WEBVTT - #504 Packers Unscripted: Matchup musings 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:14.640 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:17.400 I am Mike Spofford. He is the one and only 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:19.480 west hod Kuitz. We're coming to you here from our 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:23.319 studios at lambeau Field West. The Seattle Seahawks in a 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:26.200 few days will be on their way to Green Bay 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:29.680 to take on the Packers in the NFC Divisional playoffs 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:35.040 lambeau Field Sunday, five pm Central Time kickoff. And as 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:37.920 we get into our discussions of the Seahawks throughout the 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:41.159 course of the week, this is something I find really interesting. 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:46.159 The Seattle Seahawks in a very prosperous decade right for 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:50.040 the franchise. They've been known for an incredible home field advantage, 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:54.880 for a powerful running game, and for a stifling defense. 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:59.520 The two thousand nine Seattle Seahawks lost four games at home, 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.040 but they are eight and one on the road after 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.080 winning the wild card game on the road at Philadelphia. 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.319 Their top ranked running game that was built throughout the 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:10.400 course of this year has lost all of its top 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:15.000 running backs, and the defense that everybody comes to expect 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.920 is actually ranked in the bottom third of the league 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:20.920 in the regular season in both yards allowed and points allowed. 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:26.080 So this is not the classic Seattle Seahawks type of 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:29.160 team that we've come to expect, but yet here they 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:31.960 are just like the Packers, two wins away from a 0:01:32.000 --> 0:01:33.880 trip to a Super Bowl. Yeah. I think I've always 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:36.440 said I feel like there's a lot of parallels between 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:39.320 Green Bay and Seattle. Uh, and it's been that way 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:41.480 for the last ten years. And I think that's probably 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:44.280 kind of an offshoot of John Snyder and his touches 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:48.600 on that franchise since two thousand nine. But also this year, 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:50.760 I think their response to adversity. When you look at 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:53.280 the final eight teams that are left in this playoff hunt, 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:57.040 these two teams are there because how they've responded to 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:00.960 having to overcome injuries and set back x and defeats 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:04.320 and and the CTL Seahawks. You know, Matt Lafleur said 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:06.640 it at the podium on on Monday, they are a 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:10.760 tough team. Now. I think the one constant binding this altogether, 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:15.200 the glue, so to speak. As Russell Wilson question, undoubtedly 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:17.840 one of the top five quarterbacks in the National Football League, 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:20.840 It's gonna be able to cover up some holes for you. 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:23.600 When they lost the running game, he became more fleet 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:26.280 of foot. They've had different players like you know, DK 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:28.679 Metcalf and certainly Tyler Lockett now for a number of 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:31.119 years has been a difference maker at receiver, and he's 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.320 found ways to make do with those pieces. And I 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:36.440 just think when you really break it all down, his 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.519 ability to extend plays, much like Aaron Rodgers, is such 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:42.760 a huge advantage for Seattle's offense, especially the way that 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.680 they're structured. Now, the question I wonder is they had 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:51.160 seventeen backfield carries last week for nineteen yards. That is 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:54.280 just you've never heard of that before with Seattle and 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.760 the way that they structure their offense, not to mention 0:02:56.800 --> 0:03:00.720 that being successful in winning a playoff team those types 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:02.880 of numbers. So what I wonder is, if they can't 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:05.720 get Homer going, if they can't get Lynch going, how 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:08.880 far can this team go? Does the run end on Sunday? 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:11.600 We'll have to wait and see, But certainly with Russell Wilson, 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.560 he always is going to give you a chance. Well, 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:18.720 it certainly seems that as this year is unfolded, the 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:22.000 Seahawks continue to put a greater and greater burden on 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:25.600 Russell Wilson to make this work. There are times, and obviously, 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.320 since you and I cover the Packers and we're traveling 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:31.160 and everything else, we don't always get to sit down 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.920 and watch complete games of other teams. But the times 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:36.960 this year that I have watched the Seahawks for any 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:41.360 length of time, it seems that there are significant stretches 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:45.200 