WEBVTT - #545 Packers Unscripted: Starting with a showdown 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:14.800 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted social 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:18.160 distancing Style from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:22.120 joint as always by the one and only Wes Hodkowits. 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:26.520 We are coming to you from twelve Lombardi Avenue West. 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:31.159 The first game of the Packers season is just a 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:33.760 few days away, and I want to start today's show 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.080 by tossing a phrase out at you because it's a 0:00:37.080 --> 0:00:40.520 phrase we've heard a few different times through the off 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:44.159 season and again this week from Aaron Rodgers that he 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.800 thinks this Packers team, despite thirteen and three a year ago, 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:50.720 one game away from the Super Bowl, he believes this 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:53.320 Packers team is flying under the radar a little bit 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:55.920 as far as the national pundits are concerned. Do you 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:58.800 think that is the case. Well, it's funny that he 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.760 feels this way, Mike, because the Packers did win thirteen 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:06.240 games last year, they did make the NFC Championship game, 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.360 and they are flying underneath the radar of the National 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:14.640 Football League once again. The thing I love about this 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:20.200 analytics era of this um, you know, this proliferation of 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:25.360 just you know, analysis everywhere, video guy that and analytics 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:30.680 here talking head. There is that when you need talking points, 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.240 you typically will grab onto things that you don't understand, 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:35.560 and I think there are a lot of things that 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:38.760 people couldn't comprehend. If you didn't watch this team every 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:41.880 single week last year, why were they as successful as 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.480 they were? How were they able to overcome some of 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:46.960 the typical Well, they weren't a top ten offense or 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:49.800 a top ten defense, or they still made plays and 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.960 they still found ways to win. If you can't fit 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:58.040 all of that into a nice, tight, tiny, concise, understandable bubble, 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.840 well then everybody just disregards it. And for that reason, 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:05.320 I think a lot of people are again counting against 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.679 this team going into two thousand and twenty, and I 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:11.480 think that's unfortunate, Mike, because if you look at the 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:14.040 way the Packers are built in a lot of ways, 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.639 there are a much better team on paper than they 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:19.840 were a year ago at this time. Don't get me wrong. 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:22.720 Losing Brian Bulaga, that's a big loss, especially with the 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:26.160 questions at right tackle going into Sunday's game. They had to, 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:28.919 you know, shed a few parts to gain a few 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.840 and now you have the running game is more established, 0:02:32.880 --> 0:02:35.519 you have Aaron Rodgers looking more comfortable. You have Davonte 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.720 Adams being the type of receiver that I think also 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:41.800 is really flying underneath the radar of the NFL. I 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.360 think it's finally starting to feel some of that that 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:48.480 real appreciation for his game. The Smith's Adrian Ames. The 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:51.240 list goes on and on. Mike, the Greenbay Packers are 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:53.680 a better team than they were last year at this time, 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:56.280 and if they can find the progress that they want 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:58.640 from those second and third year players, there's a reason 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.880 to believe this team is once again Super Bowl contender. Yeah, 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:04.960 it's interesting to me that you brought up analytics because 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:10.880 to me, there's To me, there's been a big analytical 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:14.639 narrative surrounding this Packers team, and not just the Packers, 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:17.040 but I think the Seahawks are another team that falls 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.960 into this category because those were the two teams last 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:24.119 year that won the most close games, the most one 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.400 score games, you know, eight points are less, and all 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:30.880 the analytics say you can't have that type of record 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:33.880 in close games again. And while there is certainly a 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:37.640 law of averages to a funny game with a funny 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:40.280 shaped ball that can bounce weird ways, I get that, 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:44.120 but There's also something to be said in this league 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:47.200 for being the better team in the clutch moments when 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.680 it really matters, and I think that's what the Packers 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:54.680 were in twenty nineteen. You look at three of their 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:59.320 wins in December Washington, Chicago, Detroit, the