WEBVTT - #913 Packers Unscripted: Cowboys clash 0:00:07.020 --> 0:00:11.240 Hi everybody, welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers.com. 0:00:11.390 --> 0:00:14.290 I am Mike Spofford, joined by my partner in everything Packers, 0:00:14.330 --> 0:00:17.510 Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here from the Pottawatomie 0:00:17.530 --> 0:00:21.049 Sportsbook studio inside the walls of Lambeau Field. And Wes, 0:00:21.110 --> 0:00:24.030 next up for the Green Bay Packers, Sunday night football 0:00:24.329 --> 0:00:29.080 at Lambeau against the Dallas Cowboys. They will come in 0:00:29.440 --> 0:00:32.479 with a 2-3 record and a little bit of extra 0:00:32.540 --> 0:00:35.300 rest coming off of a Thursday night game from a 0:00:35.340 --> 0:00:38.099 week ago, but A Thursday night game that did not 0:00:38.140 --> 0:00:41.230 go their way, they dropped a home game to the 0:00:41.310 --> 0:00:45.690 previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But as I said on 0:00:45.729 --> 0:00:49.250 our Three Things video after practice on Wednesday, if anybody 0:00:49.310 --> 0:00:52.830 thinks that that game a week ago Thursday night against 0:00:52.870 --> 0:00:56.360 the Buccaneers is representative of what this Cowboys team is about, 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:59.440 you're sorely mistaken because this is a better team than 0:00:59.480 --> 0:00:59.880 that one. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:03.410 Yeah, Mike, it's a... The problem for the Cowboys right 0:01:03.470 --> 0:01:05.370 now that they're running into is they are a good 0:01:05.430 --> 0:01:09.150 football team that has been highly inconsistent, and highly inconsistent 0:01:09.170 --> 0:01:11.090 in multiple different phases. But when you look at their 0:01:11.130 --> 0:01:15.300 overall output offensively, when Dak Prescott is healthy, Dak Prescott 0:01:15.340 --> 0:01:17.840 is dangerous, and he has weapons to utilize within that 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:19.679 offense to be able to put points on the board. 0:01:19.740 --> 0:01:22.479 So I think going through the locker room on Wednesday 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:24.440 and listening to guys talk about it, Jordan Love also 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:26.730 mentioned it, The Packers understand they're going to need to 0:01:26.780 --> 0:01:28.240 put up some points here. I don't think you can 0:01:28.260 --> 0:01:31.039 necessarily go into this game expecting Jonathan Gannon's defense to 0:01:31.100 --> 0:01:34.539 hold the Cowboys to seven points. Sure. The Packers understand 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:36.560 that in some ways this could be a track race. 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.000 And you go back to last season, Marshawn Lloyd, a 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:41.819 guy that didn't play in that game, but he was 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:44.330 asked for his recollections of it, and he's like, two 0:01:44.470 --> 0:01:46.950 really good offensive teams. And I think that was one 0:01:46.970 --> 0:01:48.330 of the things that kind of got lost in how 0:01:48.350 --> 0:01:50.330 Green Bay let that thing get away from them is 0:01:50.370 --> 0:01:52.870 the fact that the Packers were putting up points and 0:01:52.890 --> 0:01:55.370 the Cowboys were putting up points. It ended up being 0:01:55.390 --> 0:01:58.860 the second highest scoring tie in NFL history. So, yeah, 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:01.240 this is going to be a marathon and the Packers 0:02:01.260 --> 0:02:02.020 have to be ready for it. 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:05.580 Yeah, well, you look at that group of weapons, CeeDee Lamb, 0:02:05.740 --> 0:02:08.940 George Pickens on the outside, Jake Ferguson, the former Wisconsin 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:12.139 Badger at tight end, Javante Williams at running back. They 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.320 haven't done very well running the ball, but Williams has 0:02:14.410 --> 0:02:17.290 six rushing touchdowns. So when they get down in there close, 0:02:17.330 --> 0:02:19.790 they know how to punch it in. And I know 0:02:19.830 --> 0:02:22.510 they only scored the 16 points against the Buccaneers a 0:02:22.550 --> 0:02:24.960 week ago Thursday, but you look back, the three games 0:02:25.060 --> 0:02:28.580 prior to that, they scored 102 points total over those 0:02:28.620 --> 0:02:33.560 three games. They went 2-1 during that stretch, playing high-scoring games. 