November 3, 2025 • 32 mins
The FAN’s Dave SInykin and Brett Blakemore break down the Week 9 loss to the Panthers.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You have found Packer Review, a kfan production. I am
Dave Sinakien, joined by Brett Blakemore as we break down
the unconscionable loss by the Green Bay Packers at home
to the Panthers on Sunday sixteen thirteen. Packers lose as
near two touchdown favorites on Jordan Love's twenty seventh birthday
and go down in flames, raising more questions than I
(00:23):
think we had time to answer. But obviously Brett, the
major talker is the devastating loss, apparently of Tucker Craft,
who will celebrate his twenty fifth birthday on Monday getting
an MRI which will likely confirm everyone's fears that he
tore his ACL and will likely be lost for the
season just a week after emerging on the primetime Sunday
(00:45):
Night stage as one of the great young pass catchers
in this league. It looks like the pack and there
wildly inconsistent offense just lost their most explosive playmaker. It's
just a gutting, devastating a loss for this team for
that young man. That's where we start today and good morning.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah and yeah. Other than that, how was the play?
It sucks?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
He was obviously the go to guy, the biggest playmaker,
the biggest yak guy, and to you know, no situation
that you get injured in that fashion is good. But
like to have it be such a random, freak way
to do it too is just such a Every bit
of it is just a kick it below the belt.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It sucks and it's a huge loss for them. I
like Musgrave.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I've been a muskgrave guy, never as high as I
was a Craft last week and so on.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But I do think.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
He'll be able to fill in a role to an extent,
But you're not going to be able to fill it.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
As much as Crafted.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
No, when opposing defensive coordinators start to look at game
planning for the Green Bay Packers, it starts with, we
have to slow down that big, fast tight end and
now that's not something teams will have to worry about.
Muskrave's appears to be a fine pass catcher and all
of that, but he doesn't certainly provide the all around
tight end play. He's not a blocker at all. He's
(02:05):
not a guy that has shown any kind of yack ability,
which is Tucker Craft's m Maybe he'll show some of
that with a bigger opportunity. Let's see if he can
even stay on the field. That's been his problem throughout
his career. It's just not a guy you can replace,
you know, receivers, Yeah, you lose a receiver, there's another
one to step up, but you lose a guy like
Craft who is just again developing into such an all
(02:28):
around great player. It's a gut punch. It's the offense
is going to look different, and you know they've had
a hard time keeping guys healthy when it comes to
the pass catchers on this team. I'd say, if you
would tell me, who are the last guys you want
hurt on this who are the last guys you'd want
to lose for the season on this team? Love Parsons
(02:50):
Craft right one, two, three. I mean he is one
of the three can't lose type of players on this
roster right now.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I would throw x in as a as a four.
You know, he had a nice timely pick but on
a duck of a throw. Yeah, He's definitely up there,
and it's gonna I think, I mean, the drop off
is definitely gonna be.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Big.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I don't know if it's gonna be huge, because I
do like Muskgrave and I do think he can play.
He's much more of a receiver in more of a
tight end's body than he is an actual blocking, get
dirty tight end. Fitzpatrick isn't bad either. Ben Simms would
have been would have been nice to keep him around,
but I understand having to activate Christian Watson as well.
So I think they have depth and I think they'll
(03:34):
be okay. But if the office doesn't get Craft was
the least of our worries offensively, especially in the second half.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, and we'll get to all that. Just lastly, on
the tight end thing, I would imagine they'll be in
play to acquire a tight end before the trade deadline
on Tuesday, the trade of six six seventh round pick
for a functional tight end, just to get a body
on the field that has had some experience. You're right,
they really like Ben Simms. Again, you're keeping kickers on
your roster, and that's the kind of thing that costs
(04:02):
you sometimes. And in this case, yes, it was the
Watson activation that caused them to cut Sims, But if
you're not keeping two kickers, you probably keep Sims too.
And more on the kicker a little bit later as well.
My biggest gripe, and there are so many gripes to
get to. But I was so surprised at how the
Packers got beat up up front on both sides of
the ball. And that's not what Carolina is known for.
(04:25):
Let's start with their defensive front, which was thirty first
in pressure rate coming into this game. I haven't seen
Love under such duress all season. It was a really
rough game for the Packers' offensive line. Again, they lose
Aaron Banks early with a stinger. That guy just can't
stay on the field at all. But the fact that
(04:46):
Love could never get comfortable, that that pass rush was
such a problem on a day where you know, Jacobs
was fine, he averaged five yards of carry, they ran
the ball fine. They probably ran the ball of it
too much. I love the way Lafleur called this game,
and we'll get to that as well. But I was
stunned at how Carolina was able to get pressure on
(05:06):
this team. That's just not something they've done all season long.
That was a huge concern. And then on the other
side of the ball, the Packers couldn't get to Bryce
Young and I granted he only threw for one hundred
and two yards, and they got gashed on the ground
and that was the bigger issue the run defense, But
no hurries for Micah Parsons one sack where they actually
(05:27):
gained yardage because he was able to kind of sort
of fall forward. Just getting beat up up front by
this team on both sides of the ball. That's where
I came away from this game going what is going
on here?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
One hundred percent agree? And to me, that's an effort thing.
That's that's just getting an out muscled and outwilled thing.
They made Rico dalle look like a superstar. Now granted
he's been good. This isn't the first time he's shown
up and been good, but they made him look really good.
Who's on the schedule next for running back? Oh it's
Saquon Barkley, so that'll be fun. It's just so inconsistent
(06:03):
and it makes it hard to really get up for
a long I mean, and thankfully this is happening to
almost every team in the league at this point, where
they just have dud losses and dud performances out of nowhere.
But you would think how many years Lafloor's been there.
This is year three of this current iteration.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Of this offense.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You would think that you'd be past this type of
just dud performances. We thought we were over it against Cleveland,
and here we are both sides of the ball. It
was just complete system failure it which is weird too
because Lafleur was saying, well, we had nine play drive, ten,
play drive, eleven, play drive, no points to show for it.
It's just so I'm happy you could stay on the
(06:45):
field for a little bit, but you got to put
the ball.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
In the end zone.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That would be helpful. We'll get to the offense in
a moment, but just undoubted. You know, Packers come into
this game fourth and run defense. They hadn't allowed a
one hundred yard rusher all season, and yes, Dontal has
been a revelation for them when he stepped in when
Chuba Hubbard got hurt and they decided heading into this
game that the time share was over that Doddle would
(07:09):
be their lead rusher, and it's obvious that he is
a much more explosive runner. He came into the game
averaging five point seven yards of carry one hundred and
thirty yards for Dondal. They get one hundred and sixty
three on the ground, and you know, I still can't
get that last nineteen yard run out of my head.
You know, you tie the game at thirteen, you give
the ball to Bryce Young in an offense that's maybe
(07:31):
one of the most least explosive, the least dangerous two
minute offenses in the league because they don't throw. They
are the solid running team. But if they're trying to
get downfield for a winning field goal, and you've got
that defense at home, you should be able to end
that rally and at least get into overtime. Second and
ten forty six seconds left and the Packers sell out
(07:52):
to try to get you. They figure he's going to
throw it, and a good call by them. Donald gets
the carry, goes nineteen yards into field goal range and
there is your dagger and the rookie kicker. I mean,
that wasn't an easy kick from forty nine. They had
the wind, and the announcers made it clear that it
was a windy day, and the initial decision to receive
was because they wanted the ball in the fourth quarter.
