WEBVTT - #479 Packers Unscripted: On to the next 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:20.279 Hi everyone, Welcome to Packers unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:22.919 I am Mike Spofford, sitting next to the one and 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:25.880 only West Hodkowits. We're coming to you here from our 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:28.880 studios at lambeau Field and West. Next up for the 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:33.839 Green May Packers is the New York Giants on Sunday. Now, 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.680 just a bit of a programming note. Because it's Thanksgiving week, 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:41.600 our beloved producer Matt Arvin, affectionately known as Marvin, he 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:44.400 will be off with his family for the long weekend. 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:48.720 Good for him, and because of that, we won't have 0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:51.839 shows this week on Thursday and Friday. So today we 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.960 need to sort of combine our Tuesday Wednesday shows and 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:58.279 then tomorrow will combine our Thursday Friday shows and call 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.440 it an early rap on the week from this desk. 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:05.679 So I want to first go to a quick update 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:08.200 with regards to the Packers, because we did mention on 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:10.959 yesterday's show that Brian Bulaga had left the game against 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:15.319 the forty Niners, obviously with a knee injury. Matt Lafleur 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.880 did not provide an update for the media as to 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.040 where that injury stands, but it sounds like He's leaving 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:25.960 the possibilities open as to how the Packers might compensate 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:29.360 for that injury if Bolaga has to miss some time. 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:31.920 Was that your read on the situation. Yeah, they're keeping 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:34.480 everything on the table right now. Alex Light was the 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.600 guy that came in the second year player out of Richmond. 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:40.720 His you know, still yet to make an NFL start, 0:01:41.319 --> 0:01:44.679 So that is obviously one potential avenue they could go down. 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:46.880 And La Fleur also said if they had a full 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:49.240 week of preparation, if Blagga couldn't go, that Light would 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:51.040 be better for it, would be ready for this task. 0:01:51.600 --> 0:01:53.560 But you know, they could shuffle the deck too, and 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:57.240 that's something that Mike McCarthy did early on in his tenure. 0:01:57.440 --> 0:01:59.200 I think back to, you know, when t J. Lang 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:01.640 would bump out and a right tackle moving from the 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:04.320 guard position. You have a guy in Billy Turner that 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:07.200 can play multiple positions. You have a guy in Lucas 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:09.600 Patrick who has six NFL starts, played in thirty five 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:12.720 NFL games on his resume that could potentially slide in 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:15.240 it right guards. So there's a lot of different, you know, 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:17.840 variations of this offensive line that could go with the 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:20.200 big thing that Lafleur discussed though, is they want to 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:22.440 get their best five out there if Bolaga isn't healthy 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:25.440 and isn't prepared, isn't ready to be, you know, clear 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:27.680 to be out there against the Giants. Yeah. And I 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:31.360 think the other message, at least the other message that 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:35.119 I took from Matt Lafleur's Monday press conference was that 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:39.919 it's on everybody on this Packers team, players, coaches, everyone 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:43.880 to own what happened, to take their part in ownership 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:48.000 in the disaster in San Francisco. But there's also a 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:50.960 heck of a lot of confidence within the walls of 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:53.639 that locker room, within the walls of those coaches offices, 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:55.880 that that the right people are here to turn this 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:59.239 thing around. This is the Packers themselves do not believe 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:02.280 this is suddenly going to spark some losing streak here. 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:04.960 They believe in themselves, they believe in what they're doing 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:07.519 and uh, and they're confident that they're going to turn 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:09.320 this thing back around quick. What's been really neat to 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:11.280 see over the course of the season, now we're almost 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:15.040 into December, is the maturation of Matt Lafleur just at 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.560 the podium and doing these news conferences, and honest with you, 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:19.600 I totally agree with you. I felt like that was 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:22.120 one of his best press conferences had as the Packers 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:23.920 head coach. And certainly you don't want to be up 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.960 there having to discuss what happened in a loss, but 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:29.000 the way he handled it, and you know he since 0:03:29.040 --> 0:03:30.880 the very beginning. Matt for is always the first one 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:33.959 to point his finger back at himself, at his coaching staff, 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.160 