WEBVTT - #578 Packers Unscripted: Measuring the matchup 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:14.600 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:17.880 Packers dot Com. I and Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.720 by my trusted colleague Weston Hodkoits for coming to you 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:24.840 here from socially distant locations at lambeau Field and west 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.560 We now know that the NFC Divisional playoff game at 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:33.800 lambeau Field will be the Packers against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.840 three pm Central Time kickoff in the Rams, the number 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:41.040 six seed in the NFC, got to this stage by 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:44.559 knocking off the Seahawks in Seattle, and they did it 0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:47.800 with defense, and they did it with navigating some difficult 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.440 injury situations as well. They really did Mike in this game, 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:54.640 I thought, really taught you exactly what the Los Angeles 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.640 Rams are all about. Sean McVeigh is a fantastic NFL coach. 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:01.440 He's a brilliant offensive line. But the Rams have had 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:04.120 to win with their defense this year, and that was 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:07.840 another example of how dominating l A can be when 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:11.200 they have to. Aaron Donald ended up suffering that rib 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:14.640 cartilage injury, but you saw how impactfully was had, like 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.800 back to back sacks on plays Jalen Ramsey their big 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.240 acquisition a couple of years ago, one of the best 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:22.800 shutdown cornerbacks in the league, you know, and then even 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.400 Darius Williams too. I mean, they have all these guys 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:29.000 that they can throw at you and really complicate things. 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.480 And then on the other side of it, John Wolford 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:34.120 goes down with the stinger. You have Jared Goff playing 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:37.000 twelve days after the thumb surgery. It needed to be 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.760 cam Akers, and it was cam Akers, that Seattle defense. 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:42.800 We talked about it all year, Mike, they really aren't 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.960 the Seattle defensive. Old cam Akers made them pay for it. 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:48.000 And even though you know it was one of those 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.240 you know, rough and ready NFC self duels, this was 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.400 our excuse me, NFC West duels. This was the type 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:57.200 of game I thought where the Los Angeles Rams showed 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.360 why they deserve to be a playoff team and why 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:01.880 exactly can't be a team that you sleep on. Yeah, 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:04.120 it's interesting when you think just a few weeks ago, 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:06.000 maybe a month ago, less than a month ago, this 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:08.200 is a Rams team that lost to the New York Jets, 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.240 and you just wonder, was that, you know, sort of 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:12.040 the wake up call that they needed and they've been 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.919 dealing with injuries, you know, with when Goff went down 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:16.880 with the thumb, they weren't really sure, you know, how 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:19.680 things were gonna go. They were going with Wolford as 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:22.520 the backup quarterback to start the playoff game. But he 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.440 gets hit by Jamal Adams pretty early. Goff has to 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:27.239 go in. He's got the you know, the pins in 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:29.480 his thumb and all of that. He actually ends up 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:32.280 completing less than fifty of his passes. But you said it. 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:36.120 Cam Akers was the guy that Seattle Seahawks defense did 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.480 not have an answer for him. His running the ball, 0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:42.560 catching passes out of the backfield, and then combined with 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:46.959 that Rams defense, which even without Aaron Donald still really 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:49.280 controlled things in the second half. And then also of 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.920 course in the first half, got that pick six by 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:56.000 Darius Darius Williams. Did I say that right? Um? On 0:02:56.120 --> 0:03:00.320 the on the wide receiver screen. So um, this, uh, 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:03.519 this really sets up Saturday afternoon at lambeau Field as 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:05.239 as a whale of a matchup. And there are a 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:07.560 number of storylines we can try to touch on here 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:09.960 in the limited time we have. But you have the 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.520 number one scoring offense in the league with the Packers 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:14.920 against the number one scoring defense in the league. In 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:18.640 the Rams, you have the longtime connection, the friendship between 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:22.079 Matt Lafleur and Sean McVeigh. They coached for four years 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.960 together with Washington, then also for a year when McVeigh 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:28.280 first got the job with the Ramsey hired Lafleur as 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:32.120 as offensive coordinator. You