(08:13):
They made it sound like they're so brilliant everybody would
want the ball in the fourth quarter when the wins
at your back at Lambeau. You know that wasn't a
huge decision. Obviously worked out well because they got the
wind at their backs and they made the field goal.
What bothers me is this was a healthy defense coming
into this game, that they had their eleven preferred starters
(08:34):
out there. Yes, they lost Kolby Wooden early. He was
not out there. He has become they call him the general.
He's become like their run stuffer next to Wyatt, really
stepping up, and they lost something when he went out.
No excuse, though, this is the Carolina Panthers in your house,
trying to win a game in the final minute. You
can't let them get into field goal range with the
(08:55):
lack of explosive talent they have on that side of
the ball.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Yeah, it feels like this is the same story.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
You know, it's the prevents, try not to lose soft
zone coverage defense and then when you sell out you
get it wrong as well, and and just not being
gap sound and keeping where you know the run contained.
It's just it's elementary NFL means, and it's elementary stuff,
(09:22):
and it's just so frustrating when you can just see
you know, you've seen the movie a thousand times you
know it's coming and eventually it does.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
And there was just no way they were missing that kick.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I had all the faith in the world they were
making it, just because that's how the season has gone
for us.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Unfortunately. Yeah, and I actually found myself as they're lining
it up again. Packers deserve to lose this game. I
don't want them to lose, but I'm not going to
be gutted if he makes this kick because they deserve
to win this game. That's where my mindset was as
they lined up, and Yeah, you knew pretty sure he
was going to knock that down. The three times Green
Bay has not won a game this season all came
when teams ran the ball down their throats Cleveland, Dallas,
(09:59):
and now Carolina. That's got to get figured out. As
you said, Barkley comes in next on a Monday night.
They're rested, they just traded for a pass rusher in
Jalen Phillips. They are ready to assert themselves in the NFC.
So Green Bay, unlike last year where couldn't beat the
good teams but beat up on the bad teams, it's
kind of the opposite. This year. Green Bay's looked really
(10:20):
good against a good competition and really bad against the
teams that don't look like they present much of a challenge.
That's got to get figured out, as does the inconsistent offense.
Five trips to the red zone, one touchdown, two empty trips.
Starts out the very first drive. They're driving down the
field and at the red zone Saven Williams fumbles ends
(10:42):
that first four trips to the red zone on Sunday,
a total of six points for green Bay. And they've
been a pretty good red zone offense so far this year,
but just disastrous. If you would have told me, mister Blakemore,
that green Bay will would get to the red zone
(11:02):
five times, they would not pump the ball the entire day.
Your guy, Daniel Wheelan, we only saw him as a holder.
He never punted that you're gonna lose that game and
only score thirteen points. How many turnovers that? And I mean,
what's going on? And there were two turnovers and they
were Key Love's interception was terrible. He should have had
a second one on the play of the games We
(11:22):
will get too shortly, but boy oh boy at home
against Carolina, to be that abysmal in the red zone
is just a huge huge red flag. And now with
Tucker Craft gone, it takes away one of your key options.
It makes you more predictable. They're gonna have to figure
something out. That was a really bad look on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, and it was a bad look for Love.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I have a couple of positive spin Zone comments which
are obviously, you know, mostly satirical. I think I was
playing up the bit and people took me seriously. If
we only play poorly against bad teams, should be fine
in the playoffs if we do make the playoffs, because
there won't be any bad teams to worry about in
the playoffs, so there is something to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
There have to get there first.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Well, hopefully they do well, but then the schedule kind
of toughens up, so you would think they would make
the playoffs because of that. Loves, I mean are on
the field, you know, in the stands Correspondent twelve sixty five.
Lombardi guy says it got caught up in the win.
The interception a full disclosure. I was in the bathroom
when that happened, so that's on me. But it's a
(12:32):
terrible decision. Nonetheless, you know, and Lafleur talked about chasing
the big play, and they're playing soft zone, so it's
going to be harder to get that big play. And
they wanted Jordan to just have to be a check
down Charlie and be a dink and dunk quarterback.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
The whole way.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
And it worked a couple of times, you know, and
there was one a couple big plays, but you can't
chase it over and over and over again, especially when
that's how they're going to guard you and just play
soft zone and sit back and let you beat them.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Just felt like they called the game kind of scared.
You know. They definitely relied on the run game, and
as I said, five yards of carry for Josh Jacobs
that solid, But it feels like they're just keeping the
training wheels on love just a little bit. There's so
many little screen passes like the one that got blown
up and that one sequence that I want to get to. Now,
(13:21):
fourth quarter, early fourth you're you know, in the red zone.
It's third and three from the ten, and you try
that little running back screen that just gets blown up
for a five yard loss. We've seen the play so
many times this season. Never seems to work. And now
you've got fourth and eight from the ten or eleven,
and Craft's already out, Watson's out being checked for a concussion,
(13:44):
Golden's out with a shoulder injury. Who's on the field
on fourth and eight, Well, clearly guys that aren't usually
out there because they were so discombobulated they have to
call time out. Waste of valuable could have been a
valuable time out. On the fourth and eight. You'd think, Okay,
you've given yourself a few minutes to settle down. Calm,
calm her heads, prevail, roll out the field goal team,
(14:06):
get the field goal, cut the lead to four. There's
still eleven minutes left. You know, ultimately you scored the
next time, you'd be up at that point and the
game winning field goal would have been a game tying
field goal. But instead, Lafleur makes the to me unconscionable
decision to go forward on fourth and eight when your
offense has been out of whack. You've got guys out
there that you haven't game plan to be out there.
(14:28):
They don't even know where to line up, and it's
a complete disaster of a play. Love running around thinks
Dobbs is going to go to the right corner. He doesn't,
so it's just right there for the cornerback to just
grab that in the end zone and go one hundred yards.
Fortunately he drops it and saves Green Bay that had
picked six written.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
All over it.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Lafleur said afterwards, Yeah, bad decision. Should have kicked. How
in your right mind on fourth and eight when your
offense is so disjointed in the red zone all day,
do you think you're subtling going to convert that play
and get the touchdown? It just felt like he's just
a little too cocky, a little too smug leg Yeah, okay,
it's been ugly, but yeah we got this. Just a
terrible decision I think ultimately cost him the game.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, I think it very well could have hand up.
I could just play it off and say, yeah, terrible decision.
In the moment, I wanted them to go for it,
Are you kidding? In the heat of the moment, I
wanted them to go for it because I got flashbacks
to Arizona, you know, where they had a similar situation
fourth down.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Now, granted, what was that a fourth and three? A
fourth and.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Two, and they went for it and it paid dividends
and they ended up winning that game because of it.
That's where my headspace was at, like Jordan's gonna get
us out of this, put the ball in his hands
and let him cook. So hand up, I probably would
have made the same decision and also hand up horribly
wrong decision as well, and they should have taken the
points and how it worked out, but it just felt
(15:50):
like you're down a touchdown. If you have confidence in love,
you put the ball in his hands. But clearly you
got to play day by day, at least at this
point in his career, in this point in the Packers offense,
and if they're not going that particular day, you're not that.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Confident, then he should just take the points.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
But another avenue to this is how far out were
they I mean on the would have been a chip shot.
