WEBVTT - #346 Packers Unscripted: On the mend 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:20.799 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.320 I am Mike Spofford, sitting alongside my trusted colleague West 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.200 Hodkowits were coming to you here from our studios at 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:29.479 lambeau Field and West. We are one day closer to 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:32.560 the Packers getting back in action from their bye week. 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:36.200 It's Packers Rams at the l A Coliseum Sunday afternoon 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:41.720 Central kickoff, and at this stage of the week here 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:44.440 some good news on the injury front for the Green 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:49.279 Bay Packers. Um no guarantees. Obviously, players are still limited 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:51.840 in practice based on how they're listed on the injury report, 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.520 but Mike McCarthy has indicated that receivers Randall Cobb and 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:59.120 Geronimo Allison, as well as rookie cornerback ja Year Alexander 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:03.120 all kind of on track to play on Sunday. This 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.960 would be pretty significant because when you look at what's 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:09.360 been happening injury wise, that those two positions, the Packers 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:12.560 haven't had their top three veteran receivers Adams, Cobb and 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:15.959 Allison on the field together since Week three at Washington, 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:20.440 and at the cornerback position, the Packers haven't had their 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:25.880 top four of Williams, King, Alexander, and Jackson on the 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:30.520 field together since Week two against Minnesota. So in that respect, 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:32.360 as they say, the bye week maybe came at a 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:36.520 good time and the Packers hopefully getting getting healthy and 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:38.399 getting their top players out there for this big game 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:40.360 against the Ramps, and to throw one more out there 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:44.600 at the veteran edition that they made they lost Von 0:01:44.720 --> 0:01:47.520 House for the years, they go and get Brilan and 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:49.000 they were hoping that he might be the guy that 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:51.040 could step in when some of those other guys are hurt. 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:53.480 He ends up dealing with the hamstring issue that's kept 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.800 him out a couple of weeks. Now, whatever way you 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:57.480 want to slice it, though, Mike, this is big for 0:01:57.520 --> 0:02:00.760 the Packers offense and defense. This game the way it's 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:03.280 structured right now, so much of it's played on the boundaries, 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:05.600 So much of it is played ten to fifteen yards 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:07.640 down field now, and you have to be able to 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:09.320 defend it and you have to be able to attack it. 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:11.720 I think the one positive for the Packers when you 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:13.720 look strictly at the offense in the passing game is 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:17.960 the fact that Okay, Equanimius st Brown, Marquis Valdez Scantling. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.080 Both of those guys have been thrown into the fire 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:22.200 now and the Packers have seen how they can step 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:24.800 through it. On the other side, they've made significant progress, 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.320 There's no doubt about it. They certainly have now. When 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:30.400 you get back to the timing what Aaron Rodgers looking 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.200 for at the offense, there's a reason that Randall Cobbin 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.200 and Geronimo Allison were the two three. However you want 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:38.040 to slice it at the beginning of the season, those 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:40.480 guys have been with him. They know what to expect 0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:42.760 getting them back and then may be able to being 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:44.840 able to sprinkle in those young guys is going to 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.000 be what's ultimately going to help keep those defenses on 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.960 their heels. As far as the secondary, though Mike we 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:52.520 set it from the first game against the Chicago Bears 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.000 the strength of this defense, one of the strengths was 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.400 going to be their options in the secondary. The depth. 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:00.600 The depth they've been I don't want to say minimized 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:03.200 in that regard, but it has been challenged in terms 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:05.960 of the combinations that Joe wit Jr. And Mike pettn 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:08.160 have had to work with. Well, if you get Jr. 