WEBVTT - #670 Packers Unscripted: Rebound recipe 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:10.639 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:14.880 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. He is Wes Hodkowitz. 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:18.040 We're coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:21.160 Field West Packers Bears Week two. It will be at 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:26.360 lambeau Field Sunday night football under the lights, prime time, 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:29.120 and uh we we can get right to it, Keys 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:31.680 to victory here. Oh first, sorry, a little bit of 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.280 an injury update. Oh yeah, let's start Bearing Bay Packers. 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:38.160 We can start there because Alan Lazard, wide receiver who 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.680 missed Week one against the Minnesota Vikings, he was back 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:44.599 on the practice field Wednesday on a limited basis, so 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:47.720 things are trending in the right direction. He wouldn't make 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:50.080 any guarantees he would be out there on Sunday night, 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:54.200 but things are are potentially pointing that way. Other good 0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:58.280 news in the injury department, Quay Walker Keyshawn Nixon, two 0:00:58.280 --> 0:01:02.120 players on the defense who had left the Minnesota game 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:04.920 with shoulder injuries, were both back on the practice field 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:08.039 on Wednesday as well, So that was that was also 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:11.039 a positive sign. And we don't know exactly what's going 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.480 on with the offensive line. John Runyon is in the 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:18.080 concussion protocol. David Botr and Elton Jenkins were practicing again 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:21.640 on a limited basis, So we'll see what the rest 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:25.960 of the week brings. All of that injury news being processed, 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:31.119 what jumps out at you as the a number one 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:34.919 top of the list first priority key to victory against 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:37.280 the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. I'm going to tie 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:41.160 it into your injury updates. I think if you have 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:43.800 Quay Walker out there tackling the way that he tackled 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:46.280 in that game against Minnesota, I think you have Devandre 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:51.000 Campbell I like this defensive front against what the Bears 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:54.200 are putting forth. The reason for that is because you 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:56.320 need to have sideline to sideline speed and you need 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:59.800 to contain justin fields. I don't know how many more 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:01.960 time as I can say it, I've already worn out 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:04.920 the line. You have to be able to contain justin 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.360 fields because this Bears offense is going to go as 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:11.080 far as he takes them. I thought at times, you know, 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:13.720 seeing some of these statistics about you know, his ability 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:17.560 to create how many off schedule plays they run. A 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:20.560 lot of that is predicated on being able to contain him. 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:24.080 The Packers have too really good rush to contain guys 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:27.480 in Rashawn Garry just through his brute power and strength, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:30.640 and also Preston Smith just through his acumen and the 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:33.239 fact that you know he's such a savvy football player. 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:35.600 I have a lot of confidence with those two guys 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:38.160 being able to keep their lanes and understand the assignment. 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:41.680 But really, I think about that an interior, I think 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:43.720 about your Kenny Clark's. Kenny had the best game of 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.440 maybe anybody in that game against the Vike Games. Clark 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.120 Clark played a whale of a game in Minnesota. For 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:52.200 the push that you get with Kenny, you know, Jaren 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:55.040 Reid knowing his assignments, Dean Dean Lawry, I just think 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.760 that's such a critical part of this thing. But seeing 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:00.120 Quay Walker back, not just because of the injury to 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.560 Chris Barnes, but Walker the way he played eight tackles 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:06.360 before he left that ballgame, Like I thought, for as 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.720 many explosives that were given up, for as many missed 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:12.000 opportunities as the Packers had when it came to c ball, 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.120 hit ball, get ball to the ground, Kuay Walker was 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:17.239 right on point. And I really liked what I saw 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:19.320 so far from him and Campbell being able to work 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:21.680 as that one to punch yeah, and certainly staying on 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:24.680 the defensive side of the ball. You have to believe 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:27.400 that this Packers defensive backfield is going to have a 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.920 bounce back kind of game. And yes, the Bears do 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:35.760 not have a Justin Jefferson, you know, Adam thieland combination. Um, 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:38.680 they don't have a Dalvin cook In in the backfield either. 