0:02:33.580 --> 0:02:36.830 Their defense giving up points, but their offense also putting 0:02:36.870 --> 0:02:40.450 a lot on the board. In my opinion, this is 0:02:40.490 --> 0:02:44.840 the biggest challenge so far this year. for Jonathan Gannon's defense. 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.650 I know the Minnesota Vikings certainly have a bunch of weapons, 0:02:47.710 --> 0:02:49.489 but when it was Kyler Murray's first game and then 0:02:49.550 --> 0:02:51.650 Carson Wentz coming off the bench, that's not the same 0:02:51.690 --> 0:02:55.830 as Dak Prescott, you know, a guy who's as experienced 0:02:55.910 --> 0:02:59.880 and as accomplished as he is. So big time challenge. 0:02:59.900 --> 0:03:02.240 And as far as the pass defense goes, we'll have 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:03.940 to see how the rest of the week plays out. 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.800 But as of now, when we're taping our show, Keyshawn Nixon, 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:12.020 Benjamin St. Juice, two of the Packers' top four cornerbacks, 0:03:12.150 --> 0:03:15.430 both missed practice on Wednesday. Nixon with a groin injury, St. 0:03:15.490 --> 0:03:20.210 Juice with a hamstring. So hopefully those guys are on 0:03:20.230 --> 0:03:22.390 the quick mend here because I think the Packers are 0:03:22.410 --> 0:03:24.389 going to need all hands on deck in the secondary 0:03:24.430 --> 0:03:25.050 in this one. 0:03:25.070 --> 0:03:28.389 Yeah, the Cowboys are fascinating when you really break it down. Now, 0:03:28.510 --> 0:03:31.680 unfortunately for them, they have been one of the worst 0:03:31.860 --> 0:03:34.100 rushing offenses in the league this season, as you illustrated. 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.280 They're 30th right now in rushing offense. But Dak Prescott, 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:39.410 they've been in the sprint mode where, yeah, they've put 0:03:39.450 --> 0:03:41.070 up a lot of yards. I think they're fifth in 0:03:41.110 --> 0:03:44.230 passing yards. Their time of possession has been very poor 0:03:44.270 --> 0:03:46.270 this year because they haven't been able to establish the run. 0:03:46.870 --> 0:03:48.490 But when they are inside the red zone, it's the 0:03:48.530 --> 0:03:51.250 second most potent red zone offense in the National Football 0:03:51.290 --> 0:03:52.930 League this season. So they know how to punch it in. 0:03:52.950 --> 0:03:54.890 Jake Ferguson's stats aren't going to wall you, but then 0:03:54.910 --> 0:03:58.190 you see the three touchdown catches, right? They have guys, 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:00.540 whether it's through the pass or whether it is Williams, 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:03.260 that can get into the end zone. So Yeah, for 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:04.760 the Packers, we're going to have to see what all 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.220 this means. It was one of the more surprising injury reports. 0:04:07.250 --> 0:04:08.950 I mean, you obviously went to practice, so you had 0:04:08.990 --> 0:04:12.350 that inkling beforehand, but when you see the totality of 0:04:12.750 --> 0:04:14.890 the injuries that Green Bay had coming out of that game, 0:04:15.770 --> 0:04:17.010 this is the way it usually ends up going. You 0:04:17.029 --> 0:04:19.250 have guys that play through stuff that we never know about, 0:04:19.270 --> 0:04:21.570 and then afterwards they're feeling it. So whether it's Keyshawn, 0:04:21.589 --> 0:04:23.940 who in all of his time with the Packers, has 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.860 very rarely ever popped up on an injury report, let 0:04:26.900 --> 0:04:29.120 alone missed a game. I mean, there's a consecutive game 0:04:29.140 --> 0:04:31.900 streak there now that he's had that he maintained even 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.700 last year because he played in that finale against Minnesota 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.580 at his own behest. So this is a guy that 0:04:37.620 --> 0:04:39.790 does not miss time. So that is one big name. 0:04:40.260 --> 0:04:43.789 Defensive line-wise, we know Javon Hargrave is out right now. 0:04:43.870 --> 0:04:45.210 He's going to miss the rest of the season with 0:04:45.230 --> 0:04:49.510 the Achilles. Jonathan Ford did not practice on Wednesday. you 0:04:49.550 --> 0:04:51.950 do have a Jordan Riley come back to practice. He's 0:04:52.010 --> 0:04:55.349 on PUP and he has a window now to return, 0:04:55.410 --> 0:04:58.929 but he's coming off an Achilles. So yeah, Green Bay defensively, 0:04:59.070 --> 0:05:00.790 a lot of question marks there. And this is a 0:05:01.190 --> 0:05:04.289 very dangerous opponent to be having to face those with. Yeah. 0:05:04.310 --> 0:05:06.710 And the Packers, as we saw last week, when they 0:05:06.770 --> 0:05:09.330 went about replacing Edger and Cooper with kind of this 0:05:09.390 --> 0:05:12.430 tag team of Isaiah McDuffie and Tyron Hopper, well now, 0:05:12.870 --> 0:05:14.910 you know, that's on film and now the Cowboys know, 0:05:15.050 --> 0:05:17.150 you know, what, uh, what the Packers are doing there 0:05:17.190 --> 0:05:20.839 with Cooper not in the lineup. Um, So we'll have 0:05:20.860 --> 0:05:22.799 to see. Switching to the other side of the ball, 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:27.580 as we've mentioned, the Cowboys' defense is struggling. Former Packers 0:05:27.620 --> 0:05:32.630 assistant coach Christian Parker is the defensive coordinator. The Cowboys 0:05:32.690 --> 0:05:36.230 now have just brought in former Packers defensive coordinator Mike 0:05:36.290 --> 0:05:39.410 Pettin as a consultant for Parker as they try to 0:05:39.430 --> 0:05:42.500 get that defense straightened out. A couple of familiar faces, 0:05:42.540 --> 0:05:44.780 of course, on that side of the ball. Kenny Clark 0:05:44.940 --> 0:05:47.420 in the interior of that D-line next to Quinn and Williams. 0:05:48.330 --> 0:05:51.910 and Rashawn Gary on the edge for Dallas. So an 0:05:51.950 --> 0:05:55.400 interesting matchup here from that standpoint. But with the way 0:05:55.440 --> 0:06:00.839 the Packers got the explosive plays going against the Chicago 0:06:00.860 --> 0:06:04.320 Bears and with a struggling Dallas defense coming into Lambeau, 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.320 I think you have to kind of prepare for the 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:09.760 Cowboys to do everything they can to take away the 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:12.120 shots down the field. And the Packers are going to 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:13.600 need to run the ball. They're going to need to 0:06:13.779 --> 0:06:16.600 use the short game. They're going to have to execute 0:06:17.690 --> 0:06:20.049 All that stuff really close to the line of scrimmage 0:06:20.550 --> 0:06:23.340 to earn their opportunities to take their shots. That's how 0:06:23.380 --> 0:06:24.280 this one feels to me. 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:27.220 What 1,000%, Mike. And yeah, I mean, right now the 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:29.700 Cowboys are looking for something to hang their hat on. 0:06:30.190 --> 0:06:33.250 You mentioned Christian Parker. Well, now actually Mike Pettin being back, right? 0:06:33.350 --> 0:06:35.849 Him being hired onto that staff as an assistant, as 0:06:35.870 --> 0:06:39.020 a consultant. They're trying to find something to get their 0:06:39.060 --> 0:06:43.020 defensive front going right now. Only five sacks on the season. Only, 0:06:43.060 --> 0:06:45.099 I think it was like 19 quarterback hits. I mean, 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:48.060 they've just had, they have struggled mightily to get pressure 0:06:48.100 --> 0:06:50.510 on the opposing quarterback. And then you factor in the, 0:06:50.700 --> 0:06:53.120 you know, the fact that they've struggled as much as 0:06:53.140 --> 0:06:56.320 they have against the run now. Yeah. Marshawn Lloyd and 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.400 Matt LaFleur, everybody was very complimentary of what they have 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:03.660 done defensively and that maybe the numbers aren't exactly indicative 0:07:03.700 --> 0:07:05.860 of the type of unit that Christian Parker has there 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.339 and some of the early growing pains. But the fact 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:09.920 of the matter is, and the thing I will continue 0:07:09.940 --> 0:07:12.870 to keep pointing out, is the Packers, for coming off 0:07:12.910 --> 0:07:16.570 that loss to the Falcons, struggling to stop Bijan Robinson... 