December 19, 2024 • 32 mins
Mike and Wes preview the Monday night matchup with the Saints, looking at their defense (3:55) and offense (9:06), providing Green Bay’s keys to victory (13:16) and examining the league’s Week 16 slate (19:59).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hi, everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com.
I am Mike Spafford, joined as always by my trusted
colleague Wes Hodkotz. We're coming to you here from our
studios at Lambo Field to preview Monday Night football. It
will be the Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans
Saints this coming Monday Night and West. There are a
(00:38):
lot of ways to look at this game, and we'll
talk about, obviously, the playoff implications and all that for
the Packers. The Saints are coming in here at five
and nine, But the last thing you want to do
is look at the Saints as a five and nine
football team.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The easiest way to say.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
It is, since the coaching change, this team is three
and two under interim coach Darren Rizzy, and those two
losses are by seven points to the Rams and by
one point to the Commanders, both of whom are right
in the thick of the playoff chase in the NFC.
(01:16):
This is a this is a Rams team that is
that may not be making the playoffs this year. I'm sorry,
a Saints team that may not be making the playoffs
this year, but they are going to give Green Bay
everything the Packers can handle.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know what, you just made me realize, Michael, I
got Darren Rizzy's record wrong in this week's Game Program
because he lost last week to the Washington Commanders. He's
now three and two as an interim coach, not three
and one, like well, ja, here's three and one Monday.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, and he was.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
He was a whisker a two point conversion play from
being four and one. But sorry, the drawback to game
program publication as opposed to our oddline work where.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Oh wait, we can just go and fix it.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, it's just like my old school newspaper days. You're
gonna have to live with that one. Had Kowitz. No
my number one thing I said, I put it an
insider inbox this week. Darren Rizzy has this team playing
inspired football.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
He does.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
They are banged up.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
They have had a lot of injuries, particularly on the
offensive side of the ball, at premier positions, at key positions.
But they still fight and I think in the second
half of that game against Washington it was a pretty
lethargic start. They make the switch over to Spencer Rattler,
it just seemed like they were more competitive from that
point and in again, this is a team that technically
(02:38):
is not out of the hunt yet because of how
things have sort of shuffled in the NFC South. So
I imagine that's probably gonna be their rallying cry throughout
this week is Hey, let's just win football games. Darren
Rizzy would love to be a head coach. There are
guys that are gonna want to play for him. Yeah,
let's put on a show. That being said, it would
be disingenuous for me to act like this is, you know,
(03:00):
the Detroit Lions or the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints have
some pretty gaping holes at a lot of different positions.
They have guys that you can hurt you but you know,
you take a guy like Mark Weisvelde Scantling for example,
and Quez obviously did it here for a long time
explosive player. He was released by Buffalo early this season,
and now he finds himself as a starting receiver for
the Saints. It just kind of shows you the way
(03:22):
that this thing is sort of unfolded for them this season.
Ye Alvin Kamara is still very dangerous on the ground,
but there's been games when he's been a non factor.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Too.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
He is their leading receiver so far on this season.
Foster Moreau a guy that I respect at the tight
end possession. Defensively, a lot of veterans on that side
of things. Green Bay is still a heavy favorite going
into this thing on Monday Night, and it's because of
the way they perform, the consistency that they've had, and
the fact that they're getting this thing back at lambeau
Field winning. You're in right, that's pretty much the mantra. Yep,
(03:51):
the Packers have to take care of business.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, absolutely, it is a take care of business game
for green Bay. Looking at at the Saints, since Rizzy
took over as the interim coach, you mentioned most of
their injuries have been on the offensive side of the ball.
There's been a lot of shuffling of personnel at quarterback,
at running back, at wide receiver, everywhere. They've only scored.
The Saints have only scored more than twenty points once
(04:15):
since Rizzy took over, but they have not allowed more
than twenty one point right in a game. Defensively, since
Rizzy took over, the backbone of this Saints team right
now is its defense. They have thirty seven sacks on
the season. They have eleven different players who've contributed to
those sack numbers. Of course, everybody's talking about the eight
(04:38):
sacks that they got last week against Jayden Daniels and
the Washington Commanders, when, as you mentioned, they made the
switch at quarterback from Jake Hayner to Spencer Rattler. They
were down seventeen to nothing. They came all the way back,
but they end up losing twenty to nineteen because instead
of playing for overtime on their final touchdown, they decided
to go for two and go for the win.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
They didn't get it, so Washington survived it.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
But this, uh, this Saints defense, they they're to steal
a term from Larry mccaern, they're a salty bunch. It's
it's and it's yeah, you know it's a veteran like
Cam Jordan's in the middle of it, of course, yes,
but there are a lot of other veterans on this
defense as well that have that have been around the
(05:24):
block in the NFL, and these guys, these guys know
how to play defense.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I don't know how much you've dove in all this.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I was completely I'm blown away by exactly what is
going on with the Saints defense, because you're right, they've
played really well.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
They got off to a terrible start to the season.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Right. They're still thirtieth in total yards, they're twenty seventh
in rushing yards, they're twenty eighth against the pass. They
are third to last in goal to go. There are
so many things statistically that tell you this is a
bad defense, but the eye test is different. And when
you look at you know you have a guy like
is it Brian in the middle of that defense, Brian
(06:02):
Berz Braziz.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I never could pronounce it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I know it's a true.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
It's a truth every year. Yes, he's there.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
He's their sack leader, Brian Berzee.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
You're getting a guy at a three tech position that's
getting you seven and a half sacked. Carl Granderson has
been doing it at a high level forever. Chase Young has
taken some ridic some criticism this year, but still has
five and a half sacks or five sacks this year.
Tyron Matthew, the honey Badger is still back there. To
Mario Davis, I mean this is and as you mentioned already,
Cam Jordan, this is a name defense. These are premier
(06:31):
players and a lot of veterans, and some of them
are getting, including Davis, a little longer in the tooth now,
but they're competitive and I feel like when Rizzy took
this thing over, and obviously a guy that has done it,
one of the best special teams coordinators in the last decade,
the last two decades in the National Football League, has
been waiting for that opportunity. He finally gets it, and
(06:52):
it just seemed like guys have responded to his leadership.
So keeping points off the board has been critical for them.
It's so one thing that the Saints have been okay
throughout the course of this year, and certainly going up
against the Packers offense that has now had was it
four or five games in a row with thirty plus points,
that's gonna be a big tipping point in this matchup.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
It just when you look at things statistically and you know,
we don't cover the Saints, We're not there every day,
we're not on the New Orleans beat. But it just
seems like something changed with this defense when Dennis Allen
was dismissed and when Darren Rizzy took over a head coach,
And I don't know what it is. I can't necessarily
(07:31):
explain it. But you look at things statistically and it's
very different. I mean, in this league, as competitive as
it is, any defense that can go five consecutive games
and not give up more than twenty one points, that's
a defense that's doing something right. But yes, when you
look at the overall season, because of some absolutely horrendous
games they had defensively earlier this year, their numbers overall
(07:54):
for the season defensively are not going to scare anybody.
So it's hard to figure out. It's hard to figure
out in that sense, other than to say that something
changed with the way this defense has been playing since
since Rizzy took over.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Well and man point this out too, sure so leading
up to Dennis Allen being dismissed in Dennis allen obviously
history of defense, there, yeah, twenty six points allowed, twenty
six points allowed, fifty one points allowed in a shellacking
at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thirty three
points allowed, twenty six points allowed, twenty three points allowed.