but he was honest. You know, j K. Scott is 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:39.520 struggling right now. There's been some issues there with the 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:41.720 punt unit. They have to get straightened out. But he 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:43.560 was very quick to say that. He said it to 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:46.240 Scott to his face. I believe in you. We believe 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.240 you because the proof is there. You have done it 0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:51.320 in this league. And that was just one example of 0:03:51.480 --> 0:03:54.040 many that he had throughout that news conference, whether it 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.160 was offense, defense, otherwise. They have to look inward. I 0:03:57.200 --> 0:03:59.120 put that as my inbox title first, that you have 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:01.840 to look inward. You have to find answers because this 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.120 isn't about winning these next few games. The Packers should 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:06.800 win these next few games. It's about being better now 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:09.120 for a potential playoff run. Yeah, and as I wrote 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:12.800 in my story late on Monday from that press conference 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:16.320 about the criticism being just as strong as the confidence 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:21.520 that the Packers have. Here, the words that he said 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:24.000 to J. K. Scott, I think reflect how he feels 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:27.080 about the entire team. Hey, we've done it, we know 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:29.839 we we know we can do it, so let's uh, 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.679 let's put in the work. One of my favorite lines 0:04:32.720 --> 0:04:34.960 from that press conference he was asked, Okay, so how 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.599 do you get this thing turned around? And he just said, 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:39.400 the only way I know how to do it is 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:41.960 to go back to work, day by day and and 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:43.920 and it's the cliche. It's one day at a time, 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:46.960 it's one practice at a time, it's one game planning 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.719 session at a time, whatever the whatever the case might be, 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.560 whatever your job, whatever your part is in this thing, 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:56.039 it's just about going back to work. And you don't 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:59.680 completely forget about a disaster like what happened in San Francisco, 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:02.040 but you don't dwell on it at the same time. 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:04.400 And I think there's there's a fine line that athletes 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:08.200 at this level, professional athletes in particular and coaches always 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.240 have to walk that you have to learn from the past, 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:12.280 but you can't let it bog you down at the 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:14.719 same time. And I think that's the line the Packers 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:18.320 are planning to walk this week. That line that La 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:21.120 Fleur said reminded me of something that Jordy Nelson always 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:22.720 used to say. And I know there are members of 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:24.520 the media that would get kind of annoyed by it 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.440 and saying that. But you know what, Mike, I wrote 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.440 this also an inbox for Tuesday. There isn't a magic 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:33.039 pill here. No, you can't just go and sign a 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.559 free agent or trade for a player and then okay, 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:38.600 all your problems are solved. No improvement comes from within 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:41.480 because this is yes, it's it's November twenty six as 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:43.880 we tape this show. The first day of the off 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:47.480 season program, I think was April eighteen. That's seven months 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.720 that you've been working with the core unit of this team. 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:52.960 That's how you win in this league. You win with 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:54.599 that unit. And I actually this was another thing I 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:58.239 went off on an inbox. This is just becoming Packers inbox, 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:01.000 but it was somebody men. You know, the Packers didn't 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:02.680 make a move for a receiver at the trading deadline. 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:05.440 They didn't get Aja Green. Aja Green still has yet 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:08.520 to play. They didn't get Mohammed Sanu. Mohammed Sanu has 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:10.919 a hundred and eight receiving yards in three games. He 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:15.479 was held without a catch last week against Dallas. They 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:17.799 will you know, they didn't ge Emmanuel Sanders. He torched 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:19.760 the team. He had one catch for fifteen yards in 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:23.279 that game. You have to be able to find improvement 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:25.800 from your players from your locker room, and that is 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:28.360 how you're going to beat the Giants. That's how you're 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.200 going to beat Washington, That's how you're going to beat 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:34.200 the Chicago Bears. And that's ultimately where you have to 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.160 be going into that game against Minnesota. Yeah. Absolutely, well, 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.320 next up is the New York Giants. That is the 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.360 next one on the schedule of Packers traveling to the 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:47.320 opposite coast, going east this weekend for a one o'clock 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:51.080 Eastern noon Central Time kick off, the first road game 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:54.440 of the season in the early television window. If you can, 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:56.880 if you can believe that, it's all the way until 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:00.520 Thanksgiving weekend before the Packers play a road game in 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:02.560 the in the first TV window. And this is the 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:03.960 one I would have liked to have been at night. 