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:11.080 Alexander available. Now that you have Kevin King back in 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:14.679 the lineup, that's optimal and I think the Packers. Whether 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:16.160 or not it happens all this weekend, we'll have to 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:18.040 wait and see in a couple of days, but it's 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:22.160 inching closer to that. Yeah, And we've seen the type 0:03:22.160 --> 0:03:24.960 of plays that these guys like Alexander and King who 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.560 have been dealing with the injuries and are getting back, 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.520 the type of plays they can make. We all know 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:32.320 the interception Alexander had that was wiped out by the 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:36.200 by the bogus penalty on Clay Matthews against Minnesota, but 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:38.320 then he also had an interception in the end zone 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:41.040 on that errant throw by Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:43.880 Kevin King, this is a couple of weeks he comes back, 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:45.920 and the play he makes on the ball in the 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:49.960 fourth quarter, you know, the zero blitz with Mark mark 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:53.440 Quis Goodwin trying to streak by him down the middle 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:55.600 of the field and King finds the ball, makes the picks, 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.240 sets up the game winning drive. The Packers get all 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:02.880 for these cornerbacks back out there against an offense, obviously, 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:05.200 with the array of weapons that the Rams have it, 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:07.320 it can only be a good thing and and help 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:11.280 their chances. And when you look at wide receiver Geronimo Allison, 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:14.960 before he went down with the concussion and the hamstring injury, 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:17.800 he was averaging seventy plus yards per game through the 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:20.520 first four games of this season. Randall Cobb had the 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.960 hundred and forty yard game and the game winning touchdown 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:25.640 in Week one against Chicago, had a rough game in 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:29.560 Week three against Washington. Hasn't had an opportunity to atone 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:32.080 for that yet. And he's a veteran player, takes a 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:33.839 lot of pride in what he does. You know, he's 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:36.320 going to go get back out there for his first 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.800 opportunity and want to make up for what happened the 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.039 last time he took the field. So a lot of 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:43.920 positive signs here. And I know a lot of Packers 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:47.640 fans very you know, trepidacious so to speak about this 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:50.000 game with the Rams being undefeated and being on the 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:52.440 road and all that. But the Packers are putting themselves, 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:54.719 at least healthwise, in the best position they can to 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:56.839 try to take this one. Yeah, and the Rams, I 0:04:56.880 --> 0:04:59.040 do like what they do defensively. You and I talked 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:01.720 about that on yesterday show. But there are yards to 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:04.200 be gained, there's production to be had. So I mean, 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.120 when if you can get Randall cob back in there, 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.520 and you get him working one two again with Jimmy 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:10.520 Graham and being able to maybe use Graham more in 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:12.440 the middle of the field than they've been able to 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.440 the last couple of weeks. I like that combination there, Geronimo, Alison, 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:18.480 Mike We kind of forget about it with the concussion 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:21.440 and with the hamstring injury, but before that, he arguably 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:24.120 was one of the top more consistent performers on this 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:27.400 entire roster. Those first four games of the season. You 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:29.919 can pretty much jot him down for sixty seventy yards 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:32.599 and four or five catches a game, which is ultimately 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:34.640 what you're looking for out of your number three receiver. 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:37.080 Guy that's gonna be able to keep defenses honest and 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.200 was having a pretty decent game at the time of 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.359 his concussion. So to get him back it is going 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:43.800 to be good. I go back to that secondary though 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:46.280 you mentioned. If the Packers can get healthy there, then 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:47.880 you look at the other side of the ball game 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:49.960 here for the Rams, they very well might be going 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.360 into this game without Cooper Cup So if they don't 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.080 have him available, Sean McVeigh mentioned he's probably doubtful for 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:58.200 this matchup right at the time when we're taping this. 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:01.279 That takes away one of those big three options for 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:03.440 them downfield. And I'm not saying you're still gonna be 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:05.680 able to zone in on and everybody there's there's gonna 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:10.040 be other challenges, but a full slate of weapons against 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.480 an offense that's missing one of their top red zone 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:15.520 targets could be beneficial for Mike Petton's crew. Yeah. Well, 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.120 when you talk about a guy who has been healthy, 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:21.000 healthy as a horse, as they say in this Mike 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:24.400 Petton defense, Kenny Clark, he's been right in the middle 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:26.320 of it all season long, West And I tell you 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:29.760 what you don't hear Mike McCarthy say these kinds of 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:32.040 things very often when he's asked about players, But he 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:34.640 was asked this week about Kenny Clark and he didn't 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:36.760 hesitate at all. He said, Kenny Clark is a Pro 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:39.440 Bowl player. He's playing at a Pro Bowl level. You 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.400 and I have talked about it. It's certainly they're on film. 