WEBVTT - #608 Packers Unscripted: Week 1 arrives 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:10.440 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:13.480 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by my 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:15.960 partner in crime, Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:19.279 from our studios at lambeau Field and West. Week one 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:23.320 has finally arrived, Packers Saints. It will be played in 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:28.800 Jacksonville on Sunday. It's a three pm Central Time kickoff. 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:31.640 We are just a handful of days away now from 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:35.080 the opener to the season. And a bit of news 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.000 here as Week one gets under way for the Packers. 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:43.760 Zadarius Smith now only doing individual drills. But Zadarius Smith 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:46.839 back at practice, trying to work his way back for 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:49.960 a second time now from that back injury after a 0:00:50.080 --> 0:00:53.680 start and stop during training camp. But uh, a sign 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:56.480 that that this Packers team might just be getting healthy 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:58.520 at the right time. Yeah, very much so. And I 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:00.840 gotta admit, like I kind of after the intro, I'm 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:05.760 still not used to saying Packers versus Saints in Jacksonville. 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:08.560 I mean, it's terrible what happened in New Orleans. I 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:10.679 wish this game was being played down there. I just 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.120 I still can't believe this game is being played in Jacksonville, 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:15.760 of all places. But we'll see how the thing goes 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.200 ninety degree weather. We'll talk about that later this week 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.720 with Keys to Victory. Drink your gatorade. As far as 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:25.240 this is concerned, though, with Sadarius Smith, a pleasant surprise 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:27.600 with him being back on the practice field and match. 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:29.960 Niven from The Athletic asked the question of Matt Lafleur 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.960 before practice, Before practice, are you anticipating scenes to Darius, 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:35.640 And as he said, yeah, we're gonna try to get 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:37.720 him through the individuals and hope that he can be 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.119 back over on their field this week. Back injuries are tricky, Mike, 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:42.880 and we don't know if it's structural, we don't know 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.240 if it's a muscle issue. But for Zadarius to miss 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:48.560 as much time as he did after really not missing 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:50.720 any I mean, this is a guy that has been 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:52.760 banged up the past two years, but he's still found 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:55.000 a way to be out there on Sundays. Um it 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:57.200 tells you that this was something that that this guy 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:00.400 was truly dealing with. And we'll see exact actually what 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:02.400 the rep count looks like if he does play. The 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.680 nice thing for the Packers is I thought Preston Smith 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.880 had a phenomenal preseas you know, preseason training camp. I 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.320 thought he looked great. I thought he he seemed tremor. 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:13.799 He seemed like he was you know, really you could 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:15.600 tell there's a chip on his shoulder there to want 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.280 to bounce back this season. That was the best training 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:20.800 camp he's had in his three in Green Bay. I 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.440 think there's no question about yeah. In in Rashaan Garry, 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.160 although he had a couple of trip ups there with 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.799 the groin issue, has continued to make significant strides. I 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:30.960 said it from day one, whether it's a Darius Smith 0:02:31.000 --> 0:02:32.480 is healthy or not, I think I want to see 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:34.560 you gotta get Rashaan Gary. I'm more on the field 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:38.960 and the defensive snaps, and depending on what Z's workload 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:40.400 looks like early this season, this could be a really 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:42.600 good opportunity for him to do so. Yeah, absolutely, I 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.880 think you know a best case scenario for the Packers 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:49.119 here now if Zadarius Smith is able to continue practicing 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.960 to some extent the rest of the week, given all 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.320 the time that he's missed, He's not taking the field 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:57.239 in Jacksonville to play fifty or sixty snaps or whatever. 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.320 That I think is out of the question. But if Smith, 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:02.959 given all this time that he's missed, is actually healthy 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:06.680 enough and capable to play a situational role in Week 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:09.040 one here to play, whether it's ten or twelve or 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.320 fifteen snaps, whatever it might be, you know, strictly a 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:16.160 third down situational pass rusher maybe as an example, that 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:19.000 would certainly be a boost to to the Packers defense 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.400 for a guy that they haven't had on the field 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.920 throughout the course of training camp. Also, just on the 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.520 injury front, Tyler Lancaster, who's been out for a while 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:31.080 with an elbow injury. He was back at practice on Monday. 