November 20, 2025 • 49 mins
Wayne Larrivee, Packers vox, kicks off the show, followed by Vikes Bites and then we get some Russo Radio fresh off the Wild's OT victory last evening!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Nine to noon. Time for Tim morettle fowl.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I know right, good stuff, border battle Fox.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
He's the dagger, He's the dagger, and there we go.
Paul begins with the dagger.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Here's a snack wasting sets most let's side of the
ends of.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Second by the kid, Oh have been Williams the levers
and the left corner of the ends out and the
Packers deliver the Taggers defensively a rare interception, just one
in the last six weeks. And Evan Williams that should
do it his.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Gore dagger Dagger.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Time to start nine to noon on KFA, and it's
Wayne Larravie, play by play voice of the Green Bay
Packers Lambeau noon four and six travels to play six
three and one, and the box joins us. Now, Wayne,
how have you been and are you enjoying the season?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I've been good, Paul for the most part. Yeah, I've
been good. The season's been up and down, and yeah,
that's that's NFL football, and it has been enjoyable.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Now you've called twenty six and a half, you've all
twenty six and a half years of Packers football, and
all with analysts. Larry mccaren, who started four years before you. Larry,
for those who don't know, is in the Packers Hall
of Fame and for his work at center.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Back in the day.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Just a question I've wanted to ask you forever, and
I probably should ask Larry, but I'll ask you anyway.
How did his fingers get permanently bent and mangled?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, it happened during his playing days, and you know,
he just decided. I guess he could have gotten it
corrected way back in the day, but he decided not to.
And it's kind of a distinctive trait for.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Him quarter century plus working with Larry, who's the analyst?
What do you enjoy about working with Larry?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
He's great. You know, he's a man's man. The thing
I like he brings kind of a calmness to the
broadcast in that, Yeah, things look like they're going off
the rail, and I might react, and yet he'll sit
back and he realizes, because of his experience as a
player and longtime analyst, that you know, the game has
ebbs and flows. It will go up and down, and
(03:09):
you know, one team will look good for a while
and the other team will battle back. It's just the
way the NFL is and He's been great to work
with over the years. You know, we're different kinds of people.
We don't hang out a lot, but we do have
something in common. We never go to dinner together, but
we usually on the road end up at dinner. If
it's a Ruth Chris steakhouse, we will end up there,
(03:30):
not go together, but I'll end up going and he'll
already be there with a place at the bar and
probably have his stake already served.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Has Larry ever gotten so excited he was the one
who actually did the dagger call during a Packers win.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
No, he hasn't gone that far, but he does react,
and I think that's good as long as it's you know,
natural and believing it's natural that you know, when he
reacts to something good or bad that happens on the field.
But he hasn't gone as far as taking the dagger yet.
He suggested I throw the tecker, but he hasn't really
done it himself.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Now, last Larry mccaron question, and we'll talk about the
border battle with Wayne Laravy played by play voice for
the Green Bay Packers. When when Larry interviews Lafleur after games,
is is that before the press conference because those chats
are just super raw and really good.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, you know they are. It's when Lafleur is on
his way after talking with the team. He then goes
over and talks to Larry and then from there goes
to the press conference with the media. But you're right
in at some points against especially heeded battles, that type
of thing and disappointing losses. Yeah, you're getting the raw
(04:45):
from both Larry and Matt Lafleur. And you know, before
he's really had a chance almost to compose his thoughts
for the media. The media scrum that follows, but very
honest interviews. Larry does a great job with him because
they're not easy to do, especially after games where things
didn't go the way they had hoped.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Right, all right, So what do you think of the team?
Do you think this team's good enough to get to
the super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I think the Packers are a lot a lot like
ninety percent of the teams in the league. I think
they're still evolving, and you know, the injury factors usually
tell the story. And they lost two big players. I'm
not sure if Josh Jacobs is going to play in
this game, but they lost the heart and soul of
that offense in Tucker Craft and he was becoming a
(05:33):
big play playmaker, and you know that's a loss that
that's hard to overcome, so you know they have to
get there in a different way. But right now, PA,
I would say they're like a lot of other teams,
like the Vikings. They're kind of evolving and it'll be
interesting to see which way they go up or down,
because you know what, you're never going to stay the
same in this league either, as Mike McCarthy told me
(05:55):
many times, you're either getting better or you're getting worse.
And that's what the next month than a hamper about.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Hey hey, Wayne, has anything changed with edgering Cooper while
having Michael Parsons around, Boy, I.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Would say not really, although the thing that they aren't
doing with him this year is blitzing him more, and
I think that's one of the things he does really well.
But the whole thing with Michael Parson's PA was they
always wanted the four man pass rush, much like Philadelphia
had last year. Now Philly has to blitz a little
bit more this year to get home, But the Packers
(06:35):
wanted to model their defense after what Philadelphia does with
the four man rush. Pressure with a four man rush
covered with seven and you know in the past they
have blitzed Cooper a little bit more and he's been
very effective. Kway Walker's another good blitz option through the
A gap. They do some of that, but not as
much as they've done in the past because of parsons presence.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Wayne Laerravie quarter Century Plus play voice for the Green
Bay Packers starts nine to noon Border Battle noon KFA
in the Sunday Parsons Michael Parsons eight sacks and ten games.
So how much does he change things for the defense?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I think he allows them to do what they intended
to do, and that is rushed for and put pressure
on the quarterback. Earlier this season he was making Rashaan
Gary a much better player than he has been over
the course of his career because instead of receiving the
double team looks, the team's given the chips and all that.
Rashwan got that all in the past and had to
(07:37):
try to play through it. With Parsons not so much.
He's not getting double teamed nearly as much as he
has earlier in his career. Parsons takes on all of
those and that frees up other people on that defensive front.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
So overall, how is Rashaan Gary playing?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Well, you know what, It's interesting his game and I've
seen this in the past. He'll get hot for a
couple of three four games row and then he kind
of quiets down a little bit and he's in one
of those quiet periods at the moment. But I believe
that's going to change this week. Kingsley enig Bare, his backup,
actually got more snaps in New Jersey than did Rashawn
(08:14):
in that game. And you know, I'm not a big
snaps guy. I don't follow it the way some people do.
But it might have been just flow. The game might
have been what they needed, that type of thing. But
I think Rashan Gary I look for this week him
to really bounce back. He's been quite kind of quiet
of late.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
And it seems from a far Wayne that you guys
could get Lucas van Nest back this week too, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
There's a possibility of that. I think he was close
last week and they wanted to give him another week.
Lucas was playing real well in another one of those
players that really you know, obviously got is developing quicker
with Micah Parson's presence out there, and I think, you
know Lucas. But the thing about Lucas, we all are
looking for sacks from him. That's why they rafted him.
(09:00):
But the other thing, he does a little better than
people realize. He's much better against the run than people
given credit for. And I think their run defense has
suffered a little bit without him the last five.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
Weeks, and you know, not having players, you know, it's
something through which the Vikings have gone this season, more
so early in the season than now. Like you know,
at one point, Wayne, the Vikings had used seventeen different
offensive line combinations, which which you know, guides me to
to Elton Jenkins because he's absolutely one of the best
(09:33):
cards in the league. And when I heard he was
going to center, I was curious, you know, but then
watching a couple of games, it seemed like, you know,
he was doing a really good job. But you know, Jenkins,
I know he's not playing, but he's just fantastic, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Yeah, he's a great offensive lineman. He was struggling a
little bit with the conversion to center. But you have
to understand, the scouts when he was drafted said we
think this guy's best position is center. That's his most
natural position, but he played guard for the last five
or six years, whatever it is, and you know, now
(10:09):
they move him over to center. I think there was
a period of time earlier in the year when he
was acclimating to that as was the line itself, and
maybe he wasn't quite as effective at center as he
had been at left guard. But what has hurt in
that regard is that, Okay, he's now out of the
lineup at center. Sean Ryan moves in. Aaron Banks has
had good moments and bad moments at left guard, and
(10:33):
he was the big ticket free agent signing at left guard,
and that allowed them to move Jenkins to the center position.
But you know, things are kind of evolving as this
goes along. Banks has had his good moments, he's had
his bad moments, and hopefully he'll have some good moments
down the stretch because they really need him to play well.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Dagger.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
After that loss to Cleveland then the home run to Carolina,
it nationally really got loud. Green Bay can beat anybody
any time, but they can lose to anybody anytime. They
played to the level of the foe. Do you buy
into that yeah, to.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
An extent, I do. And the way this season has gone, yeah,
they've kind of played at times down to the level
of their competition. Dallas wasn't a very good football team
when we went down there, and you know, a block
pat returned to first score or something rare, you know,
turn that game around, flipped it around, and the Packers
were fortunate to get out of there with a tie.
(11:30):
That game should should not have been closed. I mean,
the Packers were dominating at that point of the ball game.
But you know, Cleveland turned on an interception late on
what Matt Lafleour described as a bad play call, and
I would think, as a you know, vettering quarterback that
you know, Jordan Love would have changed that play at
the line of scrimmage. But he didn't. He ran the
(11:51):
play bad play, as Laflour said, he called a bad play.
The pass was made, they tried to thread the needle,
it was intercepted, returned a big time to set up
Cleveland's winning score. Those little things that happen. Now, Carolina
came in and give them credit, if you watch the tape,
they powered their way past the Packers. They overpowered them
with the offensive line matchup against the Green Bay defensive front.
(12:15):
Carolina ran the line of scrimmage and literally ran tow
one hundred and sixty three yards that day. But even
in that game, there were moments where the Packers should
have taken control, should have found a way to beat
an undermanned foe in that situation. And that's the one
thing you worry about.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
A couple more for Wayne Laravie, play by play voice
for the Packers. Jordan Love the quarterback, Jordan Love, and
you probably know this, but for those who don't. As
a starter week twelve on during his career, has twenty
five touchdowns in just one interception. So are you sensing
you know, I mean, Loves had a good season, But
are you sensing he's about really ready to hit a
(12:52):
big time stride this year?
Speaker 6 (12:55):
Yeah? I would hope.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So he got dinged up in New Jersey as a
left show problem that I think is more painful than
anything else and doesn't inhibit the way he throws the
football necessarily. But and I'm saying that, and I'm not
a doctor, but you know, I think he's got a
chance to really take off from here. He's been very
good ball. He's received a lot of criticism around here,
(13:18):
and I don't know why. You know, is he great
every game? No, but no quarterback is. But this guy
has been really solid and running the football team, making
good decisions with the football, running it himself at times.
And I think he's going to have to do a
lot of that this week against this Minnesota defense.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
All right, last one the Eagles. You saw him recently,
we saw him earlier. What do you think of the Eagles?
