WEBVTT - #908 Packers Unscripted: Work to be done

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<v Speaker 1>Hi everybody, welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers.com.

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<v Speaker 1>I am Mike Spofford, joined as always by my trusted

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<v Speaker 1>colleague Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here from the

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<v Speaker 1>Pottawatomie Sportsbook studio inside the walls of Lambeau Field. And Wes,

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<v Speaker 1>coming off of what feels like ages ago with the

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<v Speaker 1>Thursday night football game at Lambeau Field, a 35-14 loss

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<v Speaker 1>for the Packers. At the hands of the Atlanta Falcons,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think we need to spend this show going

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<v Speaker 1>through chapter and verse of everything that went wrong, but

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<v Speaker 1>it was a rough night in all three phases for

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<v Speaker 1>the home team.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and to lose by 21 points at home, obviously

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<v Speaker 2>you and I spent a lot of time last week

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<v Speaker 2>talking about the streak of consecutive 13 victories at home

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<v Speaker 2>in the opener that goes by the wayside, and I

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<v Speaker 2>think probably the most demoralizing part of this one is

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<v Speaker 2>that the start actually was pretty good for Green Bay,

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<v Speaker 2>all things considered. I mean, offensively, they were able to

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<v Speaker 2>punch one in right away. Defensively, they controlled the line

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<v Speaker 2>of scrimmage, but then adversity hit again for them. And again,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't want to get into the penalty stuff. You

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<v Speaker 2>and I have talked way too much about referees already

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<v Speaker 2>this season, but the Brenton Cox Jr. hit happens, another

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<v Speaker 2>drive gets extended, and right after that, again, the defense

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<v Speaker 2>ruptures for a big gain. And it just seemed like

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<v Speaker 2>after that 55-yard run by Bijan Robinson, everything turned on

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<v Speaker 2>its axis, and the difference from the game against the

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<v Speaker 2>Jets were, down the stretch, all three phases picked each

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<v Speaker 2>other up. In this particular game, I think all three

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<v Speaker 2>phases kind of let each other down, and for the Packers,

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<v Speaker 2>it led to a pretty demoralizing defeat.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think that's the best way to put it

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<v Speaker 1>is all three phases let each other down because you

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<v Speaker 1>can look at the different moments. As you said, the

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<v Speaker 1>defense gives up the big explosive run right after the

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<v Speaker 1>tough call. When the offense is in position to get

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<v Speaker 1>the game tied, there's a breakdown in field goal protection.

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<v Speaker 1>And instead of a 10-10 game, it's still 10-7. And

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<v Speaker 1>then on the opening drive of the second half, you

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<v Speaker 1>have a failed fourth and one where you're looking at

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<v Speaker 1>trying to get it to 17-14 and still staying right

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<v Speaker 1>in the game. And then really from the moment that

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<v Speaker 1>fourth and one pass was incomplete, and credit the Falcons,

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<v Speaker 1>they completely covered everything in the end zone. They were

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<v Speaker 1>not fooled by the play-action fake at all. Love had

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<v Speaker 1>nowhere to go with the ball. And when that turnover

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<v Speaker 1>on downs happened, then really nothing went right for Green

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<v Speaker 1>Bay after that, and Atlanta just stayed in control with

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<v Speaker 1>Bijan Robinson, his running. Michael Penix, give him credit coming

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<v Speaker 1>back from the injury. He played a very solid game.

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<v Speaker 1>Other than the early interception, he really protected the football.

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<v Speaker 1>But we all know the root of this, the root

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<v Speaker 1>of the issues for Green Bay, and it's not the

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<v Speaker 1>only issue, but the root of the issues is what's

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<v Speaker 1>going on with the offensive line And we're seeing now

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<v Speaker 1>that we're a few days past this loss, which dropped

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<v Speaker 1>the Packers to 1-2. We're seeing efforts being made to

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<v Speaker 1>try to get things corrected. A couple of veteran players,

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<v Speaker 1>both former first-round draft picks, Lakin Tomlinson, Makai Becton, Tomlinson

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<v Speaker 1>to the 53, Becton for now to the practice squad,

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<v Speaker 1>have been signed. Packers are trying to get things straightened

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<v Speaker 1>out on the offensive line because the breakdowns up front

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<v Speaker 1>are affecting everything. everything with regard to Jordan Love's timing,

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<v Speaker 1>with regard to the running game, with regard to everything

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<v Speaker 1>that's going on. And the struggles on offense we saw

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<v Speaker 1>really started to spill over into the struggles on defense

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<v Speaker 1>as the game got away from the Packers on Thursday night.

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<v Speaker 1>So this is where things have to get better. And

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<v Speaker 1>the personnel department is working overtime to try to find

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<v Speaker 1>some reinforcements and get this figured out.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. And I mean, this also comes two weeks after

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<v Speaker 2>Cordell Volson was added to the practice squad as well.

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<v Speaker 1>So another, another veteran with a lot of experience in

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<v Speaker 1>this league.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. The Packers now have, um, you know, three guys, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>that they've added over the last two weeks that have

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<v Speaker 2>all played a lot of football. So the thing I

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<v Speaker 2>liked about bringing in Tomlinson and, and Becton, there's, there's

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<v Speaker 2>two different aspects to this. The first one is, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>cause people always ask, well, then why are they free

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<v Speaker 2>agents right now? Well, both of them did come off

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<v Speaker 2>some pretty big injuries in the off season. Tomlinson had

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<v Speaker 2>a procedure done on his knee or on his, excuse me,

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<v Speaker 2>his heel to clean that up. He got cleared last month,

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<v Speaker 2>was working the workout circuit. Detroit, who drafted him in 2015,

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<v Speaker 2>actually brought him in for a workout, looked pretty close

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<v Speaker 2>to him sticking around there, going back there, I should say.

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<v Speaker 2>Then he ultimately ends up signing to Dallas's practice squad.

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<v Speaker 2>Dallas had been dealing with some injuries on the offensive line,

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<v Speaker 2>wanted an insurance policy there. And while Dallas is down

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<v Speaker 2>in Rio, he's in the practice squad, his family. went

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<v Speaker 2>back and hung out with them in California, and he

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<v Speaker 2>got the call. The Packers wanted to bring him up here.

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<v Speaker 2>And this guy has played over 150, has had over

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<v Speaker 2>160 starts in the National Football League, was a pro

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<v Speaker 2>bowler in 2021 with San Francisco. And one of the

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<v Speaker 2>things that he mentioned when I was just talking with

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<v Speaker 2>him in the locker room was he's been trying to

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<v Speaker 2>get back in a scheme like this since he left

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<v Speaker 2>San Francisco. He feels like the way the Packers operate,

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<v Speaker 2>the way that Shanahan operates, That is where it complements

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<v Speaker 2>his skill set the best. So he's excited and he's

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<v Speaker 2>eager to get back out there and show that there's

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<v Speaker 2>some still left in the tank. So we have Tomlinson

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<v Speaker 2>here at 34. And on the other side of it,

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<v Speaker 2>you have Becton at 27, who's a former first round

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<v Speaker 2>pick as well. He kind of had this career resurgence

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<v Speaker 2>with Philadelphia two years ago, wins a Super Bowl, was

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<v Speaker 2>a starting right guard on that team, only played tackle

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<v Speaker 2>before that. goes to the Chargers last year, ends up

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<v Speaker 2>playing through a labrum issue that he has surgery for.

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<v Speaker 2>He gets cleared from that reportedly last week. We didn't

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<v Speaker 2>have a chance to talk to him yet because he's

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<v Speaker 2>on the practice squad. And now he's in Green Bay.

