WEBVTT - #566 Packers Unscripted: Valuable victory 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:14.360 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.600 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:20.600 by my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz, and yes we are 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:24.479 back on zoom. We have made the decision that talking 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:28.160 through masks for twenty minutes is not ideal. And while 0:00:28.480 --> 0:00:30.800 this will be a challenge as well, we've done this before. 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.440 I am in the studio. West is actually across the 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:39.479 hall in our boss's office of all places. Um, but Weston, 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:43.720 how are you doing? The Packers five over the Chicago Bears. 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:47.280 Green Bay now eight and three with five regular season 0:00:47.280 --> 0:00:49.479 games to go. Well, I resent that, Mike, because I 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:51.240 was hoping you would say that this was my office. 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:52.920 Then all the years out there thinks, so I'm some 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:54.960 kind of big shot here that I can just, you know, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:58.080 slink into my office and do my thing. Uh No, 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.520 you're you're right, though, I mean, this is the type 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.480 of performance I think Green Bay needed on so many levels. 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:07.679 Now was it perfect? No, But offensively they imposed their 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:11.200 will on Chicago. Now you can't tell that story without 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:13.720 mentioning a Keem Hicks was not involved in this game. 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.440 But he goes back to something Mike Patton said last week, 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:19.679 I mean nobody was sending any sympathy cards, and Green 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:22.160 Bays was dealing with some of their injuries earlier this 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.360 season either, So for Green Bay to come out and 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:27.240 play the way they did, get off to the start 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:29.880 they did, and then carry that into the second half 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:32.240 a big victory. I think when you look at all 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:34.760 three phases of this game, a better performance and the 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.679 type of response they needed after a tough loss there 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:41.000 in Indianapolis. Yeah. Absolutely. You could see right from the 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.520 get go that this Bears defensive front was missing a 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:47.160 Chem Hicks, big number ninety six there in the middle, 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.480 and with the way the Packers were running the ball 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:55.200 on the opening series of the game, you just could 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:58.080 see the confidence in the running game growing the commitment 0:01:58.160 --> 0:02:01.240 to it from Matt Lafleur. The Packers had a run 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:04.680 pass balance throughout this game, and not just from a 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:09.240 play calling perspective, but from a production perspective, because Aaron 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.240 Jones and Jamal Williams combined for a hundred and sixty 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:15.680 three rushing yards. Jones had ninety, Williams had seventy three. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:19.040 Aaron Rodgers through for just two eleven, but through for 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:22.120 four touchdowns, had a passer rating north of a hundred 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.320 and thirty. Talk of him obviously being right in the 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.840 thick of the m v P race here as December 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:33.880 rolls around. So this Packers offense did everything it needed 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:37.239 to and uh, and you know, really kept the Chicago Bears. Really. 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:39.959 The Bears are now on a five game losing streak, 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:43.680 tied for second place with the Minnesota Vikings in the 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.440 NFC North at five and six, and the Packers have 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:49.640 a three game lead in the division with five to play, 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:52.760 which is about as big as stranglehold as you could 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:56.400 have with December arriving. Yeah, no, you're right. And there 0:02:56.440 --> 0:02:59.280 was a phrase that David Botr used in his post 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:03.280 game made the availability on Sunday. He called it attitude football. 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:05.920 That's what this game was going to be about. Uh, 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:09.079 in Green Bay did it. It was a balanced, complimentary approach. 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.359 They found some early adversity again. Corey Linsley has to 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.200 exit with the knee injury. That sounds like it's going 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:16.120 to keep him out for a little while here. And 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.880 Elton Jenkins, much like against the Colts, he has to 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:22.560 slide in that center in the train doesn't stop Lucas 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.000 Patrick battling through a toe injury. The Packers end up 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:26.840 sounding like they rested him at the end of that game, 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:29.880 But he just keeps his nose to the grindstone. Uh. 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.440 In the have a guy like John Runyon, a mystery liable, 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:35.360 as Aaron Rodgers called him, stepping up again at left guard. 