Do you think they're still the class of the NFC?
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yes, without a question. The only question would be the
Rams and the Rams have you know they've gone into Philadelphia.
They gave the Eagles the toughest game in their playoff
run last year. They gave them they they were right
there in the snow to win that game. The Rams.
I think the Rams. It's the Eagles, Rams, and Seahawks
in the NFC right now, and I think they are
(14:06):
clearly head and shoulders above the rest of this conference
at the moment.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
Can't wait to see you Sunday somewhere between nine to
fifteen and nine forty five in the cafeteria. Tell Larry
that I say hi, and thanks a lot.
Speaker 6 (14:18):
Wayne.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
All Right, all right, take care guys, take care, have
a good one.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
See you about Wayne Larravi played by play voice for
the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And the silence you hear is lambeau Field.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Courtesy of timber Tech and timber tech dot Com. What's
on Deck nine to noon includes bikes Bights around the corner,
followed by Russo Radio from the Athletic on a thrilling
wild victory last evening, Nacho Lieber at about ten o'clock,
some Fantasy at eleven o'clock, and some brief chat George
Truly conducted yesterday with a couple of Vikings Aaron Jones
(14:51):
and Byron Murphy Junior on the Border Battle Nordo produces
and I'm Paul Allen. It's nine to fifteen in the neighborhood,
and the neighborhood is that them? One hundred point three
kfan Good morning, Vikes Bites.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
One up, nine twenty. It's nine to noon.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
It is Vikes Bites and it's always presented by Thousand
Hills Lifetime Grazed grass fed Beef, Nigga shop online, box
and meat shows up at your doorstep or local Coburns
Kowalski's locations, local co ops proud sponsors Gophers Athletics. It's
elite beef. I've smoked and grilled it. I love it
and you will too. So Thousand Hills Clearwater, Minnesota's finest.
(15:40):
I do have a couple of questions off of your
conversation with the Dagger last segment, Wayne lairv longtime box
Green Bay Packers. You know, I'm curious how different do
you believe the game potentially looks on Sunday, Just the
simple hinging point of whether or not Josh Jacobs chooses
to go for the paw. I know they got a manual,
(16:02):
I know they got his Emmanuel Wilson, and I think
a young cat Chris Brooks. You're actually lauding him in
his pass protection late and that win over the Giants.
I just knowing Lafleur's offense, knowing this team. You talk
about the QB as he ramps his way later into
seasons with efficiency and lack of turnovers. Those are good
things if you're a Green and Gold fan. I'm just
(16:23):
trying to picture how different this game looks all because
Josh Jacobs is either given it a go on that
knee or they give him the week off. And now
it's the Emmanuel Wilson Show. I think not that it
means everything, Pa, because our quarterback's gonna have a lot
to say with how this game goes. But I think
in terms of that offense it may mean just about
(16:45):
everything for how the Packers operate someday.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
Well, it has to be a lot because he's really
good and he scores a lot. Now, Josh never has
been a running back who is going to run away
from you, run around you, catch it and make you
miss and do things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
But what he does do makes it so.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
The Cashman's, the Wilson's, the safeties players like that absolutely
have to pay attention to him between the tackles. So therefore,
how many steps does that take players off when the
quarterback executes play action? Yeah, that's first and foremost what
happens to the play action game if Josh Jacobs doesn't play.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Secondly, the the.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
A topic for me for Green Bays offense entails the
early stages of the game. Maybe a quarter depending on
how much the Vikings offense can hold on to it.
But it until proven otherwise. It you know, this is
you know, not shoe size contest, border battle talking. It's
fact it takes Jordan Love a little bit to figure
(17:52):
out Brian Flores defense. I mean when Darnold jumped him
last year twenty eight zero. You know, Love was coming
up off an injury in Brazil, but he was good
to go well week of practice and it just took
him a long time to figure that thing out. Now,
when he did and the Vikings corrected, they they couldn't
keep up with Love.
Speaker 7 (18:14):
Yeah, for about a quarter and a half. Think he
threw four tds that game.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
And they were and as you'll hear later with with
my chat with Biran Murphy, you know Byron loves playing
the Lambeau. Last year at Lambeau was a strange day
for him because when they when they figured out where
they felt they could go to make money, it generally
was in the direction of number seven.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Well, number seven was not.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Only the best corner on the team, but the best
tackling corner on the team and was having the best
season of all the corners on the team. Well, they
went right at him and Byron was having some significant problems.
But then you get to you know Love and some
things he will do every single game where he just
needs to be made to pay he just threw this
pun up for whatever the reason. I think the rush
(18:58):
was pretty good and it was a Kyler Murray punt
pass back right of the end zone, right to Bira Murphy.
I mean there were barely any Packers in the vicinity.
Murphy picked him off, Murphy got confidence. Fast forward. Tucker
Kraft is by the sideline for what was a pretty
big play. Murphy punched the ball away from him. So
Byron caught fire after having a really, really rough go
(19:21):
of it during the first two two and a half quarters.
So love, If Love comes out of the gate with
or without Jacobs and it's nailed this here that there,
run here, do this and it's working, that could be
very problematic.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
The interesting part of this too, with or without Jacobs,
the Packers have the number one third down the matchup
of the third down offenses. Packers convert third downs at
almost a fifty percent clip and the Vikings thirty first
in the NFL in third downs just over thirty one percent.
I think Jacobs plays into a bit of that as well.
(20:00):
But you mentioned continuing on a couple of things popping
my head during your conversation with Larv.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Well, that's cool. What you said about the Packers offense.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
I'm not far enough into the prep to know that,
but the Vikings third down defense has mostly been really
good this year.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, they're ninth in the NFL, right, A ninth got
thirty six percent.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
It was third at one point. I knew it had
dropped of late. But still that's a nice little matchup.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
Well, the one part of getting it out there on
Sunday and chucking it around and finding their way and
maybe it's at Murphy until they get bit and they adjust.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Matthew Golden.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
I remember our conversations, whether it was with Sinny and
they're just all kind of lauding and celebrating.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Finally, are you kidding me?
Speaker 7 (20:41):
The first round receiver we got Matthew Golden and he's
the most athletic cat in the draft at the pass
catching position, and just all the excitement and optimism around it. Well,
fast forward in the nine out of ten games while
he's played nine out of their ten, excuse me, just
thirty two targets, right.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Josh Jacobs.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
You mentioned a guy that's not definitely not top the
topping the resume his pass catching ability. Josh Jacobs has
more targets in twenty twenty five than Matthew Golden is
damn And so the reason I was looking at that
is I'm thinking, how have they adjusted post Tucker Craft?
It's not the way of the rookie. It still is
something I think they're trying to find an answer for.
(21:22):
So it's kind of twofold. I wonder if they're mildly
underwhelmed with the early production of the rookie Longhorn and
also still scrambling to say, what is Jordan Love's nookie
blanky post Tucker Craft?
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Wow, that's I like how you laid that out? Now,
the dagger, the dagger daggered it. Tucker Craft is, outside
of the quarterback, the most important player on the Green
Bay Packers offense.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Came out of that tight ends heavy.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Draft a few years ago, and he's the He and
Sam Laporter are the best two of the bunch. But
Tucker's really really yeah all right, so he's out for
the year. So now where do things filter? Not just
over the course of snap counts or results game after
game after game, but in the hottest moments and the
(22:15):
biggest third downs of each game. I think they're very
much still trying to figure that out. And it will
be even more of a conundrum if Jacobs is not
able to play well with Matthew Golden here. This is
about from what I know now, with more work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
To do on it.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
He he has zero touchdowns, was the twenty third overall
pick in the draft. They got a third round rookie
from TCU named Saban Williams.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Yes, he's been the better rookie he got.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
He's been the better rookie because if they put him
back on kick return, look out, I mean he's sitting
on one.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
He's really really crafty.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
He only has a touchdown thirty three three long, but
a sixteen long run. They they run him, they're running
him more. So they're doing more with eighty three than
they are zero. Now, without having any knowledge of what
leads into that, I haven't asked here, and I don't
have the capabilities of asking there, But just in seeing
(23:20):
situations like this as long as I have, generally speaking,
it's because the one who's the one a which will
be Golden here is just not completely up to speed
with the checks and the motions and the audibles and
the depth of route. You're fast, and if we put
you on what's known as a nine route straight down
(23:40):
the field or a double move and you sell it
the right way. All right, you're probably going to get open.
But we're far in the equation now for a first
round pick to not have any touchdowns. Now Williams third
round or TCU, he only has one. The thing they're
trying to do is they got a touchdown last game
from Josh Wyler, a free agent they got from Tennessee.
(24:03):
They also have a fourth year guy from Georgia named
John Fitzpatrick. Those are the two mostly filling in for Craft,
but they just can't get Luke Muskgrave going. I mean
Luke Muskgrave has zero touchdowns in right around two years. Yeah,
so they're trying to figure that thing out. Get the
first round rookie to start impacting the game as much
as the third round rookie.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
Mike's Mike's thank you thousand hills to the injury report.
We go, by the way, like half the Packers team
is on the injury report. They you got Hobbes, who
even when he's healthy, he really hasn't been a factor
for them.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Now he's inactive these days.
Speaker 7 (24:40):
And in Jacobs we mentioned Kuay Walker, Carl Brooks, but
on our side of things, A couple of things to
look forward to. The Thursday report will tell us a
ton about whether Jonathan Grenard is making progress towards playing
on Sunday with the shoulder issue.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But how about Ryan Kelly, my friend?
Speaker 7 (24:59):
A full part two DiPT in yesterday's practice, So anticipating
restructured helmet guardian cap that Ryan Kelly and save for
anything that happens in practice the next two days. For
the first time, I believe in twenty twenty five, Pa,
unless you correct me, this will be the first time
that we're actually getting our preferred starting five to begin
(25:21):
a game.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
It is because I believe there was school the first two.
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Then you got Darrisaw, but we got concussion clomp with
Ryan Kelly and then O'Neil I believe has missed time.
I mean just the ins and outs. Welcome back Ryan Kelly. Yeah,
he's obviously excited to retake the field. But maybe the
first time we've seen our preferred starting five all year.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
We'll get to see it at Lambeau. Yeah, I gotta
believe it's in every down sweat with Ryan Kelly. Yeah,
I mean good to hav ingim back, big powerful guy.
O'Connell keeps saying he's kicking down the barn door to
get out on the track. I believe that to be true.
