WEBVTT - #617 Packers Unscripted: On to Cincinnati 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:11.240 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:14.120 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by my 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:16.600 partner in crime, West Hodkowitz, were coming to you here 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:21.239 from our studios at lambeau Field Weston. Week five is here. 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:23.680 The Packers are three and one. They are traveling to 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:29.320 Cincinnati to face another three and one squad in the Bengals. 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:31.960 Your thoughts here on Cincinnati. You look at what that 0:00:32.000 --> 0:00:35.159 team has accomplished so far this season. The victory over 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:38.240 Pittsburgh on the road at Hines Field probably the most notable, 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:41.160 but also a couple of down to the wire walk 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:45.560 off wins overtime against Minnesota and then last Thursday night 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:48.480 against Jacksonville. This is a team that's gotten some things 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:51.120 done in crunch time. I love the Cincinnati Bengals. They're 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:53.400 one of my favorite teams to watch and and it's 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:55.920 been that way for a number of years. Although they've 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:58.200 been in kind of a depression for a few years 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:00.520 after you know that the latter half of the Marvin 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:03.600 Lewis era. But when the Cincinnative Bengals are playing good football, 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.399 they're fun team, you know, and I enjoy that fan 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:09.199 base I love everything about them, and Joe Burrow has 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:13.639 infused I think a new enthusiasm that was badly needed. 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:16.240 I mean, they needed to turn a corner. Things, no 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.160 question about it, had kind of taken a dive at 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:21.120 the end of the Andy Dalton Lewis era and they 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:23.800 suffered a lot of losing for a couple of seasons. 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:26.920 But Burrow, even though there was the knee injury last year, 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:30.199 there was so much enthusiasm about the way he plays 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:31.839 and what he was going to mean to this offense. 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.160 And for him to come back and be off to 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:37.000 the start that he is, I've said a time and 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:39.360 time again. I mean he has the intangibles, Mike, he 0:01:39.400 --> 0:01:42.319 has good downfield accuracy, he has the poise in the pocket, 0:01:42.360 --> 0:01:45.400 he doesn't get jittery, he knows how to create plays. 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:47.800 But what I like about him the most is he 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.640 is a consummate winner. And I thought you saw that 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.080 it was a very short sample size at l s U, 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:55.520 but he can will teams to victory. And when you 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:57.640 look at this three and one start for the Bengals, 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.440 I think, in addition to some really create of play 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:03.360 calling from Zach Taylor, I feel like it's a lot 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:05.200 of us come down to Joe Burrow just kind of 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:07.880 wanting it more in finding ways to get a victory. 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:12.239 Hundred and thirteen pass rating completion percentage and still having 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:15.800 four interceptions. The kid can play. Yeah, absolutely that. There 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:19.640 are certain statistics that jump out. Obviously, one is Joe 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:24.600 burrow se completions so far this year. Another one for 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:28.799 me is seeing that Jamaar Chase, his star wide receiver 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:32.160 from l s U. The two college stars reunited now 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:35.600 in Cincinnati. Jamaar Chase averaging seventeen and a half yards 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:39.720 per catch and has four of Joe Burrows touchdown passes 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.160 already this season. And another thing that sticks out to 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:49.080 me about this team third quarter West coming out of halftime. 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:52.760 These guys have outscored their opponents thirty four to seven 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:55.720 in the third quarter. This is something the Packers are 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.840 going to have to be ready for, is that potential 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:03.440 surge after the halftime break. Because this Bengals team, they're 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:05.519 three and one. They're the only team in the a 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:08.200 f C North that did not make the postseason last year, 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.320 and they were the team that was sort of they 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.600 were completely under the radar because everybody's talking about Okay, 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:15.880 what's going on with Big Ben in Pittsburgh. And you 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:19.280 have Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, Baker Mayfield and 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:21.640 the Cleveland Browns are a team on the rise. Well, 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:25.640 Cincinnati Bengals are saying hello, here we are. We're three 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:29.040 in one. And I think their motivation for this game 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.240 the back to back thirteen win Green Bay Packers are 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:36.160 coming into Cincinnati. This is the Cincinnati Bengals opportunity to 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:38.280 make a little bit of a statement here and to say, 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.200 you know, here we are NFL world, We're we're contenders. 