WEBVTT - #620 Packers Unscripted: Five in a row 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:10.799 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.840 --> 0:00:14.120 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:16.440 by my partner in crime, West hod Kuitz. Were coming 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:19.439 to you here from our studios at lambeau Field West. 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:22.520 The Packers are back from Chicago with a five and 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:27.360 one record by virtue of fourteen win over the Bears 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:30.360 at Soldier Field. A lot of places we can go 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:32.919 with the discussion here about this game, but I want 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:37.559 to start with this one to punch the Packers have 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:45.320 in the backfield on offense, because hundred and nineties six 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:48.959 yards I believe it was against Pittsburgh yards from scrimmage 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:53.000 Dight eight at Cincinnati, Aaron Jones and A J. Dillon 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:56.360 combined for a hundred and sixty nine rushing and receiving 0:00:56.440 --> 0:01:00.480 yards against the Bears. That's five hundred and fifty yards 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:04.120 in three weeks out of out of those two guys. 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:08.640 This um, this offense, this offense is is starting to 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:12.039 find it's you know, it's extra gear, starting to hit 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:14.720 its stride, and it starts with those two running backs. 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:17.440 Right now. There's so many times, Mike, on draft night 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.520 where you and I will get done we'll start working 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.920 on our features. You'll figure out what you're doing, what 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.399 I'm doing, try to get as much content up on 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:29.280 packers dot com as possible. So many times those stories 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:33.040 are based on projection, where you see player A fitting 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:35.160 into the green Bay Packers in the grand scheme of things. 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:37.560 I would challenge you, as you were sitting in your 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.440 office in Green Bay, as I was out in Swamico 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:42.600 in mind, because we couldn't be anywhere near each other 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.360 during the NFL drafts, I think you and I would 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:49.320 have both agreed that at some point down the line, 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:54.600 this was the picture perfect pairing the Green Bay Packers 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:58.320 were hoping for. Certainly, Jamal Williams is an exceptional players 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:00.160 having a good year this year in Detroit, But when 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.440 they made the decision to draft A J. Dillon, it 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:04.080 was because they felt like this guy was going to 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:06.840 be a good compliment not only for Aaron Jones, but 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.280 also this Packers offense and Mike. I don't know any 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:12.480 other way to say other than this is exactly how 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:16.000 you pictured it working out for Green Bay. Time after 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:19.920 time after time, You're seeing two guys play interchangeably get 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:22.560 series by themselves. A J. Dillon this You're just getting 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:25.400 series in the middle of the game by himself. And 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:27.400 the thing that stands out to me is that moment 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:29.400 is not too big for him. His assignments aren't too 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:31.880 big for him, and he's more than just a north 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.800 and south runner. There's a shifting nous to him, as 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:38.120 Aaron Jones talked about after the game, There's an explosiveness 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:41.000 with him when he's in the open field. Those numbers 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:43.600 are not by accident. Aaron Jones and a J. Dillon 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:45.280 have been two of the better players on the Packers 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:47.480 roster right now, and they're getting the production they need 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:49.639 out of that tandem. Yeah. Well, I rattled off the 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:53.000 combined rushing and receiving yards from the last three games, 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:56.320 but I would say personally, for my money, what these 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:59.440 two running backs did against the Bears was the most impressive, 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:02.680 even though was it was the fewest in terms of 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:06.320 the yardage total because the Chicago Bears came in defensively, 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:09.720 came into this game allowing just three point nine yards 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:13.040 per carry on the ground to the opposition, which ranked 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:15.959 I believe eighth in the league. Aaron Jones and A J. 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:20.000 Dillon averaged five point six four carries for a hundred 0:03:20.000 --> 0:03:22.600 and thirty five yards, pounding the ball in the ground. 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:26.280 The other thing too, the Bears run defense had allowed. 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:28.800 The longest run it had allowed all season was a 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:31.920 twenty nine yard or a j Dillon ripped off a 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:35.160 thirty six yarder, Aaron Jones ripped off a twenty eight yarder. 