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<v Speaker 2>So for how this has gone the last couple weeks,

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<v Speaker 2>both with the injuries and then just how many times

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<v Speaker 2>Jordan Love's been hit and the problems they've had establishing

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<v Speaker 2>the run, the Packers had to do something. And this

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<v Speaker 2>is two very big somethings. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>What's interesting to me about this is that there's, There's

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<v Speaker 1>a parallel to 2023 here, but yet something that's very

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<v Speaker 1>different from 2023. And what I mean is Jordan Love's

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<v Speaker 1>first year as a starting quarterback, we saw early in

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<v Speaker 1>the season a lot of struggles, a lot of fits

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<v Speaker 1>and starts. Things didn't look right in a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>ways on offense for a good portion of the season.

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<v Speaker 1>But what was going on then is that Jordan Love

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<v Speaker 1>and all of his perimeter weapons, Christian Watson, Romeo Dobbs,

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<v Speaker 1>Jaden Reed, Luke Musgrave, Tucker Craft, They're all growing along

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<v Speaker 1>with their young quarterback. And the Packers were able to

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<v Speaker 1>eventually figure it out. You get things going, and 2023

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<v Speaker 1>ended up being a very promising year. But where they

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<v Speaker 1>were early in the season is, okay, if a guy

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<v Speaker 1>runs a wrong route or makes a mistake on the

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<v Speaker 1>perimeter or something, it doesn't completely blow up what you're

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<v Speaker 1>trying to do. The problem the Packers are having right

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<v Speaker 1>now is that the young players that they need to

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<v Speaker 1>sort of grow up and mature quickly are the guys

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<v Speaker 1>on the offensive line. And when those breakdowns are on

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<v Speaker 1>the offensive line, it doesn't matter what the perimeter guys

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<v Speaker 1>are doing. They can't make up for it.

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<v Speaker 2>Right.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's why a lot of this feels like 2023,

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<v Speaker 1>but yet the Packers can't just sit back and wait

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<v Speaker 1>for these guys to come along and figure it out

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<v Speaker 1>because there's, there's too much impact with every mistake when

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<v Speaker 1>it's the guys in the trenches. I hope I'm making

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<v Speaker 1>some sense. I hope I'm making some sense there because, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>because I think the Packers would like to be able to,

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<v Speaker 1>to ride this out and, um, believe in the young

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<v Speaker 1>linemen that they're bringing along and, and they believe that

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<v Speaker 1>these guys are going to be solid players in the future.

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<v Speaker 1>But that's just a really, when it's multiple guys in

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<v Speaker 1>the same unit on the offensive line and how crucial

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<v Speaker 1>that is to how everything functions, you just can't do

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<v Speaker 1>that the way they did with the perimeter guys in 2023.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, and it's the reason why Matt LaFleur talked about

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<v Speaker 2>it when the injury happened with Aaron Banks, and we're

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<v Speaker 2>still not sure what the prognosis is going to be

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<v Speaker 2>for him this week, of why Donovan Jennings got that

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<v Speaker 2>first op at left guard over Jagger Burton. And he

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<v Speaker 2>used that term, time on task. Now, fans always hear

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<v Speaker 2>that and they're like, well, what does that mean? But

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it was a great question. I forget which,

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<v Speaker 2>I wish I could remember which TV media person asked

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<v Speaker 2>Tucker Kraft this, but when you're talking about not just

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<v Speaker 2>offensive line play, but any position, the amount of experience there,

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<v Speaker 2>obviously you want guys in their prime. You want guys

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<v Speaker 2>that have their athletic, you know, they're right in the, the, the, the,

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<v Speaker 2>the feel good spot as far as where they're going

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<v Speaker 2>to be at, uh, in terms of their talent meeting, um,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, their production. but you need the reps, you

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<v Speaker 2>need the snaps, you need the experience. And, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>where Green Bay is kind of struggling right now. Cause

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's Jordan Morgan's first go around in the

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<v Speaker 2>NFL at left tackle right now. Anthony Belton has played

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<v Speaker 2>multiple positions. Uh, you know, Jacob Monk is a starter

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<v Speaker 2>for the first time in his career. And then obviously

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<v Speaker 2>there's been that, that situation at left guard. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>Packers find themselves in a bit of a lurch here

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<v Speaker 2>and are trying to find some answers and, and, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>kudos to them. I mean, they didn't waste any time

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<v Speaker 2>doing it. We're in week three and they went out

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<v Speaker 2>and signed these guys and, Brian Goodikens, they were prepared

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<v Speaker 2>for this. They knew that potentially something could be up

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<v Speaker 2>with Zach Bacabuele. Obviously, Aaron Banks rotated in and out

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<v Speaker 2>of the lineup throughout training camp. They kept 10 offensive

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<v Speaker 2>linemen on this roster, but it was really the worst

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<v Speaker 2>case scenario losing Zach right off the bat. And then

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<v Speaker 2>obviously having these setbacks here with Banks, not only with

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<v Speaker 2>the knee, but also now with the toe injury.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and I think what we saw on Thursday night

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<v Speaker 1>was sort of a, I don't want to, a culmination

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<v Speaker 1>isn't the right word, but what we saw is young

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<v Speaker 1>players up front who are strong. you're not going to

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<v Speaker 1>get any better on a short week when you don't

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<v Speaker 1>get to practice, right? I mean, you know, it's all

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<v Speaker 1>walk through stuff on a short week when you're playing

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<v Speaker 1>on Thursday. And I understand it's the same for both teams,

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<v Speaker 1>et cetera. Atlanta was dealing with their own stuff, coming

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<v Speaker 1>in with an 0-2 record. And they're getting their starting

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<v Speaker 1>quarterback back and their perimeter weapons. I mean, Drake London,

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<v Speaker 1>Austin Hooper, you know, those guys were all fired up

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<v Speaker 1>to get their quarterback back.

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<v Speaker 2>Right.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, we saw how that unfolded, but the Packers just,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't, you're, you're not going to get better up

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<v Speaker 1>front without practicing. And, and everything just kind of went

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<v Speaker 1>sideways when, when you're not getting the reps that you

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<v Speaker 1>need to prepare to play a game with, with the

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<v Speaker 1>young guys up front. So They're trying to do something

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<v Speaker 1>about it moving forward.

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<v Speaker 2>One thing I want to add in, too, because obviously

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<v Speaker 2>you hope that Lake and Tomlinson can give him something here,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe potentially be in there sooner than later if they

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<v Speaker 2>need him at either left guard or right guard. He

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<v Speaker 2>said he's up for doing either. But I go back

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<v Speaker 2>to 2017, too, where they signed Jyrie Evans, and that

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<v Speaker 2>ended up being Jyrie's last year in the National Football League.

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<v Speaker 2>But I can't tell you how much between Lucas Patrick,

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<v Speaker 2>Justin McRae, Lane Taylor— All these young guys, what they

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<v Speaker 2>said in terms of what he was able to give

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<v Speaker 2>them in terms of the bigger picture, having a six-time

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<v Speaker 2>Pro Bowler in the room like that. There was a

0:11:25.130 --> 0:11:29.000
<v Speaker 2>domino effect that transcended just that season. I think that's

0:11:29.030 --> 0:11:31.240
<v Speaker 2>really valuable for this team too right now because that's

0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.079
<v Speaker 2>the one detractor of how this thing has been lined

0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:37.340
<v Speaker 2>up for Green Bay. They don't have that eight, nine-year

0:11:37.380 --> 0:11:40.220
<v Speaker 2>veteran in this lineup anymore. There isn't a Brian Balaga.

