November 22, 2025 • 43 mins
The FAN's Dave Sinykin and Brett Blakemore are back talking some Wolves hoops and plenty of NFL as the Vikings go to Green Bay.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Day, no One on a Saturday morning and you are
in the Zone on the fan. Good morning everybody. I
am Dave Sinneken. Great to be with you. Unfortunately it's
kind of quiet and studio. I'm sitting here by myself today.
It's probably just as well the Double Te's not in
(00:20):
the house. He'd be pacing and venting and anxious to
get off his chest what we all witnessed in Phoenix
last night. More on that in a moment. Good morning,
Brett Blakemore. Welcome to your role today as a co
host of in the Zone with me.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Good morning, Davy.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Double Tea's up in Duluth hockey tournament for one of
his boys, so he won't be joining us. It's just
a one hour tour for us today. Gopher football takes
over at nine pregame before the Gophers Northwestern game at
Wrigley Field today at eleven o'clock. Are you familiar with
a book written long ago called The Agony in the Ecstasy?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
No is it should bookmarket?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Well? You know it's it was written in the early sixties.
It's about Michael Angelo, the Renaissance painter. It's probably not
something you would you know, jump to the library for but.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Then I'm more familiar with the Ninja turtle understood.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, that title came to me this morning as I
thought about Minnesota sports last night, right, I mean, the
ecstasy came for your squad. You're Wild, who I believe
got like dismantled by the Penguins earlier in the season
a couple of weeks ago, and since that game, they're
like the best team in hockey, five zip over the
Penguins in their usual house of horrors out there. How
(01:34):
excited are you about the eight to one and one
stretch your club is going through after last night's win.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I mean, if they can keep this pace, I mean,
the sky's the limit. Obviously that's not realistic to expect,
but when the top guys are rolling, it's a thing
of beauty.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
A couple of weeks ago, they were in New York
and one of my buddies had friends there who were
just raving it. They got to see Caprice of in person,
and that's like hard to wrap your mind around as
a Wild fan because for years it's, well, who are
we playing tonight and who can we see? That's exciting,
you know, is Crosby here is Ovechkin here. Now it's
(02:08):
we've got the guy that is a superstar. One of
the prettiest goals I've ever seen, as far as redirections go.
Boldie playing well, you're off shining on the top line,
and both goaltenders are lights out. I mean this, and
they're they're shutting people out, They're playing well defensively. There's
a lot to like about this club.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That's fun because a few weeks ago you were about
as down on your squads as you could possibly be.
And that's why we love sports, right because our opinions
can change from day to day, week to week, whether
it's our football team, whatever team it might be, or
a basketball team for that matter. Who last night delivered
an implosion unlike any I think I've ever seen. I'm
(02:47):
sure I have seen some, but that was about an
ugly finish as you will ever see, as the Wolves
blow an eight point lead to the final fifty seconds
to really wipe away what was a spit tacular second half.
I mean they're down fifteen points at halftime, just looking
out of it, just out of it. Phoenix is down
(03:08):
two of their top four scorers, Grayson Allen Jalen Green
out and they are just crushing the Wolves. And then
here comes Aunt in the third quarter who finally awoke
from his slumber and delivered nineteen points in the third quarter.
Wolves take control and had the eight point lead with
fifty seconds left, and then to say, it goes pear shaped.
(03:28):
Does a disservice to pairs. It couldn't go any worse
if you tried. I mean, they look, this is a
really good second half effort. It was a great game
by Rudy Gobert, Julius Randalls diving for balls. Both of
those guys were spectacular for forty seven minutes and what
we saw in the final minute kind of shone a
(03:49):
light on what we fear most about this team. When
you play a decent team or a good team, and
Phoenix is probably somewhere in between. They're above five hundred
and as we sit here on November twenty first, second,
twenty second, the Timberwolves have yet to beat the team
with a winning record. This was their chance last night
(04:10):
to at least check that box. And again they're down
two of their top four guys, and when you get
to the final a few minutes of the game, their
top two scorers had filed out. Dylan Brooks and Devin
Booker had filed out, so they're down their top four
scorers in crunch time. Yet they still found a way
(04:31):
to win that game. They didn't win that game. The
Timberwolves lost that game three turnovers in the final minute,
two by Randall, one by Ant. They couldn't inbounds the ball.
Might be nice to put someone who knows how to
defeat a press dribble handle the ball. Mike Conley's on
the bench during crunch time. Aunt gets filed with twelve
(04:54):
seconds left in a one point lead. Ant misses both
free throws. Have you ever seen that before? I mean
you missed the first one. Okay, he missed the second
one too. So Phoenix gets the ball twelve seconds left timeout.
Does FINCHI make any kind of Roster Moor like lineup moves? Now?
All right? Defense defense, don't need offense, need defense, Nope.
(05:16):
Jalen Clark stays on the bench. Down Day's out there.
Conley's on the bench, and Colin Gillespie does a little
one on one move. Easy, little twelve fourteen foot jumper
knocks it down. Wolves are out of timeouts. Speaking of timeouts,
during the frantic fifty seconds where ant you know, turns
(05:38):
it over on an inbound play. They get a three
and suddenly the eight point leads down to three in
like six seconds. Call timeout, settle your guys down. They
are flustered. You have a time out left at least
one maybe two at that point. No timeout, call, just
let's play. And they were flustered and they couldn't get
(06:01):
it done. It's not often that I come in here
on a Saturday morning and the Bradshaw and Bryant text
line is blowing up before I sit down. That was
the case today, and I apologize. A number have questions
for Trent. Trent's not with us today. We'll save them
for next week because the questions will still be there,
will be coming off a Wednesday night game in Okac
which probably won't go real well, and we'll talk about
(06:22):
that next Saturday. But what makes it even tougher to
take last night was that was a Cup game. And
if you care about the Cup at all, and I
get it if you don't, but why I think you
should is because the players do. I mean, it means
a lot to them, the chance to win a half
a million bucks each, which may not mean much to Ant,
but it would showed me much to Jalen Clark or
(06:43):
the other guys at the end of the bench. The
loss last night basically takes them out unless they go
into OKC and beat the Thunder Wednesday night, and considering
the fact that the Wolves have yet to beat a
team with a winning record, playing the best team by far,
it will be a challenge. We've been surprised before. But
(07:04):
there is just so many things to point to at
the end of that game and be concerned about. And
most Finch I think deserves a lot of heat for
the way he handled things down the stretch. No question,
your players, you have to make free throws. I mean
they missed I think ten or eleven free throws last night.
This is the Phoenix team just right for the taking. Undermanned,
(07:28):
they got out front early, Wolves take them away in
the second half. You had them and you let them
right back into the game and win it at the end.
It's very concerning the point guard situation. That will be
a talker throughout the season unless they address it and
when good teams like imagine what the Thunder would do
(07:50):
to this team if it's a close game in the
final few minutes exerting pressure on the Wolves and see
if anybody can handle the ball and get the ball
off court. So very disappointing loss for your Timberwolves last night.
Who get to rebound tomorrow Monday, I guess, and go
to Sacramento again. They play Sacramento like every five days.
(08:11):
They just lost the bonus for a while, so that
team is not competitive. So we'll see him play Monday,
and of course they'll crush the Kings and we'll all say, Okay,
they got that out of their system. They rebounded. Let's
see what happens Wednesday. I want to see this team.
I don't expect them to go into okay See and
win the game. I want to see them going to
Oka See and fight for forty eight minutes and be competitive.
(08:34):
Let's see if they can make that a game in
the fourth quarter. Be competitive. That's all I'm shooting for
at this moment. It's hard to be real optimistic when
you see it an utter collapse like we saw last night.
It was not pretty. We'll get to some of your
texts and thoughts as we move along during this program today. It's,
as I said, a quick one hour tour today before
we hand things off to a Gopher's pregame Gophers at
(08:57):
Northwestern at Wrigley Field at eleven o'clock, will carry that
game for you. And then following that Gophers men's basketball
Gophers play University of San Francisco, I think they're on
the road in San Francisco. Will carry that on your
home for sky U MOTD four o'clock on the fan,
and I believe we will have Gophers hockey on our
sister station KTLK this evening. The Gophers hockey squad won
(09:19):
last night as well. It was the agony, it was
the ecstasy. As the Minnesota sports fan, I also want
to salute and congratulate all the young men who won
Prep Bowl championships yesterday, including the Adnah Hornets who won
state knocking off Moorhead. For all the squads that claimed titles, congratulations,
(09:40):
I'm sure as a rock and day and night at
US Bank Stadium, and I think more to come today
as well as we go along in this hour. As
you can imagine, we will also weigh in on Week
twelve of the National Football League season. The fan has
learned it's Border Battle Week, Minnesota Vikings at lambeau Field
fear not acer previous Tomorrow morning, seven am. I understand that,
(10:02):
but we will dive into this one. It's kind of
a line in the sandgame for both teams. Again. It
was that way for the Vikes last week and the
Packers to an extent as well, and both teams are
feeling it on Sunday as well as they resume their
rivalry at lambeau Field free noon kickoff. Of course you'll
hear that on the fan tomorrow with the pregame starting
(10:24):
at ten. We'll take your text we'll take your calls
if you want to vent and whind about your Timberwolves.
Happy to do that. Over this next hour, it's Sinnecon
and Blakemore. We are in the zone and glad to
have you along for the ride. All right, back with you,
(10:58):
eight seventeen, Saturday Night Own quick one hour edition of
In the Zone this morning Sinecon Solo Trap Back next week.
