WEBVTT - #502 Packers Unscripted: Due recognition 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:14.480 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:18.280 I am Mike Spofford, joined by my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz, 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:21.040 were coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:23.600 Field West. I know I ended yesterday's show by saying 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.599 we were going to discuss wild Card weekend and all 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:28.840 four of the games coming up here, and we will 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.240 certainly do that, but a couple of pieces of Packers 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:35.520 got news to take care of first, and we'll begin 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:40.720 with a hearty congratulations to Packers veteran left tackle David Baktari, who, 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:43.519 for the fourth year in a row, was named to 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:46.600 the Associated Press All Pro Team. He gets a second 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:49.680 team honor, this time the third time in the four 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:51.839 years he's been a second team selection. He was a 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.960 first team selection a year ago, and as we talked 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:58.240 about on yesterday's show, early in the season, some uncharacteristic 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.840 performances from him, but second half of the year in particular, 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:05.759 he has been the rock solid left tackle, blindside protector 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:07.880 as well as a heck of a run blocker. This year. 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:11.200 I think too that Matt Lafleur and Aaron Rodgers and 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:14.080 everybody associated with that offense has come to count on well. 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:15.759 I think when you actually break it down and when 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:18.080 this thing is all said and done, you're gonna remember 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:19.960 David Bacteria not only for being one of the best 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:21.920 linemen in Packer's history, but also being one of the 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:24.480 most athletic too. And I think over the last two 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:26.400 three seasons he's been able to show more and more 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:28.959 of that and get comfortable in those different aspects of 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.720 the game. So congratulations to him. Ronnie Stanley had a 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:35.760 fantastic year for Baltimore. He was the first team winner, 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:38.000 and then box Tr Kiman on the second team. You 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:41.319 can't say enough about David what he played through um 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.360 second consecutive year He's played in all sixteen games, was 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:47.039 only one snap behind Billy Turner for the most offensive 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.480 snaps played in two thousand nineteen, the fifth time and 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:52.920 seven years that he played in every game for Green Bay. 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:55.600 Has been an important piece of this offense and and 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:58.160 obviously very valued member that locker room. And the first 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:00.320 time for him that the Pro Bowl and the All 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:05.440 Pro recognition they kind of match up. Finally things are 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:08.359 things are finally straightening out here for box Tr When 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:10.520 it comes to the awards, and honor. Well, you know, 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:12.760 he was able to get in in sixteen as a 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:15.720 first alter his first year as All Pro. But last 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:20.639 year he gets first team All Pro. Yeah. Not a 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:22.840 Pro Bowler is what it is. But that's the way 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:25.680 the process works. Unfortunately for David obviously getting the accolades 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.440 this season. Yeah. Well, another big piece of news that 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:32.360 we found out late in the day on Thursday. And 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.160 I know you're very happy about this. I'm happy about 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:37.360 it as well, but I know you have a special 0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:39.440 place in your heart for this one. What I'm talking about, 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:43.640 of course, is that former Packers safety Leroy Butler, for 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:48.400 the first time, has advanced to the finalist stage. After 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:52.440 three cracks at these in the semifinalist arena, so to speak, 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:55.800 he is now finally advanced to the finalist stage for 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.000 the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is one of 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.880 the fifteen Modern era finalists that will be whittled down 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:07.840 to a maximum sized class of five when the selection 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:11.720 committee meets over Super Bowl weekend. And uh, this is 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:17.000 this is just fantastic. The process is finally starting to 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:21.079 work in Butler's favor and this is good for him. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:22.880 Who knows if it will be this year, any other 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:25.960 year or whatever. But he's gotten to the next step 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.440 and hopefully at some point here he will take that 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:31.840 final step and get into Canna. Well, you can go 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:33.960 back and we we we talked about it. I obviously 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.000 was very passionate, emotional about it. And again I wasn't 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:39.080 sitting here trying to push this down to people's throats, 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:40.680 like Leroy Butler needs to be in the Hall of 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:42.960 Fame right now. This is a travesty, this is injustice 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:45.560 and well, I mean I certainly believe he is will 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:49.920 is capable worthy of the honor. Yeah, I just wanted 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:51.960 to see him in this final fifteen because for people 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:54.000 at home that don't know how this works, all this 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:56.920 balloting up to this point is just done amongst the 0:03:57.000 --> 0:04:01.040 voters wherever they are. Yeah, it's checking out, checking off boxes, 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.200 making your picks, and sending him in. Yeah. So it 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:06.080 isn't until this final fifteen where these guys will actually 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:08.600 get to end. Ladies, excuse me, we'll all get together 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:12.840 and debate present cases for why these guys should be 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:15.280 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Fourteen years now 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:18.760 into his eligibility, Leroy Butler has never had that opportunity 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:21.279 to have Pete Doherty or Cliff Crystal, whoever it is, 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.120 kind of state his case for the Hall of Fame. 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:25.600 I just feel like it's a really important message to 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.000 hear because if you hear it, I think people are 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:30.520 gonna understand what this guy meant to Green Bay, what 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.039 he meant to Friz Shermer's defense, and how he was 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:36.320 doing a lot of things before those things were really cool, 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:38.760 when when people still viewed the safety and more of 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:42.200 the archaic sense of well, they're just not good enough 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:45.120 to be cornerbacks. No, it's bigger than that, and if 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.400 you know why Leroy Butler ended up going to safety 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:50.320 and the decisions that played into that, you would understand. 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.919 So I just I'm really happy that he gets this 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:55.360 opportunity now for Pete Doherty to stand in front of 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:58.679 the room the day before the Super Bowl and state, Okay, 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:00.920 this is why this guy is year and this is 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.120 why he deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:05.920 of Fame, and I hope he gets in. But I'm 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.120 just saying, just to be able to have that conversation 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:10.320 is very important. Yeah, I agree. I think for those 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:13.600 who have followed have followed the story and are obviously 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.760 hoping for Butler to get in. Regardless of what happens 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:20.159 on Super Bowl weekend. You know, don't be discouraged if 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:23.120 he doesn't make it, because what he did now this 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.480 year getting to the finalist stage is a is a 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:28.799 huge step in the right direction because just as an example, 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.800 another safety who's a finalist, John Lynch, this is his 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:35.039 seventh time as a finalist and he has yet to 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:37.600 get in. I'm not saying that Butler is going to 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:39.440 be a finalist that many times. Where it's going to 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:42.640 take that long, I really don't know. But just if 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.400 if he doesn't get in this first time being a finalist, 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:47.520 don't think like, oh, all hope is lost. It's never 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:50.720 going to happen. He's He's taken another step in this 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.480 process that is very important. And I'll just say, well, 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.320 you and I were talking about it yesterday when we 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:59.040 got the news. There are four safeties now that are 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:03.960 finalists in this group of fifteen. John Lynch, Steve Atwater, 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.960 Troy Paula Malo is a first ballot. This is his 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:08.960 first year to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.160 He's a finalist as well as Butler, So the fact 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:15.200 that there are four safeties out of the fifteen that 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:19.440 probably doesn't bode well necessarily for Butler's chances this year. 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:23.000 And we're even talking also when you look at next year, 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:27.320 a few first ballot guys across the league, Peyton Manning, 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:31.160 Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson are all going to be eligible 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.000 for the first time in one. That's gonna be a 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:37.560 tough modern era class of five to crack if all 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:40.239 three of those guys get in on the first ballot. 