With the ‘flow state’ go the Packers; the future of the NFC North

And Stacy, I know you're gonna be covering that forty nine Packers game. And look, I know the temps. I know you love them. It wouldn't be a Stacy Dale's appearance at lambeau Field without some negative degrees or zero degree temps. AM. All right, that's exactly correct. Can I tell you what I just did, Rett, I literally just jumped on Amazon Me yesterday and I bought heaters, infra red heaters for my crew because we're gonna be at

LAMBA on Saturday morning. We're gonna be there from well, i'll get there around until ten thirty, but we're gonna be reporting until about four in the afternoon. So I did buy two heaters for my crew. So for you, Dale's right there, Reporter of the Year with that, with that move that that's the quickest way to the cruise. Heard right there, food and warmth. So that's that's good work. Um. Look, this is an interesting matchup for a lot of reasons.

Let's start with the fact that it might feature the return of some key players for the Green Bay Packers. Obviously, we saw David Bactieri come back week A teen. I know the Packers are hoping to have JayR Alexander and to Darius Smith. How do you judge the potential impact of those returns for a team that is actually done pretty well without them. They have, which is why mattal Fleur has been just so impressive the way he's kept this thing together despite some of the adversities along the way.

I think for me, seeing a player like David Bactier, who returned in a week eighteen twenty seven snaps against the Lions, they've been trying to like slowly sort of coddle him back, if you will. Rhett and I like the plan they've had. The guy had an a C. L less than a year ago. Um, they've been extremely conservative with him. But to get those reps in Week eighteen along with Josh Meyers another starter there on that

offensive line. Billy Turner getting healthy again another knee injury, so playing with knee injuries, but they're getting healthy, and gosh, this is one of the best left tackles in football. Aaron Rodgers loves him. I don't anticipate if he plays a lot rhet I don't anticipate any drop off there in terms of responsibilities and keys with the offensive line. UM, and then defensively, they're also getting extremely healthy. Uh, to not see za Darius Smith all year long with the

back injury. Literally he played one game. It's gonna be for him about unleashing the beast, right, because that's what he does. He comes off the edge and he hits happened second and one fifteen seconds left and Ryan will be dropped. Sack buys a Darius Smith. But to add Gi here, I think is the big one on the back end. He had a he had an interception actually against the Niners back in Week three when they played and the Packers won that game. Garoppolo going deep on

first down into double coverage. He just picked off Alexander and he's back in the forty nine territory and he's inside the courting attacking it about the thirty one yard line. Want to play that time by gyre Alexander. There was nobody in his zone, so you're gonna see him go all the way across the field and make the play as soon as the receiver on his side ran that did route that input, he freed him up and with the kind of speed he has, he just ran it down.

This was a good look and play. It's a good look and throw, but Alexander just beat him there. He is just another instinctual, phenomenal player. And their secondary has been awesome, turnover laden all season long. They have just been a nemesis to deal with. Resul Douglas has been phenomenal. Pies half again and zone and picked off intercepted by Russell Douglas and the Packers are gonna win it. But

I think right, I mean, you played. You understand when you get back to your full strength, it gives you a little mental edge too, so I think that could

be a big part of it as well. And then this this matchup, just in general is super intriguing, right, the forty Niners go from one of those, you know, one of those historic playoff matchups with the Cowboys in Round one, they win, and now they get another one a little bit more recently, Um, it's been even more interesting, specifically for the forty Niners, who have had all the success in this matchup in the playoffs recently. Rodgers has

never beaten befo the Niners in the postseason. Uh. Matt Laflour obviously lost the Kyle Shanahan and the championship game in nineteen his first year. So I mean, look, they all mean a ton at this stage in the game, but like it feels like there might be a little bit extra when when these two teams get together in the postseason. You're spot on your spot on because that

Week three game was like that. Okay, I had the Packers the first two weeks, they're they're they're awful performance, three point performance against the Saints and then Detroit on Monday Night football, and then they go to San Francisco. They beat Detroit, go to San Francisco. After that game, Rogers was oddly emphatic at that stage, like, you know, it's Week three It's like that was a major growth

moment for us. It felt like in the locker room today that we finally had the energy that I've been waiting to see. And uh, before the game, it wasn't the type of energy we had in Jacksonville, but I knew we needed to spark, and the energy in the locker room post game that felt like a win. You know, felt like there was such a growth moment for us. And I'm really really happy for the guys to feel that, and you know, it feels like, Okay, now we're on

our way. He talked about they beat us twice, they beat us up twice in nineteen. Those are tough, tough ones, you know, tough. Yeah, the road trip out west from Green Bay is always tough, but it feels a lot better when you're going back to a win. So he remembers everything. His recall is fascinating and listen, I he's in a zone unlike I mean. I asked him about it this week and he called it a flow state, slow state. I think what you want to do is

