WEBVTT - #439 Packers Unscripted: Double duty 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:20.840 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:25.160 I am Mike Spofford, sitting alongside my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz. 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:27.920 We're coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:32.200 Field West. We are another day closer to Packers Bronchos 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:36.640 Week three, Sunday noon Central Time, kickoff at lambeau Field. 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:39.720 And just to give a heads up here, because this 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:44.680 show is truly unscripted, we're going to combine our Thursday 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:49.440 and Friday shows into one show because our wonderful producer, Marvin, 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:52.080 he needs to leave and be out of the office 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.639 on Friday. So today's show we'll go a little bit long. 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.960 We'll try to kind of pack the last two shows 0:00:57.960 --> 0:01:00.440 of the week into one. And I want to start 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:04.480 with a story that that you've posted on our website 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:08.039 examining the first two weeks of the season for the 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:13.080 Packers veteran right tackle Brian Blaga. Because we watched throughout 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:16.679 o t a s throughout training camp, you know, blog, 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:18.679 I had a day off here, and a day off there, 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:20.840 and sometimes even a couple of days off in row. 0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:24.640 This was all part of the plan, wasn't it. Because 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.600 he got to Week one healthy and ready to go. 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:32.000 He had He's had two absolute knockdown, drag out assignments. 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.400 He's got another one here in Week three against the 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:36.840 Broncos as far as his one on one matchup, but 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.640 he is playing some outstanding football for the package. He 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.160 really is, Mike, And it was interesting when I presented 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:45.040 this to Corey Lindsley in the locker room on Wednesday, 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:48.000 Lindsley basically said, I mean, yeah, this is what Brian 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.240 Bolaga does. It's what he's done for the last ten 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.920 years in this offense. A couple of different layers to this. 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.480 The first thing they did have a plan for him, 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:00.200 and Adam Stanovic actually said it sort of began his 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:02.640 time with Joe Staley and San Francisco. Staley is one 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:06.720 of the most durable, reliable and successful left tackles in 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:09.239 the game. In the San Francisco forty nine for the 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:12.040 past few years have been very smart about how they 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.800 used him in practice. The Packers took the same approach 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:17.560 with Brian Bulaga. Now, who's thirty years old. You know, 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.440 in his tenth NFL season, he's seen it, he's done it. 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:23.120 He's lived at in the NFL. They felt there was 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:25.040 a need to be able to push him the way 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:28.400 they need that he's previously been pushed in practice. He 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:31.040 can get his work, get his reps, be smart, and 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:33.399 be healthy for the start of the season. The other 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:36.720 thing that's impressive about that is it still puts him 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:39.799 well ahead of where he was a year ago when 0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:41.520 he came back from the torn e c L in 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:45.360 ten months. He did not actually practice in a live 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.440 capacity until the last week of training camp. He didn't 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.120 play in a preseason game until the finale against Kansas City, 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:53.440 and then oh, by the way, go block Khalil Mack 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:57.640 and the opener. Seeing the difference in Bolaga this year, 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.160 it's just incredible where he's at being able to have 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:02.920 a full off season with those reps. He even put 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.520 it out there he said he took more snaps that 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:07.760 first week and a half of this year's training camp 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:10.440 than he did all of last offseason. With those practices 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.560 with the Texans mix J. J. Watt, Whitney Merciless and 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:17.720 getting live reps against opponents like that and Whitney Whitney Merciless, 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:19.160 mind you, I think was the reigning a f C 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:21.480 defensive player of the week. I mean, just the stretch 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.960 that he's had, the competition that he's faced here early on, 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:27.639 and the fact that he's doing what he's doing a 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.120 big feather in his cap, But to those who know 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:32.720 him best, it's nothing out of the unusual. Yeah, I mean, 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:35.280 I remember talking a lot last year just about how 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:38.720 impressive it was that from when his a c L 0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:42.760 injury occurred in seventeen being late in the season, that 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:46.000 then he was actually ready for the opener in eighteen. 