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:43.440 I think the motivation for the Bengals for this game 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:45.880 is absolutely sky high. Well, and if you watch at 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:48.080 all some of these games that the Bengals have played 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:50.440 this so far this year, and I don't want to um, 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.480 you know, there's strategy involved, no question about it. As 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:56.560 I said, I really like the version of Taylor's offense 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:59.720 that's kind of come out of that Shanahan, McVeigh, Lafleur, 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.080 t E. I like some of the little changes he's 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:04.839 made with that and kind of brought into his own 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.560 he can tell it fits Joe Burrow really well. But 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.800 they've also kind of played like they're operating with house 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:13.120 money a little bit. I mean, some of the fourth 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.120 downs that they've gone for, some of the plays that 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:18.360 they've they've kind of drawn up, they're they're just loose. 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.000 They're free, and I think there's a certain mindset there 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:23.280 that certainly they want to compete and they are expecting 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:26.000 to compete for a championship this year, but they're also 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:28.720 I think Taylor has done a really excellent job of 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:32.400 just letting these guys have fun. They they're they're playing 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:35.040 stress free football right now, and I think that's allowing 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:37.360 the talent to show up. The one thing we're gonna 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:39.680 have to monitor throughout this week, though, is Joe Mixon, 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:41.880 because when you talk about them coming out to the 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.120 fast start that they've done in the second half, I 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:46.960 think there's two things that play there, and necessarily neither 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:50.080 one is you know, all about Joe Burrow and those receivers. 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:52.359 I think it's Joe Mixon wearing teams down in the 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.320 first half, and I think it's their defense playing really 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:59.359 tight and concise football. Mix in who didn't practice on Wednesday. 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:00.640 We don't know what is out looks going to be 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:02.680 at the time in which we're taping this, But he's 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:06.000 the bell cow right now. Joe Bonni Bernard is in 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.080 Tampa Bay. They have some a G. P. Ryan, but 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:10.920 Mixing is the guy. I mean, it's sort of old 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:13.240 school smash mouth football. This is our running back. We're 0:05:13.240 --> 0:05:15.080 gonna keep hitting you with him. Yeah, you look at 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.880 the statistics. I think he has about eight percent of 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:21.440 Cincinnati's rushing attempts on the season. Yeah, so if he's 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.400 not involved here, that does change the script a little bit. 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:27.159 But I just feel like with what he's brought in 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.560 the consistency that he's had these past few seasons, it 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:33.440 starts with him and everything kind of grows off there 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:36.120 for what the Bengals have done offensively. Yeah, and you 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:40.400 alluded to the Cincinnati defense too. You're not talking about 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:42.440 a whole bunch of household names or a whole bunch 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:44.680 of guys that you know, have Pro Bowl accolades and 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:47.640 all that. But just look at the numbers. This defense 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:50.640 through four weeks of the regular season, seventh in the 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:54.000 league in yards allowed, eighth in the league and points allowed. 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.800 This is a very sound unit. Nobody's had any kind 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:01.360 of a big monster breakout game against these guys, So 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:03.520 far this year, and the Packers are going to have 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:05.600 to be ready for it. We'll get to obviously some 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:09.360 of the injuries and what's going on with the Packers 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.440 on the defensive side of the ball. This Packers offense 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:16.400 needs two needs to put together a really really efficient 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:20.880 game against a tough unit to also compensate for for 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:25.039 defensively Green Bay being shorthanded. Well, what I like about 0:06:25.040 --> 0:06:27.839 what Cincinnati did this offseason is for a long time 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:29.800 people have talked about them is sort of being the 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:33.240 team where guys aren't necessarily being paid, right, they aren't 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.760 big you know, movers and free agency. This year, they 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:38.760 were really smart about it. They knew they had to 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:41.479 add talent to this team. There just wasn't enough of 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:45.360 it last year, burrows knee injury notwithstanding. And they went 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:47.480 and kind of invested sort of as I mentioned in 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.599 our pre production meeting, kind of like in what the 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:54.280 Packers did in two thousand nineteen in finding younger talent 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:57.799 that's coming off of the rookie contracts that is still 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:00.360 on the incline. And I think Trey hender Xon is 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:03.520 the guy that perfectly embodies that. Again, kind of a 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:06.400 one year guy with what New Orleans did last year, 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:08.919 but what a season it was. Thirteen and a half sacks. 