WEBVTT - #328 Packers Unscripted: Keys in the capital 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:20.560 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:23.720 I am Mike Spofford, joined as always by my trust 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.160 in colleague West Hodkuits. Were coming to you here from 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:30.120 our studios at lambeau Field West. It is Friday, Green 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:33.800 Bay at Washington Sunday afternoon, FedEx Field right around the 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:35.919 corner here our final show of the week, and that 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.479 means keys to victory. So let's start on the offensive 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:42.640 side of the ball for the Green Bay Packers. What 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:44.920 do you think is the biggest key to pulling this 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:49.760 one out? Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers In Aaron Rodgers, Uh. 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:53.159 Mike McCarthy said on Friday morning, the expectation is is 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:55.760 they're going to go basically the same exact regiment that 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.160 he was on last week where he didn't practice Thursday. 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:00.240 But it looks like at least the goal is for 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.880 him to practice on Saturday in the hopes of him 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:07.200 playing on Sunday. And it's really interesting. I think that 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:10.080 the aspect of this matchup that hasn't really been talked 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.600 a lot about yet it lost at least in the mainstream, 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:14.920 is that Okay, if you take away the injury, no injury. 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.000 You just don't focus on that. It's actually it's gonna 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:19.720 be interesting, and that the Packers offense is going to 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:21.520 be in for what appears to be a test against 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:26.240 this Washington defense regardless. Now it's a really small sample size. 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:27.880 I don't know how much you can read into the 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:30.720 where Washington's ranked right now. But the fact of the 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:32.560 matter is they got off to a good start and 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:36.440 they played well against Arizona. So where this goes from 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:39.559 here we'll have to see. But Aaron Rodgers did get going. 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:41.960 He got on the same page with Jimmy Graham last week. 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:45.640 Uh that there, that combination together was able to generate 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:49.480 some serious production. And then you have Davante Adams, Jeronimo Allison, 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.440 Randall Cobb and everything that comes with it. Packers are, 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:55.520 outside of Rogers himself, are really healthy on the offensive 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:57.200 side of the ball. And then that gives number twelve 0:01:57.240 --> 0:01:59.520 is full assortment of weapons. Yeah, I think the most 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:02.080 interesting match up here, we talked about it earlier in 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:04.760 the week is Davante Adams against Josh Norman. I think 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:07.360 we're going to see that as a one on one 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:11.040 type matchup all throughout the afternoon. Now, Adams can certainly 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:14.200 win his share in that matchup. But I don't think 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.000 this is the same type of secondary as the Minnesota 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:20.679 Vikings have. And I think you know, the matchups here 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:24.320 for Jimmy Graham, for Geronimoallison, potentially Randall Cobb. I think 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:28.480 these are some some favorable matchups here for the Packers. Now, 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:32.560 DJ Swaringer, the safety for Washington, had two interceptions of 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:35.160 Andrew Luck. He's a guy who's he's going to be 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:38.280 sniffing out the football, there's no question about that. And Rogers, 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:42.040 I think, will you know, definitely be paying attention to 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:45.000 where Swearinger is out there. But I like the Packers 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:48.280 matchups here as far as the perimeter weapons against Washington 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:51.919 secondary and the fact that the Packers offensive line has 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.280 had a pretty good test the first two weeks in 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:57.079 terms of the pass rush on the defensive fronts they've 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.480 had to face in their own division against the Bears 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:02.000 and the Vike. I think this sets up pretty well 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:04.640 for you know, as long as Rodgers is no worse 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:07.240 for wear compared to last week. I think this sets 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:09.399 up well for the Packers offense to get rolling, even 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:11.680 though it's always tougher on the Road. Yeah. I don't 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.400 know if I can say that the Vikings have the 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:16.639 top safety combo in the NFL. I don't even want 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:19.520 to have that debate. But I do believe Harrison Smith 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:23.280 and Andrews and Dajo compliment probably the defense as well 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:26.000 as any tandem in the league. And that was one 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:27.280 thing that I think you had to take an account 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:29.120 when you're looking at Xavier Roads, when you're looking at 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:31.640 Trey Waynes and and you know Mike Hughes and what 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:34.800 they are doing with the Vikings, then you push it 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:37.640 forward here to Washington. Josh Norman is one of the 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:40.160 elite cornerbacks in this league. I still believe it, even 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:42.720 though he hasn't had an interception now in over a year, 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:46.880 but he still has that shutdown tight mentality. I just 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:50.120 don't know if Washington really compliments him the same way 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:54.320 that Mike zimmer Defense compliments Xavier Rhads. Does that make sense? 