0:11:40.580 --> 0:11:43.740
<v Speaker 2>There's not a David Bakhtiari. You know, it's been young

0:11:43.900 --> 0:11:44.720
<v Speaker 2>and it stayed young.

0:11:44.900 --> 0:11:47.319
<v Speaker 1>And the most accomplished guy you have in that unit

0:11:47.460 --> 0:11:50.300
<v Speaker 1>is dealing with a major, major injury right now that

0:11:50.340 --> 0:11:53.440
<v Speaker 1>he's going to be spending months upon months rehabbing. He

0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:55.900
<v Speaker 1>can't necessarily be spending all his time in the meeting

0:11:55.940 --> 0:11:57.980
<v Speaker 1>room trying to coach these guys up and all that.

0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:01.280
<v Speaker 1>That's not ZBB's job, right? I mean, he's got to

0:12:01.330 --> 0:12:04.949
<v Speaker 1>take care of himself first and he's in a difficult

0:12:04.990 --> 0:12:07.270
<v Speaker 1>spot as well with everything that he's gone through over

0:12:07.290 --> 0:12:09.830
<v Speaker 1>the last year or so. And he's a fifth year pro.

0:12:10.550 --> 0:12:13.040
<v Speaker 2>Like, I mean, that's just how this game has been

0:12:13.059 --> 0:12:15.360
<v Speaker 2>lined up right now. I mean, they just, they really...

0:12:15.750 --> 0:12:17.790
<v Speaker 2>Ben Young on the offensive line. And I remember a

0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:19.520
<v Speaker 2>scout telling me years ago when I was at the

0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:21.939
<v Speaker 2>Green Bay Press Gazette saying to me, he's like, in

0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:23.880
<v Speaker 2>his opinion, now this is an old school mindset, but

0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:26.760
<v Speaker 2>his opinion was you don't see offensive linemen reach their

0:12:26.820 --> 0:12:29.360
<v Speaker 2>peak until 28, 29 years old. It's a later than

0:12:29.500 --> 0:12:33.170
<v Speaker 2>any other position in football because there's so much muscle

0:12:33.210 --> 0:12:36.989
<v Speaker 2>memory that's built up. There's obviously the physical aspects of

0:12:37.030 --> 0:12:39.670
<v Speaker 2>the job and where you reach your prime and building muscle.

0:12:40.130 --> 0:12:44.420
<v Speaker 2>But then most importantly, it's understanding how to win. in

0:12:44.470 --> 0:12:49.210
<v Speaker 2>those instances, how to game and out-duel your opponent, whether

0:12:49.250 --> 0:12:51.989
<v Speaker 2>it's a double team, whatever the scheme is, whoever's lined

0:12:52.030 --> 0:12:54.709
<v Speaker 2>up across from you, there's so much knowledge and intuition

0:12:54.750 --> 0:12:55.490
<v Speaker 2>that plays into that.

0:12:55.610 --> 0:12:58.080
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the Quentin Nelsons of the world who become all

0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.280
<v Speaker 1>pros in their first and second year, those guys are

0:13:00.300 --> 0:13:03.260
<v Speaker 1>the exception, not the rule, right, when it comes to

0:13:03.300 --> 0:13:05.880
<v Speaker 1>offensive line play. I want to shift gears to the

0:13:05.940 --> 0:13:11.870
<v Speaker 1>defense here because I thought the Packers' defense played for

0:13:11.890 --> 0:13:14.330
<v Speaker 1>the most part, some pretty darn solid football the first

0:13:14.390 --> 0:13:18.930
<v Speaker 1>two weeks of the season. So is what we saw

0:13:18.990 --> 0:13:23.880
<v Speaker 1>on Thursday night, do you chalk it up to just

0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.760
<v Speaker 1>an anomaly? It was a bad night. Things started to

0:13:26.820 --> 0:13:30.559
<v Speaker 1>go wrong. Or did the Falcons expose something there? Like,

0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:31.660
<v Speaker 1>how are you looking at it?

0:13:31.740 --> 0:13:34.360
<v Speaker 2>Okay, it's a great question. First and foremost, there's only

0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:38.550
<v Speaker 2>one B. John Robinson. I've always had respect for this guy.

0:13:38.590 --> 0:13:40.030
<v Speaker 2>There was a reason why he went as high as

0:13:40.050 --> 0:13:43.970
<v Speaker 2>he did in the draft, right? But what I saw

0:13:44.010 --> 0:13:46.110
<v Speaker 2>in that game that's so much different than anything else

0:13:46.130 --> 0:13:51.260
<v Speaker 2>I've experienced watching him is the mixture of patience and

0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:55.100
<v Speaker 2>explosiveness that he has. He waits for... Dude, he said

0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:56.660
<v Speaker 2>this afterwards in the locker room. I thought it was

0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.520
<v Speaker 2>such a great quote where he's like, he's basically looking...

0:14:00.700 --> 0:14:02.750
<v Speaker 2>for those peekaboo moments where it's like, Oh, here I am.

0:14:02.929 --> 0:14:03.079
<v Speaker 1>Boom.

0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:06.390
<v Speaker 2>I'm gone. Yeah. And he's so darn good at it.

0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:08.319
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, you can get them in space and he

0:14:08.340 --> 0:14:09.900
<v Speaker 2>can catch the ball. But man, I tell you when

0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:12.099
<v Speaker 2>he is running, especially some of the outside zone stuff

0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:13.920
<v Speaker 2>they did where he's looking for his cutback lane in

0:14:13.940 --> 0:14:17.859
<v Speaker 2>that once the guy gets moving, he's electric. Oh. And

0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.320
<v Speaker 2>then by the way, he also has that Josh Jacobs

0:14:20.580 --> 0:14:22.860
<v Speaker 2>type of ability to, when it looks like everything's plugged,

0:14:23.380 --> 0:14:24.720
<v Speaker 2>he still gets four yards out of it.

0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:24.980
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:29.120
<v Speaker 2>Atlanta was never in like really a second and long situation.

0:14:29.180 --> 0:14:31.820
<v Speaker 2>And The Packers, they cleaned up the penalties in a

0:14:31.860 --> 0:14:34.060
<v Speaker 2>lot of regards in that game, but in this particular matchup,

0:14:34.100 --> 0:14:37.740
<v Speaker 2>it wasn't in a legal procedure or something or legal

0:14:37.780 --> 0:14:40.170
<v Speaker 2>contact on 3rd and 11 wiping things out. It was

0:14:40.230 --> 0:14:42.890
<v Speaker 2>Bijan Ravan just staying in front of the sticks, and Mike,

0:14:42.930 --> 0:14:45.390
<v Speaker 2>you saw it as well as I did. As that

0:14:45.430 --> 0:14:48.460
<v Speaker 2>game got moving, after that first interception, Michael Penix was

0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.330
<v Speaker 2>back in his comfort zone. And once that happened and

0:14:51.370 --> 0:14:53.770
<v Speaker 2>he got into that same page with Drake London, I

0:14:53.790 --> 0:14:55.650
<v Speaker 2>just think the dam gave way. So Green Bay can't

0:14:55.670 --> 0:14:58.330
<v Speaker 2>allow that to happen. It's still 500 yards of total offense.

0:14:58.770 --> 0:15:00.330
<v Speaker 2>I think the defense wore down a little bit. I

0:15:00.370 --> 0:15:01.910
<v Speaker 2>think some of that had to do, especially in the

0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:03.840
<v Speaker 2>first half with the three and outs offensively. They were

0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.920
<v Speaker 2>on the field a lot. But you still have to

0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.200
<v Speaker 2>find an answer. And in this particular instance, Green Bay

0:15:09.220 --> 0:15:09.920
<v Speaker 2>just didn't have one.

