WEBVTT - #634 Packers Unscripted: Model of excellence 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:10.799 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.840 --> 0:00:14.280 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. That gentleman over 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:17.800 there is wes Hodkuwitz. We're coming to you here from 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:20.919 our studios at lambeau Field West. It's week fourteen. We 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:23.319 have plenty of Packers bears to talk about, but I 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:27.480 actually want to start this show talking about a specific 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:31.200 individual on this Green Bay Packers team, and that is 0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:33.920 running back Aaron Jones, who we have found out in 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:38.080 the last couple of days is both the Packers nominee 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:41.280 for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award as 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:45.080 well as the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. Now, these are 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:48.840 both awards that every team nominates one player and then 0:00:48.960 --> 0:00:52.320 from those thirty two nominees, one league wide winner is 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:55.760 selected at the end of the season. The Walter Payton 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:58.160 Man of the Year Award is really the big one, though, 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.880 um this one is con It are very prestigious. It's 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:06.520 the it's the most prestigious award that the NFL gives 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:10.320 out related to any sort of off the field endeavors 0:01:10.360 --> 0:01:15.320 for players and anybody who has spoken about Aaron Jones 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.520 this week, whether it's Matt Lafleur, whether it's Davante Adams 0:01:18.560 --> 0:01:21.399 any of his other teammates. No one can pick a 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.320 more deserving nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:27.200 Year from the Green Bay Packers than Aaron Jones. I 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:29.920 can't say it any better than Davante Adams, so I 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:34.440 won't even try to. But DeVante's line yesterday was this 0:01:34.720 --> 0:01:37.760 award was truly made for a guy like him, in 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:41.160 addition to another number of other eloquent things that Davante said. 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:44.880 I felt like that was so true, because there's been 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:47.280 some incredible Man of the Year nominees the Green Bay 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:49.680 Packers have had. Aaron Rodgers was a finalist in two 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.120 thousand fourteen. I think back to you know, j Rone Elliott, 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:57.320 you know uh Corey Lindsley, Kenny Clark. You're talking about 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:00.280 the creme de la creme of human being that have 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:04.000 walked into Bill Packers locker room. And since the day 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:06.440 that Aaron Jones got drafted, the day that they pulled 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:09.040 us all together, and they back in the day when 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.079 they used to walk in all the draft picks into 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.840 the locker room. The week afterwards for rookie minicamp and 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.760 we would talk to guys. You just got to feel 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.800 of what this young man is like, who he is, 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:23.800 and what he represents. I've written a number of things 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.360 on Aeron this week, mostly because we found out they 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:28.520 end up being this bevy awards that all got dropped 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:33.079 on us and in this timeframe. But you know, you 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:37.480 understand how difficult two thousand twenty one has been for him. 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:40.680 You know, he signs the contract that he's basically worked 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:46.280 his six years for a life changing deal with the 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:50.440 Packers that secured his family's financial future, and before he 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:53.160 can even have an opportunity to really savor that, he 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:57.360 loses his father, Elvin Sr. After that battle with COVID. 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.880 So in a those moments, and I don't know what 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:04.000 it's like to lose a parent. I can't even imagine 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:07.800 what he was going through. I think that tests your will, 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:11.520 it tests your your makeup and constitution as a person. 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.959 But in the Jones family's case, it's short. It's sort 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:19.160 of just refocused them on what their their goals were. 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:21.920 And Aaron talked this week about how him and his 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:23.760 dad when they went to the NFL Honors in two 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.720 thousand nineteen, they talked about Calias Campbell and his speech 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.160 in what that represented him getting that award, and he 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.160 felt like at that time, yeah, they were finding ways 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.360 to give back, but they wanted to create a foundation, 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:38.560 and he he made that foundation with his twin brother, 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:42.560 Elvin Jr. And just seeing how this family has persevered 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:47.080 through everything. As much as words can say that this 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:50.000 guy is selfless and he is a good person. I 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:52.280 