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.480 That's two of the three longest runs the Bears have 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:40.800 allowed all season came in this game against the Packers. 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:44.440 You can't ask for better production, and the Packers did 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:48.040 it again with more shuffling up front with the offensive line. 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:52.280 Elton Jenkins comes back uh steps back in at left tackle, 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:56.760 but on the opening series of the opening offensive series 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.960 of the ballgame, Josh Meyer's the rookie center, goes down 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.280 with a knee injury. Lucas Patrick has to jump back 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.520 in there after really not getting any reps with the 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.720 number one offense during the week. He had obviously played 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:14.080 center the previous week, but with Myers coming back from 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:16.040 the finger injury, he was getting all the reps with 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.320 the number one offense, So Patrick has to get thrown 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:20.920 in there and then lo and behold. Number sixty two 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:24.520 ends up the highest graded offensive lineman when the coaches 0:04:24.600 --> 0:04:27.279 go through the tape and do their usual grades. So 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:31.000 once again this Packers offensive line stepping up to the challenge. 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:34.559 And um, and I just I can't say enough about 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:37.480 how much I like what they're doing with these two 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:39.240 running backs. And I want to give a little shout 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.680 out here to Lucas Patrick. And in a couple of 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:44.360 reasons for that one, the Packers are gonna need him 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:46.320 at the floor mentioned on money, it looks like that 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:48.640 knee injury that Josh Meyers sustained, While it will not 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:50.760 be something that sidelines him for the rest of the year, 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:53.920 he could miss some games with it. That means Lucas 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:55.920 Patrick is right back in the middle of the heart 0:04:55.960 --> 0:04:58.520 of this thing. And Lucas is a really interesting guy. 0:04:58.560 --> 0:04:59.839 If you ever had a chance to talk to me 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:04.320 about understanding where he comes from, not just the undrafted background, 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:06.039 but just where he comes from as a human being. 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:10.360 The guy is all hard work in appreciation. And he 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:12.960 went into camp this year competing for a starting spot 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:15.920 at right guard, and when Royce Newman emerged there, then 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:19.880 he's suddenly competing for a spot at left guard. He 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:22.640 ends up sustaining the concussion. John Runyon has been great 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:25.440 in that role. Lucas Patrick goes back to the bench, 0:05:25.839 --> 0:05:27.960 fifth year veteran guy that's been around for a number 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.960 of years now. He didn't sulk, he didn't drop his 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:34.880 head low. He he wasn't complaining. The guy just shifted 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.280 his focus to all right, what does this team need 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:39.200 me to do? And he had a real salient point. 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.040 I felt Mike back in training camp when he was 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:43.640 kind of asked about competing with all these young guys 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:45.279 and the fact that he hadn't really carved out his 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:48.080 starting role yet. He said, the way I look at 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:50.760 it is if I'm competing with somebody and they beat me, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:53.560 that makes this team better if I'm you know. And 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:57.599 that's his disposition on everything. But what a luxury it is, 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.240 Mike in this sport that you can turn to a 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:02.960 four or five year veteran to come off your bench 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:04.800 and play as well as he did in that game, 0:06:04.800 --> 0:06:07.440 to be able to be a center, the access point, 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:11.320 the pivotal spot in this Packers offense, and he came 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.240 through with flying colors, as you mentioned, grading out his 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:16.240 highest paid player. I think that's a testament to Lucas Patrick. 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:19.440 And like we've said, all all season, Mike, the depth 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:22.720 of that offensive line, Yeah, absolutely well. The latest news 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:26.320 is that the Packers could be getting David Baktieri back soon, 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:29.960 Matt Lafleur saying that the five time All Pro left tackle, 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.680 who has been on the pup list with the knee injury, 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.479 had the reconstructive surgery after the a c L injury 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:40.920 last December. He is scheduled to return to the practice field, 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:43.480 but no timeline as of yet as to when he 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.839 will be ready to step in and play a game. 