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:41.400 That's taking nothing away from Montgomery and Herbert, who are 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:45.320 quality NFL running backs. Darnell Mooney is potentially still a 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:47.880 rising star at receiver in this league. But those guys 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:52.440 are not on the level of the Vikings perimeter weapons. 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:56.000 And this this secondary for Green Bay. We talked about 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.040 it that that main five that plays in the nickel, 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.400 it's an experience group. It's a talented group. It's also 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:07.000 a prideful group. And they know that the way they 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:09.839 played last Sunday in Minnesota is not who they are. 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:14.360 And they they're not you know, they're not talking about it, 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:18.200 woofing about it whatever this week in the locker room, 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:20.719 but you know, in their own minds, they're like, all right, 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.720 let's we gotta be who we are and take care 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:28.000 of business here. That's the that's the group, the personnel group, 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:29.920 the position group for the packers that you look to 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.200 really bounce back in the biggest way. This was a 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.400 seminal moment for me. Just now. You don't even realize this, 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:38.160 but wolfing is now a thing that I think I'm 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:40.120 going to work in my vernacular for the rest of 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:42.080 my life from this bit MO day moving forward. I 0:04:42.120 --> 0:04:43.680 just want to make sure that you're aware of that. 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:47.960 But you're absolutely right, Mike, because what I took away 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:50.640 from the postgame locker room you were at almost said 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.680 Mike McCarthy. You were at Matt Lafleur's press conference with 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:56.479 Aaron Rodgers. I was in the locker room and listening 0:04:56.480 --> 0:05:00.840 to Resul Douglas Gire, Alexander and Eric Stowe all addressed 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:02.880 the media afterwards, and even some of those guys talking 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:08.000 on Wednesday. Nobody was defensive, nobody was unsure of themselves. 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:11.120 There was almost this this kind of like approach that 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:13.920 it was round one of a boxing match and they 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:16.320 got knocked down. You know, it's a ten eight round 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:19.200 for the opponent. They they owned it, but they're gonna 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:20.880 be able to work their way back, and that's going 0:05:20.920 --> 0:05:24.280 to be critical because, as Jerry Gray said, you have 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:26.679 to make the corrections because you're gonna see that number 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.400 eighteen again in the purple uniform or white uniform later 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:33.159 this season. They're gonna have to deal with Justin Jefferson again. 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:35.600 But you can't do anything about that week too. You 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.119 have to worry about the weapons that the Chicago Bears present. 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:40.039 And I'll tell you what, Mike, while they don't have 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:42.279 a Jefferson, you can even make the case they don't 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:45.520 have an Adam feeling, they do have guys that are 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:48.719 pretty gritty, and that was kind of my main takeaway 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.719 from that game with the Bears. You know, Dante Pettis 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:54.360 being able to have the fifty one yard score or 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.120 the fifty one yard completion. You look at the score 0:05:57.200 --> 0:06:01.400 that Econemius st. Brown had the those were heavy plays 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:03.400 and a lot of that was generated off of the 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:07.080 creativity of fields. So you can't worry about the vikings. 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:08.960 You have to turn your attention to this Bears team 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.800 because again they're gonna be riding high coming off of 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.080 this win and win that very few people expected over 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.040 the San Francisco forty Niners. But the circumstances this game 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:18.800 are gonna be much different. You're gonna have a crowd 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:20.520 in there for the first time at lambeau Field in 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:23.479 a regular season setting. We remember what that atmosphere was 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:26.840 like for the preseason game that they had here. Team 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:28.680 they're going to be energized. The Packers are going to 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:30.880 have that wind in their sales in These cornerbacks need 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:32.560 to play up to their potential because when you look 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:34.280 at what they did during training camp, which you look 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:37.080 at what they did against the New Orleans Saints and 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:41.000 those practices, they were dominating, suffocating, and they found ways 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:42.560 to take away the football, and that's what they have 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:44.680 to do on Sunday. Yeah. Well, on the offensive side 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.760 of the ball, we talked already with regard to the 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.800 running backs and and the Packers getting them more involved. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.159 Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers have touched on it. I don't 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.680 want to to beat that topic to death. I am 0:06:55.760 --> 0:06:58.920 interested though. If Alan Lazard is able to come back 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:03.400 and make his two debut, and if Robert Tunyan, who 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:06.719 we believe might have been on a snap count with 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.280 his first game back from that's our suspicion. That's our 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:13.360 that's our Yeah, we we suspect the old clue goes 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.360 um that he might have been on a rep count 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:21.320 and perhaps if that increases and he has more opportunities 0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:25.160 to get involved with maybe Lazard. Coming back with the 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:28.280 fact that Romeo Dobbs and Christian Watson will no longer 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:31.440 be playing their first game in the NFL. UM, they'll 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.240 also be back home, you know, with the crowd behind them, 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.840 all of that, um, all of that kind of stuff. 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.280 I I you know, I just have to believe we're 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:42.400 going to see not just because the Bears defense is 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:44.480 different from the Vikings defense. I think we're going to 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:47.560 see a very very different Green Bay Packers offense than 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:51.880 the one we saw in a very difficult place to 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:55.000 play last Sunday. Do you ever cover hockey? Yeah, you 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:58.480 said what Green Bay could potentially do it again, It's 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.160 it's kind of predicated on number third team being available. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:03.680 But I like the line changes that Green Bay can 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.240 potentially utilize. You saw a little bit of them in 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:08.600 that game against the Vikings. I mean, at forty one 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:12.760 offensive snaps. Sammy Watkins was the most active offensive perimeter 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:15.240 playmaker for Green Bay. You go back to the days 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:17.440 of Davante Adams. I mean he was playing maybe three 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:20.120 or four snaps he was taken off the field. I 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:22.720 like the idea that Green Bay has all these this 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:25.840 this different mesh of receiving talent that can be used 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:27.800 in a multitude of ways. You can have your Randall 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:30.280 Cobs that are just there quickly to catch a pass 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:31.920 and get you a first down on a third and 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.800 five right up the middle, because there's that that synergy 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.080 there with Aaron Rodgers. I like that you have the 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:40.319 deep threat with with um Christian Watson because as much 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.559 as we've talked about the drop this week, I think 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.160 the long term thing here for Watson, if he can 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:47.959 really put that in the past, is the fact that 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:50.679 he was going up against an all Pro type cornerback 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:52.679 on his first NFL snaps and he beat him off 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:55.080 the line of scrimmage by three and a half yards. 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:58.800 His talent, his skill, and his natural gifts are as advertised. 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:00.040 You and I have seen it a little bit. It 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:02.280 just based on the knee injury and camp when he 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.280 did come back, I thought that really shined. But at 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.560 the same time, you need to be able to work 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:10.600 with that and learn from the past mistakes. Romeo Dobbs. 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:12.319 The list goes on and on, and the amount of 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:15.080 Packers receiving talent that they have, and I think that 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:17.600 can be a big, big asset for them in this game. 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:20.840 Eddie Jackson had the interception last week. Jalen Johnson I 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:22.959 think is an up and coming cornerback in this league. 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:25.440 But the Green Bay Packers need to kind of keep 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:27.440 their foot on the gas, so to speak. And as 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.360 Matt Lafleur said this week, a lot of that is 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.680 going to be predicated on the backfield, to getting more 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:34.680 touches for Aaron Jones and a J. Dillon. This is 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:38.400 not the two thousanders anymore. This is not an offense 0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:40.960 that's going to run through one specific all pro It's 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.400 going to be versatile. And having Lazard back with all 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:45.640 the different ways that you can use him, I just 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:48.000 think again, it opens up that cookbook just a little 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.880 bit wider with some interesting recipes for this offense. Yeah, 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.800 you mentioned Eddie Jackson, the safety for the Bears. Uh, 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:56.200 playmaking kind of guy. You definitely have to be aware 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:57.959 of him. And I'll go back to what I said 0:09:58.080 --> 0:09:59.920 at the beginning of the week and Insider in b 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:03.160 X when somebody asked me about the keys against the Bears, 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:05.680 and you have to get a hat on ro Quan Smith. 