He's got hockey up in Duluth. Good luck to his
boy as he cheers on hockey, Dad that he is.
As I mentioned, Gophers will play Northwestern today. That's an
eleven o'clock kickoff at Wrigley Field, where the Northwestern Wildcats
(11:22):
lifetime are zero to seven. They started playing at Wriglely
in nineteen twenty three and they have yet to win again.
You'd think they at some point would say, is there
any other place we could find while our stadium is
being built that might house twenty thirty thousand people? Winless
at Wrigley Field.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And funny enough, they're four point favorites today they against
the Gophers.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah, and you know, understandably so they just had Michigan
on the house and they lost on a walk off
field goal twenty four to twenty two, which is somewhat misleading. Actually,
Northwestern is a good team and it's going to be
a tough one for the Gophers. We're going to get
into that in a second. But they Michigan had five
turnovers last week. Northwestern had zero, so they're plus five
(12:06):
in the turnovers and they still lost the game by
two points. But they're five and five, and for them,
this is like a bowl game because they need one
more win to be bowl eligible and they've got to
go to Illinois next week that's unlikely to get unlikely
to get a win in Champagne. So they're gonna look
at this game like got to have this one, and
they look at the Gophers, who we all know are
(12:27):
winless on the road this season. They've been outscored wait
for it, one, two to thirty three away from Huntington
Bank Stadium. Those road games, of course, cal Iowa, Ohio, State,
Oregon not real easy places to play. This feels like
the easiest matchup on the road Gophers, of course, six
(12:48):
and four battling for the Acts? Is that? Is that
game next Saturday? At the Badger game? Do you know
for some reason I.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Had fridayving time?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, no, I know it's next weekend. I just for
some reason had in my mind that might be Friday.
But no, you know what it's. I think it's Saturday.
I think Indiana Purdue is Friday night. That's what I
had in my head. Yeah, it's Saturday early or do
we not know yet? We may not know yet.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah that's possible, we don't. I've got it as two thirty, okay.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Good. That means we'll have a two hour edition to
in the zone, which I prefer.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Of course, So try to avoid thinking about Badger football
as much as I can.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Understand that although they've come to life a little bit,
the Acts is not going to be a is that
Camp Randle next week? The game? Is it here in town? Oh?
Very good, very good. So Gophers already are already Bowl eligible.
Lost today will not end that, but you know, staring
at a potential eight and four season if they can
get the win today. But as you said, three and
(13:47):
a half four point underdogs. Darius Taylor's return last week
was very needed. The Gophers have not been able to
run the football, and Northwestern is pretty good to thinly,
They're given up nineteen points per game. That's twenty third
in the country. So if the Gophers can run the football,
you'll be feeling good about their chances. If not, it
(14:08):
might be a long afternoon at Wrigley Field. It'd be
fun to watch a football game at Wrigley That would
be kind of fun. I also want to mention that
the Tommies are in Fargo today to play NDSU, the
first time Saint Thomas and NDSU have played since nineteen
sixty six, and it's the twenty fourth meeting. So they
(14:28):
used to play a lot, but it's been quite a
long time for the Tommys and the Bison to play
in the head coach for Saint Thomas Glen Caruso played
at NDSU back in the late nineties early two thousands.
As you, I'm sure know, the Bison are number one
in the country. They're eleven to zero. They are blowing
out teams every week. And the Tommys are without their
(14:51):
starting quarterback today, Andy Peters. So it might be a long,
long afternoon at two thirty when they kick off at
the Fargo Dome today. But luck at the Tommies, as
they had on the road to close out their regular
season as well as the college football season is winding
down very quickly again Gophers Northwestern eleven o'clock on this
(15:14):
very radio station. I want to get back to basketball conversation.
I'm not done a ranting, inventing. I'm sure most of
you aren't either. It's I found myself when I went
to sleep last night. You can be angry at Ant
for missing two free throws, and you can be angry
at Ant and Randall for turning the ball over. I'm
(15:38):
more upset with the head coach. I just Chris Finch
is a very good coach, there's no question about it.
But some of his in game decision making is so
head scratching, especially in crunch time of games, and I
just I don't understand when he saw things getting away
so quickly. And he's got a veteran team. This is
(16:01):
not a bunch of rookies out there. You know. This
is a veteran playoff deep. This is a team that
knows how to play big games in big moments. But
I feel like he froze last night. I really do.
I just don't know how when Phoenix that one particular
turnover when I think it was an ant inbounds where
they had just cut it to five or six, and
(16:22):
they get the turnover, and they get it to goodwin
and he knocks down a three, and now suddenly it's
a one possession game. You have to call time out
at that point, if for no other reason, then you're
gonna at least get the ball inbound, the ball at
mid court. They're not going to deal with the full
court pressure that you know your team struggles with down
the stretch. I don't understand why he didn't call time
out to settle guys down. And then when he finally
(16:45):
did call time out final twelve seconds before Phoenix is
going to go down to try to win it, he
doesn't put his defensive guys in. He doesn't make any
lineup changes. He doesn't put Jalen Clark in to be
the defensive presence. Jerry from Blue Earth, Texan, So who
(17:08):
had the worst showing sinning and program Password or Wolves
versus Sons. No, I thought I was gonna get that.
That was pretty good too, Yeah it was. It was
not pretty for yours, truly, Program Password. I got paired
with Lovelli Neil the Third. It's oil and vinegar, it's
it's dogs and cats living together. I mean, we were
(17:29):
not gonna have chemistry. It wasn't pretty common A Litlby
took us down hard. It was frankly and embarrassing performance.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Well, the question is, would you rather collapse like the
Wolves did where they had like a ninety nine percent
chance to win with fifty seconds left, Yeah, or just
not be in the game at all from the jump
like you pret yesterday.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, I think I'd go with a. I think yeah,
I think I'd rather you know, hard fought you were
in it. Yeah we got twenty points, but yeah, it
wasn't I'd like to see that pairing banished forever. But
thank you Jerry for making me chuckle that it's a
toss up, for sure, it's a toss up.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I would have got backed Yari.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yeah. So the password was tackle and I probably should
have gone second. I think that's a good word to
let but.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I tried to act would be another one, maybe.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Yeah, sacked or tackle offensive? Yeah, I'm not sure I
would have gotten it from that. It's like the first
tackle that came into my head was Darras Saw. But
then I thought, well, he's gonna say, Christian, no, that's
not going to work. But ask a Bear, give a
Bears guy a Packer clue, and you're asking for trouble
yep is the way that goes.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, the famous Bears tackle. I couldn't come up with one.
That's what I was trying to do, is like, I
give me a Bears tackle for Lavell.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
But I couldn't. I don't even I just couldn't come
up with a tackle that made a lot of sense.
It was not a good night for Finchy, at least
at the end. I mean, I'll give him credit. You know,
the team was down fifteen and a half and looked
out of it, and you know he did something. He
got those guys, you know, turned around on the second half.
It was nice to see Anthony Edwards look like Anthony
(19:09):
Edwards again after a few games where he just was,
you know, completely lost. I mean the shot was completely lost.
But again down the stretch it looked like Ant was
in his bag and he just just didn't have it,
Like he just didn't look like Ants, like he wasn't
ready to take over a game like Ant is supposed
(19:29):
to do. And you know, you just don't see Ant
miss two free throws in the final twelve seconds of
a game when the game is on the line, and
you don't let a guy like Colin Gillespie beat you
when their four top scorers are off the court and
out of the game. You can't lose that game. So
it opens up the bigger Pandora's box of what is
this team exactly? You know, we understand they're ten to
(19:51):
zero against terrible teams. That's great because that's been a
problem in past years. They can't beat the teams they're
supposed to beat. But this team last night, you know,
in a cup game, that kind of means something was
very undermanned and you had him and you helped eight
points with fifty seconds left. You don't lose that game. Somehow,
some way they found a way to lose it, and
(20:14):
my phone was blowing up from folks I text with
talking wolves up, somebody I don't hear from too often,
as a friend of the fan. Siamnson who texted in
last night is disdain for what he watched, and he
promised he wanted to check in today, So it looks
like he's calling us this morning. Good morning, sy, you
got a chance to sleep on it. Are you feeling
any better this morning? Oh?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
No, My rage is building. I had a feeling there's
no chance I'm feeling.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I'm here for you, brother, I'm here for you.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I like how you just explained our relationship, which is
we get along great. When we see each other or
talk to each other, it's wonderful. But I usually only
reach out when i'm furious.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
That's true. I'm okay with that, though. I am comfortable
with that. About our relationship side, it's okay with me.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think it works well. I think here's here's where
I'm at, and I'm curious to get your reaction. I'll
be curious to hear Trent sign yours next week as well,
because I think at some point an actual conversation has
to start, which is Fritch Fance is a fantastic coach
in a lot of ways. I think first of all
on the obvious player development. You know, the NBA is
(21:23):
a big culture player league. Are the star love like?