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.159 Matt Lafleur saying there will be a ramp up period 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:50.640 here to get Bactieri back in the swing of things 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.159 so he can get confidence in that knee. You need 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.280 to practice, you need to play some football. It's not 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:57.640 just okay, go through you know, a few reps on 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:59.640 a Thursday and Friday and get out there on Sunday. 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:01.440 That's not what this is when you're coming off of 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.200 an injury like that. But again, we'll see, We'll see 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:07.039 what happens then when Bot does come back, and and uh, 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:11.080 what the Packers decided to do with the lineup up front, 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:14.680 shifting gears to the defensive side of the ball. I 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:16.760 thought the biggest thing that stood out to me in 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.520 this game for the Packers from a defensive standpoint is 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:24.840 the Chicago Bears deferred when they won the coin toss, 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.480 so they want to have the opportunity for the double up. 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.600 Right at the end of the first half beginning of 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:32.680 the second half. They got exactly what they wanted. They 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:36.480 got the opportunity they wanted. The Packers had a ten 0:07:36.560 --> 0:07:41.280 to seven lead and the defense stopped the Bears at 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:43.760 the end of the first half, Dean Lowry getting a 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.480 huge sack that pushed Chicago out of field goal range. 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:50.160 There did not score before halftime, and then they get 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.160 a quick I believe it was just one first down 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.920 and then three and out after that on the opening 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:58.280 possession of the third quarter. So the Bears set themselves 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:00.560 up for the double up and they get no points 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:02.880 out of it, and then the Packers eventually take a 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:05.480 two score lead and uh and take control of the 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:08.240 football game. I thought that was the key stretch for 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.400 this defense where they said they they said, all right, 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:15.920 we've we've got this one excellent point. Key stretch because 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:17.880 you talk about the double up. If you look at 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:20.320 that as like, you know, back to back on each 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.720 side of that book, ending it We're Packers scoring drives now. 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:26.160 It was only a thirty eight yard field goal before that. 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.320 Packers weren't able to punch that one in. But then 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:31.520 they come back with arguably their best drive of the game, uh, 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:34.280 ceiling that with the touchdown pass to Aaron Jones, the 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:38.000 route runner of the past catcher. Aaron Jones has become Mike. 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:39.680 I'll be honestly, I don't know if we've really seen 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.559 much like it in terms of where he went from 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:45.360 in two thousand seventeen. Is a pretty raw, shifty slasher 0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:49.280 running back to an all around playmaker now. But defensively, 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.000 I just think that gave this whole entire roster and 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:57.280 a huge boost this game, Mike. So many guys are missing, right, 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:00.280 you know, Zadarius Smith and r Alexander there too, all 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:03.319 pros from last year. Neither was available for this game. 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:05.640 Kevin King has a shoulder injury, and while it doesn't 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:07.160 appear like you'll need to go on I R with 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.640 it wasn't available in this one. So Isaaci Adams starts. 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:13.520 After the first series, they make the switch to Resseul Douglas, 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:16.560 who's been here for all of thirteen days he plays 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:20.880 competitive football. Darnell Savage has the concussion, Preston Smith leaves 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.760 with an oblique strain. What do you when you look 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:26.960 at this whole unit, Mike, what's left? What is the 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:31.720 one area where the Packers had their full reservoir of players? 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.560 It was the defensive line. And in this game, whether 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:36.559 it was the way that Dean Lawry finished that first 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:39.320 half seven tackles now sack and a half in the 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.439 last two games, to pass deflections, Dean playing great ball, 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:45.400 and then the way that Kenny Clark finished this game. 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:49.120 I felt like, Mike, the defensive line set the tone 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:52.160 in this one. And when guys are out, you need 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.280 your veteran, top players who are available to step up. 