WEBVTT - #804 Packers Unscripted: Narrow victory 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.760 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.119 Packers dot Com. I have Mike Spoffer, joined as always 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:25.520 by my partner in crime, Wes Honkowitz. We're coming to 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:29.000 you here from our studios at Lambeoufield to review a 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.519 down to the wire last second victory twenty four to 0:00:32.520 --> 0:00:36.239 twenty two over the Houston Texans on Sunday at Lambeufield. 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:39.080 The Packers have improved a five and two. There's a 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:41.320 lot of ground to cover with regard to this game West, 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:45.360 but I think the discussion from this one starts with 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:50.559 Jeff Haffley's defense, because while twenty two points is not 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:53.680 a number where you go, oh, the defense played great 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:56.920 when you watched what happened out there on the field, 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:58.960 the defense played great. 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:03.720 It did Mike, and it was one of the more creative, impressive, 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.520 and consistent performances I think we've seen from the Packers 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.080 defense this season. And I don't want to get hyperbolic 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:10.880 about it because I just got done with last week 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:13.240 saying okay, they only had two quarterback hits on Murray 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:14.640 and no sacks, but it was one of their best 0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:17.759 pass rushing performances. I did feel like they built upon 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:20.080 that though they built upon it with their four man rush, 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:21.640 they built upon it with some of their third down 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.440 blitz packages. And one other trend that some of the 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:26.720 guys were talking about after the game is Averra McKinney 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.920 among them is this idea, and it's a credit to 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:31.959 Brian Flores and the Vikings. They were the ones that 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.120 kind of started this thing of mugging up all these 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:38.520 defensive players and then sometimes sending four, sometimes sending seven, 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:41.440 sometimes dropping guys. You just never know what you're gonna get, 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.640 and the quarterback has to be able to make sense 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:46.880 of everything. And I felt like this came in particular. 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:50.120 It wasn't just c J. Stroud. Their offensive line had 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:53.280 a hard time adjusting to those looks. It helped create 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:56.080 four tackles for a loss for Eric Wilson, two sacks, 0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:58.600 and relief of an injured kway Walker. I think I 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:01.880 absolutely love what they're doing with Rashaun Gary. We talked 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:03.920 about the need of trying to get him moving around 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:06.160 a little bit more, not just having him come off 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:08.480 the weak side, being able to kind of build upon 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.480 some of the traits that we talked about early in 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.840 his career with having some positional versatility on the line, 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:19.080 and then first and foremost they threw for eighty six yards. 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:24.120 And whether that's opposition being afraid of attacking the secondary 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:26.359 now with having Xavier McKinney over the top of it, 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:29.920 whether it's just the time clock of the quarterback getting disrupted, 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.200 what have you. When you are limiting a quarterback, the 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:37.280 reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year to under fewer 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.320 than one hundred passing yards, you're doing something right defensively. 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:43.200 Yeah, it was pretty impressive. I mean, Joe Mixon certainly 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:46.440 had his share of success. He ends up rushing for 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.600 over one hundred yards, and it was interesting how that 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:53.000 evolved because it felt like either the Packers were stacking 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.200 up Nixon Mixon excuse me, at the line of scrimmage, 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.200 or he was getting ten or twelve yards. There weren't 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:01.320 really a whole lot of just the four or five 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.240 yard kind of mediocre runs. It was either they stuffed 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:07.440 him or he got an explosive, and through those combinations 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:10.440 he ends up with over one hundred yards. And the 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:14.160 Packers certainly had their challenge there. But you said it, 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:17.160 I mean, the reigning offensive rookie of the year in C. J. 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:20.760 Stroud comes into lambeau Field throws for only eighty six 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:24.000 passing yards. There's actually a net passing yards of like 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.440 fifty some because of the four sacks that for like 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:32.800 minus thirty one and the quite frankly going through the 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:34.960 defensive film and I've got a lot of clips out 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:36.760 there on the third downs and by what you might 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:38.720 have missed piece for those who want to check that out. 