November 16, 2025 • 44 mins
The FANs Dave Sinykin breaks down the Packers game against the Giants in New York.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for Packers Preview again. Bump talking about the
Packer the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We're gone win again, according to your host David Sinnecon.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Will win on the road, We'll win at home, but
Willie then win in the US Bank Stadium. Bukes fans
can call it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You've got the balls the Packers Preview Show.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome to year thirty of Packer Preview on the Fan,
now live from the KFA and studios.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
The head cheese himself, Dave Sinecon.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Good morning, Packer fans, Rise and shine. It's week number
eleven of Packer Preview on the Sports Leader and the
home of the Vikings KFA n Happy Sunday, Happy Packer Day.
It's time to wake up and start looking like the
Green Bay Packers once again. Packers hitting the road. Thank goodness,
they're finally leaving that stadium at home they can't score in,
(01:02):
and head into MetLife Stadium for a noon kickoff against
the New York Football Giants, owners of a two to
eight record, the losers of four in a row and
as you all know, going to be led by a
new head coach today as they fired Brian day Ball
early in the week. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka takes over
at an interim role today and the green Bay Packers
(01:23):
will get a team that I don't know. I don't
love facing a team right after the fire a head coach.
But if the Packers don't have the juice they need
to try to right the ship. Whoever's on the other sideline,
we've got bigger problems than that. Great to have you
over this next hour as we get you set for
this one, and look at all the issues facing this
green Bay Packers team. What did we see Monday night?
(01:47):
What's going on with green Bay's offense? Two games of Lambeoufield,
the total of twenty points scored and the two games combined,
and an offense that seems like it can't get out
of its own way, whether it was all the mistakes
against Carolina and just the inability to move the football
against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. Brettlake More, the
(02:07):
def con stage for you between one and five. One
being the worst right now is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
A long term, two, short term, three or four. Okay,
there's just a lot of football. We've just crossed the
halfway mark, so there's plenty of time to turn it around.
But as the current state of things, it's it's really
really bad. And if the offense can't figure it out
and start moving the ball consistently, I get they have injuries,
then it's going to go higher.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We like to remind ourselves that the last time Green
Bay hoisted the Lombardy, they were six and six through
twelve weeks and twenty ten. Of course they were lucky
to get into the playoffs. We all know how that
all went down. My point being, everybody's got problems. Everybody
at times during the season feels like it's over. We're
kind of feeling that right now because the offense since
leaving Pittsburgh has frankly been in hibernation. And sometimes when
(02:55):
it looks as ugly as it does, you don't take
stock of the good things like how well the defense
has played of late, how that can travel, how that
can carry a team. But this is Green Bay and
we are used to stellar offensive play. We aren't that
far re moved from a twenty eight point second half
in Pittsburgh, but it feels like we're very far removed
(03:17):
from the twenty eight point second half in Pittsburgh. It
begins up front there that the offensive line has been
a disaster. We'll chat about that big change with Elton
Jenkins loss. Done for the season, probably done as a
Green Bay Packer. He will count twenty six million against
the cap next year. He's about thirty. He's starting to
break down a bit. He's been a fantastic Packer, willing
(03:38):
to move wherever they ask him to move. But he
fractured his what ankle somewhere a leg? Most likely done
for the season. If the pack can engineer a playoff drive,
there is some hope he could come back in January,
but likely we've seen the last of Elton Jenkins. That
shuffles things. Sean Ryan gets the audition at center starting today.
(04:00):
He's in the last year of his deal. They've got
issues in the middle of that line, and we will
dive into that as we move along. As the Packers
will play today for the first time in three games
in the next eleven days. It's a meaty part of
the schedule and for me, Brett, it's kind of a
fork in the road spot for this team, right. I mean,
this is a game you're supposed to win. You're a
touchdown favorite against a team that's dropped four in a
(04:21):
row and just fired their coach, and we all know
what's next three division games upcoming. As I said, three
of these next games are in eleven days. You've got
the Vikings and Lions, you know, within a couple of
weeks here. So I feel like what we get out
of these next three, of course the Bears follow. You
can almost look at it as a four game little quartet.
(04:41):
If you look at the four games, I feel like
three and one needs to be the floor. You know,
the Lions game is going to be meaty. I'm thanksgiving,
certainly can win, but that's the one you will not
be favored in. You will be favored in the two
Lambeau games against the Vikes and Bears. So this needs
to be a time where the offense figures it out
and you start winning games at Lambeau again, and hopefully,
(05:04):
you know, through this four game stretch through the division.
If they're three and one and they're sitting at eight
four and one heading into December, I think we'll feel
a lot better about where this team is.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I agree, that's where the watermark has to be. I mean,
we talked yesterday in the Zone about how today is
a must win for the Vikings against the Bears is
too far to say there's a must win today. I mean,
you have to take care of these bad opponents that
are reeling that Jameis Winston is the quarterback. You have
to win this game and get the easy one before
kind of a gauntlet of a schedule going the rest
(05:34):
of the way.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
For sure. And yeah, if they lose this game today,
it'll be for sure Defcon one. It'll be yeah, circle
of wagons. What are we looking at? And you know, again,
the happiest person in America will be Jerry Jones, who
owns Green Bays draft pick and assumed it would be
near the bottom of the draft and starting to slowly
climb after a couple straight losses, two straight back to
back Lambeau losses. That hasn't happened in the Matt Laflor era.
(05:58):
There was I'd say a little he'd applied to the
floor after the game Monday night. I know Matt Schneidman
from the Athletic threw it out there. Do you feel
your seats warming up a little bit? I think it's
a little premature, but I do think you know, it's
like when you get in your car and you got
seat warmers and you can set it on three levels.
We're on level one. You know, it was off until
Monday night, and we just flipped it on level one
(06:18):
because it's on the floor. To figure out how to
get that offense going. That's his job. He's been a
terrific play caller. Suddenly there's questions about his play calling.
Are you too predictable? Running on first down? Every time
it's second and long? What are you gonna do? You're
probably gonna run. We all know what happened Monday night,
fourth and one game on the line, Packers run the
(06:38):
same play they've run three times already. The defensive line
from Philly's yelling it out inside zone. It's an inside zone,
and Jacobs gets hit basically as he gets the ball
handed to him. What's happened to the floor's gun slinging mentality,
his go after it and then pummel an opponent mentality.
He's to me, Brett, he's he's calling play scared because
(07:00):
he doesn't trust the protection up front. He's not sure
that he's going to get the production on first down
that he's expecting, and the Packers are twenty fifth in
first down production this year. I need to see him
just pin his ears back and say, all right, we're
gonna go after it. Jordan Love is one of more
talented quarterbacks in football, putting the ball in his hands,
(07:21):
not gonna run into a brick wall trying to run
the football. If it doesn't work, we're gonna throw the ball.
Now today's opponent you can run on. And we'll get
to that. But I just need Laflora to just get
out of his own head. I understand he doesn't trust
his protection, but he's got to find a way to
move Love out of the pocket, get the ball out
of his hands quickly, put it in some of those
playmaker's hands. And he has a lot more of his
(07:42):
playmakers available today. We'll get to that as well.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I mean, we've heard for years what a great play
caller Matt Lafleur is and what a great scheme and
now he's just such an offensive genius and he still is,
but he's just not acting like it. And I get
the old line has been terrible, and it's been rare
that we've seen Jordan Love flustered as much as he
was last week, especially with the batter down and passes,
with the pressures. So I get to an extent, but
(08:06):
you can't be that. It's been all season long. They've
been running those inside zones on your third and ones,
your fourth and ones. It's what they've been doing. So
if it's that predictable, that's on the floor to get
figured out. And I think you can let Jordan Love
cook because you and me are both avid Jordan Love defenders.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
We look at the stats.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We don't just look at one bad highlight and then
make a decision off of that.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
That is for sure by all analytics. He is a
top five quarterback this year. Even though the touchdowns aren't common,
the production hasn't been there, he has done his job.
He can only do what the offensive line gives him,
and hopefully we'll get a better performance today. Let's talk
about the health of these two teams. For maybe the
first time in a while, we're going into a game
as the healthier team by a wide margin. The Giants are.
(08:47):
It's kind of a shame, right, I mean, as a
Giants fan, you couldn't have been more excited a month ago.
Here comes your rookie quarterback, Jackson Dart looking like everything
you want out of a rookie quarterback. Explosive, he runs,
he's making plays, he's put points on the board. And
then they lose his top receiver, Molik Neighbors, for the season.
And then they have this battering ram rookie running back
(09:08):
Camp Scatabow who's emerging and winning the angry run scepter
every week from Kyle Brant. And then he has a
gruesome injury and he's lost for the season and now
darts out with a concussion. They hope to get him
back next week. So their three best offensive playmakers, two
of them rookies, will miss this game today. As Brett mentioned,
we get Jamis Winston at quarterback. That's the first move
(09:28):
my calf Toa made was to say, well, no, I've
seen enough of the Wilson experience to last me a lifetime.
We're gonna let famous Jamis do his thing. I think
that makes things a little more tricky today. I do
think Jameis Winston is a much better leader at this
point than Russell Wilson. I think his teammates want to
play for him. I think he makes things comfortable in
(09:49):
the huddle. He's just a guy you can rely on
and he can get the ball out. He's got five
four hundred yard passing dat days in his career, we
know that he does throw the ball up for grabs,
and there'll be some balls of aailable for the Packers
defense today, But I expect their offense to get a
bit of a bump. With Jamis Winston at quarterback, he
will miss one of his top receivers today, Darius Slayton
(10:10):
is out. They're also missing a number of defensive players today.
Their pass rusher and their best run defender, Keavon Thibodeau,
is out. A linebacker Chauncey Golston also out today. They've
got two starting defensive players who are doubtful. That's a
former Gopher safety Tyler Nuban and defensive lineman rakeem Nunez Rooksches.
So you're talking four starters on a really bad defense
(10:34):
are missing this game, and they've got two others who
are questionable, cornerback Paulson Adiebo and linebacker Bobby o'karreke. So
this defense, which is twenty seventh in the league in
points allowed and twenty seventh in points per game, are
missing half their starters. So if this is not a
day that the Packers' offense wakes up, I'm not sure
(10:55):
when they're going to have a more favorable match up
the rest of the way. More on the Packers offense
against this Giant's defense as we move along. All right,
on the Packer's side, A couple of things broke yesterday.
