#251 Packers Unscripted: Week 17 wrap

seventeen season. It ends with a thirty five to eleven loss at Ford Field in Detroit and West I know a lot of reports out there swirling around about possible changes going on within the organization, and let's just say that after the game, Mike McCarthy did not address anything about the future of what's going on with the coaching staff or anything else in the football operation. So it's

not our place to discuss the speculation. We will wait until we hear from the head coach, which is going to be presumed be within a couple of days sometime later this week. We will hear from him on what is going on or not going on. So with that, the final game of the regular season um not the way the Packers wanted to go out, Certainly, thirty five to eleven a rough ball game. Brett Hunley didn't finish his stint as the starting quarterbacks. Certainly the way he

wanted to. A couple of early turnovers really kind of blew the Packers chance to to make this a game and and and stay competitive in it. Yeah, I think the thing that stands up the most when you really look at the stat sheet once this thing was over was the four turnovers four takeaways for the Lions and zero for the Packers. I mean that that was gonna tilt this ball game so significantly. Mike McCarthy said afterwards he actually was relatively happy with the way the Packers

started this football game. They had made the decision earlier in the week that they were going to try to go for that surprise on side kick if they won the coin toss, and there you go, Mason Crosby doing one of the things that he does best. Germaine Whitehead makes a tremendous play on the ball to get the Packers the football at the fifth forty nine yard line, as they've done basically every single time Hunley has been under center. They drove on that first series, and then

you know, the past a little bit behind. Jamal Williams ends up being a drop turns into an interception, and the lines were able to get the ball there, but Packers actually end up forcing I believe the three out defensively, Green Bay gets the ball back, actually ends up kicking the field goal to go up three to nothing. So things were kind of working in their favor, but slowly, between the drops and the mistackles and everything kind of

culminating together, the game slowly got away from them. Yeah, when you turn the ball over twice in the red zone with scoring opportunities there in the first quarter in a game that you know you're playing uphill from the beginning, you've got You've got some starters on the field. I'm not saying this was an entire, you know, taxi squad type of lineup, but the Packers were using a lot of backups on both sides of the ball, with some starters sprinkled in, and even some of those starters on

the defensive side. I would say, we're rotating in and out, maybe more often than they would in a usual regular season game. Sit suation. So you turn the ball over twice in the red zone with a chance to score early in the ball game, the defense does start out pretty well, even after giving up the one deep ball fifty plus yards over the top. They hold the Lions to a field goal there, but then the Lions big plays kind of kicked in. They got the fifty four

yard touchdown to Kenny Golladay. They later on they get a seventy one yard touched down past the Golden Tate when he's a wide open um to the left side for Stafford against the zone defense, and the Packers offense after those early promising drives just never really got going until getting a fourth down touchdown pass late in the game to Randall Cobb that that you know, gave you maybe some hope that the Packers could close the gap

a little bit, but it just didn't happen. Yeah, pretty much the same drill in this game, and it's been sort of the downfall of the Packers in the second half of the season. Offensively. Got out to a relatively fast start. Slow down, have some three Now, let's have some big three notes. Where Hunley's taken a sack on third down and that leads to some negative yardage as well,

ends up the field position battle. I think Wade heavily, especially in that first half, Packers punting justin Vogel punting out of his own his own end zone two or three different times. Yeah. And then you also have the mistake on the punt return where you end up muffing a punt because one of your blockers gets blocked into Trevor Davis who's just trying to make a fair catch, and the Lions, you know, get the ball in easy scoring position. That that's you know, the game just started

a snowball the wrong way. Yeah. And that's a tough spot for Down to tell a Brown too, because I and I guess I gotta go back and look at the film. I don't remember him working as a jammer the last few games. That's I think another thing, with all the injuries that happened, Josh Hawkins, as you said, ends up rotating with Devon House at cornerback. Lindsay Pitkins makes his first career start, the undrafted rookie cornerback out

of vote excuse me, Oklahoma State. So yeah, it just it was I think there was just there were some guys that stepped up. I mean you look at you know, the Manuel Birds of the world that sort of came out of nowhere to make a play, and even some

of the Vets. I thought Clay Matthews and Mike Daniels played really hard, but a us the board inconsistency and just not being able to take advantage of opportunities and having some unfortunate turnovers I think ultimately just led to this game being out of site for the Packers once we got to the fourth quarter. Yeah, So as the final score UH reads thirty five to eleven, the Packers

