WEBVTT - #260 Packers Unscripted: London not calling 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:20.759 Hi, everybody, Welcome to Packers unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.240 I am Mike Spofford sitting next to my trusted colleague 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:26.920 West Hodkowits were coming to you here from our studios 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:29.560 at lambeau Field and West while we continue to wait 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:32.920 for head coach Mike McCarthy to finalize his coaching staff. 0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:36.600 For will have plenty of time to discuss that in 0:00:36.640 --> 0:00:39.280 the coming shows. But until then, there is a piece 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:41.640 of news to talk about with regards to the Packers, 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:44.880 and that is actually the no news piece of the week, 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:49.479 and that the NFL announced its London Games, the Games 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:53.159 across the Pond, as they say, for three contests, and 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:57.400 the Green Bay Packers still not chosen. Nope, the Green 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.840 Bay Packers one of three teams now that have not 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.440 been selected to do anything in the International Series. Those 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:06.840 teams are, in no in particular order, the Green Bay Packers, 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.080 Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers are the teams that are 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:13.920 still looking to make that trip. You know, there's a guy, 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:17.640 you know, there's Socrates, right, We have Spotts here that 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.920 is saying that maybe two two thousand nineteen would be 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:24.600 the year. And if you want to know why the 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.400 Los Angeles Chargers, who happened to play in a stadium 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:30.720 with sixty thousand less seats than the l A Coliseum 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:33.920 where the Rams play, potentially could be a fit. We're 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:36.119 not saying that this is going to happen, but if 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:38.760 it's going to happen, Mike, you would think this is 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.000 where it could be a potential fit. Yeah, that's where 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:43.720 I I sort of pegged a while back. I pegged 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.640 the Chargers game in twenty nineteen as the one a 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:50.440 combination of things. Obviously, the Chargers moving to l A, 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.080 the Rams moving to l A. They're both playing in 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:56.600 temporary stadiums, and teams in temporary stadiums while they're waiting 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:59.160 for their new stadium to be built, can be plucked 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:03.000 by the NFL play a home game overseas. So that's 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:05.520 the that's the first part of it. The Packers are 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.120 scheduled to play the Rams in l A and ten, 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.600 the Chargers in l A and twenty nineteen. So you 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:12.320 look at that and go, Okay, you think it's going 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:14.560 to be one of those two games, pretty good odds. 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:18.280 Then you factor in that the rams temporary stadium holds 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:22.720 ninety thousand seats and the Chargers temporary stadium holds thirty 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:25.880 thousand seats. Now, the Packers have not been played a 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:29.079 game in the l A market for how long, so 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:31.280 I can't even think of what year it would be, 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:36.880 probably right something like that. So you've got an opportunity. 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.960 Then if the Rams games stays at the Coliseum, you 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.440 have an opportunity potentially with all the Packers fans on 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:44.480 the West Coast who would want to see that game 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.760 to fill a ninety thousand seat stadium, whereas the thirty 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:50.640 thousand seat stadium for the Chargers game in twenty nineteen 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:53.040 just makes more sense to be the one. You move 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:55.160 it over to Wembley Stadium in LA where you could 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:58.960 sell eighty thousand tickets. That becomes a great opportunity, and 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:02.919 you're not taking the way from the fans that first 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.440 opportunity of the Packers being in the l A market. 0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:08.160 They go to the l A market. Then you flip 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:11.120 the Chargers game across the pond in nineteen. It's sort 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:13.280 of what I saw lining up over the last couple 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.160 of years, and it just seems to make sense. Yeah, 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:17.399 and again, we'll we'll see all this plays out. There's 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:20.560 nothing that's been set in stone yet. But I'll say selfishly, 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:23.160 I actually do like the way that this worked out 0:03:23.160 --> 0:03:26.440 because I'm kind of I'm sort of quirky in the 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.239 way that, um, I really do want to cover a 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:31.799 game at the l A Coliseum. There's so much history there. 