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.600 But the fact that Butler has gotten to this stage 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:46.320 now it bodes well for these last Essentially he's got 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.960 about a decade now where he'll still be in this 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.039 modern day process before he would have to resort to 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:54.359 the Senior Committee. And the fact that he's got this 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:57.640 ten years now where he's made finalist for the first 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.400 time is is a really good size. Yeah. And for 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.400 people that don't really know what this means at home, 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:05.080 you get twenty five years after the time in which 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.599 you've played to have a window to be a modern 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:12.480 era candidate, So years from when you're eligible five years 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.640 which is five years retirement. Yeah, So there I am 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:19.280 making things even making muddy water hard. It is hard 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:21.120 to keep track of all the numbers though. But this 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:23.320 is why it's kind of important as it relates to Butler, 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.200 because this is year fourteen for him. He has eleven 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:28.400 more years to get in as a modern era finalists. 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:30.640 So one goes back to a conversation I've had with 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.080 him several times. He knows he feels like he'll get 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:34.800 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at some point. 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:37.200 The question was whether it can be in that twenty 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:38.680 five year window, or if it would be as a 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:42.480 senior nominee down the line. This, at least in my mind, 0:07:42.480 --> 0:07:44.600 based on the precedence that the Pro Football Hall of 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:48.000 Fame voters typically have um this at least I think 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.280 puts him in that in this next eleven years he 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:52.720 could he could really make it. I think he could too, 0:07:52.840 --> 0:07:55.400 because I think this is this is fantastic news that 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:57.800 he's that he's gotten this far, and as I say, 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.880 he's got that a whole decade to continue in this 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:04.600 modern error process to get a shot, because as you said, 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:06.400 next year, there's gonna be a lot of first ballot 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:08.800 Hall of Famers. How many exactly will find that out then, 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:11.280 but that will eat into the five this year isn't 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:12.840 like that. I think you're going to see a couple 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:14.280 of these guys that have been in the log jam 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:18.160 get that opportunity to slide through, and every year is 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:20.360 going to be different. So for le Roy to at 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:23.640 least be in that fifteen now it opens up that window. 0:08:23.680 --> 0:08:26.120 I think it makes his visibility a lot better. And again, 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:28.600 if he's on that list once, it makes it a 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:30.520 lot more likely that he makes it again. He went 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:34.280 ten years without being a semifinalist. Once he made semifinals, 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:36.920 he went three years without being a finalist, and now 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.520 he is being able to crack that top fifteen. It's 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:42.840 a it's a ladder, it's a process, and fortunately for 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:44.760 le Roy, it seems like he's one step closer. Yeah, 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:48.119 And to his credit, he's he's showed plenty of confidence, 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:51.520 plenty of patients. He he really believes his day is coming. 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:53.760 And I think that's fantastic that he's able to take 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:57.160 that approach and that attitude to something that is that 0:08:57.320 --> 0:09:00.280 is so important and really the pinnacle of recogniztion and 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:02.480 of your career. Yeah, and he's a pitting me a class. 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:06.320 Talking to NFL Network on Thursday night after they interviewed 0:09:06.360 --> 0:09:08.480 him when this was announced, and he said he's up 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:11.040 against three other safeties, and he said, they're not only 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.440 amazing players, they're amazing people. I mean, Steve Atwater, you 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:16.840 can talk to anybody in Denver. I mean, he's held 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:19.480 in such highest steam out there. Certainly John Lynch, you 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:22.040 know his character. And Troy Paulamalo, who's I think one 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:24.280 of the favorites for this year's class. A lot of 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:27.520 Plamalo being a defensive Player of the Year in the 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:31.199 year that Clay Matthews was runner up when those two teams, 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:33.319 Packers and Steelers were playing in the Super Bowl. Yeah, 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:35.120 so there is a competition there, but there's also a 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:37.960 mutual respect. And you know, as I said the last 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:39.480 time we had this debate on the show, Mike, I 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:41.559 hope they all get in. I hope Atwater and I 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:44.440 do too. I just wanted Butler to be seen on 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:46.400 