He's compensated to play. He's one of the ones who
wants to play and earn his money, and he's very
(26:03):
very physical. You got both your running backs and CJ.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Ham.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
So when you have Jackson Kelly, I don't think Fries
practiced yesterday, but I don't think it's anything significant. And
then you've got Darisa on O'Neill. Well that that right there,
that Minnesota moving company is supposed to move man and
afford you the opportunity to run not only between the tackles,
but set up to play action for the kid. Ryan's
(26:28):
very very physical. Now, he got the most recent concussion
in Dublin when his head hit the knee of a stealer.
So you know, like I say, I got to believe
it's seriously, with all due respect, it has to be
a down by down sweat because I think he's had
ten of them. You've already lost him one time this year,
(26:49):
and and those things. Those things are tricky. It's just
concussions are just so strange because they can have them
go in protocol. But like you know, that night in
Dublin outside the team hotel. You know, we're talking four
or five hours after the game. You know, I see
Ryan Kelly with friends and family members, you know, just
(27:09):
being normal talking and doing stuff like that. But it's like, wow, man,
he just had a really bad concussion. I just learned
he previously had nine. Yeah, we're sitting there talking normally.
They're just strange, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Well, yeah, of course it's strange.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
I mean I think about like Isaiah Rodgers in the
Bears game, right, I mean, he takes that hit you
and the way it looks specifically and slow motion makes
everything looks so much worse, right, but he goes to
the blue tent, comes back onto the field. Meanwhile, you
you mentioned it, I think, whether we were at TCO
or even on Monday, like you hear about Jackson Dart,
Well you're excited about the future of Jackson Dart. You
(27:44):
also find out wait a minute, is he said three
or four concussions this season?
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Like what's that? Or that can't be good?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
And so just kind of how individualized it is via
the moment, how individualized it is via the specific player,
the intricacies of a it. We've we've watched some horrific
moments with a two a tongue of ioloa. We've also
seen some guys find their way through entire careers, uh
putting their head down and making contact and never finding
(28:11):
themselves in that spot.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
So so unpredictable, so weird.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
Yeah, I just want Kelly to be healthy, and you
got to trust that he's, you know, on his own behalf.
He gets to make these choices that he's back out
there and right that play by place sweat will continue.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
I'm glad you said that at the end about he
gets to make the choice when he returns from the
concussion despite being cleared X amount of days weeks, I
have no idea. Van ginkel neck despite being cleared X
amount of days weeks, got no idea. Maybe he was
cleared one minute before he actually came back and started.
(28:45):
It's when when when you're talking about young men in
a violent game and their brains and or their necks,
and you know they're they're not chicken bleeps in any
way for being has tint about potentially what's coming because
you're not you don't put fear over faith, and you
(29:06):
know execute your toil and chicken in chicken like fashion
and get that far if you truly are scared. There's
a difference between scared and and just being smart with
how you know your body, mind, neck or whatever feels.
So like, if Ryan Kelly and or Andrew Van Ginko
(29:27):
couldn't get themselves over the hump to get out there
and play this violent game with brain and or neck injuries,
I would completely understand bikes bikes.
Speaker 7 (29:35):
Hey, we made it fifteen minutes into vikes bites without
talking about the QB. But there are a couple of
things I wanted to play for you, and we're going
to start with him discussing with the media exactly what
he's working on these days.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
My posture, the way that I'm processing the defense in
terms of I know what I'm getting, but let the
rhythm of the play play out. You know, don't be
getting to that answer too quick, because you know, it's
a timing and rhythm of the concepts and the defenses
and just decision making, just understanding, you know, the situation
(30:07):
of the game, not just the concept that I'm trying
to execute. Understand you know, like for instance, that first
pick last game, you know, it's four minutes going in
the half, we're on our own side of the territory,
and just understand, you know, what that risk factor should
be and go from there.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
So I'd say those.
Speaker 7 (30:24):
Things, and here's more from JJ specifically, I believe on
just new mechanics now that he's in the in the
big league.
Speaker 8 (30:31):
Coming in here, I was taught how to play quarterback
in a very different way, and that's expected going into
the league, going into any new team, any new system.
But at the end of the day, you know, it
was really just the injuries that I felt like, you know,
kind of took away all those reps in the constant
repetition to make those a habit and make them concrete,
like KOs talks about, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
You know, it's just the repetitions.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
You know, how many times could I go home and
every time I take the dogs out, I'm getting, you know,
ten drops each time. Little things like that where you
just keep the.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
Reps, dah, just taking the dogs for a lot, catch
a quick ten and then we're back to it.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Rewiring those neural pathways. There's a lot. It's definitely a lot.
Speaker 7 (31:11):
Dan Orlobski usually offers a lot NFL Live on ESPN.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Here he is.
Speaker 7 (31:16):
This is kind of the back end of a longer
conversation he had on TV yesterday, specifically breaking down some
of those mechanical or fundamental issues he's seen in McCarthy.
Speaker 9 (31:26):
These are mechanical things that are starting from the ground.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
That's where the flaw is.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
First is they got to get his feet consistently closer together.
The second thing is they got to get him to
add his hips rotate more, because right now his legs
don't rotate, his hips don't rotate, and his upper body does.
So that's why you're getting these occasional kind of egregious misses.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
You could play it and see how this his left
arm flings open.
Speaker 9 (31:50):
See his left shoulder is consistently behind the right shoulder
rather than pointing towards his target and staying tight and
so sad.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I know it's discouraging. I understand it like it's concerning.
Speaker 9 (31:59):
I'm a little bit more encouraged because I think those
are correctible things.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, oh, thank goodness, you know. I part of the
reason I played that audio PA was not as I didn't.
I wasn't hoping that you would have ninety seconds or
two minutes of just like a breakdown or a long
extended thought on it. That my point of playing all
that this is insane.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
It's insane.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
It's this is insane. It's it's his six game on Sunday.
I'm looking forward to it, you know, I have. I
have this though, one thing that is kind of weird.
Two road games Chicago and Detroit. Sixty percent completion, yeah,
six total touchdowns, turned it over twice at home in
those three games, less than fifty percent completion, two touchdowns,
seven total turnovers. He's less accurate, he's throwing it to
(32:42):
the other team. He's not as efficient or productive overall
at home.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
So this weekend, how about this.
Speaker 7 (32:47):
Let's generate three tds like you've gone two for two
on the road in the division before. Let's not give
it to the other freaking team, and let's come out
with a victory. I mean, I'm listen to that audio.
I don't want to listen to it again. They're they're
all pathways there.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
When when JJ McCarthy and I was at that press
conference yesterday and it had my head spinning.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I mean, it's and I've heard him.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
Talk like that before, and O'Connell talk like that before,
with the footwork and the balance and the eyework and
the shoulders, and now we've got neurological pathways entering the mix.
It's with all due respect to everybody with the twenty
twenty five Minnesota Vikings working arduously to raise this kid quarterback.
I leave these conversations wondering how he ever completed a
(33:33):
pass at Michigan. I mean, how did he ever go
on a drop back and actually make things happen? And
then the difference between what is needed there when you
got all the best players compared to having a bunch
of good players here but against a bunch of really
really good players for other teams every single week. I mean,
it's it's just I guess it's a complete overhaul. I
(33:55):
don't I just don't understand enough about it. But you know,
it's when we get before we walk up to Aaron
Jones and Bira Murphy a little later, one thing I
was going to share with you then I'll share with
you now because that little breakdown you did McCarthy the
first two possessions of his five starts. His passer rating
(34:16):
is one twenty five point nine and his yards per
attempt is eight and high change one twenty five to nine.
A yards per attempt of eight and high change is immortality.
Like yeah, top five in the NFL for one twenty
five to nine and eight and change first two possessions.
All right, so that includes even those early misses that
we were kind of frustrated about last week. Okay, every
(34:37):
first two possess, the first two possessions of all five
of the starts, passer rating one twenty five to nine
yards per attempt eight and change around eight and a half.
Not bad, now we know from Soldier Field and the
final two drives last Sunday and for long patches in
that Lions game. JJ McCarthy absolutely can handle pressure. We
(34:58):
know that we've seen it. I mean, it's it's a
calling card of his. So how do we fix the
in between?
Speaker 3 (35:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
HiT's the in between when he's like thirty five percent
on third down and throws more picks than touchdown.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Well you you even asked.
Speaker 7 (35:12):
You asked ko I think on Tuesday, and it was
kind of just the because I talked. We've talked about
this off air and on air times. I'm sure, but
it's like you can't teach the late stage pressure handling,
just organically, how do you teach him to complete the
bleeping second in five in the second quarter, or not
(35:33):
throw that pick like he threw to Bayered in the
first in the Bears game.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 7 (35:38):
Like it's just as there's a short circuiting, there's something up.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
That's why neurological pathways are needing to be developed, because
it's short circuiting.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I don't know part of me, you know, and this
is just not how it works.
Speaker 7 (35:50):
But it's just Ko's just like, all right, whatever I've
told you, just go play, Just just go play the.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Just go play the game.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Now.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
We've tried this, we want to keep you in the pocket,
we've tried some runs, we've tracked this, we've tracked that.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Just go play.
Speaker 7 (36:02):
Just go play football like you're out in the sandbox
with your buddies. And maybe that's that's the next evolution
of this thing, neurological pathways.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, and that's that's Viike spikes.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
If McCarthy does not make the simple simple, O'Connell is
telling the truth, and he's absolutely right. Is they've overcome
a lot of things with McCarthy, you know, as you
do with young twenty two year old quarterbacks. It's now
making the routine routine, and that's up to the kit.
It's making the simple simple, yeah, and not making it
so hard on himself. Correct and if he doesn't, he
(36:33):
won't be starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe in
twenty twenty six, that's true. Those are Vikes bites provided by.
Speaker 7 (36:40):
Thousand Hills Lifetime grazed grass fed beef. It's good for
your neurological pathways, I think, or at least it's regenerative agriculture.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Check out the website. They know more about it.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
And Russo radio is good for the blood flow because
if he says something that frustrates you, the blood gets
going and he stimulates you with his elite hockey knowledge.
Wild beat the Canan's in a shootout last night. That
topic and more around the corner on kf a N.
Speaker 10 (37:12):
Matt Boldie top with round three, eight for seventeen in
his career, including six game deciding shootout. Tallis had a
breakaway goal in the opening Paradis shorty Boldi picks up
the bucket center why right into the hurricane zone. Now
back towards the middle of slot, Boldi waits dance.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
For his packet.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
He's gone.
Speaker 10 (37:31):
Speedster, Taylor Hall, racist or center bolls.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
It stops him, It's over. Pauline took a shot, step
sap stand.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
In the wild Yes, ball.
Speaker 10 (37:41):
Set, the best performance maybe it was youngis your career?