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:46.680 Mike McCarthy is seeing how opposing offenses are building their 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:50.400 game plans around trying not to let Kenny Clark be 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:53.600 as disruptive as he's been both against the run and 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:56.120 the past. This is a key player. We talked a 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:58.760 lot about Aaron Donald obviously and what he does on 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:01.720 on that rams D defensive front. Take nothing away from that, 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:06.080 but Kenny Clark might be the most important player for 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.640 this Packers defense right now the way it's playing. Yeah, 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:10.600 I think so, Mike, And They've had a lot of 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.800 great defensive linemen in here through the years. They have 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:14.600 several of them on this roster right now, and you 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.000 look at Mike Daniels, you go back to what Ryan 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:19.080 Pickett did for a number of years against the run. 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:21.960 B J. Rodgi his first few seasons, maybe as as 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:25.360 impactful as any defensive tackle in the three or four 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:28.280 defense at that time. But what I like about Clark 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:33.640 is I think he's probably the most balanced, the guy 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:37.800 that could potentially hurt an offense in a multitude of ways, 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.640 where there isn't one specialization with him. I think one 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:42.760 of the reasons why I know we're talking with Clark 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:44.880 about that this week, it's been tough to get him 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:47.800 off the field is because he's basically just as effective 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.560 as a run stuffer as he is as an interior 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:53.600 pass rusher. Going into the season, I think the Packers 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:55.800 plans there was that Moe Wilkerson was gonna be handling 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.120 a lot of those third down reps, being able to 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:00.480 use him inside outside how they want to, you know, 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:04.480 be able to flex him around well without Wilkerson, Clark, 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.760 Mike Daniels, those are your pretty much your two top 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.680 guys in third down defenses and Nickel in dime if 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:13.160 they go to defensive linemen. So it stands to reason 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:15.240 why they want him out there, and the stats do 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.000 represent that. I mean, he's played the third most amount 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.600 of defensive snaps among defensive tackles this year, at least 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:23.360 guys that play that role in their defense. And then 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:25.440 also another stat I dug up when I was working 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:27.640 on a story on him this week. If he stays 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:29.560 on this pace that he's on right now, he's routinely 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.720 getting six, seven, sometimes nine tackles a week. He would 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:36.000 become the first Packers defensive linemen to go over seventy 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.400 official tackles in a season since Aaron Campman in two 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:41.600 thousand and six. Uh. Last year, with his fifty five 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:45.120 tackles were the most official by a defensive lineman in 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:47.319 the three four defenses. The Packers made that move in 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.640 two thousand nine. He finds ways to get to the ball, carries, 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.240 he's strong, he's good at the point of attack, and 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:55.480 he are seeing an evolution of a playmaker at only 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:57.839 twenty three years old. Yeah, it's a tough balance here 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:01.400 the Packers are are trying to find because, as you said, 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.240 it's tough to take him off the field. But at 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:06.520 the same time, now that the bye week is in 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:09.960 the rear view mirror, the Packers have ten consecutive games 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.880 here without a break. You're gonna have the Thursday night 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.080 game against Seattle and sort of that mini by when 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:17.440 you get a few days off over the weekend, but 0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:20.920 basically ten straight weeks with a game to play and 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:25.120 UH and no significant time off there. So his his 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:27.880 snap count is high, and yes he's young, and if 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.520 there's anybody who can handle it for an entire sixteen 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:33.040 game season, it's probably Kenny Clark. But at the same time, 0:09:33.400 --> 0:09:36.880 the Packers do need to