WEBVTT - #262 Packers Unscripted: Playoffs and Pro Bowl 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:20.279 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:23.440 I am Mike Spofford and he is my trusted colleague, 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:26.680 West Hodkowitz. We're coming to here from our studios at 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:29.240 lambeau Field and West. Once again, we are still waiting 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:32.800 for head coach Mike McCarthy to deliver the official announcement 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:35.559 as he fills out his coaching staff. He's still in 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:38.479 the process of doing that. So, as I've said on 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:41.080 other shows, we are going to wait until that news 0:00:41.200 --> 0:00:43.320 is official and that announcement is out there. And we 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:46.680 know all of Mike McCarthy's assistant coaches before we get 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:49.959 into discussions of them. So that being said, I want 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:52.599 to start today with a bit of Packers news that's 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:55.240 happened since the last time we, uh we sat down here, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:58.920 and that is that wide receiver Davante Adams has earned 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:02.440 his first Pro Bowl bid. He will be headed to 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:05.200 Orlando for the Pro Bowl as an injury substitute for 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:09.560 Atlanta's Julio Jones. Hats off to Davante Adams a well 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:12.000 deserved honor. Yeah, and it's actually when I saw this 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:15.039 news kind of pop up earlier this week. You feel 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:19.479 good because obviously, certainly in you know, he earned this opportunity, 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:21.720 but the way the season ended, I thought kind of, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:24.080 you know, robbed some of the uh, I don't want 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:26.720 to say momentum, but some of the luster of this 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:30.399 year for him, because it truly was another breakout season 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:32.839 for him, and for him not to get the chance 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.200 to go for a thousand yards again and having to 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:37.840 sit on the sideline those last two weeks after the 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:40.360 hit from Thomas Davis, I thought, you know that that 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:42.199 was unfair to him in the year that he had. 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:44.160 But now to be able to kind of end it 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.240 on a high note with him obviously he cleared the 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:48.560 concussion protocol at the end of the season, he did 0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:51.320 the final locker room interviews with the media, So now 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:53.720 the chance for him to actually go through this process 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:56.280 get to the Pro Bowl for the first time a 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:59.080 really good honor for him and also um as Ted 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:01.520 Thompson moves on to his next stage's career. I also 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:04.760 thought it was fitting for all the second round success 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:07.280 he had in the draft, one more guy before he 0:02:07.320 --> 0:02:09.480 steps into that new role getting a chance to go 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.360 to the Pro Bowl with the likes of Greg Jennings, 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:14.720 Jordie Nelson, Randall Cobb, the litany of guys that have 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:16.839 made the Pro Bowl after being second round draft picks 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:19.799 with the Green Bay Packers. Yeah, and here's an interesting statistic, 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:22.640 excuse me that I looked up the other day. Davante Adams. 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:24.720 Despite missing those couple of games at the end of 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.320 the season, he obviously also took the big hit from 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:30.360 Chicago's Danny Trevathan early in the year, and he bounced 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.399 back very quickly from that. He hit double digit touchdowns 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.640 for the second year in a row. Do you know 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.520 the last Packers receiver to actually get double digit touchdowns 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:42.880 in the regular season in back to back years, back 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:44.919 to back seasons. I don't want to just sit here 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.600 and wait and sit on this for two hours, so 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:50.120 I'm gonna talk very long and and find ways extended. 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:53.000 I'll go with Antonio Freeman, very good you hit. Yes, 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:56.360 it is, and just surprising that for all the for 0:02:56.400 --> 0:03:00.800 all the accomplishments of Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, uh uh, 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.400 you know, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, all of these guys, 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:06.959 and they've all had their double digit touchdown seasons. But yeah, 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:09.000 James Jones as well, you have to go all the 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.600 way back to Freeman to find somebody who actually did 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.240 that in back to back years. So I thought that 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.600 was kind of interesting and and and also too. Now 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:18.920 the Packers have two players going to the Pro Bowl, 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:21.200 and Mike Daniels and Davante Adams, and it's the first 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:23.320 Pro Bowl for both guys. That's kind of special. It 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:25.320 is special, Mike, And I think it's interesting too that 0:03:25.360 --> 0:03:27.120 you bring that up because one of the big storylines 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:28.919 this year for the Atlanta Falcons was the fact that 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.320 Julio Jones end up only having I think it was 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:34.800 one touchdown, three touchdowns somewhere in that area. This whole season. 