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Brusso Radio.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Michael Russo the Athletic, Theathletic dot com at Russo Hockey
joins nine to noon every so often and here he
is the uh uh these wild Joe O'Donnell on the
calls there by the way on kfam, they're good right now,
these wild seven one one the last nine four to
zhero and won this home stand beat beat the Canes
in a shootout. Wallstead was terrific, and the NHL's Twitter
(38:16):
account called him the Wall of Saint Paul. What do
you think about all this, Michael Russo and good morning.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Yeah, you know, he has been definitely the biggest you know,
I don't want to say surprise of the season, but
definitely definitely the biggest bright spot. He's gotten the wild
points in all seven of his starts. I think that,
you know, especially the way that Gustuston has been playing
the last couple starts as well, playing really really well,
you know, the one question I asked joh Hines after
(38:45):
the game last night is could you see yourself even
doing you know, exactly what Rod Brindimore has done the
last couple of years in Carolina, And let's go with
a pretty much a strict rotation no matter what happens
the game before, the next goalie is starting. And right
now Carolina is doing it with three goalies last night,
co checkout with scratched. He'll back up tomorrow night in Winnipeg,
probably start in Buffalo, and Freddie, you'll have the night
(39:07):
off in Winnipeg. And in such a condensed season because
of the Olympics, you know, that is very very necessary
the while to play twenty one games already in a
month and change of the season, and it's going to
be like that the rest of the season. They barely have,
you know, any time off up until the Olympics. So
I think that it's been a really pleasant surprise to
(39:29):
see Wiley playing as well as he has. Remember, he's
had a last couple of years. He's had some trouble
in Iowa last year, had some injury issues, needed a
sort of a mental reset after being very disappointed that
he was spending the year in Iowa because of the
wild Cap punch when they hope to at least have
three goalies in Minnesota more often than not, and that
(39:51):
just couldn't happen because they were so inundated with injuries
and he really really struggled both Mentley and and on
the ice. And for him to come up here right
now and be as good as he has been, you know,
it probably shows also how well the wild they're defending
right now, because they've been really, really good. Last night,
it wasn't the greatest game by they stretched the last
forty minutes, but defense, defending wise, that has been the
(40:13):
biggest turnaround for the season. And as you mentioned, you know,
a four to zero to one home stand after going
to two and two on that other long home stan
in October, you know they are definitely heading the right direction.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
And off that.
Speaker 5 (40:26):
I mean, they got out Chop forty five to eighteen,
and after the game I read this at the Athletic.
After the game, Baldi said, quote, well one is a
when when April comes, Oh you beat Carolina, but you
played bad. Two points and that's what matters. No one
in this room cares. We'll use it to get better.
End quote. Is that a fair read on the victory?
Speaker 6 (40:48):
Yeah? Absolutely, two points is two points. The Wild have
had plenty of games earlier last month where they probably
deserve better and didn't get to one or two points. So,
you know, I don't want to do the old at all,
even out. But he's exactly right. You know, obviously Carolina
played really really well the last two periods. They're third
lines with stankovi and centering Jackson Blake. I mean you
(41:10):
call it the third lines really more of the second line,
and Nikolai Illert's on that line. They were just sensational
last night. Like Jackson Blake is just going to be
a heck of a player for that team for a
long long time, and he was dominant last night and
and could have had three or four or five goals,
wound up with two gets the triangles. Since to overtime,
probably justice prevailed to them at least getting a point.
(41:32):
But but to to Matt's point, I mean, the Wild
were really uh look, they're they're down significant players right now.
They have, you know, the second most injuries in the league.
You know, hopefully this isn't a sign of of what's
happened the last couple of years and that it's starting now.
But when you're down mark O Rossi and you're down
Ryan Hartman and you have a rookie center playing number
(41:52):
one center, that's what you get at the end of
game sometimes. I mean, you know, Ben Jones, who doesn't
have a point, and then a shell career is on
ice for that tying goal. I mean, that is only
happening because the Wild, you know, are so inundated with
injuries up up up the middle right now. Trenyon's not
exactly a natural center, so it didn't feel comfortable there
(42:14):
and you're us, you know, played twenty twenty games in
the league, less than twenty games, so he went with
the Ben Ben Jones and it just obviously didn't work out.
So I think that, you know, there's reasons why the
Wild were on their heels to such a degree in
the last forty minutes. You don't like to see it,
especially on home ice. But at the end of the day,
and that's right, they got two points and they move
(42:35):
on to Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (42:36):
And Baldy scored the first shorty of his career last night,
and he's hot six goal in the last seven games.
Do you think Baldy and Caprisov will go nose to
nose right to the end for team supremacy with goals probably.
Speaker 6 (42:53):
I mean, you know, Reefa's probably a little less streaky
than Boldie. So that's the one thing is that you know,
most likely, I would think that if Reefu's healthy, he's
going to wind up, you know, being the Wild's goal leader.
You know, Matt Oldie got off to a scorching hot
start this season and then he went one game, one
goal in a ten game stretch. Now he has six
(43:13):
in the last seven. That's just been Matt's you know, career.
A lot of goal scorers are streaky, but he is
just playing such a great brand of all around winning
hockey right now. It's not just his offensive abilities. He's
been so good in his own end. He competes. You know,
I just love what I've seen from him this homestand
and you know, in terms of him being on the
(43:35):
ice there on the penalty kill, this is what John
Hines had been talking about for the last couple of
years and why he wanted to introduce him to playing
the penalty kill. He tried it at the World Championships
two years ago when John was coaching there Matt was
really good on the PK and so he was going
to play there at the start of last season, but unfortunately,
the first day of camp he broke his foot, broke
a bone in his foot, and really missed all of camp.
(43:57):
So he didn't really get introduced until on the penalty
kill until late.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
In the season.
Speaker 6 (44:02):
And now he's been really, really good in that situation.
And you know, you could see the reason why so
many good offensive players in the National Hockey League play
the PK is for exactly what he did last night.
You know, good offensive players react on where that puck
is going, and you know, against another sensational offensive players,
spashion Aho, Matt read that perfectly knocked down a pass
(44:25):
that that Aho intended to you know, enter the own
with and next thing, you know, Boldi's off on the
races and scores a goal that probably Freddy should have stopped.
But you know, I think that this is exactly why
John Hines wanted him on the PK, not just the
obviously kill penalties, but to add an offensive element to
the penalty kill, as the Wild just haven't had because
(44:45):
they don't really play like a lot of teams, A
lot of their top offensive players on.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
The PK Russo Radio, A great opportunity for your off
How did your off handle centering the top line?
Speaker 6 (44:58):
And you know, really good for first time. And you know,
I think he's realizing right away that when you play
with great offensive players. He had the chance to accumulate points.
He got his first multi point game of the season.
I didn't think the line was very good as a whole.
That I don't I don't necessarily think that's yourrop's fault
at all. I think that they probably have to simplify
right now that line. Sometimes they get a little too
(45:20):
cute and it creates problems. And they wound up in
their own end way too much last night and didn't
get a ton of even strength ice time, especially in
the second period because of it. But E'rerov is just
such a quality player. And what I love about the
kid is that usually, you know, a twenty one year
old comes over for Europe and if they're not from Sweden,
you got to teach him how to play defense. He
(45:41):
is so responsible in his own end and he's taken
care about that more and more and more, and that's
why John Hines trusts them, you know so much. Last
night there was some trouble. There was some trouble, you know, uh,
I would say defensively where he got on the wrong
side of Puffs and his own end. There was one
(46:02):
real good chance by Jackson Blake where he got on
the other side of You're out and it was a
great spring chance. And that line, as I'm said, just
dominated the wild pretty much anybody that they threw out
there last night. But I think you is going to
get better and better. They really have no choice now
because Hartman's got to miss at least the next couple
of games because he's on injured conserve. Rossie is still
(46:23):
trying to work his way back from the broken foot,
and so they really don't have anybody else. So the
one thing I'd love to see is Hunter Hayton the
lineup on this trip. I don't know if we will
get to see him because John just trust Ben Jones,
But you know, it just feels like if you could
add another really quality offensive center to this lineup, I
(46:43):
think that it would help things out greatly going into
three tough road games in a row in Pittsburgh, Winnipeg
and Chicago. Who's been probably the biggest surprise in the NHL.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
This year, all right, does so lastly off that at
Pittsburgh tomorrow night, then at the Jetsy afternoon.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
We'll start there.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
The Winnipeg Jets, they beat the Wild in overtime three
weeks ago. That they haven't lost to the Wild in
almost three years? Is is this is this version of
the Wild poised to take two from the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (47:15):
Well, you know not, they definitely can, There's no doubt
about it. Not having Hartman and Rossi and Tarasenko and
these guys, you know, hurts. We'll see what happens with
Nico Sturm if he could play at some point this weekend.
The hope is that he'll practice in Winnipeg on Saturday
and maybe make his debut on Sunday, which would do
way earlier than he had thought. But we'll see if
(47:38):
that's too premature. But goosions on the trip as well.
I definitely think they have the ability to beat that team.
You know, it's just obviously the matchups haven't gone very
well for the Wild, especially up there in Winnipeg, you know,
so we'll see, you know, the one thing I'd love
to see if they're going to go with this rotation
that would mean that Gustuson is going to start in Pittsburgh,
and that would mean Wally would start in Winnipeg, and
(47:59):
it would be something different we haven't seen before. Usually
when Wally goes up there in the preseason or plays
the Jets in the preseason, it goes really really well. Obviously,
that's a preseason lineup, so you can't make too much
of that, but I definitely think the Wild have the
ability to beat that team. It just for some reason
that matchup just hasn't gone really well. I think it
starts between the pipes. Connor Hallibuck is just an unbelievably
(48:22):
good goaltender. He's won the Vestment of the last couple
of years. He's off to another really quality start this
Year's the reason why he's probably gonna be the number
one at the Olympics, although Jake Ottinger might have something
to say about that, so we'll see how that goes.
But you know, the first thing they got to do
is going to Pittsburgh and win. That game against Pittsburgh
at home last month was one of the worst Wild
games that we've seen this season, especially in the third period.
(48:45):
And what I loved about that game is. That was
the next morning where Jared's burgeon and I'm gonna be
writing about it today. Had had the team meeting, a
real substantive team meeting, and they're seven to one to
one since so that was a real turning point of
the season that that Pittsburgh lost. We'll see if they can, uh,
you know, amend that tomorrow night.
Speaker 5 (49:03):
Thanks Bud, have a great weekend. Call you next week.
Ben Lever is around the corner and he will follow
Russo radio quarter battle this weekend.