Since Rizzy has taken over seventeen fourteen to twenty one eleven,
(08:29):
and that was good enough to beat the New York Giants,
and then twenty last week against Jaden Daniels in a
Washington offense that has lit up a lot of squads
this year, and that had jumped out to a seventeen
to nothing lead, and then but Washington could not put
the Saints away. Yea, only after the seventeen to nothing lead,
Washington managed a field goal three points for the rest
of the football Yeah. So, and then I did see
(08:51):
a stat too. I think Alante Taylor in their slot cornerback.
Someone had mentioned this on Twitter has given up a
lot of production this year though, and that that's another
possession that you know, you look at. You know, Jaden
Reid potentially some of these options in the middle field
something Packers might potentially try to take advantage of.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Well, on the offensive side we've been talking about, they
made the switch from Jake Hayner, who had been designated
to start in place of Derek Carr, who has a
is it a left hand injury, It's an injury to
his non throwing hand. But hayn really really struggled against Washington.
(09:27):
They made the switch to Rattler, who had also played
some earlier in the season. He's got one hundred and
twenty pass attempts now on the year, as a rookie,
was a rookie fifth thrond draft pick. A couple of
things stand out. One is that he's only thrown two
interceptions in those one hundred and twenty pass attempts, but
he's been sacked fourteen times in one hundred and twenty
pass attempts. Those those numbers kind of kind of stand
(09:51):
out to you. One very positive, one very negative there,
And you mentioned Alvin Kamara. Marquis Veldiz Scantling. Kamara is
just shy of fifteen hundred total yards on the season,
combining the rushing and receiving, and he is the team's
leading rusher. He is the team's leading receiver yardage wise.
But he's also injured right now and his status seems
(10:11):
very much up in the air, so much so that
the Saints just signed former Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards Hilaire,
the former first round pick, to their practice squad. If
Kamara can't go and they need some more depth at
running back, Edwards Hilaire possibly could be elevated Monday night.
You know, there's a lot of there's a lot of
moving parts there, and with regard to MVS, he's only
(10:34):
caught fourteen passes thus far since joining the Saints, but
four of them are for touchdowns and he's averaging twenty
five yards a cat. Yeah, this is a guy, as
we know from his time in Green Bay, the speed
that he brings, He threatens defenses down the field, and
he will make big plays if if you're not on
your p's and q's with the coverage of this guy.
(10:55):
So really hard to say exactly what the Saints' offense
is going to look like coming out at Lambellfield.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
On Monday Night.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
The one thing we do know, at least as certain
as we can be, is that it will be Spencer Rattler.
And this is a young man who's trying to establish
himself as a quarterback in the National Football League, as
Darren Rizzy is trying to establish himself as a legitimate
head coaching candidate in the NFL. So a lot of motivation,
even for a team that just has five wins, right.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Ratler kind of reminds me of Matt Barkley from a
number of years ago, where I think going into last year,
his final year at South Carolina, everybody was expecting, Hey,
this is the guy that could potentially stamp himself as
an early pick, first round, second round, and then what
ends up happening is we get those run of those
six quarterbacks going the first twelve, and then Ratler and
the rest of the group is waiting for basically another
(11:44):
forty eight hours to get picked. Yeah, he ends up
falling to New Orleans, but still a lot of pedigree
there and a guy that was a gamer played some
big games for them over the course of the years.
Over at South Carolina. The weapons around him, though, is
the issue, and as you touch Kamara obviously banged up.
They lost Taysom Hill already. He'll had a lot of
(12:06):
history of injuries at BYU. I mean when people talk
about him not really having a position entering the NFL,
that was one piece of why he went on draft
and eventually signed here as a college free agent. It
was also the fact of how many times he ended
up finishing the year injured and not being able to
be at the end of that season with the Cougars.
So he's gone. Chris Olave just had a nightmare season
(12:28):
not able to get to this point. Still they wouldn't
I don't think they still have actually ruled him out
for the year. But it's tough being the position that
they're in. MBS was a savvy signing for them. He
obviously is a guy that, as you said, could take
a top off the defense, a Packers defense that very
much prides itself on being able to keep coverage over
the top of their defense that they're not going to
get seventy five year touchdowns thrown against them.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Jamal Williams is still in the equation for the New
Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
He could potentially be a lead back if it works
out that way and you don't have Kamara in this thing.
Lucas Patrick is on their starting offensive line. He has
missed time this year due to injuries, but now has
since return. So it's just been this musical chairs on
the offensive side of the ball for New Orleans. And
obviously you're seeing it settle out how it's settled out
(13:15):
to this point.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Yeah, all right, well, let's dive right into it here.
Monday night, come kickoff, it's possible the Packers will have
their playoff spot clinched, although it seems somewhat unlikely just
because of the fact that the Falcons, who have now
made the quarterback switch from Kirk Cousins to rookie Michael
Pennix Junior. But they're playing a Giants team that has
lost what is it ten in a row?
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah, in a row, something like that.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So if the Falcons beat the Giants, the Packers will
not have their playoff spot clinch. They will need to
beat the Saints in order to clinch it. So what
are the keys to victory do you feel in this
game for Green Bay?
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Well, first and foremost, just keep putting up points. As
you talked about with New Orleans, the issues are having
on the offensive side of the ball. They might catch
you here and there, but especially if Kamara is not
involved in this thing or limited in this thing, green
Bay just I don't know if you need to score
thirty again, but you probably got to score twenty and
feel good about and protect the football defensively. You have
(14:12):
to get after Rattler. You just have to. Sam Howell
is a veteran now, he's been in a league for
a number of years. But Green Bay just did not
allow him to get comfortable at all in the second half.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And see he looked when Sam Howell entered that game
in Seattle on Sunday night, he looked uncomfortable from the
very fift snap that he took and he never got
comfortable at all, and a lot of that had to
do with what the Packers were doing defensively upfront.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
But for green Bay, I think it really it comes
down to just being able to execute the offense, get
off to a fast start, use the conditions to your advantage.
You are you know it's going to be a Monday
night green Bay, Wisconsin going up against a team that
plays in a dome in the southern portion of the
state of the United States. I feel like it's all
there for green Bay. Honestly, it's just it comes back
(14:59):
to you just cannot overlook these type of opponents. There
was times where I said this to you, as soon
as I saw what the line was for this game,
you go back to I believe it was either twenty
twelve or twenty sixteen, but I think it might have
been twenty twelve where Jacksonville was coming to green Bay.
The Packers were like sixteen point favorites, and that was
a knockdown, drag out battle against I think it was
(15:21):
Chad Henny and they couldn't get any momentum in that
game and they won it, but I think it was
by like four points. I'm not saying you have to
go out there and just absolutely demolish this team, But
if you look at it, this is going to be
as well as it sets up for you down the stretch.
You have this game and then you're going to Minnesota
on a six day week. You have a little bit
(15:44):
more time to get refreshed after you know, a really
taxing trip out to Seattle. Just come out and do
what you have to do against a team that has
really struggled for most of the season.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, I think for me, I look at this the
fact that the Saints and that pass rush they did
so much damage against Washington and Jaden Daniels that got
the Saints back into that game. I look at Josh
Jacobs and the running game here as a really big
(16:16):
key because and I know, I just talked about how
looking at the Saints' statistics defensively for the entire season
can be misleading because of how different they've been since
Rizzy took over. But even as much as things have
changed with Rizzy, the Saints are still allowing one hundred
and thirty four rushing yards per game on the Over
(16:37):
the course of the season, they really stepped up their
run defense against Washington. They actually forced Daniels the quarterback,
to be the leading rusher for Washington in that game.