have the Davante Adams versus Jalen 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.600 Ramsey matchup on the perimeter. You have Aaron Donald against 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:39.000 Corey Lindsley and others on the end. Here, those are 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.720 those four guys I just mentioned, all first team All 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.440 pros in the NFL in I don't know where you 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:47.880 want to start west, but go ahead, my friend. When 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:49.760 you have the reigning defensive Player of the Year and 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:52.480 Aaron Donald, a guy that you know, it's so funny 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:54.320 when you go back and think about that draft six 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:57.320 seven years ago. They were worried about his size. Size 0:03:57.360 --> 0:04:00.120 doesn't matter, thirteen and a half sacks, size doesn't at 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:02.080 or You'll just take those numbers every day of the week. 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.480 One of maybe arguably pound for pound, the strongest players 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:08.520 to ever put on NFL pads, and he's been a 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:11.320 problem for teams all season long. But the other side 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:13.960 of it, as you mentioned, this isn't one specific guy, 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:17.080 it isn't one specific thing that makes them go. It's 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:19.240 a it's a sum of the whole for them. And 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.040 I think when you look at this matchup for Green Bay, 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:25.360 the Packers, top scoring offense in the league against the 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.080 top scoring defense in the league, in terms of what 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.640 they prevented this season, it really shows you what the 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:34.240 NFL postseason is all about. I wrote about this an 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:37.200 Insider Inbox this week. These are the eight best teams 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.599 left in the National Football League, and they've all done 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.320 it in different ways. You have McVeigh and you have 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:44.800 thea Fleur, who come from the same coaching tree. But 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:47.680 you see how different their offenses look, how different their 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:51.440 teams haven't been built, how differently they win games. But 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:53.479 they both were still among the top and time of 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:55.800 possession in the league this year. They both have been 0:04:55.839 --> 0:04:58.280 able to win at times with all three phases of 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:00.760 this game. So I think when this game comes down 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:03.560 to it, you're looking at probably a twenty degree night 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:07.680 at lambeau Field, the atmosphere being able to have six 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.960 thousand fans back in attendance. That's where This game really 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.920 tilts towards Green Bay's advantage, and it's the reason why Mike. 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:16.720 Ever since Mike Vrabel said it, I'm going to continue 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.360 to say it. Games in which the Packers protect the football, 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:21.560 they win those games. This is a game that I 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:23.640 think that's what it's gonna come down to. It doesn't 0:05:23.680 --> 0:05:26.920 matter what the health situation is of Donald, it doesn't 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.360 matter what things are going on with Jared Goff's thumb. 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:32.000 The Packers need to protect the football and they need 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.400 to use this atmosphere, this thing that they've owned, that 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:37.120 they've earned, being able to get home field advantage at 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:40.479 Lambeau Field, that has to be towards their benefit. Yeah 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:43.159 it At this point, it doesn't sound like Mother Nature 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:45.600 is going to make this one of these crazy January 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:48.320 games at Lambeau. It's sounding like a high temperature of 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.760 around thirty degrees, but with a three thirty kickoff, you 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:54.200 know by halftime the temperature will be starting to drop. 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.600 I'm guessing it's going to be mostly in the twenties 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:01.240 for the for the bulk of the games, So nothing, 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.799 nothing crazy cold. We'll have to see if maybe there's 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:07.000 a yeah, maybe we'll have to see maybe if there's 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:08.800 a if there's a chance of snow. I did actually 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:11.440 go back and check every single one of the Rams 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.680 games this year and what the kickoff temperature was. The 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:18.360 Rams did not play a game with a kickoff temperature 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:23.480 of less than sixty degrees until Week sixteen against Seattle 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:26.040 it was forty five degrees. Then this past week in 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:28.520 Seattle it was thirty nine degrees. Those are the two 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:31.719 coldest games they played. The Packers this year have played 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:35.520 seven games with the temperature at thirty eight degrees or less. 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.839 So that this is, as you said, this is what 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:40.960 the Packers have earned, This is what they're built for. 