October 20, 2025 • 37 mins
KFAN's Dave Sinykin and Brett Blakemore recap a Packers win on the road against the Cardinals!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Packer Review AKFA and Production. I am Dave Sidekid,
joined by Brett blake Bore. We join you the Monday
after every Packer game to break down what we saw
and what we saw mister blake Bore on Sunday was
a different kind of game than we've seen all season.
We've kind of gotten used to the Packers taking double
digit leads, maybe fumbling those leads a little bit, but
(00:21):
it was the first time they didn't have a double
digit lead before giving up a point. They actually trailed
and gave up points in the first quarter, but somehow someway,
they rode the cape of Superman at the end and
the Packers escape. Arizona escaped the desert with a twenty
seven twenty three win, their first road win of the season,
and as we record this morning, they are one of
(00:44):
just three one lost teams in the NFL. It might
be two after tonight if the Buccaneers fall short in Detroit.
So despite some of the ugliness and some of the
frustrations and the choppiness, this team is four one and
one and pretty much exactly where you'd like them to
be through six games of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, from a record standpoint, and good morning. From a
record standpoint, it looks fantastic and you can use this
one if you want. I just thought of it. Good
teams find a way to win. Yeah, you can use
that anytime you want. But I just feel like I
almost feel like I've slightly turned a little bit, like
the first two weeks have officially worn off for me.
(01:25):
For the defense, and they came in when we needed
them to, and you know, when they got the big
stops when they absolutely had to. But I just felt
like the Packers, essentially, I'm not counting the six seconds
of possession to get that sixty one yard field goal
as a possession. You had three drives in the first half,
you know, and a lot to me, a lot of
(01:47):
that is because the defense just could not get off
the field. You get them to third and long countless
times just for them to bomb you over the top.
So I was very disappointed in the defensive play much
until Mike has showed up in the last couple of drives.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So it concerns you when a quarterback like Jacoby Prissett
could complete eighteen straight passes that is yes, oh I see, yeah, yeah,
I We'll do a deep dive into this defense and
where it's at. It can't just be a Devonte Wyatt problem.
There are communications issues. There are a few players that
had really bad games on that side of the ball.
And you know this just in the quarterback levels we're
(02:25):
gonna see as we move forward, are gonna get a
little bit stronger with Aaron Rodgers and obviously Jalen Hurt's
coming in not too far down the road. So yeah,
I am very concerned about the defense. The bloom is
off the rose. As you said, after the first two weeks,
we'll get to that. I think we start though, with
the start of the game and the Mica game. The
three sack game maybe should have been four. The hip
(02:48):
drop tackle. You know they called that once the entire
time in twenty twenty four, the entire season, only one
pedalty like that was called. Usually guys get fined like
a day or two later when they look at the
stape and they go, oh, yeah, that was illegal, You're
gonna get fined. They rarely call it on the field.
I don't know what Parsons is supposed to do there,
but we'll throw that play aside. This is the guy
(03:11):
when the trade happened two months ago. This is the
guy we couldn't wait to watch. And it's not like
he hasn't been there. It's just that there has been
such a concerted effort by teams to double triple, quadruple
team him, do whatever they could to make sure Parsons
didn't blow them up. Arizona didn't do as much of that,
and Micah made him pay. And not just the three
sacks and the ten pressures and the five quarterback hits,
(03:34):
it's when he does them right. It's the first sack
comes on th third and goal from the eight, they
have to settle for a field goal.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
The second comes tie game.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Twenty twenty, fourth quarter, third and goal, He makes a sack,
they settle for a field goal, and then of course
the last one on the second to last play of
the game that backed Arizona up for just the desperation
heave on fourth down. Great players saved their best for
the most important moments, and man, that that was fun
to watch. I mean that guy's motor. I mean you
(04:05):
talk about the great players who you know, as the
game gets deeper fourth quarter, they get better. I always
think of Josh Jacobs that way, and you think of
it in all kinds of sports. In the NBA, Steph
Curry is an assassin in the fourth quarter. Mike is
that kind of guy, and it means if you can
hang around with teams, he might just make a play
that turns the corner and turns the balance of the game.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
And he did.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I mean, that was the reason that the defense held
as well as they did, and a huge reason that
they won the game is some of the plays and
just it doesn't matter if he got chipped or I mean,
he really turned it on. I mean, by far his
best game without its shadow of a doubt. You know,
it doesn't excuse what I was talking about earlier with
the defense, but I think that is well beyond what
(04:48):
Micah is capable of stopping all on his own. I
thought he was fantastic. And that's the guy you trade
all those draft picks and players for, no.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Question about it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
All right, more on Micah, More on the defense as
move along. The other headline of the game was the decision.
Can we call it the decision or does Lebron James
have a copyright?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Now?
Speaker 4 (05:06):
He might we like it soon?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, all right, well we won't call it. We won't
like call the decision, but it was the decision of
the game, and I wasn't on board. I have to
tell you in real time, you know you're down three,
you've got haverstick to come out and kick the game
tying field goal. And yes, there's still two minutes left,
and it's hard to trust the defense to make a stop.
But the way it all played out, field goal team
comes out. Reportedly, Lafleur looks at Jordan Love's face and
(05:32):
sees the disdain on his face by the field goal
team coming out, so he calls time out. And now
I've already irritated because all right, now we're down to
one timeout. So if the Packers kick a field goal
at the time game, and if Arizona scores, and if
there's some time left, you'll have maybe well you'll have
no timeouts because you'll have used your one. But you
know what I mean, like pretty much you were gonna
(05:53):
have to rely on your defense. But I was kind
of at peace with that. I when they call the
time out, now it's like, oh god, now it's got
Now you have to make a play and so retrospect,
great call. So glad they did it, But man, I
was nervous like everybody in the moment, and then you
read the report about the play as it unfolded that.
You know, they go up to the line with two
play calls, whether they're playing man or zone, and it
(06:16):
looked like they were playing zone. So Love goes with
the zone call, but then they disguised it they were
actually in man, and so his first two reads were
Golden and Heath underneath just to get the first down.
They're both covered. When he drops back and throws that
long pass, we're all thinking, oh my goodness, right, one
of the percentages of this play working. But man, kudos
to Tucker Craft. He got free, he got open. Love
(06:40):
drops one in with just enough space for Craft to
get those toes down and it's first down. And now
you feel really good about the decision. It took a honus.
In retrospect, I'm really glad he did it, But I'm
being honest here in the moments, I did not like
that call.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
How about you?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, I mean I in the moment, I was just
biting my fingernail off.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
But I do.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I think I like it, and I think this is
kind of a weird conspiracy, But I think the Dallas
game almost changed that decision. You know, we're not kicking
the field goal and potentially risking going in overtime and
getting another tie. You know, like, let's go and win
the game. But what just an ice cold throw from George.
I'm telling you, like I've been singing his praises, I
will continue to do so. The guy is just cold blooded.
(07:25):
I don't understand the narrative in the big moments and
the big time plays. It can't do it like it's
after week he does, and he leads game winning drives
week after week. And that was a huge throw that
you had to put right on the money. It couldn't
have been anywhere else. It was just perfect. And yeah
(07:45):
it was a long throw for what was it a
fourth and two? It was a long throw to get there.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
They made it work.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I'd like to live in a world where you trust
your defense. Here what looked like a dominant defense through
two weeks against two really good teams. I'd like to
think that, a we'll just take the tie here, we'll
shut them down on three plays and then we'll go
ahead and win it. But the defense is not in
a place where you can trust them in closing moments.
Maybe they will be you know, obviously it's still early
and you want to play your best ball, obviously down
(08:13):
the road all that stuff, but in this time for
this team, can't trust the defense to make a stop.
Certainly yesterday, Jacoby Brissette he's a better quarterback than Kyler Murray.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
He just is.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Murray is more dangerous with the legs, but he doesn't
throw a ball like Jacoby Brissett does. And we talked
about it heading into this game, like he was coming
off a three hundred yard passing day on the road
against the Colts, who right now are the best team
in the NFL, if not the AFC at least, Wow,
and I took it down. You know, the Colts were
missing some guys in their secondary, so it made it
(08:45):
easier for Brissette. That still was a really good performance
that you know, he had a lead with the Cardinals,
had a lead three times in the fourth quarter last week.
He kept bringing him back and the defense couldn't hold
Daniel Jones down the stretch. So Brissette gives this team
a different element. He makes Marvin Harrison and Trey McBride better.
McBride has more touchdowns in two games with Brissette that
(09:07):
he does in twenty one games with Kyler Murray, so
you can say, ah, you caught a break. He didn't
have to play Kyler Murray. We talked about an unpacker preview.
I wanted to see Kyler Murray because you knew with
the foot injury, he ain't gonna run too much, so
you're gonna lose that element of what makes Murray dangerous.
Brissette's just a solid backup quarterback who if he has
to start a few games, you don't lose anything. And
(09:29):
he was pretty much magnificent yesterday. I mean, he six sacks.
