WEBVTT - #497 Packers Unscripted: Difficulties in Detroit 0:00:01.240 --> 0:00:14.720 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:17.799 I am Mike Spofford, joined as always by my trusted 0:00:17.840 --> 0:00:21.280 colleague Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to here from our studios 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:24.040 at lambeau Field. Hope everyone had a merry Christmas. It 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:26.960 is now the day after Christmas West and we are 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:33.040 one day closer to Packers lions Ford Field Sunday noon 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:35.599 Central time start. I don't want to talk about that yet. 0:00:35.640 --> 0:00:38.560 I want to know the best present that Mike Spofford 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:40.320 god for Christmas? The best what I want to know? 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:43.320 The best present I got for Christmas? I got a 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:49.440 brand spanking new Milwaukee Brewers baseball cap with the new logo. Yeah. Yeah, 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:51.840 it was very excited. So what is the color blue 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.440 on that? Then? Is it like the darker blue? Like 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:57.800 that's that navy? Sort of navy? Do you put together 0:00:57.840 --> 0:00:59.160 a wish list to that? Or is that just the 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:02.040 kids and the white knowing exactly what to get you? Um, 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.640 it was actually on the list, but they wouldn't have 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:06.840 had to think too hard even if I hadn't written 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:09.160 it down. So you know what my best present was? 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:10.920 In addition to being able to spend time with my 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:13.319 wife and child and everything. Um, you know, I'm a 0:01:13.319 --> 0:01:14.920 big game of throwing sky, or at least I used 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:17.920 to be. The relationship kind of got complicated, and I 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:20.119 also became a very big tie clip guy in these 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:23.600 last few seasons. So I've noticed that Caitlin got me 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:28.639 a sword tie clip for Christmas that I'll be wearing 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.960 at the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers game on Sunday. 0:01:32.000 --> 0:01:34.200 There's your transition back to football. There we go, we 0:01:34.720 --> 0:01:38.600 and we will be at Ford Field on Sunday with 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:40.520 a lot at stake for the Green Bay Packers. A 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:42.880 win gets a first round by and would keep the 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:46.479 Packers in the hunt for the number one overall seed. 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:51.000 The Detroit Lions, their season has gone a completely different 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:55.280 direction from where they were when we first discussed this 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:57.680 team back in Week six, when the Lions were coming 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:00.440 in to play the Packers on Monday Night Football at 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:05.160 lambeau Field Detroit. Now three eleven and one, they have 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:09.760 lost eight straight and eleven of their last twelve. They 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:12.560 were actually undefeated after three games this year at two 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.359 oh and one, and with Matthew Stafford looking like quite frankly, 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:19.440 they were going to contend for a playoff spot in 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:25.440 the NFC. But once Stafford started having injury issues, Uh, 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:28.480 their season went the wrong direct. Well, in Stafford's injury 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:31.240 issues were a microcosm of the entire team. Now, certainly 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:33.320 he is their superstar, but you could build an eight 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:36.160 man football team off of their injured reserve list right now. 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:39.200 With everything they went through losing Marvin Jones, there was 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.280 a lot of excitement about Mike Daniels. He was really 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:43.679 never able to get going this year. T J. Hockenson 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:46.800 their Frockie first round pick, big expectations for him. He 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.640 battled injuries throughout the year before going on injury reserve. 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:53.400 Even Jeff Driscoll, their backup quarterback, ends up being placed 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:55.160 on season ending I R. So you go into this 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:57.720 game at Ford Field, where you're gonna have David Blow 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.640 at quarterback, you have Kyle Sloter as a back up. Uh. 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:03.280 It's just a very different situation than I think the 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:06.200 Lions felt they were in when they played the Packers 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:09.160 earlier this season in October and that really tightly contested 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:11.680 game at lambeau Field. Yeah, it seemed that it seemed 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:15.040 that Blow gave them a lift initially when he came in. 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:19.160 He took the Chicago Bears to the wire on Thanksgiving 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:23.040 Day at Ford Field. It was his first start, undrafted 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.000 rookie quarterback out of Purdue. Look like he was showing 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:30.120 some promise, but then, you know, the shine war seemed 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:33.680 to wear off quickly. Um, things have fizzled and and 0:03:33.760 --> 0:03:36.600 quite frankly, he's looked pretty much like an undrafted rookie 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:40.360 quarterback you'd expect with all those other injuries. Um, you know, 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.280 he he's not exactly playing with a full deck in 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.680 terms of in terms of the complimentary piece and the 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.040 personnel that's around him, no doubt. I mean, Kenny Golladay 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:51.680 has been exceptional this year. He's a superstar in this league. 