Speaker 7 (49:13):
Be right,
Nine to noon. Time for Tim morettle fowl.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I know right, good stuff, border battle Fox.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
He's the dagger, He's the dagger, and there we go.
Paul begins with the dagger.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Here's a snack wasting sets most let's side of the
ends of.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Second by the kid, Oh have been Williams the levers
and the left corner of the ends out and the
Packers deliver the Taggers defensively a rare interception, just one
in the last six weeks. And Evan Williams that should
do it his.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Gore dagger Dagger.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Time to start nine to noon on KFA, and it's
Wayne Larravie, play by play voice of the Green Bay
Packers Lambeau noon four and six travels to play six
three and one, and the box joins us. Now, Wayne,
how have you been and are you enjoying the season?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I've been good, Paul for the most part. Yeah, I've
been good. The season's been up and down, and yeah,
that's that's NFL football, and it has been enjoyable.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Now you've called twenty six and a half, you've all
twenty six and a half years of Packers football, and
all with analysts. Larry mccaren, who started four years before you. Larry,
for those who don't know, is in the Packers Hall
of Fame and for his work at center.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Back in the day.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Just a question I've wanted to ask you forever, and
I probably should ask Larry, but I'll ask you anyway.
How did his fingers get permanently bent and mangled?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, it happened during his playing days, and you know,
he just decided. I guess he could have gotten it
corrected way back in the day, but he decided not to.
And it's kind of a distinctive trait for.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Him quarter century plus working with Larry, who's the analyst?
What do you enjoy about working with Larry?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
He's great. You know, he's a man's man. The thing
I like he brings kind of a calmness to the
broadcast in that, Yeah, things look like they're going off
the rail, and I might react, and yet he'll sit
back and he realizes, because of his experience as a
player and longtime analyst, that you know, the game has
ebbs and flows. It will go up and down, and
(03:09):
you know, one team will look good for a while
and the other team will battle back. It's just the
way the NFL is and He's been great to work
with over the years. You know, we're different kinds of people.
We don't hang out a lot, but we do have
something in common. We never go to dinner together, but
we usually on the road end up at dinner. If
it's a Ruth Chris steakhouse, we will end up there,
(03:30):
not go together, but I'll end up going and he'll
already be there with a place at the bar and
probably have his stake already served.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Has Larry ever gotten so excited he was the one
who actually did the dagger call during a Packers win.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
No, he hasn't gone that far, but he does react,
and I think that's good as long as it's you know,
natural and believing it's natural that you know, when he
reacts to something good or bad that happens on the field.
But he hasn't gone as far as taking the dagger yet.
He suggested I throw the tecker, but he hasn't really
done it himself.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Now, last Larry mccaron question, and we'll talk about the
border battle with Wayne Laravy played by play voice for
the Green Bay Packers. When when Larry interviews Lafleur after games,
is is that before the press conference because those chats
are just super raw and really good.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, you know they are. It's when Lafleur is on
his way after talking with the team. He then goes
over and talks to Larry and then from there goes
to the press conference with the media. But you're right
in at some points against especially heeded battles, that type
of thing and disappointing losses. Yeah, you're getting the raw
(04:45):
from both Larry and Matt Lafleur. And you know, before
he's really had a chance almost to compose his thoughts
for the media. The media scrum that follows, but very
honest interviews. Larry does a great job with him because
they're not easy to do, especially after games where things
didn't go the way they had hoped.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Right, all right, So what do you think of the team?
Do you think this team's good enough to get to
the super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I think the Packers are a lot a lot like
ninety percent of the teams in the league. I think
they're still evolving, and you know, the injury factors usually
tell the story. And they lost two big players. I'm
not sure if Josh Jacobs is going to play in
this game, but they lost the heart and soul of
that offense in Tucker Craft and he was becoming a
(05:33):
big play playmaker, and you know that's a loss that
that's hard to overcome, so you know they have to
get there in a different way. But right now, PA,
I would say they're like a lot of other teams,
like the Vikings. They're kind of evolving and it'll be
interesting to see which way they go up or down,
because you know what, you're never going to stay the
same in this league either, as Mike McCarthy told me
(05:55):
many times, you're either getting better or you're getting worse.
And that's what the next month than a hamper about.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Hey hey, Wayne, has anything changed with edgering Cooper while
having Michael Parsons around, Boy, I.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Would say not really, although the thing that they aren't
doing with him this year is blitzing him more, and
I think that's one of the things he does really well.
But the whole thing with Michael Parson's PA was they
always wanted the four man pass rush, much like Philadelphia
had last year. Now Philly has to blitz a little
bit more this year to get home, But the Packers
(06:35):
wanted to model their defense after what Philadelphia does with
the four man rush. Pressure with a four man rush
covered with seven and you know in the past they
have blitzed Cooper a little bit more and he's been
very effective. Kway Walker's another good blitz option through the
A gap. They do some of that, but not as
much as they've done in the past because of parsons presence.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Wayne Laerravie quarter Century Plus play voice for the Green
Bay Packers starts nine to noon Border Battle noon KFA
in the Sunday Parsons Michael Parsons eight sacks and ten games.
So how much does he change things for the defense?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I think he allows them to do what they intended
to do, and that is rushed for and put pressure
on the quarterback. Earlier this season he was making Rashaan
Gary a much better player than he has been over
the course of his career because instead of receiving the
double team looks, the team's given the chips and all that.
Rashwan got that all in the past and had to
(07:37):
try to play through it. With Parsons not so much.
He's not getting double teamed nearly as much as he
has earlier in his career. Parsons takes on all of
those and that frees up other people on that defensive front.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
So overall, how is Rashaan Gary playing?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Well, you know what, It's interesting his game and I've
seen this in the past. He'll get hot for a
couple of three four games row and then he kind
of quiets down a little bit and he's in one
of those quiet periods at the moment. But I believe
that's going to change this week. Kingsley enig Bare, his backup,
actually got more snaps in New Jersey than did Rashawn
(08:14):
in that game. And you know, I'm not a big
snaps guy. I don't follow it the way some people do.
But it might have been just flow. The game might
have been what they needed, that type of thing. But
I think Rashan Gary I look for this week him
to really bounce back. He's been quite kind of quiet
of late.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
And it seems from a far Wayne that you guys
could get Lucas van Nest back this week too, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
There's a possibility of that. I think he was close
last week and they wanted to give him another week.
Lucas was playing real well in another one of those
players that really you know, obviously got is developing quicker
with Micah Parson's presence out there, and I think, you
know Lucas. But the thing about Lucas, we all are
looking for sacks from him. That's why they rafted him.
(09:00):
But the other thing, he does a little better than
people realize. He's much better against the run than people
given credit for. And I think their run defense has
suffered a little bit without him the last five.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
Weeks, and you know, not having players, you know, it's
something through which the Vikings have gone this season, more
so early in the season than now. Like you know,
at one point, Wayne, the Vikings had used seventeen different
offensive line combinations, which which you know, guides me to
to Elton Jenkins because he's absolutely one of the best
(09:33):
cards in the league. And when I heard he was
going to center, I was curious, you know, but then
watching a couple of games, it seemed like, you know,
he was doing a really good job. But you know, Jenkins,
I know he's not playing, but he's just fantastic, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Yeah, he's a great offensive lineman. He was struggling a
little bit with the conversion to center. But you have
to understand, the scouts when he was drafted said we
think this guy's best position is center. That's his most
natural position, but he played guard for the last five
or six years, whatever it is, and you know, now
(10:09):
they move him over to center. I think there was
a period of time earlier in the year when he
was acclimating to that as was the line itself, and
maybe he wasn't quite as effective at center as he
had been at left guard. But what has hurt in
that regard is that, Okay, he's now out of the
lineup at center. Sean Ryan moves in. Aaron Banks has
had good moments and bad moments at left guard, and
(10:33):
he was the big ticket free agent signing at left guard,
and that allowed them to move Jenkins to the center position.
But you know, things are kind of evolving as this
goes along. Banks has had his good moments, he's had
his bad moments, and hopefully he'll have some good moments
down the stretch because they really need him to play well.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Dagger.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
After that loss to Cleveland then the home run to Carolina,
it nationally really got loud. Green Bay can beat anybody
any time, but they can lose to anybody anytime. They
played to the level of the foe. Do you buy
into that yeah, to.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
An extent, I do. And the way this season has gone, yeah,
they've kind of played at times down to the level
of their competition. Dallas wasn't a very good football team
when we went down there, and you know, a block
pat returned to first score or something rare, you know,
turn that game around, flipped it around, and the Packers
were fortunate to get out of there with a tie.
(11:30):
That game should should not have been closed. I mean,
the Packers were dominating at that point of the ball game.
But you know, Cleveland turned on an interception late on
what Matt Lafleour described as a bad play call, and
I would think, as a you know, vettering quarterback that
you know, Jordan Love would have changed that play at
the line of scrimmage. But he didn't. He ran the
(11:51):
play bad play, as Laflour said, he called a bad play.
The pass was made, they tried to thread the needle,
it was intercepted, returned a big time to set up
Cleveland's winning score. Those little things that happen. Now, Carolina
came in and give them credit, if you watch the tape,
they powered their way past the Packers. They overpowered them
with the offensive line matchup against the Green Bay defensive front.
(12:15):
Carolina ran the line of scrimmage and literally ran tow
one hundred and sixty three yards that day. But even
in that game, there were moments where the Packers should
have taken control, should have found a way to beat
an undermanned foe in that situation. And that's the one
thing you worry about.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
A couple more for Wayne Laravie, play by play voice
for the Packers. Jordan Love the quarterback, Jordan Love, and
you probably know this, but for those who don't. As
a starter week twelve on during his career, has twenty
five touchdowns in just one interception. So are you sensing
you know, I mean, Loves had a good season, But
are you sensing he's about really ready to hit a
(12:52):
big time stride this year?
Speaker 6 (12:55):
Yeah? I would hope.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So he got dinged up in New Jersey as a
left show problem that I think is more painful than
anything else and doesn't inhibit the way he throws the
football necessarily. But and I'm saying that, and I'm not
a doctor, but you know, I think he's got a
chance to really take off from here. He's been very
good ball. He's received a lot of criticism around here,
(13:18):
and I don't know why. You know, is he great
every game? No, but no quarterback is. But this guy
has been really solid and running the football team, making
good decisions with the football, running it himself at times.
And I think he's going to have to do a
lot of that this week against this Minnesota defense.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
All right, last one the Eagles. You saw him recently,
we saw him earlier. What do you think of the Eagles?
Do you think they're still the class of the NFC?