0:07:16.660 --> 0:07:19.260 They came out the following weekend, and they held Bucky 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.460 Irving under seven yards for his longest carry. 0:07:22.580 --> 0:07:22.780 Right. 0:07:23.220 --> 0:07:27.059 Against the Cowboys, Bucky Irving averaged 7.9 yards per carry. 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.240 Yeah, he busted off, what was it, a 70-plus or 0:07:29.460 --> 0:07:32.280 something in that game, but was awfully productive. 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:34.820 In that ballgame. And again, you call it what you want. 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:38.920 It's still a run. It's still on film. And again, 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:41.140 we'll get into keys of victories here momentarily, but for 0:07:41.180 --> 0:07:45.690 Green Bay's rushing offense that has struggled, 32nd league in productivity, 0:07:46.370 --> 0:07:49.690 double digits down from the 32nd ranked team or the 0:07:50.090 --> 0:07:52.670 31st ranked team in terms of average per game. I mean, 0:07:52.690 --> 0:07:54.270 the Packers have a lot of ground to make up there, 0:07:54.670 --> 0:07:57.180 but they're also going up against the run defense from Dallas. 0:07:57.190 --> 0:07:59.480 They're giving up over 160 yards per game. 0:07:59.660 --> 0:08:02.340 Yeah, well, it's three and two Packers, the two and 0:08:02.380 --> 0:08:04.980 three Cowboys. Packers trying to win their third in a 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:10.100 row and keep climbing this ladder as they've been digging 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:11.880 out of the early one and two hole that they 0:08:11.900 --> 0:08:14.390 dug for themselves. The Cowboys are going to come in, 0:08:14.830 --> 0:08:17.590 I would say, borderline desperate. You don't want to fall 0:08:17.950 --> 0:08:20.210 to 2-4 at this stage of the season. They need 0:08:20.230 --> 0:08:23.570 to get themselves back to. 500. So let's just dive 0:08:23.630 --> 0:08:25.590 right into it. Keys to victory. I'll toss it over 0:08:25.630 --> 0:08:28.550 to you first. What rises to the top of the 0:08:28.570 --> 0:08:31.320 list for you as we break down this matchup? 0:08:31.420 --> 0:08:33.679 Winning on first down. When you go back to that 0:08:33.740 --> 0:08:36.860 game on Sunday against the Bears, that's where the Packers 0:08:36.900 --> 0:08:38.780 broke them down on both sides of the ball. They 0:08:38.820 --> 0:08:41.740 won on first down. When it came to the running offense, 0:08:41.780 --> 0:08:44.210 they finally started getting those four or five-yard carries against 0:08:44.260 --> 0:08:48.990 lighter boxes that made the Chicago Bears make a decision 0:08:49.050 --> 0:08:51.089 with how they want to use their safeties. They have 0:08:51.130 --> 0:08:52.849 to do that again in this matchup. They have to 0:08:52.890 --> 0:08:56.450 be able to break the opportunities there when they're presented. 0:08:56.470 --> 0:09:00.120 And I think Marshawn Lloyd has a responsibility in that. 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:03.660 I think Caleb Johnson has a responsibility in that. The 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.280 former third-round pick of the Steelers, whom the Packers acquired, 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.160 struggled with some fumbles here early on, but we've seen 0:09:09.179 --> 0:09:11.620 the home run element that he provides. He has some 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.179 big runs and a very limited amount of work so 0:09:14.220 --> 0:09:18.110 far this season. In Marshawn, as he's talked about, you know, 0:09:18.130 --> 0:09:20.570 the idea of, you know, running behind his pads more, 0:09:20.690 --> 0:09:23.610 being more decisive, not always trying to dance around guys, 0:09:23.650 --> 0:09:25.650 trying to make people miss, understand that he can use 0:09:25.690 --> 0:09:29.000 his body to make people miss physically. They got to 0:09:29.020 --> 0:09:30.660 get those guys going. I think it was a step 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:34.490 in the You have to build that momentum. And conversely, 0:09:35.110 --> 