WEBVTT - #746 Packers Unscripted: Amped up 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:10.280 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:13.720 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, joined as always 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:16.400 by my trusted colleague West and had Kowitz. We're coming 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:20.079 to you here from our studios at Lambeufield to preview 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:23.400 the Packers and the Chargers. It will be a Sunday 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:27.200 noon kickoff at lambeau Field. We have to enjoy this one, West, 0:00:27.200 --> 0:00:30.080 because it's the last Sunday noon kickoff we're gonna have 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:32.840 for a while after a nice run of them here 0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:34.960 from a work perspective, but that. 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:37.200 Side, it's been exceptional this year too. 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:43.599 Yeah, that aside the Chargers. And if I can get 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.760 through this entire show without calling the San Diego Chargers, 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:49.000 that'll be an accomplishment because I'm still not used to 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:50.640 the fact that they are the Los Angeles. 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:52.320 Do you to do like a bet, like you know, 0:00:52.360 --> 0:00:55.680 a dollar, whoever calls them San Diego first. 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:58.360 A little jar in front of my drop money in 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:00.720 there every time I call them the San Diego Chargers. 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:05.480 They're coming into lambeau Field with a four and five record, West, 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:08.800 and a few things stand out about this team when 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:12.160 you look at just the scores, the numbers. How their 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:16.840 season is gone, six of their nine games decided by 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:20.240 one score, and the Chargers are two and four in 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:23.120 those one score games. This is a team that, certainly 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:25.720 at four and five, looking to get to five hundred 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:27.640 and keep themselves right in the thick of things in 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.320 the AFC, But they are not far off from being 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:35.319 in a much better position because they played some down 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:38.360 to the wire, high scoring, close games, including last week 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:42.200 against the Detroit Lions, and the Packers are going to 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:44.880 have to be ready for everything that Justin Herbert and 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:47.480 this offense is going to throw at him on Sunday afternoon. 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:51.120 Yeah, the Chargers are such an interesting ball club because 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.280 you know exactly what you're getting when you face them, 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.600 and teams still can't stop it right, And you know, 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:00.840 first and foremost the fact, and one of the things 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.920 I've been drilling home all week. They've played nine games, 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:07.440 two of them they've been held under twenty points and 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:08.840 they lost both of those games. 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:12.040 Actually only two that they've been held under twenty four. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:15.680 Twenty four, yes, twenty four points or more in seven 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:17.600 of their nine games, and the only two teams to 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:20.760 do it hold them under twenty four. The Chiefs and 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.440 the Cowboys, two teams that everybody's expecting are going to 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.680 be playing, you know, well into January in the postseason 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:29.200 here in the NFL. Everybody else has had a hard 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:30.280 time stopping these guys. 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:32.960 Yeah, and they kind of they're an annoying team to 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:36.000 face because you have Keenan Allen, who's in the middle 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.600 of an All Pro season right now, almost nine hundred 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:42.679 receiving yards seventy three receptions. But then you got that 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.960 it's almost like a gnat in the backfield in Austin Eckler, 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.560 where it's he can run the ball, he can catch 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:52.960 the ball, and just when you think you have them 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.000 in a third down situation where you're gonna get off 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:59.120 the field, Eckler can make something happen to continue drives. 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:01.680 I mean when I look at the Chargers and I've 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:03.919 watched them a lot this season, because again, Eckler is 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.920 my fantasy one of my fantasy running backs. What impresses 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.519 me the most is this game, ultimately, Mike is about 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:11.919 moving the chains, and there are very few teams in 0:03:11.919 --> 0:03:14.799 the National Football League that move the chains better than 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:15.600 the LA Chargers. 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:19.640 Yeah, you talk about Austin Eckler, He's had missed some 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.280 time earlier in the season with an injury, but even 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:25.440 with the time that he's missed, he still has six 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:30.520 hundred and eighty yards from scrimmage combining his rushing and receiving. 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:34.079 And what really jumps out is that as a running back, 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:37.240 his average per reception when he catches a pass is 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:41.080 eleven point three yards. That's extremely rare when a running 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:44.240 back is averaging more than ten yards per catch because 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:48.240 usually running backs who are used frequently as pass catchers 0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:49.880 you're going to end up with like an eight or 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:52.280 a nine or nine and a half yard average. He's 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:55.600 almost at eleven and a half yard average when he 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.920 catches a pass. And I hope I'm not dating myself here, 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:04.720 but he the only comp in a sense that I 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:06.920 can say, and it's not even really a comp because 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:09.880 there's a caveat to it. He reminds me of Roger 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:12.960 Craig from those old San Francisco forty nine ers offenses. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.800 But he's Roger Craig who's a lot harder to tackle 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:19.480 because of his quickness and his shiftiness and everything he 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:21.640 can do with the ball in his hands. This guy 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.800 is a big time weapon in this offense, and then 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.240 as you mentioned, you got Keenan Allen on the outside, 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:31.039 seventy three catches, eight hundred and ninety five yards, six touchdowns. 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:34.520 This season cracked the ten thousand yard mark. He's now 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:39.720 the sixth active receiver in the NFL. Who's who has 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:43.960 ten thousand plus career receiving yards. And the guy pulling 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:46.400 the trigger on everything Justin Herbert a ninety nine point 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:50.600 five passer rating on the year, seventeen touchdowns, five interceptions, 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:53.640 and an arm that is not afraid to make any 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:54.960 throw he's asked to make. 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:56.840 Now, I'm a big I have always been a big 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:57.720 Justin Herbert fan. 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:58.560 Yeah, me too. 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:01.240 I during the Preacher process, I brought it up when 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:03.000 we did our three Things video. But I remember talking 0:05:03.040 --> 0:05:07.240 with David Yost, who was Jordan Love's offensive coordinator and 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:10.159 quarterback coach at Utah State. Well before that he was 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:13.880 at Oregon with Justin Herbert, and just the stories that 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:18.679 he told of this guy in his professionalism, his arm strength, 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.839 and just the pure and tangibles that they had to 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:26.479 work with. He was a dynamic I think in a 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.240 lot of years would have probably even been a number 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:30.200 one overall pick it just so happened that he ended 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:33.080 up being in probably the most quarterback rich draft class 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:36.240 of this era, and he's done everything I think you 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:37.960 could have asked from him with the Chargers. I know 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:39.720 a lot of people bring up his quarterback wins and 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:41.960 loss record, but I'll tell you what, Mike, you and 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:44.839 I have covered enough football that you know whether or 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:46.800 not you have a guy when you've been dealing with 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:50.039 him for two three years. Justin Herbert is the guy 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:52.520 for the Chargers. And as much as we've always talked 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:55.800 about the Packers in this tradition of quarterbacks, I think 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:58.240 you really need to put the Chargers in that conversation too. 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:00.720 To go from Drew Brees, who wasn't Drew Brees at 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:03.039 the time, I get that, But to go from Drew 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:06.880 Brees to Philip Rivers to now with Herbert, just that 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:09.480 passing the baton and what he's been able to do. 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:12.360 The fact that Keenan Allen has been as dynamic as 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.400 he's been with both Rivers and Herbert at different junctures 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:17.839 in his career, I think speaks to the overall ability 0:06:17.880 --> 0:06:19.480 of Herbert, who, by the way, has had to make 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.800 a little bit happen too, because he lost Eckler for 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.640 a couple of weeks, and he's been without Mike Williams 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:26.720 too now after he's been out for the season. So 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.440 it's not like they just have this plethora of receiving options. 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:32.000 A lot of times he's had to make plays on 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:32.640 his own as well. 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:37.200 Yeah, and Justin Herbert for a bigger quarterback stature wise, 0:06:37.279 --> 0:06:40.360 size wise, he's a pretty good sized guy. He can 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:42.159 beat you with his legs. I mean, I go back 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.520 to as a Wisconsin Badger fan, go back to watching 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:47.520 him in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin where he really 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:49.919 didn't throw the ball all that well in that game, 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:53.200 but he killed Wisconsin with his legs. Because for a 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:55.120 big guy, he can really run. He can yet his 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:57.880 momentum going, he can make plays happen that way. He's 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:01.120 kind of like Josh Allen in that way, although it's 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:03.120 not though it's not as though the Chargers you know, 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:05.800 do like designed runs or called runs for him like 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:08.720 Buffalo does with Allen. But for a big guy, he 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:11.560 can be really really dangerous when when he decides to 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:14.360 take off and run. The flip side of this, of course, 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:18.600 with the Chargers is a struggling defense and that's really 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:21.920 the biggest reason that that for everything they've done offensively, 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.680 they are only four and five so far this year. 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.440 The defense ranks thirty first in the league in yards allowed, 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.440 twenty fourth in the league in points allowed, last in 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:35.120 the league in passing yards allowed, and in first downs allowed. 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:40.559 Teams have you know, done kind of whatever they've wanted 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.560 to against against the Chargers defense in a lot of games. 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:46.800 And just when the Chargers thought they were kind of 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:51.320 getting their defense back to where they'd like to see 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.920 it after a slow start to the season, then the 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:57.640 Detroit Lions and Jared Goff and those guys they got 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.800 into that shootout last week, and then now everybody's saying 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:04.320 with Brandon Staley, like what's going on with that defense again? 