think it's in those moments of adversity that your true 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:54.640 character gets revealed. And in Aaron Jones case, I think 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:56.600 we've learned a lot about him this year. Yeah, we 0:03:56.640 --> 0:04:00.680 absolutely have, and and it's been everything from and none 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:03.960 of this that he necessarily wants a lot of attention for. Obviously, 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:06.840 he wants attention on his foundation, the foundation with his 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.320 brother and the charitable work that they're doing. But when 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:13.280 you look at the things that have been in the media, 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:17.720 whether it's giving you know, the scooters to Brian Flee 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:21.719 Engels family because Flee went out and found the locket 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:26.320 in the in the grass at Um after it had 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:29.360 come off him on the touchdown run and Fleet was 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:30.880 out there in the middle of the night and found it, 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:33.800 and so Aaron Jones wanted to do something for for 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:38.080 Flees family. So there's that. But at the same time, 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:41.680 there's there is the foundation that he and his brother started. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:45.080 There's the free football camp in their hometown of El Paso, 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:48.520 where all these kids can come for uh, you know, 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.640 to to learn football, learn some skills, have some fun, 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.200 to hang out with an NFL player, and yet they 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:56.520 don't have to pay anything in order to do that. 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:59.359 It's it's a it's a free football clinic for the community. 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:01.520 It was so cool hearing because I had heard that 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:03.080 this is the fourth year they've done it. But it 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:05.600 was in that press conference on Wednesday that Aaron actually 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:08.440 mentioned the impetus for that was going back to his 0:05:08.480 --> 0:05:12.280 own childhood when Alvin Sr. Paid out of pocket so 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:15.000 him and Elvin could go to a football camp. Yeah, 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:17.680 where they came from, there wasn't an option for a 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:20.880 free football camp, not to mention having one where it's 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.440 a Pro Bowl running back like him and Jamal Williams 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:26.320 and all these guys with this amount of experience that 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:28.640 were contributing. I thought that was a really interesting little 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:32.039 add on to that story of of why it was 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.279 so important to have a free football camp as opposed 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:37.960 to just putting one on. Yeah. Absolutely. So it's all 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.679 these different things that that we've seen and heard about 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:42.919 Aaron Jones over the course of this year, and and 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:47.440 obviously there's been so much more about this year, in 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:50.599 particular because of his father's passing. But that's not to 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.760 say that Aaron Jones is suddenly this different guy this 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:55.800 year because of what his family has gone through. This 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:59.479 is this is Aaron Jones. This is who he's always been. 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:01.680 It's just been that much more in the spotlight now 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.719 with him becoming a Pro Bowl running back. Um, you know, 0:06:04.800 --> 0:06:07.520 as you said, getting the new contract and and all 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.840 of the financial security that that goes with that. All 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:16.320 I'm really pulling for. And I normally don't invest a 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:18.200 whole lot of emotion in this because I don't know 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:20.920 a lot about the other thirty one guys around the league. 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.760 I'm really pulling for Aaron Jones too, at least maybe 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:28.440 make the finalist stage of this like Aaron Rodgers did 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:30.520 seven years ago. As you said, we've seen a lot 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.200 of really really great Packers players getting nominated for this. 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.760 Corey Linsley was last year's nominee, and he's the Chargers 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:41.240 nominee here in one, so that that that speaks to 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:44.200 his work in the community as well. I'd like to 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:48.080 see Aaron Jones make his way through this process a 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:51.360 little bit and and perhaps draw that much more attention 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:54.680 to his efforts to his foundation and the impact that 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:57.080 he's making on other people. Yeah, and as you talked 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:01.600 about earlier, the fact that he doesn't want the attention 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:04.920 all shining directly on him, and Davante Adams mentioned that 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:07.480 his presser as well. And as much as he loves 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:11.920 Alvin Jr. Everybody understands, you know, Aaron was the draft pick, right, 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:16.240 he was the game changer at you tip. I don't 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:18.800 think a lot