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:56.680 I hear what I hear what you're saying. So it 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.280 is gonna be interesting to see with the footwork that 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.320 Davante him possesses in some of the different concepts and 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.240 and fundamentals that he stresses in his games, what the 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:08.400 potential over the top ability is if he can you know, 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:11.400 get some separation from Josh Norman right off the line, 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:13.320 it's gonn be a great little chess match to watch. 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:17.320 And also seeing what Washington do in the trenches, trying 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:19.000 to get a little bit more traction. The Packers have 0:04:19.120 --> 0:04:22.599 had really two big tough tests with that offensive line 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.240 with Chicago and Khalil Mac coming in. You saw what 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.320 Mac did last week, uh, and the challenge that he's 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.400 going to present for offenses every single week this season. 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:33.960 And then Minnesota and what they can do in the 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:36.240 generate the power that they can generate in the middle. 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:40.320 It My initial feeling is that Washington is not going 0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:42.840 to be able to do that as well or you know, 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:45.400 as far as what we've seen in these first two games. 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:47.960 So seeing how the Packers contract that and maybe being 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:49.599 able to give Aaron Rodgers a little bit more time 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:53.880 to work those perimeter weapons. Yeah, there's always that um 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.640 initial feeling out process. You might say, when a team 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:59.000 goes on the road for the first time. You know, 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:01.480 the crowd noise gets loud on those third downs when 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:04.520 you're on offense. Packers have a veteran offensive line that's 0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:07.640 been you know in plenty of situations to uh to 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.120 hopefully handle that and not make it look like a 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.279 first road game of the season I guess is what 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:14.800 I'm saying. Yeah, totally and it'll be interesting too. As 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:17.360 you mentioned earlier this week, but the problems that they've 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:21.720 had Washington has had filling FedEx Field, if this could 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:25.719 potentially be a Packers type pseudo home game, only time 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.599 will tell, But I think the one thing the fact 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:32.039 that they were twenty thousand empty last week um now 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:34.120 hosting the Packers, that will be in a very interesting 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.719 aspect of this matchup to see if you know you 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.400 can get some of the lambeau Field East going at 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.320 FedEx Field on Sunday. Yeah, definitely something to watch as 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:46.239 we arrive there late Sunday morning and take our seats 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:48.760 in the press box as the fans start filing in 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:51.360 switching to the defensive side of the ball. As far 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.599 as keys to victory here west, I mentioned it in 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:57.599 our final Thoughts video, and I know two games not 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.240 the greatest sample size to go off of so far 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.240 in terms of just where this Packers defense is, but 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:07.960 it seems that when the when this defense has limited 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:10.920 the explosive plays. They've been pretty darn good and they've 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:12.640 held a lot of They've they've held the Bears and 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:16.400 the Vikings to field goals. It seems the big chunk 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.560 plays are the ones that end up leading to the touchdowns. 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:22.480 And I really think, um, you know, you throw out 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:25.680 all the roughing, the pass or controversy and everything else aside. 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:30.719 If this Packers defense can prevent the big gash type 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:33.560 plays from happening, I like their chances in this game. 