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.760 With the Packers showing the progress that they did offensively 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.280 against the Steelers, Like we talked about on our last show, 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:13.240 this could be a really really entertaining football game. 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:17.760 We was it could. Here's what's funny about this Pittsburgh. 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.560 Nothing made sense with them, their defense, their team. There 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:24.120 are points four points against being six and three and 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:27.679 what have you. I can't figure out the Chargers defense 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:30.880 at all, Like why they're struggling, they take the ball away. 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:33.439 They have a top ten ranked defense in terms of takeaways. 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:36.959 Khalil Mack has nine sacks, although a bulk of those 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:41.040 have come in a couple of games. Joey Bosa, Sante Samuel, 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.719 Eric Kendricks, you know, Derwin James. They have a lot 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.360 of talent on that side of the ball. Like, if 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:48.760 you just didn't look at the stats all we're just like, okay, 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:49.760 this is the defense your face. 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:51.400 Yeah, if you just look at the depth chart, the 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:53.040 guys at the guys at the front of all those 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:54.760 guys you named off, you'd be like, oh, this is 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:56.800 this ought to be a you know, top ten, top 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:57.920 twelve defense in the league. 0:08:57.960 --> 0:08:59.600 Yeah, And it would be different if it's like, Okay, 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:01.520 well they're not getting home to the quarterback, or they're 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:03.240 not taking the ball away, or they can't get off 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:06.880 the field. They do everything pretty well. But you saw 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:10.080 last week in that game against you know, with the Lions, 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:12.240 is that you know, the way they ran the ball, 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.600 how they built the runoff of that, and just the 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.199 issues they had and ultimately end up losing a shootout 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:21.080 against a veteran quarterback. That's the big challenge for Green 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:23.880 Bay standpoint. I think it's a big opportunity. There are 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.200 yards to be gained out there. They got yards last 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:28.319 week against Pittsburgh, who at the time I think was 0:09:28.400 --> 0:09:32.040 ranked thirty first in total defense, So you hope that 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:34.160 you can convert and also being able to make that 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.000 into points in the red area. But but certainly when 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:39.000 you look in terms of what they have in the 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.480 positions and the talent that is available there, the Chargers 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:44.520 look as formidable as any defense you're going to see 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:45.040 in this league. 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:47.480 Yeah, I want to get to our keys to victory 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.360 in a moment. But going back, rewinding just a little 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:54.320 bit to the Chargers offense, I have to say that 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.440 last week we might have seen Dan Campbell, the head 0:09:57.440 --> 0:10:01.640 coach of the Lions, pay the Chargers offense the ultimate 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:05.240 sign of respect, because you know how Dan Campbell feels 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.600 about his team and his defense, and he's not going 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:11.360 to sell those guys short for a second. But with 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:13.559 a buck forty five on the clock in a tie 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:17.120 game thirty eight to thirty eight, the Lions had a 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.559 fourth and two from the twenty six yard line, so 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:21.560 it would have been a forty four yard field goal, 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:25.960 Dan Campbell did not want Justin Herbert to get the 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.199 ball back, so he passed on a forty four yard 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:31.559 field goal with a buck forty five on the clock, 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:35.880 he went forward on fourth and two, was able to convert, 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:38.880 and then they drained the clock and kicked a forty 0:10:38.920 --> 0:10:41.480 one yard field goals only three yards closer than what 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:45.400 he had a minute and forty seconds prior, but because 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.320 of the fourth down conversion, they were able to drain 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.600 the clock, hit the forty one yarder as a walk off, 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.720 and Justin Herbert did not get the ball back. That's 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:57.439 his biggest sign in respect for that Chargers offense, coming 0:10:57.440 --> 0:10:59.559 from a guy like Dan Campbell who would never want 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.240 to sell his guy short at all. He did not 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:04.480 want Justin Herbert to get the ball back one more 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:06.640 time in that game, and he was doing everything he 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:09.840 could to prevent that. It worked out for the Lions. 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:11.480 It was a kick in the gut loss for the 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:14.400 Chargers for as big of a day, as big a 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:19.320 day as they had offensively, and you know, response wise, 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:22.760 it's going to be interesting here because Chargers had to 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:26.160 feel pretty rotten coming off their home field against the Lions. 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:29.960 You know, letting that game get away against Detroit. And 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.760 while the Packers certainly didn't feel great about things walking 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:36.240 off the field in Pittsburgh last week, there were some things, 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.480 as we talked about, to feel better about that the 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:43.040 Packers feel that they can build upon as they get 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:45.600 now a home game coming up this week. How each 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:48.800 of these teams sort of responds to, you know, their 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:52.000 most recent outings last weekend, I think will be very 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:53.360 interesting to watch well. 