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.240 This is what they were born for, is to play 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:47.120 playoff games at lambau Field in January, and they certainly 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:49.160 hope that they can. They can take advantage of it. 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:52.239 And you just wonder, from an injury standpoint, how close 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:56.000 will Donald be to what will the Rams do at quarterback? 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:58.919 If Wolford is ready to go? Are they more comfortable 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:00.920 with him than try to have a guy with a 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:04.960 surgically repaired thumb in the cold trying to make passes. 0:07:05.320 --> 0:07:07.359 All of those kinds of things. Those are the storylines 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:09.560 we're gonna be watching. Here is the week unfold. Well, 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:11.800 the number one storyline to me on the offensive side 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:14.520 of the ball is cam Akers because the Los Angeles 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.640 Rams defense was excuse me, offense was different in the 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:19.800 second half of the year when they committed to Acres 0:07:19.800 --> 0:07:22.880 as they're back now, certainly Henderson, Malcolm Brown. They have 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.120 a three headed approach. There in different guys that can 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.440 handle it. They all know the offense, but Acres is 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:30.840 the difference maker. He's the guy that they drafted. That's 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.360 the guy they wanted to build this thing around after 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:36.360 Todd Gurley was let go, and when he has been right, 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:39.239 when he's been healthy, it's made an impact on everything. 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.040 Wolford is an interesting guy because I know so many 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.559 people made a big deal about, well, he hasn't played 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.880 in an NFL game before, he's not going to be 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:48.840 able to do this when he had to go into 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:52.040 that postseason matchup with Golf injured. But the thing is 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:53.440 is that if you go back and look at it, 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:55.360 he's had a lot of pelts on the wall. It 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:57.360 hasn't been at the NFL level, but he's played a 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:59.960 lot of football. And Sean McVeigh has said all along 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:01.920 that this is a guy that's really impressed him, and 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:04.120 I think when push comes to shove, he can manage 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:06.680 the offense. So if he's able to go, it would 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:10.720 be interesting to see him get that nod. Conversely, Goff 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:13.080 is gonna be one week better knowing what he has 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:15.520 to do to compensate for that thumb. He said, it's 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:18.480 not a It's still gonna be something he has to 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:20.680 deal with, but it is fixed. I mean he got 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:23.520 it surgically repaired. Now the question is just getting the 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:25.680 comfort back. If you watch that game last week, there 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:27.560 are a couple of moments where you just sort of 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:30.040 saw him shot put the ball, just not get his 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:32.520 full throwing motion into it. He's going to be able 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.680 to lean back on all those experiences if he does 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:37.080 get the start here against green Bay and be able 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.480 to make the adjustments. Jared Goff's a good enough quarterback. 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.880 He's gonna be able to do that. But you have 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:44.839 to go back to the running game, and if green 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:46.960 Bay can do what it's done for the better part 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:50.400 of six weeks now, containing Acres or whoever the Rams 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:52.720 throw at him, that's going to be the difference maker, 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:56.480 because then it changes the complexion of mcveigh's offense. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:08:56.559 --> 0:08:58.640 And you certainly feel much better about the way the 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:01.280 Packers are defending the run al than they were at 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:03.840 the tail end of last season where you were you 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:08.000 were seeing the cracks in the in the defense and 0:09:08.080 --> 0:09:10.640 obviously it uh, you know, it bit the Packers in 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:13.840 the postseason in San Francisco where they just could not 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:17.040 contain the running game. That's where I think on the 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:19.040 defensive side of the ball, that's where the Packers are 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.400 in so much better shape for this postseason than they 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:23.760 were last postseason. As the way they're defending the run, 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:26.120 and then on the offensive side of the ball, it's 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.280 a it's about the balance and it's about the explosiveness. 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:31.440 I mean, as I mentioned, this team has played a 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:34.880 ton of cold weather games this year, yet it led 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:38.960 the league in scoring at thirty one plus points per game. 