of games where when if they can't get the running 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:49.560 game going, where suddenly everything offensively is just off schedule 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:53.280 and improvised, and it's all on Russell to run around 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.120 and make something happen, either either scramble for the first 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:59.560 down or you know, get right over by the sideline 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.280 and then sly boom, he whips a past to Metcalff 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:04.760 or Lockett or somebody like that. A lot of the 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:08.280 off schedule stuff, and I think the Packers heading into 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:11.360 this matchup, he just you have to be prepared to 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:15.760 play defense for seven or eight or nine or ten 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:18.880 seconds on every play. It's just gonna be this, this 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:23.080 extended battle on every single snap to get a play 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:26.240 over with when Russell Wilson is doing what he's doing. 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:28.720 And the fan asked me that insider inbox this week, 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:31.600 do I feel like they can keep up with Wilson 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:34.640 for sixty minutes. I actually do think they can for 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:37.760 whatever reason. When you look at Russell Wilson's career statistics. Now, 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.520 obviously he won the Film Mary Game, he won the 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.080 NFC Championship Game, but his numbers are not gaudy. Against 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.680 Green Bay, he's struggled. Now one of those games was 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:50.520 historically so, but still, I mean his he has the 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:53.080 lowest passer rating against Green Bay than any other team 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:56.160 in the National Football League. And I think one thing 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:58.080 that Dom Capers did well, and even to a certain 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:01.479 extent last year, Mike Petton did well their ability to 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.559 kind of keep eyes on him at all times, rush 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:08.320 from inside, contain the pocket. You want to make him 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.920 throw in that atmosphere and have him step up rather 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:14.320 than getting outside that the hashes and and really doing damage, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:16.919 because that's when his feet can become a real problem. 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.000 What I like though about this, the way that this 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:22.320 defense is constructed is you have multiple guys that all 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:25.480 can play that spiral. It can be Kyler Facral, it 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:28.160 can be Zadarius Smith. You have a couple of safeties 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:30.480 and Adrian Amos and in Ibrahim Campbell that I think 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:33.560 are up for it. That's such a critical thing because 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:35.279 when you look and when the Packers had problems with 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:38.040 the read option in two thousand twelve and two thousand 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.600 and fourteen, they just didn't have a guy other than 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:44.760 maybe Clay Matthews that could really play that role. In Matthews, 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:46.520 you didn't want to take him out of the pass rush. 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:49.240 So I just think all of those variables are things 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:51.039 that are going to benefit them in this game because 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:53.240 it doesn't have to be one guy that's on him 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:56.000 for the entire game. Mike Petton can mix and match 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:58.320 depending on what he wants to do with his personnel packages. 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.120 And I've really, I've only believe, but the way they've 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.320 developed Darius Smith and how Kyler Facral has played a 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:06.800 very quiet but important role for this defense all year long, 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.160 that's going to give them a lot of flexibility that's 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:11.320 going to not allow the Seahawks to be able to 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.440 pinpoint one guy that they need to, you know, basically stop. Yeah. Well, 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:16.920 I wanted to get into some what what we perceive 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.040 as some of the key matchups in this game, kind 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:20.920 of like we did a couple of weeks ago with 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:24.080 the big game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:28.680 Football and as we're talking here is Mike Petton versus 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:32.040 Russell Wilson. Is that the matchup that essentially defines this game? 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:33.720 Do you think I think it is? Up there? I 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:35.760 think it really is. I mean, when you look at 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.599 how Petton and the run that this defense has been 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:41.440 on now for the last five games, um that this 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.800 historic streak of holding teams underneath twenty points, twenty or 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:48.359 fewer points, being able to generate turnovers, you know, not? 