WEBVTT - #261 Packers Unscripted: Peak Performances -- Games 1-4 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:20.639 M Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.320 I am Mike Spofford sitting next to my trusted colleague 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.120 wes hodkuwits were coming to you here from our studios 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:30.880 at lambeau Field and West. We've reached that point where 0:00:30.920 --> 0:00:36.200 we're going to start focusing some shows on reviewing the season, 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.600 kind of reviewing it a quarter at a time, four 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:42.440 games at a time, so to speak, through all sixteen games. 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:45.600 And it starts with a series that we have on 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:48.760 our website on packers dot Com that we call peak Performances, 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:51.519 where in each quarter of the season, a handful of 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:56.920 top individual performances excuse me, from different games are highlighted. 0:00:57.360 --> 0:01:00.920 So let's start this show with the first round of 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:03.880 peak performances from the first quarter of the season. We've 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:05.520 got five of them to talk about, and then at 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:07.440 the end of the show will vote for which one 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:09.680 is our favorite, because the fans on Packers dot Com 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:11.800 can vote for their favorite. So you see how we're 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.240 trying to match all this up here, all right, So 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:19.920 stay with me anyway. Two peak performances from the season 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:22.880 opening victory over the Seattle Seahawks, one on each side 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:25.840 of the ball. You have defensive tackle Mike Daniels and 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:28.720 wide receiver Jordy Nelson. I'll let you start where you 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:31.319 want to in terms of what you remember about these 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:34.640 performances against the Seahawks as the Packers got off to 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:36.360 a one and o start. I'm gonna start with Mike 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:39.080 Daniels because I felt, and I said this on a 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:41.120 very recent episode of On the Script, I felt this 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:44.400 was the best game of his NFL career and he 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.360 had seven tackles, one and a half sacks, four quarterback hits, 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.920 and a forced fumble in this one. Mike Daniels was dominant. 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:53.040 And I think the one thing when you look back 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:56.680 at the two thousand seventeen season statistically didn't work out 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.280 the way the Packers defense wanted it to. But how 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:01.640 many times have we heard both from Dom Capers was 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:05.080 still here and obviously when Mike McCarthy took the podium 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:07.760 at the end of the season, this was the game 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:10.840 where the Packers defense that's how they wanted to play 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.560 the whole year. That was the vision, that was the vision. 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:15.919 They were healthy, they were able to mix and match 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.360 and do what they wanted to do with Morgan Burnett 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:23.320 as that hybrid nickel linebacker and Mike Daniels was such 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:26.640 a catalyst in this game. And Seattle Seahawks offensive line 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:29.959 as this season unfolded, had a very difficult year. It 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:33.400 ended up leading to the firing of Tom Cable as 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:36.680 their old line coach. But the Packers the way they 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:39.400 were able to man handle that front in what Mike 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:41.240 Daniels was able to do in terms of generating that 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:45.200 inside pressure. Russell Wilson never was comfortable and Russell Wilson 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.080 put together an m v P type season. Mike, but 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:51.440 in that particular game, what Mike Daniels was able to 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:53.840 do had a lot to do with the fact that offensively, 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:57.040 Seattle just wasn't able to get anything going. Yeah. Statistically, 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:00.240 Daniels was credited with one and a half sack in 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.359 this game. He teamed with Nick Perry for a ten 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:05.560 yard sack of Wilson and then later on was the 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:08.440 biggest play a sack fumble. He punched the ball out 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:12.240 of Russell Wilson's hand deep in Seattle territory. Packers recovered 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:14.880 ended up leading to a green Bay touchdown, and I 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:17.280 believe the final score was seventeen to nine if I'm 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:19.560 not mistaken. So you know what ends up being an 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:22.000 eight point game. You get a sack fumble back, you know, 0:03:22.160 --> 0:03:24.720 essentially inside the ten yard line, the Packers punch it 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:27.560 in a huge play. I'm with you on this being 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:30.040 the best game of Daniel's career. And and I'll say 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.519 this as well, it's not always easy to necessarily pick 0:03:33.560 --> 0:03:36.560 it out every NFL week, But I remember, I think 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:38.320 you remember as well when you think of the game 