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:41.720 I mean, in the snow against Tennessee, the Packers put 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:44.680 up forty points. This is this is an offense that 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:47.240 when it is balanced, when it has the running game, 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:50.160 when it has the play action, you have Davantae Adams 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:54.160 and Robert Tounyan. This this this offense is as good 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:57.320 as it gets right now in the NFL, and you 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:00.240 can't ask for a better matchup here than this offense 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.240 against Eli's defense. No, and then also that the aspect 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.080 of Davante Adams versus Jalen Ramsey. We got a very 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.920 small appetizer of that back in two thousand six team, 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:11.640 which I think might have been Jalen Ramsey's first NFL game. 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:13.680 He got a little bit of a taste of what 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:16.200 it's like to match up with Adams before Davante Adams 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.319 became the four time pro bowler that we know him 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:20.640 to be now. And seeing where both of these guys 0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:23.200 have adapted, adjusted and grown in their game is really 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.520 interesting to watch because they're both all pros now, they're 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.840 both top of their position. But the cat and mouse 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.320 game that Lafleur tries to play with Adams is gonna 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:33.840 be really interesting to watch. We saw him move around 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:35.839 a little bit more of these last few weeks, being 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:37.800 able to work him into the slot and those type 0:10:37.800 --> 0:10:41.080 of things, being able to really expand his his resume there, 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:44.199 his repertoire, and and that's worked to Green Bay's advantage 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:46.640 in a lot of times. So you go back to 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:48.280 what you do well this time of the year and 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.280 for Green Bay, it's been a multifaceted running game approach, 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.040 and it's by finding ways to get Davante Adams the ball. 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:56.000 I think this game is very much the same in 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.280 that way, and seeing exactly how Green Bay can adapt 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:01.400 to what l A is giving them, Because it's going 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:03.439 to be a strong defense, you know what's going to be. 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:05.679 You have to protect the football and when you do 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.480 get opportunities, it's going to be imperative that green Bay 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:12.120 capitalizes them and turns them into explosive plays. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:14.040 I do want to review a little bit of what 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:17.959 else went on wild Card weekend. Super wild Card weekend 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.480 in the NFL. But first serious x M. NFL radio 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:25.160 channel is the only radio outlet dedicated to the National 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:29.480 Football League seven days a week, sixty five days a year. Okay. 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:33.200 On the other half of the NFC bracket, we have 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:37.439 an NFC South Showdown. New Orleans will be hosting the 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:39.959 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They will be meeting for the third 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:43.199 time in The Saints won the first two meetings. The 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:46.199 second of those was an absolute blowout thirty eight to 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:50.920 three on National TV. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, you talk, 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:53.320 you talk, about an offense that is hot with the 0:11:53.360 --> 0:11:56.360 Green Bay Packers, the Buccaneers and Tom Brady. That is 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.480 an offense that since they had their by in week 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:02.320 thirteen in a very late bye week, but since that 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.760 by in week thirteen, nobody has really been able to 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:08.840 slow down this Buccaneer's offense. And that includes a Washington 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:12.880 defensive front that, regardless of Washington's record, that was a 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:16.199 really really good defensive front and a passengers that really 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:19.240 had no impact on the Buccaneers offense. Tampa Bay controlled 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.679 that game in the trenches and uh, you tip your 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.640 you tip your hat to Taylor Heineck. My goodness, what 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:28.680 an effort to keep Washington in that game. But Tampa 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.400 Bay was just too good. Yeah, first and foremost for 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.600 a guy that was signed onto the practice squad, had 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:35.959 been going for think for his engineering degree, had kind 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:37.679 of been away from the game to come in in 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:39.640 the middle of December on the practice squad and then 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:41.880 end up playing in a in a postseason game with 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:45.920 meaningful ramifications for Washington with everything they've had to weather 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:47.960 this year, I mean, just the craziest of two thousands 0:12:48.000 --> 0:12:50.880 and twenties. Alex Smith coming back and being a great 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:53.640 story ron Rivera and his cancer battle. They've had to 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:56.080 deal with so many different aspects of this thing. And 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:58.400 for it to come down to Taylor Heineke, you got 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:00.320 to give credit that this was even a ball game 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.040 that being said. As cool of a story as Taylor 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.280 Heinek was, as many interesting throws that he made in 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.120 that game, the reason why Washington was in this position 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:10.760 was their defense, and the defense just didn't show up. 