WEBVTT - #366 Packers Unscripted: Once and future matchup 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:20.599 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:23.160 I am Mike Spofford. He is the one and only 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:26.240 West Hodkowits were coming to you here from our studios 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:28.800 at lambeau Field West. I said on yesterday's show we 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:31.520 would get to kind of the injury rundown here for 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:35.200 the Packers. Uh, some injuries that were talked about going 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.680 into the Vikings game, and unfortunately more injuries coming out 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:41.600 of the Vikings game. As far as what happened in Minneapolis, 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:45.520 we saw two offensive lineman David Batry Lane Taylor both 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:49.680 leave with injuries. Safety Kenroll Bryce, who has been in 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.000 and out of the lineup all season long dealing with 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:55.560 one thing or another, but he left the game with 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:59.200 a couple of concerns. Trevor Davis his hamstring, which had 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:01.120 been the problem in reason he was on I R 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:03.560 at the beginning of the season, that flared up on 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:06.120 him again. And I'm trying to think if I'm forgetting 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:12.560 somebody else from Davis, M Taylor and Box tr think 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:14.880 that that might be it from the from the actual game, 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:20.160 No real definitive upgradads, that's right, st Brown. He left 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:22.600 the game, but then came back in as well, a 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:27.080 forearm type of injury for him. Um. But with regards 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:31.040 to David box Tr, Mike McCarthy said, he's dealing with 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.720 a couple of things. Didn't get all that specific there, 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:38.360 but Packers dealing with some shuffling on the offensive line 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:40.600 up front, and quite frankly, the way things went on 0:01:40.640 --> 0:01:44.320 Sunday night, it seemed the Minnesota Vikings took advantage of 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:47.240 kind of the shuffling, the uncertainty, and maybe some cold 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:49.480 guys coming in off the bench. Yeah, it's a tough 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:52.040 spot to be in, and I have I just have 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:54.160 a ton of respect for box Tr and Brian Bulog 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.360 the fact that they've been able to start every game 0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:00.080 this year. Polaga especially coming off of the ACE the 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.800 l injury, and then he's dealt with his knicks and 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:05.480 bruises throughout the course of this season. Bactr has been 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:08.520 on the injury report already the last few weeks, goes 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.560 out of the game with what was listed as a 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:15.480 knee injury, comes back for one series and then leaves again. Um. Yeah, 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:17.680 so that's where you had. Jason Spriggs came in at 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:21.119 left tackle. Justin McCrae who's been down the last couple 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:24.240 of weeks, probably over a month now. Well, he was 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.079 over at right guard for a second when Byron Bell's 0:02:27.080 --> 0:02:30.840 shoe came off, and then on that one of those plays, 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:33.360 Lane Taylor gets hurt with the quad injury and he 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:35.400 has to move over the left guard. For my money, 0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:37.120 and I know you dissect the film a little bit 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.680 better than I do. I actually thought McCrae looked, okay, 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:42.920 look look fine coming back in. But I think one 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.200 of the issues was the Vikings end up throwing a 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:48.400 multitude of stunts at them down the stretch. You're you 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.480 don't really have that camaraderie that you probably usually have 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:54.480 between two of those offensive linemen, the inside guys, so 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:56.480 they were able to get home a couple of times, 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:58.240 whatever the case may be. I mean, I thought it 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:00.840 was no accident that as soon as both the left 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.519 guard and the left tackle for the Packers, the starters 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:05.760 were out of the game that suddenly we see the 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:08.160 stunt from the Vikings on that side and they get 0:03:08.160 --> 0:03:10.600 a third down sack. I mean, you know it's it's 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:12.960 it's smart on the Vikings part, you know, and this 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:16.720 is a a defensive front, a pass rush that gets 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:19.200 a lot done against the best players in the league. 