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:36.919 I do too. And you know, Washington, they're kind of 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:39.919 in an interesting spot right now. They signed Adrian Peterson 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.400 late obviously after to the the injury. I believe that 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:45.279 was guys that ended up going down right at the 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.279 beginning of camp. There their rookie running back. Yeah, the 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:50.520 l s U L s U running back right, Yeah, 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.760 and uh, you know now they signed Michael Floyd and 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:56.640 as I messed up on yesterday's showed Brashad Perriman also 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:59.040 joining those ranks. So what are you going to see? 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:01.080 What are the concepts going to be? They do have 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:04.080 weapons you have to account for. We talked about with 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:06.320 Jordan Reed. One of the best tight ends in the league, 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:09.080 Jamison Crowder had a really good season two years ago, 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.280 but hasn't really been that same type of player. And 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:13.480 you know, the jury is still out on Josh doxon 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:16.679 the biggest question I have here and I talked about 0:07:16.680 --> 0:07:19.560 this in that same Final Thoughts video Mike Packers. I 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:21.080 don't know if you remember that three years ago. I 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:23.480 believe was also Week three against Kansas City or maybe 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:27.320 Week two. They got out of the gate on Alex 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:30.400 Smith seven sacks in that game. It ended up being 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:32.760 closer in the box score than you would have thought 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.800 due to some you know, plays that they made late, 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:39.679 but they just they really dominated and controlled the tempo 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:42.480 of that game. They did it in the trenches. They 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.120 need to do it again in this game. I know 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.400 it's been sort of hit and miss the time for 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:48.960 the past rush and certainly Clay Matthews looking to get 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:51.600 that first sack of the season. This is gonna be 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:54.440 a really good opportunity, in my opinion, for them to 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:56.600 really set the tone because even though they have one 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:58.840 of the top left tackles in the game, Washington does, 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:02.440 they've had six tess in the past against that front. Yeah, 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:04.560 and I know a lot of attention this week has 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.360 been on how the Packers are going to match up 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.160 with Chris Thompson, the running back who he's sort of 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:13.320 the compliment to Adrian Peterson as far as rushing the ball, 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:17.160 but he's Washington's leading receiver right now. Nineteen catches for 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:19.600 a hundred fifty five yards for the first two games. 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:22.600 But that being said, I've said all week I think 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:25.840 the toughest matchup here is Jordan Read that tight end. 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:29.160 And I say that in part because of Alex Smith's history. 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.640 When he was in San Francisco, he had Vernon Davis. 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.440 When he was in Kansas City, he had Travis Kelsey. 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:38.160 He had big time playmakers a tight end who were 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:42.400 not just security blankets, but guys who could gash a defense. 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:44.960 And I think he wants Jordan Read to be that 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.720 same guy in Washington. That I think is a tough 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:50.200 matchup for the Packers. I'm not sure, you know, do 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.719 you do you play that with a safety? With a linebacker? 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:54.720 Do you bracket? You know? I don't know. That's for 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.280 Mike Petton to figure out. And I'm not saying that 0:08:57.360 --> 0:08:59.719 the Packers necessarily are going to pick one strategy and 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:02.000 with it. This is one of those guys where you 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:04.120 mix up the coverage is a little bit don't let 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:07.560 the quarterback know exactly what we're doing on that primary 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:10.360 target every single snap. So I think that's a big 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.960 matchup in this game. And if the Packers can you know, 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:16.600 keep Jordan Reid contained under control a little bit, you know, 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.319 I like the defensive chances of of keeping this game 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:21.000 under control. Yea, when they saw him in that game 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.800 in two thousand sixteen, five catches for seventy nine yards 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:25.319 for him, The biggest thing in that game was actually 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:27.760 just the pr Garcon touchdown that that really kind of 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:29.920 burned them. Yeah, he's a guy that they're gonna have 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:31.480 to make a decision on it. And it's also gonna 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:34.440 be dependent on how the Packers want to handle these packages. 