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yes, without a question. The only question would be the
Rams and the Rams have you know they've gone into Philadelphia.
They gave the Eagles the toughest game in their playoff
run last year. They gave them they they were right
there in the snow to win that game. The Rams.
I think the Rams. It's the Eagles, Rams, and Seahawks
in the NFC right now, and I think they are
(14:06):
clearly head and shoulders above the rest of this conference
at the moment.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
Can't wait to see you Sunday somewhere between nine to
fifteen and nine forty five in the cafeteria. Tell Larry
that I say hi, and thanks a lot.
Speaker 6 (14:18):
Wayne.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
All Right, all right, take care guys, take care, have
a good one.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
See you about Wayne Larravi played by play voice for
the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And the silence you hear is lambeau Field.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Courtesy of timber Tech and timber tech dot Com. What's
on Deck nine to noon includes bikes Bights around the corner,
followed by Russo Radio from the Athletic on a thrilling
wild victory last evening, Nacho Lieber at about ten o'clock,
some Fantasy at eleven o'clock, and some brief chat George
Truly conducted yesterday with a couple of Vikings Aaron Jones
(14:51):
and Byron Murphy Junior on the Border Battle Nordo produces
and I'm Paul Allen. It's nine to fifteen in the neighborhood,
and the neighborhood is that them? One hundred point three
kfan Good morning, Vikes Bites.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
One up, nine twenty. It's nine to noon.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
It is Vikes Bites and it's always presented by Thousand
Hills Lifetime Grazed grass fed Beef, Nigga shop online, box
and meat shows up at your doorstep or local Coburns
Kowalski's locations, local co ops proud sponsors Gophers Athletics. It's
elite beef. I've smoked and grilled it. I love it
and you will too. So Thousand Hills Clearwater, Minnesota's finest.
(15:40):
I do have a couple of questions off of your
conversation with the Dagger last segment, Wayne lairv longtime box
Green Bay Packers. You know, I'm curious how different do
you believe the game potentially looks on Sunday, Just the
simple hinging point of whether or not Josh Jacobs chooses
to go for the paw. I know they got a manual,
(16:02):
I know they got his Emmanuel Wilson, and I think
a young cat Chris Brooks. You're actually lauding him in
his pass protection late and that win over the Giants.
I just knowing Lafleur's offense, knowing this team. You talk
about the QB as he ramps his way later into
seasons with efficiency and lack of turnovers. Those are good
things if you're a Green and Gold fan. I'm just
(16:23):
trying to picture how different this game looks all because
Josh Jacobs is either given it a go on that
knee or they give him the week off. And now
it's the Emmanuel Wilson Show. I think not that it
means everything, Pa, because our quarterback's gonna have a lot
to say with how this game goes. But I think
in terms of that offense it may mean just about
(16:45):
everything for how the Packers operate someday.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
Well, it has to be a lot because he's really
good and he scores a lot. Now, Josh never has
been a running back who is going to run away
from you, run around you, catch it and make you
miss and do things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
But what he does do makes it so.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
The Cashman's, the Wilson's, the safeties players like that absolutely
have to pay attention to him between the tackles. So therefore,
how many steps does that take players off when the
quarterback executes play action? Yeah, that's first and foremost what
happens to the play action game if Josh Jacobs doesn't play.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Secondly, the the.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
A topic for me for Green Bays offense entails the
early stages of the game. Maybe a quarter depending on
how much the Vikings offense can hold on to it.
But it until proven otherwise. It you know, this is
you know, not shoe size contest, border battle talking. It's
fact it takes Jordan Love a little bit to figure
(17:52):
out Brian Flores defense. I mean when Darnold jumped him
last year twenty eight zero. You know, Love was coming
up off an injury in Brazil, but he was good
to go well week of practice and it just took
him a long time to figure that thing out. Now,
when he did and the Vikings corrected, they they couldn't
keep up with Love.
Speaker 7 (18:14):
Yeah, for about a quarter and a half. Think he
threw four tds that game.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
And they were and as you'll hear later with with
my chat with Biran Murphy, you know Byron loves playing
the Lambeau. Last year at Lambeau was a strange day
for him because when they when they figured out where
they felt they could go to make money, it generally
was in the direction of number seven.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Well, number seven was not.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Only the best corner on the team, but the best
tackling corner on the team and was having the best
season of all the corners on the team. Well, they
went right at him and Byron was having some significant problems.
But then you get to you know Love and some
things he will do every single game where he just
needs to be made to pay he just threw this
pun up for whatever the reason. I think the rush
(18:58):
was pretty good and it was a Kyler Murray punt
pass back right of the end zone, right to Bira Murphy.
I mean there were barely any Packers in the vicinity.
Murphy picked him off, Murphy got confidence. Fast forward. Tucker
Kraft is by the sideline for what was a pretty
big play. Murphy punched the ball away from him. So
Byron caught fire after having a really, really rough go
(19:21):
of it during the first two two and a half quarters.
So love, If Love comes out of the gate with
or without Jacobs and it's nailed this here that there,
run here, do this and it's working, that could be
very problematic.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
The interesting part of this too, with or without Jacobs,
the Packers have the number one third down the matchup
of the third down offenses. Packers convert third downs at
almost a fifty percent clip and the Vikings thirty first
in the NFL in third downs just over thirty one percent.
I think Jacobs plays into a bit of that as well.
(20:00):
But you mentioned continuing on a couple of things popping
my head during your conversation with Larv.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Well, that's cool. What you said about the Packers offense.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
I'm not far enough into the prep to know that,
but the Vikings third down defense has mostly been really
good this year.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, they're ninth in the NFL, right, A ninth got
thirty six percent.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
It was third at one point. I knew it had
dropped of late. But still that's a nice little matchup.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
Well, the one part of getting it out there on
Sunday and chucking it around and finding their way and
maybe it's at Murphy until they get bit and they adjust.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Matthew Golden.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
I remember our conversations, whether it was with Sinny and
they're just all kind of lauding and celebrating.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Finally, are you kidding me?
Speaker 7 (20:41):
The first round receiver we got Matthew Golden and he's
the most athletic cat in the draft at the pass
catching position, and just all the excitement and optimism around it. Well,
fast forward in the nine out of ten games while
he's played nine out of their ten, excuse me, just
thirty two targets, right.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Josh Jacobs.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
You mentioned a guy that's not definitely not top the
topping the resume his pass catching ability. Josh Jacobs has
more targets in twenty twenty five than Matthew Golden is
damn And so the reason I was looking at that
is I'm thinking, how have they adjusted post Tucker Craft?
It's not the way of the rookie. It still is
something I think they're trying to find an answer for.
(21:22):
So it's kind of twofold. I wonder if they're mildly
underwhelmed with the early production of the rookie Longhorn and
also still scrambling to say, what is Jordan Love's nookie
blanky post Tucker Craft?
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Wow, that's I like how you laid that out? Now,
the dagger, the dagger daggered it. Tucker Craft is, outside
of the quarterback, the most important player on the Green
Bay Packers offense.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Came out of that tight ends heavy.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Draft a few years ago, and he's the He and
Sam Laporter are the best two of the bunch. But
Tucker's really really yeah all right, so he's out for
the year. So now where do things filter? Not just
over the course of snap counts or results game after
game after game, but in the hottest moments and the
(22:15):
biggest third downs of each game. I think they're very
much still trying to figure that out. And it will
be even more of a conundrum if Jacobs is not
able to play well with Matthew Golden here. This is
about from what I know now, with more work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
To do on it.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
He he has zero touchdowns, was the twenty third overall
pick in the draft. They got a third round rookie
from TCU named Saban Williams.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Yes, he's been the better rookie he got.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
He's been the better rookie because if they put him
back on kick return, look out, I mean he's sitting
on one.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
He's really really crafty.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
He only has a touchdown thirty three three long, but
a sixteen long run. They they run him, they're running
him more. So they're doing more with eighty three than
they are zero. Now, without having any knowledge of what
leads into that, I haven't asked here, and I don't
have the capabilities of asking there, But just in seeing
(23:20):
situations like this as long as I have, generally speaking,
it's because the one who's the one a which will
be Golden here is just not completely up to speed
with the checks and the motions and the audibles and
the depth of route. You're fast, and if we put
you on what's known as a nine route straight down
(23:40):
the field or a double move and you sell it
the right way. All right, you're probably going to get open.
But we're far in the equation now for a first
round pick to not have any touchdowns. Now Williams third
round or TCU, he only has one. The thing they're
trying to do is they got a touchdown last game
from Josh Wyler, a free agent they got from Tennessee.
(24:03):
They also have a fourth year guy from Georgia named
John Fitzpatrick. Those are the two mostly filling in for Craft,
but they just can't get Luke Muskgrave going. I mean
Luke Muskgrave has zero touchdowns in right around two years. Yeah,
so they're trying to figure that thing out. Get the
first round rookie to start impacting the game as much
as the third round rookie.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
Mike's Mike's thank you thousand hills to the injury report.
We go, by the way, like half the Packers team
is on the injury report. They you got Hobbes, who
even when he's healthy, he really hasn't been a factor
for them.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Now he's inactive these days.
Speaker 7 (24:40):
And in Jacobs we mentioned Kuay Walker, Carl Brooks, but
on our side of things, A couple of things to
look forward to. The Thursday report will tell us a
ton about whether Jonathan Grenard is making progress towards playing
on Sunday with the shoulder issue.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But how about Ryan Kelly, my friend?
Speaker 7 (24:59):
A full part two DiPT in yesterday's practice, So anticipating
restructured helmet guardian cap that Ryan Kelly and save for
anything that happens in practice the next two days. For
the first time, I believe in twenty twenty five, Pa,
unless you correct me, this will be the first time
that we're actually getting our preferred starting five to begin
(25:21):
a game.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
It is because I believe there was school the first two.
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Then you got Darrisaw, but we got concussion clomp with
Ryan Kelly and then O'Neil I believe has missed time.
I mean just the ins and outs. Welcome back Ryan Kelly. Yeah,
he's obviously excited to retake the field. But maybe the
first time we've seen our preferred starting five all year.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
We'll get to see it at Lambeau. Yeah, I gotta
believe it's in every down sweat with Ryan Kelly. Yeah,
I mean good to hav ingim back, big powerful guy.
O'Connell keeps saying he's kicking down the barn door to
get out on the track. I believe that to be true.