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:21.560 And then they pulled something out of their back pocket 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.519 when the backups came in the game, and they took 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:26.799 advantage of it and really just prevented that Minnesota pass 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.919 rushes what prevented the Packers from regaining any kind of 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:32.160 momentum in the second half. Yeah, and it's just that 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:35.040 they had a perfect marriage there between their pressure packages, 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:37.200 what they were trying to do in that regard, and 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:39.080 then what their coverage units were able to do, not 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:41.920 being able to, uh, you know, give up holes. You know, 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:44.880 I think a lot of times, you know, Aaron Rodgers, 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:47.240 we get these things about well, you know, he holds 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:49.120 onto the ball too long. I don't know if that 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:51.200 wasn't necessarily the case. In the second half. It was 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:54.440 trying to find the open receiver, and with Xavier Rhodes 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:58.280 up until his injury, shadowing Davante Adams and then throwing 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:00.640 him extra attention. It's on the us the guys to 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:02.480 be able to find some openings in The Packers just 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.560 weren't able to consistently enough to do it. Um. But yeah, 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:07.880 the injury wise, you look at the box tr and Bolaga. 0:04:07.920 --> 0:04:10.440 I think both of those guys working through what they've 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:12.280 worked through the course of the season. We'll have to 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:15.040 see where things are with Lane Taylor. Certainly, you have 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:18.359 Jason Spriggs and Justin McCrae have played. You know, mccra's 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.599 played every position on the offensive line, so there's there's 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:25.240 depth there. Bolaga felt strongly about that depth. If they 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:29.040 need to go that road or however this shakes out. Defensively, though, 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:30.920 I think it's going to be an interesting thing seeing 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:33.919 where they stand. Kentroll Bryce tried to play through the 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:37.039 ankle injury. He actually ends up coming back into the 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:39.360 game and then took a big hit. Took a big hit. 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.080 I don't know if it was ever made clear whether 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:44.360 or not he was diagnosed with a concussion. Yeah, he 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:47.320 was being evaluated, but we didn't hear any anything definitive 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.279 one way or the other. We'll find out on the 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.840 practice field Wednesday if he's out there able to practice, 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.640 or how he's listed on the injury report. But that 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.279 the domino effect with that secondary, just with that one 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.680 guy going out twice. You know, you saw Ebra Campbell 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:03.360 had to come in and play deep safety. Traumont Williams 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:06.320 was rotating everywhere depending on what package they were in. 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:09.320 That Yeah, and we were talking going into the game. 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.720 You know, both Bashad Brelan Kevin King were guys who 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:15.040 were listening as questionable. They were holding out some hope 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.720 that they might be able to play, but then they couldn't. 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:20.239 Will see what the status is with those two going forward. 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:22.640 Obviously it would be big for the secondary to get 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:25.039 them back, but there are already a lot of moving 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:28.240 parts in the secondary and then those kinds of those 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:31.560 kinds of things happen, and you know, let's face it, West, 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:34.800 we're seeing some of the impact of that. And I 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:37.360 don't mean to pick on Tremont Williams here because he's 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:40.719 one of the most respected guys that I've ever covered. 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.120 I hold him in very high esteem. But this is 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.640 a guy who's been bouncing back and forth between corner 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:49.840 and safety and then he ends up going back to 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.800 return punts again for Trevor Davis. When Trevor Davis goes 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:54.960 out and what do we see, Well, on one play 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.600 on kind of a pick play, uh in coverage, he 0:05:57.640 --> 0:05:59.640 gets his feet tangled up and falls down and it's 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:01.960 a third yard touchdown. An easy throw and catch to 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:04.960 Stefon Diggs and then after not doing the punt, returns 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:07.080 for a couple of games or whatever it is. He 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:08.960 goes back there and he makes a mistake in the 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:11.800 fourth quarter, you know, misjudges, a ball doesn't get out 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:15.360 of the way, ends up being a turnover for the Packers. 