I'm sure you've I'm guessing you've heard it. Branda McManus
is not going to play today. Well, he's doubtful. I
would say he's not going to play today. Apparently he
woke up Saturday morning and felt titless in his tightness
(11:19):
in his calf. I think it's safe to say if
Green Bay could do a do over, they would have
put Brandon McManus on IR, because clearly he has not
been right for four weeks. I don't know why they're
so careful about putting guys on IR. Lucas van Ness
missed four games and never put him on IR. So
I'm not sure what's going on with the medical team
and the communication, but clearly McManus hasn't been right. My
(11:41):
guess is he's tucked them into it. I'm fine, I'm fine,
I'm thirty three. I've been doing this forever. I know
my body, well, his body told him yesterday, you're not
going to go, so you're gonna get Lucas Haversik as
your kicker today. The other news that broke yesterday was that,
with a disciplinary reason, the Packers left Malik Heath behind.
He is not traveling with the team. He is out
(12:02):
coach's decision, connecting the dots. He's not happy that bo
Melton got twenty three snaps and he got nineteen last week.
In a game where the receiving corps was decimated with injuries,
the Packers turned to a guy who's been playing cornerback
all season and said, no, we'd rather have you out
there because and Laflour said it. You know, he's more explosive,
(12:22):
he gives us speed. Felt we needed that. But you
put bau Melt in a really tough spot. He had
two of the more egregious mistakes right the drop on
fourth and six, the lining up illegally on the twenty
two yard pass to Watson that would have set Green
Bay up inside the ten. Both of those plays may
have turned the game. And if I'm Elik Keith, I'm
irritated too.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Now.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I don't know what he did, what he said that
caused him to be left behind. That's not what you
want to do. This is a day where he probably
would have not been active. He would have probably been
inactive with all the receivers back. We'll get to that
in a second. So not a good look for Malik Heith.
He is out today, will be without Nate Hobbs. He's
the only guy listed as out. He'll miss his second game.
(13:03):
There is some hope he'll be back for the Vikings
next week. And just two players questionable? What does this
Packer injury report? Only three players on it? Lucas Fenns questionable,
save Ann Williams questionable. Don't know what we'll say. I
heard Lucas Fenns this week. He said it's been more
mental for him and really helpful to watch the last
four or five weeks, watching Gary and Parsons apply their craft.
(13:26):
He feels like he's more ready. He was off to
a really nice start. Be great to get them back
in the rotation. We'll see if they give him a
shot today. Everybody else is available. Dobbs, who left the
game Monday night, he is good to go. The offensive
line's been banged up. They're all off the injury report,
so the Packers come in really, you know, about as
healthy as they have been all season, and the story
(13:48):
that we will follow as this game goes along today.
At the conditions the weather in New Jersey at bet
Life Stadium, it'll be in the forties, It'll probably be
a lot like it is here, but very windy conditions.
That's going to be the story of the day. Sustained
wins a twenty plus miles per hour gusting up to
forty five miles per hour if that's the case. Obviously,
(14:09):
field goals are going to be an adventure. Obviously, trying
to throw deep, which Jamis loves to do, which it's
hard to do against Green Bay obviously, is an adventure.
The Packers may not look to take some deep shots
with if the wind is a big concern. So that's
going to be something to watch as the game moves on.
Today's the first of four straight noon kickoffs for your
(14:29):
Green Bay Packers, who will meet the Giants today for
the sixty fifth time ever. Packers are thirty four, twenty
eight and two, and five and three in the postseason
against their longtime opponents. When we come back, let's take
a look at what the Packers offense might be able
to do against this banged up Giants defense. As we
get you set for Packers football, it's Packer Preview. I'm
(14:51):
the fan. Well, I'm proud to be.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
A Packer than the best football fans and up over
the lambs, Doc Packer and it's a Packer fan.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I all right, Packer pretty much by jtr Roofing.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Let me yo because the pack games.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
Yeah, good morning Packer fans.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Is they have photography.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
The Packers offense has become a mid season disaster that
is getting worse when it should be getting better. Packers
are incapable of fielding in an effective run game, which
has been the biggest of so fun but so far
this year.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Go Packers. One of the guys quarterbacks hope they don't
see So don't.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
You good to hear from you?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Dave.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
We welcome your talkbacks on the iHeartRadio app. It's free.
Just click on the microphone icon. You got off to
thirty seconds to vent or get off your chest, whatever's
on your mind. We'll play those during Packer Preview. Dave
reference the Packers offense that's a subject of this segment.
It's so unusual to see this offensive team struggle. We
just are not used to that. H going on, certainly
(15:59):
back to back games. Ambo Field. Let's ask Jordan Long.
He was asked you, no, Jordan, what's going on with
the offense? Man?
Speaker 7 (16:05):
Yeah, No, I think it all comes down to just
making plays and like I said before, just execute. You know,
you looked back at that Steelers game, and I think
we were execuing at a very high level. You know,
everybody around us making plays, you know, focused on the details,
and we took advantage of a lot of the looks
that they're giving us.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
And you know, I think we're right there.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
We're right there as offense, and it just comes down
to those small details that are I think holding us back.
But you know, we have everything we need on offense.
We got the right players. Obviously we've got some injuries,
but we still got the right mindset. We've got to
find ways to focus more hone in on those little
details and execute them.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
All right, We'll see if we can get the little
details figured out, like learning how to run block. I mean,
that's the biggest difference between this team and a year ago.
I mean that the identity of the Packers offense, as
good as Love was last season, was the running game
led by Josh Jacobs. It just seemed like game after
game he was exploding through the line for big runs
to set this offense up, and it's been absent. And
it's not like Josh Jacobs out and forgure out how
(17:00):
to run the football. He's getting hit behind the line
before content. I mean, he gets contact, hit before he
hits a chance to even get in gear. And again,
you'd like to think you can figure that out, but
it's not like you can put new people in there.
You've got your line. They are who they are. There's
not a lot of depth. Now the Jenkins is out
(17:21):
and they're gonna need production. I think ultimately they miscalculated
when they refigured their line this year. They moved on
from Josh Myers thought Elton Jenkins would be the answer
at center. Jenkins clearly was not feeling as comfortable at
center as he was at guard, but was starting to
figure it out. He's lost for the season. So now
Sean Ryan, who looked like the odd man out going
(17:42):
into next season and still might be in the last
year of his rookie deal, he'll get a chance to
show that he's a better center than he was a guard,
because he was not a great guard, but maybe center
is his more natural position. There is not a natural
incumbent on the roster at that position. That might be
a place they look early in the draft next season.
Of course they don't pick in the first round, but
(18:03):
before Day three they might look at a center or
find someone in free agency up. But maybe Sean Ryan
over these next you know, seven or eight games proves
that he could be a capable replacement and a capable
starter at center. The two guys next to him have
to be a whole lot better. Aaron Banks, the free
agent fine for seventy seven million, has been an unmitigated disaster.
He has not been able to stay healthy. I'm hoping
(18:26):
that his play is just because he hasn't been right physically.
And you know that he's not as bad as guard
as he looks because he came in with all the money.
Because he's big, he's nasty, he's physical. That's what Goody wanted.
The identity of this offensive line to be is big, physical,
able to move people, and Banks hasn't moved people. Jordan
Morgan has taken the right guard job. Everybody that follows
(18:48):
Green Bay that scouted him said he is a tackle.
He was a tackle at Arizona. He could be your
future left tackle. He might be the left tackle of
twenty twenty six for this team, but right now they
need him at guard and they need him to play
at least somewhat capably at guard. The tackles have been
fined but not great. Rashid Walker has been a below
average left tackle. I'm sure the team will move on
(19:08):
from him. And Zach Tom has been the rock, but
he has not been as good. He surrendered a number
of pressures last week against admittedly a very good front
for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's been banged up in
on and off the field, as you know as well.
So the problems with this Packers offense begins upfront. And
it's not like you just say, oh yeah, a couple
(19:29):
of details like Jordan's said that. Just get the details
figured out. No, you've got to block people. You've got
to get a functioning running game. And if you can't
run the football today against the New York Football Giants,
you cannot run the football against anybody. They are the
thirty first ranked run defense. They can't stop anybody. I
mentioned their best run defender, day Cavan Thibodeau is out today.
(19:52):
They have four first round picks along their defensive line.
Pretty good pass rushing unit, but they can't tackle. They
can't stop the run. Everybody runs on the New York
Football Giants. So if the Packers are struggling to move
the ball on the ground today, this will be a
talker the rest of the season. It's not going to
get any easier to move the football than a will
today against that defense on a windy day where passing
(20:16):
might be difficult. They have to run the football today,
you know. Also, you know we talk about losing Tucker Kraft.
That's another really nice blocker up front that does everything
for you. You don't replace that. You put John Fitzpatrick
in decent blocker, but then isn't going to go out
and coverage too often and run a pattern. So everything's
(20:36):
a little different for the offense and for me, Brett.
You know, I think, like most Packer fans, my eyes
will be focused on that offensive line today and how
Lafleor calls the game like he's hearing a lot of
people whispering in his ear that you have to open
it up. But maybe not this week, you know, maybe
maybe next week when you get the Brian Flores experiment
(20:57):
coming in and all this stuff he throws at you, you
could be a little bit more whack today. It's back
to the ABC's of football. It's blocking, running, and then
pushing the ball down their throat.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Yeah, and it's fitting for a game with two old
school teams that are probably gonna have to go old
school football today in a kind of cold and windy
and weird day. But the offensive line, it's kind of
like a drummer in a band, right, If you have
a terrible drummer, it doesn't matter how great your guitar
players are, it's gonna sound terrible, you know what I mean.
It just ruins everything. And that's what the offensive line is.
And if they can't get a push on the run
(21:28):
or protect in the past, it's over. So hopefully this
is it is a textbook get right game. Everything's in
front of Green Bay. Offensively, they just have to go out.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
They just got to go on next que Well they
do and matchup. I'bby watching closely. We talked about Sean
Ryan stepping in at center hill at Dexter Lawrence across
the line from him, probably well, Brian Burns is their
best defender Brian Burns leads the NFL tied with eleven sacks,
the guy they got from Carolina a year ago. They're
middle of the road sack team. But Brian Burns is
(21:59):
a stud. You're gonna have to be careful with him.
But Dexter Lawrence up the middle, has had a disappointing
season by his standards. He's heard a lot about what's
wrong with Dexter Lawrence. The new coach has gotten in
his ear and challenged him this week, So you're gonna
get I think, a focus Lawrence who's looking at fresh
meat across the line in Sean Ryan and saying, yeah, okay,
I got this guy. So again, my eyes will be focused.
