WEBVTT - #819 Packers Unscripted: Big win, short week 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.079 Hi everybody, Merry Christmas and welcome to another edition of 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:22.680 Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:25.479 joined by the one and only Wes Hodkowitz. Coming to 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:29.080 you hear from our studios at lambeau Field Short week 0:00:29.120 --> 0:00:32.199 holiday week. Kind of a double duty episode here, like 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:37.600 we did with the Thursday games earlier this season, we 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.280 need to recap a Packer's victory and look ahead to 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:43.479 a big game coming up next week. West will start 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:47.400 Monday Night Football thirty four to nothing. The Packers take 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:51.520 care of business against the Saints clinch their playoff spot 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:55.640 in the NFC. Quite frankly, New Orleans was just overmatched 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:57.920 in this one, and it seemed pretty obvious by about 0:00:57.960 --> 0:00:59.520 the early portion of the second quarter. 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:02.440 Yeah. Really, with all the respect to the Saints, I mean, 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:05.039 it was the first two Packers offensive possessions that just 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.840 sort of told you what this game was going to be. 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:11.440 Like twenty seven plays, fourteen points. The Saints counter with 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:15.319 nine plays, zero points. And while Green Bay's offense, you know, 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:17.720 at times, there was fits and starts, after the first 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:22.559 two quarters, they just never really gave the Saints any 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:25.080 room for hope. The Saints looked like a team that 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:28.679 was starting their backup quarterback with a backup running back, 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:33.000 with backup receivers. Fortunately, some injuries on the offense as well. 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:36.760 I think what was the most impressive to me, though, 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:40.880 was the way that Green Bay built this game plan 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:46.880 and the execution of it was exactly what you wanted. 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:49.280 I was talking with bow Melton in the locker room 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:52.080 afterwards and he mentioned how you know on film they 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:55.800 saw defensively they were giving up a lot of yards 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:59.200 on the edges, so they ran some stuff outside for 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:02.760 Josh Jacob. They got their sweeps going with the receivers. 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:05.280 The end to round game, you end up having nine 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.320 different ball carriers in this game for green Bay, first 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:11.519 time they've done that since nineteen fifty three. Three running 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:14.000 backs end up with touchdowns, the first time that's happened 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:15.200 since two thousand and nine. 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:18.360 Tossing in the Tucker Craft quarterbacks neque to pick up 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.120 a first down there early in the ballgame. 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:22.799 Two three for three now on the year for Tucker 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:27.960 in those instances. So and I think, again conversation I 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.680 had afterwards with Don Tavian Wicks, the Packers still feel 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:32.760 like they'd haven't played their best football game. Yet they 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.200 still felt like there were things they didn't do particularly 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:38.480 well in this game. But when everything was on the table, 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.160 this is a team that clinches its spot in the postseason. 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:43.400 The New Orleans Saints fall to zero to five on 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:45.720 this year when Derek Carr is not starting under center 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.680 for them, and everything was sort of what it was. 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:52.880 Yeah, you mentioned the running game, just setting the tone 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.080 for green Bay. Josh Jacobs once again goes over one 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.920 hundred combined yards. As far as the rushing and the 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.040 receiving put together, again, he was just a physical presence 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:06.520 out there, breaking tackles, stiff arming a Pro Bowl safety 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:09.800 there in Tyron Matthew down by the goal line. The 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:12.960 Packers end up scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions, 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:15.160 the first time in four years that Green Bay has 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:18.040 done that in a game. Three possessions, three touchdowns to 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:20.239 start the game, and at the time that the score 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:22.320 was twenty one to zero, the New Orleans Saints had 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:27.480 twenty one total yards of offense. Defensively, the Packers were 0:03:27.480 --> 0:03:30.320 on their way to a shutout, the second shutout of 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:34.040 the Matt Lafleur era, joining the twenty twenty one shutout 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:36.760 of the Seattle Seahawks, but also the first shutout in 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:39.040 the NFL in twenty twenty four, which I had no 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:42.160 idea that was the case until after the game when 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:46.040 that started to circulate, I did not realize that there 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:49.280 hadn't been a shutout in the NFL this season. The 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:52.240 Saints limited to just one hundred and ninety six total yards. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.960 The Packers get two turnovers defensively. Keishawn Nixon gets a 0:03:55.960 --> 0:04:00.080 strip sack on a blitz coming off the slot, and 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:03.840 then Zane Anderson gets an interception on a ball that 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:06.600 a rookie quarterback is going to learn from, you don't 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:10.360 throw that pass. Zane Anderson, to his credit, his first 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:14.440 career interception, making his first start in place of in 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:16.960 place of Evan Williams, who was I guess sort of 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:19.120 a late scratch in a sense where he popped up 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.839 on the injury report on Saturday. But again I think 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:25.799 when you look at that, you look at what Zane 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:29.240 Anderson did. You mentioned both of Green Bay's backup running 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:33.599 backs scoring touchdowns in this game. The Saints were really 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:36.240 banged up, but the Packers just showed they have so 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.840 much more depth than New Orleans does. I mean the 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:44.039 Packers depth in this game was just far superior to 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.719 anything the Saints could put on the field when their 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:49.800 starters weren't available, and the final results showed it well. 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:52.479 Rob Damowsky had this tweet two I think it was 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:57.000 citing ESPN stats at info. The Saints got inside the 0:04:57.000 --> 0:04:57.920 thirty yard line. 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:00.800 The ESPN stats in both and got it cracks me. 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.520 Usually I always say Demo ski stats. Well, I actually 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:07.080 credited appropriately this time. That's the Saints got into the 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.400 thirty yard line of the Packers twice, and both times 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.680 they end up turning over the football. The Dante Pettis 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:14.920 pass for twenty yards was probably the best one that 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.080 Rattler threw in this game. And then the next play, 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:20.239 as you said, Zane Anderson leaps in front of that pass. 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:22.520 I think I think Rattler was starting to feel himself. 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:23.440 He was too much. 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:26.000 After that, he makes a great play. He steps up 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:28.479 in the pocket, kind of throws a jump pass to 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.800 convert a third and seventeen. Heck of a play. You 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:32.960 tip your you tip your head to the kid. Then 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.400 he's you know, then he's out there thinking he's you know, 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:37.919 John Elway, you know, rolling out to the right, throwing 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.800 back across the field to the left, and Zane Anderson 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.520 gets you know what, not only his first interception, Well, 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:45.360 it might be the easiest one he'll ever have in 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:45.839 his career. 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:48.400 But you know what, We were talking with Zaane about 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:50.440 this afterwards, and he didn't say this, but I was 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.800 thinking that those are the interceptions you got to make 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:55.040 in this league. Yeah, when a quarterback puts it out there, 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:58.160 and a guy like Zane Anderson, who had a few 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:01.080 reps at safety this week, and then Evan Williams goes 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.279 down on Friday with the quadricep with draws for practice 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.680 or was limited in practice, can't go in this game. 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:10.520 He's suddenly making his first NFL start. It can't always 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:13.360 be Xavier McKenny. It can't always be Orshaun Gary or 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:17.479 Kenny Clark or Edger and Cooper. Sometimes it's Karenton Valentine 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:20.720 getting his first pick. Sometimes it's San Anderson getting that pick. 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.760 And I'll give credit to Rattler with this too. If 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:25.680 you look at his statistics this year when he's been 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:28.320 out there for the Saints, there's a pretty big dichotomy 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:30.200 between when they're in a two minute offense and the 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.760 production he's had and when they've been running their standard set. 0:06:33.040 --> 0:06:34.920 They got back into that two minute rhythm and it 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.159 seemed like you said, he was kind of feeling himself again, 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:39.440 and that could have been a major turning point, you know, 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:41.719 in terms of being able to double up potentially have 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:45.480 other opportunities present themselves. Green Bay did not allow that. 0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:47.360 They did not allow them at the end of the half. 