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.520 He's one of the top young receivers that the NFL 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:56.200 has to offer right now, and he seems like a 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.560 real gem for them and a piece to build upon 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:01.280 going forward here. But the problem is, especially for an 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:04.920 undrafted rookie like blow and I think to some extent 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:07.520 you even looked at what happened Garter Minshew in Jacksonville. 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:10.520 It's really easy to catch teams by surprise. But once 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:12.280 the film starts to get out there a little bit 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:15.440 and you've got the brightest football minds and the country, 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.160 you know, the world really really dissecting you and trying 0:04:19.200 --> 0:04:22.000 to figure out where they can exploit particular weaknesses or 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:25.839 those type of things. That's when the challenges really present themselves. 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:27.360 And I think we've kind of seen that with Blow. 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:29.760 Kudos to him, though, you tip your cap to him. 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.039 And you know, there's a couple instances throughout the league 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:34.640 this year where undrafted rookies have had to start games, 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.279 and meaningful games in some cases for these teams, and 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:40.880 and it's not an easy situation for any first year 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.200 player to be thrown into, but especially when you've kind 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:45.680 of taken that back channel into the league. Yeah, and 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:47.680 Blow had to do it on a short week there 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:50.240 on Thanksgiving and and put up a heck of a 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:52.360 fight against the Bears. In fact, you know, the Lions 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.240 were awfully, awfully close to winning that game and held 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:57.800 held the lead late and even had an opportunity after 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:00.320 they gave up the lead to win that. But I 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:03.920 also it also felt like when the Lions didn't win 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:07.440 that game that you know, some of the some of 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.000 the spirit of the team was was sapped a little bit, 0:05:10.040 --> 0:05:12.000 because then then it was like, Wow, they weren't able 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:14.400 to beat the Bears on thanksgiving me any chance of 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:17.400 really staying in this thing or making any kind of 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:20.720 a late season runs seemed to seem to go away 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:23.520 when they couldn't pull that one out in front of 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:26.160 the national audience. And it is a tragedy for Detroit 0:05:26.200 --> 0:05:28.400 and its fan base because I mean, Matthew Stafford was 0:05:28.440 --> 0:05:31.479 having arguably his best season of his energy. Yeah, a 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:34.480 legitimate m VP candidate at the time that this back 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.599 injury whatever you know, whatever have you, kind of flared 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:40.200 up for him because he'd been making the appropriate reads. 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.320 It seemed like he'd really been able to find his momentum. 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:46.120 He's established weapons now in that offense, and realistically, I mean, 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:48.479 Matthew Staffords a top ten quarterback in this league, and 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:50.839 when you give him a foundation to work with, history 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:52.800 has shown he's going to be able to produce for you. 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.440 The Lions just haven't been able to cross that threshold 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.280 winning a playoff game, winning a division title, and this 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:00.680 year it looked like early on, especially again going back 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:03.000 to that October game, it looked like they may have 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:06.240 an offense that could do it, and unfortunate for them 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.600 a couple of bolls balls did not bounce their way, 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.080 and then these injury bugs crept up on him. And 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:12.840 then you look at their backfield right now. I mean 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.600 they've gone through four or five different running backs. Trade Carson, 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:18.440 who was on the Packers roster for a time this season. 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.919 He went there, played, immediately got injured. He goes on. 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.800 I r uh, they do get Carrie on Johnson back, 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.040 you know both. Scarborough has been a real big plus 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.920 for them, him coming over a nice little find, uh, 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:31.200 you know, being able to get him off of the 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:34.440 Jacksonville's practice squad, I believe. But just the consistency of 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:36.600 it and other than Galada, you're week to week weapons 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:38.400 that just hasn't been there. Yeah. And I think the 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:42.440 other thing, really injuries aside that hasn't come together for 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:45.320 Matt Patricia in his two years as head coach there 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.400 with the Lions is the defense they have. They have 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:51.640 Darius Slay He's one of the best cornerbacks. Any team 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:54.440 would love to have that guy out on the boundary 0:06:54.560 --> 0:06:57.120 defending wide receivers. He's one of the best out there. 