The kicker is not a sure thing at this point McManus.
So that's it was short enough to its probably isn't
a factor, but maybe in the back of the head
it might have been.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I'm officially ready to move on from Brandon McManus. I'm
ready to give Lucas Haversick the job and say let's go.
It's it's not a trend. What comes after a trend.
It's just reality. He's missed four of his last six.
It was a forty three yard field goal that he
missed yesterday a Sunday. It's just you can't have that.
(16:43):
And I know he was so reliable last season, started
off the season fine, and then he gets hurt and
maybe the calf is bugging him. I don't have time
for that. I'm not thrilled with the guy anyway. He's
got some stuff off the field that I don't love.
So happy to go with it if he's going to
be a productive kicker. But if he's not, let's find
someone else. I don't know that they'll make the move.
I know this. They can't afford to keep two kickers
(17:05):
on their roster. That's just there's too many injuries right now.
There's too many places they can upgrade. They have to
make a decision. I think they will this week, assuming well,
I was going to say, assuming McManus is healthy. I
don't think it matters. Would I would say thank you
for your time. We're going to go with the young
guy and see if what we've seen in the couple
games he played is for real. I know that's a
(17:27):
bit daring to take away a ten twelve year veteran
who's kicked in big playoff games for the Broncos in
the past, and go with a young guy who's had
a cup of coffee with the Rams, but he's missed
too many kicks lately in these close games, and you
can say it might have cost this team one or
two wins already. I'm not ready to extend my rope.
(17:48):
I would move on for McManus. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
The only thing is if the quad is still act damp.
I think the floor was Quota saying I don't talk
to kickers. Maybe it's time to start talking to kickers
because if he's not one hundred percent and he's pulling
everything to the left, is it because of his quad?
Is he just rusty?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Is he just bad?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Questions need to be answered there. I don't know if
I'm it certainly needs to be a conversation. The only
reason I'm not ready to just completely move on is
because I still the sixty one yarder was awesome, But
you know, it still is a young guy and we
were in young kicker purgatory for a couple of years.
I'm not exactly thrilled to go back to that. But
in the short sample size we had at Haversik he
(18:29):
was really good and McManus has been really bad. So
the conversation needs to be had and he needs to
start talking to kickers and changing his tune.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, I think so too, Half for six twenty six.
You know, he has been around the league for a while.
He was ready to go be a substitute teacher in Cleveland.
And you hear that a lot from kickers, that they're
like one inch away from selling pharmaceuticals and the next
day you're a ten year kicker in this league. So
it wouldn't be a story we've never seen before. All Right,
A couple of the big storylines for me about this
team coming out of this terrible performance on Sunday, pedal
(19:00):
are a real thing. Stay at six in the first half.
Three holding penalties in the first half, that again just
squash drives. They're on pace for the most penalties per
game for a Packer team since nineteen eighty six, about
eight penalties a game. Maybe that's a function of having
the youngest roster once again, but again, if you're a
(19:21):
Super Bowl contender, if you're a team that has designs
I'm playing deep into January, you can't shoot yourselves in
the foot. Penalties were a big thing on Sunday and
it's become a real trend for this team.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
And it goes back to if you want to be
this is my big closing point on Packer preview. If
you want to be a big, you know, considered a
professional team and be contenders, you can't mess around with
these teams. And that's a key factor in how you
do it, is you just shoot yourself in the foot
and make it more difficult than it has to be.
Probably some of those sustained drives the flour was talking about,
(19:55):
because how many holdings did we see and just pre
snap and the time out they had to burn because
of it, Like it all just self mistakes and the
turnovers and savon fumbling, It's just it all adds up.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
The offense has sputtered in the first half. It feels
like every game this season, and it almost is. I
mean the first two games. Obviously, the Lions game is
always going to look great. The Washington win doesn't look
quite as impressive now that the Commanders are a two
and six operation. But since those first two games, over
the last what six, green Bay's averaging seven points a game.
(20:31):
In the first half. That cannot happen. You know, you
can't rely on Okay, well, we'll come out in the
second half and turn things around, which we've seen in
a number of their wins. But I just don't really,
you know, understand, Typically, you got a really experienced play
caller and a great young quarterback, you script those first
to twelve fifteen plays, you kind of expect this team
(20:53):
to come out and put points on the board. And
in this kind of game, we talked about it, potential
trap situation noonkck off. Between two big primetime games against
big time quarterbacks, big time teams. Are they going to
come out just a little bit sleepy? Is there a
danger in that? You know? And clearly there was. And
it's kind of like the Cleveland game, the same situation,
two big wins. Everyone's talking Green Bay up is the
(21:15):
best team in the league, and they go into Cleveland
and manage ten points. It was just eerily similar, except
this was a home game. And I'm not going to
crap on the Panthers. Bryce Young's won is last four starts.
I mean, they're not a terrible team, but it's a
team that has no business coming into your house as
thirteen and a half point underdogs and winning that game.
(21:36):
And it starts with slow, sputtering starts that allow teams
to stay in it allow them to keep their game
plan and run on the football. It's all we talked
about Sunday was get a lead early. Then they can't
just run it with Donnald. They got to rely on
Bryce Young and that's how you knock them out. But
they didn't, and they couldn't get the points they You
keep talking about, whether it's penalties, whether it's turnovers, whether
(21:56):
it's just bad play. The offense cannot get going, and
you don't get going against Philly on Monday night and
let Jalen Herds and Saquan and company jump out. You know,
you can't just rely on a big second half to
save you. This team needs to wake up offensively early.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And the most frustrating thing is every single time we
hear a Jordan Love presser, it's got to come out hot.
You know, we got to start the game off hot,
and it just seems like, for whatever reason, it's all
talk at this point that they just can't find.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
A way to come out hot.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Minus you know, the Lions game, and that's really been it,
so it's super frustrating. The only other positive spin zone
I have is that the Packers are still first in
the NFC North after the Lions fumbled to the Vikings,
so you still can control your destiny. And you know,
five and two and one is not the world's worst
(22:50):
record spot to be at. But if you play like
that and you can't be relied on week in and
week out and the consistency, then it doesn't matter what
you know, where they are in the standings, what their
record is, if they're not reliable.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah, I mean they're just a game and a half
out of last place in the North too. It's pretty
constricted right now. With the Bears winning yesterday and as
you said, the Bike's surprising the Lions. Everything's gotten really
tight in the North and I think five of the
last seven are division games for the pack and that's
obviously when everything's going to be decided. They're a banged
up team right now. We know Craft is done, likely
for the season. As we record this. We haven't seen
(23:24):
the official announcement, but all indications are they will not
have Tucker Craft. Matthew Golden left with a shoulder injury.
Coolby Wooden left also with a shoulder. He says it'll
be okay. Banks left with a stinger. Watson's okay, no concussion.
He came back in. But it's a banged up team,
especially offensively. You know, can't get those five linemen out
(23:45):
there together. Can seem to keep the receivers together. This
is going to be a time now with no Craft,
no Read, maybe no Golden that maybe you do have
to rely more on that running game. But they haven't
been a good run blocking team. It's hard to say.
All right, let's just let Josh Jacobs carry us for
a few weeks til Reed comes back and they kind
of get things figured out as an offense. Without Tucker Craft,
(24:07):
there's no time for that. And here comes a Philly
team that they will be ready for Green Bay on
Monday night. And as we said, they just traded. They
made two trades over the weekend to bolster their team.