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:49.279 They did not allow them in that situation to have 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.559 any opportunity to come back in this thing. Keishawn Nixon 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:56.839 afterwards was talking about it. Jeff Hafley, You know, this 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:58.920 was never the goal to go in and have like, Okay, 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.120 we're gonna shut out the Saints. But this is a 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:03.920 testament to those guys stepping up. Greenbay had plenty of 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:07.080 injuries on their side of the ball to defensively halfway, 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.680 I feel like this defense has been working towards this 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.000 and with this shutout and with as you said, one 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:14.680 hundred ninety six total yards allowed, Greenmay now sixth and 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.800 total or six and scoring defense seventh and total defense. 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.040 When you look at the balance and the complexity of 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:24.000 a seventeen game season, when you face an opponent like this, 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:26.280 the green Bay Packers did exactly what they were supposed 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:26.520 to do. 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.960 Yeah, the green Bay's defense is definitely uh trending upward. 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:35.480 The the only real negative coming out of this big 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.000 Monday Night win for green Bay was was the health 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:41.040 Department finding out that Evan Williams, for one on the 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.240 defensive side, the rookie safety, it sounds like he could 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:46.440 be out at least through the end of the regular season, 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:50.520 Matt Lafleur saying hopefully he can be back for the playoffs, 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.960 but it sounds like he will be down at least 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:56.480 for a little bit, and then a lot of concern 0:07:57.120 --> 0:07:59.640 just because of the uncertainty at the moment with Christian 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.760 Watts and who. On one of those end a rounds 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.800 in the red zone, he ends up just awkwardly getting 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.960 landed on while he's out of bounds by a Saints 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:15.760 defender and seems to have reaggravated something from his knee 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:18.840 from a little bit earlier this season. He tried to 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:22.160 come back into the game, wasn't you know, wasn't having it. 0:08:22.200 --> 0:08:25.840 Had to shut it down at the time that that 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:29.120 we're taping this episode. There may be some some testing 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.480 and whatnot going on We'll see if Matt Lafleur later 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.560 today has an update just some where things are with 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:38.400 with Christian Watson. But really the you know that that 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:42.080 injury situation and finding those kinds of things out as 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:44.920 as the Packers are trying to make a push here 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:49.199 for the best playoff seed possible. That was certainly concerning. 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:51.640 Well, what hurt the most was talking to you know, 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:55.040 hearing Christian speak after the game, the fact that he 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:56.840 felt like there were things he could have done to 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:59.760 try to turn on the burners a little faster, maybe 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:01.840 get to the end zone, maybe score on that end 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:04.360 around where then you're not in a position where you're 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:07.240 having two defenders hit you on the sideline. Yeah, it's 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:09.280 those small plays. I know. It's something that a lot 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:11.240 of guys have talked about in the past. It's something 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:14.679 that you know, Mercedes Lewis always used to talk about. 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:18.120 It's not just injuries, it's the positions that you end 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:21.480 up in that cause injuries. And unfortunately for Christian that's 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.160 what happened on that play. A credit to his toughness, 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:25.960 he did try to go back out there. It wasn't 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.400 responding the way he wanted it to. He did say 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:30.400 on Tuesday they were going to get some you know, 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:34.520 get that checked out. See where things are again the 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:36.760 end to rounds in this game, and the sweeps were 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:40.280 so critical. I thought to building that early momentum. Whether 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.040 it was Christian two for twenty three I think, which 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:45.320 was over span of maybe three or four plays, Bo 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:48.359 Melton had one for fourteen, Jaden Reed does it constantly. 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:52.040 They were able to stretch the Saints and make them 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:56.160 run and I just felt like those long, meticulous drives, 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:59.160 a seventeen ninety six yard touchdown drive that eats up 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:01.800 almost nine minutes or whatever it was off the clock, 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.280 those things are just demoralizing for defense, and Green Bay 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:08.480 had that early on. Unfortunately they finished this game though 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:09.760 without number nine on the field. 