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:49.800 It was a tremendous achievement, quite frankly, But as you say, now, 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:52.200 you look at it this year and there's just no 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:57.080 substitute for the practice time, for the rest that he got, 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:00.880 and and also obviously just being another year removed from 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:03.600 an injury like that. All of that has has added 0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:08.560 up to Brian Bulaga really starting the season off on 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:11.920 a tremendous foot. Because after the Bears game, we weren't 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:15.320 talking that much about Khalilick, And after the Vikings game, yes, 0:04:15.400 --> 0:04:17.880 Danil Hunter had a sack, but that actually didn't come 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:21.080 against Bolag as far as a one on one matchup there, 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:25.160 and both of those guys have been All Pro, either 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.760 first team or second team over the last couple of years, 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:33.719 and now he's got I'm trying to remember now Miller. Yeah, 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:35.719 he's gonna be He's gonna be matched with Von Miller 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:38.799 on Sunday. And from what we understand what the Broncos, 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.280 they don't move their guys around quite so much. It's 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.680 probably going to be seventy five snaps or whatever the 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:48.600 number is, Brian Bulaga against Von Miller. Okay, here we go, 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.279 and uh, it's it's gonna be a great matchup to 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:53.800 watch on Sunday because these are these are two season 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:57.000 pros who have done it and uh and both of them, 0:04:57.120 --> 0:04:59.359 quite frankly, are still very much on the top of 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:02.000 their game. Was interesting when I was talking to Lindsley 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:03.960 a little bit about this in its comments that Brian 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:05.960 or I just said David botr Of echoed in the 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:09.360 past about Bulaga as well. So much of his story 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:12.279 and the way it's been formatted has been around the 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:15.080 injuries and the a c L tears and you know, 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:17.839 and that sort of thing. You could actually see in 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.599 sense because I didn't even ask Lindsley about that, but 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.440 you can see how much that bothers some of the 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:26.520 people that are you know, friends, colleagues, teammates with Bolaga, 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.000 because as Lindsley said, I mean, you've gotta understand what 0:05:29.040 --> 0:05:32.200 this guy is doing behind closed doors, what he is 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:34.760 doing to put himself in the position that to make 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:37.680 him the player that he's become today. You're not going 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:40.800 to find a harder working athlete in the Packers locker room. 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.240 And really, you know, at his position for the way 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.440 that he approaches this thing at the end of the day. 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:47.920 And I wrote this, and we talked about this couple 0:05:47.960 --> 0:05:49.520 of weeks ago, and I wrote it an inbox. But 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.400 I think history will be kind to Brian Blaga's career. 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:55.680 I don't think people fully appreciate what they've had with 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:59.359 him over the last ten years. Now, there's been some changes. 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:03.160 You know, the AP now recognizes the right tackle position 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:06.040 when it makes their AP teams. Pro Bowl is still 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:09.000 the same, you know, it's mostly all left tackles. But 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:10.880 you know, I think when you look at guys like 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.800 Lane Johnson, when you look at guys like Brian Blaga, 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:19.680 it's showing you what how NFL offenses have adapted in 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:22.320 the caliber of players that are manning that right tackle 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:25.039 position now because of the Vaughan Miller's, because of the 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:29.320 Khalil Max. This is gonna be another big battle. Blaga 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:31.240 said he doesn't care whether or not he gets the accolades, 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.040 even though if some other people in his offensive line 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.480 room feels like he should get them. His task is 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:37.680 to go out there and pitch another shut out and 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.880 that's where his sole focuses on. And whatever happens after that, 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:42.640 he'll let the chips fall where they make. Well. I 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:46.400 think we're seeing and guys like Bolaga and David Bakti 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:50.440 have talked about this, that the evolution of defenses in 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:54.479 the NFL, it's not just about getting your one Reggie 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:57.200 White as your premium pass rusher. And then this is 0:06:57.240 --> 0:07:00.480 I mean, these teams are loading up with past rushers. 