Added Jalen Phillips, the longtime Dolphin pass rusher, to an
already good defense. I think Carolinas a challenge. Here comes
(24:27):
the Super Bowl champs looking to to spoil things on
a Monday night. I Again, as we said at the
top of the show, they've played well against very good teams.
But man, you come out of that Carolina game and
you wonder, how do they just flip the switch and
look like that team we've seen at times this year.
On Monday Night against Saquana Company, It's it's gonna be
a tough one. And they're favored by two and a half.
(24:49):
By the way, green Bay is.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Green Bay is favored, still.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Is favored by Green Bay and the Wolves, And I'll
be the only team in the NFL this year to
be favored in every game this season. They in the
e Eagles were the only two leapt in. As it
stands now, green Bays favored by two and a half.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
We'll see if that still stands by the end of
the week.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
But yeah, if if you're the Eagles, if you're Syrian
and you're looking at the tape and you just see
Rico run, you know as long as he wanted to,
you have to be licking your lips.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
So it is. There is something to be said, though.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
And I do think that every team I'm actually going
to try to be positive here, believe it or not,
and not sarcastically positive. Every single team in the NFL
is I feel like has had at least one or
two of these games at this point in time. I
can think of like Josh Allen, you know, getting embarrassed
by the Falcons, you know, and just these weird like
(25:43):
what is the NFL game And if you look at
you know, even the Purple they get embarrassed by the
Chargers and then come out and beat a really good
Lions team.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
So it's just this roll. Everyone is just on this
roller coaster right now.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I think it's almost good for our psyche to maybe
step off, you know, maybe grab a drink, throw up
in a trash can, and then try to get our
bearings again, because it just feels like everybody's on this
ride right now, especially this year, and you know, hopefully
it all evens out in the Packers learned some consistency
at some point. But you know, if we're going to
(26:19):
be called frauds because we are celebrating Jordan Love's first
forty starts because he threw a really bad pick and
almost had two in one game, then you know, you're
just you're on the roller coaster. I got nothing else
to tell you, Like, you just get off? Does that
make any sense?
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Yeah? No, no, I think for this that is what
being an NFL fan is. You're on top of the
world one week and it's the pits of despair in
the next. Last Monday, we were so giddy about that
second half against Pittsburgh and when did might pretend for
the rest of the year. And then here we are
a week later with a terrible home loss and then
a terrible injury loss. You know it wouldn't be nice.
I know every team has terrible injuries in Green Bay
(26:54):
probably has not been injured as much as many this season,
but it feels like every year as a Packer fan,
we see an ACL doom a really good player Rushan
Gary two years ago, Christian Watson last year, now Tucker Craft,
and then we're only halfway through the year. There might
be more. Do we have to have acls every season?
Two not just players, but top ten players on the
(27:18):
roster that they've lost top ten players to acls. Now again,
we're predicting on Craft because of the reporting. By the
time this thing goes goes up and everybody's listening, it
might already be a thing. We're assuming it's an ACL.
It'd be nice to go a season without losing one
of your five to ten most important players to a
tourn acl It's just the ultimate you know, buzzkill as
(27:39):
a fan to lose great players to injury. I understand
that's part of the game. Does it have to happen
every season though.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Yeah, no, I completely get it.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
I think that is the biggest you know, you can
you could you could win against the Eagles next week
and this game is forgotten almost overnight.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
But that's the lingering. That's what's going to be.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
It is regardless of win loss, how they finish the
season like this will be the biggest blow to the
rest of the season. Not the loss. It's the loss
of Tucker Craft and what he brought to the offense
and the reliability he had.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
The likelihood if Green Bay is able to win next
Monday night, we'll be doing this podcast on Tuesday morning
and we'll be already worried about, Well, now we're going
to a terrible New York Giants team and here we
go after a big, big win over Philly. Are we
going to stub our toe against New York with the
three division games looming following that game. I mean, it's
just you're never comfortable, so you know it's going to
(28:36):
take a lot to beat Philadelphia. Obviously, I don't put
it past Green Bay to do it, but if they do,
I'm not going to come into next week thinking, all right,
we'll go to New York and take care of business.
We're all going to be scared. Crap lists that are.
Here's a mediocre team that already lost one of their
best young players. They don't seem to win too often.
They got a little something in that young quarterback, though,
and you know they're going to make life difficult. And
(28:58):
coming off a big potential win over Philly, is Green
Bay ready to you know, finish that up with another
win against a team you're supposed to beat that they
haven't proven to been able to do that. So yeah,
a lot of storyline left to be written this season,
but took a significant step back on Sunday. Worst loss
of the Matt Lafleur Era. You know, I'd have to
(29:19):
go back and through the seven years there's probably been some,
but in light of where this team was heading into
this game, top seed in the NFC, coming off the
emotional win, this feels to me like the worst loss
of the Matt Lafleur era. Does anything else immediately come
to mind? For you.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
As far as spread we should have won, they're a
worse team, there's probably not a lot. I can think
of several coaching blunders and several NFC Championship games that
made me much more pissed than I am right now.
But that's a closer spread a better team in a
big time game. But I can think of going for
a field goal and Aaron Rodgers essentially throwing his helmet
(30:01):
on the sideline that he didn't get the ball. No
safeties on Mike Evans down with a Tom Brady hail Mary.
I mean, we could go down the list of disappointments
in the Floor era that are just inexplicable.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
But at the same time, I still think.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
He is a good, very good coach and a good
offensive mind. I would like to permanently delete the pitch
play and the bubble screen out of the playbook. If
we could do that, that would be great. But I
still think it probably is the worst as far as
coming out flat and looking. I mean, besides the Browns,
I mean, that's the next one off the top of
(30:40):
my head.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, I mean, there's really a bit more gut wrenching
emotional losses that hurt way more than this, but just
as far as an embarrassing loss and a game you
had no business losing. To me, this is at the
top and it just raises so many questions about this
organization and this team going forward, and you know they
can answer all the questions and this could become a
footnote six eight weeks from now. That's the best thing
(31:04):
that ever happened to this team and woke them up.
I just don't get a sense that we're going to
be saying that. I hope I'm wrong. I hope that
they figure things out. But it all comes down again
to losing Tucker Craft is just such a gut punch,
not just from a you know, can the Packers be
Super Bowl contenders? And you lost your most explosive player.
As a football fan, who's more fun to watch than
(31:26):
Tucker Craft? I mean you ask Packer fans. I mean,
he's probably the fan favorite of anybody on this roster,
just the last guy you want to see go down
because it's one of those players you just enjoy watching
every day. We think about the headbut on the sideline
in Pittsburgh last Sunday night that went viral, that's just
you know, small town South Dakota kid came to Green Bay. Wow,
what a big city. What am I gonna do? He
(31:47):
just fits in so well. You want to see him play,
you want to see him succeed. And now we're probably
twelve months away from from getting him back mid season
next year. It's just it's just a gut punch. So
we'll see if this team can respond. Next month, the
Philadelphia Eagles are in town. It's Monday Night football. Can
Green Bay get off the mat and put this one
behind them? Sixteen thirteen the final Panthers knock off the Pack.
(32:09):
We'll be back Sunday morning for Packer preview, getting you
set for Packers Eagles, for Brett Blake Moore. I'm Dave Sinecon.