He's compensated to play. He's one of the ones who
wants to play and earn his money, and he's very
(26:03):
very physical. You got both your running backs and CJ.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Ham.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
So when you have Jackson Kelly, I don't think Fries
practiced yesterday, but I don't think it's anything significant. And
then you've got Darisa on O'Neill. Well that that right there,
that Minnesota moving company is supposed to move man and
afford you the opportunity to run not only between the tackles,
but set up to play action for the kid. Ryan's
(26:28):
very very physical. Now, he got the most recent concussion
in Dublin when his head hit the knee of a stealer.
So you know, like I say, I got to believe
it's seriously, with all due respect, it has to be
a down by down sweat because I think he's had
ten of them. You've already lost him one time this year,
(26:49):
and and those things. Those things are tricky. It's just
concussions are just so strange because they can have them
go in protocol. But like you know, that night in
Dublin outside the team hotel. You know, we're talking four
or five hours after the game. You know, I see
Ryan Kelly with friends and family members, you know, just
(27:09):
being normal talking and doing stuff like that. But it's like, wow, man,
he just had a really bad concussion. I just learned
he previously had nine. Yeah, we're sitting there talking normally.
They're just strange, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Well, yeah, of course it's strange.
Speaker 7 (27:21):
I mean I think about like Isaiah Rodgers in the
Bears game, right, I mean, he takes that hit you
and the way it looks specifically and slow motion makes
everything looks so much worse, right, but he goes to
the blue tent, comes back onto the field. Meanwhile, you
you mentioned it, I think, whether we were at TCO
or even on Monday, like you hear about Jackson Dart,
Well you're excited about the future of Jackson Dart. You
(27:44):
also find out wait a minute, is he said three
or four concussions this season?
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Like what's that? Or that can't be good?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
And so just kind of how individualized it is via
the moment, how individualized it is via the specific player,
the intricacies of a it. We've we've watched some horrific
moments with a two a tongue of ioloa. We've also
seen some guys find their way through entire careers, uh
putting their head down and making contact and never finding
(28:11):
themselves in that spot.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
So so unpredictable, so weird.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
Yeah, I just want Kelly to be healthy, and you
got to trust that he's, you know, on his own behalf.
He gets to make these choices that he's back out
there and right that play by place sweat will continue.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
I'm glad you said that at the end about he
gets to make the choice when he returns from the
concussion despite being cleared X amount of days weeks, I
have no idea. Van ginkel neck despite being cleared X
amount of days weeks, got no idea. Maybe he was
cleared one minute before he actually came back and started.
(28:45):
It's when when when you're talking about young men in
a violent game and their brains and or their necks,
and you know they're they're not chicken bleeps in any
way for being has tint about potentially what's coming because
you're not you don't put fear over faith, and you
(29:06):
know execute your toil and chicken in chicken like fashion
and get that far if you truly are scared. There's
a difference between scared and and just being smart with
how you know your body, mind, neck or whatever feels.
So like, if Ryan Kelly and or Andrew Van Ginko
(29:27):
couldn't get themselves over the hump to get out there
and play this violent game with brain and or neck injuries,
I would completely understand bikes bikes.
Speaker 7 (29:35):
Hey, we made it fifteen minutes into vikes bites without
talking about the QB. But there are a couple of
things I wanted to play for you, and we're going
to start with him discussing with the media exactly what
he's working on these days.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
My posture, the way that I'm processing the defense in
terms of I know what I'm getting, but let the
rhythm of the play play out. You know, don't be
getting to that answer too quick, because you know, it's
a timing and rhythm of the concepts and the defenses
and just decision making, just understanding, you know, the situation
(30:07):
of the game, not just the concept that I'm trying
to execute. Understand you know, like for instance, that first
pick last game, you know, it's four minutes going in
the half, we're on our own side of the territory,
and just understand, you know, what that risk factor should
be and go from there.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
So I'd say those.
Speaker 7 (30:24):
Things, and here's more from JJ specifically, I believe on
just new mechanics now that he's in the in the
big league.
Speaker 8 (30:31):
Coming in here, I was taught how to play quarterback
in a very different way, and that's expected going into
the league, going into any new team, any new system.
But at the end of the day, you know, it
was really just the injuries that I felt like, you know,
kind of took away all those reps in the constant
repetition to make those a habit and make them concrete,
like KOs talks about, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
You know, it's just the repetitions.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
You know, how many times could I go home and
every time I take the dogs out, I'm getting, you know,
ten drops each time. Little things like that where you
just keep the.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
Reps, dah, just taking the dogs for a lot, catch
a quick ten and then we're back to it.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Rewiring those neural pathways. There's a lot. It's definitely a lot.
Speaker 7 (31:11):
Dan Orlobski usually offers a lot NFL Live on ESPN.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Here he is.
Speaker 7 (31:16):
This is kind of the back end of a longer
conversation he had on TV yesterday, specifically breaking down some
of those mechanical or fundamental issues he's seen in McCarthy.
Speaker 9 (31:26):
These are mechanical things that are starting from the ground.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
That's where the flaw is.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
First is they got to get his feet consistently closer together.
The second thing is they got to get him to
add his hips rotate more, because right now his legs
don't rotate, his hips don't rotate, and his upper body does.
So that's why you're getting these occasional kind of egregious misses.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
You could play it and see how this his left
arm flings open.
Speaker 9 (31:50):
See his left shoulder is consistently behind the right shoulder
rather than pointing towards his target and staying tight and
so sad.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I know it's discouraging. I understand it like it's concerning.
Speaker 9 (31:59):
I'm a little bit more encouraged because I think those
are correctible things.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, oh, thank goodness, you know. I part of the
reason I played that audio PA was not as I didn't.
I wasn't hoping that you would have ninety seconds or
two minutes of just like a breakdown or a long
extended thought on it. That my point of playing all
that this is insane.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
It's insane.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
It's this is insane. It's it's his six game on Sunday.
I'm looking forward to it, you know, I have. I
have this though, one thing that is kind of weird.
Two road games Chicago and Detroit. Sixty percent completion, yeah,
six total touchdowns, turned it over twice at home in
those three games, less than fifty percent completion, two touchdowns,
seven total turnovers. He's less accurate, he's throwing it to
(32:42):
the other team. He's not as efficient or productive overall
at home.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
So this weekend, how about this.
Speaker 7 (32:47):
Let's generate three tds like you've gone two for two
on the road in the division before. Let's not give
it to the other freaking team, and let's come out
with a victory. I mean, I'm listen to that audio.
I don't want to listen to it again. They're they're
all pathways there.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
When when JJ McCarthy and I was at that press
conference yesterday and it had my head spinning.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I mean, it's and I've heard him.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
Talk like that before, and O'Connell talk like that before,
with the footwork and the balance and the eyework and
the shoulders, and now we've got neurological pathways entering the mix.
It's with all due respect to everybody with the twenty
twenty five Minnesota Vikings working arduously to raise this kid quarterback.
I leave these conversations wondering how he ever completed a
(33:33):
pass at Michigan. I mean, how did he ever go
on a drop back and actually make things happen? And
then the difference between what is needed there when you
got all the best players compared to having a bunch
of good players here but against a bunch of really
really good players for other teams every single week. I mean,
it's it's just I guess it's a complete overhaul. I
(33:55):
don't I just don't understand enough about it. But you know,
it's when we get before we walk up to Aaron
Jones and Bira Murphy a little later, one thing I
was going to share with you then I'll share with
you now because that little breakdown you did McCarthy the
first two possessions of his five starts. His passer rating
(34:16):
is one twenty five point nine and his yards per
attempt is eight and high change one twenty five to nine.
A yards per attempt of eight and high change is immortality.
Like yeah, top five in the NFL for one twenty
five to nine and eight and change first two possessions.
All right, so that includes even those early misses that
we were kind of frustrated about last week. Okay, every
(34:37):
first two possess, the first two possessions of all five
of the starts, passer rating one twenty five to nine
yards per attempt eight and change around eight and a half.
Not bad, now we know from Soldier Field and the
final two drives last Sunday and for long patches in
that Lions game. JJ McCarthy absolutely can handle pressure. We
(34:58):
know that we've seen it. I mean, it's it's a
calling card of his. So how do we fix the
in between?
Speaker 3 (35:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
HiT's the in between when he's like thirty five percent
on third down and throws more picks than touchdown.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Well you you even asked.
Speaker 7 (35:12):
You asked ko I think on Tuesday, and it was
kind of just the because I talked. We've talked about
this off air and on air times. I'm sure, but
it's like you can't teach the late stage pressure handling,
just organically, how do you teach him to complete the
bleeping second in five in the second quarter, or not
(35:33):
throw that pick like he threw to Bayered in the
first in the Bears game.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 7 (35:38):
Like it's just as there's a short circuiting, there's something up.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
That's why neurological pathways are needing to be developed, because
it's short circuiting.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I don't know part of me, you know, and this
is just not how it works.
Speaker 7 (35:50):
But it's just Ko's just like, all right, whatever I've
told you, just go play, Just just go play the.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Just go play the game.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Now.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
We've tried this, we want to keep you in the pocket,
we've tried some runs, we've tracked this, we've tracked that.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Just go play.
Speaker 7 (36:02):
Just go play football like you're out in the sandbox
with your buddies. And maybe that's that's the next evolution
of this thing, neurological pathways.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, and that's that's Viike spikes.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
If McCarthy does not make the simple simple, O'Connell is
telling the truth, and he's absolutely right. Is they've overcome
a lot of things with McCarthy, you know, as you
do with young twenty two year old quarterbacks. It's now
making the routine routine, and that's up to the kit.
It's making the simple simple, yeah, and not making it
so hard on himself. Correct and if he doesn't, he
(36:33):
won't be starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe in
twenty twenty six, that's true. Those are Vikes bites provided by.
Speaker 7 (36:40):
Thousand Hills Lifetime grazed grass fed beef. It's good for
your neurological pathways, I think, or at least it's regenerative agriculture.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Check out the website. They know more about it.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
And Russo radio is good for the blood flow because
if he says something that frustrates you, the blood gets
going and he stimulates you with his elite hockey knowledge.
Wild beat the Canan's in a shootout last night. That
topic and more around the corner on kf a N.
Speaker 10 (37:12):
Matt Boldie top with round three, eight for seventeen in
his career, including six game deciding shootout. Tallis had a
breakaway goal in the opening Paradis shorty Boldi picks up
the bucket center why right into the hurricane zone. Now
back towards the middle of slot, Boldi waits dance.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
For his packet.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
He's gone.
Speaker 10 (37:31):
Speedster, Taylor Hall, racist or center bolls.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
It stops him, It's over. Pauline took a shot, step
sap stand.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
In the wild Yes, ball.
Speaker 10 (37:41):
Set, the best performance maybe it was youngis your career?