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:55.640 And that's going to be the mentality of both sides. 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:58.040 Is that for Green Bays standpoint. If again, if I'm 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:00.920 Jordan Love, if I'm these young receivers, I watched that film. 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:02.720 I try to learn from what happened on those last 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.880 two series, but really appreciate that we made progress in 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:09.040 this game where the Chargers are in a tough spots. 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:11.679 They are a more veteran team. Yes, they've had some 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.920 setbacks with injuries, but they expected to come out and 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:16.880 compete for a super Bowl this year. They expected to 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:18.240 be a team that's going to make a plusure for 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:20.080 a playoffs. And here they are at four and five 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:23.280 trying to kind of salvage their season and claw it 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:25.120 out to get into a playoff spot here and what 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:28.800 is going to be a very competitive AFC playoff picture. Yeah, 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:30.800 and I don't know if this bleeds or not. Michael 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:33.719 into the into my keys for victory. But the thing 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:35.280 I look at the most of Green Bay is you 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.319 are back at lambeau Field and this is the second 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:39.760 time this season the Chargers are playing on grass, which 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:42.559 is just remarkable for how much they've been on turf 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:44.880 this year. You have to make sure that you take 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:49.160 advantage of that. Secondly, Green Bay has to run the 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.400 football and they have to defend the run. The Chargers 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:55.440 do a lot of things great on offense, running the 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:57.400 ball has not been one of them this year. As 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:00.800 dynamic as Eckler has been, he hasn't had as much 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:02.360 production on the ground this year. When they had to 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:04.640 go to Josh Kelly earlier this year, there wasn't as 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:08.160 much production there. You have to get Justin Herbert in 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:10.880 this offense into third and long situations, otherwise you're in 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:12.000 for a long afternoon. 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:14.520 Yeah, no question about it. I'll take care of some 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:17.160 sponsor business and then we will dive into those keys 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:20.880 to victory. A little bit more serious. XM NFL Radio 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:23.560 delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.040 news that trooper of ball fanatics need twenty four to 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.920 seven three sixty five. And at Cousin Subbs we have 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:32.120 something for everyone, like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:34.880 golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.480 sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs fifty years 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:42.400 of better. I like what you said about obviously getting 0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:44.520 the Chargers into third and long. What I want to 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:51.079 add to that is, I expect, because justin Herbert's a 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.800 guy who's done it his whole career, the Chargers are 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:56.000 gonna convert some third and longs. You're gonna get them 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:58.440 in third and ten, and they're gonna move the chains 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:01.560 because they're gonna have something there. They can be that 0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:04.000 good offensively. I think one of the keys to this 0:14:04.120 --> 0:14:08.920 for green Bay's defense is to is to not ride 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:13.200 that roller coaster, to not suddenly I guess you know, 0:14:13.280 --> 0:14:17.000 have that big emotional letdown or psychological letdown if you 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.280 do give up a third and long un version. It's like, hey, 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:21.840 strap it up, here's another series. Let's get him in 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.640 another third down, you know. I mean, that's the mentality 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:29.200 you have to take because because these guys when they 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:32.560 get in third and long, they're a little bit they're 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.360 a little bit better. They're more dangerous in that situation 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:37.360 than a lot of other offenses you might face. I 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:38.400 guess that's what I'm trying to say. 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.640 Yeah, and Keenan Allen's a big reason for that. Yeah, 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.080 he is a human highlight reel. And like I remember, 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:44.560 we were talking a couple of weeks ago when he 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:47.320 had his catch that ended up giving him ten thousand 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:51.600 career yards for his career. This is just a remarkable talent. 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.440 And the great thing about Alan and what has made 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:56.960 him adapt so well as as he's gotten older and 0:14:56.960 --> 0:14:59.960 he's had some big injuries too, man, but he's always 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.280 come back and he's evolved, and he's evolved with this 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:05.520 passing offense, and certainly he's become the focal point without 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:08.440 having Mike Williams there, and he is a guy that 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:10.120 is going to help you get right in some of 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:12.440 those situations. I think they have two really good tight 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:14.440 ends too, you know, to be honest with you, I 0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:17.720 think Garrett Everett and then Donald param who's like six 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:18.360 foot eight I. 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.160 Watched, Yeah, he's Yeah, he's tall, due. 