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:07.520 I've only been to New York twice. Michael, you want 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:10.800 a galvant around Central Park and everything every the three. 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:13.720 This is a side note, but all three games that 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:15.600 I've covered where the Packers have played the Giants of 0:07:15.640 --> 0:07:19.200 the Jets have been New one pm Eastern time starts. 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:20.880 What's up with that? So it goes. I feel like 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:23.560 I've spent like three years of my life in San Francisco, 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:26.960 but I mean like New York. Okay, but no, this 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:28.920 this is it's it is. It's nice to be able 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:31.400 to get on a somewhat normal schedule again. We're gonna 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:33.480 get We're gonna get home after the game at at 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.840 a like a normal time, at least from a from 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:39.480 a work perspective. What a win? Yeah, well awesome. The 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:43.200 Giants a team that is definitely in a rebuild mode. 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:46.080 They are struggling. They are two and nine. They actually 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:48.920 started the season two and two, and they've lost seven 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:54.760 consecutive games. Offensively, they're building around there first round draft 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:58.000 picks from the last two years, and that is running 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.760 back stay Kwan Barkley out of Penn's Day and quarterback 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:05.200 Daniel Jones out of Duke Now. Barkley was injured earlier 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.760 in the year, so he doesn't really have the um 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:11.000 the full slate of games in terms of his statistics 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:14.080 this year. But that being said, it's still surprising that 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:17.080 a running back of his talent and his caliber only 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:22.320 has two rushing touchdowns this year. The Giants deciding after 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:24.160 just a couple of games this year to move on 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:27.040 from Eli Manning and to throw the rookie Daniel Jones, 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:30.160 the number six overall pick in the draft. They decided 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:33.640 to throw him into the fire in September and move 0:08:33.679 --> 0:08:36.720 on to the future sooner than some people were predicting. 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:40.800 And uh, um, you know, typical of a rookie quarterback, 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:43.160 Jones has had his ups and downs. Yeah, it's uh, 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:45.280 you know, this is the bright spot for them, though, 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.040 let's be honest. I mean, I think Daniel Jones, the 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:51.439 way he's played this year has shown people, Okay, maybe 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:53.360 it wasn't a total reach to go up and get 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.960 this guy. Now that being said, he's made mistakes, and 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.360 he's made mistakes from the very moment that he replaced 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:03.319 Eli Manning. He has seventeen touchdowns, He has eight interceptions 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:07.680 thrown for around yards sixty two point five percent clip fine, 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:11.520 fourteen fumbles, ten lost and if you look at the 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:14.680 takeaway margins, the turnover differential, that's where the Giants have 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:16.880 lost a lot of games. And let's be honest, Mike, 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:21.079 I mean, the Giants are dangerous. They played Chicago very 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:23.920 tough last week, but there is a dearth of talent 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:27.280 with this roster. Cody Lattimore, who is also draft in 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.439 that same draft that the same second round, is Davantas. 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.839 He started nine games this series and eight receiving yards. 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:35.839 I mean, Evan Ingram right now has been dealing with 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:39.400 the injuries. He's there probably their best outside skill position 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.240 player that isn't Sae Kwon Barkley, And even say Kwon 0:09:42.240 --> 0:09:44.600 Barkley has not really been himself here over the last 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.760 three or four weeks. You know, there's even these conversations, 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:50.199 these stories that I saw that hey, you know, maybe 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:52.400 they consider shutting him down, you know, with the way 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:54.199 things have gone this year in the ankle injury and 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.160 everything like that, and just the lack of production and 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.720 where the season is headed for the Giants. Golden Tate 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:02.120 is in the con Ushon protocol. Yeah, you