0:15:10.220 --> 0:15:12.060
<v Speaker 1>I think what struck me the most, and I agree

0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.490
<v Speaker 1>with everything you said about Robinson, and I think our

0:15:15.010 --> 0:15:17.250
<v Speaker 1>perceptions of this are aligned. The other way that I

0:15:17.270 --> 0:15:20.660
<v Speaker 1>would say it, is that what struck me watching him

0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.760
<v Speaker 1>live from the press box, and it was the first

0:15:23.780 --> 0:15:26.260
<v Speaker 1>time we had seen him live since 2023 when he

0:15:26.590 --> 0:15:32.470
<v Speaker 1>was a rookie, was that his style, and by style

0:15:32.530 --> 0:15:35.090
<v Speaker 1>I mean that combination of the patience and the burst

0:15:35.150 --> 0:15:40.430
<v Speaker 1>and everything, he throws off the conventional timing of a

0:15:40.490 --> 0:15:44.370
<v Speaker 1>running play. And because the timing of everything and the

0:15:44.430 --> 0:15:48.360
<v Speaker 1>way he does things is not conventional, is not normal,

0:15:49.330 --> 0:15:52.390
<v Speaker 1>it felt like the Packers' defense just wasn't able to

0:15:52.470 --> 0:15:54.430
<v Speaker 1>adjust and to react to that. And so then what

0:15:54.470 --> 0:15:59.700
<v Speaker 1>you see is holes opening up late because you don't

0:15:59.770 --> 0:16:01.480
<v Speaker 1>think that that's where the hole is going to be

0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:03.980
<v Speaker 1>because the conventional timing means the ball's going to go

0:16:04.020 --> 0:16:07.340
<v Speaker 1>this way. Or the timing is so thrown off that

0:16:07.380 --> 0:16:11.480
<v Speaker 1>then you start missing tackles because everything is just abnormal.

0:16:11.580 --> 0:16:14.760
<v Speaker 1>He doesn't play the game in the normal fashion of

0:16:14.830 --> 0:16:18.040
<v Speaker 1>a running back. And when you combine that with his

0:16:18.100 --> 0:16:23.080
<v Speaker 1>incredible skill and talent, he becomes the most dangerous player

0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:25.850
<v Speaker 1>on the field, and that's who he was on Thursday night.

0:16:26.510 --> 0:16:29.690
<v Speaker 1>And I'm not trying to make excuses for the Packers,

0:16:29.750 --> 0:16:31.910
<v Speaker 1>because when you're in position to make tackles, you have

0:16:31.950 --> 0:16:34.630
<v Speaker 1>to make them. You have to stay in your gaps.

0:16:36.350 --> 0:16:39.930
<v Speaker 1>And the downfield passes, we saw a couple of coverage

0:16:39.970 --> 0:16:43.460
<v Speaker 1>busts with Drake London, where he ends up getting almost

0:16:43.460 --> 0:16:47.470
<v Speaker 1>200 yards receiving in this game as well. So The

0:16:47.490 --> 0:16:51.229
<v Speaker 1>Packers have plenty to work on defensively coming off of

0:16:51.270 --> 0:16:54.930
<v Speaker 1>this game. I do think there were some very different

0:16:55.010 --> 0:16:58.470
<v Speaker 1>circumstances with this game compared to the first two that

0:16:59.050 --> 0:17:04.290
<v Speaker 1>contributed to the struggles. That being said, the Packers are

0:17:04.330 --> 0:17:08.290
<v Speaker 1>now going into a game against Tampa this coming Sunday.

0:17:08.890 --> 0:17:11.560
<v Speaker 1>a backup quarterback, another quarterback they're not really going to

0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:14.900
<v Speaker 1>have film on. You're not necessarily going to know exactly

0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:16.980
<v Speaker 1>how the Buccaneers are going to want to run their

0:17:17.060 --> 0:17:21.120
<v Speaker 1>offense with Jalen Daniels replacing Baker Mayfield and all that.

0:17:22.369 --> 0:17:25.190
<v Speaker 1>But it seems like defensively the Packers just have to

0:17:25.230 --> 0:17:27.830
<v Speaker 1>kind of look inward and go, all right, we have

0:17:27.890 --> 0:17:29.770
<v Speaker 1>our rules, we have our assignments, and we can't let

0:17:29.950 --> 0:17:37.730
<v Speaker 1>things just go sideways the way they did against Robinson

0:17:37.750 --> 0:17:38.190
<v Speaker 1>and the Falcons.

0:17:38.310 --> 0:17:39.890
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. And we, and I'm not going to get into

0:17:39.930 --> 0:17:41.850
<v Speaker 2>keys to victory yet, but I'll tell you this right now,

0:17:42.210 --> 0:17:44.590
<v Speaker 2>you have to win first down against Tampa. They didn't

0:17:44.630 --> 0:17:45.830
<v Speaker 2>do that against Atlanta.

0:17:45.890 --> 0:17:46.130
<v Speaker 1>Right.

0:17:46.430 --> 0:17:48.930
<v Speaker 2>And I'm, you know, another spoiler alert here for everybody,

0:17:49.410 --> 0:17:51.550
<v Speaker 2>the Buccaneers are going to run the football on Sunday.

0:17:51.810 --> 0:17:52.450
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they are.

0:17:52.590 --> 0:17:54.100
<v Speaker 2>And especially we'll have to see how the forecast, if

0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:55.840
<v Speaker 2>it ends up being rain or not. But I mean,

0:17:56.380 --> 0:17:57.580
<v Speaker 2>that's just the way this thing's going to be with

0:17:57.600 --> 0:18:00.560
<v Speaker 2>Jalen Daniels. And Jalen is a, is it dual threat quarterback?

0:18:01.060 --> 0:18:05.449
<v Speaker 2>He was very, effective at Kansas for five, six years

0:18:05.770 --> 0:18:09.370
<v Speaker 2>at just kind of embracing the chaos, especially once Lance

0:18:09.410 --> 0:18:12.650
<v Speaker 2>Leopold got there and the way they structured things. It's

0:18:13.150 --> 0:18:15.440
<v Speaker 2>not going to be a cakewalk, especially when you look

0:18:15.460 --> 0:18:18.660
<v Speaker 2>at what Tampa does defensively. This is the second best

0:18:18.740 --> 0:18:21.280
<v Speaker 2>run defense in the NFL. Packers have to run the ball, too.

0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:24.370
<v Speaker 2>You have to win on the ground. And I don't

0:18:24.410 --> 0:18:26.629
<v Speaker 2>know what the offensive line configuration is going to look like.

0:18:26.670 --> 0:18:28.530
<v Speaker 2>How quickly can Lake and Tomlinson get up to speed?

0:18:28.570 --> 0:18:31.720
<v Speaker 2>I'm not sure. What is the prognosis here at the

0:18:31.740 --> 0:18:33.719
<v Speaker 2>time in which we're taping this with Sean Ryan? Did

0:18:33.740 --> 0:18:35.619
<v Speaker 2>he check out fine because he was getting looked at

0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:38.560
<v Speaker 2>afterwards with the hand? All these different things kind of

0:18:38.600 --> 0:18:41.340
<v Speaker 2>factor into it. But what we do know is Zach

0:18:41.380 --> 0:18:43.330
<v Speaker 2>Baccabuella is not going to be back again this season.