find a way to get 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:39.080 him some rest and get a little bit more of 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.400 a rotation and be able to rely on some of 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:45.040 those other younger guys like Dean Lowry montrevious Adams players 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:48.080 like that Tyler Lancaster who's now on the active roster, 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.640 coming up from the practice squad, Because I just don't 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:55.800 know if you can play Kenny Clark of the defensive 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:59.000 snaps for an entire season. I just I think that's uh, 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:02.080 I think your potential asking for trouble there. Yeah. The 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.120 one thing that's been really interesting, Mike, I have to imagine, 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:07.600 and you're obviously watch these games just as much as 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:10.360 I do. I don't know if it's like this in 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:12.200 the league in general, but the Green Bay Packers have 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:15.880 probably played their most base defense that I've seen during 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:18.520 my time here since probably two thousand twelve, maybe two. 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:21.880 I think that's part of the equation here. You can 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.160 talk about the rotation and trying to get other guys involved, 0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:26.480 but the thing is is that in a lot of 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:29.400 first down, early down situations these first three or four games, 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.920 the last three or four games, it's been Lowerie Daniels Clark, 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:35.480 you get to the nickel and dime packages, you're going 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.720 down to two. It just seems to me, and again 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:39.400 I don't have stats to back this up. We don't 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:41.880 have an intern running you know, Spofford stats and info 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:44.640 for us. But it does seem like they've had to 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.480 go with more of the base look than we've probably 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:48.520 seen the last few years when that number was dipping 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.360 closer to fifteen percent of the time. I would argue 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:54.200 it's probably closer and maybe even above thirty of the 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:56.120 time this season, just based on how things have kind 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:58.760 of worked out for them. So be interesting to see, Yes, 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:00.520 in addition to trying to get a real tation going 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:03.000 at that position. Also as the season wears on, if 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:05.600 we're gonna start seeing more of the run Nickel looks 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.240 and and things of that nature. Yeah, Well Clark Clark 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:10.480 may be the most important guy the Packers have in 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.040 terms of trying to contain Todd Gurley and not let 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:16.560 Gurley get going, which sets up all that play action 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:18.480 and everything else that the Rams want to run. Yeah, 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:20.040 and this is gonna be one of those games that 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:22.320 you look at him in particular. He kind of need 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:24.200 one of those Ryan Picket games where he's gonna be 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:26.240 taken on double teams. He needs to be disruptive, He 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:28.240 needs to glide with the line of scrimmage and follow 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:31.000 him outside the tackle box. It's gonna be a big 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:33.320 challenge for him. He's going home, first time back in 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:36.520 l A since he got drafted in two thousand and sixteen. 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:39.000 He's gonna have over thirty, you know, somewhere thirty thirty 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:40.760 five people there, So there's gonna be plenty people cheering 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:42.079 them on, and the Packers are gonna need a big 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:43.840 performance out of the young guy. Yeah, all right, Well, 0:11:44.360 --> 0:11:46.959 a quick bit of sponsor business here west at home 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:48.720 or here in the stands. We all know that Green 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:50.560 Bay fans give it their all and that takes a 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.360 lot of energy. So grab a warm bowl of Campbell's 0:11:53.400 --> 0:11:56.160 Chunky Soup. It's meaty goodness fuels the greatness of Packers 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.880 fans everywhere. Try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.840 visit your local supermarket and ask for Campbell's Chunky Soup, 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:06.760 Official suit partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, another thing, 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.360 we didn't have a chance to get to it in 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:10.560 our earlier shows this week coming off of the bye, 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:14.240 but this is the time of year during the regular 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.640 season when the Packers coaching staff and players they take 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.600 a day and engage in what's called the across the 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:24.720 hall meetings. This is a really interesting concept West because 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:27.200 to try to put it in a nutshell, what it 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:32.240 is is the Packers offensive coaches devise, essentially what would 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:35.200 be their game plan to go against the Packers defense, 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:38.920 and the Packers defensive coaches devise their game plan for 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.560 how they would attack the Packers offense. And then they 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:44.960 share all the information in the sense of saying, hey, 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:47.960 this is where we see the weaknesses. This is how 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.679 individually talking to a defensive lineman or a cornerback saying 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.559 this is how we would attack you, and a defensive 0:12:55.600 --> 0:12:58.000 coach then also saying to an offensive lineman or to 0:12:58.040 --> 0:12:59.840 a wide receiver, this is what we would try to 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.439 do against you, because this is what we see on films. 