But Washington also doesn't have a running back like Josh
Jelcips And I think as much as the Green Bay
Packers offensive line, which has been playing pretty darn well
(16:57):
of late, really for the last couple of months, I
would say, with the exception of the first half against
the first quarter and a quarter and a half against
Detroit a couple weeks back, other than that little rough stretch,
the Packers offensive line has done a really, really good job,
and I think they can protect Jordan Love from this
pass rush. But I think the even better pass protection
(17:19):
for Jordan Love is going to be to get the
running game going. Yeah, and to make the Saints make
the Saints have to commit more personnel, commit more attention
to stopping Josh Jacobs and the running backs. And the
other thing I'll say as a key to victory in
this game is don't relax.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Washington got up on these guys seventeen to nothing, and
the next thing they knew they couldn't run the football.
Jaden Daniels is getting sacked all over the place, and
Spencer Rattler comes in off the bench and starts slinging
the ball all over the place, and suddenly the Saints
are back in the game in the middle of the
fourth quarter, and Washington's hanging on for dear life to
win a game that they thought they had at one
(17:56):
at halftime, because it looked like they did have it
one at halftime. But that's not how this league works,
and it'll be certainly be different with the Saints going
on the road. Now that game was in New Orleans,
it was it was a home game for the Saints
last week. But you just can't whatever is going on
in this game early on. I expect the Packers to
come out throw some punches early and get a lead
(18:18):
on these guys.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
But don't relax.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Just keep punching and before we transition over to looking
at the other games, winning on special teams too, is
gonna be paramounting this. Rashid Shihed is one of the
in my opinion, one of the most underrated punt returners
in this league.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
He's a dangerous play.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
He is absolutely dangerous. He's returning one for a touchdown
again this season. I think he's averaging fifteen yards per
return Obviously a big punt return is going to factor
into that. But I when I saw him last year,
I just I this guy is a dynamic football player.
They'll use him a little bit on offense too. He
gets sprinkled in there as well. Somebody have to keep
an eye on.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But didn't he beat the Packers for a long touchdown
pass last year the game the game here at Lambeau
he caught a.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Long TV you're in that really rougher. I don't remember.
I think it was.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
I think it was from Car before Car ended up
leaving that game with an injury. But yeah, he's he's
a fast, dude, dangerous player and he hit the Packers
over the top for a touchdown last season.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, you gotta imagine he'll be having that back in
his mind too, coming back to Lambeufield looking for another explosive.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yeah, all right, well take care of some sponsored business here.
Oh the other thing I was going to say too,
for those who don't know, And it's great that you
brought up special teams. Darren Rizzy's a special teams coach.
He's one of the best in the league and has
been one of the best in the league for a
long time, So that is certainly an area the Packers
need to be on top of heading into this one.
(19:39):
Serious XMNFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to
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subs fifty plus years better. All right, Week sixteen is
(20:03):
here in the NFL. As we said, as far as
playoff implications go, if the Packers win, they lock up
a playoff spot in the NFC. We have reached the
time in the year of Saturday football.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
We've almost reached the time of the year of Wednesday football.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, that's next week. Next week is Wednesday football on
Christmas Day. The four teams that are playing on Christmas
Day are the four teams that are playing on Saturday.
The NFL has set up this schedule so that nobody
would have a Sunday to Wednesday turnaround. They just would
have they go only Sunday to Saturday to Wednesday, so
(20:41):
they're playing three games in eleven days. I just want
to get your thoughts quickly on the Saturday games because
both of them are have some pretty interesting implications in
the AFC. Houston's at Kansas City and Pittsburgh is at
Baltimore in the AFC North, should be some couple of
pretty good contests.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, and Houston is in this like somebody had to
win the AFC South, and hell, it's gonna be us,
you know, it's just the way it's sort of been.
And and certainly Kansas City some questions here.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
This is.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I was talking to my friend Scott Vincy about this
on my way in, and I think, by and large,
Patrick Mahomes is going to be okay after everything happened
last week. So I was like, but this is still
a really tough turn for a guy that got banged up. Yeah,
you know a few days earlier where you're gonna play
on Saturday, then you're gonna come back in your face
the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday on Thanksgi or on Thanksgiving
on Christmas.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
My goodness, you just.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Don't want the calendar to keep what we're.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
No, I'm ready, I just want more Turkey, but you
know Pittsburgh and Baltimore a lot of implications in that
as well. This lined up really well in the NFL.
Obviously knew what they were doing. You have a guy
like Mike Tomlin who's never had a losing season before.
You have the reigning MVP in Lamar Jackson, Kansas City
is always going to be a draw, and people thought,
(21:52):
I mean in some regards tech the Texas have been
kind of a disappointment this year, as weird as it
sounds to say about a nine win team with three
to go, but they had really bend the world beater
I think everybody expected after last year with CJ.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Stroud agree.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
So they set it up perfectly in how this aligns.
But the thing that's funny about it is, including the
Denver Los Angeles Chargers game on Thursday, there actually aren't
a lot of great Sunday games because of all this.
The way it works out and into some regard, I
guess you could say Monday's game just based on what
the Saints record is. So but yeah, it'll be uh,
it'll be a lot of fun. And yeah, two weeks here,
we're gonna have a lot of football on a lot
(22:26):
of days I wanted.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
To ask you too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
You brought up Denver against the LA Chargers on Thursday Night.
You know how I always like to talk about, Okay,
how is a team gonna respond to what just happened?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
How do how do the Chargers respond on Thursday night
football to that absolute debacle of a performance against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That happens? That happened. Now the Chargers,
you know, they're still in pretty good shape obviously to
get a playoff spot in the AFC, But man, that
was that was an ugly loss to Tampa Bay. And
now they have to turn around on a short week
(22:59):
and play division rival who is sitting ahead of them,
and with the rookie quarterback in bo Nicks got Denver
and Sean Payton headed to the postseason.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
So here's the thing about the Chargers.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yes, you got the Jim Harbaugh effect right now, you
got that rub but this is a team that has
faltered down the stretch in the Justin Herbert era. Yes,
and yeah, as much as they want to finally get
back to the playoffs, if you end up in that
seven seed, congratulations, you're facing Kansas City or Buffalo probably
Buffalo right now, not to say you can't beat them
(23:33):
any given Sunday, Saturday, whatever, Wednesday, Wednesday, Monday. I think
there's a Monday playoff game this year, Yeah, there is,
But you still want to set yourself up better for this.
You're one game behind Denver, You're one game behind Baltimore.