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:36.800 He's seen as one of the top receivers in the league. 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:39.600 It's just not always a given that those guys are 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:41.119 going to be able to score in the red zone. 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:42.880 And I think that says a lot about Adams that 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.000 not only can he be the big play target, a 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:48.560 guy that you know breaks a big forty sixty yard touchdown, 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:51.920 but he's also really effective inside the red zone. Uh, 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:53.560 And I think that's one of the big benefits to 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:55.800 his game when you look at where he stands out 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.520 the most on the field. And to continue this trajectory 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:00.680 too with you know, you've seen George Nelson had the 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:04.600 success there. Randall Cobbs certainly put himself in that conversation, 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.920 but now to extend that, uh, just it's it's something 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:10.800 that I think, I don't know. At no point this 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:12.880 year can I ever recall Davanta Adams saying I want 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:14.240 to be a Pro bowl er, that's my goal for 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:16.600 the season. But you can just tell the way he 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.240 reacted to it on social media, excitement of his teammates. 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:21.360 This was an honor. I think a lot of people 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.640 were excited for him to receive. Yeah, is there one 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:27.760 particular catch, one particular play from seen that you felt 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:30.640 was Davante adams best or that maybe sticks out in 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.520 your memory the most, man, there were so many, um 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:35.080 that off the top of my head, it's kind of 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:37.839 hard to pinpoint one. I still think for his career, 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:41.400 the one in Philadelphia year ago is still I think 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:47.719 that shows exactly what he can be as Yeah, I 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:49.919 would agree, I thought that. I still think that's his 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:51.960 best career game. And I think when you tie in 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:55.559 every single element that that play encapsulated it. And maybe 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:57.400 maybe you can think of one off of this season 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:00.120 but the one. The ones that stand out to me 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:04.400 were the finish in Cleveland with the with the the 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:06.960 touchdown in the last thirty seconds and then also getting 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.679 the overtime touchdown when he spins away from the defense 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:12.200 and runs up the tunnel. Kept the Packers alive at 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.000 that point. As far as a catch where you know, 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.480 my jaw kind of hit the floor type of play, 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:19.240 it's one A lot of people are forgotten about it, 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:21.160 but it was in Atlanta in week two that one 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.760 down the sideline to the pylon. I didn't think he 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:26.039 had a you know, a snowball's chance and you know 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:28.200 where of coming down with that thing, and he grabbed 0:05:28.200 --> 0:05:30.080 that for a touchdown. I know the Packers lost that 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:32.520 game and and all that, but that was that was 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:34.520 one heck of a play and I'll certainly remember that 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:36.280 one in the memory bank. And then the one to 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:38.640 to kind of show where he's developed as a receiver 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:41.480 on the back shoulder connection with Aaron Rodgers, um that 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.679 they had that play scouted out, mapped up. Rogers doesn't 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:46.960 put it where he needs it to. Adams goes back, 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:49.200 basically stares him down and just throw a better ball. 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:52.880 Throws the back shoulder higher one inas and that was 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:55.200 a play too that It's it's funny because the guy's 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:57.599 only twenty four years old at that time and he's 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.080 staring down as two time MP, two time challenging him, 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.480 the most accurate pastor in NFL history, challenging to throw 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:06.679 a better ball. Rogers comes through and Adams makes the play, 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:09.960 and again, it's just he can run the whole row tree. Here, 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:11.920 Joe Witt talk a lot about that, the value of 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.200 a receiver that can run the whole rowd tree. Davante 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:16.080 Adams is that guy, and it's the main reason why 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:18.880 the Packers made sure to take care of him extend 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:20.840 