Packers were better 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.160 than all three of those teams. They did not play 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.840 very well in either in any of those three games, 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.560 but in the fourth quarter when it mattered, when they 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.000 had to find a way to win the game, they did, 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:12.880 and they were the better team when it counted, And 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.600 I think that sort of became the identity of the 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.599 two thousand nineteen Packers. So I think if you're talking 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:22.240 about regression to the means, so to speak, with some 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:24.560 of these analytics, the one thing that could certainly catch 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.440 up to the Packers is the health issue. Because Green 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:30.400 Bay was extremely healthy last year. Did you know, other 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:35.120 than losing Davante Adams for four games to the turf 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:38.600 toe injury at mid season, there wasn't any other, you know, 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:42.320 really high level significant injury that the Packers had to 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:44.560 deal with in twenty nineteen, and they took advantage of 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.640 that certainly. But when you know, and as I said, 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:49.919 The Seahawks are kind of another team now. The Packers 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:51.760 and Seahawks bet in the playoffs, and obviously it was 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:53.960 a very close game of five point difference came down 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:55.600 to the way or so something had to give there. 0:04:56.080 --> 0:04:59.479 But the Seahawks are another team that a lot of 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:02.479 the nash Old pundits are kind of discounting them a 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.719 little bit because of all the close games they won 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.480 last year, and I just I don't think that's necessarily 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:11.640 the right reason to to count somebody out. Now. The 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.200 Seahawks certainly are are in a tough division that NFC 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:16.520 West is going to be really really fun and entertaining 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:19.600 to watch, certainly, But when it comes to the Packers 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.240 flying under the radar, I do think they are. I 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:27.160 just don't necessarily agree with the reasons that are being 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:29.640 put out there for why they are well. And the 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.280 thing I think would have been really interesting if, as 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:35.520 if everyone would have been as hot on the Packers 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:41.080 last August as they were the Cleveland Browns. The pundits, 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:43.400 this is another thing they love to do. These these 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:45.560 analysts love to do they want They like picking out 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:48.000 their attractive dark horse, and they do it to the 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:51.159 point that they beat that dark horse to death, and 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:53.880 you you end up getting these stories where you know, 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:56.640 the Cleveland Browns don't end up being the team everybody 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.120 expects them to be, and now everybody's disappointed in them. 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:00.880 Everybody thinks that they're needs to be this type of 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:03.520 change over. The Browns were still a team that was 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:05.560 up and coming, but they weren't by any means, a 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:07.560 finished product. I think you're seeing it now with the 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:10.679 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they may have a fantastic season, 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:14.039 but they're competing against a really difficult New Orleans Saints 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:16.880 team in that same division, and they're having to really 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:20.280 rebuild an entire offense now around Tom Brady. There are 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.320 question marks there, but yet nobody wants to talk about that. 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:25.080 They just want to talk about the fact that Tom 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:28.440 Terrific's there. The Buccaneers are fantastic and they're gonna have 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:31.600 a phenomenal season. It doesn't work like that. The Green 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.400 Bay Packers last year were a testament to the people 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:36.640 that do all the analysis early on and they do 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:38.400 their rankings and they try to figure out who the 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:40.520 division champions are gonna be and who's gonna make the playoffs. 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:42.839 You can't play that game in the National Football League 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:45.200 because there is so much turnover. All you have to 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:47.839 do is look at the playoffs scenarios from the last 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.320 ten years. There's always gonna be a Packers team. There's 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.479 always gonna be a Titans team that kind of comes 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:55.240 out of relative obscurity relative to where they were the 0:06:55.320 --> 0:07:00.159 last season and really surprise people enjoy that ride, be 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:03.800 able to appreciate that ride, and then realistically, yeah, you 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:05.800 want to have all these discussions about where did the 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.760 stats bear out? You can have them until you're blue 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:09.040 in the face. But the fact of the matter is 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:12.560 there's one metric that the NFL uses to determine who 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:15.840 gets to go to the playoffs. It's wins. It's division titles. 