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:37.400 Oh yeah, in Super Bowl one, WrestleMania seven. But but no, 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.400 but I mean it will be cool to actually cover 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:44.240 a game there. And with all due respect to the Chargers, 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:48.320 I don't have an endearing need to cover a game 0:03:48.360 --> 0:03:51.680 at a soccer stadium. So yeah, for for me, I 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:53.960 really do. I know there's a lot of Packer fans. 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.560 You and I get it almost every day, definitely every 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:58.880 week about what are the chances of the Packers are 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:00.560 going to play in London. I want to go there. 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:02.640 You want to go there. The Packers really do want 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:04.960 to go there too, but it has to make sense 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:07.960 for them, and I think sometimes when when you look 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:10.120 at the equation, you only have sixteen games in the 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:13.000 regular season, the Packers are not going to give up 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:14.920 a home game. It means too much the community of 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:17.800 Green Bay. You have endless amount of sellouts. It just 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:21.160 doesn't make sense. The economic impact in this community. I mean, 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:24.440 it's it's the lifeblood economically of what goes on around here. 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.280 And to to reduce that by ten twelve percent by 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.520 removing a game just not something the Packers are interested 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:32.480 in doing. You've seen what the differences even with them 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:35.040 not having a playoff game at home this year, in 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:37.520 the stories that are written about that. And then the 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:40.640 other thing, conversely, is that a lot of places they 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:42.920 don't want to give up the Packers away game either 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:45.160 because it's an opportunity to sell out. I know there 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:47.320 was a lot of rumors, even some reports that ended 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.600 up proving to be inaccurate in the summer of two 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:52.760 thousand sixteen or summer two thou fifteen. Excuse me that 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:54.839 the Packers in two thousands sixteen could be going to 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:59.040 Jacksonville and having that game broad overseas. But as even 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:02.760 Mark Murphy said his uh in his conversations with Um 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.280 the owner from the Jaguars, they don't want to lose 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.279 that game either, and it proved to be a sellout 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:11.240 on a very hot day in Jacksonville. So these are 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:15.080 all of the economic and competitive things that go into this. 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:16.960 The Packers want to go out there, but it has 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.039 to make sense. Yeah, and one of the teams going 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:22.560 over to London this coming season is the Chargers. And 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.920 we've had some questions from fans, Well, then does that 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.440 mean that the Chargers wouldn't go in back to back years. 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:31.320 The answer is not necessarily. And again, you know, um, 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:33.800 we can't say for sure that the Packers Chargers game 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:36.040 in twenty nineteen is moving over there. But just because 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:38.560 the Chargers are going over there in eighteen does not 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:43.120 necessarily factor into, um the twenty nineteen decision because they 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:47.919 are in a temporary stadium and that yeah, the and 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:49.920 and when you look at it from the Chargers perspective, 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:54.080 they can probably make more money because those home games 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.520 you can only sell thirty thousand tickets. And it's not 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:58.600 as it's not as though you can suddenly just say well, 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:00.720 we're going to charge three is for all them to 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:02.360 make up make the same amount of money in a 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:04.640 ninety thousand seat stadium. It doesn't work that way. And 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:07.160 let's be real to Mike, the Rams and Chargers are 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:09.560 both trying to create new fan bases. They're trying to 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:13.520 get people to rally around these teams. Right now, the 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.840 whole storyline for most of the season for the Charges 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:19.000 has been they basically played an away game every week. 