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:43.000 when Aaron Rodgers got hurt in Minneapolis, I said, hands down, 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.440 Harrison Smith, the Vikings safety, was the best player on 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:48.240 the football field that day. We saw it from the 0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:51.000 press box. I'm sure everybody saw it on TV. Mike 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:53.520 Daniels was the best player on the football field in 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:55.839 Week one at lambeau Field. And that's saying something. When 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:59.840 Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner and you 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:03.800 Cam Chancell Learn all these other guys who are out there, Um, 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:05.920 he was the best player on the field. And uh 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.920 and it really was. It really was a stunning performance. 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:12.160 The other one from that game wide receiver Jordy Nelson. 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:16.000 The reason I picked this one to h to include 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:18.640 in the set here is not because it was a big, 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:22.279 huge statistical game, but it was again just showing that 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:27.000 chemistry between Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson, particularly on the 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:30.320 free play touchdown. Aaron Rodgers catches the Seahawks with twelve 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:32.960 men on the field, they don't get their twelfth guy off, 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.440 and Jordy Nelson just runs right down the seam and 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:38.160 Seattle's defense just didn't even really react to what was 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:40.839 going on. It becomes a thirty two yard touchdown, a 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.200 big play in a in a close game, just like 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:47.400 with with the Daniels Um defensive play, and I just 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:49.760 thought it was it was just that classic example of 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.320 what Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson do together, kind of 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:54.440 like what happened with the defense. I know Jordy Nelson 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.320 didn't have the type of season I'm sure he wanted, 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:58.760 but I think sometimes with us talking about what happened 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:02.200 the last three orders of seasons, we forget how good 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:04.880 Jordy Nelson was that first month with Aaron Rodgers was 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:07.400 leading the NFL at one point touchdown receptions. I think 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:10.120 he had six through five games. Uh, this game was 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.920 a good example of you know their chemistry, what they 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:16.760 were able to do to to maximize those free play chances, 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.200 and it really make a difference. I mean, the twelvemen 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:21.599 on the field called what Aaron Rodgers, the history of 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:23.840 him and that play in the way that those two 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.400 are on that same wavelength, you know, says a lot. 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:29.200 I'll also say this too, if you go back in 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:30.880 the history books, and I know there were some tough 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.000 losses when you think of two thousand twelve with the 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:35.600 failed married game, you look at two thousand fourteen with 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.640 the NFC Championship game. Other than that, Aaron Rodgers and 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:42.279 Jordy Nelson really have had the Seattle Seahawks number. And 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:44.120 that's not an easy thing to do with how good 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.760 that defense is and how you know solid they've been 0:05:46.760 --> 0:05:49.120 for a number of years. But whatever it is with 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:52.039 that that second lane of communication that they have that 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:55.599 just is instinctual, it's allowed them to be very effective. 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.760 And Jordy Nelson Randall cop both started this season really fast, 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:01.000 and it started against that game against the Yeah, and 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.359 just to illustrate the efficiency and that being on the 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:06.040 same page, Nelson had seven catches for seventy nine yards 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:08.560 and a touchdown. But he was targeted eight times, so 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:11.280 seven catches out of eight targets. That just illustrates what 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.400 was going on there. But we've got more peak performances 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:15.960 from the first quarter of the season to recap. Back 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:36.560 with those on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:39.800 to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair, Wes Hodkowits 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.720 in that one in West. Continuing our discussion of the 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:46.240 peak performances from the first quarter of the two thousand 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:49.039 seventeen season for the Packers. A couple more from the 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:52.400 victory over Cincinnati in Week three that was here at 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:56.559 lambeau Field. Wide receiver Geronimo Allison and safety Josh Jones, 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:58.560 A couple of young guys here. I'll let you start 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.120 where you want to. Well, I want to say Geronimo 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.680 Allison