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:12.880 It did seem like and I think it was one 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.200 of the players you quoted in one of your postgame 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.880 stories talking about and it might have been Melton who 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:22.480 said that they noticed the Saints weren't necessarily chasing the 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:25.520 guys going in motion, So that sort of set the 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:27.680 stage for all right, Well, then, yeah, you try the 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:29.959 end around, you try the jet sweep kind of stuff 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:31.880 to see if you can get the edge, and you 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.679 wonder just how much of that is a function of Okay, 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:37.480 they're not going to chase the motion guys, because Josh 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:39.880 Jacobs is back, They're ready to ramp the ball down 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:43.440 your throat. So if the Packers are seeing that and 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:45.760 reading that, and then they can make the adjustments. I mean, 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:47.720 for the Packers to have one hundred and eighty eight 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:50.199 rushing yards in this game and Josh Jacobs had sixty 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:52.120 nine of them, yes, you know, I mean that says 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:55.319 something about the variety and the way they can go, 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.120 the way they can go about it as things move 0:10:58.120 --> 0:10:58.400 a little. 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:00.600 It was telling too they opened the game and the 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:04.120 two RB package, but it was Jacob's and Reid and 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:07.319 I feel like as this thing goes on that it's 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.240 going to be a very important look for them. Now 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:11.440 they've done those type of things before, but think about it. 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:14.360 They open up in that look read I believe motioned 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:16.240 out and on the next play they could still stick 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:19.000 with eleven personnel and Read now is out as a 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.080 receiver and you can go back to a one back set. 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:23.839 That's the type of stuff the defenses are going to 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:25.840 have to account for. The Packers have put that on 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:30.120 film now and now going into the playoffs. That's another 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.199 feather in the cap. When Jacobs leaves the game, Emmanuel 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:36.880 Wilson and Chris Brooks are doing two backpackages together. Brooks 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:39.160 gets his first NFL touchdown after he gives up that 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.800 one against Jacksonville. Emmanuel gets his in the fourth quarter. 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:48.480 For as much as we've talked about Josh Jacobs this 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.960 season and him being the bellcow, green Bay showed in 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:53.720 this game when he does go, you know, they shut 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:55.599 him down basically after they get to twenty four to 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.000 nothing that they have other guys they can turn to. 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.760 I think that's going to be you know, you know, 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.960 for the versatility and the complexity of this scheme. 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:05.719 Yeah, no doubt about it. And certainly a shout out 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:07.960 to the offensive line here for green Bay, not only 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:11.240 the way those guys paved the way for the rushing 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:14.280 yards and with the variety of ways the Packers are 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:17.800 running the ball. But Jordan Love doesn't get sacked once again. 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:19.840 This was a defense, as we had talked about a 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.640 lot last week. They had eight sacks the previous week 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:26.040 against Washington. Jordan Love doesn't get sacked once. The Packers 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:28.840 up to now four games in the last four games. 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:32.800 The only sack of Jordan Love was the opening offensive 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:36.600 play in Detroit on that Thursday night game. Not a 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:39.640 you know, crazy good game for Jordan Love, but certainly 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.200 he was efficient enough, made some plays. You know, he 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:45.840 was just a little bit off target on some downfield throws, 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:48.600 but really only put the ball in Harm's way once 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:50.959 where the Saints had a chance at an interception off 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:53.840 of deflection that didn't happen. So it became another turnover 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:57.240 free game for green Bay. And I mean, you know, 0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.520 when you get up on a team twenty one to nothing, 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:04.599 it's all about just limiting, if not eliminating your mistakes 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:09.080 on offense. Because as we saw last week, it's you know, 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.600 the unfortunate fumbled by Josh Jacobs that suddenly got Seattle 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.680 back into a game when green Bay was in total command. 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.280 That type of mistake didn't happen in this game, So 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:22.120 the Packers stayed in command and the defense just the 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:24.760 defense just rode it out against an offense that didn't 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:26.520 have enough playmakers to turn too well. 