0:09:38.070 you can't allow Dak Prescott to get in second and 0:09:38.110 --> 0:09:41.400 third and manageable because that's when that offense is going 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.280 to hit full tilt. CeeDee Lamb, Packers have had some 0:09:44.380 --> 0:09:47.520 good games against him, but they also can see how 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.900 quickly he can change the whole circumference, the whole scene 0:09:51.300 --> 0:09:53.630 of what the Packers are going to be facing. So 0:09:54.230 --> 0:09:58.089 George Pickens, another very talented guy, they have invested heavily 0:09:58.110 --> 0:10:00.640 into their offense. You look at the offense, line, they 0:10:00.660 --> 0:10:02.200 don't give up a lot of sacks. They don't give 0:10:02.260 --> 0:10:04.980 up a ton of quarterback hits either. So the Packers 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:07.300 have to win early on to control the game. 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:10.309 Yeah, I think Prescott's only been sacked six times this year, 0:10:11.230 --> 0:10:16.210 which is pretty impressive considering how often they throw the football. 0:10:16.490 --> 0:10:18.280 So yeah, you got to give them Got to give 0:10:18.300 --> 0:10:20.079 them credit there. It's not going to be easy to 0:10:20.860 --> 0:10:24.610 generate pressure, and Prescott may not be the scrambler that 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:26.850 he was earlier in his career, but he can be 0:10:26.910 --> 0:10:30.770 awfully manipulative with that footwork back there in the pocket. 0:10:30.830 --> 0:10:33.329 I'm with you 100% on the offensive side of the 0:10:33.370 --> 0:10:35.480 ball for the Packers. I think this is the game 0:10:36.340 --> 0:10:39.860 that the Packers have to get their running game going. 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:42.340 They have to get to the point where they've established 0:10:42.400 --> 0:10:45.670 something on the ground. because I think the Cowboys are 0:10:45.690 --> 0:10:48.829 going to be very focused on taking away the explosive play. 0:10:48.870 --> 0:10:52.750 They're going to try to make the Packers drive the 0:10:52.790 --> 0:10:56.190 ball 10, 12, 13 plays down the field and count 0:10:56.230 --> 0:10:58.790 on some kind of a mistake, a holding penalty, some other, 0:10:58.850 --> 0:11:01.260 you know, a drop pass, whatever it might be. They're 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:03.300 going to try to make the Packers go the long way. 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:05.819 And that goes back to just what you said of 0:11:05.860 --> 0:11:09.020 winning on first down. Packers can't be running the ball 0:11:09.179 --> 0:11:10.760 and then be in second and 10. You need to 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:13.360 be in second and six or second and five, right? Um, 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:18.380 And if the running game is still a struggle, then 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:21.520 Matt LaFleur and the offensive staff, they need to have 0:11:21.580 --> 0:11:27.700 the answers to the short, quick passes, the high completion 0:11:27.740 --> 0:11:31.080 percentage stuff that can function as a running game to 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:35.080 bring that Dallas defense up so that then you can 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:36.800 pick your spots of when you want to go deep. 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:39.140 This is, as I said before, I think this is 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.960 about executing the little things for Green Bay because it's 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:46.449 going to be very hard unless you make Dallas play 0:11:46.470 --> 0:11:48.630 you honest, it's going to be very hard to take 0:11:48.700 --> 0:11:52.000 shots downfield. This is going to be a really, really 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:54.959 interesting test for Green Bay's offense. Can they do the 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:55.699 little things right? 