Packers were all over him, but he delivered big plays.
And one of my big takeaways from this game was
third downs. You know, green Bay has been magnificent on
both sides of the ball on third downs. Now, yesterday, offensively,
they couldn't make it work. Three for ten. Defensively, they
(09:50):
gave up seven out of fourteen. It was better than
that early. There were a couple of third downs late
that they did not convert. But then on third down
green Bay went two of three offensively, and the Cardinals
went zero for two on fourth down, So they were
better on fourth than on third. But I got to
give Brissette some credit, he was really really good, but
(10:10):
it exposed some really big issues for this defense. And
I think the biggest issue Brett is the play of
Nate Hobbs, who is not an outside cornerback as much
as they want him to be.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
They paid him big money to him over in free
agency to.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Man the spot on the other side opposite Keyshaw Nixon,
and he just gets beat up and down the field.
And again, this is not a real prolific Arizona offense,
but he is not an outside corner. He played one
hundred percent of the snaps on Sunday, Valentine played three percent.
And the issue you have is, well, if you put
him in the slot, what do you do with Javon Bullard,
(10:45):
who's been really good as a slot corner. Do you
put Javon Bullard at safety and take Evan Williams off
the field, who admittedly did not have a very good
game on Sunday. I don't know if that's the answer.
I might plant Nate Hobbs on the bench for a while.
Let I'm watched.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
That's a problem and it bears watching as we move forward.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I also noticed Snate Hobbs I feel like every big
play or at least seventy five percent of the big
home run plays that the Cardinals hit, Nate Hobbs was
supposed to be in that zip code or was watching
from not far away and watching the completion be made.
I just I'm not sure anyone in the secondary was,
you know, lights out, lights out.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I mean they were getting gashed.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
They did a whole like highlight package with Jakoby Brissett
of every time he did like a two step drop
and fired it right away, which is what we talk
about every week, And there was a huge super cut
and every time it worked because they even Micah Parsons
cannot get there to a two step drop and immediately
throw the ball, and they just could not get off
(11:43):
the field. The coverage was not great against receivers that
are okay, I was so, I'm so sour on this defense.
I'm I may even. I mean, the special teams had
their issues as well, and there were flags all over
the plays. I can't remember how many flags the Packers
had overall.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Ten.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
My number one concern right now over the special teams
is the defense just getting gashed if they can't get
home in a two step drop it's horrible.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
They can't get off the field.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Yeah, without Michael Parsons, clearly, the Packers don't win this game.
And you know, talking back to Hobbs, seeing a defender
wharing Packers' number twenty one get beat all the time
is very jarring. Right after the Charles Woodson era, I
don't I'm not used to seeing the back of a
twenty one jersey, so I have to get used to that.
I'd like him to change his number. I don't feel
like he deserves twenty one. I'm not sure he'd go
(12:32):
with me on that, but that is an issue. Yeah,
the defense is a concern big time. You know, we're
gonna see a Steelers team that's gonna have had extra rest,
extra time to think about a really bad loss in Cincinnati.
They're gonna be ordery and they're gonna play hard for
Aaron Rodgers obviously, And Rodgers is gonna know what it
takes to beat this defense because he did it to Minnesota,
who is the same kind of aggressive defense is just
(12:54):
just get rid of the ball in two and a
half seconds, which nobody does better than Rodgers. So it's
gonna be a really big for this defense. They need
Devonte Wyatt back. I don't know what his status is.
I hate to pin it all on getting one guy back,
because once one guy comes back, somebody else goes down.
And actually, I thought Kolby wouldn't looked really good yesterday
playing for Wyatt.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
But yeah, it's it's so weird.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It's such a long season that we have a roller
coaster ride and all that. But I through, like you,
through two weeks. I was daring to dream that this
was a defense that was going to be the identity
of this team. That as good as Love and Jacobs
and company are, it looks like this defense travels and
it's going to make it difficult for everybody. And again,
big picture, they hadn't a lot of point in the
(13:37):
first quarter all season. They had you know, they had
not trailed for much of any game. I mean, this
is the first time Green Bay didn't lead till the
final two minutes of a game. So I'm not ready
to throw out my hands and say this defense is lost.
I trust Halfley. I think he's a great defensive coordinator.
But there are things to clean up, things to figure out,
and maybe some personnel moves to make because competition is
(14:00):
going to get a little fiercer as we move along.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I'm not really saying they're dead for the season, but
I'm what I'm saying is it's a problem right now.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
And I would almost go out in the limit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Says it's a liability at times because if the if
you can't, if you give the offense the ball three
times in the first half, you can't, it's hard to
get into a rhythm. I mean, you talk about complimentary
football and the cliches, and you know, we can talk
about culture shields too at that point, but if you
can't get them the ball, and I'm not even talking
about like takeaways, just you know, a three and out
(14:32):
once in a while would be nice. And it just
they didn't really seem like they had it until they
absolutely needed to have it, which is better than nothing,
better late than ever. And I'm happy that we won,
and you know, I'm going to savor it, but it's
just I'm the luster of week one and week two
for the defense to me, is completely gone, and they've
got to be better.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah, I go back to the very first drive of
the game where they went down seven minutes or so
and kicked the field goal, and you know, Parsons with
the stack, you know, maybe have to go for three.
But the defense was on the field for a long
time to start the game. The offense comes out and
goes up tempo, and I'm thinking, you go three and
out and that defense has to get right back on
the field. Why are you going up tempo after a
(15:11):
long drive by the other team. Now it was third
and long, remember on that first drive, and Love finds
Golden for a first down and they get to move
the chains and give the defense more of a rest.
But that just didn't seem very aware to go up tempo,
have to your defensive been on the field that long.
One other the key play that we haven't talked about
defensively was the first turnover in basically a calendar month
(15:34):
for this team, something we've all been harping about since
the last one. I think the interception against Cleveland, Rashan
Gary with a strip of Brissette forces the fumble in
the third quarter when Arizona starting to move the ball,
you know, up seven, first takeaway in a month, the
Packers take the ball, score and we can kind of extale. Okay,
(15:55):
it is legal to create turnovers. That's a good thing
to know, Gary had been kind of quiet, but that
was a you know, one of those plays that in
the big picture, we all talk about Micah because it
was MICA's game and mic Ha's saved the day, but
that play saved the day as well.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Yeah, that and what happened after that, Packers got in
the end zone. You know, all of those stops in
the third and the fourth, I think there are three
big ones. You know, that strip sack, there was one
sack that forced them. There was the stopped push push
without the push. The fan has learned it helps a
lot when you actually get that push going. Every single
one of those stops turned into points. So credits to
(16:32):
the offense and credits to the defense for those stops.
But that's the type of when you hear the cliche
of contromerary football and you want to roll your eyes,
like I've heard that a million times. That's what they're
talking about. You set your offense up, they go put
it in the end zone.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That fourth down stop was huge. I'm glad you mentioned it.
I forgot to write it down in my notes. That
was again trying to find good takeaways for the defense,
like the strip stack like obviously number one that that
play is something you can take with you and go, Okay,
that's that's a big boy moment right there. One more
thing on the defense before we move to the other
side of the ball. The Packers have a real problem
(17:07):
covering tight ends this season. And again, you're not going
to face great tight ends every single week, but even Cincinnati,
who doesn't have a tight end that you've ever heard of,
well maybe you've heard of Mikeasiki if you play fantasy football,
but every tight end the Packers face has big days.
And you know, for the season, through six games, Packers
defense has given up forty six completions to the tight
(17:29):
end position in six games. That's eight a game for
three hundred and seventy five yards and five touchdowns. And
you know it's Edgar and Cooper a lot. He's being
asked to cover some really talented tight ends. It's going
to be hard for anybody, but you got to give
him help when you're facing a team that has one legitimate,
dangerous offensive weapon. With apologies to Marvin Harrison Junior who
(17:50):
hopes to be there someday, it's all about taking Trade
mc bride away. You have to do whatever you can
to make sure he doesn't beat you. And the two
touchdowns big Bride scored. Okay, maybe not at sixty two
sixty three. I couldn't do it, but ten years ago
I could make that catch it play. Very concerned about
how this team defends the tight end position. It's a problem,
and teams are going to keep attacking it till they.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Figure it out.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, there's one play in particular where I could defend
you know, Cooper's coverage. It was in the end zone,
kind of over the top. It wasn't a great throw
because it was a little behind McBride, but Cooper makes
a great play, swats it out of the air and
it's an incompletion. Other than that, I mean, who are
you gonna defend a big, dangerous tight end with. I
mean you're left with Cooper or you're left with putting
(18:35):
them on a corner. I mean, do you.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Trust Bullard in that situation?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I mean, it's just kind of a matchup problem for us.
I just don't feel like we have that lockdown. I mean, Clay,
I don't none of those options really like, oh yeah,
they're going to shut down a big tight ends.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
It's a huge problem. Completely agree.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I think guys like Walker and Cooper should be able
to They're athletic enough to run with good tight ends.