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:17.920 The Packers did that and they won a game in 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:20.120 the playoffs and they got to the NFC Championship game. 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.920 Another they want to try to make that next step. Yeah, 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:26.600 another point to throw out there as well, because this 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:29.240 is a long season and we're certainly hoping that we're 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.680 going to have a full long season once again here 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.720 in the NFL. Thanksgiving last year, nobody thought the Tennessee 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:38.040 Titans would be one of the last four teams standing 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:41.440 right go back to at Thanksgiving, did anybody think the 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:43.320 Green Bay Packers were gonna be one of the last 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:46.560 four teams standing? So even with all this talk through 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:50.040 August and early September about where teams are, it comes 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:52.360 down to where are you in November and December and 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:56.320 heading in January? And we are so far away from 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.840 getting to that point. So, yes, it's fun to talk 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:00.560 about who's gonna win the divis Asi and who's going 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:02.880 to make the playoffs, who were the super Bowl contenders, 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:07.040 But quite quite frankly, it's it's a it's a discussion 0:08:07.160 --> 0:08:09.960 that that you can't even really get serious about until 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:12.440 you get about ten eleven games into this thing. Well, 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:14.720 and what I love about Matt Lafore's perspective to Mike 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:16.679 is that even if the Packers were getting the proper 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:18.760 credit for being a thirteen and three team, for being 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:21.720 amongst those final four, he wouldn't want to hear about 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:23.680 two thousand nineteen because if you look at many of 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.280 those same examples of teams that made it to championship games, 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:28.840 heck that even made it to Super Bowls, that is 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.400 not an indicator we're gonna be able to just replicate 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:34.800 that the next season they're onto two thousand and twenty, 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:37.560 And for the hope and sake of my own sanity, 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.720 I hope the onlookers are too. If the Packers perform 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.520 well on Sunday, it's not because it's a fluke. It's 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:46.440 not because it's some statistical anomaly. It's because they were 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:49.199 the better football team and so far underneath mapa floor 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.480 in eighteen games or whatever it is underneath him at 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.000 this point, more often than not, the Packers have been 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:59.240 the more prepared and better producing football team on the field. Well, 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.920 that is a big Week one matchup coming up here 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:04.840 with the Packers traveling to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings, 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:06.920 a big NFC North battle. I want to get to 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:10.480 some keys to victory here. But a little sponsor Business West, 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:15.079 our first sponsor business on Packers unscripted of gear up 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:18.559 four game day folks, open a Packers checking account from 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:22.120 Associated Bank and score a fifty dollar Packers Pro Shop 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:26.440 gift card. Learn more at Associated bank dot com. Backslash 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:31.280 Packers Okay Week one noon Central time kickoff at us 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:33.720 Bank Stadium. It's the Packers and the Vikings. A little 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:37.239 bit of news that we found out yesterday. The Vikings 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:39.280 and we had talked on our last show about all 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.240 the changes that are going on with some of their 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.800 personnel on defense, they will be without pro Bowl pass 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:48.680 rusher Daniel Hunter, fourteen and a half sacks each of 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:50.679 the last couple of years. This is the guy who 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:53.600 has five and a half career sacks against the Green 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.880 Bay Packers. He was placed on injury preserve by the Vikings. 0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:59.680 He's going to be out at least three weeks. Had 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.120 been dealing with an injury throughout training camp, and the 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.960 Vikings have just decided he will not be ready to 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.920 play in the early going here in and with the 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:11.960 Packers having obviously their own injury question at right tackle 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.040 on on one of the edges. Um, you know, something 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:18.120 to watch here to see just what matchup ends up 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:21.280 actually taking place on the field Sunday afternoon. You know 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:23.000 it's funny too, Mike. It makes a lot, I mean 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:25.320 a lot of reasons why them trading for Unique made 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:27.880 a lot of a lot of sense for them. But boy, 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.200 that's another one. Now. The fact that Hunter dealing with 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:32.120 what he was dealing with probably shed some light on 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.480 why they were so proactive and trying to go out 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:38.760 in adding another pass rusher during training camp. It was funny. 