(22:22):
It's hard to focus on the center necessarily, but early
on I want to see if if Ryan's at least,
you know, holding his own against Dexter Lawrence, because that's
a matchup that favors New York typically. But as I said,
Lawrence has had a disappointing season so far, and Green
May needs to take care of business against a defense
that just has no bite. This is a team that
(22:42):
you know, we mentioned they've lost four in a row,
but if you saw last week They're up double digits
on Chicago in the fourth quarter till Jackson Dark gets hurt.
They've lost three games with fourth quarter collapses. Remember that
Denver game. The odds of Denver coming back in that
game were near z zero. I mean, they scored what
like twenty eight twenty nine points in the fourth quarter.
(23:04):
They also collapse against Dallas in a big, high scoring
game early in the year. They're able to compete, it seems,
against everybody for about three quarters and then on the
fourth quarter the defense just kind of runs out of gas.
And that kind of fits with I think how Green
Bay has been offensively right slow starting and suddenly in
the second half they wake up. And it wouldn't it
all surprise me today? Which a game I think is
(23:25):
going to be lower scoring because of the windy conditions,
But this might be a game where we're kind of
playing with our food for three quarters and it's a
one possession game, maybe they're trailing, and then the fourth
quarter the offense kicks it into gear. Because that's what
the Giants defense does. They collapse.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Do you think I asked you this question earlier in
the week.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Is there a point value that kind of resets the
offensive fears today or is it just any win is
good and we'll take it and we'll move on. Or
do we have to score twenty seven points? Do we
have to score thirty points? Or is there any limit
that's like all right now they've figured it out, or
it's just it's the Giants.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
We'll move on next week. See what happened?
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Yeah, myself, I'm not looking at like all right, if
they don't score twenty four to twenty seven, I'm still
worried about this team. I mean, you look at the
Giants defense and you go, this is a team you
should score thirty against. Again, though you're on the road
in a windy stadium, against a team that just fired
its coach, they're going to get a bump. They're going
to play better. Every team does their first game after
a coach is out. I won't be shocked if the
(24:21):
Giants are competitive defensively again, at least for a few
quarters now. If they can't put twenty points on the board,
that might be my number. If you're looking for a number,
twenty might be my number. But you know, if we
walk out of there at seventeen to six, I'm not
going to feel terrible about this team. I'm going to say,
all right, we took care of business, We rided the ship.
We head home for the Vikings. The Lions are up
(24:42):
four days later, then come the Bears. We get that
three game divisional John, I feel better about this team.
I want to see this defense clamp down the Giants
without their three best offensive players, and we'll get to
that in the next segment. But offensively, I think we
all want to see Matthew Golden get more involved. Maybe
he finally gets more of a focal point. You know,
it doesn't have to be deep passes to Golden. Put
(25:03):
the ball in his hands, let him run away from people.
You've got Watson, Dobbs, Golden and Wicks. You've got your
four preferred receivers, all healthy. Don't know if Saviana will play.
We mentioned Heat's not traveling. You got your four top guys,
and Muskrave obviously is taken over for Craft among the
three headed monster. That is the tight end position right now.
(25:24):
I just look at what what Love has done on
the road, what this offense has done on the road
is basically score points. Well, certainly a better clip than
at Lambeau this season. So yeah, I would say if
this is a you know, seventeen to sixteen Packer win,
I probably won't feel as good about it. But if
the defense does its thing where they should overmatch the Giants,
(25:48):
I'm not gonna be too concerned about the offense as
long as it you know, I need Jacob I think
more than the points. I need Jacobs to average close
to five yards of carry because that's what the Giants
are giving up and he has not been able to get.
I need the offensive line to clear holes. If I
see the running game back in gear, I'm not going
to feel like they saw that they're running the football.
This is a terrible run defense. They have to do
(26:09):
it today. It's more like if I don't see that today,
then we're in serious trouble. If we do see it today,
all right, they can overmatch a team like the Giants.
That's good. Let's keep it going next week against Minnesota
when you need to run the football as well. So
interesting challenges for this Packer's offense to get off the
schneid and show what they have shown us so many
(26:29):
times against a really bad Giants deep. When we come back,
we'll hear from both Jeff Hafley and head coach Matt
Lafleur about what's good about this Green Bay team, the Packers'
defense and they should have their way. We'll talk about
it after these.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Tell all the people across the USA.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
I love my Green.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Bay Packers, who won the first superpos ever played. I
love my Green Bay Packer.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Good morning, Dave for Maple Grove College. Let's start with
the prediction. This is a blowout forty two seven. It's
a victory. I would like to see speed at running back,
and the question I would have here is what is
the status of Marshaw Boyd, because I think that he
would give us some speed explosiveness at running back that
could help him aid our offense. Thank you much, take
(27:24):
care of go back Gough.
Speaker 8 (27:26):
Twelve sixty five Lombardi guy. Sean Ryan starts at center,
and something could be said that if Sean Ryan plays
well the rest of this year, that Elton Jenkins might
get moved over to guard next year. In addition, that
would put Morgan at left tackle with Walker not returning
to the team. Certainly looking well ahead, but there's some
(27:51):
auditioning happening here.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Go pack go holler back. Thanks guys, Yeah, the defensive
coordinator for the Pack might be auditioning as well today.
We'll get to that in a second. On those two points,
Dave for Maple Grove Marshawn Lloyd, you know, I'd love
to see him too. I don't think we're gonna see
much of him this season. It feels like another lost
season for the running back. Laflour very cryptic when asked
(28:14):
about him. Just hasn't been able to stay healthy. So
maybe we'll be surprised and he'll work his way back,
but he seems like he's not close to contributing for
this offense as far as the offensive line and twelve
sixty five Lombardy guy. You know, I don't think Jenkins
is back next season. It'd be nice to say move
him to guard and reshuffle, but he's a twenty six
million dollar cap guy to play guard. I just unless
(28:36):
they can rework his deal and he's cool with it.
But I'm guessing with all the shuffling around and coming
off the injury, the Packers will move on from Melton Jenkins.
But he's right. Sean Ryan has a chance to prove
he can be the long term center. That is something
we will watch. Speaking of watching. You can't watch the
game on your local TV today. It's not on in
this market, of course, because the Vikings and Bears will
(28:56):
be the Fox game. If you're looking for a place
to watch it, I always reckon you head to our
long time sponsor, the Park Tavern in Saint Louis Park.
It is the perfect venue to watch among hundreds of
fellow hundreds of fellow Packer fans. Just head past the
bowler alley to the eleventh frame bar that is set
up for the greeting goal. Every screen we'll have the
(29:17):
Packers and Giants, and on a day like this you
can head outside to the heated pergola and watch the
game outdoors and sip on something warm and comforting. So
if you're looking for a place to catch the game,
please support one of the great places for food and
drinks and a Packer experience, the Park Tavern in Saint
Louis Park. All Right, we mentioned auditioning the Giants that
(29:39):
are being led now by the former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka,
their offensive coordinator, who will still call plays but will
be the interim coach as they decide what to do.
Logic would tell you you've got a young quarterback in Jackson Dart,
you find a great offensive mind and you bring him
in to tutor your exciting young quarterback. But they are
(29:59):
going to look hard at I believe that Packer's defensive
coordinator Jeff Hafley, Peter Schrager. ESPN's Peter Schreeger already threw
it out there a couple times this week that there
is interested Hafley, a New Jersey native who will have
thirty family members at the game today. You know, I
think Giants fans are thinking maybe bringing a good defensive
coach and he finds a guy like, oh, I don't know,
(30:21):
maybe Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins coach, who might get let go,
let him come in as his offensive coordinator to school
Jackson Dart, and they might like that duo. I don't
want that duo. I don't want to lose Jeff Haffley
and Matt Lafleur was asked about his defensive coordinator and
what he thinks of him, not in relation to the
Giants job, but just how's Jeff Haffley doing.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, he's a stud. He's a stud.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I can't say enough great things about him. We're fortunate
to have him. He's a great mind. Like you mentioned,
he's a great person first and foremost, which is absolutely
paramount if you want to be here. But he's super
consistent what he does. He holds a high stand and
he's a great football mind.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
So if Packers defense rolls over the Giants pitches a shutout,
holds him to single digits, whatever it might be. If
that defense rises up again, the drum beat is only
going to get louder that Jeff Hafley might be in
line for a head coaching job, whether it's in New
York or somewhere else. I'm a huge fan. I don't
know how anybody can't be. You listen to the guy talk.
I'm ready to run through a wall for him. The
(31:25):
players are that way too. They all speak so glowingly
and the results are inarguable. Yes, did Goody help him
by heading Micah Parsons this season? Of course he did.
Goody's also put a lot of draft capital to that
side of the ball in recent years, and until Halfley
got to Green Bay, we didn't see much from all
those number one picks. We have seen now what this
(31:46):
defense can be. They have been outstanding in the three losses,
Green Bay has given up what ten, thirteen and sixteen points.
The defense has been a joy to watch, and this
should be a game where the defense again struck stuff.
You got a new quarterback and the Jamis Winston experience,
you know, can be electric. I mean, Jamis's highs are
(32:08):
very high and as I said, that team might get
a bump from seeing him back there, and maybe that
offense starts to move the ball a little bit. They
do have some playmakers that can scare you. Devin Singletary
as a receiver out of the backfield, it could be
a problem the Packers that had a little trouble with
tight ends. Theo Johnson has become a big weapon for them,
(32:28):
and Wandel Robinson is probably the one reliable wide receiver
they have. But as we said, no Jackson, Dart, no
Molik Neighbors, no cam scantaboo, this is not an offense
that should scare you. When the Packers defense is on
the field, they should be the much better unit. There's
no question about it. Halfley was asked earlier this week,
you know, when when your team struggling offensively, you know,
(32:50):
but the defense is lighting it up, you know, is
that frustrating for you as a coach to see your
side of the ball doing so well on the other
side struggling. Is that difficult? Is a lot more pressure
on your unit when you know the offense can't score.
Speaker 9 (33:03):
If you want to approach the game like that. But
I don't approach the game like that. It's every calls,
it's every yard, it's every drive, it's every third down.
I mean, we have to find a way to get
off the field, and you just keep playing until the
game's done. And I think what's helped me. I've been
a head coach and I've been on both sides of it.