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:37.680 I mean, you got it looks like by all accounts, 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:40.280 Kevin King's not gonna play in this game. So does 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.480 that mean that Jaire Alexander seeing him? Could Josh Jackson 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:45.920 be seeing him? Josh Jones is coming back? You have, 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:48.840 you know, Jermaine Whitehead. There are a lot of ways 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:50.920 for the Packers to defend him, and based on what 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:54.000 Petton has done so far with his scheme, you really 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:56.960 don't know what they're going to be throwing at Washington 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:58.720 in this matchup. I you know, really don't know if 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:01.319 we're going to see another dB heavy scheme. Are we 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:03.800 gonna see a lot of of those concepts used? Do 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:05.760 you do you pack it in again and maybe go 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:08.520 with more of a sub base defense, you know, where 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.400 you have Mohammed Wilkerson playing that end and now you 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.160 have an extra cornerback in there to defend a lot 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:15.640 of decisions they are going to have to make. But 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:18.160 certainly getting back to the crux of it, when you 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:20.600 look at Alex Smith's history with tight ends in the 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.280 way he plays this game, that's gonna have to be 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:25.680 a focal point for the Packers to come on victorious. Yeah, 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:29.360 I think so for sure. Well, our last show of 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:31.320 the week, we also like to take a look around 0:10:31.840 --> 0:10:34.360 the league at what else is going on in Week three, 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:36.280 and we might as well start with what happened on 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:39.959 Thursday night in Cleveland. Was six hundred and thirty five 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:44.240 days between victories for the Cleveland Browns, but they get 0:10:44.280 --> 0:10:47.160 off the schneide, so to speak, their first victory since 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:51.480 Christmas time of a comeback victory by their new quarterback 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:54.959 Baker Mayfield, who's thrust into the game when Torodd Taylor 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.560 goes out with a concussion, rallies the Browns from I 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:01.040 believe it was fourteen zero in the second quarter at 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.840 right point there. So um, hats off to the Browns 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.520 and John Dorsey, Elliot Wolf, Alonso high Smith, all those 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:09.560 personnel folks used to be here in Green Bay. Looks 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:11.680 like they're turning things around in a tough place. Yeah, 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:13.880 and it's funny too. I tweeted this after the game. 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:18.640 John Dorsey, man, he knows quarterbacks with what Patrick Mahomes 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:21.120 doing right now, and no questions the city and a 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.040 big decision that they had to make with you know, 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:27.440 really what a lot of people felt for first, you know, 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.800 top ten type quarterbacks on the board, which one do 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:32.880 you want leading your franchise? And it seemed like it 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:34.760 wasn't that big of a decision for them. They wanted 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:38.440 Baker Mayfield and watching him play the biggest thing micause 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.960 I'm watching him and he goes in, like you mentioned, 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:43.560 the game's fourteen to nothing. They get points on his 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:45.959 first series in a field goal, and then he has 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.360 to score touchdowns the rest of the way, and he 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:52.760 does it. He plays with tempo, tempo tempo making plays, 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:55.960 not holding onto the ball too long, being daring with 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.880 where he's putting the ball, his accuracy, his arm strength. 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:01.120 That was every thing that I wanted to see from 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.120 Baker Mayfield. Now they got to make a decision on 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:04.920 which direction they want to go and what's the best 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:08.640 for his development and their team. But seeing the Dog 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:12.480 Pound actually have that kind of energy again, the football 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:15.120 is better when the Cleveland Browns are better. Nobody wants 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.800 to see teams that are win sixteen, one and fifteen. 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:20.960 They want to see competitive football the a f C North. 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.280 I'm not saying they're contender yet, they still have a 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:26.520 long way to go, but there is life in Cleveland. Yeah. Well, 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.120 you mentioned the conviction they had in Baker Mayfield, and 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:32.640 that was certainly illustrated in the draft because sitting at 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.440 the number one pick and with those four quarterbacks everybody 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.240 was talking about in the first round, John Dorsey certainly 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.439 could have sold that first round pick to another team, 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:43.760 moved back to number three or number four and still 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:47.680 gotten one of those top quarterbacks. One of those was 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.880 the opponent last night in Sam Donald of the New 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:54.920 York Jets. But Obviously, Dorsey had the courage of his 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.760 convictions that Baker Mayfield was this guy. He wasn't going 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:00.080 to take any chances. He stayed at number one, and 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.720 he took him. And we'll see how it unfolds, but 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:05.800 it looks like it could be a great, great decision 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:07.720 by the Cleveland and to jump in there to the 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:12.400 previous administration did do that. They traded back and they 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:17.040 lost out on Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. Sometimes, if 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:20.320 you got the guy, you like the guy, you draft 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:22.839 the guy, take the guy, and uh, you know now, now, 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.880 at least for one week, the Cleveland Browns have a 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.880 lot to cheer for. Yeah, well, elsewhere around the NFC North. 