have that flow state be a continual thing. The flow state is kind of the words that we've used to talk about being in the zone whatever whatever that means, it's it's it's really when you're playing your best in the game seems to slow down a little bit. It's a flow state for Aaron Rodgers. And there's so many variables. I need to, you know, dig into that a little bit more. But he's been in a flow state all year long. And I don't care about the rivalry. I

don't care about the matchups. I just think he has dialed in and look out because he really has played remarkably. You can put all of the things you think about the guy on the side, whichever way do you think, listeners, but he's been phenomenal on the field, Oh absolutely. And look, he's in contention to be an m v P for the fourth time in his career, which is which is

pretty rare are form, you know for players. Obviously you've got you know, Peyton Manning up there with five um and and you know Rogers certainly in striking distance of that mark. But you know what, while that is important, and he's he's talked about, you know, the significance of those kind of individual accolades. He was asked this week about legacy, right, what what what did you take away

from his answer on legacy. The thing I've enjoyed about listening to him is completely everything, and he agreed on legacy red especially playoff legacy that he was asked about. To your point, um, success he often based on championships one, and it starts with the quarterback position. Success is often based,

you know, for quarterbacks on championships one. A lot of times, I think success individually is much more than that, and failure, you know, on the on the flip side of that, failure is is not, in my opinion, shouldn't be based solely on on your losses. So I think he realizes this is the moment, right, we've heard about the last dance, this and that. I think after what we saw last season, as good as they were to lose to Tom Brading the NFC Championship game, I just think he's playing with

literally nothing to lose. He understands this might be his last dance in Green Bay, and he understands and recognizes, yep, a quarterback success is going to hinge upon and he does have one Super Bowl, how many Super Bowls, how many championships they have, So I almost feel like he's possessed this year in a way to win, to win this one, I don't feel like there's any pressure there. I don't feel like they're going to come out flat.

I feel like he is in a zone, his flow state, and he realizes this is my time and I have to shine, and I don't. I think he's so extraordinary at what he does at the quarterback position and just who he is mentally, Like, he's really smart, and I just think he's dialed into this thing. Yeah, it certainly feels that way. And it does feel like that he's had somewhat different temperament um with the media in particular, or just maybe a little bit more of an openness

and accessibility. It feels like, even with the COVID restrictions that we've all been dealing with in the last two years. Um. And he did talk a little bit today about the impact that's some of his teammates and coaches have had on his demeanor and the way he interacts with teammates and coaches, which of course comes with age two. Right, But how did you kind of observe those the experiences

he was talking about in that fashion. Yeah, Thomas actually brought one of them up with Joe Philbin, right, who spent a lot of time with from a coaching standpoint to player standpoint, Um, I think Rogers and many respects is misunderstood. And I think that he is at a point in the last two years in which he is literally guiding this ship with Matt his coach, and so much of what happens on the field is because of twelve. And I think that he has gratitude that we don't see.

And I think he's just at a point if I were too and I don't like to ever, you know, put my words in somebody else and what have you, where he's like, this is the truth, this is who I am. And even though there was a little misq in the truth at some point along the way. We won't get into that. But um, I just think that he cares about his teammates and I know that because I've talked to them. Rhett, Like, if I went and I said to everybody at NFL Network, what kind of

guy is Rhett Lewis? People love you because your person yeah right, yeah, person though that that that becomes your that becomes who you are. And internally with the Packers talked to lots of coaches and lots of players. They love their teammates. They think he's a great leader. He Aaron Jones talked about it this week, how he may have expectations of you, but he's willing to lead you and guide you to get to those places. And I think A. J. Dillon is a really good example of that.

How he's developed in past protection and the receiving game. A lot of that has to do with Rogers and his belief in him and um taking him under his wing is here's here's where you need to go with this. He does it with his offensive line. Uh. And and they played hard for him, that old line plays like they go all out for that guy. And to think about Billy Turner has been out and you know, Elton, all of them, and and to still achieve the results

they're getting speaks to that position. So I just I think to your original question, Um, he's pretty coveted in that locker room. Just lastly, because you've talked about the last dance here a little bit, do you feel like any of this piece, this flow state that he's talking about is a result of just kind of understanding and being okay with where he is in his relationship with the Packers, even if that means it's ending this year.

I think he is. I think he's very comfortable rat to your point at where he is in his shoes. I think he's so gifted and so good. Now it's like going to adjustin Timberlake concert. It's you know you're gonna get every time you watch him, you know, it's like you know you're going to get a performance that's gonna blow the joint. And I think Justin knows and I'm not staying there the same or whatever. But like I think of great musicians, I think of extraordinary musicians.