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:57.640 And Kenny Clark definitely did that. Yeah, what Clark did 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:01.319 down the stretch in this game, the Packers with a 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:05.400 ten point lead to fourteen, the Bears trying to trying 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:07.600 to get that score to make it a one score game, 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:09.520 and you know, in the final four or five minutes 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:12.040 and in a span of three plays, Kenny Clark gets 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:16.600 two sacks. I believe they accounted for twenty three yards 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:19.040 or twenty five yards something like that. I mean not 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:21.400 just We're not just talking about two three yards sacks. 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:23.640 I mean he was getting Justin Fields way in the 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:29.640 backfield for some significant lost yardage. Clark with uh Clark 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:32.920 with those two sacks. And also to have to point 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:37.640 out Jonathan Garvin Um, the second year outside linebacker, seventh 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:40.200 round draft pick out of Miami a year ago, a 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.160 raw player came in here with a long way to go. 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.760 He's getting a heck of a lot more snaps now 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:48.960 with Darius Smith being injured. As you said, Preston Smith 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.720 ends up leaving this game. Jonathan Garvin gets his first 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:56.400 full sack um in this game, after having a half 0:10:56.440 --> 0:11:00.439 sack previously, and then also on the open drive of 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.040 the third quarter, he chases down Justin Fields on a scramble. 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:06.360 Doesn't get credit for a sack because Fields was able 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:08.319 to cross the line of scrimmage and game two yards, 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:10.560 but it was on a third down play just the 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.000 two yard game. On the scramble, Garvin makes the tackle 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.319 and the Bears have to punt there, which then, as 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:17.960 you said, the Packers respond with the touchdown drift to 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.920 go up by two scores. Those are the kinds of 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:24.280 things and whether you're talking about whether you're talking about 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.800 Jonathan Garvin, whether you're talking about Henry Black stepping in 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.960 for Darnell Savage when Savage goes out with an injury. 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.120 That's the type of impact the Packers are going to 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:36.080 have to have to continue to weather this injury storm 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:39.240 for however long it's going to take to hopefully get 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:42.720 Jayar Alexander back, Hopefully you get Zadarius Smith back. We 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.560 don't know. Um Darnell Savage. You hope he's okay with 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:48.640 the concussion, but you never know how long that could 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:51.880 keep somebody out. Preston Smith with this oblique the guy's 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:54.200 never missed a game in his career, but he's in 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.000 he's in danger of possibly missing a game, even though 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.720 he obviously wants to play against his former team Washington 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:04.000 coming up this week. But it's those types of contributions 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:06.680 from these guys that the Packers are going to have 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:09.800 to continue to rely on as you you try to 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:12.920 navigate through this and get to where, hopefully by the 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:16.720 stretch run, you know, Thanksgiving on through December, you can 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:19.640 sort of get back to the personnel on the field 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.360 defensively that you've been hoping to have all year. Interesting 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:26.360 juxtaposition with the offense right, because offensively, you had Lucas Patrick, 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:28.320 a guy who's one of the longest tenure players on 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:31.280 this roster at this point, subbing in for Josh Meyers 0:12:31.280 --> 0:12:33.959 a week earlier. Randall Cobb, you know, one of their 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:37.160 most veteran players to jump in. Defensively, it's been a 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.240 lot of young guys and Jonathan Garvin, a seventh round 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:42.199 pick last year, got draft in the league at twenty 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:45.120 one years old. Henry Black and undrafted free agent a 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:46.599 year ago, a guy that made a run in a 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.120 roster spot before starting the year on the practice squad, 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:51.480 but very quickly making his way to the fifty three. 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.240 I just think you're seeing young talent really emerge, and 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:58.160 Garvin is probably the one that's the most satisfying, I 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:00.240 think because he took his lumps. I mean, were a 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:01.800 lot of times last year where he was just a 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.480 healthy scratch. He only played in like seven games his 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:07.800 rookie season, but he came back and he got so 0:13:07.840 --> 0:13:10.520 many reps during camp. With Darius Smith being out, they 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:13.600 were very careful with Rashawn Gary how much they practiced 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.640 him during camp, and the young guy just built off 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:20.320 of it. And when you get a sack like that, 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:22.560 when you make plays like that, And I tweeted this 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:25.640 during the during the game as well, it's one thing 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:27.719 to get a sack, right, Everybody looks at the box 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.520 score afterwards. Oh, Jonathan Garvin had a good game. But 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:33.320 it was how disciplined he was on that sack, because 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:35.040 the thing you and I talked about before the game 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:36.439 was you had to stay in your rush lanes. You 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.360 had to rush to contain. He never lost his leverage. 