0:18:43.740 --> 0:18:45.629
<v Speaker 2>And you don't know exactly what the situation is going

0:18:45.650 --> 0:18:48.510
<v Speaker 2>to be with Aaron Banks. This game against Tampa is

0:18:49.130 --> 0:18:51.810
<v Speaker 2>one out of 14 left in the regular season. Green

0:18:51.830 --> 0:18:53.450
<v Speaker 2>Bay has to find ways to adjust to it.

0:18:53.550 --> 0:18:56.070
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, well, I want to get to kind of the

0:18:56.109 --> 0:18:58.410
<v Speaker 1>bigger picture, what else is going on around the league,

0:18:58.450 --> 0:19:01.130
<v Speaker 1>the NFC North and whatnot. But first, we will pay

0:19:01.190 --> 0:19:03.170
<v Speaker 1>some bills and hear a quick word from our sponsors.

0:19:03.859 --> 0:19:08.679
<v Speaker 1>Sirius XM NFL Radio delivers hard-hitting analysis and up-to-the-minute NFL

0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:14.040
<v Speaker 1>news that true football fanatics need 24-7, 365. Did you

0:19:14.060 --> 0:19:16.920
<v Speaker 1>know Lambeau Field is just one of our state's many wonders?

0:19:17.420 --> 0:19:21.300
<v Speaker 1>Start making unforgettable memories on your next vacation. Discover the

0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:27.500
<v Speaker 1>Apostle Islands and more at TravelWisconsin.com slash wonders. Welcome back

0:19:27.540 --> 0:19:30.200
<v Speaker 1>to Packers Unscripted. All right, Wes, three weeks in. The

0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:33.420
<v Speaker 1>Minnesota Vikings are 3-0. The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears

0:19:33.580 --> 0:19:38.820
<v Speaker 1>are both 2-1. The Green Bay Packers are 1-2. Really

0:19:38.859 --> 0:19:41.600
<v Speaker 1>interesting what's going on around the north because the Minnesota

0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:44.770
<v Speaker 1>Vikings are trying to figure out what they can do

0:19:44.810 --> 0:19:47.969
<v Speaker 1>to get some offense going. They're the first team in

0:19:47.990 --> 0:19:50.260
<v Speaker 1>I don't know how many decades to be 3-0. and

0:19:50.300 --> 0:19:53.119
<v Speaker 1>not have an offensive game of more than 250 yards.

0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.960
<v Speaker 1>But they are clearly built on their defense and special teams.

0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:03.260
<v Speaker 1>I mean, that is where Minnesota's strength is. And it's

0:20:03.300 --> 0:20:05.840
<v Speaker 1>led them to three victories so far. We saw the

0:20:05.859 --> 0:20:10.280
<v Speaker 1>Chicago Bears win play without Caleb Williams and Case Keenum

0:20:10.300 --> 0:20:12.860
<v Speaker 1>stepped in on Monday night football and took it to

0:20:12.900 --> 0:20:17.320
<v Speaker 1>the Philadelphia Eagles and the Eagles offensively couldn't do anything

0:20:17.380 --> 0:20:21.550
<v Speaker 1>against Chicago's defense. And the Detroit Lions have, uh, won

0:20:21.570 --> 0:20:23.750
<v Speaker 1>a couple of down to the wire games at home.

0:20:23.910 --> 0:20:25.989
<v Speaker 1>They squeaked the one out against New Orleans when they

0:20:26.010 --> 0:20:29.910
<v Speaker 1>stopped the two point conversion. They, uh, um, they kind

0:20:29.950 --> 0:20:32.980
<v Speaker 1>of blow a fourth quarter lead, um, against the Jets,

0:20:33.020 --> 0:20:35.419
<v Speaker 1>but then go down and get the score they need to, uh,

0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:38.399
<v Speaker 1>to ultimately win the game, and then their defense finally

0:20:38.460 --> 0:20:41.119
<v Speaker 1>holds up at the end. So the Packers are bringing

0:20:41.180 --> 0:20:44.680
<v Speaker 1>up the rear here in the division, but I don't

0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:46.980
<v Speaker 1>see anybody in the NFC North that looks like a

0:20:47.060 --> 0:20:49.609
<v Speaker 1>world beater right now. I think all the teams in

0:20:49.630 --> 0:20:53.350
<v Speaker 1>the NFC North have their flaws, and it's going to

0:20:53.369 --> 0:20:55.870
<v Speaker 1>be interesting to see how it plays out from here.

0:20:55.950 --> 0:20:58.169
<v Speaker 1>And obviously, as the season goes along, we're going to

0:20:58.230 --> 0:21:01.730
<v Speaker 1>see more of the division matchups. The Packers are going

0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:03.800
<v Speaker 1>to be playing the Bears very soon, and we already

0:21:03.840 --> 0:21:08.270
<v Speaker 1>saw the Bears play the Vikings. etc. So a lot

0:21:08.310 --> 0:21:11.310
<v Speaker 1>to be decided, obviously, in the NFC North with 14

0:21:11.310 --> 0:21:13.230
<v Speaker 1>games to go. But the Packers are the ones who

0:21:13.310 --> 0:21:14.429
<v Speaker 1>have the biggest hill to climb.

0:21:14.470 --> 0:21:16.869
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they do. And ultimately, as you said, all these

0:21:16.890 --> 0:21:19.330
<v Speaker 2>teams have flaws, but you have to find ways to win, right?

0:21:19.450 --> 0:21:21.690
<v Speaker 2>And I think Minnesota is a perfect embodiment of that.

0:21:22.369 --> 0:21:23.950
<v Speaker 2>The Vikings, in a lot of ways, are probably a

0:21:23.950 --> 0:21:27.430
<v Speaker 2>little bit more polished version of the Packers. Defensively, they're

0:21:27.470 --> 0:21:30.020
<v Speaker 2>setting the tone in all these games. Offensively, they're doing

0:21:30.060 --> 0:21:33.320
<v Speaker 2>just enough. Kyler Murray, first game back since the incident

0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:36.189
<v Speaker 2>in Minnesota against Green Bay. So we'll have to see

0:21:36.210 --> 0:21:37.750
<v Speaker 2>what kind of rust that he was shaking off in

0:21:37.770 --> 0:21:40.170
<v Speaker 2>that matchup, but not having Jordan Mason is going to

0:21:40.369 --> 0:21:42.990
<v Speaker 2>change the structure of their offense. And if Aaron Jones

0:21:43.030 --> 0:21:44.330
<v Speaker 2>is actually going to be able to be a bell

0:21:44.350 --> 0:21:46.730
<v Speaker 2>cow at 31 years old and dealing with some of

0:21:46.750 --> 0:21:50.389
<v Speaker 2>his own knee injuries right now, it's been a grind

0:21:50.470 --> 0:21:52.820
<v Speaker 2>for Minnesota, but they've found a way to grind the

0:21:52.859 --> 0:21:56.720
<v Speaker 2>winds out. Honestly, the least surprising thing of the entire

0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.100
<v Speaker 2>weekend to me was Case Keenum and what the Bears did.

0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:01.140
<v Speaker 2>I mean, Case Keenum has been a very good quarterback

0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:02.980
<v Speaker 2>in this league for a long time. I think everybody

0:22:03.490 --> 0:22:06.190
<v Speaker 2>would agree that's been an embarrassment of riches there. Case

0:22:06.210 --> 0:22:08.250
<v Speaker 2>Keenum was brought to Chicago to be the number two.