He does a fantastic job? And then I think people
don't realize when you get see these professional head coaches,
how many aspects of their jobs are organizational things that
you never ever see. Right. So we've seen disasters in
this state, you know, in each sport, right And I'm
(21:45):
not purporting that's what's going on here, But at what
point do we start having the conversation about these rotations,
time out, end of quarter clock management decisions, unwilling to
run actions for your best players and their best situations
and take hold of the game as a coach. And
(22:07):
you know, it's just getting to the point where it
feels like it peaks up in really important moments. And
I know there'll be people who disagree with this, but
I think we let a Maverick series go away it
shouldn't have. I think we let a Memphis series go
the way it shouldn't have. And I thought last night
we can sit here and talk about the players screwing
(22:27):
up all we want, but you can't leave a veteran
stud ball handling free throw, knocking down point guard and
Mike Connolly on the bench. Well, you can't get it
in multiple times in a row with one time out.
Then when they take the lead, you take the time
out off of that, taking away your opportunity to advance
(22:49):
the ball. So I just it was confounding to me,
and I don't understand why there isn't a little bit
more of an expectations based conversation happening for our in
game adjustments and game management.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
They're all good points. And what comes to my mind
as I hear you talking, is I wonder what the
new owners are thinking. You know, we don't know where
they are with the coaching staff. This is their baby now,
and so you know this isn't Glenn Taylor just kind
of happy to be sitting courtside and let's watch all
the slam dunks. This is the new sheriffs are in town.
So I'm curious to know what kind of length of
(23:26):
leash they might have as they watch as the first
season as owners. Because yeah, I mean you mentioned the
Memphis series in the playoffs. A few years ago. That's
kind of where it started with me and Trent. I mean,
Trent was just beside himself watching how that was coached
down the stretch and he hasn't forgotten and it's something
that's stuck with him. And we pay attention in big moments,
(23:47):
whether it's playoffs or against good competition. What are the
decisions that are being made and not just the end
of game when to call a time out, but who's
on the court, as you say, running actions for the guys,
where the matchups are you know, enthusiastic and on their
side of things. It's sia that that game, the way
(24:07):
that went down last night, that that was a big
red flag for me about the what we're doing. Yeah,
what handle he has on this roster and how do
you as you said, Conley and Jalen Clark should both
be on the court when you're trying to get a
stop at the end of a game and or trying
to get the ball across mid court. You're asking Randall
(24:27):
and Ant to be your point guards. And that's just
you know, you play the Wizard, You're gonna get away
with it. Even though they made a dicey for a while. Yeah,
it's it's not a good look right now.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Well, and Dave Pile on top of that, I think,
you know, like when you have a bunch of things
go wrong in your day and then somebody says something
weird at the grocery store and you explode, like it's
a build up, Like I think whatever that's felt last
night was that was probably the most unrelatable metaphor. The
whole audience is like, oh, size the psycho. But you know,
like the Nuggets game, the Nuggets game before this that
(25:01):
led into this where twice in that game and this
isn't the Wizards, this is the Nuggets. You have your
your A and your B, your top two stars on
the bench. One of those times is to start the
fourth quarter and you lose the non Jokic minutes, Like
this isn't This isn't how the sport works. And I
think one other piece of the conversation, like for the casuals,
(25:26):
maybe you don't understand that the NBA isn't like the NFL.
It's not a situation where any team can win at
any time. That's the beauty of the NFL. Get a
couple of picks, get a new coach, all of a
sudden Oh my god, look at the Colts there, They've
they've got an MVP candidate. They might go to the playoffs.
The NBA is this tiny window base because of how
(25:46):
the salary cap player empowerment. Like when you have a chance,
you go. And that's why you saw the Golden State
Warriors move off of Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr. And
you didn't see the Oklahoma City Sun when they had
their trio move off of Scottie Brooks. And I'm not
saying we should move off, but I'm saying that's the
(26:06):
arena in which these conversations happen.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, I think it's fair. I've gotten a couple of
texts already with the Doug Collins Phil Jackson situation thinking
back to that. It's a talker. That's I think gonna
stick around for a while. Do you feel better? Do
you feel like you know you got your money's worth
of the therapy session this morning? Do you feel better?
Speaker 3 (26:28):
I do, But I'm worried about when you and Blake
turn this into Packer preview for the last twenty minutes,
that all of my Viking trauma will come seating up
and you're going to get some more text messages. This
will hold me over until I can talk to you
and Trent again.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
That's very fair, That's very fair. I love your observations.
I think we all feel your passion. I think a
lot of us agree wholeheartedly with how you're feeling right now.
Please stay in touch, calling anytime. It's great to hear
from you.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
SI here, King, dude, you see it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Cy Onminson, stand up comic, great human being. Always great
to hear from him. Interesting text from Michael maple Growth.
He writes, Finch is really good at managing egos and
politics in the locker room, but he's so bad at
managing games. Conundrum. There is some truth to that, and
I'm not here to just trash Chris Finch. He is
a terrific coach. He's taken this organization to heights we've
(27:24):
never seen before, and I get that, but I think
it's fair to ask the question, is he the guy
to take you to the next step? Can he prove
himself in moments where he needs to take control of
his team when a game is in doubt? And I
think we've seen a lot of examples where we find
ourselves scratch in our head after the game, wondering why
he did this, why he didn't do that, And last
(27:44):
night was a prime example. And yes, it's just one
game in November, but it meant more to these players.
I believe it or not. These Cup games do matter
more to these players that one's going to sting them
a little bit, not just because they gave the game
away in the last minute, but because they gave away
a chance at patting their bank accounts, most likely by
(28:07):
getting into the quarterfinals in Vegas. They have to beat
the Thunder now to accomplish that. So that's their challenge.
Prove us wrong. Go into OKAC on Wednesday and beat
the best team in basketball that's on pace for seventy
wins or I'm not even asking for a win at
this point. I'll be in Milwaukee Wednesday night having dinner
(28:28):
with the family. We'll get home around eight o'clock, so
we'll put on the game for the second half. Make
it watchable for me. When I turn on the game
in the second half, I don't want to turn it
on at seventy one forty six, okay. I want to
see a good competitive second half against the Thunder and
maybe turn a corner and maybe we'll have a tight
moment late and maybe our head coach will make a
(28:50):
decision that have us standing up and applauding. I'm not
holding my breath. We'll pause here, much as I feared.
It's not going to become Packer preview, but Brett and
I will preview the Border Battle tomorrow at Lambeau Field.
Our thoughts on the matchup, as well as a couple
other of the big Week twelve games on the NFL slate.
Final segment of this truncated one hour edition of In
(29:12):
the Zone is up next. We're back final segment today's
(29:42):
edition of In the Zone two hours next week for us,
and should mention that beginning next Saturday, it's the grand
return of Beyond the Pond at ten o'clock following our program.
They usually start up in January, but with as I'm
sure most of you have I heard, Fantasy Football Weekly
moving on no longer a program. We will have hockey
(30:08):
and be on the Pond. We'll get fullness in Miickeletty
on Saturday mornings following us and with the way the
Wild is playing right now, perfect timing. Who wants to
wait till January to talk more Wild? We can do it.
I know it makes you happy for extra puck talk
for you on a Saturday morning. That's a that's a
beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Get to see Kevin Fallness and Pat Nicoletty.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
You got a good life going. I'll tell you that
my brother texted me yesterday that he had an extra
ticket for tomorrow's game. Could I come? Unfortunately, noon kickoff
impossible for me. We have to show at seven. Now.
Could I have recorded it and today and like, gone, yes?
But I got my three kids home from college for Thanksgiving.
We're all going to watch the game together. Is it's
still available the ticket? I don't know having to see.
(30:51):
Would you go? We're gonna fly out of here at
eight o'clock and pull up there in the first quarter.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
I explore it. Okay, if you get out at eight, nine, ten, eleven,
well I'd be there.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Write kick basically yes, And then you have to take
the long escalator up to the sweet level because that's
where the seats are. They're in the fancy seats with
all the free food. It's not a pad way to
go at Lambo. I'll tell you that it's a big game.
Packer's favored by six six and a half. Vikings have
won the last couple at Lambeau. We know that. I've
gotten a couple of questions asking my thoughts on JJ McCarthy.
(31:25):
I to be honest, I can't really give my opinion.
I didn't see the game last week. I haven't seen
enough of the four or five starts. I've seen highlights.
I've certainly read the rhetoric and the reaction to most
notably the last week's game against the Bears, where it
doesn't look good. I mean, it doesn't look instantly fixable.
(31:46):
It's certainly fixable, and I think anybody that believes that
they should potentially look in other directions if things don't
get better by the end of the season, I think
that's crazy. I think for me, you know, looking from Afar,
JJ McCarthy has two years as a starter. To me,
I'm not the owner. They may have a much shorter leash,
(32:07):
but I feel like you've got to give him a
couple of seasons as a starter. You have to see
what you have. I know it's painful. You want to
be competitive, you want to win games, you want to
see progress, and you know ostensibly you're going to see
that the more he plays or you're not, but I
feel like you have to. The window has to be
open here for a couple of seasons. I don't think
(32:29):
he's playing for He should be playing for his job. Now.
He very well might be, but I think that would
be a mistake. You've got the quarterback whisper right. He
knows how to develop quarterbacks. Get a young kid who
wasn't playing a pro style offense in college. There's a
lot to learn, and you know his runway is going
(32:49):
to be maybe longer than some of the others drafted.
You just can't compare his progress. I don't think instantly
to all the other guys drafted, although that's what we
like to do, compared him to the other five guys
drafted in the first round. But obviously the optics are
not great. You put a team together that you wanted
to contend now off a fourteen win season, and you
would hope that you know he had everything in place
(33:11):
where you wouldn't ask a ton from him. And that's
why I look at tomorrow's game Brett and I go,
if I'm Kevin O'Connell, I take the ball out of
JJ McCarthy's hands. I mean, you want him to face
a Jeff Hafley defense who's going to do all he can.
