WEBVTT - #645 Packers Unscripted: Playoff preparation 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:10.960 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.960 --> 0:00:14.280 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. He is my 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:16.840 partner in crime, West Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:21.160 from our studios at lambeau Field and West. The NFC 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:25.560 Divisional playoff game Saturday night at lambeau Field will pit 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:30.280 the Packers against the San Francisco forty Niners. This will 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:34.320 be the ninth postseason meeting between these two franchises. It 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.879 is a rematch of Week three of the regular season. 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.640 It's a rematch of the twenty nineteen NFC Championship game, 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:44.680 just a couple of seasons ago. Your thoughts on the 0:00:44.720 --> 0:00:47.919 fact that the forty Niners are the opponent we've been 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.720 waiting for, Well, I give the forty Niners credit because 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:56.720 they gave me the most watchable game over the weekend. Absolutely. Absolutely, Hey, 0:00:56.760 --> 0:01:00.960 it's great. I loved it. From the standpoint of this 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:03.440 is you look for those type of you couldn't have 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:05.640 gone wrong. It would have been cool to see them 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:07.680 get matched up with maybe some teams they haven't seen 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:11.160 in the playoffs recently, but it's been the forty nine 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:13.240 is a lot more often than not over the last 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:15.480 ten years. So the fact that you get another one 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.920 of these battles, obviously the little Floor Shanahan connection, the 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.399 connections between these coaching staff, these players. It's gonna be 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:26.160 an exciting matchup on Saturday night at lambeau Field. I'll 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:30.600 tell you the difficult thing of watching that game unfold though, 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:33.280 is and this is just West Hotkowitz, this is West 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:36.319 Hawkwits the human being. I'll be honestly, I felt for 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:39.720 Mike McCarthy. I felt for the Cowboys. I felt I 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:41.640 know a lot of people will be like crying for 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:45.520 the Cowboys. That's that's an interesting concept, but I I 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.440 just I really respected the team they put on the 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:49.080 field this year. They have a lot of really young, 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:51.880 exciting talent. If they would have been able to get 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:54.680 that match up with, you know, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:56.960 I thought that that would have been an amazing rematch 0:01:57.080 --> 0:02:00.080 to get. But this is how the Chips fell. The 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.640 greenmy Packers get to welcome the San Francisco forty Niners 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.840 a lambau Field for a chance to go to the 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.400 NFC title Game. Well, that Niners Cowboys game on Sunday 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:12.440 afternoon was just another example It was obviously the best 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:15.400 game of the six wild card games on what was 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:18.799 not such a super wild Card weekend as it turned out, 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:21.760 but that being the best game, it was an example 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:24.440 of you just you never know what might happen in 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:29.080 these playoff contests, and you never know how much the 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.360 little details are going to matter. Right when it comes 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.760 down to Dak Prescott and you know the official needs 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:37.720 to spot the ball before you can do the spike 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:39.840 and all that. The Cowboys thought they had enough time 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:42.360 to put themselves in a position to take a shot 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.160 at the end zone. It didn't work out. The clock 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:47.480 ran out on him. I do think, I do think 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:51.640 the officials did everything right really in that situation, given 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:54.680 how frantic it was and that and that the Cowboys 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.200 really didn't execute it properly. That's the boy, That's the 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:00.960 bottom line. I would feel me be a little a 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.560 tinge more sympathy for the Cowboys, And I feel no 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.560 sympathy at all for that organization in any way, shape 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:09.520 or form, no matter what. But if that had been 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:13.160 a trying to get a field goal situation or you know, 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:16.000 whereas they still we're going to have to throw a 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.760 to thirty yard touchdown pass on on the final play 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.680 the game not impossible, certainly greater odds than a hail Mary, 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:25.400 which is why they ran the play that they did, 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.160 why they decided to to take that chance running Prescott 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:32.880 up the middle. But um, the details matter, is my point. 