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:32.760 In Week three West, a struggling Buffalo team travels to 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:36.640 Minneapolis to take on the Vikings. The Chicago Bears, coming 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:39.280 off of their big Monday Night win over Seattle, they 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:44.080 travel to a struggling Arizona team and then the Detroit Lions, 0:13:44.160 --> 0:13:46.520 looking to get their first win of the year. They're 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.719 in primetime on Sunday Night Football, but Matt Patricia going 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.480 up against his old squad, the New England Patriots. Some 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:58.160 interesting matchups here. But if if Buffalo and Arizona can't, 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:01.080 you know, get their stuff gured out, so to speak. 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:02.880 You know, you have to look for the Vikings and 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:05.920 the Bears to both chalk up victories, which means, for 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:09.079 the packer's sake, you have to beat the Redskins or 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:10.840 you're suddenly going to be in third place in your 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:12.880 own division. Yeah, it's gonna be tough for you from 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:16.000 that perspective. And yeah, right now, Lions are in a 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:18.080 tough spot. And now they're going to be taken on 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:19.680 one of the top teams in the league and a 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.480 coach that knows smacked Patricia's defense better than anybody. So 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:26.360 that's gonna be a tough task. I think that the 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:30.840 knowledge part, I think it favors the Patriots over over 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.480 favoring the Lions. So it's just a little into something 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:37.080 like this. Yeah, And from the perspective of the Bears, 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:39.000 that's why I said that game last week was so 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.000 important against Seattle, Mike, because not only did it keep 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.160 them out of the O and to start. Now, Okay, 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.600 this is an opportunity with Arizona really looking like a 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:48.840 team that could be going through a rough campaign, depending 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:51.320 on when they want to give Josh Rosen a shot 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:57.200 at quarterback. The they're there for the taking. So for 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.680 for Mitchell Robinski, for that defense, something to go off 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.960 of and and try to build off of. And yeah, 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:05.720 the Buffalo Bills, man, they are in a dark place 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:09.000 right now, and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:10.960 coming back. And for whatever you want to make out 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:13.320 of that ending against the Packers, offensively, they were able 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:15.560 to build some momentum and now they're taking on a 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:19.200 Bills team that's pretty downtrodden. Yeah, and amazing how quickly 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:21.479 things can turn in this league. With the Bills celebrating 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:24.840 last December their first playoff appearance in seventeen years, and 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.960 how dramatically it happened and everything, and now it's just 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:31.080 it looks like they're starting over, trying to find their 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:34.280 way again. So um, a couple other interesting matchups to 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.160 talk about in the NFC before we go west. One 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:41.800 in the NFC, South New Orleans is at Atlanta Sints watch. Yeah, 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:44.360 well this is this is two teams that are both 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:47.240 looking to avoid starting one and two after three games 0:15:47.240 --> 0:15:49.880 because the Falcons lost you know that tough one. You know, 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:53.760 they go to uh Philadelphia for the kickoff game. Against 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:55.600 the Super Bowl champs. That's a tough spot to be 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:57.920 in for anybody to be in. They lose that one. 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:00.160 So the Falcons are one on one the Saints or 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:03.080 one on one having escaped against the Browns last week, 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:05.040 or they would be coming into this game oh and two. 