What are you going to get when you go to the concert? Are you going to get an average performance? Are you're gonna get the best? I just they know they're the best. Everybody knows they're the best. And they'll probably end up doing a world tour when they're finished. So you know, last dance world tour, let's say it. You never know, that's great. It's a great way to put it, uh Stacy and and look, you know the dance is going to continue, um, you know, for as

long as they can keep themselves alive. Here in the postseason and March towards Super Bowl fifty six, here in l A. We know that three other teams in the

NFC North didn't have that opportunity. Lines were eliminated with first year head coach Dan Campbell, and now the rest of the division starting from scratch do gms and new head coaches in Chicago in Minnesota still to come, also still to come on this episode of Benefit Inside Report back here on NFL in Side Report are Stacy Dale's back here with us and expertly covers the NFC North and so much more throughout the NFL for US, and so I felt like you were the perfect person to

talk to about the half of the division starting over with new decision makers in the football operations side of the personnel side. Terms of the Bears firing Ryan paces GM Matt Naggi is head coach, and then the Viking somewhat surprisingly firing GM. Rick Spielman thought maybe Mike zimmer might go. He ends up going as well, So completely

new power structure there for both those franchises. Let's start with the Bears, and does the futility at quarterback ultimately come back as the origin point for why we're back at square one for Chicago? Yeah, Because if you don't have the right quarterback head coach combination or coordinator combination, and you lose, You don't, you don't last in the NFL.

It's just to cause an effect. And let me clarify, that's not to say that Justin Fields is not going to be the solution, but all of the people who tried and failed before Justin certainly led to this point as well. That's correct, that's correct. What's interesting is that you know, um, George mccoskey took over his chairman in two thousand eleven. Four head cotches have been relieved of their duties, Three g ms have been relieved of their duties,

So that's a ten year span. So when you consider that, what has the quarterback done right, Jay Cutler, and then what you bring in guys like Mike Glennon and Nick Foles and Andy Dalton, and now you draft Justin fields in Matt Risky. Excuse me, I got a great guy? How could I leave him off the list? But my point being was there have been sort of a revolving door of quarterbacks and coaches right now. I just think the Bears. It's your point right on Justin Fields, like

this guy has a lot of potential. One way stumbling trying to cut it back. Justin magic back touched. And that's why the George Murkaski press conference end of season exit press conference was so interesting because he never even really mentioned Justin's name. I do think that while he's going to hire, it'll be his decision on the GM and the coach. He's got to give them some freedom here, He's got to give them. He admitted, I'm not an evaluator. I'm a fan of football. I'm just a fan. I'm

not a football evaluator. Um And as a fan, what I see as a dynamic player with a lot of potential, a lot of ability, a lot of heart, and a strong work ethic. So if he's not evaluating the quarterback, who is he wants to know what kind of plan they have for Justin fields. So we're looking for a general manager and a head coach who would develop not just the quarterback position, but the talent around him and establishing a strong defense, help the quarterback to bring the

Bears to success. M Justin will not be an active part of the search process, but we'll be very interested to hear from both general manager and head coach candidates what their plan is to get the most out of the quarterback position for us, and I would hope that they have a plan for him because I think he's tremendously talented. I think with the right system for him, I really believe. I mean you would you could speak

on this. Building a system around the quarterback regardless of who that guy is allow you to be successful, right, So you know, I just I think that there's a lot to be determined with fields, and I think you need the perfect pairing head coach and GM and give them some freedom. But sure, sure you better hope they have some stability because there's been a lot of turnover at the coaching and the GM position in Chicago, and fans are frankly because I live in this area of

the country, they're they're tired. Yeah, is there a I mean like they've obviously been interviewing a ton of guys and requesting a ton of both head coach and GM interviews, Whereas you know, like in New York they're gonna hire the GM first. In Minnesota, sounds like they're gonna hire the GM first and then let the GM make the head coaching higher. It seems like in Chicago kind of had a bunch of both. Uh, candidates for both positions

come in a kind of at the same time. Is there a formula that they want this thing to look like? I mean, like, have you have you gathered anything on that front? Well, based upon watching how this process has been laid out, when you see a guy like Ed Dodds and Matt Eberflews come from Indie or you see Joe Shane um and mode models of success but also internally linked to that success as a as a team.

So I'm a I'm almost starting to den know that some of what the Bears are doing is they want to they wanna a tag team combination that know each other, that have a plan together. Um, but it seems counterintuitive or counterproductive to you know, hire a head coach without first getting the GM because to me, you just you start there. Well, you'd like to have a good relationship, like like a symbiotic relationship between those two people, since

they're going to be linked in almost every decision that's made. Yeah, And also the other interesting wrinkle here is Bill Pollian's involved. Right, He's been hired as a consultant. He's obviously had a great deal of success, success both with the aforementioned Bills and historically and the Colts. Um, he's one super Bowl, you know, he's he's hired great head coaches, a Tony Dungee like um, But where do you where does that