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:44.880 The Houston Texans up front, their pass protection, the calls, 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:47.600 the communication, whatever it was, they were just not on point. 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:51.320 The Packers were confusing them. The Packers were getting them 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.880 to hesitate, not quite sure you know who had whom, 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:58.119 you know what to do, and it just it led 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:00.800 to a lot of frustration for Stroud. Folks were talking 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:03.600 about how he tossed his helmet on the sideline and 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:06.600 you know, the Texans had the ball right at the 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.400 beginning of the game at the eleven yard line after 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:12.680 an interception by Jordan Love and yet had to settle 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.680 for a field goal. They had a chance to, you know, 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:18.479 potentially put the game away at the end with a 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.360 first down in the red zone at the two minute warning, 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:25.320 forcing the Packers to use their timeouts on defense there 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.000 at the end, but the defense got back to back 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:32.320 tackles for loss on Joe Mixon and forced the field 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:38.279 goal there. The Packers' defense had had multiple takeaways every 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.120 game through the first six games of the season, almost 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:44.520 equaling the number of takeaways from all of last regular season. 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:50.000 Not a single takeaway in this game, and this defense 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:53.000 proved that it can succeed, it can play well, it 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:57.680 can cause problems for opponents, not just because of the takeaways, 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.880 but because of some of the other things that Jeff 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:05.200 Hafley is learning about his guys and learning how to 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:09.360 put them in certain positions to cause the offense problem. 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:12.160 In my opinion, the Greevy Packers won this game. The 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:16.000 overcame that turnover deficit because of the situation going on 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:19.480 right now with being able to have the defensive front 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:24.320 getting after the quarterback the way they did. But beyond that, 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:28.400 third downs is huge. You have to be able to 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:31.960 contain the opposition in those moments. I think at one 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:35.440 point the Texans were two of ten and the adversity 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:39.920 situation that the change of game situation. The defense really 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:41.800 thrived in those and I was talking to Kenny Clark 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:44.599 about this after the game, and as he said, when 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:48.280 you look at an NFL football game, okay, when you 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:52.160 are in a spot where you are stepping up and 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:55.320 you can stop them. The only time it felt like 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:56.839 they were going to be able to score points is 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:59.559 when the position was already stacked in their favor. Yeah, 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:02.840 if they made the Texans drive, they felt like they 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:06.760 were getting the stop. So the one real I mean, 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:08.480 there was a stretch of I think four straight three 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.279 and oh it's at least three when they were able 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:15.120 to mount that challenge late in the Texans were able 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:16.960 to get down the field the way they did, that's 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.600 when the offense stepped up. That's when Brandon McMahon stepped up. 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:22.200 I thought this game was a perfect example of different 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:24.120 phases lifting each other up at the right time. But 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:26.880 the backbone of all of it was the defense holding 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:27.719 court the way it did. 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:30.920 Yeah, you said it. Until the Texans final drive where 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:32.960 they kicked the field goal to take the lead with 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.560 just under two minutes to go to go, they had 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:38.280 only converted two third downs they got there. They got 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:41.240 two more third down conversions on that drive to end 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.440 up four out of thirteen in the game. But as 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:47.800 you said they were just two out of ten before 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:51.680 that last drive, and whether and you know, it's another 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:56.720 potpoie of individuals stepping up at different times, right, whether 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:59.479 it's Evan Williams getting the stop on the two point 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.159 conversion when they tried to run Joe Mixon from the 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.240 one yard line, and again that was a two point 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:06.839 conversion from the one yard line because of a defensive 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:10.920 penalty that actually moved the ball closer. You mentioned Eric Wilson. 