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:17.480 So um, And like I said, I don't mean to 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:19.640 pick on Tremont Williams, but these are the things that 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:24.120 can happen when you're you're constantly shuffling within a particular 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.440 game with regards to injuries, just because practice, reps and 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:30.920 everything else are are limited in certain spots. And unfortunately, 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:32.880 I mean, it's the name of the game. Nobody's gonna 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:35.880 send the Packers any sympathy cards. It's how the NFL 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.600 game is. Every team has to work through it at 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:41.240 one time or another. But some games it just affects 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:43.200 you more than others. Yeah, and I I you know, 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:45.279 you look at Tremont Williams. I have, as you mentioned, 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:47.040 a lot of respect for him and he and he's 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:48.800 earned his money this year. I mean when you look 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.800 at what they needed from him coming in as a leader, 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:55.080 but also on the field, they the reason Trumon Williams 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:58.479 came back. Honestly, let's think about it. Is versatility and durability, 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.080 the ability thing, right, we talk about that. Trumon Williams 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:05.200 gives you that, but there is something about, Okay, well, 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:06.919 you're gonna play safety on this play. I mean, this 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:10.280 is a key communicator position. Now you're gonna go down 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.520 to the slot. You're gonna go back to safety, back 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.320 to the slot, depending on what the coverage call is. Now, 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:18.200 Truman Williams eleven twelve years in the league, He's smart 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:21.080 enough to be able to do that. But let's make 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:23.280 no mistake, Mike, there's a reason why you and I 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:28.080 constantly everybody has constantly been praising what the Packers were 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.240 able to do defensively when Kevin King was up, when 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:32.880 JayR Alexander was up, and when you had Tremon there 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.600 in a little bit more security at safety. Is because 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:38.440 it allowed guys to get comfortable at their spots. Um 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:41.720 this game, nobody really was able to do that. Even 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:45.760 Alexander to some regard with traveling with theelan had to 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.320 play multiple multiple positions. So, um, yeah, the big thing, 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:51.600 I'm not saying it's as easy as okay, Kevin King 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:53.680 comes back and this defense is rare and to go. 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:57.000 But I mean, it's such a big loss not having him, 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:00.400 because that's just that is if you have always talking 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:02.960 about you know, multiple starters, right, isn't just eleven guys, 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.280 But if you put King in the lineup, that's a 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:07.400 boundary corner position that you don't have to think about 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:09.840 the rest of the day. He just plays there. That's 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.080 his role and he's going to fulfill that job. When 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:14.560 you don't have him, the different guys you have to 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:16.720 cycle through there to make up for it. It's it's 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:18.600 a big stress point. Well, and when you look at 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.600 the way things have fallen with with Truman Williams playing 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:25.040 safety and doing a pretty good job back there, if 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:28.360 you're missing King and Breland, I mean, let's be honest, 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:30.600 that's two of your top three cornerbacks. When you have 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:34.520 Williams at safety, that's that that's tough to handle, especially 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:38.560 with a receiving corps that has Adam Theeland, Stefon Diggs 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:42.440 and Kyle Rudolph at tight end. You can't double cover everybody, Yeah, exactly, 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:45.240 And and you know the maddening part two is that 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:47.320 for my money, maybe you feel differently. I mean, I 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:52.480 thought Brelan was actually starting to finally look comfortable and absolutely, yeah, 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.160 absolutely he was. He was, he was. It looked like 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.280 he was settling into this defense after being a late 0:08:57.360 --> 0:09:00.240 arrival and then dealing with the hamstring. Now is the 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:03.000 thing this game against the Cardinals, and we'll preview it 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.760 and Wednesday's show. It's not going to be the same 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:08.839 threats vertically. Uh, you know, Larry Fitzgerald still is a 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:10.319 guy you have to keep into mind, but I mean 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.200 he's not Larry Fitzgerald from two thousand eight, two thousand nine, 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:16.160 so there aren't the perimeter weapons. But man, I'll tell 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:18.679 you what, I don't know what the plan of attack is. 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.560 I don't know how close those guys are back from injury. 