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:35.600 And whether you're talking about the Cowboys with all the 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.240 penalties that they had in that game, which certainly benefit 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:42.640 of the forty Niners, the forty Niners showing how much 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:46.160 you can control a game in the postseason, and then 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:51.720 suddenly one interception, a turnover, completely changes the momentum of 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:54.960 the game and flips it and the Cowboys down to seven. 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:58.800 The Niners have the ball, it's looking totally bleak for Dallas, 0:03:59.080 --> 0:04:01.560 and then suddenly they're rallying and they give themselves a 0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:03.560 shot at the end of the ball game. You just 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:06.200 never know how these games are gonna go. That game, 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.480 more than anything, showed me how important it is to 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:11.000 get off to a fast start. San Francisco did that. 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.960 They got down the field, they scored points. Deebill Samuel 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:18.159 is just uh a lightning bug. I mean, just what 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:20.480 he can offer to an offense as a pass catcher 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:23.800 in the backfield. It's like a super you know, like 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.479 size version of like what Randall Cobb was doing in 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.640 two thousand eleven, two thousand twelve. I mean, just how 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:33.360 he impacts that San Francisco offense. You saw how far 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:35.360 he's come and exactly why he is an All Pro. 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:39.279 But for San Francisco to get the points, get the 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:42.360 stops early. When a game is as tight as that is, Mike, 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:44.920 and it goes down to the wire, that's where penalties 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:49.520 start to show themselves. That's where misfundamentals start to show themselves. 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:53.440 That's where you know Randy Gregory getting a holding penalty 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.440 against the tackle for Dragon, an offensive lineman to the 0:04:57.440 --> 0:04:59.760 ground just out of nowhere comes into play, and a 0:04:59.800 --> 0:05:02.880 few plays before that, Neville Gallimore does the hands to 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:04.960 the face on the center I believe it was Alex 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:07.400 mac the center for the forty Niners. Gives the forty 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:09.720 Niners an automatic first down when maybe they would have 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:11.480 had to pump the ball with more time on the clock. 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:15.000 All those things added up to the situation that Cowboys 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.400 were in in the final moment. In my takeaway from 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:19.520 that game, once it was over, independent of just the 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.120 fact that the San Francisco forty Niners prevailed was that 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:24.000 this is one of the things that has made Matt 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:27.000 Lafleur's team so successful in green Bay. Yes, he's a 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:30.120 brilliant offensive mind. Yes you have a you know, three 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:32.919 time potentially now four time m v P quarterback. You 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.400 have playmakers on both sides of the ball. But green 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:39.080 Bay plays discipline. They don't make stupid mistakes. You're going 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:40.880 to have penalties, and you're gonna have things you don't 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.240 agree with, but are they going to be egregious type 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.160 stuff that is just so visibly obvious to the officials 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.680 they couldn't help but throw the play. That's where the 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.680 Cowboys really got themselves into trouble in this game. And 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.440 if you're winning by two touchdowns, doesn't matter if you're 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:56.280 if you have a you know, you're commanding in your 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:59.280 offense is clicking, you can overcome it. They didn't do 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:01.679 enough of the those things in this game, and Kyle 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.080 Shanahan and the way they have those guys coached up 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:06.280 in San Francisco were able to take advantage of it. 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:09.479 Despite the fact, yeah Nick Bosa going out with the concussion, 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.120 Fred Warner being banged up, they still made it work. 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:14.000 And this is a team that is very accustomed to 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.000 having to overcome that type of adversity. Well, it's interesting 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:20.839 because if there's one thing that the forty Niners have 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:24.640 told me watching watching a good portion of of their 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:29.760 games the last two weeks, is that the Packers have 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:32.599 to be ready for a full sixty minute battle. And 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.039 I know that that's a cliche and whatnot for the playoffs, 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:38.360 but my point is, two weeks ago against the Rams, 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:41.120 the forty Niners were down seventeen to nothing with their 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:44.400 playoff hopes, with their season on the line, and they 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:47.279 rallied back from that and got that game to overtime 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:49.560 and ended up pulling it out. Then in the wild 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:54.159 card game, they start out like gangbusters and jump on 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:57.440 top of the Cowboys thirteen to nothing. Nothing's going right 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:03.000 for Dallas, and yet the forty Niners still ended up 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:05.839 having to you know, grind out some first downs and 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:09.440 and nearly got the first down that they needed to 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.720 not give Dallas the one, the one final chance. But 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:17.040 this uh, this forty Niners team, nothing's gonna make them blink. 