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:03.400 And yes, the guy for a right handed quarterback, the 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:06.560 left tackle is the one protecting the blind side, which 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:08.960 is a little bit tougher job, so to speak. And 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:10.720 I don't know if tougher is the right word, but it's, 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:12.840 you know, because the quarterback doesn't have the eyes in 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:17.440 the back. Yeah, And but that's not to say that 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:20.000 the guys who are rushing on the other side against 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:22.920 the right tackle or any are any less caliber these 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:27.680 days than maybe they were twenty five or thirty years ago. So, um, 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.880 the match up, the matchups on the edges, it's it's been, 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:33.920 they've been the matchups to watch through the first two 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:36.600 games when you're talking Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd and 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.640 Everson Griffin and Daniel Hunter, and now it's Von Miller 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:42.840 and Bradley Chubb. And now I don't know if the 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:46.080 Packers are gonna necessarily have a three game gauntlet of 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:49.320 pass rushers in a row quite like this later in 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.840 the season, just the way this season has started, but 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:55.160 it does seem that more often than not, you're not 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:58.400 just talking about one edge rusher from another team, You're 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:00.360 talking about both of them. And that's how the Packers 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:02.400 have built their defense now as well. It's funny you 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:04.040 mentioned that too, because while they're not going to get 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:05.760 a stretch of three like this again, they do have 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.680 another stretch of Chicago and Minnesota in December. That's right 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:12.000 back back back to back in Dember. In regards to 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.000 having Van Miller on the end of that, that's a 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.840 different type of problem, but it is coincidental how that 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:19.520 schedule works out that you get Chicago Minnesota in September 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:23.120 and then Chicago Minnesota in December. Be that as it may. 0:08:24.000 --> 0:08:25.880 And you talked about it when you when you mentioned 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:29.680 the right tackle position. Just ask Aaron Rodgers how important 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.400 it is too, I mean, for him in this offense 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:36.840 and even in Mike McCarthy's scheme, the the offensive lineman, 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.680 this is a tough task for them and enabling him 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:41.959 to have the time in which he wants to work, 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:45.080 uh in giving him a clean pocket to you know, 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:48.560 be able to execute the plays under. Bilaga has seen 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:51.520 it for the last ten years, and we talked you 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:55.319 know so furvishly uh you know about you know, Chad 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:57.920 Clifton and Mark Tauscher and a lot of these great 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:00.160 offensive linemen that the Packers have had over the is 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:02.400 I really do believe when it's all said and done, 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:04.880 you gotta put Bryan Blogg in that conversation too, because 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:07.120 this is when you use a first round draft pick 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:10.120 on the tackle position. You want a decade from that player. 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:11.720 You want to be able to plug that guy in 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:14.800 and not worry about it again. And you know, with 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:17.360 a few little bumps in the road, mostly on the 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:19.600 injury side of things, Bolaga has given that to Green 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.480 Bank well, and I still remember Bologa being I still 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.240 believe he's the youngest player ever to start in a 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:28.600 Super Bowl. He was barely over one years old as 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:33.000 a rookie and he got matched up with James Harrison 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:35.920 on a fair number of snaps as a rookie in 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.840 the Super Bowl. And yet nobody was talking about James 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:41.360 Harrison after that Super Bowl. So, I mean, the guy 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:43.400 has been doing it. And yes, there have been some 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:45.520 bumps in the road with the injuries and whatnot, But 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:48.800 regardless of the the accolades and some of that is 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.400 just circumstance, as you mentioned, with how the voting and 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:53.400 things like that go, this guy has been doing it 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:55.480 since he came into the league, and very quietly, Mike, 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:57.800 I mean, the guys started ninety seven hundred and one 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:00.000 regular season games with the Green Bay Packers. I mean 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:02.360 that is a heck of a career. And as he said, 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:04.560 I mean he has no plans on stopping. He sees 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:06.640 himself with the bright future here in Green Bay and 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:09.240 a lot of more football games to play this season 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:12.520 to continue to live up to that type of playing potential. Yeah, Well, 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:16.360 as the Packers get ready for the Broncos here on Sunday. 