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.840 So on the offensive front, they did what they needed 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:40.520 to do in this game to be able to push 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:42.080 the ball in the middle of the field. The Packers 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.720 did a little bit more of their inside zone concepts. 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:46.920 I think that was the right adjustment. As the game 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:49.760 wore on, the stretch plays and the pitches started to 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:54.200 work a little bit better with the outside stuff. But overall, Um, 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:56.160 when you look at that first series, I just thought, 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.960 with having Alan Lazard back as a blocker and you're 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:03.400 seeing Econemius a Brown step up. Now, Um, Marcedes Lewis 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:08.360 gets career catch. So many different little factors played into this. Uh. 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:09.480 But at the end of the day, I think a 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:11.240 lot of it started with what they were able to 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:14.800 do in the trenches. Yeah. Absolutely, I was surprised. I mean, 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:18.640 with with what Chicago's defense normally does and the way 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.479 that unit normally plays, what the Packers were able to 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:24.640 do between the tackles, as you said, with the inside zone, 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.920 running up the middle, moving the line of scrimmage, and 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:31.280 again chem Hicks was out. And as I mentioned in 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:35.039 Insider Inbox, when you're missing a big time performer, whether 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:37.800 it's on offense or defense, usually the first game that 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.800 that player is out is the toughest one to make 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.920 the adjustments. And and the Bears really just didn't look 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:46.560 ready for number ninety six not to be there for 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:49.160 their defense, and and the defense was on its heels 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:52.320 pretty much the whole game. On the defensive side of 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:56.640 things for the Packers, the biggest development was getting three 0:04:56.680 --> 0:05:01.800 turnovers three takeaways from quarterback Mr Rubinsky, two interceptions by 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:06.800 second year safety Darnell Savage, a sack strip fumble caused 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.680 by Zadarius Smith which was scooped up by Preston Smith 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:13.760 and taken in for a touchdown. Those three takeaways. Packers 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.440 are starting to get that cranked up a little bit 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:19.400 in the takeaway category. They now have twelve on the season. 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.800 Eight of those twelve have come in the last four games. Now, 0:05:22.839 --> 0:05:25.720 there's still a long way from their total of twenty 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:28.800 five from last year's regular season, but eight in the 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:31.839 last four games. The Packers will take that and hope 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:33.800 that that continues here through the final month of the 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.240 regular season. Well, and that was the funny thing in 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:38.720 this right in terms of you know, three weeks ago, 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:40.760 we were talking over and over again about, hey, kN 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:42.760 Green they start to get some of those takeaways that 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.840 were so prevalent last year. UH, and can they find 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:47.840 a way to be able to create and generate big 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:51.479 place Mitchell Trubisky his first game back after some time 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:54.520 missed with the shoulder injury. Before that even benched UH 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.600 in favor of Nick Foles. You wanted to be able 0:05:57.640 --> 0:05:59.760 to create some opportunities in this game, and I thought 0:05:59.760 --> 0:06:02.760 they did that. I thought Darnell Savage, before suffering that 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.640 back injury on his second pick, put together one of 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:08.680 his better performances of his Packer's career. UM and it 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.120 was funny. I asked him about that first interception that 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:12.520 he made in the end zone, which was an ill 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:14.960 advised throw from Trubisky. There's no question about that. A 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.960 first intent throughout their own at the Green Bay thirty eight, 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:20.960 I believe at that point thirty six, and he airs 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:24.000 one out and it's funny Savage mentioned if you go 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.120 back and watch, there was a play much like that 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:29.640 against Minnesota where the Vikings on the opposite side of 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:31.719 the field ran a similar concept from the slot with 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.800 Adam Feeling. Feeling shakes him with an inside move and 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:37.400 goes back out to kind of complete sort of a 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:41.480 skinny kind of corner route and Savage loses him and 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:43.640 he catches the touchdown pass. That was late in that game, 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:45.760 the Bears tried to run the same concept to the 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.240 right side of the field. This time you saw Savage 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:51.120 flip his hips appropriately, was able to track the ball, 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:53.680 showed some really good center field