And you know Cooper is still trying to figure things out.
He's a menace. He's fantastic, great tackler. I love everything
about his game that's got to get cleaned up.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Because it's being exposed.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
And you look at back at Pittsburgh's last game, Pat
Friarmuth had two touchdowns out of nowhere. He's licking his
chops for Sunday Night Football, saying, all right, JOHNU. Smith
and I we're going to go to town against against
this defense, so we'll see what Halfley does.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
I mean that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
You know they game planned to take Trey mcbright away,
and he caught ten balls for seventy four yards on
thirteen targets. So yeah, that's something that that defense or
the opposing offices are going to continue to look at.
All Right, offensively, Josh Jacobs tested the calf pre game.
He was a true game time decision ninety minutes before
(19:46):
he really lobbied the coaches, and I loved his comments
after the game where he said, look, the last time
I had a calf strain like this where he played
Seattle ended up with three hundred yards from scrimmage. I
just know my body. I wanted the coaches to trust me.
I knew I could go. They put him on a snapcount,
which irritated him. He kept lobbying for more. He got
thirteen carries for the game. Lafleur, if you heard the
(20:08):
interview coming out of halftime, said yeah, he's in a
bit of a pitch count. We're going to look to
make him make sure he's healthy and ready and fresh
for the fourth quarter and a mission accomplished. I guess
because after the big fourth down play to Tucker Craft,
they lean on Jacobs to take him into the end
zone for the second time.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
He's just a beast.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
He wasn't his explosive self, but he was out there
making plays and there was a catch that he could
have maybe made that you could just tell he didn't
have that explosiveness. And the running game is still nowhere
near where it was last year. But he is clearly
not one hundred percent. He wasn't last week when he
had the flu. He was still dealing with the illness
as well as the calf. But the fact that he
was able to go, even in a halftime role, was
(20:50):
absolutely huge for this offense.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
He's a warrior.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Man. I'm falling more in love with Josh Jacobs every
single week. And if you watch the locker room celebration
after where he got game ball for gutting get out
there and his just heartfelt comments about what it means
to be on this team and playing for this guys. Man,
it's what makes you love football. I hope you saw
that because find it on TikTok or YouTube wherever you look,
(21:15):
because it kind of warms your heart.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah, it was really good. The dude is a warrior.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
And you know, there was one point in the fourth quarter,
I think it was late it was almost or maybe
right before the second touchdown where he got to carry
and it was gaining like three or four and they
cut to him on the broadcast and he's looking over
to the sideline. He's like he's nodding his head like
I got this, Like I'm fine, Stop worrying about me,
you know, And I think a couple of plays later
(21:40):
is in the end zone, he's still I just love
the way that he's such a threat within the five,
and you would think that's just the easiest thing in
the world to just stuff a guy and make them
spread you out and make try to do something different.
The guy just finds the hole, he'll cut back, and
he still had that quickness and agility to maybe make
get cut in within the five just because there was
(22:03):
one play where Jordan Morgan just got crushed and juked
out of the way of him found his way.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
In the end zone.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean, it's just it's a thing of beauty and
he's going it turns this offense to a whole other thing.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I really hope he's feeling better, because you could run
all day on Pittsburgh. It's gonna need to be a
Josh Jacobs night next Sunday. So hopefully this week we'll
get that calf feeling better. Let's go back to the
end of the first half. We were texting a little
bit about what happened there. When the Colts got that
trade McBride touchdown. I was so disgusted, like he was
so wide open. It's now what thirteen to three final
(22:37):
seconds of the half. My dog is all over me
to go out for a walk, so I'm like, yeah, okay,
let's go. So I take the dog for the walk
and I come back in and look at my phone
and I see some text, I think from you from
our guy, old southside guy, about what a big field
goal that was, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Like, no, McBride's scoring a touchdown? Wait? Wait what?
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And I saw that the Packers had kicked a field
goal and I just look, wait, there was no time?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
What could have possibly got a few? What? What? I
was just so confused.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Yeah, of course I looked one of my phone, looked
at the play by play and saw that I started
the thirty and it was the twenty five. It's twenty five,
I think because they actually didn't get stuck at the twenty.
They knew what to do and the twenty two yard
pass to Romeo Dobbs. This stopped the clock with one
second left outtrats Lucas have for sick calmly nails a
(23:23):
sixty one yard field goal. I still haven't seen the
field goal. I got to go back and look at
a little room to spare. Really, yea remarkable kudos to Lafleur,
who I had some issues with some of the play calls.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
We'll get to that, but for having that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Making that gutsy decision because seven seconds how often do
you see a team with seven seconds left taking a shot,
especially when your offense has done nothing, you're on the road,
you're going to get the ball back to start the
second half. Just taking dee with seven seconds but no
very aggressive play. I think that's the kind of play
that that does wake up an entire team. It gives
you confidence. Everyone believes in you that you can make
(24:01):
them craziness happen. That's another play that gets lost up
maybe in the big picture of that game. But wow,
I kind of wish I'd hung around, made my dog
wait to watch that.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, well I was.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I was already deep in the doom scroll at that
point because I knew last time they came out aggressive
in late and a half situation in Dallas, it bit
him in the ass super hard. It was a strip
sack and they went in for the end zone, so
I was expecting them to just knee it out. We
got the ball at half and we're just going to
go from there. Not so fast, my friend. It felt
(24:35):
like it felt like the last play of the Dallas
game where the clock just perfectly.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
It's a long ball over to Dobbs.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Who then perfectly gets tackled right at two seconds, they
get the time out off with one second. I mean
the clock operator, God bless them. You know they are
on our sides this year for sure. On the road
crazy think about it. Yeah, so we love that, and
it felt like a play that just was perfectly executed
(25:03):
as far as time, I mean, how do you account
for that in the you know, oh, this will be
about five seconds to develop and throw and get down
on the ground at this I mean.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
It was just perfect thing of beauty.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Well, if you're the Packers, what do you do about Lucasasik?
I mean, the kid comes in and has been lights
out four for four field goals. He's made all six
extra points. That's the longest field goal in Green Bay
Packer history. The fan has learned that goes over one
hundred years. Not that they tried sixty yard field goals before,
like three years ago. But what do you do with him?
I mean, obviously McManus is your kicker, he's proven, he's
(25:37):
a veteran, he's been great. You assume he's good to go.
If not this coming week, very soon. They're already talking
about it. You know, they are like, can you afford
to keep two kickers on your roster, probably not. Can
you afford to put him on the practice squad, probably not.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Do you look to trade him?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I mean, there's probably half a dozen teams that would
give you a seventh round pick for Lucas Havesik Or
do you do do the crazy thing and say we've
seen enough. He's twenty six. You know this kid could
be our kicker for ten years. Let's move on for McManus.
I don't know if they're having those conversations after two weeks,
but it's got to be in your head. But if
you're running the show right now and and McManus is
(26:15):
good to go here in the next week or so
before the trade deadline, you have to make a decision.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
What do you do?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
It's the million dollar question.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Lafleur was asked about it in the postgame and kind
of like chuckled, like almost like brushed off the idea
that he could potentially but it I don't I'm how
old is Brandon McManus Off the top of your head,
do you know?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
I would say thirty three, thirty four.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
Thirty four, thirty four.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
So if you're looking for long, if you're looking for
your next Mason Crosby maybe it is, but I think
it's a good problem to have. Either way, I don't
know what I would do. I'd probably be conservative and
stick with McManus, But either way, I think you couldn't
go wrong.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
By the looks of it.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
It's nice that he's even making us half as conversation
because you lose your kicker and your head now the
road for a couple of weeks and you guys, well,
I guess last week was at home.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
It's just what he got. We had an issue with
kickers the last couple of years till we landed on McManus.
But how man has has been unbelievable, almost a team saver.
So that's gonna be a fun storyline to follow. What
are Packer fans whining about this morning? Maybe whining is
a strong word, but something I noticed that first drive
(27:25):
Matthew Golden, three catches, big plays, the hands, the separation, like, okay,
this could be the Matthew Golden game. He was targeted
once more the rest of the game. Four targets, four catches.
Just I don't know, find a way to get the
ball in his hands. It's only going to get tougher
to find a way. Once you get Kristen Watson Jayden reidback,
(27:46):
there are more mouths to field.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
You have to find.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Tucker Craft and Romeo Dobbs three targets on the first
drive won the rest of the way. You can say
it's situational blah blah blah, find a way to get
the ball in Zero's hands.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
That's starting to bug me up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, I mean, this is this is what we signed
up for, this is what we knew was coming, that.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
You know this would happen.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
It just it seems to never end the fantas well,
even the fantasy aspect, but even the non fantasy aspect
of a jet sweeper. I mean, obviously he breaks it
has fantasy, but you know, just getting the ball by
any means necessary in his hands. It just seems like
matt Leiflord, no matter what he does, doesn't want to
operate like that. And it's hard to argue them with
(28:28):
his pedigree and his playoff percentage as a Packers head coach.