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:10.000 You know, whatever sorts of running plays, whether you're gonna 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:12.400 go inside zone, outside zone, if you're going to run 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:16.280 the reverses, the jet sweeps, whatever it might be. Whoever 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:19.199 is headed to the second level off of the offensive line, 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:21.240 off of the combo blocks, you've got to be able 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:23.760 to beat fifty eight to the spot, so to speak. Right, 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:26.760 You've got to get a hat on that guy because, um, 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.440 because he's a guy who's just he's capable of wrecking 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:32.000 so much of what you want to do offensively. This 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.160 is not the same Bears front that we've seen in 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:37.880 recent years with Khalil Mack and a Keem Hicks and 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.360 guys like that up front. But ro Kuwan Smith is 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:43.560 still there just behind the line of scrimmage, and uh, 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:46.400 and he's he's a guy. He's a guy. You just 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:49.560 you have to be able to block him and he's 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:52.160 going to make his tackles at the defense is designed 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:54.880 to do that. But you can't let him be an 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.280 impact player, I guess, is what I'm saying. Yeah, And 0:10:57.320 --> 0:10:59.480 I really like, you know, for for as much as 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:01.840 you know green Bay. Last week we talked about the 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:05.280 push on the goal line. You know, there were some 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:07.600 issues there with the past protection, but I really liked 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:10.320 this offensive line and the athleticism and how that's kind 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:13.040 of shown up at the second level. Josh Myers did 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.040 that a little bit in the preseason. You saw, I mean, 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.200 you see some of these intangibles that these guys have. 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.440 The Packers have the athleticism there to really thrive on 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.000 that side of the ball. But it's a difference between 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:25.080 that and really getting a hat on a hat and 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:28.280 and Roquan makes it very difficult for offensive linemen to 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:30.800 achieve that. But that being said, you look at six 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:33.160 point two six point three yards per carry for Aaron 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.880 Jones and a j Dillon last week. Green Bay needs 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:38.200 to repeat that recipe and maybe throw a little bit 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:40.600 more in there too, UH to be able to get 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:44.520 into more favorable situations, because realistically, the only time where 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:46.640 Green Bay started to fall behind in some of these 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.360 these downs was when there was an incompletion or a 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:52.720 sack on first down. UH. When they ran the ball, 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:54.640 for the most part, they weren't getting stuff for second 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:56.840 and nine or second and eight. They were able to 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:59.680 get into some second and six, you know, second and 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:03.319 five situations. You want to see that replicated because if 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:06.040 a guy like Rokwan gets going, and especially you know 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:08.040 with Robert Quinn, if he's able to you know, pin 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:10.560 his ears back a little bit, that's a self fulfilling 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:14.000 prophecy for any defense. So, uh, that's gonna be probably 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:16.560 the big intangible in this game is what does Green 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.520 Bay do upfront early on to really set the tone 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:21.760 in that matchup. Yeah, when you look at when you 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:24.440 look at the twenty nine yard run by Aaron Jones 0:12:24.520 --> 0:12:26.600 last week, I had it in my clips on Zach 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:29.240 Tom Larry did a great Rock report on it as 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:31.640 well for anybody who wants to check it out. The 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:35.360 key to springing that run was Marcedes Lewis taken out 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.240 Eric Kendricks, you know, and and Eric you know, Roquan 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.200 smith Is is sort of like the Eric Kendricks you 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:46.880 know of um of this Bears defense. So that's ah, 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.679 that's where you get a hat on that guy. That's 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.040 where you can turn the three and four yard runs 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.400 into the potentially explosive ones. On the special team side 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:58.240 of things. Um. I thought it was a solid debut 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:01.800 for Rich Bisacci's units. Matt Lafleur talked about a little 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.720 bit too leaky in the punt protection. Uh, there were 0:13:04.760 --> 0:13:06.960 a few punts that were a little too close for 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:09.680 comfort in terms of getting blocked. But I think that's 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:14.199 something that type of attacking mentality from opponents is something 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.280 the Packers are just gonna have to get used to. 