0:22:08.990 --> 0:22:11.500
<v Speaker 2>Bajent just ended up being a tremendous find for them

0:22:11.540 --> 0:22:13.720
<v Speaker 2>as an undrafted rookie, a guy that they end up

0:22:13.780 --> 0:22:16.420
<v Speaker 2>extending to. So, I mean, the fact that either of

0:22:16.460 --> 0:22:18.400
<v Speaker 2>those guys can win football games, it doesn't matter who

0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:20.580
<v Speaker 2>starts against Green Bay a week from now. I mean,

0:22:20.619 --> 0:22:21.899
<v Speaker 2>both of those guys are going to be a threat.

0:22:22.700 --> 0:22:25.940
<v Speaker 2>And Keenum being able to manage that situation and, you know,

0:22:25.960 --> 0:22:27.639
<v Speaker 2>a lot of friendly things too, you know, having the

0:22:28.180 --> 0:22:31.359
<v Speaker 2>home crowd and all that stuff matters. But The fact is,

0:22:31.420 --> 0:22:34.680
<v Speaker 2>is that one team looked very composed on Monday night

0:22:34.720 --> 0:22:36.980
<v Speaker 2>and one team looked like a mess. Yeah.

0:22:37.480 --> 0:22:40.220
<v Speaker 1>And what was interesting to me in watching that, watching

0:22:40.240 --> 0:22:43.919
<v Speaker 1>the Monday night game unfold is that I felt like Philadelphia,

0:22:43.940 --> 0:22:47.679
<v Speaker 1>at least from the defensive side of things, you know,

0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:50.790
<v Speaker 1>Black Friday last year, the Bears ran all over Philadelphia.

0:22:50.810 --> 0:22:53.570
<v Speaker 1>I mean, would they have 350 rushing yards or some

0:22:53.630 --> 0:22:58.550
<v Speaker 1>ridiculous number in that game, right? So the Eagles were already...

0:22:58.700 --> 0:23:02.270
<v Speaker 1>in whatever circle they put around this Monday night game

0:23:02.310 --> 0:23:05.150
<v Speaker 1>in Chicago on their calendars from the beginning. They knew like,

0:23:05.210 --> 0:23:07.040
<v Speaker 1>all right, we have to go into Chicago and stop

0:23:07.080 --> 0:23:08.880
<v Speaker 1>the run. Ben Johnson's going to run the ball down

0:23:08.920 --> 0:23:11.800
<v Speaker 1>our throat. Oh, and Caleb Williams isn't playing and they're

0:23:11.820 --> 0:23:14.419
<v Speaker 1>going with a backup quarterback. we really got to be

0:23:14.480 --> 0:23:16.890
<v Speaker 1>ready to stop the run. And what did Ben Johnson do?

0:23:17.170 --> 0:23:19.730
<v Speaker 1>He came out and let Case Keenum chuck the ball

0:23:19.790 --> 0:23:23.410
<v Speaker 1>over the field. And quite frankly, it felt like defensively,

0:23:23.750 --> 0:23:27.450
<v Speaker 1>the Eagles looked totally shell-shocked at what they were facing.

0:23:27.490 --> 0:23:30.010
<v Speaker 1>It was not what they expected at all. And even

0:23:30.170 --> 0:23:33.270
<v Speaker 1>midway through the third quarter, they still looked like they

0:23:33.330 --> 0:23:36.869
<v Speaker 1>hadn't really figured out what Chicago was. They were completely

0:23:36.970 --> 0:23:41.020
<v Speaker 1>blown away by how Chicago came out and played with

0:23:41.090 --> 0:23:43.830
<v Speaker 1>Case Keenum at quarterback and, and, and credit the bears.

0:23:43.869 --> 0:23:47.750
<v Speaker 1>They had the Eagles on their heels all night long. And, um,

0:23:48.530 --> 0:23:53.210
<v Speaker 1>and then offensively the, uh, other than, you know, well,

0:23:53.410 --> 0:23:56.000
<v Speaker 1>the Eagles had two drives, one of which ended with

0:23:56.060 --> 0:23:58.720
<v Speaker 1>the backup quarterback throwing an interception in the end zone.

0:23:59.060 --> 0:24:00.379
<v Speaker 1>And then they got the touchdown at the end of

0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:02.320
<v Speaker 1>the first half, but then they came out in the

0:24:02.359 --> 0:24:04.060
<v Speaker 1>second half and it was, you know, three and out

0:24:04.119 --> 0:24:06.180
<v Speaker 1>after three and out. And, uh, and the bears were

0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:10.879
<v Speaker 1>in complete, complete command there. Um, I want to ask you,

0:24:10.920 --> 0:24:14.140
<v Speaker 1>I don't know how much NFL football you watched on Sunday,

0:24:15.180 --> 0:24:22.419
<v Speaker 1>but I've been trying to decide, okay, which one is

0:24:22.460 --> 0:24:25.060
<v Speaker 1>the early candidate for game of the year in the NFL,

0:24:25.100 --> 0:24:28.699
<v Speaker 1>that Rams-Broncos game, the Rio game between the Ravens and

0:24:28.720 --> 0:24:32.740
<v Speaker 1>the Cowboys, or the Commander Seahawks game that saw the

0:24:32.840 --> 0:24:37.000
<v Speaker 1>Seahawks winning streak that dates back to last November and

0:24:37.060 --> 0:24:40.090
<v Speaker 1>obviously ran through the Super Bowl last year. Their winning

0:24:40.109 --> 0:24:43.409
<v Speaker 1>streak comes to an end at the hands of a

0:24:43.490 --> 0:24:47.380
<v Speaker 1>backup quarterback in Marcus Mariota in Washington, a backup quarterback

0:24:47.400 --> 0:24:49.060
<v Speaker 1>who has a C on his chest, by the way.

0:24:49.119 --> 0:24:51.159
<v Speaker 1>So don't forget about that part of it. That's going

0:24:51.180 --> 0:24:53.820
<v Speaker 1>to be an interesting thing to monitor in Washington moving

0:24:53.920 --> 0:24:57.260
<v Speaker 1>forward now that Mariota just knocked off the defending Super

0:24:57.300 --> 0:25:02.110
<v Speaker 1>Bowl champs. But it was a tremendous Sunday of NFL football.

0:25:02.150 --> 0:25:04.729
<v Speaker 1>And like I say, kind of multiple candidates early on

0:25:04.770 --> 0:25:06.510
<v Speaker 1>for like game of the year in the league.

0:25:06.550 --> 0:25:08.150
<v Speaker 2>And who was Mariota's center in that game?

0:25:08.740 --> 0:25:09.990
<v Speaker 1>Lucas Patrick.

0:25:10.369 --> 0:25:12.409
<v Speaker 2>Um, I'm telling you, man, I wrote about an insider

0:25:12.450 --> 0:25:15.270
<v Speaker 2>inbox today. These are the Packers. Hopefully you can find

0:25:15.310 --> 0:25:17.189
<v Speaker 2>something here with Tomlinson and Becton, but this is, these

0:25:17.210 --> 0:25:18.350
<v Speaker 2>are the things you do have to do over the

0:25:18.390 --> 0:25:20.070
<v Speaker 2>course of the season. You have to find ways to

0:25:20.109 --> 0:25:22.330
<v Speaker 2>stitch together a football team. And I thought Washington winning

0:25:22.369 --> 0:25:25.020
<v Speaker 2>that game. Um, and then by the way, Mariota for how,

0:25:25.490 --> 0:25:27.919
<v Speaker 2>how badly things ended last year, uh, for him. And

0:25:27.940 --> 0:25:29.260
<v Speaker 2>it didn't look good at times.

0:25:29.460 --> 0:25:29.680
<v Speaker 1>Right.