I've been where I was in charge of the offense
and the defense. This is a team game, and for me,
(33:25):
this will never be about the defense versus the offense
or wow, we have to hold them to this amount
of points. I mean there's games since I've been here
Matt's put up in the offense of the offense has
put up thirty plus points and we've won thirty to
twenty something.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
So it's going to bounce back and forth.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
And when the.
Speaker 9 (33:42):
Offense isn't playing well, it's our job to pick them
up and we have to. But our mentality going to
every game is the same whether our offense scores forty
points or they're not scoring a lot of points. And
I respect and appreciate that from my time being a
head coach and our players, they're going to keep working
and getting better and there's there's no distraction, there's nothing there,
and we're good to go.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
He sounds like a head coach, doesn't he Every time
you hear him, he sounds like a head coach, and
he will be a head coach in this league. I
hope you know. As I joked in my blog, and
you can read my Packer preview blog every week at
zone coverage dot com. I write before the games and
after the games. I led my blog this week by
saying a small part of me wouldn't mind seeing a
forty one forty Packer shootout today. You know, love outdueling
(34:26):
Jamis Winston and the defense just giving up chunks of
yards just to cool the interest on Jeff Hafley as
a head coach. Kid, I kid, I don't expect to
see that. I don't really want to see that. I
also don't want to see Green Bay lose Jeff Hafley.
I just love watching this defense when it's cooking like
it is, and we'll see, you know, if they can,
(34:49):
you know, take care of the situation. And a Giants
team where you just don't really know what to expect.
You can't really look at the film and go, yeah,
this is what they do. Because now they have a
new coach. Granted he's the same guy who's been playing
calling plays, but he's the boss now and you know
he's gonna run. Don't you think this is the kind
of game where he got a veteran quarterback in Jamis
Winston who's seen everything. They're going to empty the playbook.
(35:10):
We're going to see things that have not been on tape.
They're going to try things again. If the wind is
as bad as crazy as they say it's going to be,
maybe that will temper some of that. But I have
to believe Mike Kafka has a chance to stamp himself
as a contender for the job by doing something offensively
against this defense today. And I expect them to empty
the playbook against Jeff Afley's defense and see if anything sticks.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I think this could be a turnover, get right game.
I mean, yeah, we had the punch out last week,
but the turnovers and the takeaways have not been there
for Green Bay overall, not as much.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
That pace last year was hard to keep up.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I understand that, but to get I think this is
a interception several interception type game.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Because of the win.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
You're going to take away the deep ball hopefully and
just keep a lid on the offense. I think they're
Jamis has a pick or two in him every single week,
or three or four, So that would be what I'm
looking for. And to be that aggressive, you know, kind
of last year's defense of we're going to be right
in your face trying to beat us.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yeah, if you're gonna pick one guy, it feels like
Xavier McKinney back home where he used to play. You
could see him stealing one. Yeah. That's the one thing
on this defense that has not clicked as it has
a year ago is the turnovers. And you mentioned the
big punch out by Edgarrian Cooper that stopped the Eagles
first drive as they were moving it right down the
field to start the game last week. Those things do
(36:30):
tend to even out, and I do think the turnovers
will come. This defense is too talented, too strong to
not start taking the ball away and you know, knocking
on wood here, but they have been primarily healthy. As
banged up as the offense has been, the Green Bays
defense will have I would say all eleven preferred starters.
Nate Hobbs is sort of a border line the way
(36:51):
he's played this year. Clearly Carrington Valentine's play, to me
has earned him that spot on the outside. He's been
the best outside corner. I mean, they didn't throw a
lot to AJ Brown Monday night, but Carrington Valentine was
tasked to spend a lot of his evening dealing with
AJ Brown and again with the Giants. You know, you're
not looking at DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown, You're looking
(37:13):
at Wandel Robinson and m without Darius Slayton. I don't
even know who's next up at receivers. So this is
not a team an offense where their playmaker's scary. Again.
They lost Molik Neighbors early to the torn Aclu just
been a for an offense that you know was so
exciting about six weeks ago when when Dark got the
(37:34):
job and they started to move it. It's really gone
crashing down to earth with the injury. So there are
no excuses for the Packers defense today other than all right,
we don't really know what we're gonna get with a
new coach and a new quarterback. But that shouldn't be
enough to tip the scales when when Green Bay's defense
is on the field. When I wrote my preview a
couple of days ago, I didn't know the weather conditions.
(37:55):
I think I put here's the deal. Packers are favored
by seven. It's it's dripping down to six and a half,
which means some of the money's coming into the Giants.
Green Bay has been historically bad covering as a favorite
this season. They are zero to four this year when
favored by four or more points against the spread and
four against the spread. So can they cover a seven
(38:16):
point spread? When I wrote my blog, I think I
wrote twenty four to twenty pack just, you know, just
things just aren't right yet. They'll turn the corner, they'll
get a win. But I have a feeling the Giants might,
you know, make this a little more sticky here in
the weather. Sleeping on it last night, I'm feeling a
little more confident. I don't think we'll see as many
points now that I see the windy conditions that are
(38:38):
expected a met life. You know. I feel like if
the Giants borrowing any turnovers by the pack the Packers
defense should hold them to ten or thirteen points. This
is not a team that should put up a couple scores,
should at the end zone a couple of times. So
I feel now as I get ready, what four hours
from kickoff feels more like a twenty to ten spot
(38:59):
for me? I feel like, maybe Green Bay does cover
that seven point spread, and nowt do do three underdog
picks and zone coverage every week. The Giants were one
of my three underdog picks. I hate to do it,
but Packers show me you can cover a spread, show
me you could put down an opponent you're better than,
and off two straight Lambeau losses if they can't come
(39:19):
in and take care of business against a banged up
Giants team. And that's the other thing I didn't realize
when I wrote my blog was just how banged up
defensively this Giants team is. We're going to have a
very different conversation on Packer Review tomorrow morning. By the way,
if you haven't listened, Brett and I do Packer Review,
a podcast on your iHeart app available the Monday morning
(39:40):
after every Packer game. You'll hear it tomorrow mid morning.
It'll be up on the iHeart app. Just search Packer
Preview you'll find it. We will have a very different
Packer Review podcast if we don't see a much stronger
performance by this team. I mean, it's going to be
panic time. If this team doesn't win, it's panic time.
(40:02):
You're playing the Giants. They're two and eight. You should
obviously not have any reservations. But what we've seen in
the last two weeks at lambeau Field, I think have
given us all reservations. Because if you can't move the
ball on the ground, most teams are going to have
their way with you. So I'm very interested to see
what we see today.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Yeah, this is a must win. I think this straight
simple must win game today. I think the reservations I
would have about this game is the the coach got
fired and there's a bump there, and who knows all
of that went away with Winston Just I know Winston's
been around a long time. He is capable of having
good games, but he's also capable of having just the
(40:39):
absolute worst games possible. So I think with this defense,
hopefully they're able to just limit him and maybe get
a takeaway or two, and then for offense, I just
want to see a clean game where they win, hopefully
cover the spread, but just win comfortably, where I'm not
you know, thinking about taking heart pressure, you know, blood
pressure medications at this young age, because the last few
(41:00):
weeks have just been a disaster. If they can just
keep a clean game, not have any stupid mistakes, not
lineup off sides false starts, and move the ball and
not get into third and fifteen's and second and elevens,
and just move the ball consistently, score points somewhat consistently.
I think it'd be a good stepping stone to then
maybe have a good offense going into the Vikings Weite.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
I'd feel much more confident if Russell Wilson was the
quarterback today, I really would. He was a disaster when
he came in last week. He's toast. I mean, he's
got nothing left. Winston is to me a much more
functioning quarterback. I've never understood why he's the third string
quarterback on the Giants. I mean I would have thought
a team who lost a quarterback this season, whether it's
(41:42):
Cincinnati or I mean, how many teams have lost. Why
nobody picked up the phone and said, well, take Jamis
off your hands. You're number three guy. I mean, that's
the best third string quarterback in football. I think as
a Packer fan we get these scars. Every fan of
their team has scars. My scar from our last visit
to Metal Life is still a little fresh. If I poke it,
it still hurts. The Packers went to Met Life and
(42:04):
Tommy Cutlets beat him. Tommy DeVito. Last time Green Bay
went there to face a backup quarterback, they got beat.
So that sticks with me. It happened, and I don't
think it'll happen again today. But this is a much
better quarterback than Tommy DeVito, who I don't know. I
think he's still in football, but I'm not sure where
he is. He's not in New York anymore. He's gonna
(42:24):
have to have his mom's chicken palms sent to wherever
he's playing. So the backup quarterback thing, to me, it's real.
Jamis to me, does give them a boost. But I
am a believer in this Packers' defense and the way
it looks, and I just don't see those offensive weapons
having sustained success against this defense. And again, this is
the game. We said this against Carolina a couple weeks ago.
(42:47):
On the rest of the schedule, this is the easiest game,
even though it's a road game. We've got five division
games left. You got the Ravens and Lamar Jackson coming
into December, and you got to go and play really
tough Denver defense. Not that far down the road either.
It's a tough seven games slate after this one. So
to get to six three and one, to welcome in
(43:08):
your three division foes the next three weeks with some momentum,
that is mandatory. And if we don't see this team
rebound off two straight home losses as they sit here
at five four and one tomorrow, we're gonna feel really
differently about this team. And you don't throw in the towel,
but you're gonna say the wiggle room is gone. Now
(43:29):
you're gonna have to go into Detroit on Thanksgiving and
win that game, and all these games are going to
be so important. So yeah, it's sort of a fork
in the road moment. But things have lined aligned well
for green Bay with what the Giants have to offer
on the field. Today again, windy day, twenty mile an
hour wins throughout the game. Gusting's up to thirty forty
forty five miles per hour. No, Brandon McManus, he is out.
(43:52):
Lucas Haversik gets a chance. How many opportunities they'll give
the kicking game and the win we will, We will see.
Noma Lee Keith disciplinary coach's decision didn't travel with the team.
But Green Bay is about as healthy as they've been.
You know, obviously you lost Tucker Craft Helton Jenkins the
last two weeks. You've lost two starters for the season.
But the injury list is short. Gotta believe they get
(44:15):
it done. I'll call it twenty to ten. What's your
final prediction? Score quickly?
Speaker 3 (44:19):
Ah, we'll go seventeen to seven.
Speaker 4 (44:22):
Yeah, low scoring game in the win. Let's get it done,
Let's get back on track. Let's welcome in the Purple
next Sunday. Enjoy the game and as always, go Pack.