But it is frustrating to see this new shiny toy
that we've all been waiting for for us to draft
a wide receiver and they're just going to use him
as the same as they use Heath and Wicks and
everybody else. So it's all fair because everyone's getting this treatment.
It's not like he's the one not getting targets. They
(28:49):
spread the ball around, you know, with no bias at all.
So but unfortunately with no bias, sometimes you get left
out to dry.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
To Yeah, I mean, I'm not losing sleep.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
And I just think he's such a weapon and he
just gives you such a different element that just let's
stress the other defense at least look his way a
few times so they believe it's going to go his
way more often than it does. Craft was targeted a
team high ten times. I have no issue with that
that that can be the case all season long. He
is so reliable, just just what a fun player to
(29:20):
watch play. And again, if you go back and watch
that postgame scene in the locker room, it was Craft
that kind of brought the team together and made some
heartfelt comments to bring everybody together to wrap it up
with the go pack. And he's becoming a leader of
this team, and you just that's the guy you want
to stay healthy because not only is he's such a
threat after the balls in his hands, he saw some
(29:41):
of those blocks he made where he just took guys out.
He took Josh Sweat out, and Sweat I don't think
he knew his name, like he had to go to
the sideline and figuring things out.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
He's just a complete player.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
We talked about how he used to work out with
George Kittle a couple off seasons ago. He is becoming
a Kittle like weapon for this offense. I think it's
just beginning what he can do for this team. So
I'm not saying feed Golden all day long. Craft could
have the most targets every week as far as I'm concerned,
But I just want to see more from Zero. I
just think he's he's special. The speed's there, the hands
(30:11):
there still, he had a nice hands catch yesterday I'm
third down where he plucked one out of the air.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I just want to see more of them. I love
his game.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
And it's still it's six games into his rookie season,
and this might be by Thanksgiving in Detroit. Something we
laugh about. But yeah, I don't know that it will be.
As you say, it's kind of how the Packers operate,
but at some point they might realize just you know,
put it in his hands and see what he can do,
and see what that does to open things up for
everybody else. It was also a day where Wicks was
(30:38):
on a snapcount. He's still playing hurt. So you're down
three of your top four wide receivers and Golden still
just gets four targets.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
It's just just annoys me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, and it's not coming from a standpoint of, well,
this offense can't run and they're being poorly coached, and
they can't put up points because they're not doing this.
It's more of a we everybody knows, and I'm sure
they know in the locker room too.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Well.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I guess maybe you could ask the question. But everybody,
at least Packer fans know that Golden is special and
has that little Jennis se Quah. He's got the X factor.
You just want to see it be used, just because
you know you've got it and.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You know there's something there.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
So the fact that it's not as frustrating, but I
think Jordan Love was quoted of saying, put the ball
in Craft's hands and good things happened. I believe that
was part of the either the pre or the post game.
So and it couldn't be further from or it couldn't
be closer to the truth like it is. It's exactly
spot on. You put it in his hands. It seems
to be either a touchdown or a great reception for
(31:35):
a fourth and two. That was a questionable play call
that worked out perfectly.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
The game was not pretty to start with, as we know,
the offense you know, didn't get a lot of chances,
didn't do much with it, you know, had three points
till the final seconds.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
We know all that.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
How much do you put into the whole travel problems
the packers had where they were stuck on the tarmac
for five hours with playing issues, had to get on
a different plane. They had already gone through Tsay, so
they couldn't go back into the airport. So they either
on the plane or they're on the tarmac. It meant
that they couldn't have the team meetings on Saturday night.
They didn't get into Arizona till nine o'clock. They did
(32:10):
a walk through offensively on the tarmac waiting for the plane,
but the only coaches that were there were Laflora, the
two coordinators. The other plane had taken all the other
coaches and all the you know, support people. It was
just the players and the top three coaches that were stuck.
And so it throws your time and off, it throws
your rhythm off. You don't get to go and have
dinner with maybe friends in Arizona or you know, you
(32:31):
just it changes your mental clock. And for players that
get so locked into how road trips go. I never played,
I don't know what that feels like, but I have
to think that does affect you. And I'm not looking
for excuses for a slow, choppy start. I'm sure a
lot went into it, but I'm not sure you can
just dismiss the fact that everything went kind of haywire.
They get in late Saturday night and now if you
(32:53):
need IVS, if you need this or that, everything's crazy.
So I don't know if I want to say, well,
I'm going to give them a bit of a asked
for a bad first half, but I also want to
just dismiss it because I have to think that factors
in just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Yeah, I almost and kind of now that it's over,
I'm almost kind of happy it happened because I feel
like that is a memory that is going to live on.
Doing a walk through on the tarmac, and to me,
that's that's like straight out of a movie. You know,
where you're doing practice and running routes on the asphalt
with the big numbers.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
For the runways.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
You know that you had to had to a third
cone on the on the right, the orange cone, and right.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Now you cut on that third cone exactly so right
by that suitcase that's laying there that shouldn't be there.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
I hope that that's kind of.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
A bonding, memorable experience for the team and hopefully brought
them closer together, because I could totally see some cheesy
sports movie doing something like that and it didn't. I
don't think it affected the game all that much. Hopefully
it just was a fun experience that brought the boys
closer together.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Agree all right, So for one and one through fixed games,
perhaps the best record in the NFC. If Tampa Bay
loses to Detroit, the Packers will have the best record
of the NFC, the only one lost team. And that
feels great, But I think all of us say we
haven't come close to seeing the best of this Packers team,
and then they're not anywhere near what we think needs
to be a Super Bowl contender. The teams that they've
(34:16):
struggled with are not very good teams. I think the
last three teams are eight twelve and one combined. And
the Packers have not looked very good of these last
three weeks, but have found a way, obviously to get
that win on Sunday, the first road win, and to
get that fourth win, and then they're sitting at four
to one and one and maybe the game that everybody
circled on the calendar is up next in Pittsburgh on
(34:37):
a Sunday night, And as I said, extra rest ornery
off a loss, you're gonna get Pittsburgh's best. As bad
as that defense looked against Cincinnati, they're gonna be ready
for their quarterback to face his former team. So we're gonna,
I think, get a really true test on the road
again and against a better opponent. About where this team is,
I don't I think Green Bay is an early three
(34:58):
point favorite in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I saw.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I think it's a bit surprising. I would have thought
to be more like a pick. So I guess what's
your temperature. I know we're very down on the defense
right now, and you worry about what Rogers might do.
Knowing what it takes to beat this defense right now.
But big picture, at four to one and one and
knowing that maybe they're at sixty sixty five percent on
(35:21):
both sides of the ball, I mean, still you're going
to get some key players back. Devonte Wyatt Watson reed.
I'm still not sold on Rashid Walker at left tackle.
By the way, I still think Jordan Morgan might be
there before the season's over, So there might be some
things to fix up front. But big picture of the
fact that they're not anything like a championship team right now,
but right now after tonight might be the one seed,
(35:43):
you can't feel terrible about where they find themselves.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I think my overall temperature right now is can the
Are the Packers capable of contending for a Super Bowl?
My answer would be yes. Are they playing anywhere near
to that standard?
Speaker 3 (35:57):
No?
Speaker 2 (35:58):
The only reason that I still think it's yes as
a you know, the record has been good, and they
found ways to win games for the most part, and
that tie is essentially counting more as a win than
a loss at this point with the standings, so.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
And you know that the talent.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Is there and the pieces are in place, they're just
not playing up that standard. So in the short term,
I'm very down on the team. In the long term,
I'm very high in them, assuming that they improve, because
there's you know, a lot of the times, there's only
one way to go with some how some of the
play is going. I'm just my dabba right now on
next week is not good. I think there's no room
(36:34):
for the offense to make any mistakes whatsoever because we've
been burned by Flacco twice and Jacoby Brissett and Rogers
the fan has learned is the best thrower of the football.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
To ever throw the football, and he still is. If
he wants to be, he can.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So I just have a I don't have a good
feeling in my stomach about this one, so I'm hoping
to reverse jinks it.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
But that's that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Yeah, a big picture, You've got a quarterback that could
make big plays at the biggest moments. He's proven it
week after week. And you've got a guy on defense
that's as good as anybody in football, who rises to
the occasion and can wreck a game for your opponent.
When you've got those two elements, a really good quarterback
and a stud defensive player. Yeah, it does give you
hope that if everybody else can figure things out, those
(37:20):
are the closers, those are the guys that can hit
win you games. Packers twenty seven, Cardinals twenty three, first
road win of the season. Packers sit at four to
one and one and get set for the big trip
to Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Thank you for listening to
Packer Review for Brett Blakemore. I'm Dave Sinecon. We're back
Sunday mornings seven am. I'm the fan with Packer preview.
(37:41):
Getting set for the game of the season, Packers at
Aaron Rodgers Sunday Night football.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Can't wait for that. Thank you for listening. Have a
great week.