him before it ever came to free agency, because he's 0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:23.160 a big part of this offensive future. Yeah, and kudos 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:25.680 to Daniels and Adams both making the Pro Bowl. I 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:28.479 know when the Pro Bowl UH rosters first came out, 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:30.560 the Packers didn't have anybody on it. We're hearing from 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:33.479 everybody in insider inbox. This is such an indictment of 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:36.680 the Packers roster and everything. And you know, I pointed out, hey, 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:39.280 back in where Aaron Rodgers missed half the year, the 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:42.039 Packers didn't have any Pro Bowlers then either David bak 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.360 tr and Uh and Eddie Lacy both ended up going 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:47.560 as alternate. So it's not as though the Packers didn't 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.160 have any Pro Bowlers. And again, a couple of alternates 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.560 they get they get their opportunity here. Yeah, and that's 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:55.080 something people sound the alarm on. But then you also 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:56.919 have to understand the way that the Pro Bowl works 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:58.919 and how many alternates fall out either because of the 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.280 Super Bowl or injuries. You're gonna get your chance if 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:05.040 you're a top alternate. Now you know Davante Adams getting 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:07.360 his opportunity as well, no doubt with that. We'll toss 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:09.600 to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted right 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:30.440 after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:32.640 this chair, West Hodkowitz and that one and West we 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:34.920 haven't talked on the show yet based on our new 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:39.960 production schedule. Here about the divisional playoff weekend that finished 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:44.160 in Minneapolis, the shootout between two of the best defenses 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.440 in the league in Pittsburgh. I don't know where you 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:48.000 want to start, but it was it was quite a 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:50.080 weekend of NFL playoff football. I think I have to 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.320 start with Jacksonville because I've been, you know, talking a 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:56.000 lot of snack about them the last two weeks um 0:07:56.000 --> 0:07:58.000 and let's be honest. I mean, one of the things 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:01.600 I said going into this game is Blake Bortles needed 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:04.600 to pitch a shutout. And what I meant by that 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:07.920 is he needed to not turn over the football and 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.560 he protected the football. He managed how we needed to manage. 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.400 You have Leonard for net, and I thought, even though 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:16.360 he's dealing with that ankle injury, I know it's been 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:18.720 bothering him the last two months of the year. They 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:21.000 put the offensive game plan on his back, and they 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:24.040 asked their defense to make place. Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh. They 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:25.960 have a lot of weapons, so it didn't surprise me 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:28.080 in the least that they made the run and rally 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:30.560 back that they did. I saw it was one thing 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:32.400 on Twitter. I don't know who exactly said it. I 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:35.280 apologies for not crediting them, but basically saying at halftime, 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:37.960 one of these two teams is really gonna stew over 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:40.760 this loss, either Pittsburgh getting down as much as they 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.679 did or Jacksonville letting go of that lead. I think 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.960 ultimately the better team won Jacksonville already had gone in 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.680 there and you know, really, you know, punched the Steelers 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.079 in Roethlisberger in the face earlier the season, held on 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:54.520 for the victory again though, And I don't want to 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:56.680 keep bringing up this caveat, but they're gonna have to 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:58.800 play better now against the New England Patriots. We'll talk 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.240 more about that shortly, but um, I thought for them 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:03.000 to go in there and do that again to Pittsburgh, 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:04.480 it's not an easy place to win, and and the 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:06.720 fact that the Jaguars did it speaks I think a 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:08.400 lot to that defense and a lot to their offense 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.560 being able to manage that game effectively. Yeah, I think 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:13.720 the absence of Ryan Shazer clearly showed up for Pittsburgh 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:15.840 because we had talked about that going in that. You know, 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:18.760 we felt Pittsburgh was probably the most well rounded team 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:22.199 of the final eight in the in the NFL playoff field, 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:26.080 but not having Shazier really changed change the outlook for them. 