is the place to start, just because he came 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.520 out of nowhere in this one. Packers needed a solid 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.160 performance in this game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It end 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.360 up being way too close I think for their liking 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.920 within obviously getting pressed into overtime, but coming off that 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.520 loss against the Atlanta Falcons, they needed a response. They 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:20.120 wanted to start the season fast, and yeah, you knew 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.480 you were gonna have you know, Jordy Nelson, you knew 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:25.200 you were gonna have Davante Adams, but it was imperative 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:29.360 in this game for dont Willison to have a big game, 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:31.520 particularly down the stretch, and for him to end up 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.160 with six catches for twenty two yards that end up 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:36.520 being half of his receiving yards for the entire season. 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:39.800 You saw him really take a step this year, still 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:41.800 looking to have a more consistent role in the offense. 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:44.559 But this was a great illustration of exactly the type 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.640 of talent he has and how if Aaron Rodgers need 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:48.880 to turn to him, he was ready to step up. Yeah, 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:51.600 Randall Cobb was sidelined in this game, so, as you said, 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:54.520 the Packers needed some production out of Allison just to 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:57.120 go over some of the plays. He actually caught a 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:01.320 tipped pass for for a nie yard game that helped 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.440 lead to a field goal early in the fourth quarter 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:05.280 as the Packers are trying to come back, and then 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.400 on that game tying touchdown drive which ended with a 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.200 great diving catch by Jordy Nelson by the pylon that 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:13.920 tied the game and sent it to overtime. Allison had 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:18.280 catches of seventeen and eleven yards early on that drive 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:20.640 to get the Packers across midfield and really put them 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:22.440 in position to try to get that score. And then, 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:25.320 of course, the big play the third snap, the third 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.880 offensive snap of overtime for the Packers, Rogers again with 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:30.960 a free play, going back to what we were talking 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:35.080 about in the last segment, the Cincinnati Bengals jump off sides. 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.520 It's a free play. Allison slips behind the defense, Rogers 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.640 hits him down the left sideline. He weaves his way, 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.400 you know, dodges some tacklers, ends up going seventy two 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:47.520 yards out of those hundred and twenty two. And that 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:49.480 play was on third and ten on this as well, 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:51.280 the Packers needed to convert there. They were going to 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:53.920 pump the ball back to the Bengals. It sets up 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:55.959 the game winning field goal by Mason Crosby and the 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:58.800 Packers get another home victory. The longest reception of the 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:01.240 two thousand seventeen season for the Green Bay Packers on 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.160 that play for Geronimo Allison. And as you said, I 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:07.680 as much, and that that play obviously won the Packers 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.000 the game. It's set up that that game winning field 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:12.960 goal for Mason Crosby. But there were those small plays 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:14.320 along the way. I thought it was a good job 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:16.880 of you, but by pointing those out to be able 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:19.480 to continue moving the ball, to get themselves in a 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.640 situation for Aaron Rodgers to you know, put it in 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.120 his hands and find a way to win that game. 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:27.520 Very tough and at that point of the year you 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:29.400 didn't really know what you were getting in the Cincinnati 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:33.000 Bengals either. The Bengals had extremely high hopes going into 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:35.520 Week three, so for the Packers to be able to 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.800 win that game was a big catalyst for them going forward. 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.320 An exceptional performance by Allison and making those big plays 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:42.840 when they counted, I think said a lot about a 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:45.600 former undrafted free agent that really it still has not 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.480 played a lot of football in these first two seasons. 0:09:47.640 --> 0:09:49.400 And the other one that stood out in that game 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:52.880 as a peak performance was rookie safety Josh Jones, the 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:55.840 second round draft pick out of North Carolina State. We 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.880 saw Josh Jones playing his best when he was able 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:02.480 basically just settled in at one position to play that 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:04.800 and not necessarily get moved around and play all these 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:09.240 different roles he was playing that Nitro Nickel linebacker spot 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:11.880 in this game, and he really showed up. He double 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.360 digits and tackles I believe it was eleven. He ended 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:17.120 up with two sacks, both of them were on third downs. 