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:13.000 I mean, it just didn't have an answer for Tom Brady. 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:15.400 It wasn't able to pressure him. They kind of fell 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:17.840 into this pattern where they were just sort of stuck. 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:20.960 And for the Buccaneers why they're so dangerous, Yes, it 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:23.760 is Brady. It's he makes a massive difference. He's protecting 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:26.200 the ball better than Jameis Winston did and and the 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.559 Buccaneers had a good defensive year ago and they've gotten 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:31.000 better this season. But it really comes down to the 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:33.560 fact that Leonard for Nett ends up being called into action, 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.280 the guy that they acquired in season, because now Ronald 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:38.480 Jones was down in this game, it becomes down to 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:41.360 Antonio Brown for as much as is people make the 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:43.360 off the field situations, and we can debate that and 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.280 talk about and everything. He's on the Buccaneers roster and 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:48.400 he made an impact in this game, and he's been 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:50.720 a really good compliment to what they're doing with Mike Evans, 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:53.760 who's been throwing, been playing through some injuries of his own. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.800 They are dynamic and they've found themselves now this game, 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:00.200 this one coming up. I know we're not previewing, but 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:04.680 the Buccaneers and the Saints, that's what this comes down to. 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.560 It's a division that has been powerful this year. It's 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.640 two teams that I think have been at the top 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:11.560 of the NFC heat and now they're going to score 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:13.199 off with each other, with the best one being able 0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:16.360 to get to the NFC title game. Yea and Brady 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:18.880 and Breeze. That's certainly one that that people will look 0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:20.960 forward to in the playoffs. We've seen it already twice 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:22.960 in the regular season. Go in New Orleans way, We'll 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:24.800 see about that whole You know, can you beat a 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:29.280 team three times in in one season? I don't know 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:32.080 about you. I just don't take much out of the 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:35.560 Saints wildcard victory at the Bears really didn't put up 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:38.920 much of a fight. It felt like Chicago defensively was 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:41.000 hanging in the game for quite a while. They were 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:43.960 making some things difficult on Drew Brees and the Saints. 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:47.760 But offensively, Chicago was just trying to protect mitzch Drubisky 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:51.240 from making a mistake and you just you you can't 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.280 go out and win a playoff game that way. Um, 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.720 So it felt inevitable in the second half that New 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:58.800 Orleans would start to run away with it. That being said, 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:01.320 I do think New Orleans has a really sound defense. 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.080 I'm curious to see how that defense matches up with 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.960 Brady and the Buccaneers a third time. But it's really 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:08.840 hard to It's really hard to get a feel for 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:12.840 just where the Saints are right now because frankly, they 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:15.440 didn't get that big of a challenge last weekend. Yeah, 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:16.920 to me, it came down to the Saints kind of 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:18.840 playing with their food a little bit. Uh. This game 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:20.880 really shouldn't have been as close as it ended up being, 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.040 especially in the first half. They just they weren't able 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:24.960 to really find the rhythm. But once they did, I mean, 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.680 the decision was at hand. For me, it came down 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:30.200 to two things. The Bears stopped being able to run 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:32.040 the ball. That was the reason they had the resurgence. 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.360 David Montgomery and in Green Bay kind of had a 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:36.120 blueprint for that, for what they wanted to do to 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:38.840 defend them and the Saints and how powerful their defense 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.000 has been this season. Uh, they followed that to a t. 