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:02.960 But collectively, it hasn't come together for them as a group. Defensively. Obviously, 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.240 I thought with Stafford he was going to give them 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:08.400 a chance to stay in a lot of games this year. 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:12.600 That didn't happen when Stafford went out, and this defense, 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.520 frankly Wes has has really struggled well. So this is 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:17.880 the thing that's tough for for Detroit. And there's a 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.080 lot of guys in that Packers locker room, especially after 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.520 the game against Minnesota, that were very complimentary of the 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:26.120 defense that Detroit still has. Those Statistically they would rank 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:27.680 in the bottom third of the league right now in 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.520 most categories. But the problem I think when you go back, 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.040 is that they were so good there for a short time. 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.480 You think around two thousand and fourteen, you know, when 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.080 Nodamican Sue was kind of in his prime and in 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:40.920 the weapons they had built around him, and then they 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:43.320 just had this attrition with the roster, whether it be 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:45.600 age or whether it be injury in some cases where 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.520 that depth, that strength sort of wore away. They thought 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:52.920 like they maybe had it with zichy Anza, he ends 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:54.520 up having his own share of injuries that he had 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:56.400 to deal with. So then they go and get Trey Flowers. 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.120 I mean, they made him the one of the top 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.840 pass rushers taken off this market. And while he does 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:02.640 have seven sacks on the year, I don't think has 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.080 been the dominating force that everybody thought he was going 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.720 to be after, you know, the career that he put 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.880 together in New England. So and there's been injuries, there's 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:12.600 been issues of that case. I know, I think it's 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.160 a Shawan Robinson. It's actually wasn't practicing or was estimated 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:19.600 as not practicing on Christmas. So, uh, A lot of 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:21.720 things have contributed to it. But as you originally said, 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:23.680 I mean, the overall production has not been there and 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:27.000 unfortunately for them, without Stafford, they don't have the firepower offensively, 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:28.960 they haven't had it to be able to win some 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:31.880 of those you know, bigger high scoring games. Yeah. Well, 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:33.440 I want to take care a little bit of sponsor 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:35.600 business here and then ask you a question was select 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:39.160 Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're ordering 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:42.040 catering or your favorite sub, they're delivering right to you 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:45.600 when you order online at Cousin Subs dot com. Cousin Subs. 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:50.400 We believe in better, all right. So the Lions are 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:55.120 downtrodden team eight consecutive losses playing out the string. Obviously, 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:59.120 the Packers have so much to play for. What do 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:02.800 the Packers have to do to? And I hate using cliches, 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.240 but to avoid that proverbial letdown because of not only 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:08.720 the opponent you're playing, but the victory the Packers are 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:10.960 coming off of. You are on a short week, the 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:14.040 holiday has gotten mixed in here, so it's a lot 0:09:14.080 --> 0:09:18.160 of different circumstances here leading up to a week seventeen game. 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:22.280 How do the Packers keep the focus where it needs 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:24.559 to be with the caveat as you already said of 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:27.640 you cannot look past any opponent. There is no bye weeks, 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:30.000 and Matt four has been very consistent in his messaging 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:32.200 to his football team this year that every single week 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:34.480 it's the same focus, it's the same objective in the 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:38.240 same goal. All that being said, the Green Bay Packers 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.360 pound for pound, are a significantly more talented team at 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:44.439 this point of the season than the Lions are. Offensively, 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:46.560 I think there's always going to be a certain amount 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:49.000 of randomness to it because it can be you know, 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.679 Trey Flowers stepping up with a big game or Darius Slay. 