This is Packer Review AKFA and Production. I am Dave Sidekid,
joined by Brett blake Bore. We join you the Monday
after every Packer game to break down what we saw
and what we saw mister blake Bore on Sunday was
a different kind of game than we've seen all season.
We've kind of gotten used to the Packers taking double
digit leads, maybe fumbling those leads a little bit, but
(00:21):
it was the first time they didn't have a double
digit lead before giving up a point. They actually trailed
and gave up points in the first quarter, but somehow someway,
they rode the cape of Superman at the end and
the Packers escape. Arizona escaped the desert with a twenty
seven twenty three win, their first road win of the season,
and as we record this morning, they are one of
(00:44):
just three one lost teams in the NFL. It might
be two after tonight if the Buccaneers fall short in Detroit.
So despite some of the ugliness and some of the
frustrations and the choppiness, this team is four one and
one and pretty much exactly where you'd like them to
be through six games of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, from a record standpoint, and good morning. From a
record standpoint, it looks fantastic and you can use this
one if you want. I just thought of it. Good
teams find a way to win. Yeah, you can use
that anytime you want. But I just feel like I
almost feel like I've slightly turned a little bit, like
the first two weeks have officially worn off for me.
(01:25):
For the defense, and they came in when we needed
them to, and you know, when they got the big
stops when they absolutely had to. But I just felt
like the Packers, essentially, I'm not counting the six seconds
of possession to get that sixty one yard field goal
as a possession. You had three drives in the first half,
you know, and a lot to me, a lot of
(01:47):
that is because the defense just could not get off
the field. You get them to third and long countless
times just for them to bomb you over the top.
So I was very disappointed in the defensive play much
until Mike has showed up in the last couple of drives.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So it concerns you when a quarterback like Jacoby Prissett
could complete eighteen straight passes that is yes, oh I see, yeah, yeah,
I We'll do a deep dive into this defense and
where it's at. It can't just be a Devonte Wyatt problem.
There are communications issues. There are a few players that
had really bad games on that side of the ball.
And you know this just in the quarterback levels we're
(02:25):
gonna see as we move forward, are gonna get a
little bit stronger with Aaron Rodgers and obviously Jalen Hurt's
coming in not too far down the road. So yeah,
I am very concerned about the defense. The bloom is
off the rose. As you said, after the first two weeks,
we'll get to that. I think we start though, with
the start of the game and the Mica game. The
three sack game maybe should have been four. The hip
(02:48):
drop tackle. You know they called that once the entire
time in twenty twenty four, the entire season, only one
pedalty like that was called. Usually guys get fined like
a day or two later when they look at the
stape and they go, oh, yeah, that was illegal, You're
gonna get fined. They rarely call it on the field.
I don't know what Parsons is supposed to do there,
but we'll throw that play aside. This is the guy
(03:11):
when the trade happened two months ago. This is the
guy we couldn't wait to watch. And it's not like
he hasn't been there. It's just that there has been
such a concerted effort by teams to double triple, quadruple
team him, do whatever they could to make sure Parsons
didn't blow them up. Arizona didn't do as much of that,
and Micah made him pay. And not just the three
sacks and the ten pressures and the five quarterback hits,
(03:34):
it's when he does them right. It's the first sack
comes on th third and goal from the eight, they
have to settle for a field goal.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
The second comes tie game.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Twenty twenty, fourth quarter, third and goal, He makes a sack,
they settle for a field goal, and then of course
the last one on the second to last play of
the game that backed Arizona up for just the desperation
heave on fourth down. Great players saved their best for
the most important moments, and man, that that was fun
to watch. I mean that guy's motor. I mean you
(04:05):
talk about the great players who you know, as the
game gets deeper fourth quarter, they get better. I always
think of Josh Jacobs that way, and you think of
it in all kinds of sports. In the NBA, Steph
Curry is an assassin in the fourth quarter. Mike is
that kind of guy, and it means if you can
hang around with teams, he might just make a play
that turns the corner and turns the balance of the game.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
And he did.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I mean, that was the reason that the defense held
as well as they did, and a huge reason that
they won the game is some of the plays and
just it doesn't matter if he got chipped or I mean,
he really turned it on. I mean, by far his
best game without its shadow of a doubt. You know,
it doesn't excuse what I was talking about earlier with
the defense, but I think that is well beyond what
(04:48):
Micah is capable of stopping all on his own. I
thought he was fantastic. And that's the guy you trade
all those draft picks and players for, no.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Question about it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
All right, more on Micah, More on the defense as
move along. The other headline of the game was the decision.
Can we call it the decision or does Lebron James
have a copyright?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Now?
Speaker 4 (05:06):
He might we like it soon?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, all right, well we won't call it. We won't
like call the decision, but it was the decision of
the game, and I wasn't on board. I have to
tell you in real time, you know you're down three,
you've got haverstick to come out and kick the game
tying field goal. And yes, there's still two minutes left,
and it's hard to trust the defense to make a stop.
But the way it all played out, field goal team
comes out. Reportedly, Lafleur looks at Jordan Love's face and
(05:32):
sees the disdain on his face by the field goal
team coming out, so he calls time out. And now
I've already irritated because all right, now we're down to
one timeout. So if the Packers kick a field goal
at the time game, and if Arizona scores, and if
there's some time left, you'll have maybe well you'll have
no timeouts because you'll have used your one. But you
know what I mean, like pretty much you were gonna
(05:53):
have to rely on your defense. But I was kind
of at peace with that. I when they call the
time out, now it's like, oh god, now it's got
Now you have to make a play and so retrospect,
great call. So glad they did it, But man, I
was nervous like everybody in the moment, and then you
read the report about the play as it unfolded that.
You know, they go up to the line with two
play calls, whether they're playing man or zone, and it
(06:16):
looked like they were playing zone. So Love goes with
the zone call, but then they disguised it they were
actually in man, and so his first two reads were
Golden and Heath underneath just to get the first down.
They're both covered. When he drops back and throws that
long pass, we're all thinking, oh my goodness, right, one
of the percentages of this play working. But man, kudos
to Tucker Craft. He got free, he got open. Love
(06:40):
drops one in with just enough space for Craft to
get those toes down and it's first down. And now
you feel really good about the decision. It took a honus.
In retrospect, I'm really glad he did it, But I'm
being honest here in the moments, I did not like
that call.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
How about you?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, I mean I in the moment, I was just
biting my fingernail off.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
But I do.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I think I like it, and I think this is
kind of a weird conspiracy, But I think the Dallas
game almost changed that decision. You know, we're not kicking
the field goal and potentially risking going in overtime and
getting another tie. You know, like, let's go and win
the game. But what just an ice cold throw from George.
I'm telling you, like I've been singing his praises, I
will continue to do so. The guy is just cold blooded.
(07:25):
I don't understand the narrative in the big moments and
the big time plays. It can't do it like it's
after week he does, and he leads game winning drives
week after week. And that was a huge throw that
you had to put right on the money. It couldn't
have been anywhere else. It was just perfect. And yeah
(07:45):
it was a long throw for what was it a
fourth and two? It was a long throw to get there.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
They made it work.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I'd like to live in a world where you trust
your defense. Here what looked like a dominant defense through
two weeks against two really good teams. I'd like to
think that, a we'll just take the tie here, we'll
shut them down on three plays and then we'll go
ahead and win it. But the defense is not in
a place where you can trust them in closing moments.
Maybe they will be you know, obviously it's still early
and you want to play your best ball, obviously down
(08:13):
the road all that stuff, but in this time for
this team, can't trust the defense to make a stop.
Certainly yesterday, Jacoby Brissette he's a better quarterback than Kyler Murray.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
He just is.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Murray is more dangerous with the legs, but he doesn't
throw a ball like Jacoby Brissett does. And we talked
about it heading into this game, like he was coming
off a three hundred yard passing day on the road
against the Colts, who right now are the best team
in the NFL, if not the AFC at least, Wow,
and I took it down. You know, the Colts were
missing some guys in their secondary, so it made it
(08:45):
easier for Brissette. That still was a really good performance
that you know, he had a lead with the Cardinals,
had a lead three times in the fourth quarter last week.
He kept bringing him back and the defense couldn't hold
Daniel Jones down the stretch. So Brissette gives this team
a different element. He makes Marvin Harrison and Trey McBride better.
McBride has more touchdowns in two games with Brissette that
(09:07):
he does in twenty one games with Kyler Murray, so
you can say, ah, you caught a break. He didn't
have to play Kyler Murray. We talked about an unpacker preview.
I wanted to see Kyler Murray because you knew with
the foot injury, he ain't gonna run too much, so
you're gonna lose that element of what makes Murray dangerous.
Brissette's just a solid backup quarterback who if he has
to start a few games, you don't lose anything. And
(09:29):
he was pretty much magnificent yesterday. I mean, he six sacks.
Packers were all over him, but he delivered big plays.