Halfley doesn't blitz a lot, but he's going to do
all he can to confuse JJ McCarthy. And so if
(33:31):
I'm Kevin O'Connell, I look at what opponents of green
Bay have done the last few weeks, going back to Arizona,
they ran the ball all day on green Bay and
controlled the clock. Carolina ran the ball all day, controlled
the clock. Last week, the Giants with what Tyrone Tracy
and Devin Singletary. They ran the ball all day and
controlled the clock. And all those teams either won or
(33:53):
were in the game till the very end against green Bay.
That's the recipe to beat the Packers right now. Now.
The weird thing is the outlier was the Eagles game
where green Bay stops sa Kwon Barkley and they couldn't
run the ball. But the Packers run events has been
up and down, and they're gonna be missing kway Walker tomorrow.
They're likely going to be missing Carl Brooks defensive lineman.
(34:14):
Those are two key guys in the middle of that
front seven that aren't there to stop the run. So
this has to be an Aaron Jones afternoon back at
Lambeau and the other guy, I'm pulling a barrero, thank you,
was like Jordan, Michael Jordan. Yeah, Mason and Jones should
carry the rock thirty times even if the pack gets
(34:36):
out to a lead. And that's the thing green Bay
doesn't get out to leeds like they used to, because
that's how you take those teams out of what they
want to do. Right you go up a couple scores.
Now they can't just run the ball down your throat,
So I think it'd be coaching melt. We're kind of
on the coaching malpractice theme today. If if the Vikings
don't run the ball all day, because that's that's how
you neutralize green Bay right now.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Well, also that is true, but also it keeps JJ
theory medically out of a third and ten, third and
twelve if you just get ahead of the sticks and
run the ball consistently, which is what you mentioned and
what Barrero has been calling for for weeks now is
just run, run, run the ball. That takes JJ out
of high pressure, high stakes where you can you know,
(35:18):
if you're Micah Parsons, just put your head down and
go after them. That to me, is the recipe for success.
I think if you're Green Bay, though, I think this
is a game where you take the ball if you
win the coin toss is like, we want the ball,
and we want to because if you get that first
drive in and hopefully get a score, which they haven't
done in a long time, it feels like then you
(35:38):
can kind of control the narrative and take them out
of that style. But if they defer and the Vikings
just run the ball for eight minutes off the clock,
I mean, you're looking at no rhythm going into that
first drive and then the snowball starts to build.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
It's exactly right. I got to go back to last
week where the Giants had like an eight or nine
minute drive and then the Packers get the ball and
they go three and out and I'm third and two
or you just need a first down. Your defense is gassed,
they've been on the field forever. Just get just move
the chains and they take like a forty yard deep
shot to Christian Watson which has a very small chance
(36:14):
to succeed, and they put the ball back. Now your
defense is back on the field for another through the hands.
It was a drop one of many for both of
our teams, the Vikings and Packers, were drop delicious last week.
Both teams struggled with catching the football, but yeah, you
tire the defense out by extending drives, and that's what
teams have been doing to Green Bay. Obviously, the matchup
(36:38):
to watch is always be Flow against Lafleur, and Flores
has had the last laugh. They've split the last six games,
but we know the Vikings have gone to the Lambo
and won the last two and last year we all
remember it was twenty eight donut and forget who muffed
the punt for the Vikings at the end of the half.
Turn the ball over, gives green Bay the ball on
the red zone. They score momentum, and then of course
(37:01):
the furious comeback in the second half where Flores just
backed off. They didn't really blitz, as I recall, he
sort of turned the pressure down on the second half
because they have the big lead and kind of let
Jordan Love sort of effortlessly kind of move up and
down the field that it almost came back to bite him.
And then in the second game at US Bank, I
(37:22):
don't remember him having to blitz much. I think the
Vikings were getting home without Flores dialing into his little
laboratory and doing all the fun things he likes to do.
I'm curious whether the Flora's ready for for b flow tomorrow.
That's a Vikings team that's coming in much healthier than
the Packers right now. They've got their preferred offensive line
(37:43):
for the first time in forever, and defensively as far
as I know, I mean, Grenard's the one question mark.
I heard guestline tell Bumpy thinks that he's on track
to return. That's huge obviously, and that's a healthy defensive squad.
So I am really curious to see what the Packers
can do offensively. Josh Jacobs's game time decision, you know, questionable,
(38:07):
practice limited with the knee contusion from last week. That's
huge obviously to have Jacobs and virtually every wide receiver
on Green Bays roster is questionable as well, So not
even really sure who's going to be out there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Out of all of Jordan Love's performances against the Vikings,
really one of them was really good. I mean, yeah,
the comeback last year at Lambeau to almost win. That
was a good performance on one leg, just coming off
of that mcl sprain that looked like the season was
going to be lost. Week one, really there was one.
It was at the US Bank Stadium when Jared Hall.
You remember Jared du Hall started for the Vikings. The
(38:41):
fan has learned he doesn't play on defense though, and
the Vikings had their full defense going and Jorda Love
put up thirty three points every other game though, has
not looked good. He's looked flustered, and I think that's
where a lot of the Paul Allen project. You know,
he said on the Feast yesterday, I don't know why
everyone thinks I hate Jordan Love, and then two seconds
later said I'd take anyone else over Jordan Love. And
(39:04):
he's not clutching he stinks. It's like, well, that's why
we think that. And I think a lot of that
comes from he just hasn't looked that good like we
see him every week against the Vikings defense enough and
tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to do it. He's Pro
Football focus is number one ranked quarterback against the Blitz.
I'm going to put it up and as I see
Jayden Reid back on the injury report as well.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Jayden Reid likely back, I think for the Bears game
in a couple of weeks. Packers obviously play on Thanksgiving,
so it's a quick turnaround. So that's another thing that
might instruct what the coaches do with these injured players,
Like you've got two games in four days, so you
don't want to rest guys for the Lions game, but
you might want to rest a couple of guys for
the Lions game. Like I'd rather have Josh Jacobs one
(39:44):
hundred percent healthy for Detroit on Thursday, because that's a
hornet's nest. Obviously. I do think you'll see Not to
get too deep into Green Bay stuff here, but Chris Brooks,
the third string running back, he's the blitz picker, upper guy.
He's gonna be on the field a lot Sunday. They're
going to have him on the field to protect Jordia
Love because the Packers' offensive line has been the real
(40:07):
question mark. It has not been the the strength that
we're used to for sure, although they were better last week.
But this is a much different defense.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Well, it's also a patchwork oh line at this point.
Sean Ryan's playing center. Yeah, God's sake, it's I think
the Vikings are in with the shout here to be honest,
I don't know if I'm nervous, but I'm not overtly
I'm not gonna go Gerby on the bit say we're
going to kill him. There's no chance like they're certainly.
Look at what the Vikings did to Detroit. They walked
in there and everyone thought they were just I mean,
(40:38):
the muss In must in the pregame show was saying,
just don't get embarrassed. That's the goal, and they won. Yeah,
so anything, I'm I'm confident, but I'm not like overtly,
oh my gosh, we're gonna crush him, like they are
definitely in with the shout.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
If I'm the coaching staff, I'm hoping they were minded
The players in Green Bay like, all right, McCarthy hasn't
looked right this season, but when he's gone on the
road to play a division game, yep, that's where he
has shined, you know, And that's weird and maybe it's
just a coincidence, but he could make it three for three.
I mean, if he goes into Green Bay tomorrow and
leads this team when you least expected to a win,
it changes the whole narrative once again on who JJ
(41:16):
McCarthy might become I'm with you one hundred percent. These
games are rarely blowouts. I think the line should not
be six or seven. I think it should be maybe
three and a half four. Green Bay, you know, has
played up and down to the level of its competition.
And you know, frankly, this is the you know, quote
unquote easiest game left on green Bay schedule. And it's
(41:37):
not going to be easy because it's a rivalry game
in division at home. But they got to go play
play the Bears twice right now? Maybe, I mean, if
history tells us anything, yes, maybe, but that team's ahead
of green Bay and the standings right now, green Bay
has to play Denver Baltimore and the Lions still so
and two games against the Purple. It's weird to be
(41:59):
in Thanksgiving week and green Bay played one division game
all season. They're the only team in the NFL that's
only played one division game. Do the Bears get lucky
again and not have to face Aaron Rodgers tomorrow, the
guy that owns the team. And do they get to
eight and three? Do they win tomorrow at Soldier Field
against the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
It's possible. I did the preview bit They've won seven
out of their last eight, but they've been trailing the
fourth quarter in five of those games.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
And they haven't beaten a good team yet, not one either.
And their schedule after tomorrow, I've got the Eagles on
Friday and then the Pack in Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
So they should have lost to the Purple last week.
It was a miracle kick return and set them up right.
And that special team's blunder by the Vikes. They're still
a much better special teams team than Green Bay and
that might be an edge tomorrow to watch too, because
the Green Bay has been a disaster.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
All right now you hear the music. Our one hour
tour is up. Stay tuned Gophers football as the Golden
Gophers are in Wrigley Field to take out Northwestern. The
pregame is kickoff at eleven on the Fan. Gophers basketball follows.
I'll be back tomorrow morning seven am to preview the
Border Battle with Brett. It's Packer preview and then all
kinds of Viking programming. Enjoy your Saturday, everybody, have a
(43:12):
great day.