You could potentially, I think you much rather face Houston
or Pittsburgh, depending on how that shuffles out.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So a lot on the line there.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I just love the way the AFC lines up though,
where it's the Chargers are at eight and six. Green
Bay needs to win to get to eleven wins on
Monday to clinch a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Chargers are
two games ahead with eight wins in the AFC for
the seventh seed against ahead of three teams who are
all six and eight, who are the only ones that
are still eligible for the postseason in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
And I did see, I saw, and I don't have
it all in front of me, but there is a
scenario of games. I believe it's like there's four results
that if they go a certain way this week, that
with two games left to go in the regular season,
we will know the seven AFC playoff teams. It's possible
that after this week now the seeding won't be all
(24:35):
sorted out. But it's possible after this week that the
seven teams will be mathematically determined and everybody else in
the AFC will be eliminated with two weeks left to go,
which would be pretty It would be unprecedented, certainly since
the playoffs expanded to seven teams, but o three years ago,
and it's unprecedented in quite a while now.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Granted, it may not happen.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
There may still be some teams alive in the AFC
after this week, but it's possible that it'll all be decided.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
So it's almost like maybe you didn't need seventeen regular
season games to decide.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
These almost maybe, g do you think?
Speaker 3 (25:11):
But hey, before we go and talk about anything else,
let's just talk about how great Aaron Rodgers is and
now the Green Bay Packers, you know, old QB twelve
slash one former one. We can take care of business
this Sunday. I would behoove his old team too, right.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
You hold you're holding your breath on that one.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
No, not at all.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I mean I think it's I think it's possible the
Jets could beat the Rams. I mean, the Rams look
very human in that game against the forty nine.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
That's the interesting thing because I mentioned last week, Okay,
how does how does the Ram how does the Rams
defense respond to, you know, getting lit up by Josh Allen. Yeah,
and they survived that game forty four to forty two.
And everybody's talking about how dangerous the Rams are. Yep,
all these points they're putting up, and I was sort
of looking at it from the other side, well, how
is there? Where are they at on defense? Then they
(26:05):
go out on Thursday night and their defense looks great.
They completely befuddle brock Purty for four quarters, but their
offense can't do anything. They don't even get a touchdown.
But they win a Thursday night game twelve to six
or twelve to nine.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
Or whatever the heck twelve to six.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Twelve to six was the final score there.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
But only game this year with no touchdowns, that's right. Meanwhile,
the Jets that second half Aaron Rodgers DeVante Adams a
had no catches in the first half and then finished
with what it was, nine for one ninety eight and
a couple touch and a couple of touchdowns and then
obviously to I want you to touch on this quick
before we go.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeh Minnesota Seattle. Yeah, because that was the next one
I was going to you touched.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
On it and path to the playoffs. I thought this
was really an interesting outlook on how this game should go.
What you're thinking about it?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing, is the number one
question I've gotten this week.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
One.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
I mean, one of the scenarios for the Packers to
clinch their playoff spot without getting their eleventh win would
be for the Falcons to lose and for either the
Rams or the Seahawks to lose, right, correct, So, but
I think it still really behooves Packers fans more to
(27:15):
cheer for Seattle to beat Minnesota. I have to believe
the Packers are going to get at least get their
eleventh win, if not their twelfth, by the end of
the regular season, and maybe thirteen. So I still think
Packers fans are better off rooting for Seattle to rooting
for Seattle to beat Minnesota, and which sort of improves
(27:39):
Green Bay's chances then of maybe being able to overtake
the Vikings in the wild card seating in the NFC
and We'll have to see, have to see how that
sorts itself out.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
But a big game.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
In terms of the bounce back idea for Seattle after
what the Packers did to them in their home stadium.
Now Minnesota's going out out there, they get another home
game against another playoff contender. It sounds like Gino Smith
is going to be okay, but now sharbon A's hurt. Yeah,
but now they're number one, well number two, but who
had been there become their number one with Kenneth Walker out,
(28:14):
So where Seattle is going to be offensively still still
a little bit up in the air. And then uh,
a key game as far as the NFC East goes. Uh.
Philadelphia is at Washington. Philadelphia won the first meeting between
these two teams, that was on a Thursday night earlier
(28:34):
this season. Philadelphia, I believe, just needs to win this
game and they clinched the division champions Trek, they win
and they clinched the division. Washington, it's not even really
so much necessarily about trying to keep the division title
hopes alive, but about playoff positioning and trying to for Washington,
trying to hold off whoever might be the runner up
(28:58):
in the NFC West in terms of in terms of
a wild card spot there. So that's a that's a
really big game for Washington at Hole against the division leader.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Huge, And certainly it's the type of matchup where if
you can win it, yeah you're out of that. You're
still probably out of the division race. But I mean
that they've been looking for a signature win. We hear
this all the time about the Packers, will the winning records,
beating teams with winning records. This would be a huge
feather in Jaden Daniel's cap if he could solve that defense.
No doubt what Vic Fangio has done this year and
(29:30):
the swagger that has been reinstilled in Philly. I mean, dude,
how rough was the end of last season And now
suddenly you got Jalen Hurts being able to actually answer
some of his critics with the passing game. You got
their defense looking I mean, whether it's Cooper Cup or
Quinnon Mitchell a Cooper Cup, oh my god, Cooper Dijon.
I got to stop talking and do something else. I
(29:52):
like to get some sleep, but I think that's the
other thing too out. But but the defense looks good.
I mean they are strong, and that's gonna be a
real difficult Pu's.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Got that MVP candidate in the backfield there too, And
says John Barkley that you know, it's it's funny because that,
honestly might be the really the difference in how Philadelphia
has truly bounced back from that disastrous end to last
season is Saquon Barkley is the anchor of that whole
(30:21):
offense in the backfield.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
He was the new guy they brought in, and he
has lived up to everything they needed him to.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Be and more.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Quite frankly, he's a He is a star and a
legitimate MVP candidate. Along with a guy like Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
There are really good running backs in the league that
are homegrown. It is just wild how many guys have
really balled out after switching teams this offseason. Yeah, like
even Aaron Jones going to Minnesota. Aaron's on the precipice
here of getting another thousand yard season, I think his
four thousand yard season.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
And we've seen the guy here, Josh Jacobs coming over
from the Raiders and racking up another thousand yard season.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Aaron Jones has played great this year and nobody even
talks about it because how well Jacobs has performed right
and rightfully. So I don't I love Aaron. I think
he's doing a great job at Minnesota. The way that
the offense is structured this year, it's a better fit
for Josh Shacops and what he's been able to do
the goal and he has what five or six one
yard touchdowns now this season on the goal line. Alis,
(31:17):
Do you want to have any quick thoughts on Jacksonville,
Vegas before we head out? No?
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Do you know, Okay, I just want to have it
out there.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I figured, all right, well, Marlos.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Things that the Raiders are legitimately going to be like
doing what I mean, obviously everybody's competing you want to win,
but they would probably really like to have.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Shador Sanders instead.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
I would imagine, yeah, that there's gonna be There's gonna
be a fair amount of attention this weekend. As you mentioned,
not a whole lot of great Sunday games because of.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
The way the schedule fell.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
There's going to be a lot of attention on NFL
Twitter and elsewhere on Sunday the race for the number
one draft pick.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah, and how and.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Who's who's going to be winning and losing as we
head into the final couple weeks of the regular season,
but mark your calendar's fall, folks. The twenty twenty five
NFL Draft, speaking of the race for the number one pick,
is coming to Green Bay. Be among the thousands of
football fans cheering on their team's picks by joining us
April twenty four through April twenty six of twenty twenty five.
(32:14):
Visit green Bay dot com slash Draft twenty five for
more information, and with that, we'll call it a rap
on this edition of Packers Unscripted. I'm sure to follow
all of our coverage of the team and everything from
Monday night's game against the Saints at Lambeufield. We'll have
it for you on Packers dot com. For Wes, I'm Mike.