0:10:16.600 --> 0:10:19.520 It's been a little bit of an adjustment to the 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:23.240 practice schedule, and the Packers are not alone here. The 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.160 fact is Matt Lafleur and his staff they're looking ahead 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:30.319 to the fact that there's a short week next week 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:33.240 with the Philadelphia Eagles coming in on Thursday night. And 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:36.520 we saw on Wednesday both the Packers and the Eagles 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:41.600 essentially canceled or adjusted their normal Wednesday practice to go 0:10:41.720 --> 0:10:44.800 to a walk through to save a little bit on 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:49.679 the players bodies and whatnot. In that sort of with 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:52.840 that lens looking ahead to knowing that that next week 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:56.760 is a short week, trying to plan ahead from a 0:10:56.800 --> 0:11:00.560 physical recovery standpoint. Now, it's it's an interest sting approach, 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:03.040 does not not all teams have done this with Thursday 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:05.480 night games over the years. I think it's a great approach. 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:07.800 I thought it was very interesting that both Green Bay 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:11.240 and Philadelphia both took the same attacked without, you know, 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:15.439 presumably conversating about it. Because here's the thing, Mike, I mean, 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:18.040 you go into this next week, once that game gets 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:22.320 played on Sunday afternoon, you're already into the region mode. 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.280 You're already having to get ready for practice on Tuesday 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.720 and a little bit on Wednesday, and then hey, by 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:30.719 the way, Thursday night, you're playing football again, So it 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:33.000 comes it comes fast. Next week is going to be 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.600 a short, fast week if you look at an eight 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:39.320 day schedule. Yeah, your biggest shot to be able to 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.040 take a little bit off of players is going to 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:44.679 be that Wednesday, we're shooting this before practice on Thursday, 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:47.480 conceivably players will be in pads. They won't be in 0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:50.560 pads next week. So I mean, just kind of figuring 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:53.920 out those pieces. I think it really shows, you know, 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.160 Matt la Floor, what they thought about this, how they 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:59.720 wanted to approach this thing, and making sure that Okay, 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:01.360 if you have some bumps and bruises coming out of that 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:03.800 that Minnesota game, you give the guys an extra twenty 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:06.680 four hours, you do the mental stuff. They called it 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:10.200 a mental day out on They're still presenting the game plan, 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:13.760 going through the basics of the game plan for the opponent, 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.560 They're just not doing it at full speed on the 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.800 practice field. Yeah, Because I mean, it is the biggest 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.959 challenge in the National Football League is having to go 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.800 from Sunday to Thursday and being able to make sure 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:27.800 that you're right for that game. Remember how many times 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:29.720 guys in the past have talked about it really isn't 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:33.040 until Thursday till Wednesday that you start to actually feel 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:36.800 recovered from that from the previous game. Anything that the 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:39.840 team can do to kind of lessen that burden on 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:43.640 guys is valuable. Fortunately, as Aaron Rodgers pointed out, the 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:45.480 Packers have been very lucky that they've been able to 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:48.679 do these swings mostly at home. So you're gonna play 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:50.760 against Denver, you're gonna be able to you don't have 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:52.920 to travel, you sleep in your own bed. You're gonna 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:56.439 have that same opportunity going into the game. So there 0:12:56.520 --> 0:13:00.360 is that advantage because Mike, the reality is by September, 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:04.080 if you can get through these next seven days, the 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:06.200 Packers are in a real good position to be able 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:07.920 to be, you know, three and one, four and oh 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.920 somewhere in that realm to kind of leap frog yourself 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.040 into that second quarter of the season. Yeah, exactly. Well, 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:18.480 speaking of which, leap frogging, let's start our Friday show 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.960 right now. How about that? Okay, So Keys to Victory, 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.559 that's how we always end the week. It's Packers Broncos, 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.840 an uncommon opponent. The Broncos have not played at lambeau 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:33.480 Field since two thousand eleven, if I have that correct. Yeah, 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.080 two thousand eleven was the last time the Broncos were 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:40.600 here in the regular season. So what stands out to 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:45.080 you as the key, whether you want to talk offensive 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:46.959 or defensive side of the ball, what are the Packers 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:48.520 need to do to win this game? You and I 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:51.440 discussed this week a lot of different scenarios Mike with 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:55.800 the Packers and especially how Denver's playing right now. Joe 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:59.240 Flaccos off to a slow start. We talked about, you know, 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:02.720 Lindsay off to a slow start in his second season. 