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:28.880 And then, as you said, Mike, three straight scoring drives 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.320 to open this thing, ten for sixty three, seventeen for 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:34.400 ninety six, six for sixty seven. You don't have that 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.080 type of production if A you're not protecting the football 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.960 obviously in b if you're having penalties that are knocking 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:42.240 you backwards. Green Bay avoided those two things, which were 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.199 sort of the buggaboos, right or whatever you want to 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:46.560 call them. Yeah, sort of the hiccups there in the 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.160 first half of the year for them, I felt like 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.559 that was huge. And then also the offensive line to 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:55.000 be able to be in a position now where there's 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:58.520 six times this year over fifteen games, Jordan Love has 0:13:58.559 --> 0:14:01.840 not been sacked. I believe that is the most since 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.360 two thousand and four, if I remember reading Tom notes 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:05.440 notes correctly. 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.800 Yeah, the great, the great Tom Fanning note postgame notes list. Yeah, 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:10.360 We're just got some great stuff in there. 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:13.320 And to be able to do that against that front 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.959 and while still running the ball that well, yeah, you're right, 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:20.880 it wasn't the virtuoso passing performance. But at the same time, 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.440 we can't sit here in ridicule that when you and 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.160 I spent so much time talking and spilling so much ink, 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:29.600 as a lot of the beat did, about how this 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:31.920 defense had really made a lot of changes since Darren 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:35.200 Rizzy took over they've done a lot of more positive things. 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:37.400 I think Green Bay just hit him with some big 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.720 shots early on. Yeah, it ended up not being as 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:42.960 cold as I think everybody was fearing with refrigerator talk 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.520 and all that stuff. But our freezer. 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.200 Yeah, the walk in, the walk in freezer walkthroughs. 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:52.720 But let's be honest. You're a dome team going from 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:54.520 about as celt as you can go in the continental 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.280 of the United States to right around the most northern 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:00.680 point at least in the National Football League, and you're 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.800 playing on Monday Night football and the Packers get up 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.000 twenty one to nothing on you. Yeah, it's how you 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:07.400 draw it up if you're green Yeah. 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:11.800 Absolutely, Well, the victory puts Green Bay at eleven and four. 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.520 Due to the results on Sunday, the Lions beating the Bears, 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:19.920 the Vikings beating the Seahawks, the Packers cannot win the 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:22.760 NFC North. The chances are very slim anyway. Now it 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.640 is official the Packers will be a wild card in 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:29.720 the NFC playoffs. So from here it's about the positioning. Well, 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:31.960 the Packers get the five seed, the sixth seed, or 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:36.720 the seventh seed. Currently Green Bay is in the sixth spot. 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:42.400 But Washington, which got a big win a last second, 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:46.040 last minute touchdown pass by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:50.040 beat the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington is right on Green Bay's heels. 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:55.400 So as the Packers head into this game this week 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.680 against the Minnesota Vikings over there in Minneapolis at US 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.600 Banks Stadium, dreen Bay is trying to win that game 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:04.800 to give itself a chance at the five seed, But 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:08.480 a loss would put Green Bay in danger of possibly 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.480 falling to the seven seed depending on what Washington does 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:14.680 over these last couple of weeks. So there's still a 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:18.320 lot to be sorted out as to exactly how this 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.320 playoff picture is going to take shape. But the big thing, 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.800 the big thing for green Bay is you've got a 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:25.720 chance to be the top wild card. You have a 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:28.360 chance to get to the five seed, and the only 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:30.880 way you can keep that chance alive is to go 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:31.720 beat Minnesota. 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:35.400 One hundred percent the Philadelphia game, I said this an 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:39.160 insider inbox, and I understand the defense kind of were on. 