see on 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:04.560 the other side of the ball, Jabriel Peppers, you know, 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.640 dealing with that back injury, that transverse process injury that 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.520 you've heard about the last years. They're hurting unit and 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:13.480 the Packers you cannot take them lightly. You have to 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:17.040 take them serious. But let's be honest. It's a rookie 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:19.840 quarterback and there's a lot of questions. The offensive line 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.079 has been playing through some things. They got to take 0:10:22.080 --> 0:10:24.720 care of business against this group. Yeah, absolutely, the Packers 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.400 do need to take care of business. You mentioned they are, 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:29.240 they are banged up a little bit. When I look 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:31.640 at the defensive side of the ball, what jumps out 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.880 at me is that during the seven game losing streak 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:38.520 that the Giants are on, only once in those seven games, 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:40.680 and it was last week against the Bears, only once 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:44.640 have they allowed fewer than twenty seven points to the opposition. 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:49.800 I mean, teams are putting up big scoring numbers against 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:53.240 this defensive unit, and it's starting quickly. In games West. 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:56.200 You look at the quarter by quarter breakdown for the Giants, 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:59.800 they've been outscored eighty one to twenty seven in the 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:02.880 quarter of games. You and I have been talking, you know, 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:05.319 all the time about obviously the Packers wanting to get 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:07.520 out to a fast start, and I know We're talking 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:10.000 yesterday about being able to win a game on the 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.920 road maybe when things don't start out all that well, 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:16.480 and you know, still finding a way, but just based 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:19.480 on this particular opponent and how teams have beaten the 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:22.280 Giants consistently this year, you have to get out to 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.160 a fast start and make that rookie quarterback play from behind. Yeah, 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:26.960 and you need to be able to to sink your 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.880 teeth into this defense and and get the yards that 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:32.920 have been out there so far this season, especially if 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:35.720 Peppers doesn't play. Peppers has been arguably their best defensive 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:37.880 player this season. I mean, if you if you really 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:39.720 break it down, I mean, he's made some big plays 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:41.800 at the safety position. Genera's Jenkins is a guy I 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:44.880 really respect. At cornerback, Marcus Golden has seven and a 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.120 half sacks, But outside of that, yeah, Genor's Jenkins has 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:51.760 four interceptions. He's certainly been a playmaker for them in 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.160 the back end as well. But they have ten interceptions 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:56.120 as a total, you know, and and four those belong 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:58.120 to Jenkins, two of them to Ryan Connelly, and then 0:11:58.160 --> 0:12:00.720 Jabriel Peppers has one of them. So I mean it's 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:02.840 just it's one of these deals where you look at 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:05.200 where season is headed for the Giants and being on 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:07.680 the skid that they're on. This is why you can't 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:09.199 have a letdown. And that's why the Packers had to 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:11.640 make sure they get their bodies right, because this is 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.400 a game. You have to scheme, you have to prepare, 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:16.000 you have to plan for the Giants playing their very best. 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:18.400 And the Floor said of himself standing at the podium, 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:20.600 you can't take them lightly. You saw what happened last 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:22.840 week with with the Bears and how close that game was. 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:25.520 At the same time, that was a nineteen to fourteen 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.559 game in which the Bears and you know, Mitchell Traubisk 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:30.280 have been working through some things and they haven't been 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:33.080 able to find the running game. Packers are a different breed. 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.800 They're eight and three, they have more wins right now. 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:38.920 Are just as many wins is the next three opponents 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:42.360 that they're gonna face combined. It starts with the Giants. 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:44.600 You have to be able to get that w Yeah, 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:48.160 absolutely well, looking at the bigger picture here for the Packers, 0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:50.080 I know we talked about a little bit a little 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.760 bit yesterday, but you're tied for first in the NFC 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:56.160 North at eight and three with the Minnesota Vikings. You're 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:59.520 looking up in terms of the rest of the NFC. 