an equal playing field with them, and this year I 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.960 feel like he's getting that chance. Yeah, I think so. Alright, quickly, we' 0:09:50.120 --> 0:09:54.200 some sponsored business. Select Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:56.960 Whether you're ordering catering or your favorite sub they're delivering 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:59.760 right to you when you order online at Cousin subs 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:03.600 dot Calm Cousin subs. We believe in better. Okay, wild 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:06.199 Card weekend is upon us. The two a f C 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.880 games are Saturday, the two NFC games are Sunday. Real quickly, 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.480 just to outline again for Packers fans. If the New 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.360 Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans will be 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:19.080 coming to lambeau Field. If the Minnesota Vikings knock off 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:21.720 the Saints down in the Superdome, the Packers will get 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:26.120 the winner of the Seahawks Eagles game. But starting with Saturday, 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:28.439 the two a f C games, you have Buffalo traveling 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:32.920 to Houston and Tennessee traveling to Foxborough to take on 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.760 the Patriots. What are your initial thoughts here on these 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.320 first two a f C playoff games. My initial thoughts is, 0:10:38.320 --> 0:10:40.480 I'm going to be busy on Saturday afternoon. It's my 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.360 wife's birthday, So I don't know if I'm actually going 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:46.560 to be a birthday CA. Yeah, I love you. UM, 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:48.160 I don't know if I'm actually gonna be able to 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:51.240 watch that one. Um, but that second one is actually 0:10:51.240 --> 0:10:54.240 my that's my favorite one of this weekend. I I'm 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:56.760 really interested to see how Tennessee looks in this. You've 0:10:56.760 --> 0:10:58.320 had to read about it and in box this week 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:00.439 when you've been editing me. I just think the way 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:03.080 that Tannehill has performed this year, how consistent he's been. 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:06.319 Derrick Henry is an absolute beast, and I really since 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:09.480 the very beginning of this season, I like Mike Vrabel's 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:11.640 defensive scheme a lot. I think it's one of the 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:14.720 best in the NFL right now. And we've we've seen 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:19.120 we've seen these coaches from the Belichick tree at certain 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:23.400 times get the best of Bill Belichick's Patriots. Matt Patricia's Lions. 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:26.240 Did it, Brian Florence did it last week? Yeah, exactly. 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:29.360 I mean so that that's that's another intriguing thing here. 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.560 But I am totally with you on Derrick Henry because 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:35.439 I looked this up and put this in inbox this morning. 0:11:36.559 --> 0:11:40.920 For all of the top high rankings that the Patriots 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:45.520 defense has, and that unit has a bunch of them, 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:48.480 there's one that sticks out that's not in the top ten, 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:54.480 and it's average yards per carry allowed to opposing running games. 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.400 They're like fourteenth, which isn't bad, but all of their 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.880 other defensive rankings their first in this and fifth. I 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.240 think they're sixth and total rushing yards allowed, but that 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.960 fourteen in yards per carry. It just to me, it 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:10.880 seems if if Tennessee can stay in this game, because 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:13.679 the Patriots, they've they put up they put up points, 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:15.920 they've had their share of blowout wins. They get teams 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:17.720 that aren't going to run the ball that much. So 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:21.280 but if Tennessee can stay in this game and get 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:25.080 Derrick Henry going, you know, and make it, make it 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.360 a four quarter game where they get to feed Derrick 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:30.360 Henry for four quarters, I think Tennessee has a great 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.480 chance to to knock off the Patriots on the road here. Yeah, 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:35.280 and then the Patriots. This is why it's a compelling 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.000 matchup for me, is the Patriots. This is a gut 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:39.600 check for them. That is a demoralizing loss. I mean, 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:41.520 you and I were talking earlier this week about the 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:43.839 difference between the Packers playing Detroit down to the wire 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:47.240 and what happened with New England ultimately losing that game. 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:50.280 The Patriots are playing this week. The Packers are resting themselves. 