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.679 But you got Airs or Atlanta coming around the corner 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.959 with Calvin Ridley and some of their weapons. It's like, 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:28.959 I'm not saying you have to take another week or 0:09:28.960 --> 0:09:31.120 anything like that, but this is a week where I 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:33.480 think the Packers, you know, they can they can get healthy, 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:36.120 they can see where things land. But there's still some 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.560 big games coming up as far as vertical threats and 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.120 people they're gonna have to stop yeah, no question about it. Well, 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:43.440 a little bit of sponsored business here. West Packers fans 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:45.320 be sure to stop in at your local Quick Trip 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:48.120 and pick up your Packers cup today. Get eighty nine 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:51.720 cent refills on your Cafe Caruba coffee all season long, 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:53.760 and if you want a sandwich to go with that coffee, 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:56.920 enter the Cousins Subs Best Seats in the House promotion. 0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:58.520 You and a guest could win a chance to kick 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:00.680 back on the fifty yard line and style. Two pairs 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:03.440 of lucky Packers fans will be chosen prior to each 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:05.839 home game for this v I P experience. Enter daily 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:09.520 now through December sixteen by completing the entry form and submitting. 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:12.160 For complete rules and eligibility, go to Packers dot com 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:15.240 slash Best Seats Cousin Subs. We believe in better. I 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:17.160 want to finish one more point. I usually don't like 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.280 to jump over you. That's I don't know if this 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:21.040 has ever happened before, and I'm very curious if this 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.600 would work out this season. And we'll talk again about 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.200 the Cardinals on Wednesday. But the Cardinals are dead last. 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:27.840 I didn't realize it until this very moment when I 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:31.000 broughtup their stats. They're dead last in points, total yards, 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:34.240 passing yards, and rushing yards all four categories. I wonder 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:38.840 if the team's ever accomplished that. Yeah, that's that's a lot. Yeah. 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:40.800 So anyway, I wasn't trying to dog on the Cardinals, 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.040 but I'm just saying it's not the same kind of 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:46.120 threat that you dealt with with the Vikings and Rudolph 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:48.240 and the multitude options. Yeah. Well, I want to get 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:52.079 back to something you brought up, which was Alexander traveling 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:54.760 with theland, which is another way of saying matched up 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:57.640 against a guy basically, you know, he's your assignment for 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.320 the entire game. There are different ways to is it. 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:04.679 But interesting in the fact that I think this is 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:09.959 the type of cover cover guy versus receiver matchup that 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:12.160 we might be seeing in the NFC North for quite 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.560 some time. This This this might have been, uh, this 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.080 might have been the first this season is kind of 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:19.320 the first of what could be many of these two 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:21.920 guys going head to head a lot. It reminds me 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:24.760 a lot of Xavier Rhads and Davante Adams on the 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:26.360 other side of the ball. I think that that's a 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:28.959 matchup for the foreseeable future. Those guys are gonna be 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:31.240 seeing a lot of each other. Um, We've seen it in 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:33.640 in the past, Peanut Tilman, some of the matchups he's 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:36.800 had against receivers, and and certainly the relationship he had 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:39.400 with Aaron Rodgers. This has the makings of that. The 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:42.680 exciting thing about Gyr Alexander, Um, you can talk about 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:45.400 the confidence, you can talk about the natural ability and 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.680 all the things that go along with that. But for 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:52.040 Joe Jr. Jason Simmons, and Mike Petton to all sit 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:54.679 down and make the decision, and I understand there's been 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:56.800 some injuries there, but make the decision that a twenty 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:00.079 one year old man is ready for that spot. He 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:01.760 was ready to go up against the Pro Bowl receiver 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:04.360 down in and down out. Now, they did some different things, 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:06.800 particularly in the second half. It wasn't just always him, 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:08.760 just one on one man to man. Yeah, the second 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:11.000 half the Packers went to a lot of zone coverages 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:13.400 with what they were dealing with in in the back end, 0:12:13.440 --> 0:12:15.480 and and that's when theland really did the bulk of 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.520 his damage I thought was in the second half. But 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.440 you know, and and afterwards Alexander said he in his opinion, 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:22.559 there were three three passes he caught on him. He 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:25.959 didn't have any touchdowns against him against Thelan. The thing 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.120 that is the most interesting to me is, Okay, the 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:31.000 result is what it is. You lost the game, the 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.200 Vikings rallied in