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.679 Um because of what was put on film last year 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:21.520 and the block punt in the playoff game and everything. 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:24.439 Teams are gonna come after Green Bay in that regard 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:26.880 and see uh and see if the Packers can hold 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:29.440 up on the return side of things. I thought there 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:32.079 was the one punt return where a Mari Rodgers might 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:34.760 have had a lane down the sideline maybe called for 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:37.760 the fair catch a little bit too early there. That 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:41.000 was that was an opportunity, But the sure hands were 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:43.680 definitely there. There were no no issues in terms of 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:46.920 in terms of potential turnovers or worries in that regard. 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:49.960 So a solid effort there. But um, but certainly some 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:54.200 ways that you can see this special Teams unit moving forward. Yeah, 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:56.600 I just like seeing a Mari get north and south. 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:58.880 There was you know too much, no kind of indecisiveness 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:00.360 last year. I think that was one of things that 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:02.080 really kind of hurt him down the stretch. And also 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:03.760 just the way he's fielding the ball he's fielding and 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.839 a lot cleaner uh in year two. Uh. This is 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.320 an interesting matchup though with the with the Bears, because 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:11.400 you know, for so many years here you kind of 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:12.959 had to worry not not that you don't have to 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.560 worry about Pettis here, but you know, jacchem Grant and 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.000 obviously the Devin Hester years, there was always kind of 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.960 this this fear a little bit associated with you know 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:24.240 what you know, uh, the amount of playmakers that you 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:26.800 could potentially see on that unit. You still have to 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:29.200 be on your p's and ques. But I thought one 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:31.320 of the big tests that Green Bay passed last week 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:34.480 was just being able to survive those returners. I thought 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:36.680 Pat O'Donnell, even though maybe there was some you know 0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:39.720 a little bit of leakiness with the protection pedal donnald 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:41.920 I thought punted really well in the situation. I thought 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:45.160 O'Donnell had a great game. All things considered. You can't 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:47.800 really give them much quarter because of what Reagor could 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:51.000 potentially do, which Green Bay has seen firsthand three years ago. 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:54.360 So being able to neutralize that I thought was a 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:57.200 solid building block for them. You know, Mason Crosby a 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.360 few extra points, but still getting back into his own rhythm, 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:05.080 getting back into his whole pregame process, his second consecutive 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:08.680 start in the NFL, or consecutive game played. All those 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.040 things are gonna matter because I'll tell you what you 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:13.640 mentioned Keishaw Nixon early on. How important is it not 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:15.720 only is him as the dime cornerback, but him still 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:20.000 being available now as a gunner. Rudy Ford was fantastic. 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.920 I thought in that game as a gunner, Green Bay 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:25.560 has some vets there now, and and being able to 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.600 see those young guys rally around those veterans as opposed 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:29.960 to last year. I think a lot of times it 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:31.680 was guys just looking at each other trying to figure 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.200 out who's gonna like lead this group, who's gonna step up. 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:36.320 I think over the course of the year, Mike, you're 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.200 gonna see that show up. Yeah. Well, I want to 0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:41.960 get to a couple of interesting statistics to throw your 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:45.160 way West, But first some sponsor business Serious x M 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.120 NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:53.000 minute NFL news that true football fanatics need seven three six, 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:55.640 And at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.520 our Wisconsin Cheese Currents, mac and Cheese, golden fries, and 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.720 creamy shakes, all aired with your favorite sub or sub 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:06.480 in a bowl. Cousins Subs fifty years of better. All right. 