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:01.480 You're looking up at the Niners at ten and one, 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:04.840 the Saints at nine, into the Seahawks also at nine 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.640 into the Vikings play the Seahawks this week on Monday 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:11.520 Night Football, so somebody is going to take another loss there. 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:16.160 But with what happened on Monday Night Football with the 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:19.200 Los Angeles Rams picking up their fifth losses, the Baltimore 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:24.079 Ravens continue to just steamroll the league right now. Um, 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:26.040 and we could do a whole show on the Baltimore 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:29.120 Ravens and Lamar Jackson with what that with what that 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:31.439 outfit is doing. But where I'm going with this West 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:35.720 is that it And I don't like to say, hey, 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:37.920 this is all set in stone, We've got it all 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.600 figured out with five games to go, but you look 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.200 at where things are in the NFC and it kind 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:47.880 of looks like you already know really where the two 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:50.480 wild cards are going to come from and how and 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:52.400 how this is going to shake out. And I mentioned 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:55.440 this to you yesterday when we were talking off camera. 0:13:56.320 --> 0:14:01.360 There's a very good chance here that in the NFC North, 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:06.080 with the Packers and the Vikings. Barring some crazy slump 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.880 or you know, by either team that we're looking at, 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:11.920 the winner of the NFC North is going to be 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:14.440 the three seed and the runner up in the NFC 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.840 North is going to be the sixth seed, which essentially 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:22.960 means that the game in Minneapolis in Week sixteen very 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:27.880 well could simply determine the location of the wild card game, 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:31.080 because the Packers and Vikings very well could meet again 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:34.560 as that three six matchup and the winner gets to 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.040 host it and the loser will be the team on 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:39.600 the road. It kind of looks like that's where this 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.480 all is pointing, even even to say that with five 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:45.120 games left as it stands, yes, it is going to 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:48.200 be really interesting to see how San Francisco and New 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:51.640 Orleans kind of meander through this month of December, because 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:53.880 they both have difficult matchups still in the schedule, and 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:55.760 they have some teams within their own divisions that are 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:58.760 going to play each of them tough. That being said, 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:00.880 if you look at the way that things have kind of, 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:05.160 you know, laid out here, it's actually kind of interesting. 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:08.000 Like in my time with the Packers, Packers have been 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:11.720 playing from behind. They played from behind in fourteen or sixteen, 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:13.320 I should stay with the run. The table being at 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.000 four and six. Um, it really was the last time, 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:17.720 going back to two thousand and fourteen, where they've been 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:20.360 in a position like this where their works kind of 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.480 cut out for them. They've positioned themselves to be a 0:15:22.560 --> 0:15:27.000 playoff team, and now you're trying to climb the seating chart. Uh, 0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:30.880 that's fascinating. And I said this on the radio, the 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:32.960 pregame radio. I know I said this to you last week. 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:35.640 I may be one of the only people that remember 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:36.960 is just based on how the last two and a 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:39.680 half years have played out. But Aaron Rodgers standing in 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.920 that that podium at Mercedes ben Stadium and talking about 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:45.840 the importance of playing playoff games at home because they've 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:47.520 had to play on the road a lot since the 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.600 NFC Championship Game in two thousand and fourteen. Ever since then, 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:55.560 it's been a grind. This is the opportunity and in 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.400 the unique thing about it is where San Francisco got 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:01.640 a big win. I think if you're looking at the 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:04.480 overall a lot of things here, Green Bay has a 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:08.320 much better schedule heading into a potential playoff run than 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:09.920 what San Francisco is gonna have to do with and 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:12.320 how competitive those games are gonna be. So that depends 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:15.680 on perspective, right, is that conditioning yourself or is that 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:18.680 wearing yourself down? We'll find out in January. But be 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:20.600 that as it may. The Packers and T. J. Lang 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:23.160 tweeted this um yesterday too. I believe for two days 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:26.200 ago Packers could very easily be thirteen and three, twelve 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.280 and four if you work for it, if you do 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:30.960 what you need to do. That's why, going back to 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:34.600 your original point of this entire question, that Week sixteen matchup, 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:37.480 Packers are still looking for that win at US Bank Stadium. 