Thank you for tuning in, everybody. We will see you
next time.
Hi, everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com.
I am Mike Spafford, joined as always by my trusted
colleague Wes Hodkotz. We're coming to you here from our
studios at Lambo Field to preview Monday Night football. It
will be the Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans
Saints this coming Monday Night and West. There are a
(00:38):
lot of ways to look at this game, and we'll
talk about, obviously, the playoff implications and all that for
the Packers. The Saints are coming in here at five
and nine, But the last thing you want to do
is look at the Saints as a five and nine
football team.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The easiest way to say.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
It is, since the coaching change, this team is three
and two under interim coach Darren Rizzy, and those two
losses are by seven points to the Rams and by
one point to the Commanders, both of whom are right
in the thick of the playoff chase in the NFC.
(01:16):
This is a this is a Rams team that is
that may not be making the playoffs this year. I'm sorry,
a Saints team that may not be making the playoffs
this year, but they are going to give Green Bay
everything the Packers can handle.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know what, you just made me realize, Michael, I
got Darren Rizzy's record wrong in this week's Game Program
because he lost last week to the Washington Commanders. He's
now three and two as an interim coach, not three
and one, like well, ja, here's three and one Monday.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, and he was.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
He was a whisker a two point conversion play from
being four and one. But sorry, the drawback to game
program publication as opposed to our oddline work where.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Oh wait, we can just go and fix it.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, it's just like my old school newspaper days. You're
gonna have to live with that one. Had Kowitz. No
my number one thing I said, I put it an
insider inbox this week. Darren Rizzy has this team playing
inspired football.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
He does.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
They are banged up.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
They have had a lot of injuries, particularly on the
offensive side of the ball, at premier positions, at key positions.
But they still fight and I think in the second
half of that game against Washington it was a pretty
lethargic start. They make the switch over to Spencer Rattler,
it just seemed like they were more competitive from that
point and in again, this is a team that technically
(02:38):
is not out of the hunt yet because of how
things have sort of shuffled in the NFC South. So
I imagine that's probably gonna be their rallying cry throughout
this week is Hey, let's just win football games. Darren
Rizzy would love to be a head coach. There are
guys that are gonna want to play for him. Yeah,
let's put on a show. That being said, it would
be disingenuous for me to act like this is, you know,
(03:00):
the Detroit Lions or the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints have
some pretty gaping holes at a lot of different positions.
They have guys that you can hurt you but you know,
you take a guy like Mark Weisvelde Scantling for example,
and Quez obviously did it here for a long time
explosive player. He was released by Buffalo early this season,
and now he finds himself as a starting receiver for
the Saints. It just kind of shows you the way
(03:22):
that this thing is sort of unfolded for them this season.
Ye Alvin Kamara is still very dangerous on the ground,
but there's been games when he's been a non factor.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Too.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
He is their leading receiver so far on this season.
Foster Moreau a guy that I respect at the tight
end possession. Defensively, a lot of veterans on that side
of things. Green Bay is still a heavy favorite going
into this thing on Monday Night, and it's because of
the way they perform, the consistency that they've had, and
the fact that they're getting this thing back at lambeau
Field winning. You're in right, that's pretty much the mantra. Yep,
(03:51):
the Packers have to take care of business.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, absolutely, it is a take care of business game
for green Bay. Looking at at the Saints, since Rizzy
took over as the interim coach, you mentioned most of
their injuries have been on the offensive side of the ball.
There's been a lot of shuffling of personnel at quarterback,
at running back, at wide receiver, everywhere. They've only scored.
The Saints have only scored more than twenty points once
(04:15):
since Rizzy took over, but they have not allowed more
than twenty one point right in a game. Defensively, since
Rizzy took over, the backbone of this Saints team right
now is its defense. They have thirty seven sacks on
the season. They have eleven different players who've contributed to
those sack numbers. Of course, everybody's talking about the eight
(04:38):
sacks that they got last week against Jayden Daniels and
the Washington Commanders, when, as you mentioned, they made the
switch at quarterback from Jake Hayner to Spencer Rattler. They
were down seventeen to nothing. They came all the way back,
but they end up losing twenty to nineteen because instead
of playing for overtime on their final touchdown, they decided
to go for two and go for the win.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
They didn't get it, so Washington survived it.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
But this, uh, this Saints defense, they they're to steal
a term from Larry mccaern, they're a salty bunch. It's
it's and it's yeah, you know it's a veteran like
Cam Jordan's in the middle of it, of course, yes,
but there are a lot of other veterans on this
defense as well that have that have been around the
(05:24):
block in the NFL, and these guys, these guys know
how to play defense.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I don't know how much you've dove in all this.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I was completely I'm blown away by exactly what is
going on with the Saints defense, because you're right, they've
played really well.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
They got off to a terrible start to the season.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Right. They're still thirtieth in total yards, they're twenty seventh
in rushing yards, they're twenty eighth against the pass. They
are third to last in goal to go. There are
so many things statistically that tell you this is a
bad defense, but the eye test is different. And when
you look at you know you have a guy like
is it Brian in the middle of that defense, Brian
(06:02):
Berz Braziz.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I never could pronounce it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I know it's a true.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
It's a truth every year. Yes, he's there.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
He's their sack leader, Brian Berzee.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
You're getting a guy at a three tech position that's
getting you seven and a half sacked. Carl Granderson has
been doing it at a high level forever. Chase Young has
taken some ridic some criticism this year, but still has
five and a half sacks or five sacks this year.
Tyron Matthew, the honey Badger is still back there. To
Mario Davis, I mean this is and as you mentioned already,
Cam Jordan, this is a name defense. These are premier
(06:31):
players and a lot of veterans, and some of them
are getting, including Davis, a little longer in the tooth now,
but they're competitive and I feel like when Rizzy took
this thing over, and obviously a guy that has done it,
one of the best special teams coordinators in the last decade,
the last two decades in the National Football League, has
been waiting for that opportunity. He finally gets it, and
(06:52):
it just seemed like guys have responded to his leadership.
So keeping points off the board has been critical for them.
It's so one thing that the Saints have been okay
throughout the course of this year, and certainly going up
against the Packers offense that has now had was it
four or five games in a row with thirty plus points,
that's gonna be a big tipping point in this matchup.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
It just when you look at things statistically and you know,
we don't cover the Saints, We're not there every day,
we're not on the New Orleans beat. But it just
seems like something changed with this defense when Dennis Allen
was dismissed and when Darren Rizzy took over a head coach,
And I don't know what it is. I can't necessarily
(07:31):
explain it. But you look at things statistically and it's
very different. I mean, in this league, as competitive as
it is, any defense that can go five consecutive games
and not give up more than twenty one points, that's
a defense that's doing something right. But yes, when you
look at the overall season, because of some absolutely horrendous
games they had defensively earlier this year, their numbers overall
(07:54):
for the season defensively are not going to scare anybody.
So it's hard to figure out. It's hard to figure
out in that sense, other than to say that something
changed with the way this defense has been playing since
since Rizzy took over.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Well and man point this out too, sure so leading
up to Dennis Allen being dismissed in Dennis allen obviously
history of defense, there, yeah, twenty six points allowed, twenty
six points allowed, fifty one points allowed in a shellacking
at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thirty three
points allowed, twenty six points allowed, twenty three points allowed.