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:22.000 When they've had home games, it's been teams that have 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:25.840 been coming, you know, traveling well into their stadium, so 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:29.719 they're waiting. They're trying to get to that new stadium 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:31.880 in two thousand is a twenty one. Now, I'm trying 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:33.800 to think of when they pushed forget it. Yeah, they 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:35.680 it got pushed back, and I forget now. If it's 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:37.760 either twenty or twenty one, that's when they're really going 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.080 to be off and running. Until that point, you know, 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:41.599 I think they just want to find a way to 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:43.599 to to fill seats, and one of the ways to 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:45.320 do it, in my opinion, is to put them in 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:48.200 the Packers in Wimbley and Uh. Again, We'll have to 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:49.920 wait and see how the next couple of years play out, 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:52.720 but as far as two thousand eighteen is concerned, no 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:57.680 Packers International Series for now, London not called. With that, 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:59.719 we'll go to a break back with more on Packers 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:20.600 on drifted right after this Welcome back to Packer's Unscripted 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.400 Mike Spofford in this chair, Wes Hodkowitz in that one 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:26.840 and West just to bring the fans attention to a 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:30.120 story that's on Packers dot com um that I recently 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:33.760 posted left guard Lane Taylor. There may not be a 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:38.240 more high quality player and high quality individual in that 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:40.920 Packers locker room who goes more under the radar. He's 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:44.600 obviously playing next to an all pro left tackle, and 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:48.000 he's also next to a fifth round draft pick at 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.640 center who just signed a contract extension, So there's been 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.760 a lot of attention on those guys around him. But 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.160 Taylor is a Taylor is an interesting guy. Had a 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:59.200 really neat conversation with him in the final open locker 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:02.960 room after the regular season finale, and uh I even 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:04.720 asked him about you know, well, hey, what do you 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:06.680 what do you think? You know? Are you aiming for 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:08.600 the Pro Bowl here someday you know you think it 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:11.160 can happen, and not to put the card before the horse. 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:13.960 But Lane Taylor was like, well yeah, and his comment was, 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:16.400 I don't want to be just another guy. I'm still 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:18.000 trying to be one of the best in the league. 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.280 I want to be. In that conversation, it says a 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.440 lot about and he's he's not being hyperbolic about himself. 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:26.600 It says a lot about his work ethic, his attitude, 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:28.880 where he's come from as an undrafted guy out of 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.480 Oklahoma State and where he is now. And I take 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:33.240 my hat off to the guy. I think he is 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.360 the definition of a guy who brings his pay all 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:39.160 to work every day. Uh does I don't want to 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.280 this as a negative connotation, but does the nine to 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:46.120 five job, comes in, goes home, doesn't ask for a 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:49.280 whole lot of notoriety. Yeah, just does his job. And 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.680 the impressive thing about Lane Taylor is that's always been 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.200 his thing. And to some point, you could probably make 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.520 an argument if you want that maybe that's part of 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:00.640 the reason why he went on draft in two thousand 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.520 thirteen is for that reason he went so far under 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.200 the radar. But if you really go back and look 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:09.000 at it, a guy that started four years at Oklahoma State. 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:11.920 I mean, we're not talking about the sun Belt here, 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:14.360 in no disrespect of the Sun Belt, but we're not. 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:15.959 I mean we're talking about one of the Power five 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.280 conferences in the country. Yeah, and he was a starter 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:20.160 for four years for them. I think it was forty 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:24.439 seven start seven starts, forty one offensive lineman drafted. I 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:26.800 told that story earlier this year he wasn't one of them. 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:30.280 In two thousand thirteen, comes to Green Bay and ends 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.560 up in pressing, and to be honest with he's kind 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:34.920 of had like this Aaron Rodgers type trajectory where he 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:36.839 basically was on the bench for three years. He got 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:39.120 to sit back and wait and then when they finally 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:40.680 put him in there. You and I remember what it 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:43.800 was like that first week in two thousand sixteen. What 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.920 fans were saying, Yeah, that's surprise release of Josh sitting 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:48.720 and all of a sudden they're turning over the left 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:51.440 guard spot to Lane Taylor, who has to step in 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.920 for a three time pro Bowl guard. There was a 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:56.400 lot of panic. The sky was falling. This guy's not 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:59.760 gonna be able to protect you know, Aaron Rodgers is 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.640 what are they doing? And literally that was a narrative 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:05.880 for one week. And I remember talking to him in 