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:40.760 What better way to make a statement about what this 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:44.520 team could potentially accomplished in January and maybe into February, 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:46.800 then finally being able to take out the Vikings at 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.760 home to win a division title. That's that's where my 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:51.320 eyes are right now. But in order to be even 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:55.800 in that conversation, the Giants, Washington Chicago teams that have 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:57.920 had real difficulties this year that I've had to work 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.360 through some stuff, You've seen changes across the word, you 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:03.600 have to be able to put those teams away. Yeah, absolutely, 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:05.760 the Packers have to take care of business. And certainly 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.760 with two of those three, as you mentioned, Washington Chicago, 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:11.960 both being at lambeau Field, the Packers will be this 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:15.200 weekend at the Giants. The Packers will be wrapping up 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:17.919 this stretch of four road games in a stretch of 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.480 five games over the course of six weeks, with the 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:23.480 bye week mixed in between. Then you're gonna come back 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:26.000 home and you have back to back home games against 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.080 teams that are looking up at you record wise, looking 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:31.360 up at you in the standings. So yes, I mean, 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.720 all eyes are on that week six team, two nights 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:38.560 before Christmas, Monday Night football at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:41.560 But the Packers have to put themselves in position to 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:45.000 where that game means what they wanted and needed to mean. 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:47.480 And that's what these next three weeks are all about. Yeah, 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:49.280 and two things I want to say. First thing is 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:51.560 we have to see where this injury this week takes 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.640 with the Giants, because if Evan Ingram plays, if rhtt 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.840 Ellison plays, those are the top two tight ends. That's 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:01.439 those are those are safety valves forward Daniel Jones. And 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:03.880 that's also a position where the Packers have had struggled 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:06.200 and say you can bet Daniel Jones wants Evan Ingram 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:08.240 his top tight end out there against the Packers. With 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:10.600 the way the Packers defenses struggled against tight ends the 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:13.320 waiky Cushing protocols go. We'll see. I saw the play 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:16.280 with with Golden Tate. We'll see how that goes. But 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:18.159 I mean, certainly if he if he would happen to 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:20.159 get cleared, that's a big weapon that has a lot 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:23.119 of experience against Green Bay. So all those things have 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:25.200 to get chalked up and accounted for. What I want 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:27.480 to point to you though, is I was trying to 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:29.240 think of this, and that was this is actually yesterday. 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:30.879 I was thinking about this, but I had neither the 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:34.280 time nor inclination actually want to look this up. I 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:36.959 don't remember a year like this and the NFC, at 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:38.760 least the a f C. Maybe it's happened because of 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:41.200 the overall dominance at the top of that that conference, 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:44.160 but we're going into the month of December. You really 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:47.760 did have six clear cut teams where you have at 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.159 the very top green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle in the 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:54.120 New Orleans, Minnesota has played catch up in his back 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:56.399 in this thing. And then whoever wins the NFC East, 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.399 and that's kind of it. I mean, if the M's win, 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.440 as you said yesterday, the Rams right to me that 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:05.440 that was that was the thing going into last night. 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:07.080 If the Rams would have been able to beat the 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:09.720 Ravens and get to seven and four, then you're looking 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:13.200 at another team that's right on the heels of that 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:15.960 last wild card spot, which right now, that last wild 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:19.840 card spot is whoever finishes second in the NFC North 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:22.320 based on where the records are. But with the Rams 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:26.720 picking up their fifth loss, you have the teams in 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.720 the NFC East. It doesn't it doesn't look like the 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:32.040