skills there and pull 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.479 it down. And then he made another fantastic catch later 0:06:56.560 --> 0:06:58.760 on and again a sort of an ill advised throw 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:02.000 from Trubisky into triple coverage. But really the biggest story 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:04.840 to me in this game was the defensive front. Now, 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:07.159 they gave up the fifty seven yard run to David 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.679 Montgomery right off the bat. That's not what you're looking for, 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.520 but they didn't quit there. They forced that to a 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:15.760 field goal. And then in the second quarter, Preston and 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:19.080 Zadarius Smith combining on a strip sack and a fumble 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:22.600 recovery for a touchdown. These are the type of plays 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:25.720 that when the Packers were really humming last season, uh, 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:29.120 their momentum driving plays and and those are the type 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:31.080 of things that I think has been missing this season. 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:35.080 They have actually done a fantastic job of avoiding explosive plays. 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:37.160 Near the end of Don Caper's tenure. That was something 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:39.360 that was really haunting them a little bit, was that 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.040 they just they couldn't stop the sixty and seventy yard 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:44.600 or They've done that, and they made teams go the 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:46.960 full length of the field. But in order to really 0:07:47.040 --> 0:07:48.920 capitalize on that, you need to be able to take 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:51.280 the football away. They did that and as you mentioned, 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:54.280 now eight takeaways in the last month. Well, I think 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.040 I think the biggest thing for the for the Packers 0:07:57.120 --> 0:07:59.600 defense other than the turnovers, when you look at this game. 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:04.280 You mentioned the fifty seven yard run early by David Montgomery. 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:06.280 I'm no XS and OS expert. It looked to me 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:09.200 like the Packers were just completely misaligned like that, whether 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.040 it was the first level, the second level, the the 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.720 the the alignment in terms of the gaps and everything 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.239 was just wrong, and the seas parted in the middle 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:20.280 and Montgomery was off to the races, but the Packers 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.040 defense rose up and stopped that drive and held the 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:26.080 Bears to a field goal, so the Packers still had 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:30.480 the lead after one possession. There After that, I thought 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:33.960 Green Bay's defense clamped down on the run fairly decently. 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.600 And the other the other good sign that Matt Lafleur 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:40.679 talked about Monday in his zoom, which he actually did 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:44.200 from his house because the team facilities closed Monday and 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:49.760 Tuesday by NFL mandate. But um he he talked about 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:53.160 the defense in the third quarter because the Packers had 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:55.839 the lead at halftime. The Bears had scored right before 0:08:55.880 --> 0:08:57.319 the end of the first half to get it to 0:08:57.800 --> 0:08:59.880 seven to ten, and then the Bears were getting the 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.480 all coming out to start the third quarter, and that's 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.040 where the Indianapolis game got away from the Packers. The 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:08.280 defense started to give up the drives, you know, then 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:11.280 the offense couldn't really answer, and the whole the whole 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:14.640 game started to go south. Packers defense in the third quarter, 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:17.560 they give up one first down right off the bat, 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:20.400 but then force a punt. Then the next possession Savage 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.320 gets his second interception. Then the possession after that is 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.520 another three and out for the Bears and then this 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:28.760 game was over. Um. The Packers defense did what it 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:31.240 had to do coming out a halftime, and that was 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:34.040 a good sign considering what had happened the previous week 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.679 in Indie. Well, what's the best way to kind of 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:40.240 waste a really good first half. It's allowing the opponent 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:42.360 to double up. And unfortunately for the Green Bay Packers, 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.679 they haven't. Luck hasn't been on their side. And relates 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:47.240 to the coin toss this season, I think m Olivia 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.600 Rehiner from the Press Becazette Journal Sentinel she had that stat. 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:51.559 I think they're three three and eight this year. I 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:54.400 think on the opening coin toss. They lost again on Monday. 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:56.520 Now Tim Boyle had nothing to do with that. It 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:58.960 was not his call. It was the Bears that did that. 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:03.200 But by the deferral process, I mean in the Bears 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:04.800 receiving it in the second half, they went down and 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.560 they put up some points. The game kind of changes 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:09.880 on its axis if if you allow them to score again. 