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:06.760 Certainly Miller Chubb no sacks at this point for the 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:08.800 Green Bay Packers. There's gonna be certain things that are 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:10.600 going to go right for the Broncos in this game. 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:13.520 The law of averages says that's gonna happen. But you 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.840 want to make sure you don't allow all those pieces 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:17.240 to go off. You want to make sure that you 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:19.760 can you you, you know, you carry on for another 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:22.760 week here being able to either stop Flacco or Lindsay 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:25.120 or those pass rushers and do what you have to 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:27.960 do to win this football game. Because here's the facts. Now, Mike, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.520 You've just won two games in the NFC North. You 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:33.960 are out front in the division. You look at those 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:37.400 NFL power rankings. Suddenly the Packers, who were sort of 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:39.600 left for dead by some people going into the season, 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.320 now they're back in the driver's seat. You're taking on 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.800 a Denver Broncos team that's OWEN two at this point. 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:47.120 They've had some bad luck go their way, but it's 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:49.560 still an OWEN two football team. You have to take 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:52.080 care of business, so I you're you're not gonna be 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:54.280 able to plug every hole. I understand that the game 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:57.040 there's too many variables to it, but if they're able 0:14:57.080 --> 0:14:59.880 to make sure that they continue the slow start at 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.280 little bit farther for the Denver Broncos, I think the 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:05.680 Packers were able to hold serve here against them. I 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:07.960 think for me that what I look at on the 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:12.080 offensive side of the ball. It really my thoughts for 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:14.640 this game stem from what happened in the Minnesota game, 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:16.280 and it's a couple of things that stick out to 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:20.600 me because while Minnesota did make some adjustments defensively and 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.440 started to clamp down and obviously slowed down the Packers 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:27.720 after that fast start. There were two things that I 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.520 There are two areas that I felt the Packers still 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.120 should have been able to control better and not let 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:35.960 Minnesota necessarily get the momentum and get back into the game. 0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:38.880 And what I'm talking about is protecting the ball, because 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.760 I thought Allison's fumble and then the fumbled snap in 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:46.240 the second half were the fumbled shotgun snap. Those were 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:49.920 both huge turnovers in the game that that really kind 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:52.600 of gave Minnesota life. And then the other thing was 0:15:52.680 --> 0:15:55.240 the short yardage stuff, because Matt Lafleur had talked about, 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:57.720 you know, hey, let's stay in third and manageable, let's 0:15:57.760 --> 0:16:00.760 not be in these third and long situations. Well, sometimes 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:02.920 you are going to get third and long situations that happens. 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:04.960 You're not gonna play four quarters of football and not 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.280 have a holding penalty or a sack or something that's 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.760 gonna put you in a bad spot. But the Packers 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.040 had their share of short yardage opportunities against the Vikings 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:16.960 and they didn't convert them. And this Broncos defense is 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.200 not off to a very good start early in the 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:22.120 year as far as stopping the run and the way 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:24.760 the Packers ran the ball last week against Minnesota, I 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.080 think Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams are gonna be able 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:29.280 to churn out the yards that the Packers need on 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:31.840 first and second down. But if the Packers get in 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:33.600 the third and one or third and two, they've got 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:36.960 to convert those short yardage situations. They can't let those 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:40.120 opportunities get away because you're gonna run into some third 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:42.840 and tens and third and twelves where the Bradley Chubbs 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:44.640 and von Miller's of the world are going to affect 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:46.800 