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.440 Really felt his presence in that defense, and he's off 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:16.000 to a good start. They go six seven defensive linemen 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:18.640 deep with their front and you know b J. Hill 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:20.760 is leading them in sacks. He's not even a listed starter. 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.160 I mean, they are able to throw a lot of 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:26.880 different looks at you. And as Matt Lafleur referenced on Wednesday, 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:31.320 it's that kind of versatility and aggressiveness that I think 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:33.480 has allowed them to sort of set the tone defensively 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.720 with what they've done so far this season. Yeah, absolutely, 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.480 I think it's been a pretty uh, a pretty impressive unit. 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:42.200 That is that's providing a really nice backbone to a 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:45.920 to an up and coming young quarterback that that definitely 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.920 has all the looks of a franchise guy. Uh. Shoutouts 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:51.840 to our sponsors. Here West Serious x M NFL Radio 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:54.720 delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:59.480 news that true football fanatics need seven three six and 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:02.200 that cousin subs we have something for everyone, like our 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:05.120 Wisconsin cheese kurds, mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:08.080 shakes all paired with your favorite sub or sub in 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:11.760 a bowl, Cousins subs. We believe in better all right. 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:15.840 On the defensive side for the Packers, no definitive update 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:19.880 just yet on Jaire Alexander. The latest word from Matt 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:23.600 Lafleur is the Packers are hoping that Alexander does not 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:27.240 need surgery on his injured injured shoulder. They're looking at 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:32.320 some you know, different opinions, different paths forward. If he 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:35.360 ultimately does need surgery on the shoulder, his season is 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:39.240 most likely over. The Packers have not made that determination yet, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:41.960 so still up in the air. I guess you say 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:47.319 he's out indefinitely at this point. The Packers signing a 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:51.120 veteran cornerback where Sul Douglas off of was it Arizona's 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:56.959 practice squad. Um, So there's a piece of um reinforcement. 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.000 They're coming into the Packers secondary as well as Kevin 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:03.000 king back at practice and working his way through the 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:07.320 concussion protocol. So hoping that um that the Packers will 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:11.120 at least be a tad healthier even without Alexander in 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:14.120 the in the defensive back. Yeah, the two big things, Mike, 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.360 I mean, they can sign guys, they can claim, guys, 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:18.280 we can have a lot of conversation about that, but 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:20.600 at the end of the day, there are two big 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.920 things here that have to happen, in which this time, 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:27.280 whatever this is where Jr. Alexander is not available, it's 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:29.599 going to be Kevin King outside, and it's going to 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:31.960 be the versatility of Adrian Amos. I think that's what 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:35.400 this ultimately boils down to, because you saw last week 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:39.959 without King, without jaw. The next move was moving Amos 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:42.679 back into the box and dime, which required second year 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:45.640 safety Henry Black to be on the back end. That's 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.640 sort of been the counter move for Green Band a 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:50.520 lot of ways is utilizing that versatility with Amos because 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:54.240 you know we can play inside outside. There's a reason 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:56.600 why Mike, you and I have been talking for months 0:09:56.600 --> 0:10:00.480 now about this isn't Eric Stokes versus Kevin King. This 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.600 isn't going to be okay. This is the set depth 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.280 chart and it's not going to be changed. You've seen 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:08.360 King play different spots, You've see Stokes being different predicaments. 