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:29.400 You look at that The game in Philadelphia Atlanta against 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:33.600 the Eagles reminded me a lot of the NFC Championship 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.600 from a handful of years back, when Matt Ryan had 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.800 goal to go against the San Francisco forty Niners and 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:41.800 the NFC title game to send his team to the 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:44.560 Super Bowl, and the forty Niners defense stood up and 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:48.559 stopped him. And Uh, that game in Philadelphia reminded me 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:50.560 of that because it just looked like the Falcons had 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:52.719 all the momentum. You're thinking, they're gonna score here, they're 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.880 gonna win this game. And then Philadelphia's defense rises up 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:58.400 and makes a couple of plays, Julio Jones slips on 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:02.679 fourth down, all of that, and uh and the Atlanta Falcons, 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:06.040 you know, go home and are unable to defend their 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.120 NFC title. Yeah. And I want to make one more 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:10.120 point with this Jacksonville game too, because I saw a 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.280 lot of this on Twitter about well, why don't why 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:14.640 don't everybody just do what the Jaguars did. They spent 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:16.440 all this money, they guaranteed all this money of these 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.240 veterans on defense. The reason the Jaguars were able to 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:20.840 do that is because they had like a hundred million 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.360 dollars in cap room as like two years ago, so 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:25.320 they were able to go out and get Clias Campbell 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.640 and a j boy who has been a phenomenal signing 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:30.520 a lot of times people throw out big money to 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:32.720 these free agents and it doesn't always work out. I 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:35.560 give Jacksonville's front office a lot of credit for seeing 0:10:35.600 --> 0:10:37.600 the talent and boy and realizing that wasn't a one 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:40.400 hit wonder that year he had with Houston text that 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:41.959 he was gonna be able to build on that. So 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:43.920 we'll see if they can carry him, you know, the 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:45.520 rest of the way here. Because now that you're getting 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:47.760 into this next round. Yeah, the defense of the New 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:49.640 England Patriots hasn't been what it need has been in 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:51.880 the past, but you still have Tom Brady who has 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:56.640 been the X factor. Yeah, alright, Well, Minneapolis finish for 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:00.000 the Ages and uh, you know, just an amazing game. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:03.679 And because Minnesota's defense had Drew Brees really flustered the 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:07.720 entire first half. Then Drew Brees kind of finds his rhythm, 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:09.720 gets it go in the middle of the third quarter 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.400 and suddenly the number one defense in the league cannot 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.280 stop the Saints. Drew Brees was doing whatever he wanted 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:18.240 to do, brings them back. I mean, they score twenty 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:20.040 four points in what was it, a span of like 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:23.600 sixteen seventeen minutes there and uh, and then you think 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:26.400 the Saints have pulled off this amazing comeback on the road, 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:29.040 down seventeen nothing, They've got a twenty four to twenty 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:33.000 three lead. The Minnesota Vikings are sixty one yards from 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:35.959 the end zone there at least twenty five yards from 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.840 a reasonable field goal attempt with ten seconds on the 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:42.920 clock and no time outs, and Stefan Diggs gets into 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:46.079 the end zone when Marcus Williams misses the tackle. I 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:47.880 I don't know how, I don't know how it happens, 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.600 but all you can say is that's the NFL. Yeah. 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:53.200 And I'll say this, whenever the season ends, if the 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:55.560 Minnesota Vikings can find a way to keep winning here, 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:59.240 that horseshoe that case Keenum has right now this season 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:01.560 needs to go in Pro Football Hall of Fame. This 0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:04.040 has been a phenomenal year for him. And I'll say this, Mike, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.120 I was watching this game. I watched the entire thing, 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.000 and even when it was third and ten and they 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:11.840 were down to ten seconds on the clock. For whatever reason, 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:14.000 if I was a New mean I'm watching this thing 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:16.240 as an unbiased observer, just you know, watching it for 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:18.320 the sake of a good football game. But if I 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:21.320 was in New England, New Orleans Saints fan, I didn't 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:24.000 feel comfortable, and I don't know why. I just felt 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:27.200 like something was bound to break. And it was interesting 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:31.560 in that ultimately it was the two areas here where 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.280 it was the Minnesota Vikings offense in New Orleans Saints defense. 