of people would have blamed Aaron if 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:20.720 he started a foundation and just wanted to be the 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:24.840 Aaron Jones Foundation. He wanted to do it with his 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:30.200 brother though, he because from day one, quite literally, that's 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:32.960 been the guy right alongside him. And I thought it 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:36.239 was interesting he goes home on Tuesday after he gets 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:38.040 this award and they give him the little the little 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:41.400 trophy to signify that he was the Packers nominee, and 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:45.280 you know, his mom's there and Virgas, you know, goes 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:48.520 and puts the trophy up right next to where Alvin's 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:51.920 ashes are at Aaron's home. And after that, Aeron's tells her, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.600 you know, thank you, to which she replied, well, what 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:57.840 what are you thanking me for? And it it shows 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:00.400 you kind of the humility of that family, because what 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:03.040 he was thinking her for was a woman that served 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:06.200 valiantly for her country for twenty eight years or whatever 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:08.960 it was you know, was away from them, was in Iraq, 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:12.760 all these different things, but still always wanted to bring 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:16.680 it back to the family, always wanted to support their family. 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:20.760 And I think when you look back to how difficult 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:22.680 this year has been, the only way you can really 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:27.520 get through something like this is to hold closely together. 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:30.440 And again, I thought that that set a lot about 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.960 not only their family connection, but the ties that bind 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:36.120 them that you know that for everything that's happened in 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:38.080 two thousand twenty one, they're going to get through this 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:41.880 thing and the end of it, while not with Alvin SR, 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:45.360 you know, as close as they've ever been as a family. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:48.640 hats off to Aaron Jones for a well deserved honor 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.800 and hopefully not the last we are hearing about, uh, 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:56.320 this honor for him in West. Serious x M NFL 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:58.960 Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:03.560 NFL news that true football fanatics need. Seven three and 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:06.000 at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like our 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:09.640 Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:11.880 all paired with your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.880 Cousin Subs, we believe in better all right. It is 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:21.320 Packers Bears Sunday Night football at lambeau Field, Week fourteen. 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:26.280 The health situation for both teams. I don't know if 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:29.959 you've got a sect to call up the injury report, um, 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:32.560 because for both of the spots you're coming into this, 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:34.959 this is interesting. The Packers are coming off their bye 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:38.720 week and they're a little bit healthier than they have been. 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:42.360 And we did also see um on Wednesday, the return 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:47.080 to practice of Jayra Alexander, so his window to potentially 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:50.520 be activated to the fifty three man roster is now 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:54.480 open since he has returned to practice. But there are 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:58.040 a lot of a lot of health questions here, UM, 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.520 with this game looming on sun Day night, I think 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.640 particularly with the Bears. So can you give us an 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:04.880 update on where some of that well, it starts with 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.360 David Montgomery, because I just got done on two Isay's 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.160 episode talking about all this guy's treavilous for the offense. 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:11.880 You know, he's going to be the guy that really 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:14.240 stirs the drink for them. And as it turns out, 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:18.040 he's dealing with a shoulder growing and glute injury or 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:22.120 injuries coming out of that game last week against Arizona. 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:24.720 That's a huge thing because, as I mentioned, one of 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:28.959 my big qualifiers were was that when David Montgomery is 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.680 healthy and he's right, I mean this is this offense 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:35.240 looks different. Apparently he's not healthy right now again, so 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:37.719 we'll see what the week looks like. You know, a 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:40.640 lot of times sometimes teams just want to sit guys down, 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:42.679 give them a day or two to rest, and then 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:44.200 they'll ramp him up at the end of the week. 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:47.720 And Montgomery did miss the first first Packers Bears teame 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:50.760 this season. He was not the feature back for the Bears. 