And one of my big takeaways from this game was
third downs. You know, green Bay has been magnificent on
both sides of the ball on third downs. Now, yesterday, offensively,
they couldn't make it work. Three for ten. Defensively, they
(09:50):
gave up seven out of fourteen. It was better than
that early. There were a couple of third downs late
that they did not convert. But then on third down
green Bay went two of three offensively, and the Cardinals
went zero for two on fourth down, So they were
better on fourth than on third. But I got to
give Brissette some credit, he was really really good, but
(10:10):
it exposed some really big issues for this defense. And
I think the biggest issue Brett is the play of
Nate Hobbs, who is not an outside cornerback as much
as they want him to be.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
They paid him big money to him over in free
agency to.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Man the spot on the other side opposite Keyshaw Nixon,
and he just gets beat up and down the field.
And again, this is not a real prolific Arizona offense,
but he is not an outside corner. He played one
hundred percent of the snaps on Sunday, Valentine played three percent.
And the issue you have is, well, if you put
him in the slot, what do you do with Javon Bullard,
(10:45):
who's been really good as a slot corner. Do you
put Javon Bullard at safety and take Evan Williams off
the field, who admittedly did not have a very good
game on Sunday. I don't know if that's the answer.
I might plant Nate Hobbs on the bench for a while.
Let I'm watched.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
That's a problem and it bears watching as we move forward.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I also noticed Snate Hobbs I feel like every big
play or at least seventy five percent of the big
home run plays that the Cardinals hit, Nate Hobbs was
supposed to be in that zip code or was watching
from not far away and watching the completion be made.
I just I'm not sure anyone in the secondary was,
you know, lights out, lights out.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I mean they were getting gashed.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
They did a whole like highlight package with Jakoby Brissett
of every time he did like a two step drop
and fired it right away, which is what we talk
about every week, And there was a huge super cut
and every time it worked because they even Micah Parsons
cannot get there to a two step drop and immediately
throw the ball, and they just could not get off
(11:43):
the field. The coverage was not great against receivers that
are okay, I was so, I'm so sour on this defense.
I'm I may even. I mean, the special teams had
their issues as well, and there were flags all over
the plays. I can't remember how many flags the Packers
had overall.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Ten.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
My number one concern right now over the special teams
is the defense just getting gashed if they can't get
home in a two step drop it's horrible.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
They can't get off the field.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Yeah, without Michael Parsons, clearly, the Packers don't win this game.
And you know, talking back to Hobbs, seeing a defender
wharing Packers' number twenty one get beat all the time
is very jarring. Right after the Charles Woodson era, I
don't I'm not used to seeing the back of a
twenty one jersey, so I have to get used to that.
I'd like him to change his number. I don't feel
like he deserves twenty one. I'm not sure he'd go
(12:32):
with me on that, but that is an issue. Yeah,
the defense is a concern big time. You know, we're
gonna see a Steelers team that's gonna have had extra rest,
extra time to think about a really bad loss in Cincinnati.
They're gonna be ordery and they're gonna play hard for
Aaron Rodgers obviously, And Rodgers is gonna know what it
takes to beat this defense because he did it to Minnesota,
who is the same kind of aggressive defense is just
(12:54):
just get rid of the ball in two and a
half seconds, which nobody does better than Rodgers. So it's
gonna be a really big for this defense. They need
Devonte Wyatt back. I don't know what his status is.
I hate to pin it all on getting one guy back,
because once one guy comes back, somebody else goes down.
And actually, I thought Kolby wouldn't looked really good yesterday
playing for Wyatt.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
But yeah, it's it's so weird.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It's such a long season that we have a roller
coaster ride and all that. But I through, like you,
through two weeks. I was daring to dream that this
was a defense that was going to be the identity
of this team. That as good as Love and Jacobs
and company are, it looks like this defense travels and
it's going to make it difficult for everybody. And again,
big picture, they hadn't a lot of point in the
(13:37):
first quarter all season. They had you know, they had
not trailed for much of any game. I mean, this
is the first time Green Bay didn't lead till the
final two minutes of a game. So I'm not ready
to throw out my hands and say this defense is lost.
I trust Halfley. I think he's a great defensive coordinator.
But there are things to clean up, things to figure out,
and maybe some personnel moves to make because competition is
(14:00):
going to get a little fiercer as we move along.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I'm not really saying they're dead for the season, but
I'm what I'm saying is it's a problem right now.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
And I would almost go out in the limit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Says it's a liability at times because if the if
you can't, if you give the offense the ball three
times in the first half, you can't, it's hard to
get into a rhythm. I mean, you talk about complimentary
football and the cliches, and you know, we can talk
about culture shields too at that point, but if you
can't get them the ball, and I'm not even talking
about like takeaways, just you know, a three and out
(14:32):
once in a while would be nice. And it just
they didn't really seem like they had it until they
absolutely needed to have it, which is better than nothing,
better late than ever. And I'm happy that we won,
and you know, I'm going to savor it, but it's
just I'm the luster of week one and week two
for the defense to me, is completely gone, and they've
got to be better.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah, I go back to the very first drive of
the game where they went down seven minutes or so
and kicked the field goal, and you know, Parsons with
the stack, you know, maybe have to go for three.
But the defense was on the field for a long
time to start the game. The offense comes out and
goes up tempo, and I'm thinking, you go three and
out and that defense has to get right back on
the field. Why are you going up tempo after a
(15:11):
long drive by the other team. Now it was third
and long, remember on that first drive, and Love finds
Golden for a first down and they get to move
the chains and give the defense more of a rest.
But that just didn't seem very aware to go up tempo,
have to your defensive been on the field that long.
One other the key play that we haven't talked about
defensively was the first turnover in basically a calendar month
(15:34):
for this team, something we've all been harping about since
the last one. I think the interception against Cleveland, Rashan
Gary with a strip of Brissette forces the fumble in
the third quarter when Arizona starting to move the ball,
you know, up seven, first takeaway in a month, the
Packers take the ball, score and we can kind of extale. Okay,
(15:55):
it is legal to create turnovers. That's a good thing
to know, Gary had been kind of quiet, but that
was a you know, one of those plays that in
the big picture, we all talk about Micah because it
was MICA's game and mic Ha's saved the day, but
that play saved the day as well.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Yeah, that and what happened after that, Packers got in
the end zone. You know, all of those stops in
the third and the fourth, I think there are three
big ones. You know, that strip sack, there was one
sack that forced them. There was the stopped push push
without the push. The fan has learned it helps a
lot when you actually get that push going. Every single
one of those stops turned into points. So credits to
(16:32):
the offense and credits to the defense for those stops.
But that's the type of when you hear the cliche
of contromerary football and you want to roll your eyes,
like I've heard that a million times. That's what they're
talking about. You set your offense up, they go put
it in the end zone.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That fourth down stop was huge. I'm glad you mentioned it.
I forgot to write it down in my notes. That
was again trying to find good takeaways for the defense,
like the strip stack like obviously number one that that
play is something you can take with you and go, Okay,
that's that's a big boy moment right there. One more
thing on the defense before we move to the other
side of the ball. The Packers have a real problem
(17:07):
covering tight ends this season. And again, you're not going
to face great tight ends every single week, but even Cincinnati,
who doesn't have a tight end that you've ever heard of,
well maybe you've heard of Mikeasiki if you play fantasy football,
but every tight end the Packers face has big days.
And you know, for the season, through six games, Packers
defense has given up forty six completions to the tight
(17:29):
end position in six games. That's eight a game for
three hundred and seventy five yards and five touchdowns. And
you know it's Edgar and Cooper a lot. He's being
asked to cover some really talented tight ends. It's going
to be hard for anybody, but you got to give
him help when you're facing a team that has one legitimate,
dangerous offensive weapon. With apologies to Marvin Harrison Junior who
(17:50):
hopes to be there someday, it's all about taking Trade
mc bride away. You have to do whatever you can
to make sure he doesn't beat you. And the two
touchdowns big Bride scored. Okay, maybe not at sixty two
sixty three. I couldn't do it, but ten years ago
I could make that catch it play. Very concerned about
how this team defends the tight end position. It's a problem,
and teams are going to keep attacking it till they.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Figure it out.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, there's one play in particular where I could defend
you know, Cooper's coverage. It was in the end zone,
kind of over the top. It wasn't a great throw
because it was a little behind McBride, but Cooper makes
a great play, swats it out of the air and
it's an incompletion. Other than that, I mean, who are
you gonna defend a big, dangerous tight end with. I
mean you're left with Cooper or you're left with putting
(18:35):
them on a corner. I mean, do you.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Trust Bullard in that situation?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I mean, it's just kind of a matchup problem for us.
I just don't feel like we have that lockdown. I mean, Clay,
I don't none of those options really like, oh yeah,
they're going to shut down a big tight ends.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
It's a huge problem. Completely agree.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I think guys like Walker and Cooper should be able
to They're athletic enough to run with good tight ends.