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:19.280 And that's that's one of the things that that I 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.440 think has been a trademark of of Matt Lafleur's teams 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.280 in his three years here in Green Bay, They've had 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:27.920 a lot of down to the wire games. A lot 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:29.800 of them have gone their way, some of them haven't. 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.440 But these Packers have been and especially this year, have 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.040 been tested late in ball games with down to the 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:40.720 wire finishes. This forty Niners team is exactly the same way. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:42.960 These two teams are not going to flinch in the 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:46.120 fourth quarter on Saturday Night. It's going to be a 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.880 sixty minute, drag out battle all the way to the end. 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.280 There's a reason these two got to the final four 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.520 here in the NFC, and and the forty Niners are 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:57.320 like the light version of the Packers. The Packers got 0:07:57.320 --> 0:07:59.360 the number one seed in the by because since Week 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:02.960 two include week one, but since Week two, they found 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:04.720 a way to win close matchups and they did it 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.160 all season long, with the exception of one game. San 0:08:07.200 --> 0:08:10.320 Francisco got off to a terrible start for what their 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:13.480 expectations were for this season, not trending in the right way. 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:16.600 The questions about Garoppolo. They're losing three four straight games 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:18.320 in a row. They never found a way to solve 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:21.360 Seattle for some reason this season. It didn't work out 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.440 for them, but down the stretch, look at what they've done, Mike. 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:27.520 They beat Cincinnati, they beat the l A Rams, they 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:29.840 lost a competitive game to the top seed in the 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:32.880 a f C and tennesseeat and the other thing too 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:34.920 that Green Bay has to keep an eye open this 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:37.920 never ending carousel running backs. What was the number one 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.440 thing that the San Francisco forty niners were missing in 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.800 Week three? They did they didn't have a back. You know, 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.640 Trace Sermon was handling that role, but realistically they weren't 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:48.679 able to run the ball. Garoppolo had to throw up more, 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:50.640 they had more turnovers, They weren't able to be able 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.200 to protect the football. The Packers won that game late 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:56.000 being able to get Elijah Mitchell going here in the 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.120 second half of the season. The way he's played since 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.240 mid November. It's a stark difference with how this team 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.959 performs with Kyle Shanahan's offense. When they have a running 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:06.640 back they can go to. Mitchell's been that guy. You 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.960 look at that wild card matchup Dallas could not run 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.120 the ball. San Francisco was really committed to it. With 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:16.360 throwing in the wrinkles with Samuel that was a difference. Yeah, 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:20.600 it seems a difference from Week three as well as 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.080 far as looking back at that first matchup between the 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.920 Packers and forty Niners. This year, the forty Niners have 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:29.599 gotten in my opinion, they've gotten more and more creative 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:32.480 and versatile with the way that's that they use Deebo Samuel. 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:35.320 The Deebo Samuel that the Packers are going to see 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:38.839 at lambeau Field on Saturday night is a different type 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:41.000 of weapon than the one that they saw back in 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.960 Week three. And you combine that with the emergence of 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.880 the young running back in Elijah Mitchell. Where As you 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:51.760 said the forty Niners did not have as reliable a 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.600 ground game back in Week three, this is a this 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.400 is a really different offense that the Packers are going 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.840 to that the Packers are going to have to face 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.080 and and uh, it may not be as easy to 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.160 get the turnovers that that the Packers did back in 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.079 Week three that put them in command in the early 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:09.840 stages of that