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:06.280 So it's a it's a collaborative thing, you know, with 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:08.920 within the building. And it's called across the hall because 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:12.040 the offensive and defensive meeting rooms are literally across the 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.000 hall from one another, um as far as the big 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:17.760 group meeting rooms down in the bottles of lambeau Field. 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:20.440 So an interesting process, and you've talked to some of 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.440 the guys about you know what they get out of this, uh, 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:26.680 in terms of their own individual development and progress in 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:28.840 the season. Yeah. And some of the things I focused 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:31.200 on were with the younger players on the roster and 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:33.480 specific some of the rookies. And one of them that 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:35.560 I was asking about this was Orren Burkes, and he 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:37.840 came from Vanderbilt. He said he did have some of 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:39.960 those experiences. They did have some things where he would 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:42.400 work with the running backs coach who was was very vocal, 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.200 very communicative with them in terms of telling them what 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:47.600 to look for and and how they would attack them. 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.559 But it it gets ramped up a notch at this level, 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:53.520 and I think it's a good review process for guys 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:55.360 like Burke's who, as we saw before the bye week, 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.000 he's getting thrown in there more and more started playing 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:00.559 and starting right from the beginning, and some Bay snaps, 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:02.560 uh and and you're seeing, you know, kind of the 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:05.360 maturation of him as a football player. And then even 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:08.840 these young receivers trying to go back and look at 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:12.200 their film now that they got some Aaron Rodgers competitive 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:15.600 first team stuff on on tape, you know, hundred fifty 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:17.240 snaps at this point where I think a guy like 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:20.560 Mark wisveld is scantling and seeing exactly what they can 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:22.600 take away from that. And one of the other comments 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:26.480 I believe was Davante Adams was discussing this week how 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.760 beneficial it is to take that step back and sort 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:32.000 of you you kind of can fall in your own 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:34.640 silo in terms of just focusing on what you're doing 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:38.680 and what your responsibilities are, but outside perception is important, uh, 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:41.240 you know, being able to uncover some of those blind spots. 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:43.680 And I think it probably is also probably pretty beneficial 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.480 for the coaching staff as well. For the offensive coaches 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:48.520 and defensive coaches. You know, they're they're in their own 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.480 deal during the season. It's difficult to get them going 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:53.760 and discussing other things because you're so focused on the 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.080 week to week game plan that they're able to go 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:58.360 back and get a macro view of their players. So 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:00.720 a very interesting concept that Packers have been doing it 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:02.360 for a number of years now, but a good way 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:04.600 to kind of use that bye week to to keep 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:06.600 your you know, keep your head in the game plan. Yeah, 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:09.400 and this is something that the Packers do actually three 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:12.440 times a year. But Mike McCarthy emphasized this week that 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.200 the bye week. This is the most important, the most 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.880 valuable one they do because the other ones one is 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.160 during the off season program, one is during training camp. 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:23.120 But when you do it now during the bye week 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:26.960 in the regular season, you have in this particular case, 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:31.120 six weeks of game tape of actual regular season games, 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:34.600 the same type of stuff that opposing teams are looking at. 