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:42.160 I don't think Matt Arvin, our wonderful producer, can bring 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.560 up the video on top of us. But the reaction 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.560 that Aaron Rodgers had when Bill Hubert, because it literally 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:52.839 happened seconds before Rogers spoke to the media on Wednesday. 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.040 So Bill, who was the first reporter to to ask 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.559 a question in the zoom session, used his opportunity to 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:01.640 ask Rogers about that, and there is this pause in 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:06.000 thousand yard gaze, uh in Aaron Rodgers expression the moment 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:08.600 that Bill mentioned that he was going on injured reserve. 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:10.920 Not that Rogers is necessarily happy about it, but it's 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:15.120 shocking the people. I think that in Minnesota earlier in 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:16.920 the day, they were maybe the day before, they were 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:20.520 talking to Hunter about Eric Kendricks and if Eric Kendricks 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.280 would be playing in this game, and him mentioning, you know, yeah, 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:26.640 that's a guy you can't replace. Nobody thought that Danil 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:28.960 Hunter was just going to be completely not only you know, 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:31.440 you know, questionable for this game, that's fine, but like 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:34.840 just completely out of the equation for the Vikings. It's 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.160 that stuff that happens when there's no preseason, when there's 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:39.120 no eyes on anybody, and you really kind of had 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:41.319 this cloak of darkness that I keep talking about throughout 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.600 the league. He's not in there, So that changes thing. 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:49.320 The different secondary, the different cornerbacks for the Vikings change things, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.280 and it's going to lead to some more questions than 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.800 we've grown accustomed to with this Mike Zimmer defense going 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.440 into this game. Yeah, I think when we if we 0:11:56.520 --> 0:12:00.120 look at keys to victory here for the Packers, if 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:04.000 you start on the offensive side of the ball, even 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:07.080 without Hunter, this is still a heck of a Vikings defense. 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:10.400 And there are questions about these young rookie cornerbacks stepping 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.600 into significant roles and all that, but you're gonna have 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.440 Unique and Ghakway on one side as a pass rusher. 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:18.720 You've still got Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr in the 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:21.120 middle of that defense. And then the back middle, so 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.640 to speak, is Anthony Harrison Harrison Smith, and you know 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.960 Harrison Smith will line up anywhere and everywhere I think 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.360 offensively for the Packers. And this is what we saw, 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.720 I would say, in the second half of that Week 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:37.200 sixteen game last year. The Packers control the line of 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:40.440 scrimmage in that game because they were avoiding the negative plays. 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:42.760 As Matt Lafleur likes to say, you can't get behind 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.959 the sticks against a defense like this. You stay in 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:49.120 manageable down and distances. You avoid the penalties, you avoid 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:51.880 the sacks, the tackles for loss against the run, you 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:55.840 avoid those negative plays. And this Packers offense with Aaron 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.839 Rodgers can really do its thing. And I think offensively, 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:01.360 whether you want to do it trying to pound the 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.720 ball and play action or do the short passing game 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.240 test those rookie corners, I'm not sure how the Package 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:08.920 are going to go about it. But if they avoid 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:11.880 those negative plays and the penalties that that put them 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:15.400 in rough down and distant situations, I like their chances 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:17.960 offensively to to have a have a good day. Yeah, 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:19.720 when we're gonna talk about Delvin Cook here in the 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.679 second when we talk about defensive keys to victory. But 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.480 one thing that was underrated in that first series last 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.240 year was the fact that when Cook was in that game, 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:31.439 it was different. Right. What did the Green Bay Packers 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:34.840 benefit from in those two games? Aaron Jones. Jones came 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:38.560 up big. He was dynamic, he