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:21.280 Um actually first rookie defensive back in team history with 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:24.640 a two sack game. Actually, one of those sacks that 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:28.839 uh it pushed the Bengals back eight yards and made 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:31.480 a field goal attempt much longer that then was missed, 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:34.200 which was a field goal that that you know, would 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.080 have stretched the Bengals lead at the time. And then 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:41.040 uh in overtime, he has a really solid open field 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.560 tackle of Cincinnati tight end Tyler Croft on third and six. 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.720 Um stops him short of the first down marker, well 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.320 short of the marker actually, and then the Bengals punt 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:52.360 in overtime to the Packers, which then leads to the 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:55.160 big play to Allison and and the victory. So a 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:57.800 really really strong game from a young player. I know 0:10:57.880 --> 0:10:59.959 he had his ups and ups and downs throughout the year, 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:03.200 but this was the type of performance that Packers were 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:05.960 hoping for when they drafted Josh Jones. And hopefully there's 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:07.920 more to come for him down the road. Yeah, between 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:09.719 this and obviously him coming up as big as he 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:12.280 did in that Cleveland games, two biggest moments of the year. 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:15.240 But as you said, from us consistency standpoint, this is 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:17.079 the best game he played start to finish. I mean, 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.600 he played basically the entire game at that hybrid spot 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.040 and made the most of it. The thing about that 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:24.240 I think is so interesting about Josh Jones. I'm with 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:26.720 on that he had an up and down season, a 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:28.200 lot of things he has to learn from from an 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.440 assignment standpoint, but in some ways with with a new 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:34.360 defensive coordinator coming in now in two thousand and eighteen, 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:39.080 he's He's younger than Nick Collins was, unquestionably, but I 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:41.720 think he's similar to what when Dom Capers was coming 0:11:41.760 --> 0:11:44.160 in two thousand or two thousand nine, I should say, 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:46.800 where it's a young prospect and you don't really know 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.199 exactly how he's gonna fit, but you know he's talented, 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:51.800 and I think that's really what when Brian Guduins was 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:55.320 talking about, you know, the talent on this defense, He's 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:57.200 one of the guys that factors into that. I think 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:59.240 it's gonna be really interested in two thousand and eighteen, 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:00.839 A lot of things for the Packers to figure out 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:03.880 with free agency and Morgan Burnett. But wherever Josh Jones 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:06.280 is playing now, going in that second season, the experiences 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:08.360 he had in year one are really going to help him. Yeah, 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:11.680 definitely a guy we will definitely be watching closely in 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.120 his second season. With that, we'll toss it to a 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:34.679 breakback with moren Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:38.080 to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford here Wes Hodkuhit's over there 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.840 and west are fifth and final peak performance from the 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:45.640 opening quarter of the season. It goes to outside linebacker 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:49.080 Clay Matthews against the Chicago Bears that Thursday night game 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:54.559 in Week four and um again not necessarily a huge 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:59.120 blow up statistically, but he gets a sack fumble on 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.440 chicago first offensive play of the game. The Packers already 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.360 leads seven nothing. Then they take the field. Mike Glennon 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:07.880 is that quarterback. They hadn't gone to Mr Robinsky yet 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:11.559 and the Bears are backed up deep in their own territory. 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.400 Matthews bust in there on the very first play, knocks 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:17.080 the ball out of Glennon's hand for the sack. Fumble, 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:20.240 Jake Ryan recovers on the three yard line. The Packers 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:22.920 take it in and you can't start a game any 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.360 better really than being up fourteen nothing when the other 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:28.160 team has only had one offensive snap and and Clay 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.200 Matthews was was a big factor in making that happen. 