0:11:55.840 --> 0:11:58.500 And when teams have beaten Dallas this season, and also 0:11:58.540 --> 0:12:00.870 going back to last season, it's when they have those 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.370 body blows that lead to the explosive plays. I mean, 0:12:03.390 --> 0:12:06.330 Deron Bland... I think has in some ways righted the 0:12:06.370 --> 0:12:07.910 ship a little bit this year, but there has still 0:12:07.929 --> 0:12:11.579 been some critique about his ability of giving up the explosive, 0:12:12.220 --> 0:12:14.040 for giving up the big play. Packers have to take 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:17.020 advantage of that. And then conversely, another point that I 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:19.780 made in one of the stories I wrote this week, 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:21.839 I can't remember which one it was, but maybe it 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.220 was inbox. You go back to these last seven games, 0:12:25.260 --> 0:12:28.120 Dak Prescott has one win over the Packers. That includes playoffs. 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.250 He's thrown 10 interceptions. in those games. I mean, this 0:12:31.330 --> 0:12:33.480 is going to be critical for the Packers right now 0:12:33.510 --> 0:12:36.260 to be able to find those opportunities. Prescott is so 0:12:36.300 --> 0:12:38.480 darn good, and he gets the ball out, and he 0:12:38.540 --> 0:12:41.640 throws in rhythm, and you can just tell when he 0:12:41.700 --> 0:12:44.579 is ticking and everything's clicking, it is going to be 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.320 a long afternoon. But every once in a while, he 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:50.020 will put one up there. He'll put a 50-50 ball 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:53.280 on somebody that leads, kind of tilts towards the defense. 0:12:54.020 --> 0:12:58.120 Can Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams... Brandon sees it. Can those 0:12:58.160 --> 0:12:59.780 guys maximize those chances? 0:12:59.820 --> 0:13:01.790 Yeah, and that's what Eben Williams was talking about in 0:13:01.830 --> 0:13:04.370 the locker room on Wednesday, and I wrote a story 0:13:04.410 --> 0:13:07.270 about this matchup of the Packers' defense against this really 0:13:07.330 --> 0:13:10.770 explosive Dallas offense. You can check that out on Packers.com. 0:13:10.809 --> 0:13:13.590 You've got a story about Marshawn Lloyd and the running game, 0:13:14.010 --> 0:13:19.050 so check that out as well. Williams and McKinney as well, 0:13:19.110 --> 0:13:23.640 I was talking to those guys about the whole disguise element, right? 0:13:23.740 --> 0:13:28.100 With the way the Packers like to disguise their coverages 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:30.960 in the secondary, you know, right up until the snap 0:13:31.100 --> 0:13:33.740 and try to get the quarterback thinking or not being 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.800 quite sure what kind of a coverage they're in. Now 0:13:36.820 --> 0:13:40.439 that's a lot harder to do that against Dak Prescott 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:44.460 versus Tyson Bajan and Jalen Daniels and these other younger 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:48.420 quarterbacks that Packers have faced. But McKinney said, you know, 0:13:48.620 --> 0:13:51.260 even if you, even if you're only going to get 0:13:51.300 --> 0:13:54.080 him like a couple of times, But you have to 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:56.780 stick with it. You still have to keep trying to disguise, 0:13:57.240 --> 0:13:59.000 hold it as long as you can up until the 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.900 snap without compromising where you need to be and what 0:14:01.940 --> 0:14:05.330 you have to get into. And then it can be 0:14:05.370 --> 0:14:07.830 those couple of times, as you just said, where then 0:14:08.210 --> 0:14:10.850 the ball is up in the air and he's made 0:14:10.910 --> 0:14:13.830 a throw when maybe it wasn't the right coverage for 0:14:13.870 --> 0:14:15.610 him to make that throw. And then one of the 0:14:15.670 --> 0:14:18.980 safeties needs to swoop over and make the play. This 0:14:19.080 --> 0:14:22.160 trio of safeties... And it's really not fair to call 0:14:22.220 --> 0:14:24.620 Javon Bullard a safety, although he can certainly play that, 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.880 but you're talking Bullard in the slot and then McKinney 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:32.140 and Williams as safeties. The way those guys kind of 0:14:32.260 --> 0:14:36.490 move around almost like a triangle or like a semi-circle 0:14:36.530 --> 0:14:38.590 type of thing on the field, the way they rotate 0:14:38.630 --> 0:14:42.750 and shift, I mean, that's where the Packers build in 0:14:42.790 --> 0:14:45.050 their disguise to try to not give away to the 0:14:45.090 --> 0:14:47.870 quarterback what kind of coverage they're in. And If you 0:14:47.910 --> 0:14:50.980 can catch Prescott maybe once or twice in this game, 0:14:51.130 --> 0:14:53.940 then perhaps that's the opportunity for a turnover. 