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:10.280 Two stats for you West. First, the Green Bay Packers 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:14.760 have won fourteen of their last fifteen home openers going 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:18.320 back to two thousand and seven. Since two thousand and seven, 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:22.280 the only home opener the Packers have lost was the 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:25.560 Week one contest. It actually was a season opener against 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.080 the San Francisco forty and Iiners in two thousand and twelve, 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:31.840 so this is the type of game that the Packers 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.640 normally win. And the other thing I came across this 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:37.120 week it was really interesting and I'm gonna be writing 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.080 a little more about this in my one Last Look 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.520 column which will post on the website on Saturday. But 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:47.360 I didn't realize in two thousand eighteen, when Matt Naggy 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:51.960 brought the Chicago Bears UH to lambeau Field for the 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:55.120 first time for him as a head coach that when 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:57.680 the Packers came back from that twenty point deficit with 0:16:57.720 --> 0:16:59.920 Aaron Rodgers being injured coming back out of the lock 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:03.000 room and all of that. The Packers winning that game 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:07.359 actually broke a streak of and I'm bringing this up 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:11.400 because Matt Eberflus is coaching his first Packers Bears game 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:15.880 at lambeau Field. The two thousand eighteen twenty point comeback 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:19.119 against Matt Naggi's Bears actually broke a streak of four 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:24.439 consecutive Bears coaches head coaches who had won their first 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:27.560 Packers Bears game at lambeau It was really strange. I 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.240 went back and looked at Dick Geron going back to 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:35.720 love Smith in two thousand four, and then also Mark 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:39.440 Trustman and John Fox. They all won their first Packers 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:42.120 Bears game at lambeau Field, and Matt Nagy was really 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:45.160 darn close to making it five and row as as 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:48.640 Eberflus comes in for his first Packers Bears game at Lamba, 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:50.320 I just thought it was interesting. I'll have more on 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:52.400 it in my column, but but just one of those 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:55.760 weird stats that you don't think would be even possible. Yeah, 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:57.920 and in this rivalry with the Bears, I mean, this 0:17:57.920 --> 0:17:59.880 will be the seventeenth straight You're these two teams are 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:03.080 in prime time. Um, these are the type of things 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:07.240 that I'll always forever remember Lovey Smith taking the podium 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:09.000 for the first time as their head coach and that 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.920 my number one goal is to beat the Packers. And 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:13.600 and I'll be honest with you, Mike, over all the 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:16.560 rhetoric that I've heard for years and how excited fans get, 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:18.960 you know, if their team beat Screen Bay within the division, 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:22.480 that's always been the number one thing. Because I think 0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:26.840 Love's comments spoke on two different levels. Because one, obviously, 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:30.320 there is the rivalry. There's a reason why we're continually tracking, Hey, 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.760 which team has more Pro Football Hall of Famers, which 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.439 team is up on the regular season career you know, 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:39.360 wins total. But it also was the statement that love 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:41.359 You was making that day, where in order if you're 0:18:41.400 --> 0:18:43.639 going to become a perennial contender here in the NFC, 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:45.800 you need to get past Screen Bay. You need to 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:48.760 get past Aaron Rodgers, Brett Farve, everybody that they've had 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.159 thrown at this division, in the NFC Central and all 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:54.720 these years. And as Rogers touched on last week, teams 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:57.359 just haven't been able to regularly do it. Uh. You 0:18:57.400 --> 0:18:59.879 know that the comment last year's Soldier Field that Go 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:02.880 is this said, I won't I won't elaborate anymore on it, 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:07.320 but regardless, these are the type of matchups that teams 0:19:07.359 --> 0:19:09.000 wake up for, and it's the type of things that 0:19:09.080 --> 0:19:11.479 head coaches when they chart out their season, when they 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:14.959 take over an NFC Division, an NFC North team, you 0:19:15.000 --> 0:19:16.800 know what the task is going to be. You know 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:18.800 what you're ultimately gonna have to deal with. There was 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:21.720 a reason why the Minnesota Vikings hired Mike Zimmer back 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:24.480 in two thousand fourteen. The Vikings need to do a 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.560 better job against Aaron Rodgers, and Zimmer had some success 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:30.520 against him in Cincinnati. It's those type of lessons that 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.919