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:08.600 Jacksonville after that game, like how did it go? He's like, well, 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.200 it's kind of hot, you know, I mean, but it 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:13.440 was business as usual for him, and he's kept that 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:15.720 same mentality and I think that conversation that you had 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:19.040 with him really speaks to the individual that Lane Taylor is. Yeah, 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:21.319 it was interesting talking to him because I asked him, Okay, 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:23.319 so now you've got your second year as a starter 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:26.160 under your belt, So where do you think you improved 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.720 the most from your first year as a starter in 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:32.120 you know, through that second year as a starter in Seen, 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.240 he said, He says, I I look at some of 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:37.920 the film from He says, I just laugh at my technique. 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:39.679 Sometimes I sit there and go, you know, what are 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:42.800 you doing? And he feels like he's become so much 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:46.000 more of a refined player. I think the technique, you know, 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:48.520 I think he sort of described it as you know, 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:50.600 when his technique got out of control a little bit, 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:52.400 it was just, you know, you're trying to throw blocks 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.480 just to survive out there. You know, you're doing whatever 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:56.800 it takes, but it just doesn't look all that polished. 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.360 He choked that up in some respects to playing left 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:03.520 guard for the first time as a starter in the NFL, 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.120 as opposed to the four years he started at Oklahoma 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.360 State was all at right guard. All of his game 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:11.000 experience in college was at right guard, so there was 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:14.480 a little bit of that shift, and he's now feeling 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:17.000 so much more comfortable, particularly with one element of his 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:18.760 game that he that he described to me, and it's 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:20.920 what he called the jump set, which is where an 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:23.520 offensive lineman has to sell the run on a play 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.440 action pass, but then be ready to pass block and 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:28.360 not you know, not just have the guy do a 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:30.679 quick swim move and get by you because you're too far, 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.439 you know, out over your toes trying to sell the run. 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:36.839 He said in he really had some bad moments with that, 0:11:36.960 --> 0:11:39.640 things that he really didn't like, felt he really shored 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:42.880 that up in so it you know, these kinds of things. 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:44.520 You and I don't see him every day. We're not 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.800 looking at every single snap of film like he is, 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.560 like his coaches are, but but it just it speaks 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:52.160 to all the finer details that these guys are working 0:11:52.200 --> 0:11:54.120 on all the time to try to take their game 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:56.480 to the next level. And he feels like he still 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:58.520 has another level left to go. And I was talking 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.480 with Justin mccrane at the end of this season two 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:02.160 and now, obviously he ended up making a lot of 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.120 starts at right tackle, but his natural position is guard, 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:07.560 and he mentioned how much of an eye open experience 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:09.640 it was this year working with JR. R. Evans, who's 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:12.600 obviously a six time Pro bowler, multiple time All Pro, 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.320 twelve year veteran, and Lane Taylor. He pointed him out 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.840 too and said, you know, whether people realize it or not, 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:21.800 Taylor is pretty darn close, if he's not already there, 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:23.520 to be in a top ten guard in this league 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:26.480 because of just how how sturdy he is, how durable 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:28.960 he is, and how accountable he is at that position. 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:32.360 And he's continued to learn throughout this process. Uh. The 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:34.520 thing I guess when I'm going into this next year 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.320 with him, the fact that they did resign Corey Linsley. 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.440 Now they extended Taylor at the beginning of the two 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:43.800 thousand seventeen season, and David Baker has been extended since 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:47.199 September of two thousand and sixteen. That left side of 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:50.280 the line is together now. Yeah. And he talked about that. Yeah, 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:52.720 he talked about that and how and how comfortable he 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:54.959 feels with you know, the continuity that the three of 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:57.760 them can develop now over multiple years together with all 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:00.319 them being locked up. Yeah. And and it was one 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.640 last little story I thought was interesting talking to David 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:05.520 box tr at the end of the season. Um, him 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:07.720 and Lane Taylor, I don't think we're feeling great during 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:09.600 that Detroit game. I think they were kind of banged up, 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.200 but they said they had that conversation with each other 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.079 in the second half, even when things were not going 0:13:14.120 --> 0:13:16.120 well for this offense, they were not going to quit 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:17.840 on this thing. They were going to finish this game. 