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:54.680 Those type of playmakers could potentially you know, weave the 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:56.640 game in and out and make it closer than it 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.120 probably should be in terms of the the odds going 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:02.520 into this. Where I think the Packers really have the 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:06.480 strong left handed punch on this is that with blows 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:10.120 the rookie quarterback with the failure to this point to 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:14.079 establish a consistent running game. To me, on paper, the 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:18.440 screams Smith's day. It screams Kenny Clark. It screams being 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:22.199 able to pressure the quarterback, get some mistakes, get some takeaways, 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.920 and and don't make this a real, you know, contested fight. 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:30.200 Last week went Form for the better part of sixty minutes, 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:32.880 went about his picture perfect as you could hope for it. 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.800 For the defense, it's not easy to just consistently dominate 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.120 at this level. But I think the Packers need to 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:43.079 pull with specifically on the defensive side, need to step up, 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:47.120 press that gas pedal again and finish this thing strong, because, 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.839 as the T shirt said, North is not enough. They 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:52.040 know what's on the line here, and you put away 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.480 Alliance team that has three wins at this point, you 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:57.880 have a first round by and depending on what else 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:00.000 happens with some of these scenarios could be as high 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:02.440 the number one seed. To me, it's the defense that 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:04.719 has to set the tone. Yeah, I would agree with you. 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:07.600 The Packers, as I had mentioned, I think on our 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:11.319 last show on Christmas Eve, the Packers control the line 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:14.120 of scrimmage on both sides of the ball against the 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:18.440 Minnesota Vikings, the two best position groups on the field 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.280 on Monday Night Football, where the Packers defensive line and 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.520 the Packers offensive line. And I think if the Packers 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.280 should be able to continue that in my opinion against 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:31.440 Detroit on Sunday, and if they do, they should be 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:33.920 in great shape as long as as long as you're 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:35.679 not turning the ball over. I mean, you don't want 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:37.640 to go into Ford Field and turn it over three 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:39.960 times in the first half again, because then you just 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:44.720 never know. Of course, but that being said, the Packers 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:48.120 looking to take care of business here, you hop on 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:50.719 the flight back home after the early game, and then 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:54.120 you settle in and watch the Seattle San Francisco battle 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:57.920 on Sunday Night Football for the NFC West Championship, where 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:01.719 if if the Packers do get their victory, then if 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:05.720 Seattle beat San Francisco, the Packers are elevated all the 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:08.520 way to the number one seed in the NFC, and uh, 0:12:08.640 --> 0:12:10.440 that's certainly a position they would like to be in 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:14.240 a lot of interesting, a lot of interesting scenarios here 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:17.079 because the because the New Orleans Saints still in the 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:19.640 running for a first round by the Seattle San Francisco 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.959 game as well as the Packers game, will impact where 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.840 the Saints end up in the seating and as we 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:31.440 know with with regard to that NFC West, the loser 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:33.680 of that is dropping all the way to the five seed, 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.720 whereas the winner could be well, if the forty Niners 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:38.600 win it, they are the one, so for them, it's 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:41.599 the difference between the one and the five. For the Seahawks, 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:45.920 they'll know obviously exactly what the stakes are by the 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:48.640 time it kicks off in the evening, but the Seahawks 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:51.600 could end up with The Seahawks could end up with 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:54.520 the two, or the three or the five if they 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:58.000 were to lose. So there's still a lot to be 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:00.680 sorted out here in the NFC with exactly where everyone's 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:03.000 gonna and the stakes are incredibly high for that San 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:05.880 Francisco Seattle game because much like the Packers experience going 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.800 back to two thousand twelve, whoever loses that there's a 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:11.200 chance that they can be playing on Saturday night with 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:13.560 with the quick