the second half. This is that you 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:40.240 move on. But the knowledge in an ability to get 0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:42.320 that kind of matchup, to play the amount of snaps 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:44.520 that he played in that game, that is going to 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.079 be so big for Alexander down the stretch and in 0:12:47.200 --> 0:12:49.440 really going forward in his career. He said, you know, 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:54.480 Theelan showed him some vet moves. He showed him what 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:59.400 the high level Swiss Army knife type receivers can do 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:01.200 in this league. Is the guy can run the road tree, 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:03.040 he can line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage. Well, 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:05.520 the movie, the movie made on that short crossing route 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.320 at the end of the first half when there was 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:09.840 all kinds of space, I mean, that's that's one on 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:11.800 one and it's a crossing round and you you could 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:15.480 see Theeland was almost putting on the brakes before he 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:17.480 caught the ball, like he knew exactly what he was 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.040 gonna do, and with that much space around him and 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.120 no defensive help, I mean Alexander really didn't have much 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:26.400 of a chance unless he just completely guessed. You know, 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:29.520 jayre would have had to completely guess exactly what theland 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:33.160 was going to do and be right. Or because if 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:35.680 if thee if he actually guesses he's gonna cut back 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.480 and he's wrong, feeling's going down the sideline where there's 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.120 even less help coming in to to try to cut 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:44.000 him off. So, um, that was that was That was 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:46.080 a great that That was a great play by theelan 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.400 and and just one of those one on one things 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.440 in the open field. Speed and timing and everything that 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:54.160 has to be processed in a millisecond is remarkable with 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:56.800 that position. And when you take on someone like that 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.080 that is a shifty and able to switch on a dimons, 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:01.520 theling is it's a matchup. But like I said, I 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:03.720 think Alexander, those are the kind of reps that are 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:06.079 really going to help him going forward if he can 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:09.319 stay healthy. Man, that kid has a real shot to 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.160 be something special in this league. Um, and you've seen 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:14.679 it from day one. It's not easy, Mike, You've seen it. 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:16.960 You've covered this league for a long time. For a 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.120 rookie to come in, I don't care if you're a 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:20.880 first round draft pick. I don't care if you're picked 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:23.360 in the first twenty picks. To be able to have 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:28.000 that confidence, in that ability to have a short memory 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:31.600 on things and play down after down at that level, 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:34.800 at that young of age, that's um, that's gonna take 0:14:34.840 --> 0:14:37.520 you a long way. It was interesting early in the ballgame, 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:40.120 and you had mentioned the play yesterday and Larry McCarn 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.960 breaks it down on one of his Rock reports on 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:46.360 the website as well. It was almost as though, really 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:49.960 early in the game Alex Alexander sent a message to 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:51.800 Theeling like this is what you're going to be in 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.200 for today with that that bubble screen to Digs and 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:56.720 he kind of blew up theeling, you know, shoved him 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:00.640 into Digs and then chase down STUFFI digs for the 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:04.240 tackle for loss. But uh and and you could you 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.680 could see and the open field play at the end 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:08.960 of the second quarter we were just talking about there 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.640 was there was a pride factor there with Adam Theland. 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:13.320 Not to say that he needed to be woken up 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.480 or anything in a big game like this, but you 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:17.160 could see the rest of the game there was a 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:20.600 pride factor with Adam Theland after what happened in the 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:22.800 first quarter early in that game, and then in the 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:26.120 fourth quarter when um, I believe it was fourth quarter, 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:29.040 second half anyway, when Theland does get the touchdown, he 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:32.160 took a pretty big shot from Kyler Facral right at 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.400 the goal line there as he as he plowed into 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:36.800 the end zone and he popped right back up and 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:39.520 was ready to celebrate. I mean to me, anyway, that 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.320 was a guy who was