game. Well, and the other thing that 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.840 separated them from Week three is Brandon aiyuk Is is 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.120 playing at a really high level. You got off to 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:17.600 a really slow start this season, was starting to really 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:21.200 look like okay was last year sort of a mirage there, 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:22.520 like is this guy is still going to be able 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.280 to perform at this level? And then he was able 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.760 to corral himself. And when you see what they can 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.040 do down the field with him and George Kittle and 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:31.200 then being able to have all these wrinkles with Samuel, 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:33.920 it creates a lot of different looks. And if you 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.640 ultimately look at it, what is the hallmark of this 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.559 version of the West Coast offense that Kyle Shanahan runs. 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:41.920 It's a lot of running, and it's a lot of deception, 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:43.800 and it's a lot of play action build off of 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:46.080 the run. They want to get the defense's eyes moving, 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:48.040 they want to get their feet and standing still. They 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:50.680 want to be able to maximize those chances and be 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:53.040 able to hurt you for big plays. That's where I 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:55.199 think the biggest difference is. Now. That being said, well 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:56.920 we'll talk about some of the defensive stuff and these 0:10:56.920 --> 0:10:59.600 other aspects of it, but a lot of Packer fans 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:01.560 are working themselves into a tizzy over this, and the 0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:03.560 way that you and I are talking right now probably 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.079 isn't helping things. But the one thing I've been kind 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.480 of trying to just bang into people's heads this week. 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:10.760 Is there was a reason the Packers were the number 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.480 one seed. A lot of the things San Francisco does well, 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:15.960 the Packers do them well too. A lot of the 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:17.920 things that they can do in terms of their offense 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.960 when it's working well, Green Bay actually probably does better 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:24.280 in terms of the explosivity standpoint. This is going to 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:26.320 be a good game, but there's a reason why the 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:29.080 Packers are favorite in it so that they have to 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:31.000 play to their capabilities. They have to play smart, they 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:32.920 have to play discipline, they have to protect the football. 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.679 But this is a winnable game if you meet the 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.720 challenges that San Francisco is going to present, specifically on 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:40.840 the offensive side of the ball. Yeah, it's the nature 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:42.920 of the beast when you get a first round by 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.120 right and and this is what I talked about it, 0:11:45.160 --> 0:11:46.840 I think on the show last week, if not on 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.720 the show, certainly an inbox that when you're the team, 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:51.640 it used to be multiple teams getting the buy in 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:54.480 the conference. Now it's just the one. When you're the team. 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:56.880 When you're the team that's getting the buy, you're going 0:11:56.920 --> 0:12:00.080 to be facing a team that is coming off of 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.360 its biggest victory of the season, because there are no 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:05.640 bigger victories out there than playoff victories. And in the 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:08.240 forty Niners case, they happen to be coming off of 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:11.560 back to back big victories because they had to win 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.679 in their regular season finale just to get that wild 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:17.080 card spot. Now they won their wild card game. But 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:20.160 it's the nature of the beast. You know, the Packers 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:23.520 got the buy you're gonna be facing a team that 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:25.880 that that got a big win or two to get 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:28.800 to this point. But the forty Niners are coming to 0:12:28.880 --> 0:12:31.079 lambeau Field. It sounds like it's going to be cold. 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:35.640 Not not super frigid, not you know, crazy cold, but 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:37.560 it sounds like it's going to be cold. I think 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:41.160 that raises some I think that raises some interesting questions 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:45.880 with regard to Jimmy Garoppolo's hand, with regard to Garoppolo's 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:48.839 sprained shoulder, which now which now we found out about 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:51.800 Kyle Shanahan saying that that Garoppolo is dealing with a 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.160 little bit of a shoulder issue, his his throwing shoulder. 