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:37.240 Their looking at that film and formulating their game plans 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:40.440 and their thoughts on how to go about attacking certain 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.800 things within the scheme and with individual players. So it 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:46.960 is something that they do multiple times a year, but 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:50.080 this is the most important and most valuable one. And 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:52.880 and the fact that you are in it now, I mean, yeah, 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:54.360 and then there is something to be said for the 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:56.400 off season and trying to you know, kind of figure 0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:59.960 out tendencies, But that's all revisionary, you know. It's it's 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:03.160 going back and looking at what you've done. It doesn't 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:05.560 necessarily always mean how things are going to play out 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:09.400 once the next season begins. This is an opportunity. You're 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:11.080 in the heat of battle, it's the eye of the 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:13.880 storm of the season, a chance to really understand what's 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.480 happened in what you could potentially change to make an 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:19.760 adjustment going into the second half of the season. Yeah, 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:21.960 and I'm not sure exactly how many years now that 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:24.680 Mike McCarthy has been doing this, but the track record 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:26.840 for the Packers, I believe in the last ten years 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:30.400 it's seven two and one in the game coming out 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:33.760 of the bye week. So Mike McCarthy and his staff 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:36.720 they've always used this time. They put it to good 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.480 use and uh and it's translated to some good results 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.040 on the field. This may be the toughest game the 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.240 Packers have ever had coming out of the by facing 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:47.600 the only undefeated team in the NFL and on the road, 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:49.640 and you know, a two time zone trip and all 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.760 of that stuff that's involved. But Packers, the plane is 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.440 leaving Friday, trying to get out there, get acclimated to 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:57.400 not only the time zone but the weather. It's about 0:16:57.440 --> 0:16:59.880 forty degrees warmer I think in Los Angeles than it 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.600 is um. You know, Sunday afternoon, it could be it 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:04.600 could be a hot one at the Calseum. Yeah, spot's 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.320 gonna be walking around Rodeo Drive. I'll have the boom 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:09.359 box behind them with pretty women going on there. You 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:11.720 can enjoy everything with the sunlight and the palm trees. 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:13.960 Uh No, but it is, and and some of the 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:15.840 guys even talked about that, I mean, just trying to 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:18.520 Kenny Clark mentioned, I mean when he was asked if 0:17:18.520 --> 0:17:20.240 he's still a California guys like, well, I still like 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:23.120 the warmth, you know, getting a chance to feel that again, 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:25.040 because if you think about it, Michael, I mean you haven't. 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:27.679 They really haven't had a lot of warm weather games 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:31.120 so far. Washington was sort of miserable. They were out 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:33.639 there with the rain and everything, and they were in 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:35.280 a dome in Detroit. So yeah, it's gonna be a 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:37.680 big challenge. But I think the thing that I'm most 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:40.560 looking forward to seeing you do go back and again. 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:42.600 I don't take away anything from the Rams. You're right, 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:44.480 they are the best team in football right now. This 0:17:44.640 --> 0:17:47.640 the record shows it. But the Packers Mike McCarthy Aaron 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:49.640 Rodgers have done some of their best work coming out 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:51.960 of bye weeks. I think back to two thousand fourteen, 0:17:52.560 --> 0:17:55.840 everything was crashing down after that game against the Saints. Yeah, 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.720 the New Orleans primetime game at the super Dome. They 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:02.440 made a huge adjustment. Clay Matthews started working inside the defense, 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.160 turned it around was one of the top five top 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:06.439 six defenses in the league. The second half of that season, 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.240 the offense got going. They made a run towards an 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:11.760 NFC Championship game on the precipice of a Super Bowl. 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:14.879 This is a different challenge. Every year is different, but 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:16.800 it does show you that when you get a chance 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:18.919 to make some adjustments and look at what's happened, it 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:20.520 allows you to reset a little bit and try to 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:22.160 figure out your focus for the rest of the way. 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:24.320 All right, and with that, we'll call it a wrap 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:26.680 on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be should have follow 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:29.200 all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:31.480