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:35.080 As far as the fifty three man roster the active roster, 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:38.720 the only player not practicing on Monday for the Packers 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:43.360 was second year safety Fernon Scott. So obviously Matt Lafleur's 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.800 plan was to get to Week one as healthy as possible. 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.520 It's why the starters, the vast majority the starters, did 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:50.560 not play in any of the preseason games. They did 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:53.880 not want to take any risks there. And to this point, 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:56.520 it looks like he's going to accomplish that goal as 0:03:56.560 --> 0:03:58.720 best he could. Yeah, and there's there's two different trains 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:01.400 of thought to this, Mike. The first one is you 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.080 don't want to take out your your stars. You don't 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:06.440 want to bang them up going into the season. Uh, 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:08.720 you can look. I think even I was looking through 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:12.400 some different game books after the prison finale. I mean, 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.760 you thought the Green Bay Packers sitting thirty players was 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:17.200 a lot. There were some teams it was thirty five forty. 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:19.719 It seemed like just they didn't They might have been dressed, 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.800 but they didn't get in the game. They really concentrated 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:25.080 on shorten up that bench because you need to be 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:27.360 able to get these guys through a seventeen game season. 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:30.640 But furthermore, Matt Laflour, these guys that don't have any 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.480 more breaks now until early December, you're gonna go a 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:36.159 long wait for that, for the full bye week, twelve 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:38.919 straight games to be able to get I mean forty 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:41.159 years ago it was twelve games. I mean it was 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:44.279 that's just the way it was built. So for the Packers, 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.520 as I've said to you before, since the day the 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:48.839 schedule came out, that is a huge opportunity for them. 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:51.000 They're gonna be able to rest up and then have 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:53.560 whatever it is three of their last five or whatnot 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:56.719 at home and be able to kind of build some 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:59.160 momentum into a potential playoff push. But to get there, 0:04:59.839 --> 0:05:01.880 the they got to go through the gauntlet here. Unfortunately 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:04.120 for green Bay, they enter Week one healthy. Yeah well, 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:06.560 a shout out to our sponsors here West Serious x 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:09.719 M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:13.920 the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need seven 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.000 three six and had Cousin Subs. We have something for 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:20.920 everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:23.440 and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:28.039 sub in a bowl. Cousins Subs. We believe in better Well. 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.560 We talked a lot in the offseason Wes about even 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:35.279 given the salary cap constraints and and just the strange 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:39.440 financial world that the NFL is in here, that general 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:43.839 manager Brian gudakunst rust Ball, Matt Lafleur, everybody, they did 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.440 everything they could with only a couple of exceptions. They 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:48.240 did everything that they could to kind of keep the 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:52.000 band together to make another run at this thing. But 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:55.240 if there's one area where we're going, there's going to 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:59.240 be some significant personnel change compared to what we've seen. 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:04.640 It's on special teams because it looks like Amari Rodgers, 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:06.880 the rookie third round pick, will be the punt returner. 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:09.720 It looks like rookie seventh round pick Kyle and Hill 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:13.480 will be the first option on kickoff return. And now 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:15.600 a new punter is also in the fold, and that 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:19.719 is Corey B. Horkes. And I do have to apologize 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:22.039 because I believe I was saying his name wrong when 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:24.920 we brought it up last week. So be Horkes is 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:29.760 the proper pronuncia pronunciation. We got a chance to to 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.479 meet with him. He spoke to the media for the 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:35.560 first time since he arrived in Green Bay on Monday 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:39.760 after practice, and uh, a young man who's he's excited 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:42.359 to have this opportunity here in Green Bay. He's go 