When 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:45.600 we know how important the opponent is when it's someone 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:47.919 in your own division. You know what's exciting about this 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:52.880 season though for the Packers. Whatever problems Minnesota presents, green 0:19:52.960 --> 0:19:55.520 Day actually has an answer for it. You talk about 0:19:55.560 --> 0:19:58.560 Justin Jefferson, without a doubt, as I just said four 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:01.399 minutes ago, one of best young receivers in league, one 0:20:01.400 --> 0:20:03.280 of the best receivers in the league. Get rid of 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.560 the qualifiers, Well, they got JR. Alexander. They have a 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:09.000 pretty dependable back end. If you want to go over 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:10.600 the other side of the field, I think Eric Stokes 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:14.760 likes his chances. You look at Delvin Cook. Packers have 0:20:14.800 --> 0:20:18.160 two of the biggest, fastest linebackers in the league. Now 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:21.679 behind that defensive line, they have two outside linebackers who 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:24.600 are a hundred percent committed to spilling gaps and stopping 0:20:24.640 --> 0:20:27.879 the run and setting edges. The Packers defensively match up 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:30.040 with this really well. And with all due respect to 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:31.960 some really good unit screen they had in the past, 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:34.640 there were some years where Adrian Peterson he was gonna 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:36.560 step on the Metrodome turf and you're gonna hope that 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:38.760 he wasn't gonna gain too many yards on it. You know, 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:40.360 there were some years there where you're just kind of 0:20:40.640 --> 0:20:43.520 holding your breath, like, Okay, can these guys do what 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:46.360 they need to do to win this football game. Packers 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:48.760 have to stay healthy, they have to play within themselves, 0:20:48.760 --> 0:20:51.479 and they have to execute. But my goodness, when you 0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:54.840 look at how that defense is constructed in these expectations 0:20:54.840 --> 0:20:57.440 that have been built for it, that's also the exciting 0:20:57.480 --> 0:21:00.080 thing that maybe Minnesota does bring their best shot on 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.560 Sunday and it may not matter. Yeah, I think the 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:06.879 one I think the one thing that always puts me 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:11.240