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:13.840 He steps in for kway Walker, not only to play 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.920 the position, but to handle the communication, to wear the 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:20.000 green dot, to relay all the signals to everybody. And 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:23.400 Wilson not only keeps everybody defensively on the same page, 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:26.400 but with those those a gap looks and some of 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:28.760 that confusing stuff they were doing up front. He ends 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:31.480 up with two sacks, four tackles for loss, a pass 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:35.440 deflection on third down that led to a punt. Edgar 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:39.080 and Cooper, we see in whatever role Jeff Hafley is 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:42.200 giving him, the rookie linebacker is making an impact when 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.960 he's out there. Some of this different pass rush stuff. 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.240 We saw Rashan Gary kind of getting cut loose a 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.480 little bit. He was getting some you know, some runs 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:53.480 at the quarterback because of the you know, the stunting 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.600 and the looping around and trying to get creative in 0:07:56.640 --> 0:08:00.440 that regard. So there was a lot a lot going 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:04.440 on defensively that the Texans really had trouble with. And hey, 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:06.560 it's a week to week league. Every game plan is 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:08.880 going to be different. You know, there are going to 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.960 be teams, I would say, like the Vikings a few 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:15.000 weeks ago, who are going to handle the Packers preuss 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:18.160 your packages better than the Texans did. That's going to happen. 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:20.440 So then what are your counters, what are your answers, 0:08:20.480 --> 0:08:22.760 what are the adjustments you're going to make to still 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:25.200 try to do things? And so that's where everything with 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:29.040 this defense will be continue to be an evolution going forward. 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.280 And on the offensive side, I guess just call it 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:35.480 an up and down roller coaster kind of day. You know. 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:40.200 Jordan Love's touchdown passes to Tucker Craft and Dontavian Wicks 0:08:40.679 --> 0:08:44.400 were absolutely incredible throws right on the money. Couldn't have 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:47.200 put it in a better spot. But he also threw 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.400 two interceptions obviously that he'd like to have back. The 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:54.640 offense in the second half was backed up three times 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:58.200 inside its own twenty yard line and went three and 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:01.280 out and couldn't get a first down on three consecutive possessions. 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:04.560 So there were all of these ups and downs with 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:08.160 the offense. Fortunately, Love was able to put together that 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:11.439 two minute drive. Buck forty four on the clock, Packers 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:14.840 need a field goal to win. He completes four passes 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:17.600 for thirty nine yards. They get another five yards thanks 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:21.319 to a defensive offside and Brandon McManus, the new kicker, 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:23.679 comes out to win the game and the Packers get 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:26.480 the five and two. But yet are looking at the 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:28.680 film on offense going, boy, we could have There's so 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:31.319 much more you know that the Packers could have done 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:35.120 in this game. So a lot to learn from. But 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:37.559 pulling out a game with a two minute drive right 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:40.200 at the end the way Jordan Love did, that's another 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:43.320 step forward for that young man at quarterback. 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.160 It is. And as Matt Lafleur keeps saying, the superpower 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.320 of Jordan Love is always been able to move forward. 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:51.640 And whatever has happened, it happened, You flush it, you 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:53.640 move on to the next play. He doesn't allow those 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.040 things to affect him. Now, certainly you do need to 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.720 clean it up. The eight interceptions I think currently leads 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:01.400 the NFL. I think the fifteen touchdowns also leads the 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.400 NFL despite him missing two games. This is a big 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.640 play quarterback, and we've all known that seeing him last season. 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:10.760 The exciting thing for me is that with the start 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:12.880 that he got off to last year and then how 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:15.400 steady he was down the stretch, if he can replicate that, 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:18.160 I mean, Jordan Love is trending in the right way, 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:20.920 especially as he's continually getting himself back into a rhythm. 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.240 What I loved about this game more than anything, though, 0:10:24.360 --> 0:10:27.040 is it was another reminder, with the defense playing into 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:28.959 this as well, that the Green Bay Packers can win 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:32.920 football games without being perfect. Offensively, they were not perfect. 