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:22.000 He can move some dudes, and also you know he's 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:23.520 a guy that could be a dangerous threat in the 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:27.360 red zone. They have weapons to be able to convert 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:29.760 on you. And I don't know if again if I'm 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:31.360 going to take this over and make it into one 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.320 of my keys of victory on my own here, but 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:35.960 the first down conversions I think are going to be 0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:38.120 paramount in this game because when you look at Brandon 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.320 Staley's defense, much like with Joe Barry, the whole idea 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:44.200 there is you don't want to give up the explosive play. Well, 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:46.520 unfortunately for the Chargers this year, they're giving up more 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:48.400 first downs than any other team in the league, right 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.360 And when you are when a defense is taken that away, 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:53.440 whether it's the two shell, whether some of their coverages 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:55.360 that they're giving you, you have to be able to 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.800 find ways to produce yards. And for Green Bay, I 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:00.920 think specifically whether it's running the ball, or whether it's 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:04.800 getting into those third and favorables, matriculating the ball down 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.280 the field to steal a phrase there, and kind of 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.280 working the long way, because when you're going up against 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:12.160 a team that can convert and can move the ball 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:14.160 and can score in as many different ways as the 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:17.200 Chargers can offensively, you have to be able to match 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:17.720 that pace. 0:16:17.920 --> 0:16:21.840 Yeah, it'll be interesting to see, you know, what happens 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:23.800 as far as how the Packers are going to try 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.560 to match up against Keenan Allen. Because Jay or Alexander 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.600 at the time we're taping this on Thursday morning, is 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:32.280 not back on the practice field yet from his shoulder injury. 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:35.200 He did not practice on Wednesday. Matt Lafleur did not 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:38.920 sound overly hopeful, not ruling him out yet by any means, 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.040 but wasn't sounding overly hopeful about where things are with 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:44.960 Alexander this week. So obviously that's going to put again 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:50.240 a lot on Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine. You know you're 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:55.080 going to have Rudy Ford had played last week but 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.800 then didn't practice on Wednesday, So we're not really sure 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:00.400 what the Packers' secondary is going to look like here. 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:03.240 For me, if I'm going to talk keys to victory 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.640 in this game, this just this game just screams at 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:09.680 me that it's going to be decided in the red zones. 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.200 And I say red zones plural, because I think both 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:14.600 of these teams are going to move the ball I 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:16.880 think both of these teams are going to have ample 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.480 scoring opportunities in this game, and I think it's going 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:24.800 to come down to can the Packers convert enough of 0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:28.440 their opportunities in the red zone into touchdowns and can 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:31.000 the defense potentially get a couple of stops in the 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:34.280 red zone to force field goals. I think that's where 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:37.280 I think that's where this game is going to hinge. 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:41.680 You know those two third quarter possessions against the Steelers 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:44.879 last week. The Packers move the ball right down the 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:47.280 field and you get a first down in the red zone, 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:50.760 but then suddenly everything stalls out and back to back 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:53.840 opportunities there you end up settling for field goals. And 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:56.440 the Packers did use those six points to take the lead. 0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:01.000 But if those six points are possible ten points or 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:04.920 maybe even fourteen, the whole rest of that second half 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:07.639 in Pittsburgh plays out differently. And I think we're going 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:11.040 to see opportunities in this game against the Chargers where 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.240 a lot is going to be hinging in both directions 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:19.280 on whether offenses can convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.040 or if the defenses can't get the stops to force 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.720 field goals. I think this game gets decided between the 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:26.760 twenty yard line and the goal line on both ends 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:27.200 of the field. 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.280 Yeah, I agree, Mike, because Packers, they're going up against 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.479 the second ranked red zone offense in the league right 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.000 now in the Chargers, and they actually have a pretty 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:38.160 darn kicker in Cameron Dicker Dick or the kicker Dick 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.080 or the kicker who again I think has sort of 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:43.359 helped settle that that spot down for them now and 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:45.680 has sort of found his way and getting a comfort zone. 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.560 But Green Bay, it's so interesting, like they're twenty seventh 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:51.040 right now in red zone offense and that that's after 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:52.800 a few weeks in the beginning of the season where 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:54.600 they were right up there as one of the top 0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:58.200 of the NFL. So just trying to find that momentum again, 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:00.119 we've seen it. We saw it at the opening I 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:03.159 have last week in Pittsburgh and that beautiful throw that 0:19:03.280 --> 0:19:04.880 Jordan Love made at the back of the end zone 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:06.920 to Romeo Dobbs who did the toe tap and got 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.880 the score. Yeah, this offense can do it, but they 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:12.680 just especially in the fourth quarter, it's been a real 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.000