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:57.959 And then of course, the other the other news from 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.040 their side is what will be the hell of Nick 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:03.679 Bosa coming off of the concussion from the game against 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:08.040 Alice and Fred Warner Um, the star inside linebacker who 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.360 injured his ankle. I will say when when Warner went 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:13.280 down on the field, that looked a lot worse than 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:17.160 an ankle injury, So um, good for him that that 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:19.839 that it wasn't a you know, one of these major, 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:22.880 major serious injuries. We'll see what the news is. Right 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:26.559 now as we're taping this, the news is pretty positive 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:29.240 for the forty niners with regard to those injuries. It 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:32.600 sounds like they are expecting to have both Bosa and 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:36.400 Warner available on Saturday night. But we'll just have to we'll, we'll, we'll, 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:39.439 we'll have to see how close to the Bosa one. 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:41.400 Did make me kind of raise an eyebrow though, because 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:43.880 it's like I thought this was like an independent neurologist, 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:46.480 so I mean, maybe he's already been cleared, but otherwise 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:48.439 I thought that was really interesting that they were already 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:50.400 like kind of like, yeah, he should be should be okay. 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:53.400 But be that as it may. Jordan Willis is still 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:55.720 working through the high ankle sprain, so he could potentially 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:58.200 be out. Um again, we'll get to that later. In 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:01.680 the week. But the thing I have my ons Garoppolo. Uh, 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:04.400 he talked and was pretty honest in terms of the 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.120 media and what he's dealing with and and how it's 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:10.160 changing his mechanics and his throwing motion, and obviously the 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:14.199 challenges that get presented in colder weather with that ligament issue. Uh, 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.600 that is going to there. There was several times Mike 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:19.240 in that game against Dallas where you know, they could 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:22.760 have put maybe the figurative dagger to steal a Wayne 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:26.240 Larvy term into the Cowboys and he just wasn't able 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:28.200 to make that throw, was it wasn't where it needed 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:30.040 to be, or that one that ended up being overthrown 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:31.920 over to Ayuk. I believe it was on the third 0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:34.320 down that was a third and long. He had opportunities 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:36.480 and they just couldn't be able to connect. Seeing what 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:38.600 the limitations are with that are going to be really 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.320 interesting to watch. But ultimately you and I both know this, Mike, 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:43.600 They're gonna try to run the football. We saw it 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:46.360 in the nineteen championship game. They've seen it every time 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.920 the Packers have played Kyle Shanahan over the last five years. 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:51.320 They are going to want to impose their will in 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.200 the trenches, and that's where the Packers have to step 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:57.320 up to the challenge. Kenny Clark arrested, Dean Lawrie arrested. 0:14:57.520 --> 0:15:00.000 You hope that Devandra Campbell's doing okay with that elbow 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.040 injury after getting a chance to rest a little bit. 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:04.840 If they get moving fast sideline to sideline, it can 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:07.760 be stout in their gaps. This is a totable, totally 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.480 winnable game for green Bay to be able to control that. Yeah, 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:13.360 I do think the forty Niners u UM are going 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:17.840 to be absolutely committed to the running game for sixty minutes. 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:20.400 I mean, barring and I would say even even if 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.080 the Packers get out to a start, say like the 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.360 Rams did against the Niners a couple of weeks ago, 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.400 and it's say it's seventeen to nothing in the second 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:30.080 quarter or something like that, are not just going to 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:32.520 trash their running game and turn the game over to 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.400 Garoppolo and throw throw throw in the cold at lambeau Field. 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:39.120 The Packers, regardless of how this game starts, good or bad, 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:41.800 the Packers are going to have to be prepared to 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:46.200 defend the run. Mitchell and Samuel and whatever other tricks 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.800 and play actions and motions and everything that that Kyle 0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:51.400 Shanahan's gonna draw up for this one. They're gonna have 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.320 to be prepared to defend that for sixty minutes. And 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.240 I think, going back to the other point about Garoppolo, 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:01.560 hearing the news now about the sprain shoal or and 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:04.600 and as you said, he wasn't really able to to 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:07.160 put that dagger in the Cowboys there in the second half. 