Since Rizzy has taken over seventeen fourteen to twenty one eleven,
(08:29):
and that was good enough to beat the New York Giants,
and then twenty last week against Jaden Daniels in a
Washington offense that has lit up a lot of squads
this year, and that had jumped out to a seventeen
to nothing lead, and then but Washington could not put
the Saints away. Yea, only after the seventeen to nothing lead,
Washington managed a field goal three points for the rest
of the football Yeah. So, and then I did see
(08:51):
a stat too. I think Alante Taylor in their slot cornerback.
Someone had mentioned this on Twitter has given up a
lot of production this year though, and that that's another
possession that you know, you look at. You know, Jaden
Reid potentially some of these options in the middle field
something Packers might potentially try to take advantage of.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Well, on the offensive side we've been talking about, they
made the switch from Jake Hayner, who had been designated
to start in place of Derek Carr, who has a
is it a left hand injury, It's an injury to
his non throwing hand. But hayn really really struggled against Washington.
(09:27):
They made the switch to Rattler, who had also played
some earlier in the season. He's got one hundred and
twenty pass attempts now on the year, as a rookie,
was a rookie fifth thrond draft pick. A couple of
things stand out. One is that he's only thrown two
interceptions in those one hundred and twenty pass attempts, but
he's been sacked fourteen times in one hundred and twenty
pass attempts. Those those numbers kind of kind of stand
(09:51):
out to you. One very positive, one very negative there,
And you mentioned Alvin Kamara. Marquis Veldiz Scantling. Kamara is
just shy of fifteen hundred total yards on the season,
combining the rushing and receiving, and he is the team's
leading rusher. He is the team's leading receiver yardage wise.
But he's also injured right now and his status seems
(10:11):
very much up in the air, so much so that
the Saints just signed former Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards Hilaire,
the former first round pick, to their practice squad. If
Kamara can't go and they need some more depth at
running back, Edwards Hilaire possibly could be elevated Monday night.
You know, there's a lot of there's a lot of
moving parts there, and with regard to MVS, he's only
(10:34):
caught fourteen passes thus far since joining the Saints, but
four of them are for touchdowns and he's averaging twenty
five yards a cat. Yeah, this is a guy, as
we know from his time in Green Bay, the speed
that he brings, He threatens defenses down the field, and
he will make big plays if if you're not on
your p's and q's with the coverage of this guy.
(10:55):
So really hard to say exactly what the Saints' offense
is going to look like coming out at Lambellfield.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
On Monday Night.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
The one thing we do know, at least as certain
as we can be, is that it will be Spencer Rattler.
And this is a young man who's trying to establish
himself as a quarterback in the National Football League, as
Darren Rizzy is trying to establish himself as a legitimate
head coaching candidate in the NFL. So a lot of motivation,
even for a team that just has five wins, right.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Ratler kind of reminds me of Matt Barkley from a
number of years ago, where I think going into last year,
his final year at South Carolina, everybody was expecting, Hey,
this is the guy that could potentially stamp himself as
an early pick, first round, second round, and then what
ends up happening is we get those run of those
six quarterbacks going the first twelve, and then Ratler and
the rest of the group is waiting for basically another
(11:44):
forty eight hours to get picked. Yeah, he ends up
falling to New Orleans, but still a lot of pedigree
there and a guy that was a gamer played some
big games for them over the course of the years.
Over at South Carolina. The weapons around him, though, is
the issue, and as you touch Kamara obviously banged up.
They lost Taysom Hill already. He'll had a lot of
(12:06):
history of injuries at BYU. I mean when people talk
about him not really having a position entering the NFL,
that was one piece of why he went on draft
and eventually signed here as a college free agent. It
was also the fact of how many times he ended
up finishing the year injured and not being able to
be at the end of that season with the Cougars.
So he's gone. Chris Olave just had a nightmare season
(12:28):
not able to get to this point. Still they wouldn't
I don't think they still have actually ruled him out
for the year. But it's tough being the position that
they're in. MBS was a savvy signing for them. He
obviously is a guy that, as you said, could take
a top off the defense, a Packers defense that very
much prides itself on being able to keep coverage over
the top of their defense that they're not going to
get seventy five year touchdowns thrown against them.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Jamal Williams is still in the equation for the New
Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
He could potentially be a lead back if it works
out that way and you don't have Kamara in this thing.
Lucas Patrick is on their starting offensive line. He has
missed time this year due to injuries, but now has
since return. So it's just been this musical chairs on
the offensive side of the ball for New Orleans. And
obviously you're seeing it settle out how it's settled out
(13:15):
to this point.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Yeah, all right, well, let's dive right into it here.
Monday night, come kickoff, it's possible the Packers will have
their playoff spot clinched, although it seems somewhat unlikely just
because of the fact that the Falcons, who have now
made the quarterback switch from Kirk Cousins to rookie Michael
Pennix Junior. But they're playing a Giants team that has
lost what is it ten in a row?
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah, in a row, something like that.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So if the Falcons beat the Giants, the Packers will
not have their playoff spot clinch. They will need to
beat the Saints in order to clinch it. So what
are the keys to victory do you feel in this
game for Green Bay?
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Well, first and foremost, just keep putting up points. As
you talked about with New Orleans, the issues are having
on the offensive side of the ball. They might catch
you here and there, but especially if Kamara is not
involved in this thing or limited in this thing, green
Bay just I don't know if you need to score
thirty again, but you probably got to score twenty and
feel good about and protect the football defensively. You have
(14:12):
to get after Rattler. You just have to. Sam Howell
is a veteran now, he's been in a league for
a number of years. But Green Bay just did not
allow him to get comfortable at all in the second half.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And see he looked when Sam Howell entered that game
in Seattle on Sunday night, he looked uncomfortable from the
very fift snap that he took and he never got
comfortable at all, and a lot of that had to
do with what the Packers were doing defensively upfront.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
But for green Bay, I think it really it comes
down to just being able to execute the offense, get
off to a fast start, use the conditions to your advantage.
You are you know it's going to be a Monday
night green Bay, Wisconsin going up against a team that
plays in a dome in the southern portion of the
state of the United States. I feel like it's all
there for green Bay. Honestly, it's just it comes back
(14:59):
to you just cannot overlook these type of opponents. There
was times where I said this to you, as soon
as I saw what the line was for this game,
you go back to I believe it was either twenty
twelve or twenty sixteen, but I think it might have
been twenty twelve where Jacksonville was coming to green Bay.
The Packers were like sixteen point favorites, and that was
a knockdown, drag out battle against I think it was
(15:21):
Chad Henny and they couldn't get any momentum in that
game and they won it, but I think it was
by like four points. I'm not saying you have to
go out there and just absolutely demolish this team, But
if you look at it, this is going to be
as well as it sets up for you down the stretch.
You have this game and then you're going to Minnesota
on a six day week. You have a little bit
(15:44):
more time to get refreshed after you know, a really
taxing trip out to Seattle. Just come out and do
what you have to do against a team that has
really struggled for most of the season.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, I think for me, I look at this the
fact that the Saints and that pass rush they did
so much damage against Washington and Jaden Daniels that got
the Saints back into that game. I look at Josh
Jacobs and the running game here as a really big
(16:16):
key because and I know, I just talked about how
looking at the Saints' statistics defensively for the entire season
can be misleading because of how different they've been since
Rizzy took over. But even as much as things have
changed with Rizzy, the Saints are still allowing one hundred
and thirty four rushing yards per game on the Over
(16:37):
the course of the season, they really stepped up their
run defense against Washington. They actually forced Daniels the quarterback,
to be the leading rusher for Washington in that game.