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:53.120 So this is this is a difficult situation to be in, 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:56.520 right now and seeing how Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:58.720 the rest of that team rebounds from it. It's gonna 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:00.960 be interesting because if you look at the statistics since 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:04.400 last year when Matt Lafleur's offensive coordinator turned the keys 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.880 to the backfield over to Derrick Henry, the production has 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:10.079 been there for this offense, and now that Tannehill is 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:13.520 the one that's actually behind center, it's been a big difference. Yeah, 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.680 do you think this is the year that Buffalo chalks 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:19.200 up a playoff victory? They've had, you know, a couple 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.040 of playoff appearances here off and on. Do you think 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:25.040 they think they go into Houston and get and get 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:27.400 the W? Well, this is the other side of it too, right, 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:29.400 I Mean the big thing with Houston has been they've 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:31.200 they've been able to make these playoff runs, but they 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.040 haven't been able to go very far. So there's a 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:35.440 lot on the line for both of these teams. I 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:38.040 really like Josh Allen. I'm a big fan of his. 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.600 I think the way that he plays the game, Buffalo 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:44.240 understands his strengths and they play to that. I think, 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:47.160 you know, with the emergence this year with that backfield 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.680 and and being able to mix things up with Singletary 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:51.040 a little bit. I see him as kind of a 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.880 building block for the future. I do like it. The 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:56.360 question is, though, is which Texans team are you gonna 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:59.600 get J. J. Watt coming off of injured reserve and 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.240 all of that, you know, to to help out with 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.400 their defense. And and I I really I saw Buffalo 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.560 essentially two games this year, the Thanksgiving game that they 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:10.959 had at Dallas and then that Sunday night game they 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.600 had at Pittsburgh. I thought they were really for row 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.480 for you know, road contest. I thought they were really 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:19.560 really impressive and pulling out both of those victories. So 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:21.920 they're not gonna be They're not gonna shy away from 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:23.880 being on the road in a noisy place and all 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:25.920 that in Houston. Yeah, And like I said, I would 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:27.400 watch it if I could. I'm just gonna be a 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.440 little busy. But I mean, you know, Micah Hyde, the 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:31.640 defensive players that they have there. It's a good defense 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.760 that Sean McDermott has as well, and seeing who pulls 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:36.560 through it, that's gonna be interesting to watch, all right, 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.960 Sunday Vikings at Saints and then Seahawks at Eagles. Obviously, 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:44.160 these are the games that will determine Green Bay's opponent. 0:14:44.880 --> 0:14:47.680 What do you think of Minnesota going into the Super 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.240 an interesting playoff rivalry Here we go back to the 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.640 two thousand nine NFC title game at the Superdome and 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:56.360 then that divisional round game a couple of years ago 0:14:56.480 --> 0:15:00.280 at US Bank Stadium. UM one going to over time, 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:02.440 the other one coming down to the miracle play on 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:05.080 the on the last play of the fourth quarter. So 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:07.840 these two teams meet again in January. Here we go. 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:10.960 It's like honorary division rivals almost the way that this 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.920 has worked out with those two. The angle I love 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:17.280 about this game is that Mike Zimmer said it earlier 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:20.600 this week. Everybody's just giving the Vikings no chance to 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.320 win this game. Yeah, the narrative is the same. There's 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.320 no there's no way they can go into New Orleans 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:27.880 and beat the Saints. But teams have this year, and 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:32.000 some pretty average teams have done it. So and Minnesota 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:34.440 is a team that they rested their guys, they took 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.280 Week seventeen as a bye week. They're trying to get healthy, 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:41.000 obviously with some key guys Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, all 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:43.080 of that. UM, I think This is going to be 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:45.840 a really really interesting football game. Yeah, And I just 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:49.120 the one chance I think Minnesota really has in this 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:51.920 thing is if their defense plays well, they limit the 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:54.760 underneath passing game and and don't allow Elvin Kamar to 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:58.880 get going early. And then defensively, you know, all right, 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:01.400 say offensively on their set of things, how does Kirk 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:04.160 Cousins look against the Saints defense? Because you know, I 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.760 think Delvin Cook is good enough even against a good 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:09.480 run front, He's going to be able to get his yards. 