Thank you so much for listening, and as always, go
pack
You have found Packer Review, a kfan production. I am
Dave Sinakien, joined by Brett Blakemore as we break down
the unconscionable loss by the Green Bay Packers at home
to the Panthers on Sunday sixteen thirteen. Packers lose as
near two touchdown favorites on Jordan Love's twenty seventh birthday
and go down in flames, raising more questions than I
(00:23):
think we had time to answer. But obviously Brett, the
major talker is the devastating loss, apparently of Tucker Craft,
who will celebrate his twenty fifth birthday on Monday getting
an MRI which will likely confirm everyone's fears that he
tore his ACL and will likely be lost for the
season just a week after emerging on the primetime Sunday
(00:45):
Night stage as one of the great young pass catchers
in this league. It looks like the pack and there
wildly inconsistent offense just lost their most explosive playmaker. It's
just a gutting, devastating a loss for this team for
that young man. That's where we start today and good morning.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah and yeah. Other than that, how was the play?
It sucks?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
He was obviously the go to guy, the biggest playmaker,
the biggest yak guy, and to you know, no situation
that you get injured in that fashion is good. But
like to have it be such a random, freak way
to do it too is just such a Every bit
of it is just a kick it below the belt.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It sucks and it's a huge loss for them. I
like Musgrave.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I've been a muskgrave guy, never as high as I
was a Craft last week and so on.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But I do think.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
He'll be able to fill in a role to an extent,
But you're not going to be able to fill it.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
As much as Crafted.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
No, when opposing defensive coordinators start to look at game
planning for the Green Bay Packers, it starts with, we
have to slow down that big, fast tight end and
now that's not something teams will have to worry about.
Muskrave's appears to be a fine pass catcher and all
of that, but he doesn't certainly provide the all around
tight end play. He's not a blocker at all. He's
(02:05):
not a guy that has shown any kind of yack ability,
which is Tucker Craft's m Maybe he'll show some of
that with a bigger opportunity. Let's see if he can
even stay on the field. That's been his problem throughout
his career. It's just not a guy you can replace,
you know, receivers, Yeah, you lose a receiver, there's another
one to step up, but you lose a guy like
Craft who is just again developing into such an all
(02:28):
around great player. It's a gut punch. It's the offense
is going to look different, and you know they've had
a hard time keeping guys healthy when it comes to
the pass catchers on this team. I'd say, if you
would tell me, who are the last guys you want
hurt on this who are the last guys you'd want
to lose for the season on this team? Love Parsons
(02:50):
Craft right one, two, three. I mean he is one
of the three can't lose type of players on this
roster right now.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I would throw x in as a as a four.
You know, he had a nice timely pick but on
a duck of a throw. Yeah, He's definitely up there,
and it's gonna I think, I mean, the drop off
is definitely gonna be.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Big.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I don't know if it's gonna be huge, because I
do like Muskgrave and I do think he can play.
He's much more of a receiver in more of a
tight end's body than he is an actual blocking, get
dirty tight end. Fitzpatrick isn't bad either. Ben Simms would
have been would have been nice to keep him around,
but I understand having to activate Christian Watson as well.
So I think they have depth and I think they'll
(03:34):
be okay. But if the office doesn't get Craft was
the least of our worries offensively, especially in the second half.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, and we'll get to all that. Just lastly, on
the tight end thing, I would imagine they'll be in
play to acquire a tight end before the trade deadline
on Tuesday, the trade of six six seventh round pick
for a functional tight end, just to get a body
on the field that has had some experience. You're right,
they really like Ben Simms. Again, you're keeping kickers on
your roster, and that's the kind of thing that costs
(04:02):
you sometimes. And in this case, yes, it was the
Watson activation that caused them to cut Sims, But if
you're not keeping two kickers, you probably keep Sims too.
And more on the kicker a little bit later as well.
My biggest gripe, and there are so many gripes to
get to. But I was so surprised at how the
Packers got beat up up front on both sides of
the ball. And that's not what Carolina is known for.
(04:25):
Let's start with their defensive front, which was thirty first
in pressure rate coming into this game. I haven't seen
Love under such duress all season. It was a really
rough game for the Packers' offensive line. Again, they lose
Aaron Banks early with a stinger. That guy just can't
stay on the field at all. But the fact that
(04:46):
Love could never get comfortable, that that pass rush was
such a problem on a day where you know, Jacobs
was fine, he averaged five yards of carry, they ran
the ball fine. They probably ran the ball of it
too much. I love the way Lafleur called this game,
and we'll get to that as well. But I was
stunned at how Carolina was able to get pressure on
(05:06):
this team. That's just not something they've done all season long.
That was a huge concern. And then on the other
side of the ball, the Packers couldn't get to Bryce
Young and I granted he only threw for one hundred
and two yards, and they got gashed on the ground
and that was the bigger issue the run defense, But
no hurries for Micah Parsons one sack where they actually
(05:27):
gained yardage because he was able to kind of sort
of fall forward. Just getting beat up up front by
this team on both sides of the ball. That's where
I came away from this game going what is going
on here?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
One hundred percent agree? And to me, that's an effort thing.
That's that's just getting an out muscled and outwilled thing.
They made Rico dalle look like a superstar. Now granted
he's been good. This isn't the first time he's shown
up and been good, but they made him look really good.
Who's on the schedule next for running back? Oh it's
Saquon Barkley, so that'll be fun. It's just so inconsistent
(06:03):
and it makes it hard to really get up for
a long I mean, and thankfully this is happening to
almost every team in the league at this point, where
they just have dud losses and dud performances out of nowhere.
But you would think how many years Lafloor's been there.
This is year three of this current iteration.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Of this offense.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You would think that you'd be past this type of
just dud performances. We thought we were over it against Cleveland,
and here we are both sides of the ball. It
was just complete system failure it which is weird too
because Lafleur was saying, well, we had nine play drive, ten,
play drive, eleven, play drive, no points to show for it.
It's just so I'm happy you could stay on the
(06:45):
field for a little bit, but you got to put
the ball.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
In the end zone.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That would be helpful. We'll get to the offense in
a moment, but just undoubted. You know, Packers come into
this game fourth and run defense. They hadn't allowed a
one hundred yard rusher all season, and yes, Dontal has
been a revelation for them when he stepped in when
Chuba Hubbard got hurt and they decided heading into this
game that the time share was over that Doddle would
(07:09):
be their lead rusher, and it's obvious that he is
a much more explosive runner. He came into the game
averaging five point seven yards of carry one hundred and
thirty yards for Dondal. They get one hundred and sixty
three on the ground, and you know, I still can't
get that last nineteen yard run out of my head.
You know, you tie the game at thirteen, you give
the ball to Bryce Young in an offense that's maybe
(07:31):
one of the most least explosive, the least dangerous two
minute offenses in the league because they don't throw. They
are the solid running team. But if they're trying to
get downfield for a winning field goal, and you've got
that defense at home, you should be able to end
that rally and at least get into overtime. Second and
ten forty six seconds left and the Packers sell out
(07:52):
to try to get you. They figure he's going to
throw it, and a good call by them. Donald gets
the carry, goes nineteen yards into field goal range and
there is your dagger and the rookie kicker. I mean,
that wasn't an easy kick from forty nine. They had
the wind, and the announcers made it clear that it
was a windy day, and the initial decision to receive
was because they wanted the ball in the fourth quarter.