It's time for Packers Preview again. Bump talking about the
Packer the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We're gone win again, according to your host David Sinnecon.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Will win on the road, We'll win at home, but
Willie then win in the US Bank Stadium. Bukes fans
can call it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You've got the balls the Packers Preview Show.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome to year thirty of Packer Preview on the Fan,
now live from the KFA and studios.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
The head cheese himself, Dave Sinecon.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Good morning, Packer fans, Rise and shine. It's week number
eleven of Packer Preview on the Sports Leader and the
home of the Vikings KFA n Happy Sunday, Happy Packer Day.
It's time to wake up and start looking like the
Green Bay Packers once again. Packers hitting the road. Thank goodness,
they're finally leaving that stadium at home they can't score in,
(01:02):
and head into MetLife Stadium for a noon kickoff against
the New York Football Giants, owners of a two to
eight record, the losers of four in a row and
as you all know, going to be led by a
new head coach today as they fired Brian day Ball
early in the week. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka takes over
at an interim role today and the green Bay Packers
(01:23):
will get a team that I don't know. I don't
love facing a team right after the fire a head coach.
But if the Packers don't have the juice they need
to try to right the ship. Whoever's on the other sideline,
we've got bigger problems than that. Great to have you
over this next hour as we get you set for
this one, and look at all the issues facing this
green Bay Packers team. What did we see Monday night?
(01:47):
What's going on with green Bay's offense? Two games of Lambeoufield,
the total of twenty points scored and the two games combined,
and an offense that seems like it can't get out
of its own way, whether it was all the mistakes
against Carolina and just the inability to move the football
against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. Brettlake More, the
(02:07):
def con stage for you between one and five. One
being the worst right now is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
A long term, two, short term, three or four. Okay,
there's just a lot of football. We've just crossed the
halfway mark, so there's plenty of time to turn it around.
But as the current state of things, it's it's really
really bad. And if the offense can't figure it out
and start moving the ball consistently, I get they have injuries,
then it's going to go higher.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We like to remind ourselves that the last time Green
Bay hoisted the Lombardy, they were six and six through
twelve weeks and twenty ten. Of course they were lucky
to get into the playoffs. We all know how that
all went down. My point being, everybody's got problems. Everybody
at times during the season feels like it's over. We're
kind of feeling that right now because the offense since
leaving Pittsburgh has frankly been in hibernation. And sometimes when
(02:55):
it looks as ugly as it does, you don't take
stock of the good things like how well the defense
has played of late, how that can travel, how that
can carry a team. But this is Green Bay and
we are used to stellar offensive play. We aren't that
far re moved from a twenty eight point second half
in Pittsburgh, but it feels like we're very far removed
(03:17):
from the twenty eight point second half in Pittsburgh. It
begins up front there that the offensive line has been
a disaster. We'll chat about that big change with Elton
Jenkins loss. Done for the season, probably done as a
Green Bay Packer. He will count twenty six million against
the cap next year. He's about thirty. He's starting to
break down a bit. He's been a fantastic Packer, willing
(03:38):
to move wherever they ask him to move. But he
fractured his what ankle somewhere a leg? Most likely done
for the season. If the pack can engineer a playoff drive,
there is some hope he could come back in January,
but likely we've seen the last of Elton Jenkins. That
shuffles things. Sean Ryan gets the audition at center starting today.
(04:00):
He's in the last year of his deal. They've got
issues in the middle of that line, and we will
dive into that as we move along. As the Packers
will play today for the first time in three games
in the next eleven days. It's a meaty part of
the schedule and for me, Brett, it's kind of a
fork in the road spot for this team, right. I mean,
this is a game you're supposed to win. You're a
touchdown favorite against a team that's dropped four in a
(04:21):
row and just fired their coach, and we all know
what's next three division games upcoming. As I said, three
of these next games are in eleven days. You've got
the Vikings and Lions, you know, within a couple of
weeks here. So I feel like what we get out
of these next three, of course the Bears follow. You
can almost look at it as a four game little quartet.
(04:41):
If you look at the four games, I feel like
three and one needs to be the floor. You know,
the Lions game is going to be meaty. I'm thanksgiving,
certainly can win, but that's the one you will not
be favored in. You will be favored in the two
Lambeau games against the Vikes and Bears. So this needs
to be a time where the offense figures it out
and you start winning games at Lambeau again, and hopefully,
(05:04):
you know, through this four game stretch through the division.
If they're three and one and they're sitting at eight
four and one heading into December, I think we'll feel
a lot better about where this team is.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I agree, that's where the watermark has to be. I mean,
we talked yesterday in the Zone about how today is
a must win for the Vikings against the Bears is
too far to say there's a must win today. I mean,
you have to take care of these bad opponents that
are reeling that Jameis Winston is the quarterback. You have
to win this game and get the easy one before
kind of a gauntlet of a schedule going the rest
(05:34):
of the way.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
For sure. And yeah, if they lose this game today,
it'll be for sure Defcon one. It'll be yeah, circle
of wagons. What are we looking at? And you know, again,
the happiest person in America will be Jerry Jones, who
owns Green Bays draft pick and assumed it would be
near the bottom of the draft and starting to slowly
climb after a couple straight losses, two straight back to
back Lambeau losses. That hasn't happened in the Matt Laflor era.
(05:58):
There was I'd say a little he'd applied to the
floor after the game Monday night. I know Matt Schneidman
from the Athletic threw it out there. Do you feel
your seats warming up a little bit? I think it's
a little premature, but I do think you know, it's
like when you get in your car and you got
seat warmers and you can set it on three levels.
We're on level one. You know, it was off until
Monday night, and we just flipped it on level one
(06:18):
because it's on the floor. To figure out how to
get that offense going. That's his job. He's been a
terrific play caller. Suddenly there's questions about his play calling.
Are you too predictable? Running on first down? Every time
it's second and long? What are you gonna do? You're
probably gonna run. We all know what happened Monday night,
fourth and one game on the line, Packers run the
(06:38):
same play they've run three times already. The defensive line
from Philly's yelling it out inside zone. It's an inside zone,
and Jacobs gets hit basically as he gets the ball
handed to him. What's happened to the floor's gun slinging mentality,
his go after it and then pummel an opponent mentality.
He's to me, Brett, he's he's calling play scared because
(07:00):
he doesn't trust the protection up front. He's not sure
that he's going to get the production on first down
that he's expecting, and the Packers are twenty fifth in
first down production this year. I need to see him
just pin his ears back and say, all right, we're
gonna go after it. Jordan Love is one of more
talented quarterbacks in football, putting the ball in his hands,
(07:21):
not gonna run into a brick wall trying to run
the football. If it doesn't work, we're gonna throw the ball.
Now today's opponent you can run on. And we'll get
to that. But I just need Laflora to just get
out of his own head. I understand he doesn't trust
his protection, but he's got to find a way to
move Love out of the pocket, get the ball out
of his hands quickly, put it in some of those
playmaker's hands. And he has a lot more of his
(07:42):
playmakers available today. We'll get to that as well.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I mean, we've heard for years what a great play
caller Matt Lafleur is and what a great scheme and
now he's just such an offensive genius and he still is,
but he's just not acting like it. And I get
the old line has been terrible, and it's been rare
that we've seen Jordan Love flustered as much as he
was last week, especially with the batter down and passes,
with the pressures. So I get to an extent, but
(08:06):
you can't be that. It's been all season long. They've
been running those inside zones on your third and ones,
your fourth and ones. It's what they've been doing. So
if it's that predictable, that's on the floor to get
figured out. And I think you can let Jordan Love
cook because you and me are both avid Jordan Love defenders.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
We look at the stats.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We don't just look at one bad highlight and then
make a decision off of that.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
That is for sure by all analytics. He is a
top five quarterback this year. Even though the touchdowns aren't common,
the production hasn't been there, he has done his job.
He can only do what the offensive line gives him,
and hopefully we'll get a better performance today. Let's talk
about the health of these two teams. For maybe the
first time in a while, we're going into a game
as the healthier team by a wide margin. The Giants are.
(08:47):
It's kind of a shame, right, I mean, as a
Giants fan, you couldn't have been more excited a month ago.
Here comes your rookie quarterback, Jackson Dart looking like everything
you want out of a rookie quarterback. Explosive, he runs,
he's making plays, he's put points on the board. And
then they lose his top receiver, Molik Neighbors, for the season.
And then they have this battering ram rookie running back
(09:08):
Camp Scatabow who's emerging and winning the angry run scepter
every week from Kyle Brant. And then he has a
gruesome injury and he's lost for the season and now
darts out with a concussion. They hope to get him
back next week. So their three best offensive playmakers, two
of them rookies, will miss this game today. As Brett mentioned,
we get Jamis Winston at quarterback. That's the first move
(09:28):
my calf Toa made was to say, well, no, I've
seen enough of the Wilson experience to last me a lifetime.
We're gonna let famous Jamis do his thing. I think
that makes things a little more tricky today. I do
think Jameis Winston is a much better leader at this
point than Russell Wilson. I think his teammates want to
play for him. I think he makes things comfortable in
(09:49):
the huddle. He's just a guy you can rely on
and he can get the ball out. He's got five
four hundred yard passing dat days in his career, we
know that he does throw the ball up for grabs,
and there'll be some balls of aailable for the Packers
defense today, But I expect their offense to get a
bit of a bump. With Jamis Winston at quarterback, he
will miss one of his top receivers today, Darius Slayton
(10:10):
is out. They're also missing a number of defensive players today.
Their pass rusher and their best run defender, Keavon Thibodeau,
is out. A linebacker Chauncey Golston also out today. They've
got two starting defensive players who are doubtful. That's a
former Gopher safety Tyler Nuban and defensive lineman rakeem Nunez Rooksches.
So you're talking four starters on a really bad defense
(10:34):
are missing this game, and they've got two others who
are questionable, cornerback Paulson Adiebo and linebacker Bobby o'karreke. So
this defense, which is twenty seventh in the league in
points allowed and twenty seventh in points per game, are
missing half their starters. So if this is not a
day that the Packers' offense wakes up, I'm not sure
(10:55):
when they're going to have a more favorable match up
the rest of the way. More on the Packers offense
against this Giant's defense as we move along. All right,
on the Packer's side, A couple of things broke yesterday.