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:10.160 It makes me think that the sprain shoulder is almost 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:12.800 more of an issue for him in the hand because 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:15.360 two weeks ago against the Rams, that eighty eight yard 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:17.720 drive that they needed to tie the game and get 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:21.080 it to over time, he made three laser like throws 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:23.560 where you wouldn't think anything was wrong with him at all, 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:26.320 that there was no issue with the hand whatsoever. Now 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:29.120 we're hearing about this, this sprain shoulder thing coming out 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.000 of the Dallas game, it sounds to me like that 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:34.080 might be more of an issue than uum than the 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:36.400 hand thing that's been talked about for the last several weeks. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.920 What did you think of what I wrote about them 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.640 seeing amenros st Brown against Detroit and how that could 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:45.560 be kind of maybe an entree here to seeing Samuel. 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.040 There are different types of players, but with you know, 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.560 Samuel carry the ball boy was eleven twelve times last week. 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:52.880 I mean he had the ball a lot in the backfield. 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:55.560 It was. It was a tough outing there in that 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:57.960 regard for what they did versus the trick plays whatever 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:00.360 you wanna call him, that Detroit ram But I'll tell what, Mike, 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:02.000 the Packers haven't seen a whole lot of that this 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:04.800 year other than really seeing Samuel in Week three. I 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:07.280 felt personally like that actually was a pretty good tune up, 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:09.480 at least getting them an idea of what the risks 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.720 are there in terms of the steaks if you don't 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:14.399 properly defend against. I think I think it can I 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.000 think it can be certainly from uh, I guess what 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:19.760 I would say from the the eye discipline standpoint with 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:22.959 the defense to not you can't get too distracted because 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:25.679 for all of the motions and tricks that you know 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:28.480 that that the Lions employed in that in that Week 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:31.760 eight team game, the Niners, the Niners do the motions 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:34.359 and and the fakes and all this to get you distracted. 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.520 They do it play after play after play, right, So 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:39.320 from an eye discipline standpoint where I don't think a 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.960 guy like aman Ross st Brown prepares you for someone 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:45.520 like Samuel Is because Samuel is so hard to tackle. 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.600 He he, I mean, his his yards after the catch 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:50.840 was like first in the league, right in terms of 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:55.680 per per reception um in the NFL this year. And 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:58.360 you you have you have to be sound with your 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.160 tackling on him, because he will break tackles, he will 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:04.119 slip away, he will get the extra yards to to 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:08.119 move the chains and turn turn good plays into explosive plays. 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.600 And and that's uh, that's something the Packers are are 0:18:11.640 --> 0:18:14.520 certainly going to have to deal with on Saturday night. Um, 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:17.000 a little bit of sponsor business here. West Serious x 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:20.040 M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to 0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:23.120 them in the NFL News that true football fanatics need 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:27.000 seven three six And at Cousin Subs, we have something 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:30.000 for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.959 golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:36.240 sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs we believe 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:38.800 in better. I'm gonna I'm gonna do a sponsorship business. 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:40.920 Oh it's not really sponsorship it's mostly just being a 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:44.320 good teammate. Okay, I got this Packers Everywhere. I was 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:46.760 gonna comment about the new sweatshirt. Then I was I 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:48.280 wasn't sure if you wanted me to make a big 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:50.359 deal of it. You can, you can if you want. Okay, 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:53.120 all I'm saying is, have I have some great friends 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:56.720 in our fan engagement department. They're actually giving these away. 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.640 If you go on the Packers Everywhere, at Packers Everywhere, 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:02.240 so show accounts on I believe Instagram and Twitter, you 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:04.720 like it, you're retweeted. I think you're entered to win these, 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:06.919 and that goes through if you're watching this on Friday. 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:09.000 I'm sorry you already lost, but I think it goes 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:13.160 to like ten am Central Time on on Wednesday. Okay, 0:19:13.359 --> 0:19:15.439 if you want to look cool like me, hey, you 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:18.359