And you know Cooper is still trying to figure things out.
He's a menace. He's fantastic, great tackler. I love everything
about his game that's got to get cleaned up.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Because it's being exposed.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
And you look at back at Pittsburgh's last game, Pat
Friarmuth had two touchdowns out of nowhere. He's licking his
chops for Sunday Night Football, saying, all right, JOHNU. Smith
and I we're going to go to town against against
this defense, so we'll see what Halfley does.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
I mean that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
You know they game planned to take Trey mcbright away,
and he caught ten balls for seventy four yards on
thirteen targets. So yeah, that's something that that defense or
the opposing offices are going to continue to look at.
All Right, offensively, Josh Jacobs tested the calf pre game.
He was a true game time decision ninety minutes before
(19:46):
he really lobbied the coaches, and I loved his comments
after the game where he said, look, the last time
I had a calf strain like this where he played
Seattle ended up with three hundred yards from scrimmage. I
just know my body. I wanted the coaches to trust me.
I knew I could go. They put him on a snapcount,
which irritated him. He kept lobbying for more. He got
thirteen carries for the game. Lafleur, if you heard the
(20:08):
interview coming out of halftime, said yeah, he's in a
bit of a pitch count. We're going to look to
make him make sure he's healthy and ready and fresh
for the fourth quarter and a mission accomplished. I guess
because after the big fourth down play to Tucker Craft,
they lean on Jacobs to take him into the end
zone for the second time.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
He's just a beast.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
He wasn't his explosive self, but he was out there
making plays and there was a catch that he could
have maybe made that you could just tell he didn't
have that explosiveness. And the running game is still nowhere
near where it was last year. But he is clearly
not one hundred percent. He wasn't last week when he
had the flu. He was still dealing with the illness
as well as the calf. But the fact that he
was able to go, even in a halftime role, was
(20:50):
absolutely huge for this offense.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
He's a warrior.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Man. I'm falling more in love with Josh Jacobs every
single week. And if you watch the locker room celebration
after where he got game ball for gutting get out
there and his just heartfelt comments about what it means
to be on this team and playing for this guys. Man,
it's what makes you love football. I hope you saw
that because find it on TikTok or YouTube wherever you look,
(21:15):
because it kind of warms your heart.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah, it was really good. The dude is a warrior.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
And you know, there was one point in the fourth quarter,
I think it was late it was almost or maybe
right before the second touchdown where he got to carry
and it was gaining like three or four and they
cut to him on the broadcast and he's looking over
to the sideline. He's like he's nodding his head like
I got this, Like I'm fine, Stop worrying about me,
you know, And I think a couple of plays later
(21:40):
is in the end zone, he's still I just love
the way that he's such a threat within the five,
and you would think that's just the easiest thing in
the world to just stuff a guy and make them
spread you out and make try to do something different.
The guy just finds the hole, he'll cut back, and
he still had that quickness and agility to maybe make
get cut in within the five just because there was
(22:03):
one play where Jordan Morgan just got crushed and juked
out of the way of him found his way.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
In the end zone.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean, it's just it's a thing of beauty and
he's going it turns this offense to a whole other thing.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I really hope he's feeling better, because you could run
all day on Pittsburgh. It's gonna need to be a
Josh Jacobs night next Sunday. So hopefully this week we'll
get that calf feeling better. Let's go back to the
end of the first half. We were texting a little
bit about what happened there. When the Colts got that
trade McBride touchdown. I was so disgusted, like he was
so wide open. It's now what thirteen to three final
(22:37):
seconds of the half. My dog is all over me
to go out for a walk, so I'm like, yeah, okay,
let's go. So I take the dog for the walk
and I come back in and look at my phone
and I see some text, I think from you from
our guy, old southside guy, about what a big field
goal that was, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Like, no, McBride's scoring a touchdown? Wait? Wait what?
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And I saw that the Packers had kicked a field
goal and I just look, wait, there was no time?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
What could have possibly got a few? What? What? I
was just so confused.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Yeah, of course I looked one of my phone, looked
at the play by play and saw that I started
the thirty and it was the twenty five. It's twenty five,
I think because they actually didn't get stuck at the twenty.
They knew what to do and the twenty two yard
pass to Romeo Dobbs. This stopped the clock with one
second left outtrats Lucas have for sick calmly nails a
(23:23):
sixty one yard field goal. I still haven't seen the
field goal. I got to go back and look at
a little room to spare. Really, yea remarkable kudos to Lafleur,
who I had some issues with some of the play calls.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
We'll get to that, but for having that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Making that gutsy decision because seven seconds how often do
you see a team with seven seconds left taking a shot,
especially when your offense has done nothing, you're on the road,
you're going to get the ball back to start the
second half. Just taking dee with seven seconds but no
very aggressive play. I think that's the kind of play
that that does wake up an entire team. It gives
you confidence. Everyone believes in you that you can make
(24:01):
them craziness happen. That's another play that gets lost up
maybe in the big picture of that game. But wow,
I kind of wish I'd hung around, made my dog
wait to watch that.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, well I was.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I was already deep in the doom scroll at that
point because I knew last time they came out aggressive
in late and a half situation in Dallas, it bit
him in the ass super hard. It was a strip
sack and they went in for the end zone, so
I was expecting them to just knee it out. We
got the ball at half and we're just going to
go from there. Not so fast, my friend. It felt
(24:35):
like it felt like the last play of the Dallas
game where the clock just perfectly.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
It's a long ball over to Dobbs.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Who then perfectly gets tackled right at two seconds, they
get the time out off with one second. I mean
the clock operator, God bless them. You know they are
on our sides this year for sure. On the road
crazy think about it. Yeah, so we love that, and
it felt like a play that just was perfectly executed
(25:03):
as far as time, I mean, how do you account
for that in the you know, oh, this will be
about five seconds to develop and throw and get down
on the ground at this I mean.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
It was just perfect thing of beauty.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Well, if you're the Packers, what do you do about Lucasasik?
I mean, the kid comes in and has been lights
out four for four field goals. He's made all six
extra points. That's the longest field goal in Green Bay
Packer history. The fan has learned that goes over one
hundred years. Not that they tried sixty yard field goals before,
like three years ago. But what do you do with him?
I mean, obviously McManus is your kicker, he's proven, he's
(25:37):
a veteran, he's been great. You assume he's good to go.
If not this coming week, very soon. They're already talking
about it. You know, they are like, can you afford
to keep two kickers on your roster, probably not. Can
you afford to put him on the practice squad, probably not.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Do you look to trade him?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I mean, there's probably half a dozen teams that would
give you a seventh round pick for Lucas Havesik Or
do you do do the crazy thing and say we've
seen enough. He's twenty six. You know this kid could
be our kicker for ten years. Let's move on for McManus.
I don't know if they're having those conversations after two weeks,
but it's got to be in your head. But if
you're running the show right now and and McManus is
(26:15):
good to go here in the next week or so
before the trade deadline, you have to make a decision.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
What do you do?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
It's the million dollar question.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Lafleur was asked about it in the postgame and kind
of like chuckled, like almost like brushed off the idea
that he could potentially but it I don't I'm how
old is Brandon McManus Off the top of your head,
do you know?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
I would say thirty three, thirty four.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
Thirty four, thirty four.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
So if you're looking for long, if you're looking for
your next Mason Crosby maybe it is, but I think
it's a good problem to have. Either way, I don't
know what I would do. I'd probably be conservative and
stick with McManus, But either way, I think you couldn't
go wrong.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
By the looks of it.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
It's nice that he's even making us half as conversation
because you lose your kicker and your head now the
road for a couple of weeks and you guys, well,
I guess last week was at home.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
It's just what he got. We had an issue with
kickers the last couple of years till we landed on McManus.
But how man has has been unbelievable, almost a team saver.
So that's gonna be a fun storyline to follow. What
are Packer fans whining about this morning? Maybe whining is
a strong word, but something I noticed that first drive
(27:25):
Matthew Golden, three catches, big plays, the hands, the separation, like, okay,
this could be the Matthew Golden game. He was targeted
once more the rest of the game. Four targets, four catches.
Just I don't know, find a way to get the
ball in his hands. It's only going to get tougher
to find a way. Once you get Kristen Watson Jayden reidback,
(27:46):
there are more mouths to field.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
You have to find.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Tucker Craft and Romeo Dobbs three targets on the first
drive won the rest of the way. You can say
it's situational blah blah blah, find a way to get
the ball in Zero's hands.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
That's starting to bug me up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, I mean, this is this is what we signed
up for, this is what we knew was coming, that.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
You know this would happen.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
It just it seems to never end the fantas well,
even the fantasy aspect, but even the non fantasy aspect
of a jet sweeper. I mean, obviously he breaks it
has fantasy, but you know, just getting the ball by
any means necessary in his hands. It just seems like
matt Leiflord, no matter what he does, doesn't want to
operate like that. And it's hard to argue them with
(28:28):
his pedigree and his playoff percentage as a Packers head coach.