0:25:29.900 --> 0:25:31.879
<v Speaker 2>Um, this is a guy that continues to pull himself

0:25:31.940 --> 0:25:33.840
<v Speaker 2>back off the mat. And that's not it. You, you

0:25:33.859 --> 0:25:35.400
<v Speaker 2>and I have seen it time and time again. I mean,

0:25:35.420 --> 0:25:39.460
<v Speaker 2>this is, this is a, uh, When you have Dan

0:25:39.720 --> 0:25:42.200
<v Speaker 2>Quinn and the way he plays defensively, it wasn't a

0:25:42.240 --> 0:25:44.350
<v Speaker 2>shock two years ago that they made it as far

0:25:44.390 --> 0:25:46.170
<v Speaker 2>as they did in the playoffs and make an NFC

0:25:46.650 --> 0:25:50.750
<v Speaker 2>championship run when Jaden Daniel was playing the way he was.

0:25:51.450 --> 0:25:53.540
<v Speaker 2>They're going to find ways to win. So, I mean,

0:25:53.600 --> 0:25:56.919
<v Speaker 2>that's probably the early incumbent, I would say, especially the

0:25:56.940 --> 0:25:59.490
<v Speaker 2>way that thing went. I mean, the Rams game was.

0:25:59.410 --> 0:26:01.290
<v Speaker 1>So darn fun. That was wild.

0:26:01.310 --> 0:26:04.409
<v Speaker 2>Devontae's just a man still, and he's given all these

0:26:04.450 --> 0:26:05.790
<v Speaker 2>headaches to, you know, PS2.

0:26:05.830 --> 0:26:08.540
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and for Stafford to come back from, he throws

0:26:08.600 --> 0:26:10.800
<v Speaker 1>the pick six, and then immediately goes back out, and

0:26:10.840 --> 0:26:12.480
<v Speaker 1>then they march down the field, and then he hits

0:26:12.520 --> 0:26:16.600
<v Speaker 1>a big pass to the smaller receiver, I forget his

0:26:16.640 --> 0:26:19.360
<v Speaker 1>name right now, Mumpfield or something like that, I think.

0:26:19.520 --> 0:26:19.900
<v Speaker 2>And Suns.

0:26:21.859 --> 0:26:27.640
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that Rams-Broncos game was just wild. Unfortunately, the controversial

0:26:27.680 --> 0:26:31.179
<v Speaker 1>call on the interception by the Rams guy, but he

0:26:31.200 --> 0:26:34.200
<v Speaker 1>gets flagged for pass interference and then sets up the

0:26:34.240 --> 0:26:38.250
<v Speaker 1>winning score for the Broncos. There's always going to be

0:26:38.290 --> 0:26:43.730
<v Speaker 1>these discussions of the officials. And heck, those football fans

0:26:43.790 --> 0:26:45.790
<v Speaker 1>in Rio, they got a heck of a treat. They did.

0:26:45.830 --> 0:26:49.629
<v Speaker 1>The Ravens and the Cowboys. Seven seconds to go. This is...

0:26:50.700 --> 0:26:52.969
<v Speaker 1>And we'll end the show here talking a little bit

0:26:53.010 --> 0:26:57.910
<v Speaker 1>of strategy. This is where it gets very interesting that

0:26:58.470 --> 0:27:02.260
<v Speaker 1>where the NFL has now made the, the touchback on

0:27:02.300 --> 0:27:04.960
<v Speaker 1>a kickoff that goes into the end zone on the fly,

0:27:05.400 --> 0:27:08.960
<v Speaker 1>the ball comes out to the 35 because the Cowboys

0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:11.720
<v Speaker 1>just decided after they tied the game, there's seven seconds

0:27:11.760 --> 0:27:13.590
<v Speaker 1>on the clock. We're like, all right, we're just, you know,

0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:15.409
<v Speaker 1>Aubrey's just going to boot the ball through the end

0:27:15.430 --> 0:27:17.440
<v Speaker 1>zone and not And they didn't want to have to

0:27:17.500 --> 0:27:20.879
<v Speaker 1>worry about making a tackle on a kickoff return, right?

0:27:20.900 --> 0:27:21.160
<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

0:27:21.359 --> 0:27:24.359
<v Speaker 1>Well, the seven seconds with the Ravens having the one

0:27:24.380 --> 0:27:27.780
<v Speaker 1>timeout and getting to start at the 35-yard line and

0:27:27.820 --> 0:27:33.050
<v Speaker 1>with these kickers who can make 55-plus, 60-yarders, whatever, on

0:27:33.070 --> 0:27:35.450
<v Speaker 1>a fairly regular basis when it's the last play of

0:27:35.490 --> 0:27:40.050
<v Speaker 1>the game. The strategy at the end, if you're not–

0:27:42.750 --> 0:27:45.060
<v Speaker 1>If you're not the team that's setting up for like

0:27:45.080 --> 0:27:48.379
<v Speaker 1>the walk-off kick or the walk-off score and you're leaving

0:27:48.440 --> 0:27:50.420
<v Speaker 1>some time on the clock, what you do on that

0:27:50.480 --> 0:27:55.180
<v Speaker 1>kickoff is something you have to think about because of

0:27:55.220 --> 0:27:56.580
<v Speaker 1>what the Ravens just pulled off.

0:27:56.740 --> 0:28:00.230
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm going to tell you this right now. You

0:28:00.250 --> 0:28:02.990
<v Speaker 2>have the best kicker in the game, right, in Aubrey.

0:28:03.190 --> 0:28:05.600
<v Speaker 2>I think I probably just trust him to mortar kick it.

0:28:05.609 --> 0:28:08.540
<v Speaker 2>They had covered the kickoffs fine in the game. just

0:28:08.580 --> 0:28:09.879
<v Speaker 2>getting way too cute at the end because the.

0:28:09.859 --> 0:28:12.350
<v Speaker 1>Problem is, the one thing I will say, Aubrey had

0:28:12.410 --> 0:28:14.669
<v Speaker 1>kicked two kickoffs out of bounds in that game and

0:28:14.690 --> 0:28:16.729
<v Speaker 1>put them on the 40 yard line two times.

0:28:17.230 --> 0:28:19.590
<v Speaker 2>So I, you wonder, so put them at the 35 instead.

0:28:19.770 --> 0:28:22.770
<v Speaker 1>Well, yeah, I mean, that's essentially what, that's essentially what

0:28:22.810 --> 0:28:24.950
<v Speaker 1>they did because, because he had had a bad day

0:28:25.030 --> 0:28:26.130
<v Speaker 1>on kickoffs.

0:28:26.130 --> 0:28:28.080
<v Speaker 2>18 yard, you know, completion, those gets you in field

0:28:28.100 --> 0:28:30.220
<v Speaker 2>goal position. So it's like, and, and by the way,

0:28:30.300 --> 0:28:34.629
<v Speaker 2>kudos to the, Baltimore, the execution there, the awareness to

0:28:34.670 --> 0:28:35.730
<v Speaker 2>be able to get that thing down.

0:28:35.750 --> 0:28:39.680
<v Speaker 1>And the young kicker who missed the kick that sent

0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:42.500
<v Speaker 1>Aaron Rodgers to the playoffs last year on that final

0:28:42.540 --> 0:28:45.540
<v Speaker 1>Sunday night game in week 18, he comes out there

0:28:45.580 --> 0:28:48.840
<v Speaker 1>and drills the 56 yarder in Rio and, you know,

0:28:48.880 --> 0:28:51.330
<v Speaker 1>major celebration. But kudos to him because he had to.