(08:13):
They made it sound like they're so brilliant everybody would
want the ball in the fourth quarter when the wins
at your back at Lambeau. You know that wasn't a
huge decision. Obviously worked out well because they got the
wind at their backs and they made the field goal.
What bothers me is this was a healthy defense coming
into this game, that they had their eleven preferred starters
(08:34):
out there. Yes, they lost Kolby Wooden early. He was
not out there. He has become they call him the general.
He's become like their run stuffer next to Wyatt, really
stepping up, and they lost something when he went out.
No excuse, though, this is the Carolina Panthers in your house,
trying to win a game in the final minute. You
can't let them get into field goal range with the
(08:55):
lack of explosive talent they have on that side of
the ball.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Yeah, it feels like this is the same story.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
You know, it's the prevents, try not to lose soft
zone coverage defense and then when you sell out you
get it wrong as well, and and just not being
gap sound and keeping where you know the run contained.
It's just it's elementary NFL means, and it's elementary stuff,
(09:22):
and it's just so frustrating when you can just see
you know, you've seen the movie a thousand times you
know it's coming and eventually it does.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
And there was just no way they were missing that kick.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I had all the faith in the world they were
making it, just because that's how the season has gone
for us.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Unfortunately. Yeah, and I actually found myself as they're lining
it up again. Packers deserve to lose this game. I
don't want them to lose, but I'm not going to
be gutted if he makes this kick because they deserve
to win this game. That's where my mindset was as
they lined up, and Yeah, you knew pretty sure he
was going to knock that down. The three times Green
Bay has not won a game this season all came
when teams ran the ball down their throats Cleveland, Dallas,
(09:59):
and now Carolina. That's got to get figured out. As
you said, Barkley comes in next on a Monday night.
They're rested, they just traded for a pass rusher in
Jalen Phillips. They are ready to assert themselves in the NFC.
So Green Bay, unlike last year where couldn't beat the
good teams but beat up on the bad teams, it's
kind of the opposite. This year. Green Bay's looked really
(10:20):
good against a good competition and really bad against the
teams that don't look like they present much of a challenge.
That's got to get figured out, as does the inconsistent offense.
Five trips to the red zone, one touchdown, two empty trips.
Starts out the very first drive. They're driving down the
field and at the red zone Saven Williams fumbles ends
(10:42):
that first four trips to the red zone on Sunday,
a total of six points for green Bay. And they've
been a pretty good red zone offense so far this year,
but just disastrous. If you would have told me, mister Blakemore,
that green Bay will would get to the red zone
(11:02):
five times, they would not pump the ball the entire day.
Your guy, Daniel Wheelan, we only saw him as a holder.
He never punted that you're gonna lose that game and
only score thirteen points. How many turnovers that? And I mean,
what's going on? And there were two turnovers and they
were Key Love's interception was terrible. He should have had
a second one on the play of the games We
(11:22):
will get too shortly, but boy oh boy at home
against Carolina, to be that abysmal in the red zone
is just a huge huge red flag. And now with
Tucker Craft gone, it takes away one of your key options.
It makes you more predictable. They're gonna have to figure
something out. That was a really bad look on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, and it was a bad look for Love.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I have a couple of positive spin Zone comments which
are obviously, you know, mostly satirical. I think I was
playing up the bit and people took me seriously. If
we only play poorly against bad teams, should be fine
in the playoffs if we do make the playoffs, because
there won't be any bad teams to worry about in
the playoffs, so there is something to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
There have to get there first.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Well, hopefully they do well, but then the schedule kind
of toughens up, so you would think they would make
the playoffs because of that. Loves, I mean are on
the field, you know, in the stands Correspondent twelve sixty five.
Lombardi guy says it got caught up in the win.
The interception a full disclosure. I was in the bathroom
when that happened, so that's on me. But it's a
(12:32):
terrible decision. Nonetheless, you know, and Lafleur talked about chasing
the big play, and they're playing soft zone, so it's
going to be harder to get that big play. And
they wanted Jordan to just have to be a check
down Charlie and be a dink and dunk quarterback.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
The whole way.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
And it worked a couple of times, you know, and
there was one a couple big plays, but you can't
chase it over and over and over again, especially when
that's how they're going to guard you and just play
soft zone and sit back and let you beat them.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Just felt like they called the game kind of scared.
You know. They definitely relied on the run game, and
as I said, five yards of carry for Josh Jacobs
that solid, But it feels like they're just keeping the
training wheels on love just a little bit. There's so
many little screen passes like the one that got blown
up and that one sequence that I want to get to. Now,
(13:21):
fourth quarter, early fourth you're you know, in the red zone.
It's third and three from the ten, and you try
that little running back screen that just gets blown up
for a five yard loss. We've seen the play so
many times this season. Never seems to work. And now
you've got fourth and eight from the ten or eleven,
and Craft's already out, Watson's out being checked for a concussion,
(13:44):
Golden's out with a shoulder injury. Who's on the field
on fourth and eight, Well, clearly guys that aren't usually
out there because they were so discombobulated they have to
call time out. Waste of valuable could have been a
valuable time out. On the fourth and eight. You'd think, Okay,
you've given yourself a few minutes to settle down. Calm,
calm her heads, prevail, roll out the field goal team,
(14:06):
get the field goal, cut the lead to four. There's
still eleven minutes left. You know, ultimately you scored the
next time, you'd be up at that point and the
game winning field goal would have been a game tying
field goal. But instead, Lafleur makes the to me unconscionable
decision to go forward on fourth and eight when your
offense has been out of whack. You've got guys out
there that you haven't game plan to be out there.
(14:28):
They don't even know where to line up, and it's
a complete disaster of a play. Love running around thinks
Dobbs is going to go to the right corner. He doesn't,
so it's just right there for the cornerback to just
grab that in the end zone and go one hundred yards.
Fortunately he drops it and saves Green Bay that had
picked six written.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
All over it.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Lafleur said afterwards, Yeah, bad decision. Should have kicked. How
in your right mind on fourth and eight when your
offense is so disjointed in the red zone all day,
do you think you're subtling going to convert that play
and get the touchdown? It just felt like he's just
a little too cocky, a little too smug leg Yeah, okay,
it's been ugly, but yeah we got this. Just a
terrible decision I think ultimately cost him the game.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, I think it very well could have hand up.
I could just play it off and say, yeah, terrible decision.
In the moment, I wanted them to go for it,
Are you kidding? In the heat of the moment, I
wanted them to go for it because I got flashbacks
to Arizona, you know, where they had a similar situation
fourth down.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Now, granted, what was that a fourth and three? A
fourth and.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Two, and they went for it and it paid dividends
and they ended up winning that game because of it.
That's where my headspace was at, like Jordan's gonna get
us out of this, put the ball in his hands
and let him cook. So hand up, I probably would
have made the same decision and also hand up horribly
wrong decision as well, and they should have taken the
points and how it worked out, but it just felt
(15:50):
like you're down a touchdown. If you have confidence in love,
you put the ball in his hands. But clearly you
got to play day by day, at least at this
point in his career, in this point in the Packers offense,
and if they're not going that particular day, you're not that.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Confident, then he should just take the points.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
But another avenue to this is how far out were
they I mean on the would have been a chip shot.
The kicker is not a sure thing at this point McManus.