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:46.400 goes from you know, Buffalo, a f C runner up, 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:50.160 to now he's he's with the the Green Bay Packers, 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:53.320 a two time NFC runner up here and the Packers 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:56.840 bottom line is they're expecting um Behorkes to be an 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.720 upgrade in this area on specialty. It was the number 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.000 one thing that Brian Goodkin said after they made this 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:04.280 trade was they felt like this was an opportunity to 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:06.800 get better at that position. And if you go off 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:08.640 of what he's done in the past, that I think 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.840 you you'd have to agree with that. Um Bork has 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:14.800 It's funny too, a so cal kid that's sort of 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.200 been adopted by the cold. I mean, with with him 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:19.760 punting for three years in Buffalo and having success there, 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:21.800 now it's going to be punting in one of the 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:25.119 more you know, tumultuous environments in the National Football League. 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:27.880 But that being said, I mean the numbers jump off 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.160 the page to you. I mean last year, you know, 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:33.760 first and gross average breaks the Buffalo's record. And it 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:35.960 wasn't just gross average, I mean he was fifth in 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.840 the NFL and ned as well. And I really enjoyed 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.600 that seventeen minute press conference we had with him, and 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:44.880 I mentioned this to you afterwards. It almost reminded me 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:46.320 more of the days in which would be in the 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.040 locker room you're just kind of huddled around a guy 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.200 and you're just not really pelting him with questions, but 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:52.480 we're just having a conversation. I haven't having a chat 0:07:52.520 --> 0:07:54.280 with a new guy that that's new in the locker 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.840 room and in the number one question you even asked 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:58.040 him of this, and I think it was a lot 0:07:58.080 --> 0:07:59.680 of on the forefront of a lot of people's minds. 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:02.080 Is case, So this guy has this season with Buffalo, 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:04.960 looks really good, but then he gets nontender, and then 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:06.520 he goes a month without signing, and then he goes 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:09.160 to Los Angeles to go up against Johnny Hecker where 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:12.120 he doesn't have a guaranteed job by any means. This 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:13.240 is one of the this is one of the top 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:16.040 punters in the league. From Yeah, and Biorke has said 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.920 it himself. I mean, this is in dang near impossible, 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:22.640 you know, task of trying to unseat Hecker. But the 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:24.800 fact of the matter is, at the end of camp 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:27.360 it was Hecker that said he was even wondering if 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:29.880 maybe the Rams would move on from him and go 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:31.840 with this guy. After he has a fifty one point 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:35.120 nine net average and has four of his seven punts 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:38.320 go inside the twenty two of those punts in mile 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:41.000 high dying at the one yard line. That's a heck 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:43.200 of a performance by Bork has to make this a 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:46.319 really solid competition. Yeah, he had a big time preseason 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:48.600 for for for the Rams. No doubt about it, and 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.040 for him to be able to carve out a job 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:54.040 is he said it, It wasn't so much just about Okay, well, 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:55.280 where do I want to go and where do I 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:57.240 want to punt? It was about where am I going 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.480 to be able to improve myself. He talked about learning 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:03.160 the on the Bananic punt from Hacker, that sideways Ausee 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.840 style punt um, just little things like that to make 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:08.480 him a better punch for when that next opportunity did come. 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:10.360 And for him, as he said at the end of 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.400 his presser, he hopes it's in Green Bay, and he 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:13.959 hopes for it's you know, in the long term and 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:17.600 years to come. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, the Packers packers hoping 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:21.960 to be better in all phases on special teams and 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:26.080 as they head into this week one matchup with the Saints, 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:28.920 I thought we could touch on what you and I 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:31.640 see as as as maybe some key matchups as far 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:34.440 as Green Bay versus New Orleans. Here, the first one 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:39.760 that jumps out at me is the veteran defensive coordinator 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:43.280 Dennis Allen for the New Orleans Saints coming up with 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:45.760 a scheme he obviously has to deal with Aaron Rodgers, 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:48.040 but he's looking at an offensive line that is most 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:51.400 likely going to have two rookies on the interior in 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:54.640 second round pick Josh Meyers at center, fourth round pick 0:09:54.760 --> 0:09:59.600 Royce Newman at right guard. So this you know what 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:02.160 the Saints decided to do, how they want to test 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:05.520 the Packers rookies, as far as the pressure packages, their 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.400 defensive fronts, all of that. I think that is something 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:12.800 that will definitely be watched very very closely in the 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:16.199 early stages of this game, first quarter, second quarter, because 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:20.920 Dennis Allen's plan very much could change depending on how 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:24.880 these young offensive linemen for the Packers respond to those 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.640 initial tests. Don't think the first two quarters are going 0:10:27.679 --> 0:10:29.679 to really be a huge indicator I think of how 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:31.960 this game is going to go. And you know, the 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.760 biggest question I have, without knowing the full tendencies of 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.280 Allen in terms of how much he blitz his versus 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:40.000 you know, just even man pressure, is seeing what kind 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:42.160 of games they run early on, what kind of stunts. 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:44.080 You know, what is Cam Jordan doing, What is Marcus 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.360 Davenport doing, A guy that you know, in some ways 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:48.280 will always sort of be tied to the Packers because 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:50.400 that was the trade the Saints made to go up 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:52.959 and get him three years ago when Green Bay ultimately 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.839 ended up with JayR Alexander, which has worked out pretty well. Yeah, 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.640 but that's how strongly New Orleans felt about Davenport at 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:00.880 the time, and it understand ending how they use these 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:04.240 pieces that the big difference. Mike, you know, you and 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.440 I for the last decade could talk about how good 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:08.760 this offense has been and how multiple it is and 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:10.720 the way they use running backs and they always have 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.400 a top you know five, top three receiver in the 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:16.400 league in this in that receiving room. But the difference 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.360 maker that brought the New Orleans back to prominence here 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.600 the last five years has been the defense. There were 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:22.800 a lot of years where they put up a lot 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:24.120 of points, they put up a lot of yards, but 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:26.000 they were also combating that with giving up a lot 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:28.400 of yards, giving up a lot of points. Since Dennis 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:30.800 Allen has been installed there, he's changed the culture. That 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:33.520 unit isn't just an offensive, air it out, you know 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:36.800 team anymore. They're balanced and it's one of the reasons 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:38.600 why they've been able to make these runs that they have. 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:41.400 Packers are going to be an interesting spot with quite 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.920 lightly although it's not confirmed, two rookies in the starting 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.160 offensive line in Week one for the first time in 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:50.319 fifteen years. Um, that's gonna be huge on Josh Myers. 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.240 But as I mentioned that I wrote this an inbox 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:55.520 to Mike, Myers has been preparing for this since May. 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:57.360 It's not like this was creeping up where it just 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.400 got surprised there, you know, thrown on them like it 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:01.679 was with Corey Lensley in two thousand and fourteen. He 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:04.199 knew this was coming and this is why the preparation 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:07.280 was put in place to get him ready for this moment. Yeah. Well, 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:12.400 both of these teams have a key member of their 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:16.600 offense on the pup list and not able to play 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.240 here at the start of the season. Obviously, for the 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:21.520 Packers that's left tackled David bak Try. For the New 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.520 Orleans Saints that is star wide receiver Michael Thomas. Now. 0:12:24.520 --> 0:12:28.240 Thomas also missed the Packers Saints matchup from a year 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:32.280 ago in Week three. But one matchup that we are 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:35.120 likely to see on Sunday that we did not see 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:39.880 last year down in New Orleans is Davante Adams against 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:44.480 Marshawn Lattimore. The Star cornerback for the Saints. Adams obviously 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.560 missed the game against the Saints last year. He was 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:49.400 not on the field. The Packers still put up thirty 0:12:49.400 --> 0:12:52.360 seven points, which was pretty darn