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.560 But in this particular case, they came out, they got 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:14.959 the back to back sacks. They were able to really 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:17.160 kind of stying me them as long as they needed to. 0:10:17.280 --> 0:10:20.120 Now I know you and I going through Insider Inbox, 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.360 there were some fans that were displeased about the fourth quarter. 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:26.560 Um Matt Lafleur said, it's definitely a balance between wanting 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:28.679 to make sure that you are somewhat aggressive yet and 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:30.800 still you know, dialing up some of your blitz packages 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.280 and making life difficult on the quarterback, but at the 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.680 same time not wanting to give up those explosive plays. 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:38.560 My only challenge to people, and I wrote about this 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:40.720 on Tuesdays, that if you want to take issue with 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.200 what happened on that that run by Montgomery, or maybe 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:45.240 some of the yards per play that the Bears had 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.720 in the first three quarters, that's perfectly fine. We can 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.160 have that conversation. There's a lot of people sort of 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:54.560 losing themselves here about that fourth quarter. It's not prevent 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:57.040 defense because you're trying to stop them from scoring. Certainly 0:10:57.080 --> 0:10:59.640 that is ultimately the goal, but it's prevent because you're 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:02.680 trying to stop the explosive plays Green Bay. Although you 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:04.120 want to be able to either get the fourth and 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:06.400 eleven stop or get the Kevin King interception in the 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:09.160 end zone, the big game there is making sure that 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.400 you force the Bears to use their time outs, you're 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.960 forcing them to eat the clock. Chicago had to do 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:15.560 both of those things, and it's one of the reasons 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:17.760 why Green Bay was able to come out with a victory. 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:19.920 Maybe not as dominating in terms of what it looked 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:23.320 like on the scoreboard, but certainly a victory nonetheless. Yeah, 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:26.600 and Matt Lafleur looked at really two plays on Chicago's 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:30.280 last two touchdown drives there in the fourth quarter that 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:33.320 that he really lamented, one being the fourth and eleven 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:36.000 on the Bears first touched on drive. If the Packers 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:38.760 get the stop there on fourth and eleven, uh, you know, 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:41.880 you're talking about massive substitutions. You can get everybody out 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:43.720 of the game and all that, and the game is 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:47.040 definitely over. So he really regretted that one. And then 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.679 at the end of the second Bears touched under if 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:52.320 Kevin King had an interception in his hands were in 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.600 the end zone, and you know this game, this game 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:58.880 ends up for seventeen, not fort if King just catches 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:02.320 the ball, and now that's you know, la Fleur talked 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:04.600 about that it was a three takeaway game for the defense. 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:08.319 They definitely had opportunities for more. So that's hopefully a 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:11.360 good sign moving forward. But you set it west. The 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:14.280 Packers didn't give up any big plays the Bears took. 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.320 I believe it was somewhere around nine and a half 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:19.440 to ten minutes on the clock in scoring those two 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:21.839 touched on drives. Well, if you're down forty one to 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.360 ten late in the third quarter and you're gonna burn 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:26.520 nine and a half to ten minutes of what's remaining 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:28.960 in the game to get two touchdowns when you're down 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.959 by thirty one points, you know, as the team that's 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.000 in the lead, you'll take that. You're not gonna sweat 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.440 that too much. And and yes, the Packers wish they 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:40.079 had gotten the stop on fourth and eleven or gotten 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:42.640 the turnover where that was in their hands. It didn't happen, 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:46.000 So it ends up forty one five. But okay, forget 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.640 about it. You move on now to the Philadelphia Eagles. 0:12:48.640 --> 0:12:53.320 And before I forget in our new old slash new setup, 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:55.520 I need to make sure to take care of our 0:12:55.559 --> 0:13:00.600 sponsor business here serious x. NFL Radio Channel eighty eight 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:03.440 is the only radio outlet dedicated to the National Football 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.720 League seven days a week, three d sixty five days 0:13:06.760 --> 0:13:09.960 a year, and Associated Bank Folks has a new promotion. 