turnaround that is asked of of teams 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:15.880 at this league. So that's something else you have to 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.120 keep an eye on. I would I would think this 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:20.400 is just this is just me, but I would think, 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.480 knowing that the loser of Seattle San Francisco is going 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.040 to be the five seed, and that that team will 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:29.720 be playing at the winner of the NFC East, which 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.480 would be their Dallas or Philly. If Philly wins it's game, 0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:37.079 the Eagles are the NFC East champs, that the Philly 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:40.640 or Dallas home game in the playoffs would be the 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:44.400 last one on Sunday afternoon because the loser of Seattle 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:47.840 San Francisco is going to be is going there. If 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.560 the league makes that losing team play on Saturday on 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:53.880 the road on wild card weekend, I think that would 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.320 I just think that would be patently unfair. Yeah, that's true. 0:13:57.360 --> 0:13:58.960 The one thing about that Packer game is they were 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:00.800 able to host on that Saturday. But that was a 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:03.679 tight turnaround, Yeah, it was. It was the Packers were 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:05.440 at home. They were at home and also end up 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:07.280 being a big thing for Christian Ponder because then he 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:08.880 wasn't able to play in that game into your web 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:11.200 had to make the start. All those scenarios, though, are 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:13.040 things the Packers don't have to worry about right now. 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:14.600 What the Packers have to worry about is what's in 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:16.440 front of them with the Lions and the other thing 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:17.880 I want to point out to. I mean, I've been 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.400 seeing all these these articles so far and you can 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.440 only need to look at certain you know, ticket broker 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:24.480 websites to see this. I mean, there's not a high 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:28.040 demand for these tickets right now with with the Lions 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:29.920 kind of being in the predicament that they're in. Yeah, 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.240 whatever gases left in the tank with that fan base, 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:35.680 I mean, if you go and you can take them 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:37.520 out of that in the first quarter, because we've seen 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:40.600 week seventeen games in Detroit, it can be as loud 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.120 as any you know, stadium in the league. When they're energizing, 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:45.760 there's a reason to really, you know, back their team. 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.400 But at three eleven and one, if you go out 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.160 there with a big defensive stand or a successful first 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.640 drive offensively, that could be all you need to make 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:56.880 it a lambeau Field East kind of matchup. How many 0:14:56.880 --> 0:14:59.880 how many Packer fans you think will show up. And 0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:04.000 as you said, the ticket, the ticket price, they're not expensive. 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.800 It's a it's a Midwestern city. I'm sure there are 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.200 a lot of Packer fans within driving distance to Detroit 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:11.600 who could get there. I'm I'm curious to see how 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:13.800 much Green and Gold will be in the stands on Sunday. 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:15.920 With so much at stake for Green and you did 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:19.720 the insider inbox on Christmas for the for today, I mean, 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:21.600 there's already a lot of people saying, you know, we're 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:24.280 planning to go out there. I've I've seen I've seen 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:25.960 a lot of people asking if we're gonna be doing 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.960 pep rallies or things like that. Yeah, and we'll be 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:30.800 doing it in the concourse over at the airport. Now 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:33.160 I'm just kidding, but uh no, I mean like there 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:35.280 is a big opportunity there too. I mean, dude, Mike, 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:38.360 you even look at that game in Minnesota. I was 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:41.000 really surprised by the amount of Packer fans that packed 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:43.040 in there. And then in the second half when things 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:45.640 weren't really going so well for the skull crew, I 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:47.800 mean it was there was a lot of fervor, a 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:50.040 lot of Go Pack, Go Chance. Yeah there was a 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.200 lot of excitement. Yeah there was a lot and and 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:56.120 it actually was an attendance record for US Bank Stadium, 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:59.840 which I think is saying something when the Vikings have 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.640 hosted a playoff game there, which they did against New Orleans, 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:05.880 and that stadium has hosted a Super Bowl, and yet 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.760 the largest attendance in that stadium to date was the 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:11.760 