impressive when you're missing 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:56.360 your number one wide out. But this Adams Lattimore matchup 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:59.880 is I mean, Fox is going to have an ISOK 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.079 camera on those two. I mean, any time that they're 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.080 lined up across from one another, they're gonna have a 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:07.600 camera on them every single snaw. Lattimore is a He's 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.600 an extreme, extremely talented player, you know, fun to watch 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:12.840 and and certainly that's gonna be a big battle and 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:15.839 really how Allen and how the Saints want to use 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:17.800 him in this game if he's just gonna be completely 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:20.000 traveling with him. Uh, you know, there's been a lot 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:23.040 of questions about the as as talented as Lattimore is, 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.520 the overall depth of that position group for the Saints 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.160 right now. Um, certainly they've been making some moves here 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:30.680 the last few days, trying to you know, create some 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:35.000 more experience and some more options. But that that's where 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:37.400 it's going to really be, you know, an indicator of 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:40.120 where this game is going to go, because Adams can 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:43.000 move around a lot and Lattimore can move around a lot. 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.800 So seeing exactly how those chess pieces fall into place. 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:48.440 Uh and and as I've said all along, Mike, how 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:51.040 the Packers decided to put what other four players around 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:54.720 the field with Adams, the packages, the combinations. You and 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.720 I don't know that we saw everything during training camp. 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:00.160 We saw them, you know, multitude of players to the 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:02.959 last week of training camp, Ecuonemia st. Brown was taken 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:06.840 first team reps. So what is the ultimate concoction that 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.960 Green Bay storms up? And and where exactly is Latimore 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:13.400 to counteract that? Yeah, well, what's your what's your feeling? 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:16.920 Because this is week one, we just we really don't 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:18.640 have a whole lot to go on, So I'm just 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:22.200 throwing this at you. What what's your feeling on what's 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.120 gonna really look different with the Saints offense with Jamis 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.760 Winston at quarterback? How Winston plays quarterback is my number 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.560 one question because the talents there, Mike. It always has 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.560 been you don't throw for five thousand yards in a 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:40.880 season without having you know, the ability. But it's always 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:43.440 been the takeaways, right, It's been the turnovers, It's been 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:46.640 the interceptions. Can you avoid those moments in which you 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:51.400 you shoot yourself in the foot with Drew Brees every 0:14:51.400 --> 0:14:53.240 single time you and I stepped up here, every single 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.280 time we did on script, and we talked about pressuring him, 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:58.280 you know, reducing the shot clock. The incredible thing about 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.840 Breeze and Philip Rivers had this too, was that they 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:02.880 could get the ball out quickly, but they also got 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:05.360 it out safely, and that's not easy to do in 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:08.880 the past. First offense and being able to understand where 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:12.520 your help is in your hot routes. Can Winston play 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:15.240 faster in place safer than he did in Tampa Bay, 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:17.560 because ultimately that's the only reason he ever lost a 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:23.320 starting job. That's gonna be really intriguing because they have weapons, 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:25.720 they have Dane. You know, we know what Sean Payton 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:28.800 can do. Can Winston executed. Yeah. The big thing that 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.000 we're going to see in a general sense in terms 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:34.920 of how the Saints offenses, excuse me, is going to 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:39.400 look different is you have a quarterback who can scramble 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:42.520 and get out of trouble. Whereas for years now Drew Brees, 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:45.360 I mean, very shifty in the pocket, could always find 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:47.720 his throwing lane. And you know, his height was never 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:49.560 really an issue. I mean, this is a Hall of Fame, 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:52.480 a Hall of Fame guy, But Drew Brees was not 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.200 going to take off and run for ten or twelve 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.080 yards on third and six, right, I mean, Jamis Winston 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.360 can do that. So from a defensive game planning ampoint, 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:03.240 you have to take that into account with him. But 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:07.440 obviously the wins and losses for Winston over the course 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:09.360 