So that's it was short enough to its probably isn't
a factor, but maybe in the back of the head
it might have been.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I'm officially ready to move on from Brandon McManus. I'm
ready to give Lucas Haversick the job and say let's go.
It's it's not a trend. What comes after a trend.
It's just reality. He's missed four of his last six.
It was a forty three yard field goal that he
missed yesterday a Sunday. It's just you can't have that.
(16:43):
And I know he was so reliable last season, started
off the season fine, and then he gets hurt and
maybe the calf is bugging him. I don't have time
for that. I'm not thrilled with the guy anyway. He's
got some stuff off the field that I don't love.
So happy to go with it if he's going to
be a productive kicker. But if he's not, let's find
someone else. I don't know that they'll make the move.
I know this. They can't afford to keep two kickers
(17:05):
on their roster. That's just there's too many injuries right now.
There's too many places they can upgrade. They have to
make a decision. I think they will this week, assuming well,
I was going to say, assuming McManus is healthy. I
don't think it matters. Would I would say thank you
for your time. We're going to go with the young
guy and see if what we've seen in the couple
games he played is for real. I know that's a
(17:27):
bit daring to take away a ten twelve year veteran
who's kicked in big playoff games for the Broncos in
the past, and go with a young guy who's had
a cup of coffee with the Rams, but he's missed
too many kicks lately in these close games, and you
can say it might have cost this team one or
two wins already. I'm not ready to extend my rope.
(17:48):
I would move on for McManus. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
The only thing is if the quad is still act damp.
I think the floor was Quota saying I don't talk
to kickers. Maybe it's time to start talking to kickers
because if he's not one hundred percent and he's pulling
everything to the left, is it because of his quad?
Is he just rusty?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Is he just bad?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Questions need to be answered there. I don't know if
I'm it certainly needs to be a conversation. The only
reason I'm not ready to just completely move on is
because I still the sixty one yarder was awesome, But
you know, it still is a young guy and we
were in young kicker purgatory for a couple of years.
I'm not exactly thrilled to go back to that. But
in the short sample size we had at Haversik he
(18:29):
was really good and McManus has been really bad. So
the conversation needs to be had and he needs to
start talking to kickers and changing his tune.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, I think so too, Half for six twenty six.
You know, he has been around the league for a while.
He was ready to go be a substitute teacher in Cleveland.
And you hear that a lot from kickers, that they're
like one inch away from selling pharmaceuticals and the next
day you're a ten year kicker in this league. So
it wouldn't be a story we've never seen before. All Right,
A couple of the big storylines for me about this
team coming out of this terrible performance on Sunday, pedal
(19:00):
are a real thing. Stay at six in the first half.
Three holding penalties in the first half, that again just
squash drives. They're on pace for the most penalties per
game for a Packer team since nineteen eighty six, about
eight penalties a game. Maybe that's a function of having
the youngest roster once again, but again, if you're a
(19:21):
Super Bowl contender, if you're a team that has designs
I'm playing deep into January, you can't shoot yourselves in
the foot. Penalties were a big thing on Sunday and
it's become a real trend for this team.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
And it goes back to if you want to be
this is my big closing point on Packer preview. If
you want to be a big, you know, considered a
professional team and be contenders, you can't mess around with
these teams. And that's a key factor in how you
do it, is you just shoot yourself in the foot
and make it more difficult than it has to be.
Probably some of those sustained drives the flour was talking about,
(19:55):
because how many holdings did we see and just pre
snap and the time out they had to burn because
of it, Like it all just self mistakes and the
turnovers and savon fumbling, It's just it all adds up.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
The offense has sputtered in the first half. It feels
like every game this season, and it almost is. I
mean the first two games. Obviously, the Lions game is
always going to look great. The Washington win doesn't look
quite as impressive now that the Commanders are a two
and six operation. But since those first two games, over
the last what six, green Bay's averaging seven points a game.
(20:31):
In the first half. That cannot happen. You know, you
can't rely on Okay, well, we'll come out in the
second half and turn things around, which we've seen in
a number of their wins. But I just don't really,
you know, understand, Typically, you got a really experienced play
caller and a great young quarterback, you script those first
to twelve fifteen plays, you kind of expect this team
(20:53):
to come out and put points on the board. And
in this kind of game, we talked about it, potential
trap situation noonkck off. Between two big primetime games against
big time quarterbacks, big time teams. Are they going to
come out just a little bit sleepy? Is there a
danger in that? You know? And clearly there was. And
it's kind of like the Cleveland game, the same situation,
two big wins. Everyone's talking Green Bay up is the
(21:15):
best team in the league, and they go into Cleveland
and manage ten points. It was just eerily similar, except
this was a home game. And I'm not going to
crap on the Panthers. Bryce Young's won is last four starts.
I mean, they're not a terrible team, but it's a
team that has no business coming into your house as
thirteen and a half point underdogs and winning that game.
(21:36):
And it starts with slow, sputtering starts that allow teams
to stay in it allow them to keep their game
plan and run on the football. It's all we talked
about Sunday was get a lead early. Then they can't
just run it with Donnald. They got to rely on
Bryce Young and that's how you knock them out. But
they didn't, and they couldn't get the points they You
keep talking about, whether it's penalties, whether it's turnovers, whether
(21:56):
it's just bad play. The offense cannot get going, and
you don't get going against Philly on Monday night and
let Jalen Herds and Saquan and company jump out. You know,
you can't just rely on a big second half to
save you. This team needs to wake up offensively early.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
And the most frustrating thing is every single time we
hear a Jordan Love presser, it's got to come out hot.
You know, we got to start the game off hot,
and it just seems like, for whatever reason, it's all
talk at this point that they just can't find.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
A way to come out hot.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Minus you know, the Lions game, and that's really been it,
so it's super frustrating. The only other positive spin zone
I have is that the Packers are still first in
the NFC North after the Lions fumbled to the Vikings,
so you still can control your destiny. And you know,
five and two and one is not the world's worst
(22:50):
record spot to be at. But if you play like
that and you can't be relied on week in and
week out and the consistency, then it doesn't matter what
you know, where they are in the standings, what their
record is, if they're not reliable.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah, I mean they're just a game and a half
out of last place in the North too. It's pretty
constricted right now. With the Bears winning yesterday and as
you said, the Bike's surprising the Lions. Everything's gotten really
tight in the North and I think five of the
last seven are division games for the pack and that's
obviously when everything's going to be decided. They're a banged
up team right now. We know Craft is done, likely
for the season. As we record this. We haven't seen
(23:24):
the official announcement, but all indications are they will not
have Tucker Craft. Matthew Golden left with a shoulder injury.
Coolby Wooden left also with a shoulder. He says it'll
be okay. Banks left with a stinger. Watson's okay, no concussion.
He came back in. But it's a banged up team,
especially offensively. You know, can't get those five linemen out
(23:45):
there together. Can seem to keep the receivers together. This
is going to be a time now with no Craft,
no Read, maybe no Golden that maybe you do have
to rely more on that running game. But they haven't
been a good run blocking team. It's hard to say.
All right, let's just let Josh Jacobs carry us for
a few weeks til Reed comes back and they kind
of get things figured out as an offense. Without Tucker Craft,
(24:07):
there's no time for that. And here comes a Philly
team that they will be ready for Green Bay on
Monday night. And as we said, they just traded. They
made two trades over the weekend to bolster their team.