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:34.840 And not only that, that sack was the one that 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:39.040 broke KGBS franchise record of seventy four and a half. 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.440 It was matthews seventy five career sack and it put 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.559 him number one on the Packers all time list. This game, 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:47.920 Michael wound up being the Packers I would say their 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:50.360 most dominant victory of this season. They had a lot 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.160 of nail biters along the way, but this is one. 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.880 I thought they really punched the Bears in the face 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.480 right off the bat, and they maintained that momentum. I 0:13:58.559 --> 0:14:01.480 also thought it was probably the best illustration of the 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:04.920 season that Clay Matthews had because he did finally break 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.040 that sack record, something he'd been chasing down for the 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:08.719 last number of years. We were kind of waiting for 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:11.040 him to get there, and with the moved inside backer, 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:13.720 with some injuries a kind of prohibit him from probably 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:16.040 making that climb as fast as he wanted to. Well, 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:18.080 now he's there. But on top of that, he also 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:20.880 had three quarterback hits in this game. Packers only had four, 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:23.200 were only credited with four for the game. Morgan Burnett 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.440 had another one. They had a tough time getting home 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.479 on Mike Glennon. But I thought Matthews was really impactful 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:30.560 when the Packers needed him to be. He ended up 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:32.480 leading them with eight and a half sacks in the season. 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.520 Defended the run very well, I would I would argue, 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:37.800 while I'm not a scout, I would argue that this 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:40.360 is probably his best year defending the run overall. He 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:42.680 was consistent in that way, and the Packers were able 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:45.400 to hold down Jordan Howard in this contest. I think 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.880 he only averaged like two point three yards per carry. 0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:50.720 That was a big, big thing here because at this 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:52.480 point of the season, and pretty much as it was 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.080 the entire entire year for the Bears, they were trying 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:58.320 to build everything around their running game, and by doing that, 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:00.840 in addition to getting the sack early on the momentum 0:15:00.880 --> 0:15:03.320 changing play to stake the Packers to a two score lead, 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.600 all of that contributed to a big victory the Packers 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:08.720 are riding high after this one if you remember it, 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:10.920 I mean they were at this point three and one, 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:13.360 got through that first quarter pole of the season, and 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:15.640 Clay Matthews was looking like a guy that that was 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:17.280 really ready to get on a tear before some of 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:19.720 those injuries happened. Yeah, I agree with you that that. 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:22.160 I you know, I think the most underrated part of 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:24.720 Clay matthews game is the way he defends the run. 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:27.160 I know everybody wants him and and he certainly wants 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:29.560 to get to double digit sacks every year, and and 0:15:29.840 --> 0:15:31.760 he did lead the team in sacks this year, but 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:34.920 he didn't didn't reach the double digit threshold that that 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:39.040 he was gunning for. But he's really really a disruptive 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.000 player against the run, and a credit to him through 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.680 two thousand, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen seventeen, whether he's lined up 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:48.080 on the edge, whether he's off the ball in the middle, 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.800 he's always a factor in the run game. And it's 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.000 and it's why even with the injuries that he has 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.480 to deal with, you know, you like to have him 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:57.800 on the field for as many snaps as possible because 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:00.280 whether the offense is gonna run or pass, you know 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:02.280 he's got a chance to make the play. That's just 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.920 the high level impact he makes, even if the statistics 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.440 don't look like they did back in two thousand ten, 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.240 two thousand eleven when he was going to all the 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:12.680 Pro Bowls and stuff. And the thing that's funny about that, too, 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:14.840 is in two thousand eleven and even into two thousand 0:16:14.880 --> 0:16:17.840 and twelve, I actually Um, when I was still working 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.800 for the newspaper, I ridiculed him a lot for how 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.760 he defended the run. I thought he sold out too much. 