I'm sure you've I'm guessing you've heard it. Branda McManus
is not going to play today. Well, he's doubtful. I
would say he's not going to play today. Apparently he
woke up Saturday morning and felt titless in his tightness
(11:19):
in his calf. I think it's safe to say if
Green Bay could do a do over, they would have
put Brandon McManus on IR, because clearly he has not
been right for four weeks. I don't know why they're
so careful about putting guys on IR. Lucas van Ness
missed four games and never put him on IR. So
I'm not sure what's going on with the medical team
and the communication, but clearly McManus hasn't been right. My
(11:41):
guess is he's tucked them into it. I'm fine, I'm fine,
I'm thirty three. I've been doing this forever. I know
my body, well, his body told him yesterday, you're not
going to go, so you're gonna get Lucas Haversik as
your kicker today. The other news that broke yesterday was that,
with a disciplinary reason, the Packers left Malik Heath behind.
He is not traveling with the team. He is out
(12:02):
coach's decision, connecting the dots. He's not happy that bo
Melton got twenty three snaps and he got nineteen last week.
In a game where the receiving corps was decimated with injuries,
the Packers turned to a guy who's been playing cornerback
all season and said, no, we'd rather have you out
there because and Laflour said it. You know, he's more explosive,
(12:22):
he gives us speed. Felt we needed that. But you
put bau Melt in a really tough spot. He had
two of the more egregious mistakes right the drop on
fourth and six, the lining up illegally on the twenty
two yard pass to Watson that would have set Green
Bay up inside the ten. Both of those plays may
have turned the game. And if I'm Elik Keith, I'm
irritated too.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Now.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I don't know what he did, what he said that
caused him to be left behind. That's not what you
want to do. This is a day where he probably
would have not been active. He would have probably been
inactive with all the receivers back. We'll get to that
in a second. So not a good look for Malik Heith.
He is out today, will be without Nate Hobbs. He's
the only guy listed as out. He'll miss his second game.
(13:03):
There is some hope he'll be back for the Vikings
next week. And just two players questionable? What does this
Packer injury report? Only three players on it? Lucas Fenns questionable,
save Ann Williams questionable. Don't know what we'll say. I
heard Lucas Fenns this week. He said it's been more
mental for him and really helpful to watch the last
four or five weeks, watching Gary and Parsons apply their craft.
(13:26):
He feels like he's more ready. He was off to
a really nice start. Be great to get them back
in the rotation. We'll see if they give him a
shot today. Everybody else is available. Dobbs, who left the
game Monday night, he is good to go. The offensive
line's been banged up. They're all off the injury report,
so the Packers come in really, you know, about as
healthy as they have been all season, and the story
(13:48):
that we will follow as this game goes along today.
At the conditions the weather in New Jersey at bet
Life Stadium, it'll be in the forties, It'll probably be
a lot like it is here, but very windy conditions.
That's going to be the story of the day. Sustained
wins a twenty plus miles per hour gusting up to
forty five miles per hour if that's the case. Obviously,
(14:09):
field goals are going to be an adventure. Obviously, trying
to throw deep, which Jamis loves to do, which it's
hard to do against Green Bay obviously, is an adventure.
The Packers may not look to take some deep shots
with if the wind is a big concern. So that's
going to be something to watch as the game moves on.
Today's the first of four straight noon kickoffs for your
(14:29):
Green Bay Packers, who will meet the Giants today for
the sixty fifth time ever. Packers are thirty four, twenty
eight and two, and five and three in the postseason
against their longtime opponents. When we come back, let's take
a look at what the Packers offense might be able
to do against this banged up Giants defense. As we
get you set for Packers football, it's Packer Preview. I'm
(14:51):
the fan. Well, I'm proud to be.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
A Packer than the best football fans and up over
the lambs, Doc Packer and it's a Packer fan.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I all right, Packer pretty much by jtr Roofing.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Let me yo because the pack games.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
Yeah, good morning Packer fans.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Is they have photography.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
The Packers offense has become a mid season disaster that
is getting worse when it should be getting better. Packers
are incapable of fielding in an effective run game, which
has been the biggest of so fun but so far
this year.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Go Packers. One of the guys quarterbacks hope they don't
see So don't.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
You good to hear from you?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Dave.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
We welcome your talkbacks on the iHeartRadio app. It's free.
Just click on the microphone icon. You got off to
thirty seconds to vent or get off your chest, whatever's
on your mind. We'll play those during Packer Preview. Dave
reference the Packers offense that's a subject of this segment.
It's so unusual to see this offensive team struggle. We
just are not used to that. H going on, certainly
(15:59):
back to back games. Ambo Field. Let's ask Jordan Long.
He was asked you, no, Jordan, what's going on with
the offense? Man?
Speaker 7 (16:05):
Yeah, No, I think it all comes down to just
making plays and like I said before, just execute. You know,
you looked back at that Steelers game, and I think
we were execuing at a very high level. You know,
everybody around us making plays, you know, focused on the details,
and we took advantage of a lot of the looks
that they're giving us.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
And you know, I think we're right there.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
We're right there as offense, and it just comes down
to those small details that are I think holding us back.
But you know, we have everything we need on offense.
We got the right players. Obviously we've got some injuries,
but we still got the right mindset. We've got to
find ways to focus more hone in on those little
details and execute them.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
All right, We'll see if we can get the little
details figured out, like learning how to run block. I mean,
that's the biggest difference between this team and a year ago.
I mean that the identity of the Packers offense, as
good as Love was last season, was the running game
led by Josh Jacobs. It just seemed like game after
game he was exploding through the line for big runs
to set this offense up, and it's been absent. And
it's not like Josh Jacobs out and forgure out how
(17:00):
to run the football. He's getting hit behind the line
before content. I mean, he gets contact, hit before he
hits a chance to even get in gear. And again,
you'd like to think you can figure that out, but
it's not like you can put new people in there.
You've got your line. They are who they are. There's
not a lot of depth. Now the Jenkins is out
(17:21):
and they're gonna need production. I think ultimately they miscalculated
when they refigured their line this year. They moved on
from Josh Myers thought Elton Jenkins would be the answer
at center. Jenkins clearly was not feeling as comfortable at
center as he was at guard, but was starting to
figure it out. He's lost for the season. So now
Sean Ryan, who looked like the odd man out going
(17:42):
into next season and still might be in the last
year of his rookie deal, he'll get a chance to
show that he's a better center than he was a guard,
because he was not a great guard, but maybe center
is his more natural position. There is not a natural
incumbent on the roster at that position. That might be
a place they look early in the draft next season.
Of course they don't pick in the first round, but
(18:03):
before Day three they might look at a center or
find someone in free agency up. But maybe Sean Ryan
over these next you know, seven or eight games proves
that he could be a capable replacement and a capable
starter at center. The two guys next to him have
to be a whole lot better. Aaron Banks, the free
agent fine for seventy seven million, has been an unmitigated disaster.
He has not been able to stay healthy. I'm hoping
(18:26):
that his play is just because he hasn't been right physically.
And you know that he's not as bad as guard
as he looks because he came in with all the money.
Because he's big, he's nasty, he's physical. That's what Goody wanted.
The identity of this offensive line to be is big, physical,
able to move people, and Banks hasn't moved people. Jordan
Morgan has taken the right guard job. Everybody that follows
(18:48):
Green Bay that scouted him said he is a tackle.
He was a tackle at Arizona. He could be your
future left tackle. He might be the left tackle of
twenty twenty six for this team, but right now they
need him at guard and they need him to play
at least somewhat capably at guard. The tackles have been
fined but not great. Rashid Walker has been a below
average left tackle. I'm sure the team will move on
(19:08):
from him. And Zach Tom has been the rock, but
he has not been as good. He surrendered a number
of pressures last week against admittedly a very good front
for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's been banged up in
on and off the field, as you know as well.
So the problems with this Packers offense begins upfront. And
it's not like you just say, oh yeah, a couple
(19:29):
of details like Jordan's said that. Just get the details
figured out. No, you've got to block people. You've got
to get a functioning running game. And if you can't
run the football today against the New York Football Giants,
you cannot run the football against anybody. They are the
thirty first ranked run defense. They can't stop anybody. I
mentioned their best run defender, day Cavan Thibodeau is out today.
(19:52):
They have four first round picks along their defensive line.
Pretty good pass rushing unit, but they can't tackle. They
can't stop the run. Everybody runs on the New York
Football Giants. So if the Packers are struggling to move
the ball on the ground today, this will be a
talker the rest of the season. It's not going to
get any easier to move the football than a will
today against that defense on a windy day where passing
(20:16):
might be difficult. They have to run the football today,
you know. Also, you know we talk about losing Tucker Kraft.
That's another really nice blocker up front that does everything
for you. You don't replace that. You put John Fitzpatrick
in decent blocker, but then isn't going to go out
and coverage too often and run a pattern. So everything's
(20:36):
a little different for the offense and for me, Brett.
You know, I think, like most Packer fans, my eyes
will be focused on that offensive line today and how
Lafleor calls the game like he's hearing a lot of
people whispering in his ear that you have to open
it up. But maybe not this week, you know, maybe
maybe next week when you get the Brian Flores experiment
(20:57):
coming in and all this stuff he throws at you, you
could be a little bit more whack today. It's back
to the ABC's of football. It's blocking, running, and then
pushing the ball down their throat.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Yeah, and it's fitting for a game with two old
school teams that are probably gonna have to go old
school football today in a kind of cold and windy
and weird day. But the offensive line, it's kind of
like a drummer in a band, right, If you have
a terrible drummer, it doesn't matter how great your guitar
players are, it's gonna sound terrible, you know what I mean.
It just ruins everything. And that's what the offensive line is.
And if they can't get a push on the run
(21:28):
or protect in the past, it's over. So hopefully this
is it is a textbook get right game. Everything's in
front of Green Bay. Offensively, they just have to go out.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
They just got to go on next que Well they
do and matchup. I'bby watching closely. We talked about Sean
Ryan stepping in at center hill at Dexter Lawrence across
the line from him, probably well, Brian Burns is their
best defender Brian Burns leads the NFL tied with eleven sacks,
the guy they got from Carolina a year ago. They're
middle of the road sack team. But Brian Burns is
(21:59):
a stud. You're gonna have to be careful with him.
But Dexter Lawrence up the middle, has had a disappointing
season by his standards. He's heard a lot about what's
wrong with Dexter Lawrence. The new coach has gotten in
his ear and challenged him this week, So you're gonna
get I think, a focus Lawrence who's looking at fresh
meat across the line in Sean Ryan and saying, yeah, okay,
I got this guy. So again, my eyes will be focused.