Day, no One on a Saturday morning and you are
in the Zone on the fan. Good morning everybody. I
am Dave Sinneken. Great to be with you. Unfortunately it's
kind of quiet and studio. I'm sitting here by myself today.
It's probably just as well the Double Te's not in
(00:20):
the house. He'd be pacing and venting and anxious to
get off his chest what we all witnessed in Phoenix
last night. More on that in a moment. Good morning,
Brett Blakemore. Welcome to your role today as a co
host of in the Zone with me.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Good morning, Davy.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Double Tea's up in Duluth hockey tournament for one of
his boys, so he won't be joining us. It's just
a one hour tour for us today. Gopher football takes
over at nine pregame before the Gophers Northwestern game at
Wrigley Field today at eleven o'clock. Are you familiar with
a book written long ago called The Agony in the Ecstasy?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
No is it should bookmarket?
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Well? You know it's it was written in the early sixties.
It's about Michael Angelo, the Renaissance painter. It's probably not
something you would you know, jump to the library for but.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Then I'm more familiar with the Ninja turtle understood.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, that title came to me this morning as I
thought about Minnesota sports last night, right, I mean, the
ecstasy came for your squad. You're Wild, who I believe
got like dismantled by the Penguins earlier in the season
a couple of weeks ago, and since that game, they're
like the best team in hockey, five zip over the
Penguins in their usual house of horrors out there. How
(01:34):
excited are you about the eight to one and one
stretch your club is going through after last night's win.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I mean, if they can keep this pace, I mean,
the sky's the limit. Obviously that's not realistic to expect,
but when the top guys are rolling, it's a thing
of beauty.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
A couple of weeks ago, they were in New York
and one of my buddies had friends there who were
just raving it. They got to see Caprice of in person,
and that's like hard to wrap your mind around as
a Wild fan because for years it's, well, who are
we playing tonight and who can we see? That's exciting,
you know, is Crosby here is Ovechkin here. Now it's
(02:08):
we've got the guy that is a superstar. One of
the prettiest goals I've ever seen, as far as redirections go.
Boldie playing well, you're off shining on the top line,
and both goaltenders are lights out. I mean this, and
they're they're shutting people out, They're playing well defensively. There's
a lot to like about this club.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That's fun because a few weeks ago you were about
as down on your squads as you could possibly be.
And that's why we love sports, right because our opinions
can change from day to day, week to week, whether
it's our football team, whatever team it might be, or
a basketball team for that matter. Who last night delivered
an implosion unlike any I think I've ever seen. I'm
(02:47):
sure I have seen some, but that was about an
ugly finish as you will ever see, as the Wolves
blow an eight point lead to the final fifty seconds
to really wipe away what was a spit tacular second half.
I mean they're down fifteen points at halftime, just looking
out of it, just out of it. Phoenix is down
(03:08):
two of their top four scorers, Grayson Allen Jalen Green
out and they are just crushing the Wolves. And then
here comes Aunt in the third quarter who finally awoke
from his slumber and delivered nineteen points in the third quarter.
Wolves take control and had the eight point lead with
fifty seconds left, and then to say, it goes pear shaped.
(03:28):
Does a disservice to pairs. It couldn't go any worse
if you tried. I mean, they look, this is a
really good second half effort. It was a great game
by Rudy Gobert, Julius Randalls diving for balls. Both of
those guys were spectacular for forty seven minutes and what
we saw in the final minute kind of shone a
(03:49):
light on what we fear most about this team. When
you play a decent team or a good team, and
Phoenix is probably somewhere in between. They're above five hundred
and as we sit here on November twenty first, second,
twenty second, the Timberwolves have yet to beat the team
with a winning record. This was their chance last night
(04:10):
to at least check that box. And again they're down
two of their top four guys, and when you get
to the final a few minutes of the game, their
top two scorers had filed out. Dylan Brooks and Devin
Booker had filed out, so they're down their top four
scorers in crunch time. Yet they still found a way
(04:31):
to win that game. They didn't win that game. The
Timberwolves lost that game three turnovers in the final minute,
two by Randall, one by Ant. They couldn't inbounds the ball.
Might be nice to put someone who knows how to
defeat a press dribble handle the ball. Mike Conley's on
the bench during crunch time. Aunt gets filed with twelve
(04:54):
seconds left in a one point lead. Ant misses both
free throws. Have you ever seen that before? I mean
you missed the first one. Okay, he missed the second
one too. So Phoenix gets the ball twelve seconds left timeout.
Does FINCHI make any kind of Roster Moor like lineup moves? Now?
All right? Defense defense, don't need offense, need defense, Nope.
(05:16):
Jalen Clark stays on the bench. Down Day's out there.
Conley's on the bench, and Colin Gillespie does a little
one on one move. Easy, little twelve fourteen foot jumper
knocks it down. Wolves are out of timeouts. Speaking of timeouts,
during the frantic fifty seconds where ant you know, turns
(05:38):
it over on an inbound play. They get a three
and suddenly the eight point leads down to three in
like six seconds. Call timeout, settle your guys down. They
are flustered. You have a time out left at least
one maybe two at that point. No timeout, call, just
let's play. And they were flustered and they couldn't get
(06:01):
it done. It's not often that I come in here
on a Saturday morning and the Bradshaw and Bryant text
line is blowing up before I sit down. That was
the case today, and I apologize. A number have questions
for Trent. Trent's not with us today. We'll save them
for next week because the questions will still be there,
will be coming off a Wednesday night game in Okac
which probably won't go real well, and we'll talk about
(06:22):
that next Saturday. But what makes it even tougher to
take last night was that was a Cup game. And
if you care about the Cup at all, and I
get it if you don't, but why I think you
should is because the players do. I mean, it means
a lot to them, the chance to win a half
a million bucks each, which may not mean much to Ant,
but it would showed me much to Jalen Clark or
(06:43):
the other guys at the end of the bench. The
loss last night basically takes them out unless they go
into OKC and beat the Thunder Wednesday night, and considering
the fact that the Wolves have yet to beat a
team with a winning record, playing the best team by far,
it will be a challenge. We've been surprised before. But
(07:04):
there is just so many things to point to at
the end of that game and be concerned about. And
most Finch I think deserves a lot of heat for
the way he handled things down the stretch. No question,
your players, you have to make free throws. I mean
they missed I think ten or eleven free throws last night.
This is the Phoenix team just right for the taking. Undermanned,
(07:28):
they got out front early, Wolves take them away in
the second half. You had them and you let them
right back into the game and win it at the end.
It's very concerning the point guard situation. That will be
a talker throughout the season unless they address it and
when good teams like imagine what the Thunder would do
(07:50):
to this team if it's a close game in the
final few minutes exerting pressure on the Wolves and see
if anybody can handle the ball and get the ball
off court. So very disappointing loss for your Timberwolves last night.
Who get to rebound tomorrow Monday, I guess, and go
to Sacramento again. They play Sacramento like every five days.
(08:11):
They just lost the bonus for a while, so that
team is not competitive. So we'll see him play Monday,
and of course they'll crush the Kings and we'll all say, Okay,
they got that out of their system. They rebounded. Let's
see what happens Wednesday. I want to see this team.
I don't expect them to go into okay See and
win the game. I want to see them going to
Oka See and fight for forty eight minutes and be competitive.
(08:34):
Let's see if they can make that a game in
the fourth quarter. Be competitive. That's all I'm shooting for
at this moment. It's hard to be real optimistic when
you see it an utter collapse like we saw last night.
It was not pretty. We'll get to some of your
texts and thoughts as we move along during this program today. It's,
as I said, a quick one hour tour today before
we hand things off to a Gopher's pregame Gophers at
(08:57):
Northwestern at Wrigley Field at eleven o'clock, will carry that
game for you. And then following that Gophers men's basketball
Gophers play University of San Francisco, I think they're on
the road in San Francisco. Will carry that on your
home for sky U MOTD four o'clock on the fan,
and I believe we will have Gophers hockey on our
sister station KTLK this evening. The Gophers hockey squad won
(09:19):
last night as well. It was the agony, it was
the ecstasy. As the Minnesota sports fan, I also want
to salute and congratulate all the young men who won
Prep Bowl championships yesterday, including the Adnah Hornets who won
state knocking off Moorhead. For all the squads that claimed titles, congratulations,
(09:40):
I'm sure as a rock and day and night at
US Bank Stadium, and I think more to come today
as well as we go along in this hour. As
you can imagine, we will also weigh in on Week
twelve of the National Football League season. The fan has
learned it's Border Battle Week, Minnesota Vikings at lambeau Field
fear not acer previous Tomorrow morning, seven am. I understand that,
(10:02):
but we will dive into this one. It's kind of
a line in the sandgame for both teams. Again. It
was that way for the Vikes last week and the
Packers to an extent as well, and both teams are
feeling it on Sunday as well as they resume their
rivalry at lambeau Field free noon kickoff. Of course you'll
hear that on the fan tomorrow with the pregame starting
(10:24):
at ten. We'll take your text we'll take your calls
if you want to vent and whind about your Timberwolves.
Happy to do that. Over this next hour, it's Sinnecon
and Blakemore. We are in the zone and glad to
have you along for the ride. All right, back with you,
(10:58):
eight seventeen, Saturday Night Own quick one hour edition of
In the Zone this morning Sinecon Solo Trap Back next week.