0:28:51.770 --> 0:28:54.650
<v Speaker 1>he had to live all off season with that essentially

0:28:54.710 --> 0:28:57.870
<v Speaker 1>a walk-off miss that cost his team a playoff spot.

0:28:57.970 --> 0:29:00.350
<v Speaker 2>He snuck that one in on the black too. At

0:29:00.490 --> 0:29:02.690
<v Speaker 2>first when that thing went up, I'm like, ah, I'm

0:29:02.850 --> 0:29:04.830
<v Speaker 2>not so sure about that. Yeah, it was going to

0:29:04.850 --> 0:29:07.150
<v Speaker 2>be dicey. It's like the backdoor slider a little bit

0:29:07.170 --> 0:29:08.570
<v Speaker 2>to be able to sneak it in there. But yeah,

0:29:08.590 --> 0:29:10.950
<v Speaker 2>I mean, it was a huge win for Baltimore. And

0:29:10.970 --> 0:29:12.610
<v Speaker 2>this is going to be big for Dallas now because

0:29:12.630 --> 0:29:15.550
<v Speaker 2>I think Dallas, you know, there's a lot of hope

0:29:15.590 --> 0:29:18.090
<v Speaker 2>and optimism about that defense and they've kind of struggled

0:29:18.110 --> 0:29:20.950
<v Speaker 2>out of the gate here a little bit. Um, Yeah.

0:29:21.030 --> 0:29:22.510
<v Speaker 2>But the last point I want to make, though, if

0:29:22.550 --> 0:29:25.590
<v Speaker 2>I can, you know, because we talk about Green Bay

0:29:25.610 --> 0:29:27.330
<v Speaker 2>and this is obviously not been the start the Packers want.

0:29:28.110 --> 0:29:29.590
<v Speaker 2>There's a lot of bouncing back that Green Bay has

0:29:29.610 --> 0:29:32.450
<v Speaker 2>to do. But you look at the Los Angeles Chargers

0:29:32.510 --> 0:29:35.910
<v Speaker 2>right now at 0-3. You look at New England at

0:29:35.930 --> 0:29:39.930
<v Speaker 2>1-2 and just getting completely, you know, dog walked by.

0:29:40.210 --> 0:29:44.230
<v Speaker 2>by Jacksonville. You look at Houston again at an 0-3

0:29:44.270 --> 0:29:48.350
<v Speaker 2>start once again. I mean, there's different ways to play

0:29:48.390 --> 0:29:50.610
<v Speaker 2>this golf course. And there's going to be times where

0:29:50.630 --> 0:29:52.630
<v Speaker 2>you have some bogeys and double bogeys on the first

0:29:52.670 --> 0:29:54.360
<v Speaker 2>couple holes. But the only way you're going to end

0:29:54.390 --> 0:29:57.240
<v Speaker 2>up with a terrible 100 round is if you don't

0:29:57.500 --> 0:29:59.890
<v Speaker 2>find a way to turn it around. Yep. that's going

0:29:59.910 --> 0:30:01.420
<v Speaker 2>to be the challenge for green Bay. It's going to

0:30:01.430 --> 0:30:02.959
<v Speaker 2>be the challenge for some of these teams in the,

0:30:03.100 --> 0:30:05.900
<v Speaker 2>in the early, you know, started this thing. But the

0:30:05.920 --> 0:30:07.540
<v Speaker 2>fact of the matter is, is it is only three

0:30:07.580 --> 0:30:10.080
<v Speaker 2>weeks and there's still 14 more to go. Yeah.

0:30:10.120 --> 0:30:15.680
<v Speaker 1>There's everybody's dealing with something. Right. And yeah, there's, you know, the,

0:30:16.440 --> 0:30:19.060
<v Speaker 1>even the Buffalo bills, they're sitting at three and O

0:30:19.120 --> 0:30:22.200
<v Speaker 1>and looking like the legit AFC contender everybody thought, but

0:30:22.240 --> 0:30:24.400
<v Speaker 1>they turned the ball over five times at home and

0:30:24.420 --> 0:30:27.020
<v Speaker 1>almost lost to the chargers. Right. So, I mean, everybody's,

0:30:27.590 --> 0:30:30.640
<v Speaker 1>everybody's got something they're dealing with. And all you want

0:30:30.680 --> 0:30:32.680
<v Speaker 1>to try to do in these early stages of the

0:30:32.720 --> 0:30:36.700
<v Speaker 1>season is just chalk up enough wins to give yourself

0:30:36.760 --> 0:30:39.640
<v Speaker 1>a shot when it turns into November and December football.

0:30:39.880 --> 0:30:42.850
<v Speaker 1>And hopefully the Packers can get back on the winning

0:30:42.870 --> 0:30:44.050
<v Speaker 1>track on Sunday in Tampa.

0:30:44.150 --> 0:30:47.630
<v Speaker 2>The one update we got from Matt LaFleur on Monday

0:30:47.670 --> 0:30:49.830
<v Speaker 2>was that Micah Parsons isn't going to practice this week.

0:30:49.870 --> 0:30:51.850
<v Speaker 2>So obviously that window still is out there for his

0:30:51.910 --> 0:30:54.620
<v Speaker 2>return from PUP. But you know, The point I want

0:30:54.640 --> 0:30:56.380
<v Speaker 2>to try to draw off that is when I was

0:30:56.420 --> 0:30:59.070
<v Speaker 2>looking at the Packers and their season outlook, I've said it,

0:30:59.180 --> 0:31:01.820
<v Speaker 2>I've written it since before the opener. The Packers had,

0:31:01.900 --> 0:31:03.920
<v Speaker 2>in my opinion, had to go two and two in September.

0:31:04.800 --> 0:31:06.520
<v Speaker 2>This is not the way you probably wanted it to

0:31:06.560 --> 0:31:09.310
<v Speaker 2>line out. I actually thought Tampa might end up being

0:31:09.330 --> 0:31:11.790
<v Speaker 2>the biggest challenge for them based on Baker Mayfield and

0:31:11.810 --> 0:31:15.930
<v Speaker 2>what they present with Todd Bowles' defense. But the fact is,

0:31:15.990 --> 0:31:19.250
<v Speaker 2>is that's still out there for them. I still feel

0:31:19.270 --> 0:31:21.130
<v Speaker 2>like if you can get through this stretch without Mike

0:31:21.250 --> 0:31:23.190
<v Speaker 2>at 500, you're sitting okay for the rest of the year.

0:31:23.890 --> 0:31:26.110
<v Speaker 2>That being said, there's other injuries that have hit. Nothing

0:31:26.150 --> 0:31:29.880
<v Speaker 2>is absolute. But you can't lose sight of the big

0:31:29.900 --> 0:31:32.940
<v Speaker 2>picture here, which is this is a win procurement business,

0:31:33.360 --> 0:31:35.730
<v Speaker 2>and the Packers need to get their wins here to

0:31:35.770 --> 0:31:37.950
<v Speaker 2>set themselves up for the rest of the season. Once

0:31:37.990 --> 0:31:41.020
<v Speaker 2>they've been successful, two, they have not. and their fourth

0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:43.080
<v Speaker 2>opportunity comes on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

0:31:43.260 --> 0:31:44.820
<v Speaker 1>All right, and with that, we will call it a

0:31:44.880 --> 0:31:47.240
<v Speaker 1>wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to

0:31:47.260 --> 0:31:50.900
<v Speaker 1>follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers.com.

0:31:50.940 --> 0:31:53.500
<v Speaker 1>For Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in, everybody.

0:31:53.540 --> 0:31:54.360
<v Speaker 1>We will see you next time.