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:14.120 Packers fans score up to five hundred dollars for your 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:16.959 devotion to the pack when you open a Packers checking 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:21.840 account from Associated Bank. Learn more at Associated bank dot com. 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.600 Backslash Packers All right, West. As I mentioned before, the 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:28.160 Packers have a three game lead in the NFC North 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:31.120 with five games to go. You can't ask to be 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:34.120 in a better position than that. Looking at the larger 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:37.960 picture in the NFC, there are three teams right now 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.600 in the NFC with eight or more wins. The New 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:44.080 Orleans Saints are nine and two. The Packers and the 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:48.280 Seattle Seahawks are both eight and three in the race 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.240 for that number one overall seed, which is going to 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.920 be the only one that gets a first round by 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:56.800 in the playoffs. Here's the interesting thing, West, I took 0:13:56.840 --> 0:13:59.200 a look at all of the remaining schedules for these 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:02.480 three teams at the top of the NFC. Each team, 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:06.440 as of right now has only one game left on 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.600 its schedule against a team that is above five hundred. 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:13.520 None of these teams has a loaded schedule down the 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:16.520 stretch as far as those above five hundred teams. The 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.240 Saints have to play the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers, 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:22.400 as everyone knows, they're playing the Tennessee Titans right after Christmas. 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:25.920 The Seattle Seahawks have a game left against the Rams. 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:29.280 But that being said, we all know you take nothing 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:32.960 for granted in this league, and there are some games 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:37.440 that that you know could certainly cause problems. And and 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.240 the Packers are gonna face the Philadelphia Eagles this week. 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.880 They'll be coming off a short week, but the Eagles 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.280 are basically going to be playing for their season now. 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.560 They just dropped out of first place in the NFC East, 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.040 that where all those teams are below five hundred. They 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:52.760 dropped out of first and they they're not gonna be 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:56.360 able to afford to to fall back any farther. So, 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:58.960 uh so, this Eagles game coming up for the Packers, 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.640 you look at that obviously. You also look at Carolina 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.600 down the road. If the Panthers get Christian McCaffrey back, 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:08.240 that Carolina game looks quite different and along the same 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:10.560 lines for those other clubs. The Saints have to play 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:13.160 the Falcons, who are playing some pretty darn good football 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:16.120 right now, even though they're below five hundred Minnesota Vikings 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.520 are on New Orleans schedule as well. The Vikings are 0:15:18.520 --> 0:15:21.440 playing some pretty good ball and the Seattle Seahawks also 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.120 have a game left against the forty Niners who just 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:27.160 beat the Rams, and they're dealing with, you know, having 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:30.280 to play in a new location and practice who knows where. 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:34.800 So that's a whole crazy situation for San Francisco. But 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:39.360 the bottom line is these uh, these schedules are not 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:42.160 loaded for these for these teams, but yet there are 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:44.880 some games that could definitely sneak up on them. Yeah, definitely. 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:47.600 And don't tell the San Francisco forty Niners that they're 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:49.560 out of this thing yet. I mean, they still feel 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.560 like they can still find a way, maybe get healthy 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.240 and get on a run here late. Um. To your point, 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.000 it is interesting for Green Bay because certainly Christian McCaffrey 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.440 now dealing with the knee injury, Uh if he would 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:02.640 be back, you're looking at Christian McCaffrey and then Derrick 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:06.520 Henry the following week. That that's something no NFL run 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.200 defense wants to have to deal with, and also coverage 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:12.000 linebackers having to deal with it. From the standpoint of 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.120 of Christian McCaffrey. But the biggest lesson I think that 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:17.240 has been the takeaway this year. And you remember me 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:20.000 saying this a month or two ago. I felt since 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:22.280 the beginning that it's gonna be which team gets on 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:24.560 the biggest run here down the stretch, Which team gets 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:27.440 into the playoffs with three out of four wins or 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.560 three or four victories in a row. Uh, that's gonna 0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:32.280 not