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.280 I just thought that was a pitiful performance at the 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:44.160 end of that game by the Eagles. You lose your 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.760 starting quarterback. They did not adjust well after that offensively 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.760 and then defensively and special teams wise, you just collapse 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:55.000 under the weight of that final sequence. Jake Elliott took 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:57.160 care of business. The rest of that team really didn't. 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:01.000 And for them, I mean, that's again, I keep going 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:02.800 back to what happened last year. I understand they're not 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.440 in the doldrums that they fell into, but you're riding 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:09.359 kind of an emotional high after the Lions finally blink 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.800 and then you give it right back right exactly. But 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:13.679 on the other side of that thing, Jaden Daniels is 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:17.080 legit man. He is a real playmaker. And I thought 0:17:17.160 --> 0:17:19.720 he was cool, calm and collected down the stretch to 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:22.360 be able to take what Vic fangils giving him, take 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:23.840 what the Eagles are giving him, and then when he 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:25.280 had to make the play to win the game, he 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:25.560 did it. 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:28.680 Yeah. And you want to know, just you know how 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:33.400 slim the margins are in this league? Right the Washington Commanders. 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:36.040 They've won a game on a hail Mary against Chicago, 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:38.359 and they've won a game with a touchdown pass with 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:40.440 what was it less than ten second five second, five 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:44.640 seconds left against Philadelphia. That is the difference between Washington 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:49.160 being ten and five versus eight and seven, and they're 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:53.280 very in very good playoff position to get a spot 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:55.960 whereas they'd be. They really have their backs against the 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:59.080 wall heading into the into these last two games. So, 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:01.480 as I said with Green Bay, it's a matter of 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:04.280 can can the Packers get up to the five seed? 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:06.800 Can they stay out of the seven seed? Where exactly 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:09.600 are they going to fall there? On the flip side, 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:12.080 the Packers opponent this coming week, we'll move ahead to 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:15.000 that game. Talking about the Minnesota Vikings. They are thirteen 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.080 in two. They are tied with the Detroit Lions at 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.040 thirteen into atop the NFC North, the Lions having won 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:23.200 the first head to head meeting between the two of them. 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:28.760 But Minnesota is looking at the old control your own 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.280 destiny thing. The Vikings are looking at if they can 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:33.440 beat the Packers, and they can beat the Lions in 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:35.480 the last two games, they are the number one seed 0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:38.440 and they have a first round by guy. So Minnesota 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:43.280 has has a ton going forward here. There's you know, 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:45.359 there are a lot of different a lot of different 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:48.320 ways that this that this can shake out. But boy, 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.320 it just got flex to three twenty five pm next 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:57.080 Sunday at US Bank, which was certainly expected and it 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.240 should be a wail of a game on Sunday afternoon. 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.199 Guys are championing at the bit for this one in 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:04.359 the Packers' locker room. Yeah, obviously, losing those back to 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:06.760 back to the Lions, that hurts, but they haven't forgotten 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:08.840 about what happened with the Vikings here either. 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:11.560 And twenty eight to nothing in the second quarter, you know, 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.640 and and the Packers did everything they could to try 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:17.560 to come back, end up losing thirty one to twenty nine. 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:19.800 But yeah, that is a game you can just you 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:22.040 can tell by the way the guys, you know, Jordan 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:24.440 Love was talking about it at the podium, guys were 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.480 talking about in the locker room. Those guys remember, yep, 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:29.679 this for it was way back in Week four, but 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.960 they remember this first game with the Vikings, and Jordan 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:35.159 Love said it, they feel like they owe these guys, 0:19:35.200 --> 0:19:39.040 and it's it's it's a short week. It's a tough week. 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:41.479 You got the holiday and everything like that. Minnesota had 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:44.200 the short week last week, had to go out to Seattle. 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:46.000 They won a big game on a short week with 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.000 a late touchdown pass by Sam Darnold. Packers are in 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:52.520 that position. Now the challenge here late in the season 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:54.080