He's got hockey up in Duluth. Good luck to his
boy as he cheers on hockey, Dad that he is.
As I mentioned, Gophers will play Northwestern today. That's an
eleven o'clock kickoff at Wrigley Field, where the Northwestern Wildcats
(11:22):
lifetime are zero to seven. They started playing at Wriglely
in nineteen twenty three and they have yet to win again.
You'd think they at some point would say, is there
any other place we could find while our stadium is
being built that might house twenty thirty thousand people? Winless
at Wrigley Field.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And funny enough, they're four point favorites today they against
the Gophers.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah, and you know, understandably so they just had Michigan
on the house and they lost on a walk off
field goal twenty four to twenty two, which is somewhat misleading. Actually,
Northwestern is a good team and it's going to be
a tough one for the Gophers. We're going to get
into that in a second. But they Michigan had five
turnovers last week. Northwestern had zero, so they're plus five
(12:06):
in the turnovers and they still lost the game by
two points. But they're five and five, and for them,
this is like a bowl game because they need one
more win to be bowl eligible and they've got to
go to Illinois next week that's unlikely to get unlikely
to get a win in Champagne. So they're gonna look
at this game like got to have this one, and
they look at the Gophers, who we all know are
(12:27):
winless on the road this season. They've been outscored wait
for it, one, two to thirty three away from Huntington
Bank Stadium. Those road games, of course, cal Iowa, Ohio, State,
Oregon not real easy places to play. This feels like
the easiest matchup on the road Gophers, of course, six
(12:48):
and four battling for the Acts? Is that? Is that
game next Saturday? At the Badger game? Do you know
for some reason I.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Had fridayving time?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, no, I know it's next weekend. I just for
some reason had in my mind that might be Friday.
But no, you know what it's. I think it's Saturday.
I think Indiana Purdue is Friday night. That's what I
had in my head. Yeah, it's Saturday early or do
we not know yet? We may not know yet.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah that's possible, we don't. I've got it as two thirty, okay.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Good. That means we'll have a two hour edition to
in the zone, which I prefer.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Of course, So try to avoid thinking about Badger football
as much as I can.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Understand that although they've come to life a little bit,
the Acts is not going to be a is that
Camp Randle next week? The game? Is it here in town? Oh?
Very good, very good. So Gophers already are already Bowl eligible.
Lost today will not end that, but you know, staring
at a potential eight and four season if they can
get the win today. But as you said, three and
(13:47):
a half four point underdogs. Darius Taylor's return last week
was very needed. The Gophers have not been able to
run the football, and Northwestern is pretty good to thinly,
They're given up nineteen points per game. That's twenty third
in the country. So if the Gophers can run the football,
you'll be feeling good about their chances. If not, it
(14:08):
might be a long afternoon at Wrigley Field. It'd be
fun to watch a football game at Wrigley That would
be kind of fun. I also want to mention that
the Tommies are in Fargo today to play NDSU, the
first time Saint Thomas and NDSU have played since nineteen
sixty six, and it's the twenty fourth meeting. So they
(14:28):
used to play a lot, but it's been quite a
long time for the Tommys and the Bison to play
in the head coach for Saint Thomas Glen Caruso played
at NDSU back in the late nineties early two thousands.
As you, I'm sure know, the Bison are number one
in the country. They're eleven to zero. They are blowing
out teams every week. And the Tommys are without their
(14:51):
starting quarterback today, Andy Peters. So it might be a long,
long afternoon at two thirty when they kick off at
the Fargo Dome today. But luck at the Tommies, as
they had on the road to close out their regular
season as well as the college football season is winding
down very quickly again Gophers Northwestern eleven o'clock on this
(15:14):
very radio station. I want to get back to basketball conversation.
I'm not done a ranting, inventing. I'm sure most of
you aren't either. It's I found myself when I went
to sleep last night. You can be angry at Ant
for missing two free throws, and you can be angry
at Ant and Randall for turning the ball over. I'm
(15:38):
more upset with the head coach. I just Chris Finch
is a very good coach, there's no question about it.
But some of his in game decision making is so
head scratching, especially in crunch time of games, and I
just I don't understand when he saw things getting away
so quickly. And he's got a veteran team. This is
(16:01):
not a bunch of rookies out there. You know. This
is a veteran playoff deep. This is a team that
knows how to play big games in big moments. But
I feel like he froze last night. I really do.
I just don't know how when Phoenix that one particular
turnover when I think it was an ant inbounds where
they had just cut it to five or six, and
(16:22):
they get the turnover, and they get it to goodwin
and he knocks down a three, and now suddenly it's
a one possession game. You have to call time out
at that point, if for no other reason, then you're
gonna at least get the ball inbound, the ball at
mid court. They're not going to deal with the full
court pressure that you know your team struggles with down
the stretch. I don't understand why he didn't call time
out to settle guys down. And then when he finally
(16:45):
did call time out final twelve seconds before Phoenix is
going to go down to try to win it, he
doesn't put his defensive guys in. He doesn't make any
lineup changes. He doesn't put Jalen Clark in to be
the defensive presence. Jerry from Blue Earth, Texan, So who
(17:08):
had the worst showing sinning and program Password or Wolves
versus Sons. No, I thought I was gonna get that.
That was pretty good too, Yeah it was. It was
not pretty for yours, truly, Program Password. I got paired
with Lovelli Neil the Third. It's oil and vinegar, it's
it's dogs and cats living together. I mean, we were
(17:29):
not gonna have chemistry. It wasn't pretty common A Litlby
took us down hard. It was frankly and embarrassing performance.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Well, the question is, would you rather collapse like the
Wolves did where they had like a ninety nine percent
chance to win with fifty seconds left, Yeah, or just
not be in the game at all from the jump
like you pret yesterday.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, I think I'd go with a. I think yeah,
I think I'd rather you know, hard fought you were
in it. Yeah we got twenty points, but yeah, it
wasn't I'd like to see that pairing banished forever. But
thank you Jerry for making me chuckle that it's a
toss up, for sure, it's a toss up.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I would have got backed Yari.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yeah. So the password was tackle and I probably should
have gone second. I think that's a good word to
let but.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I tried to act would be another one, maybe.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Yeah, sacked or tackle offensive? Yeah, I'm not sure I
would have gotten it from that. It's like the first
tackle that came into my head was Darras Saw. But
then I thought, well, he's gonna say, Christian, no, that's
not going to work. But ask a Bear, give a
Bears guy a Packer clue, and you're asking for trouble
yep is the way that goes.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, the famous Bears tackle. I couldn't come up with one.
That's what I was trying to do, is like, I
give me a Bears tackle for Lavell.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
But I couldn't. I don't even I just couldn't come
up with a tackle that made a lot of sense.
It was not a good night for Finchy, at least
at the end. I mean, I'll give him credit. You know,
the team was down fifteen and a half and looked
out of it, and you know he did something. He
got those guys, you know, turned around on the second half.
It was nice to see Anthony Edwards look like Anthony
(19:09):
Edwards again after a few games where he just was,
you know, completely lost. I mean the shot was completely lost.
But again down the stretch it looked like Ant was
in his bag and he just just didn't have it,
Like he just didn't look like Ants, like he wasn't
ready to take over a game like Ant is supposed
(19:29):
to do. And you know, you just don't see Ant
miss two free throws in the final twelve seconds of
a game when the game is on the line, and
you don't let a guy like Colin Gillespie beat you
when their four top scorers are off the court and
out of the game. You can't lose that game. So
it opens up the bigger Pandora's box of what is
this team exactly? You know, we understand they're ten to
(19:51):
zero against terrible teams. That's great because that's been a
problem in past years. They can't beat the teams they're
supposed to beat. But this team last night, you know,
in a cup game, that kind of means something was
very undermanned and you had him and you helped eight
points with fifty seconds left. You don't lose that game. Somehow,
some way they found a way to lose it, and
(20:14):
my phone was blowing up from folks I text with
talking wolves up, somebody I don't hear from too often,
as a friend of the fan. Siamnson who texted in
last night is disdain for what he watched, and he
promised he wanted to check in today, So it looks
like he's calling us this morning. Good morning, sy, you
got a chance to sleep on it. Are you feeling
any better this morning? Oh?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
No, My rage is building. I had a feeling there's
no chance I'm feeling.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I'm here for you, brother, I'm here for you.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I like how you just explained our relationship, which is
we get along great. When we see each other or
talk to each other, it's wonderful. But I usually only
reach out when i'm furious.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
That's true. I'm okay with that, though. I am comfortable
with that. About our relationship side, it's okay with me.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think it works well. I think here's here's where
I'm at, and I'm curious to get your reaction. I'll
be curious to hear Trent sign yours next week as well,
because I think at some point an actual conversation has
to start, which is Fritch Fance is a fantastic coach
in a lot of ways. I think first of all
on the obvious player development. You know, the NBA is
(21:23):
a big culture player league. Are the star love like?
He does a fantastic job? And then I think people
don't realize when you get see these professional head coaches,
how many aspects of their jobs are organizational things that
you never ever see. Right. So we've seen disasters in
this state, you know, in each sport, right And I'm
(21:45):
not purporting that's what's going on here, But at what
point do we start having the conversation about these rotations,
time out, end of quarter clock management decisions, unwilling to
run actions for your best players and their best situations
and take hold of the game as a coach. And
(22:07):
you know, it's just getting to the point where it
feels like it peaks up in really important moments. And
I know there'll be people who disagree with this, but
I think we let a Maverick series go away it
shouldn't have. I think we let a Memphis series go
the way it shouldn't have. And I thought last night
we can sit here and talk about the players screwing
(22:27):
up all we want, but you can't leave a veteran
stud ball handling free throw, knocking down point guard and
Mike Connolly on the bench. Well, you can't get it
in multiple times in a row with one time out.