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:07.560 Bottom line is one of these teams, one of these 0:16:08.040 --> 0:16:11.200 uh purported contenders in the NFC South, is going to 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:13.000 be one and two after three weeks. I made this 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:14.640 joke with my dad a couple of days ago, because 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:15.800 you know, a lot of people will put up the 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:18.960 schedule their team every year, like on the refrigerator. We 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:20.720 we always do it. We got like the magnet schedules 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:22.720 to send out to fans. Yeah, I'm envisioning a bunch 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:25.360 of really truly die hard Packer fans having the Packer 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:27.840 schedule and having the same schedule directly next to it 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:30.480 and trying to see what's up there. Yeah. This has 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:32.680 been a tough start for New Orleans. And what's weird 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:37.000 is I don't want to say it's quintessential vintage Saints, 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:40.160 but in some ways it is. The offense is producing. 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:43.360 Michael Thomas is gonna catch two passes this year, Elvin 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:46.280 Kamara looks like he's gonna be a real star in 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:49.040 this league. But defensively, they got punched in the mouth 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:51.480 in Week one and then had their troubles with Cleveland 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.680 week too. So it's the big test, and you know, 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.280 going into that stadium and that venue, and and certainly 0:16:57.280 --> 0:17:00.520 the battles back and forth with they've had with Atlanta, 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:04.439 it's gonna be one that's gonna have big implications for 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:07.680 that division and obviously that this entire conference. Yeah, another 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:11.760 one in the NFC that involves two teams looking to 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:15.840 get back into the playoff picture, so to speak, after 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.600 both missing the postseason in and I'm talking about Dallas 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:24.280 traveling out to Seattle. I'll say this West. If Dallas 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.240 goes out there and wins this game in the Seattle 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:29.360 Seahawks start oh and three, it's, uh, you know, we're 0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:32.840 going to be hearing the death knell bells, so to speak, 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:35.440 which will be way too early, because with thirteen games 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:38.440 to go, any team can turn it around. But boy, 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:41.840 if you're if you're Seattle, you absolutely cannot start oh 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:45.639 and three, especially with a home game here against Dallas. 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:50.360 No division in professional football in two thousand eighteen shows 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:53.680 you how things change year to year, week to week. 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:57.879 You go back to four or five, six years ago, Seattle, 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:02.840 San Francisco, Arizona was trying to chase them, and in 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:05.199 the Rams were just the you know, kind of the 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:07.000 horse at the end of it, just getting beaten week 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:09.879 after week. And then it flips and now you have 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:12.880 the Rams are coming on. Now, the Cardinals are falling. 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:16.200 The forty Niners fell and now they're back on the rise. 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:20.880 And up until this year, the steady presence has been 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:23.680 the Seahawks through the highs and lows. They've always sort 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:25.840 of been steadied. John Snyder kind of built that same 0:18:25.880 --> 0:18:28.600 sort of Green Bay Packers, Ted Thompson year after year, 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:30.240 give your team a chance to be in the playoffs 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.000 and win a Super Bowl. This year might challenge that. 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:35.320 We have a lot of questions in the backfield. The 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.960 defense isn't what it was. This is a huge game 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:41.640 for them and they gotta if nothing else, they gotta 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:43.840 show once again that Century Link is a place to 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.080 be feared in the NFL. And then for the Cowboys perspective, 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:49.240 Dak Prescott has this is his team now, him and 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.160 Zeke Elliott, this is their team. It's a new era 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:54.240 for the Cowboys. They stumbled last year. Can they pick 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:56.479 themselves back up in two thousand eighteen. Yeah. And with 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.520 regards to the Seahawks, this is their third straight game 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:02.280 opening the season. They haven't played any of those division 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:05.800 opponents yet, like you're talking about, so now, that can 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:07.720 be a good thing or a bad thing. But I 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:10.160 think if they start oh and three and then they're 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:12.840 still looking at having to play the forty Niners twice 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:16.480 and the Rams twice, boy, that that could really put 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:18.840 the Pete Carroll and company in a tough spot. And 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.640 I don't want to make it out like San Francisco 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:21.920 is the team to beat in the NFL, but they 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:23.840 just seem to me right now, the way that they're built, 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:25.720 they can beat anybody young in any given week, and 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.040 they potentially could lose anybody. They're just in that kind 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:31.480