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Brusso Radio.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Michael Russo the Athletic, Theathletic dot com at Russo Hockey
joins nine to noon every so often and here he
is the uh uh these wild Joe O'Donnell on the
calls there by the way on kfam, they're good right now,
these wild seven one one the last nine four to
zhero and won this home stand beat beat the Canes
in a shootout. Wallstead was terrific, and the NHL's Twitter
(38:16):
account called him the Wall of Saint Paul. What do
you think about all this, Michael Russo and good morning.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Yeah, you know, he has been definitely the biggest you know,
I don't want to say surprise of the season, but
definitely definitely the biggest bright spot. He's gotten the wild
points in all seven of his starts. I think that,
you know, especially the way that Gustuston has been playing
the last couple starts as well, playing really really well,
you know, the one question I asked joh Hines after
(38:45):
the game last night is could you see yourself even
doing you know, exactly what Rod Brindimore has done the
last couple of years in Carolina, And let's go with
a pretty much a strict rotation no matter what happens
the game before, the next goalie is starting. And right
now Carolina is doing it with three goalies last night,
co checkout with scratched. He'll back up tomorrow night in Winnipeg,
probably start in Buffalo, and Freddie, you'll have the night
(39:07):
off in Winnipeg. And in such a condensed season because
of the Olympics, you know, that is very very necessary
the while to play twenty one games already in a
month and change of the season, and it's going to
be like that the rest of the season. They barely have,
you know, any time off up until the Olympics. So
I think that it's been a really pleasant surprise to
(39:29):
see Wiley playing as well as he has. Remember, he's
had a last couple of years. He's had some trouble
in Iowa last year, had some injury issues, needed a
sort of a mental reset after being very disappointed that
he was spending the year in Iowa because of the
wild Cap punch when they hope to at least have
three goalies in Minnesota more often than not, and that
(39:51):
just couldn't happen because they were so inundated with injuries
and he really really struggled both Mentley and and on
the ice. And for him to come up here right
now and be as good as he has been, you know,
it probably shows also how well the wild they're defending
right now, because they've been really, really good. Last night,
it wasn't the greatest game by they stretched the last
forty minutes, but defense, defending wise, that has been the
(40:13):
biggest turnaround for the season. And as you mentioned, you know,
a four to zero to one home stand after going
to two and two on that other long home stan
in October, you know they are definitely heading the right direction.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
And off that.
Speaker 5 (40:26):
I mean, they got out Chop forty five to eighteen,
and after the game I read this at the Athletic.
After the game, Baldi said, quote, well one is a
when when April comes, Oh you beat Carolina, but you
played bad. Two points and that's what matters. No one
in this room cares. We'll use it to get better.
End quote. Is that a fair read on the victory?
Speaker 6 (40:48):
Yeah? Absolutely, two points is two points. The Wild have
had plenty of games earlier last month where they probably
deserve better and didn't get to one or two points. So,
you know, I don't want to do the old at all,
even out. But he's exactly right. You know, obviously Carolina
played really really well the last two periods. They're third
lines with stankovi and centering Jackson Blake. I mean you
(41:10):
call it the third lines really more of the second line,
and Nikolai Illert's on that line. They were just sensational
last night. Like Jackson Blake is just going to be
a heck of a player for that team for a
long long time, and he was dominant last night and
and could have had three or four or five goals,
wound up with two gets the triangles. Since to overtime,
probably justice prevailed to them at least getting a point.
(41:32):
But but to to Matt's point, I mean, the Wild
were really uh look, they're they're down significant players right now.
They have, you know, the second most injuries in the league.
You know, hopefully this isn't a sign of of what's
happened the last couple of years and that it's starting now.
But when you're down mark O Rossi and you're down
Ryan Hartman and you have a rookie center playing number
(41:52):
one center, that's what you get at the end of
game sometimes. I mean, you know, Ben Jones, who doesn't
have a point, and then a shell career is on
ice for that tying goal. I mean, that is only
happening because the Wild, you know, are so inundated with
injuries up up up the middle right now. Trenyon's not
exactly a natural center, so it didn't feel comfortable there
(42:14):
and you're us, you know, played twenty twenty games in
the league, less than twenty games, so he went with
the Ben Ben Jones and it just obviously didn't work out.
So I think that, you know, there's reasons why the
Wild were on their heels to such a degree in
the last forty minutes. You don't like to see it,
especially on home ice. But at the end of the day,
and that's right, they got two points and they move
(42:35):
on to Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (42:36):
And Baldy scored the first shorty of his career last night,
and he's hot six goal in the last seven games.
Do you think Baldy and Caprisov will go nose to
nose right to the end for team supremacy with goals probably.
Speaker 6 (42:53):
I mean, you know, Reefa's probably a little less streaky
than Boldie. So that's the one thing is that you know,
most likely, I would think that if Reefu's healthy, he's
going to wind up, you know, being the Wild's goal leader.
You know, Matt Oldie got off to a scorching hot
start this season and then he went one game, one
goal in a ten game stretch. Now he has six
(43:13):
in the last seven. That's just been Matt's you know, career.
A lot of goal scorers are streaky, but he is
just playing such a great brand of all around winning
hockey right now. It's not just his offensive abilities. He's
been so good in his own end. He competes. You know,
I just love what I've seen from him this homestand
and you know, in terms of him being on the
(43:35):
ice there on the penalty kill, this is what John
Hines had been talking about for the last couple of
years and why he wanted to introduce him to playing
the penalty kill. He tried it at the World Championships
two years ago when John was coaching there Matt was
really good on the PK and so he was going
to play there at the start of last season, but unfortunately,
the first day of camp he broke his foot, broke
a bone in his foot, and really missed all of camp.
(43:57):
So he didn't really get introduced until on the penalty
kill until late.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
In the season.
Speaker 6 (44:02):
And now he's been really, really good in that situation.
And you know, you could see the reason why so
many good offensive players in the National Hockey League play
the PK is for exactly what he did last night.
You know, good offensive players react on where that puck
is going, and you know, against another sensational offensive players,
spashion Aho, Matt read that perfectly knocked down a pass
(44:25):
that that Aho intended to you know, enter the own
with and next thing, you know, Boldi's off on the
races and scores a goal that probably Freddy should have stopped.
But you know, I think that this is exactly why
John Hines wanted him on the PK, not just the
obviously kill penalties, but to add an offensive element to
the penalty kill, as the Wild just haven't had because
(44:45):
they don't really play like a lot of teams, A
lot of their top offensive players on.
Speaker 5 (44:49):
The PK Russo Radio, A great opportunity for your off
How did your off handle centering the top line?
Speaker 6 (44:58):
And you know, really good for first time. And you know,
I think he's realizing right away that when you play
with great offensive players. He had the chance to accumulate points.
He got his first multi point game of the season.
I didn't think the line was very good as a whole.
That I don't I don't necessarily think that's yourrop's fault
at all. I think that they probably have to simplify
right now that line. Sometimes they get a little too
(45:20):
cute and it creates problems. And they wound up in
their own end way too much last night and didn't
get a ton of even strength ice time, especially in
the second period because of it. But E'rerov is just
such a quality player. And what I love about the
kid is that usually, you know, a twenty one year
old comes over for Europe and if they're not from Sweden,
you got to teach him how to play defense. He
(45:41):
is so responsible in his own end and he's taken
care about that more and more and more, and that's
why John Hines trusts them, you know so much. Last
night there was some trouble. There was some trouble, you know, uh,
I would say defensively where he got on the wrong
side of Puffs and his own end. There was one
(46:02):
real good chance by Jackson Blake where he got on
the other side of You're out and it was a
great spring chance. And that line, as I'm said, just
dominated the wild pretty much anybody that they threw out
there last night. But I think you is going to
get better and better. They really have no choice now
because Hartman's got to miss at least the next couple
of games because he's on injured conserve. Rossie is still
(46:23):
trying to work his way back from the broken foot,
and so they really don't have anybody else. So the
one thing I'd love to see is Hunter Hayton the
lineup on this trip. I don't know if we will
get to see him because John just trust Ben Jones,
But you know, it just feels like if you could
add another really quality offensive center to this lineup, I
(46:43):
think that it would help things out greatly going into
three tough road games in a row in Pittsburgh, Winnipeg
and Chicago. Who's been probably the biggest surprise in the NHL.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
This year, all right, does so lastly off that at
Pittsburgh tomorrow night, then at the Jetsy afternoon.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
We'll start there.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
The Winnipeg Jets, they beat the Wild in overtime three
weeks ago. That they haven't lost to the Wild in
almost three years? Is is this is this version of
the Wild poised to take two from the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (47:15):
Well, you know not, they definitely can, There's no doubt
about it. Not having Hartman and Rossi and Tarasenko and
these guys, you know, hurts. We'll see what happens with
Nico Sturm if he could play at some point this weekend.
The hope is that he'll practice in Winnipeg on Saturday
and maybe make his debut on Sunday, which would do
way earlier than he had thought. But we'll see if
(47:38):
that's too premature. But goosions on the trip as well.
I definitely think they have the ability to beat that team.
You know, it's just obviously the matchups haven't gone very
well for the Wild, especially up there in Winnipeg, you know,
so we'll see, you know, the one thing I'd love
to see if they're going to go with this rotation
that would mean that Gustuson is going to start in Pittsburgh,
and that would mean Wally would start in Winnipeg, and
(47:59):
it would be something different we haven't seen before. Usually
when Wally goes up there in the preseason or plays
the Jets in the preseason, it goes really really well. Obviously,
that's a preseason lineup, so you can't make too much
of that, but I definitely think the Wild have the
ability to beat that team. It just for some reason
that matchup just hasn't gone really well. I think it
starts between the pipes. Connor Hallibuck is just an unbelievably
(48:22):
good goaltender. He's won the Vestment of the last couple
of years. He's off to another really quality start this
Year's the reason why he's probably gonna be the number
one at the Olympics, although Jake Ottinger might have something
to say about that, so we'll see how that goes.
But you know, the first thing they got to do
is going to Pittsburgh and win. That game against Pittsburgh
at home last month was one of the worst Wild
games that we've seen this season, especially in the third period.
(48:45):
And what I loved about that game is. That was
the next morning where Jared's burgeon and I'm gonna be
writing about it today. Had had the team meeting, a
real substantive team meeting, and they're seven to one to
one since so that was a real turning point of
the season that that Pittsburgh lost. We'll see if they can, uh,
you know, amend that tomorrow night.
Speaker 5 (49:03):
Thanks Bud, have a great weekend. Call you next week.
Ben Lever is around the corner and he will follow
Russo radio quarter battle this weekend.
Speaker 7 (49:13):
Be right,
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