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:50.760 You know they I feel like they've curtailed a lot 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:52.720 of those explosive plays that kind of bugged them in 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:56.039 the middle of the season. They're still not perfect. There's 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:58.520 still areas that they need to work on in certain 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.640 things that they need to change, But all things considered, 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:04.120 I think as a unit, as eleven people on the 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:06.120 field at one time, they're playing as well as they 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:09.560 have all season. So Russell Wilson's is going to challenge 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:12.120 that though right much like Aaron Rodgers will, He's going 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.840 to challenge your integrity. He's going to challenge what happens 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.640 once the pocket breaks down, once the play gets extended, 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.320 and how you respond to that. They haven't really seen 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:22.520 a guy like this this at this point of the 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:26.480 season maybe with the exception being Lamar Jackson, with that 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.600 being a preseason game. So I just think there's so 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:33.080 much history between these two teams, so much knowledge that 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.240 this defense is going to have of him. Obviously pett 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:37.800 and seen him a number of times as well. It's 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:40.280 gonna be a really intriguing matchup. But ultimately who wins 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:43.080 that particular chest match between Wilson and how Petton wants 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:46.280 to defend him that has such critical implications for this 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.040 game because of how much Brian Schottenheimer is running this 0:07:49.160 --> 0:07:51.720 offense through Russell Wilson at this point in time. Yeah, 0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:54.120 I think the other one people are going to have 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:57.000 their eye on certainly, and we'll see. With regards to 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.920 Seattle's running game, Pete Carroll has already mentioned he wants 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.520 to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch more that now 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:04.640 that Lynch has been back for a couple of games, 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:08.200 they may start trying to feed him and establish him more. 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:12.560 But DK Metcalf was the big individual star of that 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:15.640 wild card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and this is 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:18.920 a young man, a young receiver, a rookie who has 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:21.600 really really come on strong. I think in the back 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:24.840 half of the season, certainly not looking or playing like 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.800 a rookie anymore. And I think it's an interesting decision 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:30.400 for Petton in terms of how to match up with him, 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:32.839 because from a size perspective, you have the six ft 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:37.560 three Kevin King, But by the same token, your best 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:42.559 pure cover guy is Jayyar Alexander, who from a size perspective, 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:46.559 is a little bit smaller. Obviously you can rotate around, 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.880 you know, clouds and safety help and and different things. 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.600 I'm really curious to see because I don't know what 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:55.360 ultimately Mike Petton is going to decide here. I'm very 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:58.960 curious to see how he decides to defend Dk Metcalf. 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:01.720 I am to be because not only DK Metcalf, but 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:04.120 you know Tyler Lockett in the slot. That's not a 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:07.439 position that Jagr Alexander typically is in either. That's what 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:09.960 Trumon Williams is. So how do you use number twenty 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:13.040 three against Seattle? That's a great question that they're gonna 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:15.640 have to answer. It was really fun listening to Trumon Williams. 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:18.120 In a tip of the cap to Tremont Williams, uh, 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.160 he said he had two minutes quick because he had 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:21.640 to go get a massage in at the end of 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:24.600 locker room on Monday. He's still stuck around for six 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.080 and a half. But near the end of that he 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:28.880 gave one of his best quotes I felt, because he 0:09:28.920 --> 0:09:30.720 was asked by I believe it was Jim Mozarski from 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:33.800 The Journal Sentinel about you know, if he sees any 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:38.200 parallels between Metcalf and Calvin Johnson, and he's like, you know, 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:40.360 for as big as Metcalf is and he's big and 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.240 he's fast, Calvin Johnson was bigger. I mean, that just 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:45.120 gives you an idea of what kind of talent he 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.880 was and how difficult he was to defend. But at 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:50.559 the very end of that, he said, there are comparables 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:53.560 between those two guys, and I just think with Metcalf, 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.439 he's such a great story. I wrote this an inbox too. 