only get you that number one seed, but I 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.360 just feel like, in a year in which parody has 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.400 been so prevalent in the NFC, especially at the top 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.080 of the conference, that it's really going to be not 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:42.040 necessarily the most complete team, but the teams that get 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:43.560 the hottest down the stretch that are gonna be the 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:46.120 ones going far. For Green Bays standpoint, we will talk 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:48.920 about this very shortly um later this week. About the 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:51.840 Philadelphia Eagles and the challenges that they present. I know 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:54.440 some people want to take them for granted, and certainly 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:58.560 the performance against Seattle was not onspiring, but they still 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.160 have weapons there that could hurt this team. When you 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:04.720 look at Miles Sanders, the fact that he's back now, Um, 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:06.840 the guy is still even though it was a quiet 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.600 performance against Seattle, Uh, the guy still is. You got 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:12.520 to be careful with what you know. These running backs 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:14.320 have been able to do. Just look at what Montgomery 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:17.040 did on ten carries or whatever it was last week. Um, 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:18.880 Travis Fulham is gonna be a guy that we're gonna 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:21.520 be talking about this week. Richard Rogers got another Hail 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:25.119 Mary catch that you don't want to take anybody for granted. 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:26.840 That's why you hear over and over and over again. 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:28.640 I'm sure fans get sick of hearing it. I'm sure 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:30.280 to some extent media gets sick of hearing it. When 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:32.080 Matt la Fleur talks about worrying about this week, he 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:34.240 said after the game, I don't I couldn't even tell 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:35.960 you right away who we were playing the following week 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.200 because everything was so focused on needing this NFC North 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:41.760 wind over, a Bears team at that point was their 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:46.480 closest contender in that division. So I've I've always liked 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:48.800 the mantra, and you're certainly gonna start a path to 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:52.639 the playoffs here shortly. Mike McCarthy, as long as I 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:54.399 cover this team, as long as I cover the NFL, 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.160 I'm always going to go back to that that sort 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:58.840 of edict that he had of you win your division, 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.600 you win ten game games, that's when you can start 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.000 talking about what the outlook looks like for the playoffs. 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.479 Screen Bays at eight and three. They're sitting at a 0:18:06.520 --> 0:18:08.880 good spot right now, and they've set it a good 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:11.080 spot for most of this season. Now, can you get hot? 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:14.000 Can the defense show itself out? Special teams? We didn't 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:16.240 talk about it much, Mike, but special teams took a 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:17.800 big step forward in this game. I thought it was 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:20.879 the cleanest performance from Hunter Bradley and j. K. Scott. 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:23.760 And uh, soon enough, we'll be probably talking about some 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:26.840 other acquisitions Green Bay is gonna be making. But this 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:30.159 has been a season of attrition and from the very beginning, 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:32.040 green Bay, to my eye at least, has been one 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.399 step ahead of that. Yeah, well, as we as the 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:37.520 Packers get ready for the Eagles here, you mentioned some 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:40.000 of the skill players that Eagles have on offense, and 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:46.040 certainly Carson Wentz. You know, the statistics aren't there for him. 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:47.760 And this is a guy that I thought before he 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:49.919 blew out his knee in two seen, I thought he 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:52.960 was headed possibly for League m v P honors. He 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.840 was having a tremendous year. The issue with the Philadelphia 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:59.880 Eagles offensively is the offensive line, and heading into their 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:03.720 Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks, I believe the 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:07.000 statistic that ESPN had is the Eagles have used ten 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:12.440 different offensive line combinations now in their eleven games this season. 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:15.320 Now the Packers, they've weathered a lot of injuries on 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:17.840 the offensive line. We talked about how the shuffling around 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:21.440 the train keeps moving. The Eagles have not handled them 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.399 been able to handle those injuries as well, and and 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.159 it shows up with with just a lot of inconsistency 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:30.280 in the offense and with Carson Wentz leading the league 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:34.719