0:14:54.060 --> 0:14:57.520 Yeah, and it's fun when you watch how the game 0:14:57.540 --> 0:15:00.780 has evolved, right? Because, you know, Jonathan Gannon, he came 0:15:00.860 --> 0:15:05.180 out of that tree with, you know, Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, right? 0:15:05.510 --> 0:15:07.950 And Zimmer, we always talk so much, I always talk 0:15:07.970 --> 0:15:10.650 so much about the double A gap, you know, blitzes 0:15:10.690 --> 0:15:12.670 and things like that and where that pressure is going 0:15:12.690 --> 0:15:14.270 to come from. But then you think of like Harrison 0:15:14.350 --> 0:15:16.850 Smith and the fact that the times where he's mugging 0:15:16.930 --> 0:15:19.270 up on the offensive line or the line of scrimmage, 0:15:19.310 --> 0:15:21.710 then he pulls back into a free safety position. I mean, 0:15:22.430 --> 0:15:24.350 the number of ways that you can manipulate things on 0:15:24.370 --> 0:15:26.030 the defensive side of the ball, it's what Green Bay 0:15:26.070 --> 0:15:30.000 was so successful against with Tyson Bajent. And then to 0:15:30.030 --> 0:15:31.920 be able to do that now against a veteran, that's 0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:35.040 a different level and a different challenge. Prescott has been 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.060 out there for 10 years now. He has seen it all. 0:15:37.100 --> 0:15:38.560 He has done it all. He's going to have to 0:15:38.620 --> 0:15:40.240 be able to, you're going to have to be able 0:15:40.260 --> 0:15:42.000 to roll with the punches with an opponent like that. 0:15:42.100 --> 0:15:45.520 That being said, um, I just, I love the groove 0:15:45.540 --> 0:15:48.030 that this defense is in right now. And one of 0:15:48.070 --> 0:15:51.190 my main takeaways from Sunday's win over the Bears was, okay, 0:15:51.230 --> 0:15:53.890 you don't have Edger and Cooper. Micah Parsons isn't there 0:15:53.930 --> 0:15:57.500 yet to save everything in the eyes of some fans. 0:15:58.180 --> 0:15:59.800 Who's going to be the people that step up? And 0:15:59.820 --> 0:16:02.400 that's where Xavier McKinney ends up with two interceptions. That's 0:16:02.420 --> 0:16:06.360 where Brandon Ceci on back-to-back plays ends a drive, right? 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.740 Zaire Franklin, we've talked so much about Adrian Cooper. Well, 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:14.240 there's Zaire Franklin sniffing out run schemes and getting third-and-one stops. 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:16.570 You need all of that to be a good defense, 0:16:16.620 --> 0:16:17.790 and Green Bay's getting it right now. 0:16:18.050 --> 0:16:21.890 Absolutely. Well, we'll take a quick break to pay some 0:16:21.930 --> 0:16:25.660 bills and hear a quick word from our sponsors. Sirius 0:16:25.830 --> 0:16:30.390 XM NFL Radio delivers hard-hitting analysis and up-to-the-minute NFL news 0:16:30.450 --> 0:16:36.130 that true football fanatics need 24-7, 365. Did you know 0:16:36.190 --> 0:16:38.870 Lambeau Field is just one of our state's many wonders? 0:16:39.380 --> 0:16:43.960 Start making unforgettable memories on your next vacation. Discover Granddad 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:50.020 Bluff and more at TravelWisconsin.com slash wonders. Welcome back to 0:16:50.060 --> 0:16:54.100 Packers Unscripted. Quick look around the league week six, Wes. 0:16:54.500 --> 0:16:56.400 Not a whole lot going on in the NFC North 0:16:56.500 --> 0:16:59.910 because both the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have an 0:17:00.370 --> 0:17:03.870 early week six buy. The Chicago Bears are at the 0:17:03.950 --> 0:17:09.320 Atlanta Falcons. An interesting matchup here because I think the 0:17:09.380 --> 0:17:12.860 expectation is Caleb Williams will be back at quarterback for 0:17:12.900 --> 0:17:15.619 the Bears. It doesn't seem 100% yet, but things are 0:17:15.700 --> 0:17:18.840 leaning that way. And the Falcons coming off of, I mean, 0:17:19.369 --> 0:17:22.070 Falcons were playing some really, really good football with, you know, 0:17:22.090 --> 0:17:25.270 their win here at Lambeau on that Thursday night. And then, 0:17:25.390 --> 0:17:28.170 you know, they just steamrolled the Saints on Monday night football. 