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.360 This point in time, the Green Bay Packers need both 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:14.600 of those guys, and King coming back off with concussion, 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:16.679 still working his way through the protocol, but was at 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:20.520 practice on Wednesday. He's an important piece, man, He's been 0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:22.600 an important piece for four years and they need him 0:10:22.600 --> 0:10:25.920 healthy and for them to have King and Stokes on 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.360 the outside, that's the recipe to get through this. Losing 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:33.120 a guy like Joy Alexander is not a one player replacement. 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.120 It was my lead for Insider Inbox. There's a reason 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:38.480 why they talk about it taking all eleven. There are 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:40.480 so many different adjustments that are gonna have to to be 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.600 made without having John the field. But it really does 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.040 start with King, and it starts with those cornerbacks stepping up. 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:48.320 And this is a very tough task to come out 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:50.840 of the gates against with what you know, the different 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:54.319 variations and challenges that the Bengals can present. Yeah, absolutely, 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.560 I mean, you want to see Kevin King back healthy. 0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:59.080 You want to see the twenty nine team Kevin King 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:02.600 that led this Packer's defense and interceptions. The spotlight gets 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:05.079 even bigger and brighter on Eric Stokes, the first round 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:10.480 draft pick whose role and responsibilities were already increasing before 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:16.320 Alexander's injury. Well, now that that that role and responsibility 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:20.199 goes up, you know yet another notch and uh and 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:23.840 you know Shannon Sullivan, who has played a heck of 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:25.720 a lot of football here for the Packers over the 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.640 last few years. With the emergence of Stokes, some of 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:30.800 his snaps being reduced, while Sullivan is going to be 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:32.880 back on the field quite a bit. And uh and 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:35.880 you know Jerry Gray, the defensive backs coach, Joe Barry, 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:38.000 the defensive coordinat they're going to count on a veteran 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:40.480 like Jannon Sullivan to to hold his own and come 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:42.640 through here. In terms of the starting defense, I still 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:44.520 think Green Bay is in a really good spot. It's 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.880 just about okay. Now we're starting to see the reserves. 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:48.800 We're starting to see some of these you know, rotational 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.000 guys having to be in big moments, right and then 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:53.160 you know, if anything else happens, that's where you need 0:11:53.240 --> 0:11:56.520 the Key Adams, you know, it's where you need Douglas 0:11:56.559 --> 0:11:59.360 and obviously you know someone like Schumar John Charles to 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:01.760 really step up up. But that being said, I think 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:04.280 Chandon is a very smart guy. He understands what his 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:06.280 role is, he understands where he's come from. This wasn't 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:08.000 a first round pick. This is a guy that really, 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.559 you know, scratch and Claude to get that nickel spot 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:12.400 last year, and if he's gonna want to step up 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:15.439 and really prove himself again in that role. More than 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.880 anything though, Mike, the one area where Green Bay set 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:20.240 is those safeties, and I think with Amos and with 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.200 darniell Savage playing the way he is right now, a 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:24.360 lot is going to be on those guys as well too, 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.040 not necessarily just from a matchup perspective, but just the 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.959 leadership back there, the communication When Jr. Alexander's on the field, 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:33.440 that is one spot that is probably thirty three percent 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:35.199 of the field you really don't have to think about. 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.640 He's out on an island. That's that's not the same 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.160 situation because there's only about a handful of guys in 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:42.840 the league that can give you that kind of you know, 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.720 closure in your mind. So it's gonna be a difficult, 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.520 difficult stretch here. But in terms of as far as 0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:51.000 his injury is concerned, Packers still holding out hope they 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:53.360 can get them back and and ultimately seeing what they 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:55.439 can do. In the past, there's Ben shoulder injuries. I 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:57.640 think back to Devon House in two thousand twelve had 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:00.199 the shoulder subplxation. I think he missed two or three 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:01.720 weeks and he played the rest of the season with 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:04.240 the harness. Charles Woodson has done it. We don't know. 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:07.000 Every injury is different. Yeah, but that's why the Green 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:08.959 Bay Packers are taking this time here talking to the 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.280 specials figuring out what exactly the best course of action 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:13.840 is going to be for Alexander in two thousand one 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:18.040 and also beyond. Yeah. Absolutely well, another potential acquisition at 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.840 the time we're taping this episode, it is not official. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:25.360 It could be official very soon, but media reports saying 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:29.120 that Jalen Smith, the linebacker veteran linebacker released by the 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:34.160 Dallas Cowboys, coming to Green Bay and will be interesting here. 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:38.760 Obviously a depth signing for the Packers. But you wonder 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.520 with you know, with Zadarius Smith being out, you know, 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:44.520 long term here for a while and some other things 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:46.800 that are going on, you know, are are the Packers 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:49.680 gonna try to find a little nitt l for Jalen 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:52.560 Smith to maybe help off the edge, not necessarily play 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:56.080 you know, his traditional inside linebacker. I don't know. I 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.400 think this is a this is a very curious I'm 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:02.320 very curious to see exact where Joe Barry wants to 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:04.360 use a guy like this. Yeah, and and that's the 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:06.800 big question with him even coming about back, you know, 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:08.840 in the draft five years ago, in addition to the 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:10.400 fact he was coming back from that knee injury, a 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:12.320 lot of people wondering, Okay, this guy can do it all. 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:14.040 He can play in a three four or four three 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:16.080 inside outside, where do you want to put him. He 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:18.319 had a lot of success, you know in the four 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:20.800 three defense that they were running in in Dallas for 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:23.560 a number of years. And you know, I actually really like, 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.120 you know, if this all ends up working out, what 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.320 what this change could mean for him at twenty six 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.160 years old getting a look at a new defense, A 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:32.880 guy that, while he did have the knee injury, has 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:36.080 played in sixty eight consecutive games since then, hasn't been 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:38.800 an injury issue with him. So uh so many different 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:40.960 things to figure out, But it was interesting listening to, 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:42.960 you know, Aaron Rodgers talking about some of the positive 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.240 interactions he's had with him in the past. Obviously left 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.880 a positive impression on him in their three meetings. He 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:49.920 did have a sack of Rogers two years ago in 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:53.240 that game down in Dallas, and then also Matt Matt Lafleur. 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.480 I mean this is he coached. He didn't coach him 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.520 position for position, but he was in you know, North, 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.040 he was at an Order Dame when Jalen Smith was 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.040 just coming into his own there as a really big 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.360 playmaker and got a chance to see exactly the physical 0:15:06.400 --> 0:15:09.240 specimen that he is. So it's a different time, it's 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.720 a different opportunity. But but certainly if you can add anytime, 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:14.800 you can add a player like that, in the middle 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:16.840 of the run or in the middle of a season. 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:20.320 Brian Goodkin said from day one, he wants to make 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:22.920 sure that he turns those stones over and figures out 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:26.920 if there's a fit. Yeah. Well, noon Central time, kickoff 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:30.600 Packers Bengals on Sunday from Paul Brown Stadium. Keys to 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:33.080 victory here for the Packers West, what stands out to you? 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:35.440 What do the Packers have to do to come back 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.320 to green Bay four and one? A couple of things. One, uh, 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.280 if mix and plays you have to find an answer 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:42.160 for him. Green Bay's held the last two teams under 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.160 seventy total yards of rushing, which has been a big 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:47.880 step forward after what we saw in Week one against 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.280 New Orleans where it didn't matter if it was you know, 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.040 Tony Jones Jr. Or Kamara, they were having trouble stopping 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.400 either of them. They've really battened down the hatches in 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.160 that regarding. They've done it despite you know, losing you know, 0:15:58.240 --> 0:15:59.960 Chris Barnes for the last one and a half game 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:04.920 with the concussion, and Tyler Lancasters and the other aspect 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:06.920 of this I think is important. As I mentioned, Earli 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.520 on Burrow has thrown four picks this year, about a 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:12.880 three point six percent interception ratio so far rate for 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:16.080 the season. He's gonna throw for some yards. There's gonna 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:18.640 be a couple of big plays. But when he gives 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.520 you an opportunity to secondary or maybe even the linebackers 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:23.400 have to be ready for because I think there's gonna 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.520 be a chance or two for them to turn over 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:28.440 this game. That's gonna be critical because if we've learned 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:30.480 anything about the Bengals for the first month of this season, 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:34.600 they're aggressive. They're gonna take chances, even if it is 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.080 fourth down, even if they're at their own thirty seven. 