(22:22):
It's hard to focus on the center necessarily, but early
on I want to see if if Ryan's at least,
you know, holding his own against Dexter Lawrence, because that's
a matchup that favors New York typically. But as I said,
Lawrence has had a disappointing season so far, and Green
May needs to take care of business against a defense
that just has no bite. This is a team that
(22:42):
you know, we mentioned they've lost four in a row,
but if you saw last week They're up double digits
on Chicago in the fourth quarter till Jackson Dark gets hurt.
They've lost three games with fourth quarter collapses. Remember that
Denver game. The odds of Denver coming back in that
game were near z zero. I mean, they scored what
like twenty eight twenty nine points in the fourth quarter.
(23:04):
They also collapse against Dallas in a big, high scoring
game early in the year. They're able to compete, it seems,
against everybody for about three quarters and then on the
fourth quarter the defense just kind of runs out of gas.
And that kind of fits with I think how Green
Bay has been offensively right slow starting and suddenly in
the second half they wake up. And it wouldn't it
all surprise me today? Which a game I think is
(23:25):
going to be lower scoring because of the windy conditions,
But this might be a game where we're kind of
playing with our food for three quarters and it's a
one possession game, maybe they're trailing, and then the fourth
quarter the offense kicks it into gear. Because that's what
the Giants defense does. They collapse.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Do you think I asked you this question earlier in
the week.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Is there a point value that kind of resets the
offensive fears today or is it just any win is
good and we'll take it and we'll move on. Or
do we have to score twenty seven points? Do we
have to score thirty points? Or is there any limit
that's like all right now they've figured it out, or
it's just it's the Giants.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
We'll move on next week. See what happened?
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Yeah, myself, I'm not looking at like all right, if
they don't score twenty four to twenty seven, I'm still
worried about this team. I mean, you look at the
Giants defense and you go, this is a team you
should score thirty against. Again, though you're on the road
in a windy stadium, against a team that just fired
its coach, they're going to get a bump. They're going
to play better. Every team does their first game after
a coach is out. I won't be shocked if the
(24:21):
Giants are competitive defensively again, at least for a few
quarters now. If they can't put twenty points on the board,
that might be my number. If you're looking for a number,
twenty might be my number. But you know, if we
walk out of there at seventeen to six, I'm not
going to feel terrible about this team. I'm going to say,
all right, we took care of business, We rided the ship.
We head home for the Vikings. The Lions are up
(24:42):
four days later, then come the Bears. We get that
three game divisional John, I feel better about this team.
I want to see this defense clamp down the Giants
without their three best offensive players, and we'll get to
that in the next segment. But offensively, I think we
all want to see Matthew Golden get more involved. Maybe
he finally gets more of a focal point. You know,
it doesn't have to be deep passes to Golden. Put
(25:03):
the ball in his hands, let him run away from people.
You've got Watson, Dobbs, Golden and Wicks. You've got your
four preferred receivers, all healthy. Don't know if Saviana will play.
We mentioned Heat's not traveling. You got your four top guys,
and Muskrave obviously is taken over for Craft among the
three headed monster. That is the tight end position right now.
(25:24):
I just look at what what Love has done on
the road, what this offense has done on the road
is basically score points. Well, certainly a better clip than
at Lambeau this season. So yeah, I would say if
this is a you know, seventeen to sixteen Packer win,
I probably won't feel as good about it. But if
the defense does its thing where they should overmatch the Giants,
(25:48):
I'm not gonna be too concerned about the offense as
long as it you know, I need Jacob I think
more than the points. I need Jacobs to average close
to five yards of carry because that's what the Giants
are giving up and he has not been able to get.
I need the offensive line to clear holes. If I
see the running game back in gear, I'm not going
to feel like they saw that they're running the football.
This is a terrible run defense. They have to do
(26:09):
it today. It's more like if I don't see that today,
then we're in serious trouble. If we do see it today,
all right, they can overmatch a team like the Giants.
That's good. Let's keep it going next week against Minnesota
when you need to run the football as well. So
interesting challenges for this Packer's offense to get off the
schneid and show what they have shown us so many
(26:29):
times against a really bad Giants deep. When we come back,
we'll hear from both Jeff Hafley and head coach Matt
Lafleur about what's good about this Green Bay team, the Packers'
defense and they should have their way. We'll talk about
it after these.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Tell all the people across the USA.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
I love my Green.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Bay Packers, who won the first superpos ever played. I
love my Green Bay Packer.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Good morning, Dave for Maple Grove College. Let's start with
the prediction. This is a blowout forty two seven. It's
a victory. I would like to see speed at running back,
and the question I would have here is what is
the status of Marshaw Boyd, because I think that he
would give us some speed explosiveness at running back that
could help him aid our offense. Thank you much, take
(27:24):
care of go back Gough.
Speaker 8 (27:26):
Twelve sixty five Lombardi guy. Sean Ryan starts at center,
and something could be said that if Sean Ryan plays
well the rest of this year, that Elton Jenkins might
get moved over to guard next year. In addition, that
would put Morgan at left tackle with Walker not returning
to the team. Certainly looking well ahead, but there's some
(27:51):
auditioning happening here.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Go pack go holler back. Thanks guys, Yeah, the defensive
coordinator for the Pack might be auditioning as well today.
We'll get to that in a second. On those two points,
Dave for Maple Grove Marshawn Lloyd, you know, I'd love
to see him too. I don't think we're gonna see
much of him this season. It feels like another lost
season for the running back. Laflour very cryptic when asked
(28:14):
about him. Just hasn't been able to stay healthy. So
maybe we'll be surprised and he'll work his way back,
but he seems like he's not close to contributing for
this offense as far as the offensive line and twelve
sixty five Lombardy guy. You know, I don't think Jenkins
is back next season. It'd be nice to say move
him to guard and reshuffle, but he's a twenty six
million dollar cap guy to play guard. I just unless
(28:36):
they can rework his deal and he's cool with it.
But I'm guessing with all the shuffling around and coming
off the injury, the Packers will move on from Melton Jenkins.
But he's right. Sean Ryan has a chance to prove
he can be the long term center. That is something
we will watch. Speaking of watching. You can't watch the
game on your local TV today. It's not on in
this market, of course, because the Vikings and Bears will
(28:56):
be the Fox game. If you're looking for a place
to watch it, I always reckon you head to our
long time sponsor, the Park Tavern in Saint Louis Park.
It is the perfect venue to watch among hundreds of
fellow hundreds of fellow Packer fans. Just head past the
bowler alley to the eleventh frame bar that is set
up for the greeting goal. Every screen we'll have the
(29:17):
Packers and Giants, and on a day like this you
can head outside to the heated pergola and watch the
game outdoors and sip on something warm and comforting. So
if you're looking for a place to catch the game,
please support one of the great places for food and
drinks and a Packer experience, the Park Tavern in Saint
Louis Park. All Right, we mentioned auditioning the Giants that
(29:39):
are being led now by the former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka,
their offensive coordinator, who will still call plays but will
be the interim coach as they decide what to do.
Logic would tell you you've got a young quarterback in Jackson Dart,
you find a great offensive mind and you bring him
in to tutor your exciting young quarterback. But they are
(29:59):
going to look hard at I believe that Packer's defensive
coordinator Jeff Hafley, Peter Schrager. ESPN's Peter Schreeger already threw
it out there a couple times this week that there
is interested Hafley, a New Jersey native who will have
thirty family members at the game today. You know, I
think Giants fans are thinking maybe bringing a good defensive
coach and he finds a guy like, oh, I don't know,
(30:21):
maybe Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins coach, who might get let go,
let him come in as his offensive coordinator to school
Jackson Dart, and they might like that duo. I don't
want that duo. I don't want to lose Jeff Haffley
and Matt Lafleur was asked about his defensive coordinator and
what he thinks of him, not in relation to the
Giants job, but just how's Jeff Haffley doing.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, he's a stud. He's a stud.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I can't say enough great things about him. We're fortunate
to have him. He's a great mind. Like you mentioned,
he's a great person first and foremost, which is absolutely
paramount if you want to be here. But he's super
consistent what he does. He holds a high stand and
he's a great football mind.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
So if Packers defense rolls over the Giants pitches a shutout,
holds him to single digits, whatever it might be. If
that defense rises up again, the drum beat is only
going to get louder that Jeff Hafley might be in
line for a head coaching job, whether it's in New
York or somewhere else. I'm a huge fan. I don't
know how anybody can't be. You listen to the guy talk.
I'm ready to run through a wall for him. The
(31:25):
players are that way too. They all speak so glowingly
and the results are inarguable. Yes, did Goody help him
by heading Micah Parsons this season? Of course he did.
Goody's also put a lot of draft capital to that
side of the ball in recent years, and until Halfley
got to Green Bay, we didn't see much from all
those number one picks. We have seen now what this
(31:46):
defense can be. They have been outstanding in the three losses,
Green Bay has given up what ten, thirteen and sixteen points.
The defense has been a joy to watch, and this
should be a game where the defense again struck stuff.
You got a new quarterback and the Jamis Winston experience,
you know, can be electric. I mean, Jamis's highs are
(32:08):
very high and as I said, that team might get
a bump from seeing him back there, and maybe that
offense starts to move the ball a little bit. They
do have some playmakers that can scare you. Devin Singletary
as a receiver out of the backfield, it could be
a problem the Packers that had a little trouble with
tight ends. Theo Johnson has become a big weapon for them,
(32:28):
and Wandel Robinson is probably the one reliable wide receiver
they have. But as we said, no Jackson, Dart, no
Molik Neighbors, no cam scantaboo, this is not an offense
that should scare you. When the Packers defense is on
the field, they should be the much better unit. There's
no question about it. Halfley was asked earlier this week,
you know, when when your team struggling offensively, you know,
(32:50):
but the defense is lighting it up, you know, is
that frustrating for you as a coach to see your
side of the ball doing so well on the other
side struggling. Is that difficult? Is a lot more pressure
on your unit when you know the offense can't score.
Speaker 9 (33:03):
If you want to approach the game like that. But
I don't approach the game like that. It's every calls,
it's every yard, it's every drive, it's every third down.
I mean, we have to find a way to get
off the field, and you just keep playing until the
game's done. And I think what's helped me. I've been
a head coach and I've been on both sides of it.