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.640 Too many take away or too many giveaways, too many 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:39.040 three and outs, special teams not perfect. You had the 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:43.120 muff punt that it hits Corey Ballentain's leg ends up 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:46.000 being in a turnover. You had the situation late where 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:47.920 Jayden Reid ends up catching the ball a little too 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:49.719 deep and they have to start deep within their own 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:53.160 ten yardland, their own five yard line. Certainly, as Matt 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:55.400 Orzek I believe told Jason Wilde after the game. The 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.839 snap wasn't where it needed to be. On the final 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:01.200 field goal attempt, Daniel Wheelan made it right, Brandon McManus 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.439 made the adjustment. They banged it through. So many different 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:07.959 guys were able to pull through for this football team. 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:10.920 They didn't rupture, they didn't lapse, They were able to 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:15.000 continue pushing forward. These are the games I feel like, 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.440 especially when you're playing a five to one football team, 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:19.559 that you can learn the most from because Mike, they 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:22.000 didn't do this against the Minnesota Vikings. They didn't do 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:24.839 this in the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. They did 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:27.560 this against the Texas. They found a way to get 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:30.560 that victory. And now as you press forward and cannot 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:32.679 look past the Jacksonville Jaguars, you have to take care 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:34.760 of business this week, but they have another one in 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.559 two weeks on deck against the Detroit Lions. The stakes 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:39.400 are going to get higher more and more as you 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:42.200 press through this season. I feel like early crucibles like 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:44.760 this are the things that really galvanize a football team. 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:48.079 Yeah. Absolutely, And as much as there were all these 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:50.040 ups and downs on offense, you said it, there were 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:52.559 ups and downs on special teams as well. Because there 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:56.920 were the miscues on the punt returns. But man, what 0:11:57.040 --> 0:11:59.600 Daniel Wheelan did both as a punter and as a 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.760 holder in this game. I mean five punts he averages 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:07.080 fifty eight yards gross, but more importantly fifty one yards net. 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:10.840 I mean, if you're averaging fifty plus yards net, punting 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:12.920 when you have to punt that many times in a game, 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:18.240 that's where your punter is is significantly impacting field position. 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.559 I mentioned you know the three straight three and outs 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:25.600 when the Packers were backed up. Well, the Texans after 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:29.640 those three punts from the Packers being backed up, they 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:33.000 didn't start any of those drives in front of their 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:34.960 own forty yard line. I believe it was like the 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:37.840 twenty five to thirty two and then thirty eight, and 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:39.720 the thirty eight at the end was the one where 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.000 then they put together their drive to get the field goal. 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.640 But though, when a punter is punting from the goal line, 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.160 you know with the snap putting him on the on 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:51.720 the goal line to kick the ball, teams are hoping 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:53.280 to be able to get the ball the forty to 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.080 forty five to fifty. That didn't happen any of those 0:12:56.160 --> 0:13:01.040 times when Wheelan was kicking and then with the hold 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:05.400 at the end, of course, everything goes perfectly smoothly with 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:09.120 the operation. When the Texans call the time out to 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:12.720 try to ice McManus right, everything is, everything is picture perfect. 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:15.640 The kick is absolutely right down the middle, splits the uprights, 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:19.240 but then you have to do it again and uh 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:23.120 and Wheeland got a difficult snap there for McManus. It 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:25.760 wasn't the kick wasn't exactly right down the middle, but 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:29.520 it is obviously good hugging right inside the upright there 0:13:30.120 --> 0:13:33.199 that that hold. Man, I mean, you and I were 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.080 sitting next to each other in the press box and 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:37.840 both of us kind of what you know, when when 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:39.200 when we saw that snap, it. 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:41.200 Was to our end zone, you know, like that's the 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:41.960 one we're nearest to. 