But it is frustrating to see this new shiny toy
that we've all been waiting for for us to draft
a wide receiver and they're just going to use him
as the same as they use Heath and Wicks and
everybody else. So it's all fair because everyone's getting this treatment.
It's not like he's the one not getting targets. They
(28:49):
spread the ball around, you know, with no bias at all.
So but unfortunately with no bias, sometimes you get left
out to dry.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
To Yeah, I mean, I'm not losing sleep.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
And I just think he's such a weapon and he
just gives you such a different element that just let's
stress the other defense at least look his way a
few times so they believe it's going to go his
way more often than it does. Craft was targeted a
team high ten times. I have no issue with that
that that can be the case all season long. He
is so reliable, just just what a fun player to
(29:20):
watch play. And again, if you go back and watch
that postgame scene in the locker room, it was Craft
that kind of brought the team together and made some
heartfelt comments to bring everybody together to wrap it up
with the go pack. And he's becoming a leader of
this team, and you just that's the guy you want
to stay healthy because not only is he's such a
threat after the balls in his hands, he saw some
(29:41):
of those blocks he made where he just took guys out.
He took Josh Sweat out, and Sweat I don't think
he knew his name, like he had to go to
the sideline and figuring things out.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
He's just a complete player.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
We talked about how he used to work out with
George Kittle a couple off seasons ago. He is becoming
a Kittle like weapon for this offense. I think it's
just beginning what he can do for this team. So
I'm not saying feed Golden all day long. Craft could
have the most targets every week as far as I'm concerned,
But I just want to see more from Zero. I
just think he's he's special. The speed's there, the hands
(30:11):
there still, he had a nice hands catch yesterday I'm
third down where he plucked one out of the air.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I just want to see more of them. I love
his game.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
And it's still it's six games into his rookie season,
and this might be by Thanksgiving in Detroit. Something we
laugh about. But yeah, I don't know that it will be.
As you say, it's kind of how the Packers operate,
but at some point they might realize just you know,
put it in his hands and see what he can do,
and see what that does to open things up for
everybody else. It was also a day where Wicks was
(30:38):
on a snapcount. He's still playing hurt. So you're down
three of your top four wide receivers and Golden still
just gets four targets.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
It's just just annoys me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, and it's not coming from a standpoint of, well,
this offense can't run and they're being poorly coached, and
they can't put up points because they're not doing this.
It's more of a we everybody knows, and I'm sure
they know in the locker room too.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Well.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I guess maybe you could ask the question. But everybody,
at least Packer fans know that Golden is special and
has that little Jennis se Quah. He's got the X factor.
You just want to see it be used, just because
you know you've got it and.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You know there's something there.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
So the fact that it's not as frustrating, but I
think Jordan Love was quoted of saying, put the ball
in Craft's hands and good things happened. I believe that
was part of the either the pre or the post game.
So and it couldn't be further from or it couldn't
be closer to the truth like it is. It's exactly
spot on. You put it in his hands. It seems
to be either a touchdown or a great reception for
(31:35):
a fourth and two. That was a questionable play call
that worked out perfectly.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
The game was not pretty to start with, as we know,
the offense you know, didn't get a lot of chances,
didn't do much with it, you know, had three points
till the final seconds.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
We know all that.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
How much do you put into the whole travel problems
the packers had where they were stuck on the tarmac
for five hours with playing issues, had to get on
a different plane. They had already gone through Tsay, so
they couldn't go back into the airport. So they either
on the plane or they're on the tarmac. It meant
that they couldn't have the team meetings on Saturday night.
They didn't get into Arizona till nine o'clock. They did
(32:10):
a walk through offensively on the tarmac waiting for the plane,
but the only coaches that were there were Laflora, the
two coordinators. The other plane had taken all the other
coaches and all the you know, support people. It was
just the players and the top three coaches that were stuck.
And so it throws your time and off, it throws
your rhythm off. You don't get to go and have
dinner with maybe friends in Arizona or you know, you
(32:31):
just it changes your mental clock. And for players that
get so locked into how road trips go. I never played,
I don't know what that feels like, but I have
to think that does affect you. And I'm not looking
for excuses for a slow, choppy start. I'm sure a
lot went into it, but I'm not sure you can
just dismiss the fact that everything went kind of haywire.
They get in late Saturday night and now if you
(32:53):
need IVS, if you need this or that, everything's crazy.
So I don't know if I want to say, well,
I'm going to give them a bit of a asked
for a bad first half, but I also want to
just dismiss it because I have to think that factors
in just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Yeah, I almost and kind of now that it's over,
I'm almost kind of happy it happened because I feel
like that is a memory that is going to live on.
Doing a walk through on the tarmac, and to me,
that's that's like straight out of a movie. You know,
where you're doing practice and running routes on the asphalt
with the big numbers.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
For the runways.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
You know that you had to had to a third
cone on the on the right, the orange cone, and right.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Now you cut on that third cone exactly so right
by that suitcase that's laying there that shouldn't be there.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
I hope that that's kind of.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
A bonding, memorable experience for the team and hopefully brought
them closer together, because I could totally see some cheesy
sports movie doing something like that and it didn't. I
don't think it affected the game all that much. Hopefully
it just was a fun experience that brought the boys
closer together.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Agree all right, So for one and one through fixed games,
perhaps the best record in the NFC. If Tampa Bay
loses to Detroit, the Packers will have the best record
of the NFC, the only one lost team. And that
feels great, But I think all of us say we
haven't come close to seeing the best of this Packers team,
and then they're not anywhere near what we think needs
to be a Super Bowl contender. The teams that they've
(34:16):
struggled with are not very good teams. I think the
last three teams are eight twelve and one combined. And
the Packers have not looked very good of these last
three weeks, but have found a way, obviously to get
that win on Sunday, the first road win, and to
get that fourth win, and then they're sitting at four
to one and one and maybe the game that everybody
circled on the calendar is up next in Pittsburgh on
(34:37):
a Sunday night, And as I said, extra rest ornery
off a loss, you're gonna get Pittsburgh's best. As bad
as that defense looked against Cincinnati, they're gonna be ready
for their quarterback to face his former team. So we're gonna,
I think, get a really true test on the road
again and against a better opponent. About where this team is,
I don't I think Green Bay is an early three
(34:58):
point favorite in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I saw.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I think it's a bit surprising. I would have thought
to be more like a pick. So I guess what's
your temperature. I know we're very down on the defense
right now, and you worry about what Rogers might do.
Knowing what it takes to beat this defense right now.
But big picture, at four to one and one and
knowing that maybe they're at sixty sixty five percent on
(35:21):
both sides of the ball, I mean, still you're going
to get some key players back. Devonte Wyatt Watson reed.
I'm still not sold on Rashid Walker at left tackle.
By the way, I still think Jordan Morgan might be
there before the season's over, So there might be some
things to fix up front. But big picture of the
fact that they're not anything like a championship team right now,
but right now after tonight might be the one seed,
(35:43):
you can't feel terrible about where they find themselves.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I think my overall temperature right now is can the
Are the Packers capable of contending for a Super Bowl?
My answer would be yes. Are they playing anywhere near
to that standard?
Speaker 3 (35:57):
No?
Speaker 2 (35:58):
The only reason that I still think it's yes as
a you know, the record has been good, and they
found ways to win games for the most part, and
that tie is essentially counting more as a win than
a loss at this point with the standings, so.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
And you know that the talent.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Is there and the pieces are in place, they're just
not playing up that standard. So in the short term,
I'm very down on the team. In the long term,
I'm very high in them, assuming that they improve, because
there's you know, a lot of the times, there's only
one way to go with some how some of the
play is going. I'm just my dabba right now on
next week is not good. I think there's no room
(36:34):
for the offense to make any mistakes whatsoever because we've
been burned by Flacco twice and Jacoby Brissett and Rogers
the fan has learned is the best thrower of the football.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
To ever throw the football, and he still is. If
he wants to be, he can.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So I just have a I don't have a good
feeling in my stomach about this one, so I'm hoping
to reverse jinks it.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
But that's that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Yeah, a big picture, You've got a quarterback that could
make big plays at the biggest moments. He's proven it
week after week. And you've got a guy on defense
that's as good as anybody in football, who rises to
the occasion and can wreck a game for your opponent.
When you've got those two elements, a really good quarterback
and a stud defensive player. Yeah, it does give you
hope that if everybody else can figure things out, those
(37:20):
are the closers, those are the guys that can hit
win you games. Packers twenty seven, Cardinals twenty three, first
road win of the season. Packers sit at four to
one and one and get set for the big trip
to Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Thank you for listening to
Packer Review for Brett Blakemore. I'm Dave Sinecon. We're back
Sunday mornings seven am. I'm the fan with Packer preview.
(37:41):
Getting set for the game of the season, Packers at
Aaron Rodgers Sunday Night football.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Can't wait for that. Thank you for listening. Have a
great week.
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