0:17:28.630 --> 0:17:30.369 But then they lost a tough one to a backup 0:17:30.410 --> 0:17:33.510 quarterback in Snoop Huntley with Baltimore. That was a big 0:17:33.550 --> 0:17:36.150 win for the Ravens on Sunday night football in overtime. 0:17:37.150 --> 0:17:39.950 Michael Penix ended up leaving that game with a rib injury. 0:17:40.020 --> 0:17:41.820 I'm not sure what his status is. 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.420 Sounds like it might be positive for this week. Yeah. 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:45.459 I mean, and, you know. 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:47.040 Tua did not do him any favors. 0:17:47.369 --> 0:17:50.050 No, Tua came in and threw the interception in overtime 0:17:50.090 --> 0:17:53.150 that ended that game, so I'm sure the Falcons really 0:17:53.190 --> 0:17:55.980 want to get Penix back. But this is an interesting 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:59.139 one for both teams, and obviously it has major implications 0:17:59.180 --> 0:18:01.500 in the NFC North with where the Bears are at 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:02.620 3-2 tied with Green Bay. 0:18:02.740 --> 0:18:05.520 Yeah, for sure. And I think for Atlanta, this is 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:08.610 a new test too because this Bijan Robinson, Brian Robinson 0:18:08.650 --> 0:18:10.590 thing they have going is going to be what carries 0:18:10.630 --> 0:18:13.909 them throughout this season because I just don't know at 0:18:13.950 --> 0:18:16.169 this point if you can count on Penix. Week in 0:18:16.210 --> 0:18:17.970 and week out being available, it just seems like there's 0:18:17.990 --> 0:18:21.950 always a nick, there's always a cut. Not to say 0:18:21.990 --> 0:18:24.409 it's an extremely tough game, but the way he plays 0:18:24.450 --> 0:18:27.330 the position, it kind of feels like a Jackson Dart 0:18:27.390 --> 0:18:30.210 sort of light situation. And I don't think Tua is 0:18:30.250 --> 0:18:33.250 going to be the guy to really get that team 0:18:33.290 --> 0:18:35.250 on track if Pennix isn't out there. I thought you 0:18:35.290 --> 0:18:37.930 saw the growth in Pennix in the game against Green 0:18:37.970 --> 0:18:39.310 Bay and the game against New Orleans. 0:18:39.350 --> 0:18:39.630 No doubt. 0:18:39.650 --> 0:18:42.190 They need more of that going forward. For Chicago, big 0:18:42.230 --> 0:18:45.470 gut check. This is a tough week. Yeah. You know, 0:18:45.750 --> 0:18:47.820 Caleb Williams is back, but there was a lot of 0:18:47.859 --> 0:18:49.880 other things that went awry for them in that game 0:18:49.920 --> 0:18:52.320 against Green Bay, including the defense and being able to 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:54.700 stop the aerial passing attack. Now you shift the focus 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.260 to that offensive line and trying to find a way 0:18:57.280 --> 0:18:59.800 to solve the Robinson problem. But it's a much different 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:02.500 Falcons team than it was. And I think as difficult 0:19:02.540 --> 0:19:05.020 as that loss was, you have to imagine the back 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:07.080 of their heads. They're thinking, OK, well, if Penix is 0:19:07.140 --> 0:19:09.790 still out there down the stretch, do you get that win? 0:19:10.210 --> 0:19:11.990 And again, the Bears are on the road. And I 0:19:12.050 --> 0:19:14.170 talked about this last week going into the matchup. There 0:19:14.230 --> 0:19:16.990 is a huge difference in how the Chicago Bears defense 0:19:17.070 --> 0:19:20.290 plays at Soldier Field versus on the roads. Statistically now 0:19:20.330 --> 0:19:22.149 for the last season and a half, it's about a 0:19:22.190 --> 0:19:24.630 two touchdown difference. It's like a 12 to 13 point 0:19:24.670 --> 0:19:27.750 difference in their points allowed at home versus on the road. 0:19:27.850 --> 0:19:30.450