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:24.120 I thought his rush lanes he got too far upfield 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:26.600 and allow things to leak out. I don't know. I've 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:28.280 never had a chance to ask him. I don't know 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:32.720 if the moved inside backer improved his vision against the run, 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:35.720 because he certainly always had the athletic ability to to 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:38.080 break up lanes and to be able to cause some 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:40.560 disruption there for a running back trying to to put 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:42.480 his foot into the ground and get up field. But 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.640 the thing was, since he went back to outside backer 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.640 then full time in two thousand and sixteen, I just 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:51.160 had been really impressed with how he's held his own 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.720 in terms of defending the edge. UM, And it's something 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:56.800 I thought Nick Perry has done a tremendous job of. 0:16:56.880 --> 0:16:58.720 I still to this day argue that's the best thing 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:00.520 that Nick Perry does in his game. I sure he 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:01.920 doesn't want to hear that. I'm sure he wants to 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:04.440 be a pass rusher first, but since day one, I've 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:08.560 always thought he's been exceptional at setting the edge. Matthews 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:11.840 has improved in that area, and even though two ten 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:13.960 eleven he gets a lot of acclaim he had the 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:17.159 multi sax seasons and and the double digit sax seasons. 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:19.760 I just think what you're seeing now as he gets 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.480 older is a more better well rounded player, and I 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:25.240 think he's gotten better in that way and he's found 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:30.080 ways to impact games that isn't just you know, predicated 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:32.880 on him having thirteen sacks this season. Yeah. Well, those 0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:35.520 are the five peak performances for the first quarter of 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:38.000 the season, and when we come back for our final segment, 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.639 we will cast our vote for our favorite back with 0:17:40.680 --> 0:18:01.080 that on Packers Unscripted right after this Welcome back to 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:05.040 Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford alongside Wes Hodkouwitz so West, We've 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.080 recapped the five peak performances from the first quarter of 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:12.080 the season for the Packers, Mike Daniels and Jordy Nelson 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:16.160 against the Seahawks, Geronimo Allison and Josh Jones against the Bengals, 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.800 and Clay Matthews against the Bears. Fans can go online 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:22.399 Packers dot Com check out the story, click on the 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:24.919 highlights if you'd like, and vote for your favorite in 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:28.440 the poll. So it's your turn to vote what you got? Well, 0:18:28.600 --> 0:18:30.600 first off, if we should talk to our production staff 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:32.119 of we'll maybe getting a little box up here that 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.520 could put my piece of paper because I'm you know, 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:37.560 casting did a lever pull? Yeah, that'd be cool, something 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:40.399 old school, Alright, No hanging chads here. I'm gonna go 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:43.960 with Mike Daniels, Okay. And the reason I say that 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.360 is because Mike Daniels on that day against the Seattle 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.800 Seahawks made the other ten defensive players on the field 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.840 better some amazing performances as you saw, and most of 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:57.280 them contributing to a Packers victory. But Daniels what he 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:01.080 did that day defending the run, they had no success 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:04.040 whatsoever being able to run the ball. Another underrated aspect 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:06.040 of that game the fact the Packers were able to 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:09.000 apply consistent pressure to Russell Wilson, which isn't easy to 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.159 do with how he's able to scramble, get out of 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:13.480 the pocket and hurt you with some great option concepts. 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:16.760 Daniels was relentless in that ball game. He actually reminded 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:18.399 me kind of what b J. Raji had done a 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.520 couple of years earlier in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:24.479 Just really pushed the pocket from the inside. And for 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:26.720 that reason, I think that that was my first quarter 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:29.280 of the season peak performance. Yeah, I I like what 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:32.240 you said there in terms of Daniels made the other 0:19:32.480 --> 0:19:35.240 ten players on defense better. Because you always talk about 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:37.760 a quarterback on the offensive side of the ball doing that, 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:41.359 you don't always necessarily equate that on the on the 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:43.639 defensive side. But I agree with you that was that 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:46.200 that was the type of performance he had that day. 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.320 As you can see, you kind of maybe stole what 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:52.399 was gonna be my vote. But um, but so not 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:55.600 to repeat things, I'm gonna pick Geronimo Allison against the Bengals. 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:59.800