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:43.800 Yeah, I mean we we had a we had a 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:45.960 perfect view of it, and it was it was oh boy, 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:50.040 you know. And uh, you can't give enough credit to 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.199 uh to Daniel wheel and he's he's a second year 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:58.040 punter who really just learned all the nuances and the 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:00.960 details and everything that go into whole for place kicks 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:04.440 last year as a rookie, and he looks like one 0:14:04.480 --> 0:14:06.840 of the best in the business. Right. I mean, it's 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:08.600 really been impressive what he's done. 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:10.760 I say this all the time. It was one of 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:13.080 my big lines at Inbox today. I could not care 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:15.679 less where Daniel Wheeland ranks against other punters in the 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.040 National Football League. I don't know where his average or 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.600 his gross average net average punts inside the twenty. I 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:23.400 don't know where any of that stuff figures in. But 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:25.840 I've always held this maxim same thing with when Mason 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.280 Crosby was here. Mason Crosby was never a pro bowler, 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:30.280 and he had a couple down seasons, but for the 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.240 most part improved throughout his career and was a real 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:36.280 stall work for them in that area. If you have 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.360 confidence in your specialists to fulfill the job, that's the 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:40.200 only thing that matters. 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:43.120 Yeah, you know, when you know you have your guy, 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:46.160 I mean, yes, he's not gonna you know, nobody's honor 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:48.600 percent perfect. There's going to be a couple of hiccups 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.960 here and there. But when you know you have your guy, 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:54.960 that puts everybody at ease. Everybody has the confidence that 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:56.040 the job is going to get done. 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:58.480 And punting is so circumstantial too, because you can get 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:00.080 to the forty five yard line and then the I 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:01.600 has to punt and he's trying to pin him in 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:03.880 there for maybe thirty six yard net and that's going 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:07.560 to hurt your average Daniel Wheelan with his body type, 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:10.440 with his hands, with everything he brings to the party 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:13.480 here for the Packers, he has. While there's been all 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:15.920 this consternation over the kicking position the last year and 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:19.280 a half, Daniel Whelan has quietly settled the punting thing, 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.120 which had been a rotating door for the last decade 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.960 at that position. Basically since Tim Massday was let go 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.800 in twenty sixteen, the Packers have been going through one 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.120 punter after the next. Yep, Daniel Wheelan's the guy. And 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:34.720 it's just been incredible to watch his maturation because it's 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.200 not that he just won the job and then okay, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:38.520 well now you just roll with him. No. I mean, 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:43.120 this guy has become one of the real central characters 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.240 of this football team with the way in which he's 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:46.200 affecting field position. 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:48.080 Yeah, he had a field He's an anchor. He's an 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:52.200 anchor on this special teams unit. There's no question about that. 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:54.120 I'm gonna take care of a little bit of sponsor 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:57.440 business here West serious XM NFL Radio delivers hard hitting 0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:00.240 analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:03.640 football fanatics need. Twenty four to seven, three sixty five 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:06.440 and at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone. Like everyone, 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.720 like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:11.920 and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.360 sub and a bowl a Cousin Subs fifty plus years 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:21.120 of better. All right, Well, the good news is the 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:25.040 Packers are five and two. The bad news is five 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:27.880 and two is only good for third place in the 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:33.720 NFC North because the Detroit Lions squeaked it out against 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:36.960 the Minnesota Vikings in a wildly entertaining game. I mean, 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:40.239 I obviously wasn't watching it, but I watched the highlights 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:43.120 and I was kind of like, wow, did everybody get 0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:46.520 their money's worth in that one? As well? Detroit beats 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:50.240 Minnesota on a late field goal after blowing an eleven 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:53.280 point lead in the fourth quarter. Detroit is five and one, 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.120 Minnesota is five and one, Green Bay is five and two, 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:58.680 and the Chicago Bears, who were on their by this 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:03.680 past week, are four and two. There are if I 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:10.600 counted it, correctly Wes after Tampa Bay's loss on Monday 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:15.080 Night Football to the Baltimore Ravens. I believe six of 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:18.000 the eight divisions in the NFL have a team with 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:20.600 at least five wins. There are two divisions that do not. 