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.840 He didn't allow fields to cut back inside. He stayed 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:43.880 in front of him, kept the play in front of him. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:45.320 And it was one of the bigger ones of this 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:48.520 ball game. Yeah, classic draft and developed prospect. There. You 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:50.760 take a guy in the seventh round. He he comes 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:53.600 out early, a lot of people wondering, you know, from 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:56.240 the scouting point of view, should he have stayed in 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:59.040 school another year, you know, and and continued to develop 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:01.200 his game. The Packers draft him in the seventh round, 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.880 and here he is in year two. Injuries have thrust 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:06.119 him into a larger role than he could have expected. 0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:09.040 And uh, and he's coming through on the defensive side. 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.840 One more thing before I give a shout out to 0:14:11.840 --> 0:14:17.439 our sponsors with eighty two yards Corey borcs, are you 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:20.840 kidding me? Eighty two yard punt? Second longest punt in 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:25.160 Packer's history, Folks, Don Chandler ninety yards back in nineteen 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.040 sixty five. We'll have to try to see see if 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:29.120 we can find the video of that one. But eighty 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.360 two yards in a sixty two yard net is that 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:34.200 ball scooted into the end zone for a touch back. 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.600 So I watched the Don Chandler punt. Go and watch 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:39.200 it if anyone has a chance to bring it up 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.760 on YouTube. I haven't seen it yet. The parallels between 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:45.680 those two punts is like it's almost like a circle 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:47.720 in time, like they just kind of come back together. 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.680 They looked the same, and it was the same situation 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.480 where I mean give credit to Chandler to boot the 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:55.360 ball the way he did and to get behind the defender. 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:58.000 Heck of a play, basically just ten yards back from 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:01.400 where Bjork has hit his but bo Joe blast Man. 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:05.040 The first day that Maurice Strayton came in and talked 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:08.240 about this acquisition, he mentioned hang time. I like hang time, 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:11.720 I see Hank time. He was really excited about that 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.360 and you're seeing why. I mean, but Hark has mentioned 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:16.760 a week ago when he was talking to the media 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:19.880 a week or two ago. Yeah, he can blast all 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.600 these balls as far as he basically wants to. But 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.000 it's about oh, kicking your coverage. Well, this was one 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.920 particular instance, punting it as far back as he did, 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:30.720 with the snap coming in a little bit low, he 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:33.840 just let that thing go and I think it was 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:37.240 Grant was on the return, just kind of missed it 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:38.720 the ball, let it go over his head, and then 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:40.840 it took the bounce that you're hoping for if you're 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.600 if you're the Packers. So Grant had no even though 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:46.040 he probably has some room there if he can get 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:49.800 his hands on the ball because of the distance. But 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.080 but Grant couldn't pick it up and generate any kind 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:53.680 of a return, and the ball ended up going all 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:55.280 the way into the end zone. You take a sixty 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:57.920 two yard net anytime. Well, And honestly, Mike, if the 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:00.320 Packers would have been backed up another ten yards, it 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:02.640 probably would have been a ninety two yard punt with 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:07.520 that thing wasn't stopping. It got the right bounce afterwards. 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:10.360 But you know, let's just talk about the reality of 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.280 this thing is that Horkes is giving something the Packers 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:16.520 have been longing for. In the punt game has been 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:18.680 perfect week earlier. There were a couple of little bits 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:22.320 of adversity there, but overall he has really good power. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:25.320 He also has good accuracy, and I think he's given 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:27.600 them a big boost. Covered unit's got to get better, 0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:31.040 no question about that. But between the Horkes and Amari 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:33.960 Rodgers making strides, I think you know as much as 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.160 I wasn't sure what to expect with Kylan Hill as 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:39.440 a kickoff returner, he's been fine. Um and Mason Crosby 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.720 bounce back. So from the main specialist positions, the Packers 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:44.800 are getting what they want. Yeah, there are some things. 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:46.760 There are some things to shore up in terms of 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:49.400 the coverage units on special teams, but we're definitely seeing 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:53.760 seeing the progress in a lot of other areas. UM 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:57.200 quickly here West Serious x M NFL Radio delivers hard 0:16:57.280 --> 0:16:59.400 hitting analysis and up to them in the NFL News 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:03.840 that true full ball fanatics need seven three and at 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:06.680 cousin subs, we have something for everyone, like our Wisconsin 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:09.399 Cheese Kurds, mac and Cheese, golden fries and creamy shakes, 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:11.680 all paired with your favorite sub or sub in a 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:15.040 bowl cousin subs, we believe in better all right. With 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.840 this victory, the Packers are five and one, two and 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:22.439 oh in the division and a two game lead on 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:25.320 the rest of the division after six games, because now 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:28.639 both the Bears and the Vikings are three and three. 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.479 So that's a heck of a spot to be in 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:34.680 considering where this team was after Week one obviously, which 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:38.080 they as I said in inbox, they have put that 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.119 game in the ancient dustbin of history. Here with a 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:44.240 five game winning streak, looking to make it six this 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:48.280 week against Washington. But here's the other thing I want 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.920 to talk about. Two though, we're seeing this, uh this 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:57.520 NFC West. Five teams in the NFC either at six 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.000 and oh or five and one. You have the Arizona Cardinals, 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:01.840 who are coming up very soon on the schedule at 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:05.120 six and oh. The Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.840 the Los Angeles Rams, and the Green Bay Packers are 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:09.960 at five and one. Now, I am not going to 0:18:10.000 --> 0:18:13.479 say after six weeks that the rest of the NFC 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.320 is fighting for two playoff spots, because that's not reality. 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:22.440 But this NFC is looking like looking like it is 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:27.280 going to be one heck of a battle for the 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:30.600 playoff positioning and how this all might shake out when 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:32.960 when we start talking a little bit more seriously about 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:36.000 that in December, because there are a lot, a full 0:18:36.080 --> 0:18:39.680 handful of really really good teams in the NFC right now. Yeah, 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:41.600 I hadn't want to turn this into the whole thing 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:45.119 about West doesn't like the one by system for the playoffs, 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:47.080 but I think a season like this really shows why 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.080 I thought there was a lot of value and having 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:53.080 the two because ultimately, Mike, you are right, some of 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:54.920 these teams are gonna rise, some of these are gonna 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:57.560 fall from this current hierarchy. But there's gonna be probably 0:18:57.560 --> 0:18:59.720 a team or two here that's gonna be challenging. Fourteen 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:02.920 win thirteen wins for sure, um, and it's gonna be 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:04.720 unfortunate when one of those guys ends up being the 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.440 number two seed. That being said, I think this early 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:12.679 part of the season you've seen teams really assert their dominance, 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:14.920 and you know, I look at Arizona and I'm starting 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:17.000 to see more parallels between them and like the two 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:20.360 thousand eleven Packers, like that kind of offensively, they can 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:24.119 just play with anybody, and defensively they're highly opportunistic. So 0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:26.880 uh yeah, and then what do you say, I mean, 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:29.160 Tampa Bay is steady as it goes. I mean, you've 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:31.359 seen what the Rams have to offer, even though they 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:33.760 had that one loss to the to the Cards, I mean, 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:38.840 it's gonna be a really competitive conference. And in addition 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:40.520 to the fact that I think you're seeing Dallas kind 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.040 of run their division, Green Bay has gotten some separation, 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:46.360 and there's that battle to be able to get those 0:19:46.400 --> 0:19:49.320 wild card spots this year. It's gonna be a really 0:19:49.320 --> 0:19:51.879 competitive sort of fight right to the very end. Well, 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:54.120