Monday night. Would you surprise at all it was only 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.360 sixty seven thousand, Like if you, if you I just 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.800 walk into the stadium, I would think that was at 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.240 least north of seventy thousand seats. And oh, I guess 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:21.360 I just remember from the first time we were there 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:24.000 in I knew I didn't know the exact number, but 0:16:24.040 --> 0:16:25.960 I knew that the capacity was somewhere in the high 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:28.200 I'm not saying it's like Dallas with a hundred thousand, 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.320 I mean it is pretty like it. The sixty seven 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:33.240 it feels a lot more than that. Maybe that's just 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:35.600 a credit to their fans. But in terms of Green 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:38.520 Day with this game, I look at it and look 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:41.120 at this matchup, and it's also an opportunity to kind 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:43.640 of exercise some demons. The last two years against Detroit 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.600 have not ended so hot. Yeah, those, Yeah, these these 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.280 last couple of weeks seventeens against the Lions, it's been 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.800 an ugly finish for green two thousand seventeen, they had 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:53.240 to take it on the chin. Last year, it was 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:55.280 obviously the shut out at lambeau Field, and that was 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:58.560 sort of the beginning of this whole renovation, you could say, 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.440 over the last eleven ten, you know, twelve months. I 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:03.960 just I think there's so many things for Green Bay 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:07.520 to really propel itself now into the postseason with a 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:11.160 strong performance against Alliance team that by most people's estimations, 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:13.959 they should beat. Yeah. Well, as we go through the 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:15.800 tail end of the week here, we will be keeping 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:20.080 an eye on the Packers injury report. Um the latest update. Now, 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.679 the Packers did not practice on Christmas Day, so the 0:17:22.720 --> 0:17:26.760 injury report has estimations as to who would have practiced 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:28.720 or not. There are a few guys on there who 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:31.720 would have been given the veteran rest. That's sort of 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:35.960 been an ongoing pattern with some of the veteran players 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.399 like Jimmy Graham and Tremont Williams and and some of 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:42.240 those guys. But the injury report did estimate that Jamal 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:45.560 Williams with his shoulder injury would not have practiced. We 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:48.720 will see with regards to Thursday and Friday as as 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.560 the week goes along. I think that's maybe the most 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:54.359 important injury. Brian Balagas on the injury report too, he 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.200 had a groin injury was estimated as a d NP. Now, 0:17:57.640 --> 0:17:59.640 if a guy's dealing with something, you have to say 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:01.560 it, it it could very well been a veteran rest day too. 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:06.200 It's only speculation at this point. ESPNS robbed Demowsky did 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.320 talk to Jamal Williams in the locker room on Christmas Eve, 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:11.960 though Jamal seemed to express that, you know, he feels 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:14.200 confident he'll play in this game. We'll see, I mean, 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:15.960 you'll have to see. The packers also have to weigh 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:18.480 out too that if you know there's a you know, 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:20.800 potential that they want to keep him healthy or let them, 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:22.359 you know, have that extra rest, you can go that 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:24.560 direction as well. Things we'll all have to figure out 0:18:24.560 --> 0:18:27.000 as the Packers go back, and what I would imagine 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:29.320 would be pads on Thursday, right, I'm trying to think 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:32.640 of how they this week. Yeah, no, I'm guessing I'm 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:35.399 guessing that coming off of the Monday night, which of 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:37.440 them already they might be out of him. I don't 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:39.800 think the Uh yeah, the Packers will have be able 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:43.280 to have one padded practice per week in the postseason, 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:45.840 but I don't think they're putting on the pads next year. 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:47.480 This is what we're gonna do. I'm actually gonna have 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:51.040 a little checklist at my desk to keep tracking, yeah, 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.919 because I always lose track lists December comes in. But 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:56.160 all these things being said, we'll learn a lot more 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:58.760 with their walkthroughs and their practices here these next couple 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.439 of days. The Packer, you know, no matter what the 0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:04.200 scenarios look like, no matter what you know, how healthy 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:07.959 they've been, you can still not discount the overall benefits 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:10.600 of having that first round by I was talking with 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.760