was successful. The Packers 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:40.800 were able to get their running game going. I think 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:42.760 that's gonna be a big key in this game, and honestly, 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:44.760 it's gonna be a big key for the season, allowing 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:46.880 that running game to set up what they want to 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.960 do with their past, with their misdirection, with making defensive 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:52.640 coordinators scratch their heads a little bit. We didn't talk 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:54.840 a lot about Aaron Jones this camp because a lot 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:59.080 of the eyes were on Hey J Dillon's thighs uh 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:02.360 and and also, you know Jamal Williams getting so much 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:05.320 due credit as well for Aaron Rodgers. But I said 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:06.880 this a couple of weeks ago, Mike. It was a 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:09.319 very small snippet that I put in an insider inbox. 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:13.120 But I thought Aaron Jones had a really quietly successful camp. 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:16.079 I thought he looked sharp. I thought he looked decisive. 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:18.440 I thought like the wide zone scheme was starting to 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:21.440 fit him a little bit better. And here's the other 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.560 option too. They wanted to expand the repertoire of these receivers, 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:28.000 of these running backs with the receiving aspect of the game. 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:30.880 Jamal Williams took that to heart. Aaron Jones already has 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:32.720 definitely been taking that to heart. That was an area 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:36.720 he emphasized last year going into the season. There were 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:39.080 we can talk about the receivers and MVS had a 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:42.680 great offseason, had a great camp. Uh, certainly Davante Adams 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:44.920 one of the best in the league at the receiver position. 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:47.400 But the Packers have put a lot of horses, a 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.160 lot of firepower behind their running game, and this would 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:51.680 be like the kind of game I think that that 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:54.720 could really shine for them. Yeah. Well, shifting to the 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:58.280 defensive side, you already said it, Dalvin Cook. I think 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:00.920 he's the whole key to this game and for Vikings 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:05.280 offense versus Packers defense, because you look at obviously he 0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:07.880 wasn't in there in Week sixteen, the game that decided 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:10.960 the NFC North last December. You look at the way 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.200 the Packers end of the season in San Francisco, with 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:16.240 all the struggles trying to stop the run. The Vikings 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:19.640 have cooked back. You know that, Mike Zimmer, Gary Kubiak, 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:21.440 they want to run the ball. They are going to 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:26.240 test that Packers run defense something fierce. I think on Sunday. 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.600 And I'm not saying you have to hold Dalvin Cook 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:31.200 to you know, thirteen carries for forty yards or some 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:34.520 like herculean effort. But you can't let Dalvin Cook be 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:38.120 the guy who's dictating the pace of every possession for 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.360 the Minnesota Vikings and therefore dictating the pace of the 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.600 entire game. The Packers have to contain him in some 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:47.040 form or fashion. And that's not to say it will 0:15:47.080 --> 0:15:49.200 be easy if it gets turned over to, you know, 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:51.680 dealing with Adam Theeland and Kyle Rudolph and will see 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:55.720 what Justin Jefferson, the rookie wide receiver provides for Kirk Cousins. 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.560 But it all starts with Dalvin Cook for the Minnesota Vikings. 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.000 In my opinion, yeah, and all Mary your your key 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:02.920 to victory With what I wanted to say, and it's 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:05.520 a it's something I've been really hitting home all week long. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:08.680 To me, it's two aspects to the same question. It's 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.080 containing Delvin Cook and insider in box. I said that 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:12.880 would be underneath the hundred yards. I think would be 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.120 a really good day, or at least make him work 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:19.000 for those carries cares. Obviously, Madison is a guy too 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:20.600 that you need to be cognizant of. They have good 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:23.880 running backs. It's not just Cook, but he's going to 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:25.560 be the guy that the Vikings are gonna want to 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:28.480 shove down Green Bays throat because he had success last 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:30.840 year in that week to matchup a hundred fifty yards 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.240 or whatever it came to. He was dynamic, and when 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.120 they didn't have him, when Madison was dealing with his stuff, 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.000 their running game was different. And why was it when 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:42.200 what was the byproduct of that? Kirk Cousins was different. 