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:43.080 They couldn't break anything on the ground and when it 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.320 is put in Mitchell Robinski's hands, and I don't mean 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:48.640 a dog on the guy. We've talked about him at nauseum, 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.520 but it just wasn't gonna work out for the Bears. 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:53.320 So here they are. I mean now that the Saints 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:55.680 took care of business there the number two seed, it 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.160 was exactly what the two verse seven matchups should look like, 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:02.400 and now are in the divisional round. So uh, it 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:06.040 is one of those things where I think the Saints 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:07.760 are gonna have to find themselves a little bit. You know, 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.600 if Michael Thomas gets going again, you know Camara certainly 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:14.200 you have the Taysom Hill factor. But it just kind 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:16.240 of feels like they've been sort of you know, they've 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.600 had moments and they've had setbacks. Now can they get 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.320 back into that offensive rhythm that everybody's known about and 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.840 can they turn back of Tampa Bay defense that's been 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.400 pretty darn good all season long. Well, on the a 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.320 f C side of things, your two divisional round matchups 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:33.200 will have the Kansas City Chiefs the top seed, hosting Cleveland, 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:38.320 and on the other side, Baltimore traveling to Buffalo. Both 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:41.840 of those really interesting from the standpoint of Cleveland just 0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:45.480 puts up a boatload of points against the Pittsburgh Steelers 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:47.400 to win the wild Card game, and then on the 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:52.440 other side, Buffalo and Baltimore both playing getting pretty solid efforts. 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:54.160 I would say on both sides of the ball, I 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:57.000 thought maybe if I were to pick one team out 0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.880 of all of the wild card participants over the weekend 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:03.560 that looked the most impressive to me on both sides 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:05.360 of the ball, I think I'd have to say Baltimore. 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:08.120 They fell behind, tend to nothing, and then just completely 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.720 dominated and controlled the Tennessee Titans the rest of the 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.359 way in that game. What it's impressed me about Baltimore 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:16.199 this year is last year they had the m v P. 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.520 Lamar Jackson was an enigma, no one knew how to 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.479 defend him, and they won a lot of games on 0:17:21.520 --> 0:17:23.560 his shoulders. This year, it hasn't been that way. Teams 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:25.440 have had a counter they've had a plan for Jackson, 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:28.640 but over the course of the year, Baltimore has learned 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:30.919 how to win, uh not in spite of him. He's 0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:32.840 still a very talented quarterback, but they've had to learn 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:34.760 how to win as a team again. And I think 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.080 that's where when you look at the final stretch of 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:38.920 the year, when you want to build to a crescendo, 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:41.840 when you want to be able to be an impactful unit, 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.440 that's where Baltimore is. And defensively, they've had some really 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:48.320 strong performances. Obviously a big challenge with Derrick Henry there, 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:50.520 but you know, being able to get Mark Andrew's going 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:52.840 again and in their running game and those type of things. 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:55.720 I just feel like when you look at a three 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:59.400 phase approach, Baltimore is heading the direction that they want 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:03.000 to head in. And and obviously a huge win over 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.680 a Tennessee team that looked good early on in that matchup, 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:07.680 it just so happened that that the Ravens were kind 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:10.760 of able to outlast them. Yeah, there's a lot of 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.520 bitterness between those two teams, I guess to put it mildly, 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.320 and um, those uh there were a lot of a 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:19.480 lot of bad blood you could say, on the field 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.960 and uh in Nashville there, but Baltimore ends up getting 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:26.160 the win and moving on and the Ravens now back 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:28.919 to the stage they were last year where they flamed 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.040 out in the division around as the one seed with 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:33.600 the by uh you know when Tennessee beat them. So 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:35.320 now the Ravens are going to try to be the 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.680 road Warriors to to make that run at a Super Bowl. 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:40.800 One other topic that I want to get to here 0:18:40.840 --> 0:18:43.600 West before we sign off for today. Didn't get to 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:45.960 it last week and that's my fault. But a big 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.679