0:10:50.800 --> 0:10:53.880 We also did hear from Matt Naggy, Bears head coach 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:57.800 this week announcing that Justin Fields will start. He has 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:01.319 been cleared from the ribbon jury and he will start 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.840 against the Packers for the second time this year, so 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.720 they're so the Packers will not be seeing Andy Dalton. Yeah, so, 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.440 I mean, you know, Juice Herbert is the guy in 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:13.120 the backfield when Montgomery's been down. Obviously Terrif Cohen has 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:18.200 been out for most of the year. But the last 0:11:18.200 --> 0:11:19.960 point I was going to make on Montgomery is and 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:21.760 he may be he may be fine, we don't know yet. 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:26.040 But when it's three injuries, and especially two very different 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:28.360 parts of the body, that is a little bit of 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:30.920 a concern. But but looking at the overall picture, you know, 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.280 you also had some guys dealing with illnesses. Kiem Hicks 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.439 has been banged up with the ankle, you know, Marquis 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:38.400 Goodwe has the foot. Allen Robinson obviously returned coming off 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:41.280 the hamstring. So they are beat up right now. And 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:43.320 I think this is the difference between what you see 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:45.760 and just like how Green Bay's injury report was vastly 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.000 different from the Rams when the Rams were coming off 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:51.480 the by it's the attrition, it's the way the season goes. 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:55.000 But if there is an issue there with Montgomery where 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:57.280 he either can't go or he's limited, I think there 0:11:57.360 --> 0:11:59.559 is a big effect that that will have as far 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.320 as the trick down domino on this offense, Yeah, and 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:06.360 the Packers are continuing to proceed with at this point anyway, 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.560 as of Wednesday afternoon, holding Aaron Rodgers out of practice, 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:15.560 continuing to let that broken pinky toe hell. But Rogers 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:18.000 making it clear in in the comments he made to 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:22.160 the media that this is not a case of even 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.320 though he's not practicing, that there's some sort of a 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:27.960 scale down game plan or whatever that Aaron Rodgers wants 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.760 the you know, the full gamut of everything. Hey, you know, Matt, 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:33.079 whatever you want to dial up. Hey, let's talk about it. 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.440 Let's figure out what we like and and and let's 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:37.640 go with it. This is not about even though he's 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:41.079 restricted in terms of his practice, reps and his availability 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:45.160 at practice, he doesn't go into the games feeling restricted. 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:48.800 He's gonna he's gonna leave it all out there, both 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:51.640 in terms of in terms of the schematics and his play. 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:53.840 As we've seen, he's not afraid to take off and run, 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:57.640 even with even with that toe bothering him. So we'll 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:01.160 see now week to week. Rogers did say getting the 0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:04.240 entire getting an entire week off was extremely helpful for 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.600 his toe. Um, he does hope that it's going to 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.560 continue to get better and that maybe, just maybe he 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:13.800 will start getting back into a regular practice routine at something. 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:16.120 But what this all reminded me of was, I don't know, 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:17.679 if you've ever been in a position you've had to 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:20.480 throw the donut on your car because you're tired, you know, 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:23.080 blew out. That's the way this kind of feels with 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.520 Roger's in the toe, Like they have the tiger ordered. 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.240 They know that it's gonna be there. You just got 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.800 to hope that you that the doughnuts stays, you know, 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.320 intact here, and you can just get to the finish line. 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:35.960 Because as Rogers said, I mean, the problem with the 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:39.400 surgery option is that he mobilizes the toe. They basically 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:41.679 throw a pin in there, and then it's he's not 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:43.079 gonna be able to move that toe the rest of 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.400 the year. It would reduce the chances of it getting 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:48.400 any further fractured. But then there's the mobility side of it, right. 