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:36.280 Because they were talking about the matchup between the Saints 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.600 offense and Vikings defense. It came down to basically the 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.600 number two with the plan b's on both sides, and 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:44.760 the Vikings offense, as they've done all season, found a 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.360 way to do it. Marcus Williams had a nice rookie 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:51.200 season for interception seventy some tackles, had a big interception 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:53.680 as part of the comeback in the second half, and 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:56.360 of course everybody's going to forget about that because of 0:12:56.360 --> 0:12:59.160 of the one final play, which there's no excuse for 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:02.880 completely withing the way that he did, and he's he's 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:04.720 he's got to live with that one and the Saints 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:06.920 fans have to live with that one, as as difficult 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.760 as that is. But we're talking about a really tantled 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.080 a player who could be headed to a great career, 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:16.040 and now he's going to be remembered for something like this. 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:18.320 For a long time, and it just shows you sometimes 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:21.400 Mike too, that safety spot you really need experience. And 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:23.040 I'm not saying they did the wrong thing. I mean, 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:24.599 he's he's a great young player and I think he 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:26.080 has a bright future in this league if you can 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:28.440 put this behind him. But that's the type of play 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:30.280 that it's like, Okay, if you have Morgan Burnett in 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:33.679 that situation, or you know Kenny Vaccaro that's playing in 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:36.520 that spot, you have to understand where the field is. 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:38.800 You can let him catch that ball. You can't even 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.520 push him out of bounds. Don't give up the big 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:43.240 play because you're in zero. You know, there's no one 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:45.960 else behind you. Because even because even if even obviously 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:47.600 you'd like to keep him in bounds and then the 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:49.480 clock runs out, but even if he does catch it 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:51.480 and get out of bounds, the field goal is still 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:53.920 fifty plus yards. That's no gimme. Four Bath had just 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:56.600 hit a fifty plus yard or not that long before, 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:58.760 but still any fifty plus yard or with that kind 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.360 of pressure, even doors is no gimmeon at least at 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:03.959 least you still would have had a chance to win 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:06.120 the game. And uh, and yeah, I mean the Saints 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:07.679 let it get away. I thought the Saints were going 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:09.200 to the Super Bowl. I thought the Saints were gonna 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.160 win the Super Bowl. I thought I thought between the 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:14.520 Saints and the Steelers, and now both of them are out. 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.560 To my point, this is the why it's a beautiful game. 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:21.960 It's it's demoralizing in some ways, but it shows you 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:25.400 the small margin for error at this level, and unfortunately, 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:28.320 the New Orleans Saints found that out the most difficult, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.640 heartbreaking way. Possibly, yeah, no question about it. With that, 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:33.080 we'll go to a breakback with more on Packers Unscripted 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:54.200 right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford. Here, 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:58.400 West Hodko wits over there West too. Conference championship games 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.880 now coming up on Sunday. You have the Jaguars traveling 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:04.080 to Foxborough to face the Patriots in the a f 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:08.000 C and the Minnesota Vikings traveling to face the Philadelphia 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:09.960 Eagles in the NFC. Let's start with the a f C. 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:11.880 I know you talked a lot about the Jaguars in 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:15.800 the last segment. Obviously, the New England Patriots are the favorites. 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.600 One thing I'll say about the Jaguars because you brought up, obviously, 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:22.040 what they did in free agency and how they had 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:23.800 all that cap room and they built around it. The 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:25.520 other thing I looked it up this week. I don't 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.200 want to say they're all starters, but I would say 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:32.080 players that are playing prominent roles on this team. They 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:36.560 have eight players drafted within the top forty picks of 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:41.200 the draft over the last four drafts that are key 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.520 players on this team. And this is this is exactly 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.120 what they've been building for. They've been drafting very high 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:48.880 in the draft for a number of