Then when they take the lead, you take the time
out off of that, taking away your opportunity to advance
(22:49):
the ball. So I just it was confounding to me,
and I don't understand why there isn't a little bit
more of an expectations based conversation happening for our in
game adjustments and game management.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
They're all good points. And what comes to my mind
as I hear you talking, is I wonder what the
new owners are thinking. You know, we don't know where
they are with the coaching staff. This is their baby now,
and so you know this isn't Glenn Taylor just kind
of happy to be sitting courtside and let's watch all
the slam dunks. This is the new sheriffs are in town.
So I'm curious to know what kind of length of
(23:26):
leash they might have as they watch as the first
season as owners. Because yeah, I mean you mentioned the
Memphis series in the playoffs. A few years ago. That's
kind of where it started with me and Trent. I mean,
Trent was just beside himself watching how that was coached
down the stretch and he hasn't forgotten and it's something
that's stuck with him. And we pay attention in big moments,
(23:47):
whether it's playoffs or against good competition. What are the
decisions that are being made and not just the end
of game when to call a time out, but who's
on the court, as you say, running actions for the guys,
where the matchups are you know, enthusiastic and on their
side of things. It's sia that that game, the way
(24:07):
that went down last night, that that was a big
red flag for me about the what we're doing. Yeah,
what handle he has on this roster and how do
you as you said, Conley and Jalen Clark should both
be on the court when you're trying to get a
stop at the end of a game and or trying
to get the ball across mid court. You're asking Randall
(24:27):
and Ant to be your point guards. And that's just
you know, you play the Wizard, You're gonna get away
with it. Even though they made a dicey for a while. Yeah,
it's it's not a good look right now.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Well, and Dave Pile on top of that, I think,
you know, like when you have a bunch of things
go wrong in your day and then somebody says something
weird at the grocery store and you explode, like it's
a build up, Like I think whatever that's felt last
night was that was probably the most unrelatable metaphor. The
whole audience is like, oh, size the psycho. But you know,
like the Nuggets game, the Nuggets game before this that
(25:01):
led into this where twice in that game and this
isn't the Wizards, this is the Nuggets. You have your
your A and your B, your top two stars on
the bench. One of those times is to start the
fourth quarter and you lose the non Jokic minutes, Like
this isn't This isn't how the sport works. And I
think one other piece of the conversation, like for the casuals,
(25:26):
maybe you don't understand that the NBA isn't like the NFL.
It's not a situation where any team can win at
any time. That's the beauty of the NFL. Get a
couple of picks, get a new coach, all of a
sudden Oh my god, look at the Colts there, They've
they've got an MVP candidate. They might go to the playoffs.
The NBA is this tiny window base because of how
(25:46):
the salary cap player empowerment. Like when you have a chance,
you go. And that's why you saw the Golden State
Warriors move off of Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr. And
you didn't see the Oklahoma City Sun when they had
their trio move off of Scottie Brooks. And I'm not
saying we should move off, but I'm saying that's the
(26:06):
arena in which these conversations happen.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, I think it's fair. I've gotten a couple of
texts already with the Doug Collins Phil Jackson situation thinking
back to that. It's a talker. That's I think gonna
stick around for a while. Do you feel better? Do
you feel like you know you got your money's worth
of the therapy session this morning? Do you feel better?
Speaker 3 (26:28):
I do, But I'm worried about when you and Blake
turn this into Packer preview for the last twenty minutes,
that all of my Viking trauma will come seating up
and you're going to get some more text messages. This
will hold me over until I can talk to you
and Trent again.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
That's very fair, That's very fair. I love your observations.
I think we all feel your passion. I think a
lot of us agree wholeheartedly with how you're feeling right now.
Please stay in touch, calling anytime. It's great to hear
from you.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
SI here, King, dude, you see it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Cy Onminson, stand up comic, great human being. Always great
to hear from him. Interesting text from Michael maple Growth.
He writes, Finch is really good at managing egos and
politics in the locker room, but he's so bad at
managing games. Conundrum. There is some truth to that, and
I'm not here to just trash Chris Finch. He is
a terrific coach. He's taken this organization to heights we've
(27:24):
never seen before, and I get that, but I think
it's fair to ask the question, is he the guy
to take you to the next step? Can he prove
himself in moments where he needs to take control of
his team when a game is in doubt? And I
think we've seen a lot of examples where we find
ourselves scratch in our head after the game, wondering why
he did this, why he didn't do that, And last
(27:44):
night was a prime example. And yes, it's just one
game in November, but it meant more to these players.
I believe it or not. These Cup games do matter
more to these players that one's going to sting them
a little bit, not just because they gave the game
away in the last minute, but because they gave away
a chance at patting their bank accounts, most likely by
(28:07):
getting into the quarterfinals in Vegas. They have to beat
the Thunder now to accomplish that. So that's their challenge.
Prove us wrong. Go into OKAC on Wednesday and beat
the best team in basketball that's on pace for seventy
wins or I'm not even asking for a win at
this point. I'll be in Milwaukee Wednesday night having dinner
(28:28):
with the family. We'll get home around eight o'clock, so
we'll put on the game for the second half. Make
it watchable for me. When I turn on the game
in the second half, I don't want to turn it
on at seventy one forty six, okay. I want to
see a good competitive second half against the Thunder and
maybe turn a corner and maybe we'll have a tight
moment late and maybe our head coach will make a
(28:50):
decision that have us standing up and applauding. I'm not
holding my breath. We'll pause here, much as I feared.
It's not going to become Packer preview, but Brett and
I will preview the Border Battle tomorrow at Lambeau Field.
Our thoughts on the matchup, as well as a couple
other of the big Week twelve games on the NFL slate.
Final segment of this truncated one hour edition of In
(29:12):
the Zone is up next. We're back final segment today's
(29:42):
edition of In the Zone two hours next week for us,
and should mention that beginning next Saturday, it's the grand
return of Beyond the Pond at ten o'clock following our program.
They usually start up in January, but with as I'm
sure most of you have I heard, Fantasy Football Weekly
moving on no longer a program. We will have hockey
(30:08):
and be on the Pond. We'll get fullness in Miickeletty
on Saturday mornings following us and with the way the
Wild is playing right now, perfect timing. Who wants to
wait till January to talk more Wild? We can do it.
I know it makes you happy for extra puck talk
for you on a Saturday morning. That's a that's a
beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Get to see Kevin Fallness and Pat Nicoletty.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
You got a good life going. I'll tell you that
my brother texted me yesterday that he had an extra
ticket for tomorrow's game. Could I come? Unfortunately, noon kickoff
impossible for me. We have to show at seven. Now.
Could I have recorded it and today and like, gone, yes?
But I got my three kids home from college for Thanksgiving.
We're all going to watch the game together. Is it's
still available the ticket? I don't know having to see.
(30:51):
Would you go? We're gonna fly out of here at
eight o'clock and pull up there in the first quarter.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
I explore it. Okay, if you get out at eight, nine, ten, eleven,
well I'd be there.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Write kick basically yes, And then you have to take
the long escalator up to the sweet level because that's
where the seats are. They're in the fancy seats with
all the free food. It's not a pad way to
go at Lambo. I'll tell you that it's a big game.
Packer's favored by six six and a half. Vikings have
won the last couple at Lambeau. We know that. I've
gotten a couple of questions asking my thoughts on JJ McCarthy.
(31:25):
I to be honest, I can't really give my opinion.
I didn't see the game last week. I haven't seen
enough of the four or five starts. I've seen highlights.
I've certainly read the rhetoric and the reaction to most
notably the last week's game against the Bears, where it
doesn't look good. I mean, it doesn't look instantly fixable.
(31:46):
It's certainly fixable, and I think anybody that believes that
they should potentially look in other directions if things don't
get better by the end of the season, I think
that's crazy. I think for me, you know, looking from Afar,
JJ McCarthy has two years as a starter. To me,
I'm not the owner. They may have a much shorter leash,
(32:07):
but I feel like you've got to give him a
couple of seasons as a starter. You have to see
what you have. I know it's painful. You want to
be competitive, you want to win games, you want to
see progress, and you know ostensibly you're going to see
that the more he plays or you're not, but I
feel like you have to. The window has to be
open here for a couple of seasons. I don't think
(32:29):
he's playing for He should be playing for his job. Now.
He very well might be, but I think that would
be a mistake. You've got the quarterback whisper right. He
knows how to develop quarterbacks. Get a young kid who
wasn't playing a pro style offense in college. There's a
lot to learn, and you know his runway is going
(32:49):
to be maybe longer than some of the others drafted.
You just can't compare his progress. I don't think instantly
to all the other guys drafted, although that's what we
like to do, compared him to the other five guys
drafted in the first round. But obviously the optics are
not great. You put a team together that you wanted
to contend now off a fourteen win season, and you
would hope that you know he had everything in place
(33:11):
where you wouldn't ask a ton from him. And that's
why I look at tomorrow's game Brett and I go,
if I'm Kevin O'Connell, I take the ball out of
JJ McCarthy's hands. I mean, you want him to face
a Jeff Hafley defense who's going to do all he can.