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:51.880 His hope is and Doc mackenzie and everybody else just say, 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.320 do Bob Anderson, everybody that has looked at this thing, 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:57.959 Their hope is that, Okay, well, if you can just 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.439 keep it healthy, maybe not get stepped on anymore. Yeah, 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:04.520 that would be good, not to get stepped on, like 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:06.839 he has a couple of times already. But this thing 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.520 can heal up a little bit. But it's just the 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:13.200 challenge of it. And as Rogers I think told Pat McAfee, 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:15.520 if if he gets through this weekend healthy, you know, 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.200 maybe next week is where it could potentially start to 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:19.920 to really start to feel the way he needs it 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:24.080 to feel. Yeah. Well, as we had talked about on 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:28.160 our last show, the Packers potentially could be taking the 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:30.960 field on Sunday Night with a chance to clinch the 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:34.240 NFC North if the Vikings lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.640 on Thursday Night Football. There is also a scenario if 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:40.560 the Vikings do win and stay alive in the division race. 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:42.880 There is also a scenario where the Packers can clinch 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.480 a playoff spot if both the Saints and the forty 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.520 Niners were to lose prior to the Packers taking the 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.680 field Sunday night. But all that being said, I want 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:54.240 to get to the keys to victory here. This is 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:56.600 a Packers Bears game. It's a big it's a big 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:00.320 rivalry game. Aaron Rodgers throughout the whole I own you 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.080 thing it's Soldier Field, which he said was directed at 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:06.040 the fans. But you know how things can get taken 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:09.320 in different ways. What do you think is the most 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:11.760 important thing, what's at the top of your list for 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:14.640 the Packers to win this game? Sunday night. I let 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.360 Insider in box on Thursday. You had to edit it 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:20.840 with the statement that I don't care if it's Justin Fields. 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.280 I don't care if it's Andy Dalton, I don't care 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:27.800 if it's Jim Miller, Shane Matthews, Shane Falco, whoever. The 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.720 Packers need to turn over the football defensively, and they 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:33.640 need to stop the run. If David Montgomery is not 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.120 playing in this probably gets a little bit easier. Although 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.520 Juice Herbert had some decent games himself. I think really 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:44.120 it comes down to if if it is Justin Fields, 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:47.120 to basically have that same game plan with some modifications 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.400 of what they did earlier this season, you have to 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:51.840 be able to limit him, you know, and make sure 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.000 he doesn't scramble, make sure all that stuff, but just 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:56.200 finding ways to keep the pressure on enforce him into 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:58.800 a few errors. I think if you achieve that you 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.480 keep this game in third and manageible. This game plays 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.120 out the way it needs to play out if a 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.880 third distance, If it gets to be third and manageable, 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.320 that's where it starts to get more interesting than it 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.480 probably needs to be. I feel like if Green Bay 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.680 stops the run, forces them into third and longs, those 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:17.240 opportunities are going to be there to take the ball 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:19.320 away and really control the tempo of this game. Yeah. 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:22.800 And for me, quite honestly, West, the whole key for 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:25.000 me in this game is for the Packers just to 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:28.080 not turn the football over on offense. While certainly some 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:31.160 turnovers on defense could could go a long way here, 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.320 to me, this isn't a game the Packers necessarily have 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:36.960 to win the turnover battle, but you just can't lose it. 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:38.800 And if you don't turn the ball over on offense, 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.680 you won't lose the turnover battle, right. I know. I 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:43.680 spoke on our last show and we were talking about 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.440 the Vikings, and I brought up, you know, these two 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:49.720 games for the Vikings, the types that you just can't lose. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:52.400 When they lost to the Cowboys and they lost this 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:55.680 past week to the Lions, I know this is Packers Bears. 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:58.520 I know it's a big rivalry, but with where the 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:01.240 Bears are in their season, there injury report, with where 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:03.400 the Packers are in their season, and what's at stake, 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:05.359 and the fact that this is at home, under the 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:08.240 lights at Lambeau Field, this is one of those, quite frankly, 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:10.320 that qualifies for me as a game if you're the 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:13.840 Green Bay Packers, you can't lose this game. Now, I'm 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.760 not saying the Packers are gonna win by thirty. SPA thinks, 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:19.000 you know, this is just something that's not what I'm saying. 