years, so you're 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:51.680 getting high first round and high second round picks. You 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.320 have a whole bunch of those those guys. They've supplemented 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:58.200 it with some significant spending in free agency. You're getting 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:02.800 the best play out of order quarterback Blake Bortles that 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.120 that you've ever gotten. This is a huge opportunity for 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:09.480 the Jacksonville Jaguars, enormous and it does remind me in 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:13.360 some ways of how the Packers different situations obviously, but 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:15.520 how the Packers sort of built their Super Bowl team 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:18.920 in two thousand and ten because they did draft some 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:23.080 really good defensive players. B j Rajie, Clay Matthews, The 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:24.840 list goes on and on of guys they had in 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:27.560 house that's stepped up, but they also had those Charles 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:30.080 Woodson and Ryan Pickett type guys. And I just think 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:34.000 that the additions that they've made defensively have really nicely 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:36.680 complimented all the other weapons that they have. And I 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:39.920 made this comment on Twitter going back to the Buffalo 0:16:40.000 --> 0:16:42.760 game that they played about Jalen Ramsey and just how 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.840 incredible he is as a cornerback. Someone said, oh, I wish, 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:47.840 I wish the Packers had someone like that. Well, the 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:50.920 Packers weren't picking fourth that year. I mean, there's a 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.720 reason why Jalen Ramsey was picked the way he was. Again, 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.240 you give credit to the Jaguars front office for finding 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:58.720 the talent that they needed to find when you are 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:00.640 picking that high in the draft. Yeah. As far as 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:03.040 the Patriots, now, they're in the a f C Championship 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:04.920 Game for what is it the seventh year in a row, 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:08.840 Just an incredible run. Bill Bell checked Tom Brady trying 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:13.280 for their sixth Super Bowl title here and uh, well, 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:15.520 and it would be there? Would it be their ninth 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.000 appearance in the Super Bowl together? I think I think 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:21.280 that's what it would be obviously Tom Brady running the 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:23.639 show on offense for the New England Patriots. But a 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:26.200 lot of questions about the Patriots defense where they ranked 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.640 this year, some you know, some question marks as far 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:33.040 as uh um, you know, can this defense do enough 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:36.640 in the postseason. I'm sure they're glad in a lot 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:39.080 of ways. Maybe that that, at least from that side 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:41.760 of the ball that they're facing the Jaguars offense and 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:44.320 Blake Bortles and not Ben Roethlisberger and lady On Bell 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.800 and Antonio Brown. But that being said, this Jaguars defense 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.440 is gonna have something to say about Tom Brady. So 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.800 interested to see that battle between what the Jaguars do 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:57.040 defensively in the game that Tom Brady tries to play 0:17:57.160 --> 0:17:59.760 weekend and week out. And you've got the Tom Coughlin factor. 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:03.120 Do his experience with the Giants and beating the Patriots 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:05.480 twice in the Super Bowl with those style of defenses. 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:07.760 It's really intriguing matchup, it is. And I don't know 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:09.840 how much Tom Coughlin gets involved with those sort of 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:11.800 things with Doug Morown, but I mean he's in a 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:16.080 unique position in that organization right now. I'm really interested 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.360 to see what the Patriots bring offensively in this game. 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:21.040 The reason I say that, Mike, is because they did 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:25.440 have tough matchups against tough defenses Pittsburgh, Denver, but within 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:29.960 their own division. Offensively, they played six games against defenses 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.280 that ranked in the bottom half of the league. So 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:35.359 how do you do against this unit? And can you 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:37.600 be effective with their running backs? Is there enough left 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:41.200 besides Gronkowski perimeter wise to be effective? I think it's 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:43.000 gonna be a really intriguing matchup. It might not be 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:45.560 the one that gets a million viewers, you know, in 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:47.960 every market in the country, but it is gonna be 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.360 really interesting to see how that chess match plays out. Yeah, 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:51.879 all right, and before we go to a break, I 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:54.119 want to take care of some sponsor business. Today is 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:56.080 a perfect day to fill up with some new Campbell's 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:59.280