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:11.920 What do they do off of that? Can they get 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:13.880 the play action going? Can they do that inside the 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:16.600 super Dome? There's a lot to like about that matchup. Yeah. 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:18.880 When I think about the Minnesota defense, we saw them 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.640 get worn down in the second half against the Packers 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.040 in that Monday night game in Week sixteen. They do 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:25.720 have a lot of guys on that defense who have 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.560 been around a while. They're not young players anymore. But 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:30.320 they were able to kind of take the week off 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:33.280 in Week seventeen, you know, rest up, recharge. I think 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:37.600 Minnesota's defense will, Uh, they're counting on looking like the 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:42.320 defense they planned on being all along Seattle at Philadelphia. 0:16:42.360 --> 0:16:45.280 This is actually a regular season rematch Seattle one at 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:50.200 Lincoln Financial Field earlier this season. I think both teams 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.280 in a way, kind of in a different place right now, 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.520 though certainly the Eagles are with the way they finished 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.160 the regular season knocking off the Cowboys than getting the 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.080 Week seventeen victory they needed to it into the postseason, 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:03.360 and the Eagles at nine and seven, they're that team. 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.359 We're saying, hey, it is a brand new slate. Here 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:08.280 we go. Let's see if we can make another run 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:10.199 like they did a couple of years ago. And it 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:13.400 has to be on Russell Russell Wilson's shoulders. It really does. 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:15.879 Watching all of that San Francisco game and seeing what 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:18.240 they're dealing with right now in their backfield, I think 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:22.160 Homer has a little bit explosiveness that can help them. Certainly, 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:24.159 Marshawn Lynch showed he still had some hops on the 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:26.439 goal line. But let's be honest, Mike, this is going 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:28.320 to be up to Russell Wilson, a guy this team, 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:29.800 as long as they can go with the injuries that 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.000 they've had a weather and how this season has played 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:33.720 out for them, it has to be him. He has 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:35.959 to play well for them to go far in this postseason. 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:40.080 As far as the Eagles are concerned, it's funny. I 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:42.720 think Carson Wentz is about as underrated as you can 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.200 get for a guy that was a top pick. Yeah, 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:47.600 I just feel like he doesn't quite get the respect 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:51.000 he deserves for how he's really pulled Philadelphia through this season. 0:17:51.119 --> 0:17:54.680 And and this is interesting because he wasn't a part 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:56.560 of the playoff run from a couple of years ago. 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.719 Obviously this is all so this is this is Carson 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.919 went introducing himself to the playoff world, so to speak. 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:04.880 And it's and that, like I said, with Wilson having 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:07.240 a kind of guide Seattle through the injuries they've had 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:09.840 Carson Wentz. I mean, the Eagles offense has had as 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:12.119 bad a luck as any team in the NFL this season, 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:15.680 specifically at the receiver position. Jordan Howard sounds like he's 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:18.920 getting healthy again. Thought could be potentially in the cards 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:21.080 for them. I thought before his injury he was playing 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:23.399 really well, was getting into a groove, had sort of 0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:26.720 solidified himself as the number one back. Certainly Miles Sanders 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:28.919 is there as well. It's gonna be a good matchup 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.000 because I think it's gonna be tough for both of 0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:33.320 these teams to mount a big run because of just 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:35.880 how banged up they've been. But I think they both 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:37.679 showed a lot of grit these last weeks of the 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:40.320 season to put themselves in a position right now to 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:43.160 have this opportunity. Well, I will be sitting there at 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:45.960 my house on Sunday with my computer open, because if 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.680 New Orleans wins, I'll be quickly writing something to put 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:50.439 up on our site that the Saints are coming to 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.280 lambeau Field. And if the Vikings win, then I'll be 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:56.480 ready for when the Seahawks Eagles game ends to get 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:58.960 that story up on the website as to h the 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:00.840 Packers next opponent it but it should be a fun 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:02.440 weekend of football. Hey, what's up with the a f 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:04.719 C on Saturday and NFC on Sunday? People have been 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:07.000