remembering what happened to him 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:44.680 in the first quarter and didn't like that that was 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:47.440 on film for everybody to see, so to speak, and 0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:51.440 credit at Adam Feland. This guy, this guy, he's come 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.120 from obviously the humble beginnings we've we've talked about that 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:57.560 in the past. This is this is an elite receiver 0:15:57.680 --> 0:15:59.960 in the NFL. This guy is big time. Yeah, totally, 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.040 and the way what he's made himself into coming out 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:04.760 of Minnesota State Mankato has been really impressive. It was 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:07.840 funny though. I did ask Alexander about that play in 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:09.560 the locker room afterwards, and he actually said it had 0:16:09.640 --> 0:16:12.080 less to do with feeling than it did digs Uh. 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.360 He said. Stefan Diggs was talking quite a bit early 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:18.600 on in that game and he was through. Theeeling was 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.200 the object he had to get through to get to him. 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.200 But I think a lot of that fire was actually 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:25.480 stirred by Diggs and the fact that Alexander was able 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.000 to push him back and then finish that play. Uh, 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:29.600 that was a big he felt like that was a 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:32.160 big feather in his cap um. But yeah, those two 0:16:32.240 --> 0:16:35.520 guys together what they've developed, and and a lot of 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:39.160 credit to to Rick Spielman to be able to find 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:41.000 you know, Digs in the later rounds. What was Diggs 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:42.600 I want to say, a fifth round pick or something. 0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:45.080 He was fifth round out of Maryland. Yeah, And and 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:46.680 to be able to get him and then be able 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:49.320 to have confidence in you're in state schools and give 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:51.200 a guy a shot. I mean that's the reason why 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:53.720 the Packers bringing Jake Kum out right. I Mean, you 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.160 get these guys in the state system that sometimes you 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:58.280 get a little bit more familiarity with that other teams 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:00.960 aren't paying attention to and to give him a shot. Uh. 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:02.920 And and they've certainly it's worked out for him. And 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:04.800 that's gonna be two PIP players and Packers are gonna 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:06.400 be seen for a long time. Yeah, when you don't 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.280 have to invest a first or second round draft pick 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.080 in the wide receiver position, and you have a pair 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:14.399 like that that are still young and and you know, 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:17.359 on the rise as as they are, that's uh, you know, 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:19.359 as our friend Pete Doherty likes to say, that's like 0:17:19.440 --> 0:17:22.199 found money in the NFL. When when you either an 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:24.520 undrafted guy or a guy who's drafted on the third 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:28.600 day becomes a frontline Pro Bowl level player like that, 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:31.760 that's uh that that's a tremendous asset to building an 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:36.480 NFL roster. That's why I've I've continually constantly maintained that 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:39.359 two thousand thirteen draft for Ted Thompson doesn't get nearly 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:42.240 enough credit because if you go back and look at that, Mike, 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:44.840 there were two players that were taken on the third 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.000 day of the draft, non fullbacks, that turned into Pro 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.119 Bowl players. Packers got both of them in Micah Hyde 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:53.320 into in David bo in addition to J. C. Treader, 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.520 who ended up becoming a starting center for the Cleveland Browns, 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.240 finding box tr in the fourth round of that draft. 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:02.840 Consider how many first round misses there were on the 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:05.240 offensive line in that draft, how just how many first 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.080 round misses that left tackle There are almost every year 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:10.959 in the draft, and the Packers got a franchise one 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:13.399 in the fourth round. That's been a big factor in 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:15.960 the Packers building their offensive line the way they have 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.800 over the years. If you read draft that that draft, 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:21.920 I mean, that's a hypothetical, but David botr Is probably 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:25.080 a top five pick, might be top three, uh, you know, 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:27.520 behind maybe Levan Bell and somebody else. But I mean, 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.639 it's that's how you do it. And in credits to 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:31.720 the Vikings, that's that's what they've done and they're right 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:33.800 in the thick of this thing. Yeah. Well, hopefully we'll 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:35.880 find out as the week goes along what the status 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.080 is with Box some of these other injured players for 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:40.920