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:20.520 And I think that mentality really tells you a lot 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.160 about those offensive lineman. What the Packers have really, you know, 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:25.360 grown in terms of that culture in that room. Yeah, well, 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:28.520 we've seen in Green Bay guys like Trumont Williams, Sam Shields, 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:30.840 undrafted guys who eventually made it to the Pro Bowl. 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.240 A guy like Donald Driver, a seventh round pick made 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:35.280 it to a Pro Bowl. I'll be really interested to 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.880 see if Taylor gets there someday. But with that, we're 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:39.360 going to throw it to a break back with more 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:59.680 on Packers unscripted. Right after this, Welcome back to Packers 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:03.120 un ripted. Mike Spofford here, West Hodkowitz over there, and West. 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:05.959 We are coming up on really what is the best 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:08.559 playoff weekend in the NFL. It's what they call the 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:13.120 Divisional Round, which isn't a very descriptive phrase by any stretch, 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.480 but you're at the final eight here. Um two games 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:18.600 on Saturday two games on Sunday. I want to start 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:22.440 with the a f C games. You have the Tennessee 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:25.520 Titans at New England on Saturday night and the Jacksonville 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:30.080 Jaguars at Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon. I've felt for a 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.960 long time, for multiple months here, that the a f 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:36.560 C has been pointing towards Tom Brady versus Ben Roethlisberger 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.120 for the a f C Championship all along. I think 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:41.720 that is what is going to happen. Do you see 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.080 a possibility of an upset by one of these road 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:47.800 teams in the a f C always a possibility, Yeah, 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:49.760 I mean there's always that chance. But I do look 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:55.920 at these is more twelve three versus four teen seeds 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:58.360 in the n c A Tournament. To be honest with you, yeah, 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:00.880 I know. There's actually some people and I appreciate this 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:03.440 kind of feedback. I like this stuff. People replying to 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.320 our podcast on Twitter yesterday, uh saying I was really 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:11.640 down on the Jaguars. I'm not down on them. Leonard 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:14.120 for Nett. I ran him as a running back for 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:16.440 Fantasy football all year long, but he was my second 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:20.920 round pick. But here's the thing, um Marcus Mariota and 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:25.080 Blake Bortles need to manage these games for their teams 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:28.680 to be in it. Um. I look at Bordles right now. 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.240 The Jaguars have to play better against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:34.920 and they did against the Buffalo Bills. We're talking about 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.040 on the jump that they're going to have to make 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:40.400 in terms of this competition. Their defense kept a minute 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:42.080 and they very well could keep them in it again 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:45.040 this weekend. Yeah, their defense could, but their offense clearly 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:46.880 has to do more. They have to do more. Blake 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:48.520 Bortles is not going to be able to have another 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:50.960 game where he outrushes his passing game, you know. I mean, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.720 he's gonna have to be able to to utilize his 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:56.400 tools around him. And I understand they're depleted with their receivers. 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.600 I get that, Um, But Blake Bortles needs to manage 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:01.120 that football game. They need to get the run going 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:03.760 against Pittsburgh. If I'm the Steelers right now, you have 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:06.400 the killer Bees, and I've seen this narrative popping up 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.480 about if there's pressure on them to get something done 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.920 here with this group. No, oftentimes we hear a lot 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:14.720 about wealth Aaron Rodgers in the window. Pittsburgh is looking 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.600 at the same situation. Uh, you know, Roethlisberg even I 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:20.720 think a tad older has Levy on Bell and Antonio 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:24.240 Brown a unanimous All Pro. This is their chance to 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:25.920 get on a run. And as you've said before, I 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:29.080 think they are the most complete team in this field. Um, 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.320 and they need to get past the NFL's best defense 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:33.880 this weekend, second best defense. Yeah, and they're talking about 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:37.560 some potentially nasty weather in Foxborough on Saturday night, you know, 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:42.440 some some sleep. Yeah, the Patriots have been through that before. 