I've been where I was in charge of the offense
and the defense. This is a team game, and for me,
(33:25):
this will never be about the defense versus the offense
or wow, we have to hold them to this amount
of points. I mean there's games since I've been here
Matt's put up in the offense of the offense has
put up thirty plus points and we've won thirty to
twenty something.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
So it's going to bounce back and forth.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
And when the.
Speaker 9 (33:42):
Offense isn't playing well, it's our job to pick them
up and we have to. But our mentality going to
every game is the same whether our offense scores forty
points or they're not scoring a lot of points. And
I respect and appreciate that from my time being a
head coach and our players, they're going to keep working
and getting better and there's there's no distraction, there's nothing there,
and we're good to go.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
He sounds like a head coach, doesn't he Every time
you hear him, he sounds like a head coach, and
he will be a head coach in this league. I
hope you know. As I joked in my blog, and
you can read my Packer preview blog every week at
zone coverage dot com. I write before the games and
after the games. I led my blog this week by
saying a small part of me wouldn't mind seeing a
forty one forty Packer shootout today. You know, love outdueling
(34:26):
Jamis Winston and the defense just giving up chunks of
yards just to cool the interest on Jeff Hafley as
a head coach. Kid, I kid, I don't expect to
see that. I don't really want to see that. I
also don't want to see Green Bay lose Jeff Hafley.
I just love watching this defense when it's cooking like
it is, and we'll see, you know, if they can,
(34:49):
you know, take care of the situation. And a Giants
team where you just don't really know what to expect.
You can't really look at the film and go, yeah,
this is what they do. Because now they have a
new coach. Granted he's the same guy who's been playing
calling plays, but he's the boss now and you know
he's gonna run. Don't you think this is the kind
of game where he got a veteran quarterback in Jamis
Winston who's seen everything. They're going to empty the playbook.
(35:10):
We're going to see things that have not been on tape.
They're going to try things again. If the wind is
as bad as crazy as they say it's going to be,
maybe that will temper some of that. But I have
to believe Mike Kafka has a chance to stamp himself
as a contender for the job by doing something offensively
against this defense today. And I expect them to empty
the playbook against Jeff Afley's defense and see if anything sticks.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I think this could be a turnover, get right game.
I mean, yeah, we had the punch out last week,
but the turnovers and the takeaways have not been there
for Green Bay overall, not as much.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
That pace last year was hard to keep up.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I understand that, but to get I think this is
a interception several interception type game.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Because of the win.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
You're going to take away the deep ball hopefully and
just keep a lid on the offense. I think they're
Jamis has a pick or two in him every single week,
or three or four, So that would be what I'm
looking for. And to be that aggressive, you know, kind
of last year's defense of we're going to be right
in your face trying to beat us.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yeah, if you're gonna pick one guy, it feels like
Xavier McKinney back home where he used to play. You
could see him stealing one. Yeah. That's the one thing
on this defense that has not clicked as it has
a year ago is the turnovers. And you mentioned the
big punch out by Edgarrian Cooper that stopped the Eagles
first drive as they were moving it right down the
field to start the game last week. Those things do
(36:30):
tend to even out, and I do think the turnovers
will come. This defense is too talented, too strong to
not start taking the ball away and you know, knocking
on wood here, but they have been primarily healthy. As
banged up as the offense has been, the Green Bays
defense will have I would say all eleven preferred starters.
Nate Hobbs is sort of a border line the way
(36:51):
he's played this year. Clearly Carrington Valentine's play, to me
has earned him that spot on the outside. He's been
the best outside corner. I mean, they didn't throw a
lot to AJ Brown Monday night, but Carrington Valentine was
tasked to spend a lot of his evening dealing with
AJ Brown and again with the Giants. You know, you're
not looking at DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown, You're looking
(37:13):
at Wandel Robinson and m without Darius Slayton. I don't
even know who's next up at receivers. So this is
not a team an offense where their playmaker's scary. Again.
They lost Molik Neighbors early to the torn Aclu just
been a for an offense that you know was so
exciting about six weeks ago when when Dark got the
(37:34):
job and they started to move it. It's really gone
crashing down to earth with the injury. So there are
no excuses for the Packers defense today other than all right,
we don't really know what we're gonna get with a
new coach and a new quarterback. But that shouldn't be
enough to tip the scales when when Green Bay's defense
is on the field. When I wrote my preview a
couple of days ago, I didn't know the weather conditions.
(37:55):
I think I put here's the deal. Packers are favored
by seven. It's it's dripping down to six and a half,
which means some of the money's coming into the Giants.
Green Bay has been historically bad covering as a favorite
this season. They are zero to four this year when
favored by four or more points against the spread and
four against the spread. So can they cover a seven
(38:16):
point spread? When I wrote my blog, I think I
wrote twenty four to twenty pack just, you know, just
things just aren't right yet. They'll turn the corner, they'll
get a win. But I have a feeling the Giants might,
you know, make this a little more sticky here in
the weather. Sleeping on it last night, I'm feeling a
little more confident. I don't think we'll see as many
points now that I see the windy conditions that are
(38:38):
expected a met life. You know. I feel like if
the Giants borrowing any turnovers by the pack the Packers
defense should hold them to ten or thirteen points. This
is not a team that should put up a couple scores,
should at the end zone a couple of times. So
I feel now as I get ready, what four hours
from kickoff feels more like a twenty to ten spot
(38:59):
for me? I feel like, maybe Green Bay does cover
that seven point spread, and nowt do do three underdog
picks and zone coverage every week. The Giants were one
of my three underdog picks. I hate to do it,
but Packers show me you can cover a spread, show
me you could put down an opponent you're better than,
and off two straight Lambeau losses if they can't come
(39:19):
in and take care of business against a banged up
Giants team. And that's the other thing I didn't realize
when I wrote my blog was just how banged up
defensively this Giants team is. We're going to have a
very different conversation on Packer Review tomorrow morning. By the way,
if you haven't listened, Brett and I do Packer Review,
a podcast on your iHeart app available the Monday morning
(39:40):
after every Packer game. You'll hear it tomorrow mid morning.
It'll be up on the iHeart app. Just search Packer
Preview you'll find it. We will have a very different
Packer Review podcast if we don't see a much stronger
performance by this team. I mean, it's going to be
panic time. If this team doesn't win, it's panic time.
(40:02):
You're playing the Giants. They're two and eight. You should
obviously not have any reservations. But what we've seen in
the last two weeks at lambeau Field, I think have
given us all reservations. Because if you can't move the
ball on the ground, most teams are going to have
their way with you. So I'm very interested to see
what we see today.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Yeah, this is a must win. I think this straight
simple must win game today. I think the reservations I
would have about this game is the the coach got
fired and there's a bump there, and who knows all
of that went away with Winston Just I know Winston's
been around a long time. He is capable of having
good games, but he's also capable of having just the
(40:39):
absolute worst games possible. So I think with this defense,
hopefully they're able to just limit him and maybe get
a takeaway or two, and then for offense, I just
want to see a clean game where they win, hopefully
cover the spread, but just win comfortably, where I'm not
you know, thinking about taking heart pressure, you know, blood
pressure medications at this young age, because the last few
(41:00):
weeks have just been a disaster. If they can just
keep a clean game, not have any stupid mistakes, not
lineup off sides false starts, and move the ball and
not get into third and fifteen's and second and elevens,
and just move the ball consistently, score points somewhat consistently.
I think it'd be a good stepping stone to then
maybe have a good offense going into the Vikings Weite.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
I'd feel much more confident if Russell Wilson was the
quarterback today, I really would. He was a disaster when
he came in last week. He's toast. I mean, he's
got nothing left. Winston is to me a much more
functioning quarterback. I've never understood why he's the third string
quarterback on the Giants. I mean I would have thought
a team who lost a quarterback this season, whether it's
(41:42):
Cincinnati or I mean, how many teams have lost. Why
nobody picked up the phone and said, well, take Jamis
off your hands. You're number three guy. I mean, that's
the best third string quarterback in football. I think as
a Packer fan we get these scars. Every fan of
their team has scars. My scar from our last visit
to Metal Life is still a little fresh. If I poke it,
it still hurts. The Packers went to Met Life and
(42:04):
Tommy Cutlets beat him. Tommy DeVito. Last time Green Bay
went there to face a backup quarterback, they got beat.
So that sticks with me. It happened, and I don't
think it'll happen again today. But this is a much
better quarterback than Tommy DeVito, who I don't know. I
think he's still in football, but I'm not sure where
he is. He's not in New York anymore. He's gonna
(42:24):
have to have his mom's chicken palms sent to wherever
he's playing. So the backup quarterback thing, to me, it's real.
Jamis to me, does give them a boost. But I
am a believer in this Packers' defense and the way
it looks, and I just don't see those offensive weapons
having sustained success against this defense. And again, this is
the game. We said this against Carolina a couple weeks ago.
(42:47):
On the rest of the schedule, this is the easiest game,
even though it's a road game. We've got five division
games left. You got the Ravens and Lamar Jackson coming
into December, and you got to go and play really
tough Denver defense. Not that far down the road either.
It's a tough seven games slate after this one. So
to get to six three and one, to welcome in
(43:08):
your three division foes the next three weeks with some momentum,
that is mandatory. And if we don't see this team
rebound off two straight home losses as they sit here
at five four and one tomorrow, we're gonna feel really
differently about this team. And you don't throw in the towel,
but you're gonna say the wiggle room is gone. Now
(43:29):
you're gonna have to go into Detroit on Thanksgiving and
win that game, and all these games are going to
be so important. So yeah, it's sort of a fork
in the road moment. But things have lined aligned well
for green Bay with what the Giants have to offer
on the field. Today again, windy day, twenty mile an
hour wins throughout the game. Gusting's up to thirty forty
forty five miles per hour. No, Brandon McManus, he is out.
(43:52):
Lucas Haversik gets a chance. How many opportunities they'll give
the kicking game and the win we will, We will see.
Noma Lee Keith disciplinary coach's decision didn't travel with the team.
But Green Bay is about as healthy as they've been.
You know, obviously you lost Tucker Craft Helton Jenkins the
last two weeks. You've lost two starters for the season.
But the injury list is short. Gotta believe they get
(44:15):
it done. I'll call it twenty to ten. What's your
final prediction? Score quickly?
Speaker 3 (44:19):
Ah, we'll go seventeen to seven.
Speaker 4 (44:22):
Yeah, low scoring game in the win. Let's get it done,
Let's get back on track. Let's welcome in the Purple
next Sunday. Enjoy the game and as always, go Pack.
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