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:26.800 Do I have that right? What? Six? Six of the 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:30.160 eight yeah, yep, six of the eight have a team 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:33.959 with five wins five or more wins. My point is 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:36.760 the NFC North is the only one with more than 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:41.440 one team with five wins, and the NFC North has three. 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:44.760 And also the AFC North. Now because Baltimore went less. 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:46.000 Oh because Baltimore, Baltimore. 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.720 That's the AFC. That's right, Because in the NFC they're 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.800 the only thing. Because that's right. Baltimore got its fifth win. 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.480 And Pittsburgh also have has five wins because they won 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:58.320 on Sunday Night full again, they ran through the Jets. 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:02.639 So two divisions in the NFL with multiple teams with 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:06.359 five plus but the NFC North has three teams with 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:12.320 five plus wins this race for the division championship. The 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:15.080 Packers have played the Vikings and the Vikings got that win. 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:17.880 The Vikings have played the Lions and the Lions got 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:20.440 that win. Those are the only division games that have 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:23.840 been played so far. This race for the division title 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:25.280 is barely getting started. 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:27.800 I've heard so many good things about Cole Comet down 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:30.160 in Chicago, and I've and just watching him from Afar. 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:32.200 I've gained a lot of appreciation for the way he speaks, 0:18:32.200 --> 0:18:34.760 obviously the way he plays, and it was really interesting. 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:37.000 On Monday, as the Bears are getting back from their 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:39.159 bye week, he met with the media and they were 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:40.919 asking him about the North and he said, yeah, I mean, 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.000 I'm not crazy about this. I mean, why would you be. 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:44.600 You don't You don't necessarily want to be in a 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:48.600 situation where you're you're having to be four and two 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:52.000 and in fourth place right now. Yeah, But as he said, 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:53.719 these are also the games you want to play in. 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:55.680 These are this is the type of competition you want 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:57.960 to have, especially for a young team like that trying 0:18:58.000 --> 0:19:01.119 to improve. It is going to be an absolute barn 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.120 burner to the finish line. I just don't think there's 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.640 gonna be any scenario in the next month that would 0:19:05.720 --> 0:19:08.879 change that. There's gonna be so many division games in 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:11.399 the NFC North that are going to really dictate not 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:13.720 only who's in the lead of this thing to try 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:16.640 to claiming that championship but also trying to get into 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.040 the playoffs there. So there's a lot that goes into that. 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:24.720 I felt the Detroit Minnesota game you mentioned the down 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:27.400 to the wire nature of that thing. One, I think 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:30.280 it worked out to green Bay's benefit the fact that 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.919 Detroit won they got that zero finally off of the 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:38.280 Minnesota vikings. But two, it was another reminder that it 0:19:38.359 --> 0:19:42.120 wasn't like Detroit or Minnesota played poorly. Both of those 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:45.480 teams did exactly what they've been doing. Jamiir Gibbs was 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:50.280 fantastic in that game. Jared Goff got off to another 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:53.920 incredible start, twelve straight completions to start that game. Aaron 0:19:54.000 --> 0:19:56.399 Jones came back from the hamstring injury to have a 0:19:56.520 --> 0:19:59.560 very Aaron Jones type performance. Sam Darnold, with the exception 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:03.240 of one in was very efficient for them. Those teams 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.239 are good football teams, good well coached football teams, and 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:07.840 in the Packers are going to have their hands full 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:10.000 in two weeks against the Lions. But that being said, 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:13.560 the North is as difficult and as treacherous as everybody's 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:15.840 making it out to be. There's just so many playmakers 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:18.320 in this division, and honestly, I think a part of 0:20:18.320 --> 0:20:22.160 that Packers have been what they've been, But all these 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:25.000 teams have made really savvy offseason moves, whether it's the 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:28.600 drafting of the Chicago Bears, whether it's the Detroit Lions 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:30.440 with their process that they've been going through the last 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:34.080