lie in terms of your investment? Right? I think Bill Pollian is somebody, as I've watched over the years, has integrity, and you know, it strikes me as somebody who wants to always do the right thing for the team. He's not Chicago Bear after this, so you know, I'm just I'm cure all be curious to see how much that impacts his his presence impacts the decision making process along the way. But again, they got a strike. They've got

a strike gold and uh. The other interesting part of it is, you know mc george was asked, are you gonna involve you know, justin fields in this? And you can laugh at this, you might not, But if this is the quarterback of your future, you know, shouldn't you know? You have an idea of what he likes, at least sitting down with him and saying what kind of offense do you like? Do you want to be a traditional pocket Paszard? Do you want to do you want to be more of a Josh Allen do you want to

be at Kyler Murray? Like what what do you? What are you looking for? And how can we marry this thing for success? Now? I look at Minnesota right and I look at the quarterback situation with Kirk and here's a veteran quarterback a decade in and what's really interesting is his best season of his entire career was in two thousand nineteen first playoff win. I think, right, um, they go ten and five and if that's the best season in your career and they don't have success, how

what are you? How are they going to be looking at the quarterback position in terms of the new GM and the new head coach because a lot of people are, you know, up or down on Kirk Cousins outside of his brilliant numbers. I mean, the guy can he can dance out there with the football. But you know he's got talent. There's a lot of talent in Minnesota. When I look at their roster, I'm thinking, like justin Jefferson and Westbrook and Delvin Cook and Madison, like they got

talent for days on that roster. The defense has to be way better. But how does Kirk Cousins fit into that long term picture of a new GM and head coach, big, big part of it. I mean, because it's in some shape or form, you're gonna be tied to the decision to either keep him or cut him one way or another, and for better or worse, like you're you're gonna be tied to that decision. And then I'll bring this back here as we kind of bring the Packers back into

the fold. Um. They're the gold standard in the division, right and have been for the last you know, two decades whatever it is. Um. And so I remember talking um when the when the Lions drafted and Dominican Sue and the rest of the division saw how dominant Sue was. It felt like teams in the division, We're going out and drafting to try to stop Sue, right. I mean, we saw Kyle Long drafted from the Chicago Bears. That will be kind of that nasty force in the interior

of the offensive line. It feels like, I mean like, if I'm the Bears and the Vikings, I gotta be thinking what am I doing to beat the Packers? Because the quickest way to the playoffs is to win the division, right, you know what I mean, I love this, but you might not even have to worry about it because as Aaron Rodgers going to be that their next well, that's true, that's true. Jordan Love is going to be the quarterback.

And now the conversation is completely different now if he stays it's it's like when Tom Brady went to the NFC South. Well, Drew Brees retired and Tom has been right. He's like, I'm going to the South. I'm going to get into the sun and the weather and the Florida you know scene, and uh, this is my division now. And now Josh Allen runs the CS so correct. Correct.

So I'm but I like what you just said though about you know, the you know, as far as inheriting quarterbacks, um, because Mitch Drabinsky was inherited in Chicago and that wasn't Naggie's guy. So so this is a really complicated, messy, dicey thing. And you also can look at the way

things ended for Mike Zimmer in Minnesota. It was weird, you know, doing some sort of a meeting with his players about and I've always been a Mike Zimmer fan, um, you know, power Point or something on all the misques that have happened to him along the way, and the reported an alleged discrinal nature between he and Rick's feelman

and who's also been there for so long. There's just a lot of culture to clean up, right, And you know, having been an athlete, and I understand having been an athlete, culture is everything and until you get your your new your new staff better be culturally bound from where they come from or where they were at having a reputation for good culture. So you think of a guy like Dan Quinn. Yeah, he declined a little bit when he was in Atlanta, but he always had a good culture.

So I'm I'm all about what's the culture? How are you going to develop the quarterback? Let's start there. And that's what these teams in this division that this NFC NFC North need to do. And you look at the Detroit Lions. They hired Dan Campbell to change culture more than anything. So we'll see. Well, Stacy, it's been a blast getting caught up on the NFC North with you and getting set for this fantastic playoff matchup between the

Packers and the forty Niners. Stay warm, look forward to your reporting on Saturday, Thanks Rape, and that's gonna do it for this episode of NFL Inside Report. Reminder to download, rate, and review our show on the I Heart Radio app, on Apple podcast or wherever you get your pond. We certainly appreciate it. True. Hope you enjoyed divisional weekend in the NFL, as we got four fantastic games, starting on Saturday with the Bengals and the Titans and finishing up

Sunday night with the Bills and the Chiefs. Look forward to recapping all of it with you next week. Three more episodes of NFL Inside Report coming your way for producers Thomas Warren and Tim Paracca. I'm your host, Read Lewis. We'll catch you next time. NFL Inside Report is the production of the NFL and partnership with I Heart Radio. For more official podcasts from the NFL, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.