the game at some point. And this is where everything 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.720 comes back together. With the no takeaways, the no sacks 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:53.160 for Denver's defense, they've been, you know, fairly stingy, given 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.200 up yards, but their third down percentages not what they're 0:16:56.240 --> 0:16:58.040 looking for right now. I mean, they have three of 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.160 twenty five opponents are thirty excuse me, of twenty five 0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:04.159 opponents are on third downs right now, and it's an 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:06.720 even mesh. Fifteen of those first downs off the rush, 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:10.639 eighteen off the past four due to penalties. So I 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:13.040 think that that's a huge opportunity for the Packers going 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:14.760 into this game because when you look at vic fan 0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:17.879 Joe's defense, you think of pressure, you think of takeaways, 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.080 and you think of stout third down play. Think of 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.199 how many nightmares that he gave the Packers when he 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:26.240 was in San Francisco, in Chicago through those three things. 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:29.080 So no doubt, I just I really when you look 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:31.240 at whether it is you have to win on first 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:33.760 and second down, that's what makes your life easier. But 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:36.040 even you know, in some of those third and long situations, 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:38.399 looking to get some of the route concepts together, and 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:40.680 even if they know the past is coming, being able 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.720 to still succeed and thrive. That's when this offense is 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.880 at its best when you do move the ball appropriately. 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.199 But in those situations where you've got to confer to 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:52.200 third and nine, you do it. So I think you're right. 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:53.960 I think that that's one of the things that I 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:56.600 really you know, Earmark going into this game, is if 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.560 the Packers can succeed it that way, they're gonna have 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:01.320 you know, things are going to happen. Yeah, well on 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:04.320 the defensive side of the ball. Again, my my thoughts 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:07.120 for this game stem off of what happened in Minnesota, 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:11.760 Because Minnesota got all of its points off of the 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.720 big plays seventy yard touched on run, sixty one yard 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.280 catch and run that led to a field goal, and 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.840 then a forty five yard touched on past that Unfortunately 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:23.240 Ji Year Alexander lost in the sun, or you might 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.920 have picked it off, if not at least knocked it away. 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.680 But through two games, and two games is not a 0:18:29.760 --> 0:18:32.879 huge sample size, But through two games, I think the 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:36.679 evidence is there that if if this Packers defense is 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:41.159 making teams put together a methodical drive down the field 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:43.919 that takes eight or nine, ten or eleven play, if 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.640 they're gonna make them take that many snaps in order 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.960 to score, this defense has a really good chance to 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:52.680 get the stop. I mean that that's what we've that's 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:54.800 what we've seen so far. I actually looked. I think 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:59.040 all of the scoring drives through the first two weeks 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.840 for the opponent have in six plays or less, and 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:04.800 it's because of a chunk play, you know, of of 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:07.720 of a big play. Particularly against the Vikings, those big 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.560 plays were what produced the points against this Broncos offense. 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:13.960 And as you said, with Joe Flacco, he's not lighting 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:16.280 the world on fire right now. He's obviously an accomplished 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:18.560 quarterback and the guys won a Super Bowl, and he 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:20.600 does have a couple of really good weapons in the 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:23.240 passing game. But I think if the if the Packers 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:27.240 don't allow the big play, then I like their chances 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:30.480 of of getting stops or at least forcing field goals 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:33.560 and not letting a team into the end zone too often. 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:35.760 So that that is the blueprint. I mean, that's what 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:37.720 they have to do in this game. Because you also 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:40.840 can't get down on yourself. Joe Flacco is completing passes 0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:43.880 almost se so far. But one of the reasons why 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:46.840 defense have been successful against the defense the offensive front 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:49.880 of the Broncos is because they're tackling the receiver. They're 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:53.040 not allowing big plays to happen. The few big plays 0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:55.240 that Denver has had with you know, you look at 0:19:55.280 --> 0:19:57.320