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.040 They're gonna make those you know, try to make those 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:42.800 things happen. But They're also incredibly explosive, and Green May 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.040 can't let that happen. It can't let it happen consistently 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:48.080 for four quarters. Yeah, and I think, uh, for me. 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:50.440 On the defensive side of the ball, you mentioned there 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.600 are gonna be some big place but the Packers have 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:56.280 to limit those. I mean, the reason Joe Burrow has 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.200 a passer rating north of a hundred and ten despite 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:02.200 having four inners options in four games is because of 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:04.600 the chunk plays. It's because of the twenty and twenty 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:06.920 five yard he's got, you know, a fifty yard touchdown. 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:09.639 I believe to Chase, Packers have to be able to 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:13.600 limit those explosive plays defensively and on offense. As I 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:16.320 said before, I think I think this is about the 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.320 Packers need to try to put together. They're their most 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:23.359 really their most efficient, consistent offensive performance of the season. 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:27.199 With the way the Cincinnati defense is playing, with the 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.160 way the Packers are going to have to adjust things 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:32.439 defensively now without Alexander, the fact that you're playing on 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:34.560 the road against a good team, it's going to be 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:37.600 a difficult environment. And as I said before, a fired 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:41.800 up Cincinnati team and a fired up Cincinnati crowd considering um, 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.600 you know, the attention that that they could get by 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:47.200 knocking off a team like the Packers. This is where 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.760 Aaron Rodgers, the running game, the passing game, all of 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:53.040 the balance, the ball control, all of it really needs 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:56.399 to come together. I think for the Packers to be 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:58.159 able to win what I believe is going to be 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:00.359 a four quarter fight all the way to the end. Yeah. 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:02.840 And and the other thing to keep in mind, depending 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:05.399 on what Cincinnati wants to do with those corners, depending 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:07.800 on how they want to defend a Fonte Adams last week, 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:10.560 it opened up opportunities for Randall cob and a J. Dillon. 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:12.800 This week, it could be Robert Tonyan, It could be 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:15.159 Alan Lazard, it could be Aaron Jones bouncing back with 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:17.000 a big game. You just never know. But if that 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:19.720 attention is going to be drawn to number seventeen, green 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:21.720 Bay has to find a way consistently to make a 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:24.840 defense pay for that. Yeah. Absolutely, Well quickly, before we 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:27.760 go looking around at some other key games in the 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:31.720 NFC North, you have Detroit at Minnesota, Detroit now at 0:18:31.720 --> 0:18:36.320 oh and four, Minnesota at one in three. Uh, you 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:39.880 know the the vikings here, I was asked an insider 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.800 inbox this week, who's the Packers biggest threat in the 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:45.720 NFC North after you know, a quarter of the season here. 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:49.159 I still think it's the Vikings because I you know, 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:53.520 they've been playing pretty well defensively even without Anthony Barr 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:55.760 and eventually they're going to get him back. And I 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.520 think of the other teams in the NFC North, the 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:03.040 Vikings have the most blosive offense potentially. But now here, 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:05.760 this is this is where I mean Minnesota. If they 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:07.840 lose this and fall to one and four, you really 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:10.320 start to wonder what's going on there in Minneapolis. Whereas 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:13.359 Dan Campbell and the Lions they're still looking for that 0:19:13.359 --> 0:19:16.280 that first victory. And they you know, they tried to 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:18.679 have a big comeback against the Chicago Bears. They were 0:19:18.720 --> 0:19:22.159 down twenty one nothing, They got team, but they couldn't 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:24.879 finish the deal with the big second half rally. Campbell 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:27.600 still looking first first win for the Lions. I'm glad, 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:30.160