Added Jalen Phillips, the longtime Dolphin pass rusher, to an
already good defense. I think Carolinas a challenge. Here comes
(24:27):
the Super Bowl champs looking to to spoil things on
a Monday night. I Again, as we said at the
top of the show, they've played well against very good teams.
But man, you come out of that Carolina game and
you wonder, how do they just flip the switch and
look like that team we've seen at times this year.
On Monday Night against Saquana Company, It's it's gonna be
a tough one. And they're favored by two and a half.
(24:49):
By the way, green Bay is.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Green Bay is favored, still.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Is favored by Green Bay and the Wolves, And I'll
be the only team in the NFL this year to
be favored in every game this season. They in the
e Eagles were the only two leapt in. As it
stands now, green Bays favored by two and a half.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
We'll see if that still stands by the end of
the week.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
But yeah, if if you're the Eagles, if you're Syrian
and you're looking at the tape and you just see
Rico run, you know as long as he wanted to,
you have to be licking your lips.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
So it is. There is something to be said, though.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
And I do think that every team I'm actually going
to try to be positive here, believe it or not,
and not sarcastically positive. Every single team in the NFL
is I feel like has had at least one or
two of these games at this point in time. I
can think of like Josh Allen, you know, getting embarrassed
by the Falcons, you know, and just these weird like
(25:43):
what is the NFL game And if you look at
you know, even the Purple they get embarrassed by the
Chargers and then come out and beat a really good
Lions team.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
So it's just this roll. Everyone is just on this
roller coaster right now.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I think it's almost good for our psyche to maybe
step off, you know, maybe grab a drink, throw up
in a trash can, and then try to get our
bearings again, because it just feels like everybody's on this
ride right now, especially this year, and you know, hopefully
it all evens out in the Packers learned some consistency
at some point. But you know, if we're going to
(26:19):
be called frauds because we are celebrating Jordan Love's first
forty starts because he threw a really bad pick and
almost had two in one game, then you know, you're
just you're on the roller coaster. I got nothing else
to tell you, Like, you just get off? Does that
make any sense?
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Yeah? No, no, I think for this that is what
being an NFL fan is. You're on top of the
world one week and it's the pits of despair in
the next. Last Monday, we were so giddy about that
second half against Pittsburgh and when did might pretend for
the rest of the year. And then here we are
a week later with a terrible home loss and then
a terrible injury loss. You know it wouldn't be nice.
I know every team has terrible injuries in Green Bay
(26:54):
probably has not been injured as much as many this season,
but it feels like every year as a Packer fan,
we see an ACL doom a really good player Rushan
Gary two years ago, Christian Watson last year, now Tucker Craft,
and then we're only halfway through the year. There might
be more. Do we have to have acls every season?
Two not just players, but top ten players on the
(27:18):
roster that they've lost top ten players to acls. Now again,
we're predicting on Craft because of the reporting. By the
time this thing goes goes up and everybody's listening, it
might already be a thing. We're assuming it's an ACL.
It'd be nice to go a season without losing one
of your five to ten most important players to a
tourn acl It's just the ultimate you know, buzzkill as
(27:39):
a fan to lose great players to injury. I understand
that's part of the game. Does it have to happen
every season though.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Yeah, no, I completely get it.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
I think that is the biggest you know, you can
you could you could win against the Eagles next week
and this game is forgotten almost overnight.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
But that's the lingering. That's what's going to be.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
It is regardless of win loss, how they finish the
season like this will be the biggest blow to the
rest of the season. Not the loss. It's the loss
of Tucker Craft and what he brought to the offense
and the reliability he had.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
The likelihood if Green Bay is able to win next
Monday night, we'll be doing this podcast on Tuesday morning
and we'll be already worried about, Well, now we're going
to a terrible New York Giants team and here we
go after a big, big win over Philly. Are we
going to stub our toe against New York with the
three division games looming following that game. I mean, it's
just you're never comfortable, so you know it's going to
(28:36):
take a lot to beat Philadelphia. Obviously, I don't put
it past Green Bay to do it, but if they do,
I'm not going to come into next week thinking, all right,
we'll go to New York and take care of business.
We're all going to be scared. Crap lists that are.
Here's a mediocre team that already lost one of their
best young players. They don't seem to win too often.
They got a little something in that young quarterback, though,
and you know they're going to make life difficult. And
(28:58):
coming off a big potential win over Philly, is Green
Bay ready to you know, finish that up with another
win against a team you're supposed to beat that they
haven't proven to been able to do that. So yeah,
a lot of storyline left to be written this season,
but took a significant step back on Sunday. Worst loss
of the Matt Lafleur Era. You know, I'd have to
(29:19):
go back and through the seven years there's probably been some,
but in light of where this team was heading into
this game, top seed in the NFC, coming off the
emotional win, this feels to me like the worst loss
of the Matt Lafleur era. Does anything else immediately come
to mind? For you.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
As far as spread we should have won, they're a
worse team, there's probably not a lot. I can think
of several coaching blunders and several NFC Championship games that
made me much more pissed than I am right now.
But that's a closer spread a better team in a
big time game. But I can think of going for
a field goal and Aaron Rodgers essentially throwing his helmet
(30:01):
on the sideline that he didn't get the ball. No
safeties on Mike Evans down with a Tom Brady hail Mary.
I mean, we could go down the list of disappointments
in the Floor era that are just inexplicable.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
But at the same time, I still think.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
He is a good, very good coach and a good
offensive mind. I would like to permanently delete the pitch
play and the bubble screen out of the playbook. If
we could do that, that would be great. But I
still think it probably is the worst as far as
coming out flat and looking. I mean, besides the Browns,
I mean, that's the next one off the top of
(30:40):
my head.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, I mean, there's really a bit more gut wrenching
emotional losses that hurt way more than this, but just
as far as an embarrassing loss and a game you
had no business losing. To me, this is at the
top and it just raises so many questions about this
organization and this team going forward, and you know they
can answer all the questions and this could become a
footnote six eight weeks from now. That's the best thing
(31:04):
that ever happened to this team and woke them up.
I just don't get a sense that we're going to
be saying that. I hope I'm wrong. I hope that
they figure things out. But it all comes down again
to losing Tucker Craft is just such a gut punch,
not just from a you know, can the Packers be
Super Bowl contenders? And you lost your most explosive player.
As a football fan, who's more fun to watch than
(31:26):
Tucker Craft? I mean you ask Packer fans. I mean,
he's probably the fan favorite of anybody on this roster,
just the last guy you want to see go down
because it's one of those players you just enjoy watching
every day. We think about the headbut on the sideline
in Pittsburgh last Sunday night that went viral, that's just
you know, small town South Dakota kid came to Green Bay. Wow,
what a big city. What am I gonna do? He
(31:47):
just fits in so well. You want to see him play,
you want to see him succeed. And now we're probably
twelve months away from from getting him back mid season
next year. It's just it's just a gut punch. So
we'll see if this team can respond. Next month, the
Philadelphia Eagles are in town. It's Monday Night football. Can
Green Bay get off the mat and put this one
behind them? Sixteen thirteen the final Panthers knock off the Pack.
(32:09):
We'll be back Sunday morning for Packer preview, getting you
set for Packers Eagles, for Brett Blake Moore. I'm Dave Sinecon.
Thank you so much for listening, and as always, go
pack
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