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:58.320 He's a guy that I think I personally have always 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.720 kind of pushed for a little bit because I don't 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.200 know if I can remember a player with no off 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:06.560 the field issues, no character flaws. There wasn't any of 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.920 those type of questions that caused him to fall. It 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:12.760 was just this incredible scrutiny that was placed on his game, 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.000 and you know, maybe a little bit more sensitive to 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.199 this because I just did that Alan Lazard story three 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:19.200 weeks ago, and Lazard talked about, you know, when you're 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:22.600 six five, the challenges of proving the teams that you 0:10:22.640 --> 0:10:24.920 are a receiver and that you can be accountable there 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:26.839 and that you have the speed and you have the 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:30.240 speed to do it. And DK Metcalf who everybody said 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:32.400 couldn't run routes. They were showing these videos of all 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:34.840 this is an impressive route running, or he's not fast enough, 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:37.199 and here he is making a huge impact and is 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:39.320 a big reason why Seattle has made it to this 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:42.160 place in the playoffs. I'm excited to watch him play. 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:44.120 I'm excited to see how the Packers match up with 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:47.400 him because I think when you look at the difference makers, 0:10:47.440 --> 0:10:50.400 the playmakers with Seattle's offense for the first time in 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:52.560 a long time, it starts with the receiver position. It 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:54.600 starts with him. Yeah, well, when you look at some 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.920 matchups on the other side of the ball, Bobby Wagner, 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.560 kJ Wright, couple of linebackers who have been doing it 0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:04.720 for a long time for Seattle. There, Bobby Wagner certainly 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:06.800 the you know, the heart and soul of of that 0:11:06.920 --> 0:11:10.160 defense and has been so for a long time now. 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:14.120 The Packers are going to get Aaron Jones Jamal Williams 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:15.800 going in the running game. If they want to get 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:19.400 those running backs going in the passing game, It's about 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.960 finding way to get those linebackers blocked because because right 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.360 in Wagner, those two guys can you know, whatever it 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.439 is fifty three yards wide, is the field or whatever 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:33.840 the measurements, they can cover the whole thing sideline to sideline, 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:37.240 as the saying goes, and I think, uh, um, those 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:39.360 are the two guys the Packers have got to uh 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:42.880 They've got to get them blocked to get Jones and 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:45.319 Williams involved to the extent I think that Matt Lafleur 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:47.319 is gonna want to get them involved. Yeah, and you mentioned, 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:49.600 you know, all the changes and how different this Seattle 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.319 team is from some of the ones we've seen in 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:55.120 the past. The one consistent factor throughout the two thousand 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:58.720 tens in the decades was just really high level caliber 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:02.800 play at middle linebacker. Certainly Wagner and right are a 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.360 big part of that reason. But what impresses me the 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:07.240 most when you look at Wagner's game is we're talking 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.280 about a guy that's now in his eighth NFL season. 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:12.400 In this day and age, it is getting more and 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:15.360 more difficult to be a high impact player at middle 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:19.520 linebacker into your eighth, ninth, tenth season. It's just with 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:21.560 the speed of the position, the speed of the game. 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.439 There's just certain things that you see certain guys step 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.600 up in their first rookie contract and almost sort of 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:29.880 like a running back, they just can't sustain that level 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:32.720 play into their late twenties and thirty and the whole 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.880 proliferation of sub packages and everything else where. You know, 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:39.120 guys are always looking for a specialist to fill in 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.080 here or there and whatever. As you said, Bobby Wagner 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:45.120 is the constant. And when that Seattle defense, Yeah, when 0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:47.400 you can defend the nickel or the past and a 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.680 true nickel, that's a real that's an advantage for a 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:51.880 defense right now with the way the game is structured. 