Halfley doesn't blitz a lot, but he's going to do
all he can to confuse JJ McCarthy. And so if
(33:31):
I'm Kevin O'Connell, I look at what opponents of green
Bay have done the last few weeks, going back to Arizona,
they ran the ball all day on green Bay and
controlled the clock. Carolina ran the ball all day, controlled
the clock. Last week, the Giants with what Tyrone Tracy
and Devin Singletary. They ran the ball all day and
controlled the clock. And all those teams either won or
(33:53):
were in the game till the very end against green Bay.
That's the recipe to beat the Packers right now. Now.
The weird thing is the outlier was the Eagles game
where green Bay stops sa Kwon Barkley and they couldn't
run the ball. But the Packers run events has been
up and down, and they're gonna be missing kway Walker tomorrow.
They're likely going to be missing Carl Brooks defensive lineman.
(34:14):
Those are two key guys in the middle of that
front seven that aren't there to stop the run. So
this has to be an Aaron Jones afternoon back at
Lambeau and the other guy, I'm pulling a barrero, thank you,
was like Jordan, Michael Jordan. Yeah, Mason and Jones should
carry the rock thirty times even if the pack gets
(34:36):
out to a lead. And that's the thing green Bay
doesn't get out to leeds like they used to, because
that's how you take those teams out of what they
want to do. Right you go up a couple scores.
Now they can't just run the ball down your throat,
So I think it'd be coaching melt. We're kind of
on the coaching malpractice theme today. If if the Vikings
don't run the ball all day, because that's that's how
you neutralize green Bay right now.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Well, also that is true, but also it keeps JJ
theory medically out of a third and ten, third and
twelve if you just get ahead of the sticks and
run the ball consistently, which is what you mentioned and
what Barrero has been calling for for weeks now is
just run, run, run the ball. That takes JJ out
of high pressure, high stakes where you can you know,
(35:18):
if you're Micah Parsons, just put your head down and
go after them. That to me, is the recipe for success.
I think if you're Green Bay, though, I think this
is a game where you take the ball if you
win the coin toss is like, we want the ball,
and we want to because if you get that first
drive in and hopefully get a score, which they haven't
done in a long time, it feels like then you
(35:38):
can kind of control the narrative and take them out
of that style. But if they defer and the Vikings
just run the ball for eight minutes off the clock,
I mean, you're looking at no rhythm going into that
first drive and then the snowball starts to build.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
It's exactly right. I got to go back to last
week where the Giants had like an eight or nine
minute drive and then the Packers get the ball and
they go three and out and I'm third and two
or you just need a first down. Your defense is gassed,
they've been on the field forever. Just get just move
the chains and they take like a forty yard deep
shot to Christian Watson which has a very small chance
(36:14):
to succeed, and they put the ball back. Now your
defense is back on the field for another through the hands.
It was a drop one of many for both of
our teams, the Vikings and Packers, were drop delicious last week.
Both teams struggled with catching the football, but yeah, you
tire the defense out by extending drives, and that's what
teams have been doing to Green Bay. Obviously, the matchup
(36:38):
to watch is always be Flow against Lafleur, and Flores
has had the last laugh. They've split the last six games,
but we know the Vikings have gone to the Lambo
and won the last two and last year we all
remember it was twenty eight donut and forget who muffed
the punt for the Vikings at the end of the half.
Turn the ball over, gives green Bay the ball on
the red zone. They score momentum, and then of course
(37:01):
the furious comeback in the second half where Flores just
backed off. They didn't really blitz, as I recall, he
sort of turned the pressure down on the second half
because they have the big lead and kind of let
Jordan Love sort of effortlessly kind of move up and
down the field that it almost came back to bite him.
And then in the second game at US Bank, I
(37:22):
don't remember him having to blitz much. I think the
Vikings were getting home without Flores dialing into his little
laboratory and doing all the fun things he likes to do.
I'm curious whether the Flora's ready for for b flow tomorrow.
That's a Vikings team that's coming in much healthier than
the Packers right now. They've got their preferred offensive line
(37:43):
for the first time in forever, and defensively as far
as I know, I mean, Grenard's the one question mark.
I heard guestline tell Bumpy thinks that he's on track
to return. That's huge obviously, and that's a healthy defensive squad.
So I am really curious to see what the Packers
can do offensively. Josh Jacobs's game time decision, you know, questionable,
(38:07):
practice limited with the knee contusion from last week. That's
huge obviously to have Jacobs and virtually every wide receiver
on Green Bays roster is questionable as well, So not
even really sure who's going to be out there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Out of all of Jordan Love's performances against the Vikings,
really one of them was really good. I mean, yeah,
the comeback last year at Lambeau to almost win. That
was a good performance on one leg, just coming off
of that mcl sprain that looked like the season was
going to be lost. Week one, really there was one.
It was at the US Bank Stadium when Jared Hall.
You remember Jared du Hall started for the Vikings. The
(38:41):
fan has learned he doesn't play on defense though, and
the Vikings had their full defense going and Jorda Love
put up thirty three points every other game though, has
not looked good. He's looked flustered, and I think that's
where a lot of the Paul Allen project. You know,
he said on the Feast yesterday, I don't know why
everyone thinks I hate Jordan Love, and then two seconds
later said I'd take anyone else over Jordan Love. And
(39:04):
he's not clutching he stinks. It's like, well, that's why
we think that. And I think a lot of that
comes from he just hasn't looked that good like we
see him every week against the Vikings defense enough and
tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to do it. He's Pro
Football focus is number one ranked quarterback against the Blitz.
I'm going to put it up and as I see
Jayden Reid back on the injury report as well.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Jayden Reid likely back, I think for the Bears game
in a couple of weeks. Packers obviously play on Thanksgiving,
so it's a quick turnaround. So that's another thing that
might instruct what the coaches do with these injured players,
Like you've got two games in four days, so you
don't want to rest guys for the Lions game, but
you might want to rest a couple of guys for
the Lions game. Like I'd rather have Josh Jacobs one
(39:44):
hundred percent healthy for Detroit on Thursday, because that's a
hornet's nest. Obviously. I do think you'll see Not to
get too deep into Green Bay stuff here, but Chris Brooks,
the third string running back, he's the blitz picker, upper guy.
He's gonna be on the field a lot Sunday. They're
going to have him on the field to protect Jordia
Love because the Packers' offensive line has been the real
(40:07):
question mark. It has not been the the strength that
we're used to for sure, although they were better last week.
But this is a much different defense.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Well, it's also a patchwork oh line at this point.
Sean Ryan's playing center. Yeah, God's sake, it's I think
the Vikings are in with the shout here to be honest,
I don't know if I'm nervous, but I'm not overtly
I'm not gonna go Gerby on the bit say we're
going to kill him. There's no chance like they're certainly.
Look at what the Vikings did to Detroit. They walked
in there and everyone thought they were just I mean,
(40:38):
the muss In must in the pregame show was saying,
just don't get embarrassed. That's the goal, and they won. Yeah,
so anything, I'm I'm confident, but I'm not like overtly,
oh my gosh, we're gonna crush him, like they are
definitely in with the shout.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
If I'm the coaching staff, I'm hoping they were minded
The players in Green Bay like, all right, McCarthy hasn't
looked right this season, but when he's gone on the
road to play a division game, yep, that's where he
has shined, you know, And that's weird and maybe it's
just a coincidence, but he could make it three for three.
I mean, if he goes into Green Bay tomorrow and
leads this team when you least expected to a win,
it changes the whole narrative once again on who JJ
(41:16):
McCarthy might become I'm with you one hundred percent. These
games are rarely blowouts. I think the line should not
be six or seven. I think it should be maybe
three and a half four. Green Bay, you know, has
played up and down to the level of its competition.
And you know, frankly, this is the you know, quote
unquote easiest game left on green Bay schedule. And it's
(41:37):
not going to be easy because it's a rivalry game
in division at home. But they got to go play
play the Bears twice right now? Maybe, I mean, if
history tells us anything, yes, maybe, but that team's ahead
of green Bay and the standings right now, green Bay
has to play Denver Baltimore and the Lions still so
and two games against the Purple. It's weird to be
(41:59):
in Thanksgiving week and green Bay played one division game
all season. They're the only team in the NFL that's
only played one division game. Do the Bears get lucky
again and not have to face Aaron Rodgers tomorrow, the
guy that owns the team. And do they get to
eight and three? Do they win tomorrow at Soldier Field
against the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
It's possible. I did the preview bit They've won seven
out of their last eight, but they've been trailing the
fourth quarter in five of those games.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
And they haven't beaten a good team yet, not one either.
And their schedule after tomorrow, I've got the Eagles on
Friday and then the Pack in Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
So they should have lost to the Purple last week.
It was a miracle kick return and set them up right.
And that special team's blunder by the Vikes. They're still
a much better special teams team than Green Bay and
that might be an edge tomorrow to watch too, because
the Green Bay has been a disaster.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
All right now you hear the music. Our one hour
tour is up. Stay tuned Gophers football as the Golden
Gophers are in Wrigley Field to take out Northwestern. The
pregame is kickoff at eleven on the Fan. Gophers basketball follows.
I'll be back tomorrow morning seven am to preview the
Border Battle with Brett. It's Packer preview and then all
kinds of Viking programming. Enjoy your Saturday, everybody, have a
(43:12):
great day.
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