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:44.560 You wonder what that will mean for a team like 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.480 the Titans coming from Nashville. That being said, they are 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:49.440 a team that can run the football. And if you 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:51.840 if you get some bad weather and then you're able 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.800 to establish some things on the ground, maybe that helps 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:56.640 to keep Tennessee in it. But I just I see 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:59.200 both of these road teams as just such big underdogs 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:01.920 with with what they're going up against. And and I think, 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.240 you know, I think we're gonna be talking about a 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:07.879 Patriot Steelers a f C title game to Marco Murray's injury. 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:09.359 I think you see this a lot in the NFL 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:11.919 where it opens the team's eyes to their younger player, 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.040 and I think with him being out it showed them Okay, 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.280 probably going into two thousand eighteen, Derrick Henry needs to 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:21.000 be our guy. I thought he had a phenomenal performance 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.320 last week. If he can run the ball the way 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:27.680 he did in that that victory against the Patriots, who 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.600 have had their issues defensively this season, that's going to 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:33.720 keep the Titans in this. But Marcus Marriot is gonna 0:17:33.720 --> 0:17:34.880 have to make some plays with his feet and he's 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:36.399 gonna have to protect the football. Yeah, and I want 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:38.480 to talk about the the NFC games too, but we're 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.320 gonna do that after the breakback with moreen Packers unscripted. 0:17:41.400 --> 0:18:01.720 Right after this Welcome back to Hackers Unscripted, Mike Spofford 0:18:01.720 --> 0:18:04.480 alongside West hog Wits and West Shifting Gears to the 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:08.119 NFC playoffs coming up here this weekend. On Saturday, we 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:12.520 have the Atlanta Falcons traveling to the top seeded Philadelphia Eagles, 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:15.600 but that top seed without their starting quarterback, as we 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:18.320 talked about Nick Foles stepping in for Carson Wentz, and 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:21.960 then the finale of the four game parlay in the 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.040 NFL this weekend is I think the one that a 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:25.919 lot of people are really looking forward to the New 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:29.879 Orleans Saints traveling to Minneapolis to play the Vikings, a 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.439 rematch of Monday Night Football in Week one. Both of 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:34.800 these teams looking at heck of a lot different than 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:37.080 they did back in Week one. How do you see 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:40.719 these NFC matchups plan out, Mike Spofford, I don't have 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:45.520 this readily available. This has to be the first time 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:47.679 I would think. I'm not gonna say NFL history, but 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:50.639 at least during my living and breathing time, maybe you 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.960 can think of a time that a number six seed 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.639 has been favored over a number one going on the 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:57.840 road in the divisional round of the playoffs. Yeah, that's 0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:01.760 that's the reality. Yeah, the Atlanta Falcons are hard for 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:03.800 me to think of any any time where that would 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.120 have happened, because this is just such an unusual case 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.960 with the Eagles hanging onto the one seed even after 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.520 they lost their starting quarterback, and so they're just they're 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.040 viewed as very, very vulnerable. If there was ever a 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:16.639 year to be a number six, this is this, and 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:20.000 the Atlanta Falcons looked pretty darn impressive last week. But 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:23.159 the original point, I think this game against the Saints 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:25.400 and Vikings could be one for the Ages. It's finally 0:19:25.800 --> 0:19:29.720 the unstoppable force first, the immovable object the Saints in 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.760 that offense and Kamara and Ingram and there you know 0:19:32.840 --> 0:19:36.679 Michael Thomas, so many weapons there for Drew Brees, who 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:39.520 has now a capable defense to to back him up. 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:42.040 And then you have basically the polar opposite in the 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:45.600 Minnesota Vikings. That defense number one ranked in the league, 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:48.520 one of the top most stifling pass rushing you know 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:51.639 packages in the league, and offensively kind of making do 0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:54.000