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:54.319 But for Wagner to come back, him and you know, 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:56.839 Blake Martinez were right there with each other all year 0:12:56.920 --> 0:12:59.480 long for the tackle lead in the NFL. Wagner ends 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:02.680 up getting it a hundred I just he is he's 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:05.040 a difference maker. And seeing how I wrote it an 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:07.920 inbox today, I just feel like this game has to 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:10.520 start on the ground for Green Bay. I threw out 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.880 those statistics. When you look at Aaron Jones and Jamal 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:14.920 Williams when they rush for a hundred yards, the Packers 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:17.679 are undefeated this season, they're six and oh, that number 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:19.480 becomes seven and oh, if you want to throw in 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:21.880 Aaron Jones going for a hundred fifty nine receiving yards 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.800 against Kansas City, the offense when they produce the Packers win, 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.920 and seeing if they can penetrate that front and get 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:31.120 those middle linebackers moving to whether it is through the 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.520 pass or the run, that is just I think it's 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.920 such a huge task that the Packers need to accomplish 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:39.120 in this game for it to go the direction they 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:42.720 needed to. Yeah. Well, we also mentioned did jadeveon Clowney yesterday? 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:44.880 And I apologize I meant to look up before we 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:48.720 came in here, But is Clowney primarily going to be 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.600 over Brian Blaga or Yeah, that's sort of been the 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:53.800 way he lines up on their left side, right, Yeah, 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:56.120 it's really when he was in Houston, they just would 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:58.280 put him anywhere. Yeah, they moved him all over the place. 0:13:58.320 --> 0:14:00.559 I drew those comparisons with the Dairy Smith. I mean, 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:02.280 you look at how much the Darius played off the 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.240 line of scrimmage this year. It's pretty uh emblematic of 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:08.000 what Clowney did in Houston. He was really effective in 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:10.160 that role. But yeah, they were doing that in Houston 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:12.880 with Clowney and Watton Merciless and you know, and and 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.760 Shuffle and those guys around all the time. But he 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:18.520 seems to be a little bit more predominantly on one 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:21.360 side the defense has left the offense is right. I 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:23.400 think Bilaga is the one who's going to see the 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:26.480 Lions share of the work, so to speak, against Clowney 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:28.800 on Sundays. Yeah, Clowney is such a funny player because 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:30.960 if you look at him this year, thirteen start or 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:33.680 thirteen games, eleven starts, he only had three sex. He 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.080 actually had more forced fumbles than he did sacks this 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.920 year with four, also through an interception for a touchdown. 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.400 But as a number of pundits and analysts had pointed 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:44.960 out from that game against Philadelphia, I mean, you want 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.600 to talk about that defensive performance and why the Seahawks 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:49.880 were able to dominate the way they did and really 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.040 keep the Eagles out of the end zone. It starts 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:56.480 with Jadeveon Clowney. Now he will rush both sides. I mean, 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:58.920 they do still flip flop those guys. I think in 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:01.360 this day and age, you really it's difficult just to 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:04.640 key in at one spot because of the attention that 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.360 you know potentially the the offense is going to give you. 0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:10.560 But all that being said, I feel like this final 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:13.400 stretch of the year, after he worked through some injuries, 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.240 I mean, you're seeing a guy that that was the 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:18.840 first overall pick, that was maybe the most highly touted 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:22.960 defensive prospect entering the NFL since I don't know, maybe 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:26.200 going back to two thousand two with Mario Williams. There's 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:27.760 just so many people that were high on him. And 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:31.160 while he's never had like that nineteen sacks season, he's 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:33.520 just been a consistent performer and he doesn't in a 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:36.680 multitude of different ways. Packers have an very interesting week 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.000 they have to go through here with the offensive line. 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:41.120 They're kind of battling a little bit of an illness bug. 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:44.520 They were able to get Bloga back at practice on Monday. 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:47.280 He's still in the concussion protocol from what I understand, 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:49.880 but the fact that he's out there and with any setbacks, 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:51.600 you would hope that he'll be on the field on 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:54.720 Sunday because having him and David Baker in a game 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:57.320 like this, I mean you could as you tip your 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:01.120 captain Jared Valdier a very ad morble performance that he 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:04.080 had against the Lions. But box Tr and Bolag are 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:06.040 the reason why the Packers have made it to this 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.600 point of the season and being as effective as they've 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.600 been on the offensive line. Box Tr also welcoming in 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:15.120 a new left guard in in Elton Jenkins. At the 0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:17.920 right guard, it's been Billy Turner moving in next to Bilaga. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.120 The way that those guys have galvanized that offensive line, 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:23.360 it's been so critical that success. And if you're gonna 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.920 be able to hold up against this Seattle front, you're 0:16:25.920 --> 0:16:28.000 gonna need those two on the field. Yeah. I couldn't 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:29.960 agree more certainly. There. I want to back up for 0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:33.280 one second, though, because I neglected one thing with regards 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:37.800 to the Packers defense matching up against the Seattle offense. 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.800 We saw in the wild card game. The Seahawks upfront 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:44.920 offensively had a really, really hard time with Fletcher Cox 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.920 the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, they're not the first offensive line 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:49.560 in the world to have a hard time with Fletcher 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.240 clock Cox. He does that to a lot of people. 0:16:52.760 --> 0:16:57.280 But my question for you, Wes is seeing what number 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:00.440 ninety one for Philadelphia did in that wild hard game, 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:03.600 what do you think that means for say Kenny Clark 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:07.199 or for Zadarius Smith. With the way Mike Petton has 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:10.280 been moving him inside to attack on the interior at 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:12.760 certain times, what do you think what do you think 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:16.040 that means or or what might we be seeing come 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:18.159 Sunday in terms of that type of match up. Well, 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.399 and it depends, you know, if Mikeya Potti is going 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.040 to be able to play in this game. That's been 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:24.760 sort of the question mark. The veteran guard was not 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.639 available against the Eagles in the wild card round, but 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:31.200 some early reports were indicating even when he was ruled 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:34.119 out for the Eagles game that if the Seahawks advanced, 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:37.280 they were expecting him to be available for Round two. Yeah, 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:39.200 it was a big loss. Earlier this season, they lost 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:41.480 Justin Britt, who had settled in at their center spot 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:44.240 for the last few seasons. Joey Hunt I believe it 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:46.440 was a former four or six or seventh round pick 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:48.840 for them. Has been sort of like there, Lucas Patrick, 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:51.679 He's been in the you know, the practice squad and 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:54.040 on the roster for the past two years. He's been 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.960 the guy that's settled in there. But the film is 0:17:57.000 --> 0:17:59.359 what it is, and there was a lot of disruption 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:02.399 that was caused by Fletcher Cox and what Philadelphia was 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.440 able to do in the middle. And I've always said, 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.000 if you want to know, not really a blueprint, because 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:08.879 anything can change it in any given week. But I 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:11.800 mean the history is when you can pressure Russell Wilson 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:14.560 from up front, not only does that make it more 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:16.800 difficult for him to escape the pocket, it doesn't allow 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:18.680 him to step into throws when he needs to make 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.640 them from the pocket. I really believe, Mike, this game 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.800 has to be about Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and Zadarius Smith, 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:27.600 what kind of disruption they cause, and also how they're 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.479 able to stay fundamentally sound in their rushes to not 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:32.560 get beat on the other side of that, because if 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.480 you do lose containment, Russell Wilson will go up the 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:36.960 middle of the field and he will burn you for 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.840 ten to fifteen yards at any given time. That is 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:42.080 going to be such a huge challenge I think for them. 0:18:42.320 --> 0:18:44.800 But when you see what Philadelphia did with Fletcher Cox, 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:46.520 who at this point in time, I put him right 0:18:46.600 --> 0:18:49.000 up there with Kenny Clark, right put Kenny Clark up 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:51.280 there with Fletcher Cox, I should say I agree. I 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:54.840 just think there is a plan in a formula for 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.360 what Mike Petton can do to make life as difficult 0:18:57.359 --> 0:19:00.399 as it possible for Russell Wilson in the middle of 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:02.840 the field. Okay, one last thing to throw at you 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:04.679 here before we go. I mentioned at the top of 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:07.800 the show the Seattle Seahawks eight and one on the 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:09.879 road this year, seven and one in the regular season, 0:19:09.920 --> 0:19:11.800 they win the wild card game on the road. They've 0:19:11.840 --> 0:19:16.480 got this whole road warrior mentality going. Packers are seven 0:19:16.480 --> 0:19:21.159