0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:21.119 But I'm saying this is a game that if you're 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:22.760 the Packers, you can't lose it. And I don't care 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.600 if you win it by three or win it by thirty. 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:28.200 You just can't lose it. And to me, the quickest 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.160 path to losing this game and to giving the Bears 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.399 the shot at the upset is if you're turning the 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:35.560 ball over on offense. If the Packers don't do that, 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.679 I think they win this football. I agree, And just 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.199 come out and control the tempo, you know, whether you 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.920 win the opening coin toss or not. If if if 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.960 it's the Bears taking the field first, defensively shutting them down. 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:48.400 If it's Green Bay, find a way to get those 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:50.639 ten place seventy five yard drives and get into the 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.919 end zone. This is such a great opportunity, Mike. And 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:57.960 we've we've expelled so much breath here, uh, the last 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:01.840 few weeks talking about the late by finishing three or 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.119 five at home, the amount of division games they have, 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:06.560 with where everything stands in the North right now, the 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:10.880 two game magic number, all that stuff. As Davante Adam said, 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:13.199 there's an element of run the table to this. Now. 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:15.840 They're not running the table like two thousand sixteen where 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.480 it was to make sure you at least make the playoffs. 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.800 But they have a realistic shot at this number one seed. 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:25.440 And if you look at the way Arizona schedule lays out, 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.720 it's a little daunting for the Cardinals. So you have 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:30.359 to take advantage of that. And it starts on Sunday 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.160 against the Bears. Yeah. And I want to talk about 0:18:32.200 --> 0:18:35.480 some of those other games on the slate this weekend 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:38.159 in the NFL that that will impact the Packers. But 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.960 I do want to throw out another plug for Cliff 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.679 Crystal's history book. Packers fans, if you are looking for 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:48.800 holiday gift ideas. Team historian Cliff crystals book The Greatest 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:51.920 Story in Sports is now available at the Packers Pro Shop. 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:55.679 The four volume of hardcover books set tells the true 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:59.160 complete story of the Packers first century, from humble beginnings 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.919 to heartbreaks and triumphs. Buy your copy online or in 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:05.840 store today. I gave I gave Cliffs so much well 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:08.800 to do credit for everything on Tuesday's episode. Forgot to 0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:12.720 mention Aaron Popke, Katie Hermson, Tom Fanning, everybody else that 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:15.840 was involved in this. The publisher of the book don't 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:17.719 can't remember what the name of the publishers right now, 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:20.200 but they did a fantastic job with it. And I've 0:19:20.200 --> 0:19:23.480 already gotten multiple requests from family members to get this 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:27.119 signed by Cliff Crystal, to get his John Hancock on 0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:30.239 that book. They want to have that forever and uh 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:32.760 And actually, for those who are in the area or 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:35.240 are coming to the game, Cliff is doing a book 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:39.360 signing at the Packers Pro Shop on Saturday afternoon this weekend, 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:42.119 So for a couple of hours in the afternoon, stop 0:19:42.160 --> 0:19:44.000 by and get a copy of the book and get 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:47.479 it signed by the author. Just books, though no babies. No, no, 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:51.199 no babies, no memorabilia. I think it's just just just 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.480 for the just for the book. Um. Other games to 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.800 keep an eye on. Already mentioned the Steelers Vikings game 0:19:57.880 --> 0:20:00.480 on Thursday Night Football and the implications that will have 0:20:00.520 --> 0:20:03.320 as far as the NFC North race. But other ones 0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:06.000 to watch your west are really interesting, I think, really 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.159 interesting game in the NFC East, Dallas is at Washington. 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:13.879 Washington is coming on strong. The Cowboys obviously still leading 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:16.760 that division. I believe they have a two game lead 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:21.240 in the division. Yeah, two game lead, two game lead 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:24.280 over Washington. So Washington looking to cut that deficit in 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:27.000 the NFC East to one game. Another one to watch 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:29.880 it will be on I believe it's essentially the National 0:20:29.960 --> 0:20:33.399 late afternoon game prior to the Packers Bears in primetime. 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:36.720 Buffalo is at Tampa Bay. The Bills coming off of 0:20:36.760 --> 0:20:39.760