of his career, for the most part, it's it's always 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.520 been determined by the turnovers. I mean he's had he's 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.520 had four hundred yard games and and you know, if 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:17.800 he throws three interceptions in a four hundred yard game, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:21.200 he still would usually lose. And uh and when you 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.400 know when Winston's had success against Green Bay too, I 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:26.760 mean they know how dangerous this guy can be. And 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:28.640 also you know would be you're amiss. You have to 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:30.160 say it every time you see the Saints. As long 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.200 as Taysom Hill that number seven is on the field, 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:35.800 there's available for the Saints. How he's used now because 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.840 it's a pretty clear, narrow vision now for what they 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:42.280 want to do. Winston's the starting quarterback, you know, so 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.280 you imagine you're gonna see more gadget type plays with 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.240 Hill again. Where he's lined up and how they're utilizing 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:48.800 him is also gonna be something Green Bay is gonna 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:50.400 have to be aware of. They are much faster in 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.520 the backfield in terms of the signal color position than 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:54.760 they were in the past, no question about that. Yeah. Well, 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:58.360 and and what Packers fans obviously remember from last year's 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:02.360 game was the mom ster performance by Alvin Kamara because 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.880 Packers had a hard time tackling him. Obviously, that offense 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:09.160 is designed to get him the ball in space, with 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:12.920 those opportunities to get yards after the catch, to break tackles, 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:16.440 you know, all of those kinds of things. And you know, yes, 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.480 the Packers did win that game last year, they also 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:23.639 gave up thirty points and Kamara was was almost like 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:25.919 a one man show on some of those drives for 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:29.240 New Orleans. So you have to believe that. You know 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:32.959 that film, Joe Berry's digested it, He's looked at it. 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.320 He's got to come up with a way to to 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:38.199 not let Alvin Kamara just have those stretches where he 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:40.159 kind of takes over. Yeah, and that's gonna be on 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:42.880 the inside. Backers it's gonna be on those slot cornerbacks, 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.040 and and how they want to make sure that you know, 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:47.440 you have tabs on this guy at all times. It's 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:50.760 gonna be curious seeing how this offense operates now that 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.360 Breeze has gone in regards to Kamara, because it did 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:56.840 seem like, especially the last season, as Breeze got older, 0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:00.399 he started leaning on Kamara more and more actually in 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.600 the passing game. And I think from that you learned, Okay, 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:05.800 this guy we knew since day one he could catch 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:08.000 the ball, but just how dynamic he is in space, 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:10.640 that's gonna be a principle that's gonna hold true here 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.919 going forward, and without Michael Thomas available, he's the playmaker. 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.040 He is the guy everybody has their eyes on um. 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:20.040 And it's funny, you don't really go into a lot 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.320 of games where it's like, okay, it's it's you know, 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:24.159 a lot on the running back and yeah, they have 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.080 some receivers, but it's this guy here that you know, 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:29.600 in terms of a pass catcher, he's going to need 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:32.919 all your attention. Yeah, absolutely, Well, we'll get down to 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:35.320 some more specifics, the brass text, so to speak, the 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:37.440 keys to victory and what I will be in our 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.280 show later this week as we get a little closer 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:43.080 to Sunday's kickoff, But I'm already excited. I don't know 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.160 about you, but it's just all the work you put 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:46.919 in in the off season. We've seen it all. You 0:18:46.960 --> 0:18:49.240 get through training camp, you get through the preseason games, 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:52.359 and yes, it's a long season, seventeen games and everything, 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:55.000 even longer than it's normally been. But there's a lot 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:57.160 of excitement around Week one. You can't help it get 0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:00.199 fired up. And this is, without question, this is an 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:02.879 easier matchup for Green babying in Jacksonville. But there is 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:04.760 a part of me that's like, Man, if you could 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:07.240 have had this game, you know, inside the super Dome 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:09.359