But Washington also doesn't have a running back like Josh
Jelcips And I think as much as the Green Bay
Packers offensive line, which has been playing pretty darn well
(16:57):
of late, really for the last couple of months, I
would say, with the exception of the first half against
the first quarter and a quarter and a half against
Detroit a couple weeks back, other than that little rough stretch,
the Packers offensive line has done a really, really good job,
and I think they can protect Jordan Love from this
pass rush. But I think the even better pass protection
(17:19):
for Jordan Love is going to be to get the
running game going. Yeah, and to make the Saints make
the Saints have to commit more personnel, commit more attention
to stopping Josh Jacobs and the running backs. And the
other thing I'll say as a key to victory in
this game is don't relax.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Washington got up on these guys seventeen to nothing, and
the next thing they knew they couldn't run the football.
Jaden Daniels is getting sacked all over the place, and
Spencer Rattler comes in off the bench and starts slinging
the ball all over the place, and suddenly the Saints
are back in the game in the middle of the
fourth quarter, and Washington's hanging on for dear life to
win a game that they thought they had at one
(17:56):
at halftime, because it looked like they did have it
one at halftime. But that's not how this league works,
and it'll be certainly be different with the Saints going
on the road. Now that game was in New Orleans,
it was it was a home game for the Saints
last week. But you just can't whatever is going on
in this game early on. I expect the Packers to
come out throw some punches early and get a lead
(18:18):
on these guys.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
But don't relax.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Just keep punching and before we transition over to looking
at the other games, winning on special teams too, is
gonna be paramounting this. Rashid Shihed is one of the
in my opinion, one of the most underrated punt returners
in this league.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
He's a dangerous play.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
He is absolutely dangerous. He's returning one for a touchdown
again this season. I think he's averaging fifteen yards per
return Obviously a big punt return is going to factor
into that. But I when I saw him last year,
I just I this guy is a dynamic football player.
They'll use him a little bit on offense too. He
gets sprinkled in there as well. Somebody have to keep
an eye on.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But didn't he beat the Packers for a long touchdown
pass last year the game the game here at Lambeau
he caught a.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Long TV you're in that really rougher. I don't remember.
I think it was.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
I think it was from Car before Car ended up
leaving that game with an injury. But yeah, he's he's
a fast, dude, dangerous player and he hit the Packers
over the top for a touchdown last season.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, you gotta imagine he'll be having that back in
his mind too, coming back to Lambeufield looking for another explosive.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yeah, all right, well take care of some sponsored business here.
Oh the other thing I was going to say too,
for those who don't know, And it's great that you
brought up special teams. Darren Rizzy's a special teams coach.
He's one of the best in the league and has
been one of the best in the league for a
long time, So that is certainly an area the Packers
need to be on top of heading into this one.
(19:39):
Serious XMNFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to
the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need. Twenty
four to seven three sixty five and I have cousin subs.
We have something for everyone, like our Wisconsin cheese curds,
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with your favorite sub or sub and a bowl cousin
subs fifty plus years better. All right, Week sixteen is
(20:03):
here in the NFL. As we said, as far as
playoff implications go, if the Packers win, they lock up
a playoff spot in the NFC. We have reached the
time in the year of Saturday football.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
We've almost reached the time of the year of Wednesday football.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, that's next week. Next week is Wednesday football on
Christmas Day. The four teams that are playing on Christmas
Day are the four teams that are playing on Saturday.
The NFL has set up this schedule so that nobody
would have a Sunday to Wednesday turnaround. They just would
have they go only Sunday to Saturday to Wednesday, so
(20:41):
they're playing three games in eleven days. I just want
to get your thoughts quickly on the Saturday games because
both of them are have some pretty interesting implications in
the AFC. Houston's at Kansas City and Pittsburgh is at
Baltimore in the AFC North, should be some couple of
pretty good contests.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, and Houston is in this like somebody had to
win the AFC South, and hell, it's gonna be us,
you know, it's just the way it's sort of been.
And and certainly Kansas City some questions here.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
This is.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I was talking to my friend Scott Vincy about this
on my way in, and I think, by and large,
Patrick Mahomes is going to be okay after everything happened
last week. So I was like, but this is still
a really tough turn for a guy that got banged up. Yeah,
you know a few days earlier where you're gonna play
on Saturday, then you're gonna come back in your face
the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday on Thanksgi or on Thanksgiving
on Christmas.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
My goodness, you just.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Don't want the calendar to keep what we're.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
No, I'm ready, I just want more Turkey, but you
know Pittsburgh and Baltimore a lot of implications in that
as well. This lined up really well in the NFL.
Obviously knew what they were doing. You have a guy
like Mike Tomlin who's never had a losing season before.
You have the reigning MVP in Lamar Jackson, Kansas City
is always going to be a draw, and people thought,
(21:52):
I mean in some regards tech the Texas have been
kind of a disappointment this year, as weird as it
sounds to say about a nine win team with three
to go, but they had really bend the world beater
I think everybody expected after last year with CJ.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Stroud agree.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
So they set it up perfectly in how this aligns.
But the thing that's funny about it is, including the
Denver Los Angeles Chargers game on Thursday, there actually aren't
a lot of great Sunday games because of all this.
The way it works out and into some regard, I
guess you could say Monday's game just based on what
the Saints record is. So but yeah, it'll be uh,
it'll be a lot of fun. And yeah, two weeks here,
we're gonna have a lot of football on a lot
(22:26):
of days I wanted.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
To ask you too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
You brought up Denver against the LA Chargers on Thursday Night.
You know how I always like to talk about, Okay,
how is a team gonna respond to what just happened?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
How do how do the Chargers respond on Thursday night
football to that absolute debacle of a performance against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That happens? That happened. Now the Chargers,
you know, they're still in pretty good shape obviously to
get a playoff spot in the AFC, But man, that
was that was an ugly loss to Tampa Bay. And
now they have to turn around on a short week
(22:59):
and play division rival who is sitting ahead of them,
and with the rookie quarterback in bo Nicks got Denver
and Sean Payton headed to the postseason.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
So here's the thing about the Chargers.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yes, you got the Jim Harbaugh effect right now, you
got that rub but this is a team that has
faltered down the stretch in the Justin Herbert era. Yes,
and yeah, as much as they want to finally get
back to the playoffs, if you end up in that
seven seed, congratulations, you're facing Kansas City or Buffalo probably
Buffalo right now, not to say you can't beat them
(23:33):
any given Sunday, Saturday, whatever, Wednesday, Wednesday, Monday. I think
there's a Monday playoff game this year, Yeah, there is,
But you still want to set yourself up better for this.
You're one game behind Denver, You're one game behind Baltimore.
You could potentially, I think you much rather face Houston
or Pittsburgh, depending on how that shuffles out.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So a lot on the line there.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I just love the way the AFC lines up though,
where it's the Chargers are at eight and six. Green
Bay needs to win to get to eleven wins on
Monday to clinch a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Chargers are
two games ahead with eight wins in the AFC for
the seventh seed against ahead of three teams who are
all six and eight, who are the only ones that
are still eligible for the postseason in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
And I did see, I saw, and I don't have
it all in front of me, but there is a
scenario of games. I believe it's like there's four results
that if they go a certain way this week, that
with two games left to go in the regular season,
we will know the seven AFC playoff teams. It's possible
that after this week now the seeding won't be all
(24:35):
sorted out. But it's possible after this week that the
seven teams will be mathematically determined and everybody else in
the AFC will be eliminated with two weeks left to go,
which would be pretty It would be unprecedented, certainly since
the playoffs expanded to seven teams, but o three years ago,
and it's unprecedented in quite a while now.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Granted, it may not happen.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
There may still be some teams alive in the AFC
after this week, but it's possible that it'll all be decided.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
So it's almost like maybe you didn't need seventeen regular
season games to decide.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
These almost maybe, g do you think?