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.720 This passing game was different. So my two pronged answer 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:49.360 to this is containing Cook but then pressuring Kirk Cousins. 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:53.440 So Darius Smith had arguably his best game in that 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.600 matchup against the Vikings. I know Mike Smith would disagree 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:58.840 with me on that because he really liked those nineteen 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:03.440 pressures or whatever uh Smith had against Oakland or the 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:06.480 Panthers or whoever that was last season. But that being said, 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:10.800 you could see what Sadarius Smith was taking out of 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:14.359 those Vikings offensive linemen last year, three and a half sacks. 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.320 They were demoralized, they were beaten, they were mentally exhausted 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:20.360 by the end of that game. And because of that, 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:24.840 Kirk Cousins had a really long afternoon. If you contain cook, 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:27.879 if you allow them to not get off the ground 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:32.200 with that running game, then the game changes for Kirk Cousins. 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:34.359 When he's able to manage it, when he's able to 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.680 work the sidelines, when he's able to get his guys 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:40.040 going underneath off the play action, that's when things get 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:44.800 really difficult against Minnesota's offense. That's where it starts from me. Alright, Well, 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:46.760 one other thing before we go here West, Let's just 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.720 take a quick look around at some other key games 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.080 to keep an eye on Week one in the NFL. Obviously, 0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:56.080 as we are taping this, the kickoff opener Thursday night 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:59.760 between the Chiefs and the Texans has not taken place yet, 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:03.280 but by the time um Sunday rolls around, we will 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.200 know if the Kansas City Chiefs have started their title 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:08.680 defense with a victory. But it's a big week in 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:12.000 the NFC North Minnesota and Green Bay obviously, but Chicago 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.000 also traveling to Detroit, so all the NFC North teams 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:17.400 are playing against each other. I think, you know all 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:20.080 the talk in Chicago about who's gonna play quarterback, and 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:23.600 they're going with Trubisky right now, and and Folds is 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:26.960 the backup and we'll see how long um that actually 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:29.560 is the case. But a lot of other really interesting 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:31.800 games in the NFC. I'll throw these out there and 0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:34.200 let you talk about which ones interest you the most. 0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:38.880 Seattle is at Atlanta, an interesting cross divisional matchup there, 0:18:38.960 --> 0:18:42.680 big one in the NFC West, San Francisco hosting Arizona. 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:46.720 I think Arizona very tough division obviously in the NFC West, 0:18:46.760 --> 0:18:49.919 but I think Arizona with Kyler Murray the way Lamar 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.679 Jackson kind of took the league by storm in year two. 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.440 You never know, maybe Kyler Murray is that type of guy. 0:18:55.440 --> 0:19:00.600 In Dallas is at the Rams, Mike McCarthy's first game 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:03.400 as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on the road 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.320 out in l A. And then of course New Orleans 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:09.520 at Tampa Bay. Big matchup in the NFC South, Drew 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:13.480 Brees versus Tom Brady making his debut for the Tampa 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:16.399 Bay Buccaneer. There's so many good matchups, Mike. I mean, 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:19.120 whoever was putting these schedules together, I mean the week one, 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:21.679 they it was power packed with how they approached this. 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:23.919 Somebody even pointed out inside or inbox, I mean this 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:26.399 is gonna be an incredible matchup between the Saints and 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:28.679 Buccaneers for so many reasons, but also the fact that 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:31.360 the two starting quarterbacks are like a combined forty five 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:33.960 years or eighty five years old. Excuse me, uh that 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:37.040 there's just there's so much experience on that field. I 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:40.000 would it's not the most attractive matchup. But I do 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:42.359 want to actually touch on that Cardinals game quick because 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:45.800 DeAndre Hopkins goes and gets his extension after they acquired him, 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.520 Larry Fitzgerald, back Christian Kirk, the way that they have 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:52.119 built that offense now not only for Kyler Murray, but 0:19:52.160 --> 0:19:54.280 then also you know, when you when you look at 0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:57.120 the way that they're structured and what they're trying to achieve, 0:19:57.280 --> 0:20:00.000 their uh, they just they can be a really dynamic 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:02.280 team and they still have you know, you look at 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:05.720 their defense and Chandler Jones and the pieces are there. 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:07.800 I'm not saying it's a complete puzzle yet, but I 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:09.760 think the Cardinals are going to give a lot of 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:13.320