Speaker 3 (25:11):
But hey, before we go and talk about anything else,
let's just talk about how great Aaron Rodgers is and
now the Green Bay Packers, you know, old QB twelve
slash one former one. We can take care of business
this Sunday. I would behoove his old team too, right.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
You hold you're holding your breath on that one.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
No, not at all.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I mean I think it's I think it's possible the
Jets could beat the Rams. I mean, the Rams look
very human in that game against the forty nine.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
That's the interesting thing because I mentioned last week, Okay,
how does how does the Ram how does the Rams
defense respond to, you know, getting lit up by Josh Allen. Yeah,
and they survived that game forty four to forty two.
And everybody's talking about how dangerous the Rams are. Yep,
all these points they're putting up, and I was sort
of looking at it from the other side, well, how
is there? Where are they at on defense? Then they
(26:05):
go out on Thursday night and their defense looks great.
They completely befuddle brock Purty for four quarters, but their
offense can't do anything. They don't even get a touchdown.
But they win a Thursday night game twelve to six
or twelve to nine.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
Or whatever the heck twelve to six.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Twelve to six was the final score there.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
But only game this year with no touchdowns, that's right. Meanwhile,
the Jets that second half Aaron Rodgers DeVante Adams a
had no catches in the first half and then finished
with what it was, nine for one ninety eight and
a couple touch and a couple of touchdowns and then
obviously to I want you to touch on this quick
before we go.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeh Minnesota Seattle. Yeah, because that was the next one
I was going to you touched.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
On it and path to the playoffs. I thought this
was really an interesting outlook on how this game should go.
What you're thinking about it?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing, is the number one
question I've gotten this week.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
One.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
I mean, one of the scenarios for the Packers to
clinch their playoff spot without getting their eleventh win would
be for the Falcons to lose and for either the
Rams or the Seahawks to lose, right, correct, So, but
I think it still really behooves Packers fans more to
(27:15):
cheer for Seattle to beat Minnesota. I have to believe
the Packers are going to get at least get their
eleventh win, if not their twelfth, by the end of
the regular season, and maybe thirteen. So I still think
Packers fans are better off rooting for Seattle to rooting
for Seattle to beat Minnesota, and which sort of improves
(27:39):
Green Bay's chances then of maybe being able to overtake
the Vikings in the wild card seating in the NFC
and We'll have to see, have to see how that
sorts itself out.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
But a big game.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
In terms of the bounce back idea for Seattle after
what the Packers did to them in their home stadium.
Now Minnesota's going out out there, they get another home
game against another playoff contender. It sounds like Gino Smith
is going to be okay, but now sharbon A's hurt. Yeah,
but now they're number one, well number two, but who
had been there become their number one with Kenneth Walker out,
(28:14):
So where Seattle is going to be offensively still still
a little bit up in the air. And then uh,
a key game as far as the NFC East goes. Uh.
Philadelphia is at Washington. Philadelphia won the first meeting between
these two teams, that was on a Thursday night earlier
(28:34):
this season. Philadelphia, I believe, just needs to win this
game and they clinched the division champions Trek, they win
and they clinched the division. Washington, it's not even really
so much necessarily about trying to keep the division title
hopes alive, but about playoff positioning and trying to for Washington,
trying to hold off whoever might be the runner up
(28:58):
in the NFC West in terms of in terms of
a wild card spot there. So that's a that's a
really big game for Washington at Hole against the division leader.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Huge, And certainly it's the type of matchup where if
you can win it, yeah you're out of that. You're
still probably out of the division race. But I mean
that they've been looking for a signature win. We hear
this all the time about the Packers, will the winning records,
beating teams with winning records. This would be a huge
feather in Jaden Daniel's cap if he could solve that defense.
No doubt what Vic Fangio has done this year and
(29:30):
the swagger that has been reinstilled in Philly. I mean, dude,
how rough was the end of last season And now
suddenly you got Jalen Hurts being able to actually answer
some of his critics with the passing game. You got
their defense looking I mean, whether it's Cooper Cup or
Quinnon Mitchell a Cooper Cup, oh my god, Cooper Dijon.
I got to stop talking and do something else. I
(29:52):
like to get some sleep, but I think that's the
other thing too out. But but the defense looks good.
I mean they are strong, and that's gonna be a
real difficult Pu's.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Got that MVP candidate in the backfield there too, And
says John Barkley that you know, it's it's funny because that,
honestly might be the really the difference in how Philadelphia
has truly bounced back from that disastrous end to last
season is Saquon Barkley is the anchor of that whole
(30:21):
offense in the backfield.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
He was the new guy they brought in, and he
has lived up to everything they needed him to.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Be and more.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Quite frankly, he's a He is a star and a
legitimate MVP candidate. Along with a guy like Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
There are really good running backs in the league that
are homegrown. It is just wild how many guys have
really balled out after switching teams this offseason. Yeah, like
even Aaron Jones going to Minnesota. Aaron's on the precipice
here of getting another thousand yard season, I think his
four thousand yard season.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
And we've seen the guy here, Josh Jacobs coming over
from the Raiders and racking up another thousand yard season.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Aaron Jones has played great this year and nobody even
talks about it because how well Jacobs has performed right
and rightfully. So I don't I love Aaron. I think
he's doing a great job at Minnesota. The way that
the offense is structured this year, it's a better fit
for Josh Shacops and what he's been able to do
the goal and he has what five or six one
yard touchdowns now this season on the goal line. Alis,
(31:17):
Do you want to have any quick thoughts on Jacksonville,
Vegas before we head out? No?
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Do you know, Okay, I just want to have it
out there.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I figured, all right, well, Marlos.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Things that the Raiders are legitimately going to be like
doing what I mean, obviously everybody's competing you want to win,
but they would probably really like to have.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Shador Sanders instead.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
I would imagine, yeah, that there's gonna be There's gonna
be a fair amount of attention this weekend. As you mentioned,
not a whole lot of great Sunday games because of.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
The way the schedule fell.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
There's going to be a lot of attention on NFL
Twitter and elsewhere on Sunday the race for the number
one draft pick.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah, and how and.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Who's who's going to be winning and losing as we
head into the final couple weeks of the regular season,
but mark your calendar's fall, folks. The twenty twenty five
NFL Draft, speaking of the race for the number one pick,
is coming to Green Bay. Be among the thousands of
football fans cheering on their team's picks by joining us
April twenty four through April twenty six of twenty twenty five.
(32:14):
Visit green Bay dot com slash Draft twenty five for
more information, and with that, we'll call it a rap
on this edition of Packers Unscripted. I'm sure to follow
all of our coverage of the team and everything from
Monday night's game against the Saints at Lambeufield. We'll have
it for you on Packers dot com. For Wes, I'm Mike.
Thank you for tuning in, everybody. We will see you
next time.
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