finished the season at seven and nine UM. As we talked about, obviously the eight game or eight season streak of going to the playoffs comes to an end, just the second sub five hundred record in Mike McCarthy's twelve year tenure and what it ends up doing now at seven and nine the Packers, it looks like we'll be picking four in the first round of the NFL Draft. Just to explain a little bit, they tied with the Washington Redskins at seven and nine for what would be

the thirteenth and fourteenth positions. UH. Strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker is actually dead even between the two, so they go a little deeper into the tiebreakers and it actually comes down to a common games tiebreaker. You have to have a minimum of four common games. With that opponent, and the Packers and the Redskins both played the Seahawks, the Vikings, the Saints, and the how Boys. They both played five games against those four opponents. Because

Washington played Dallas twice, the Packers played Minnesota twice. In those five games, the Packers went two and three, the Redskins went one and four. So because the Redskins were worse, they get the thirteen spot, the Packers get the fourteen spot. The upshot of all that explanation, West is that the Packers have the highest draft pick they will have they have had since two thousand nine, when they drafted B. J.

Rodger at number nine overall to be fourteen. The the highest draft pick the Packers have had since then was twenty one when they drafted Ha Ha Clinton Dicks in so uncharted waters, but a tremendous opportunity for this organization. It is. And as you said, Mike, I mean you look at two thousand nine, that was the last time that draft was the last time they were coming off

the season which they didn't go to the playoffs. So um, this is the silver lining, the consolation, if you want to call it, that you do have a chance now whether it's gonna be offense defense. Whatever they decided to do with it. There is an opportunity, not only in that first round, but in those other rounds to picking a little bit earlier to try of finding a difference maker. They did it with haklind Dixson two thousand fourteen, picking one, and I thought that had a big, really a push

for that defense to really solidify that safety position. Absolutely what they can do with this one, yeah, And we'll have plenty of time to talk about that when we go to the Combine in February and all that, But for now, we're going to toss it to a break back with more and Packers Unscripted right after this Welcome

back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair, Wes Hodkowitz in that one, and West some big pieces of news we haven't had a chance to discuss yet because they occurred after our final show of the previous week, but before the Packers kicked off against the Detroit Lions in the season finale. And that is two key pieces to this Green Bay Packers offense re signing signing contract extensions as they were in the final. Both players are in the final year of their rookie deals, and I'm

talking about receiver Davante Adams and center Corey Linsley. I think it was pretty obvious that these were the two biggest free agent priorities or pending free agent priorities for the Green Bay Packers, and really good news that they got both of these guys back into the fold without even approaching that March deadline of free agency. Well, the nice thing is with getting the deals done with both

Adams and Lensley. The way that works as You're able to basically pro rate a portion of their signing bonus towards the two thousand seventeen caps, so that makes it a more palatable contract over the length of it. So you know you're able to spread it over four years instead of three. Uh that that goes a long way with contracts at time. So very smart and savvy from

the Packers from that perspective. But at the same time, it also rewards both Davante Adams and Corey Linsley for kind of betting on themselves as year, playing this thing out, seeing what they can accomplish. Um Lindsley had the offseason surgery on the ankle. He felt like that was going to be something that could clean up the lingering hamstring injuries, the leg injuries he's been suffering. He ends up playing

every offensive snap for the Packers this season. Then Davante Adams, he had that big breakout year a year ago, but people were still kind of wondering can he do it again? Not only did he do it, he did it with Brett Hunley at quarterback as well. He was able to establish that momentum, that rhythm and timing with Hunley as well.

And I think when you just look at his physical gifts, Mike, the fact that he just turned twenty five on Christmas Eve, Uh, this guy was going to be one of the top freed It's not only at the receiver position but in the entire NFL. So for the Packers to get both of them locked up now, I think that says a lot about them in terms of the two prospects they developed from that two thousand fourteen draft and now their

ability to kind of continue to grow within this offense. Yeah, And I think what you said about Davante Adams and what he did with Brett Hunley, if there were any questions about him, you know, building and repeating what he did in a in a breakout. He did it with Brett Hunley at quarterback. Because at the end of the day, the Packers one three games with Huney at quarterback against Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland, and Davantae Adams had a pretty

significant role in all of those victories. He really was Brett Hunley's go to guy, and and when the offense was clicking, when it was getting some things done with Brett Huntley at quarterback, a lot of it had to do with Davanta Adams. I'm he couldn't be happier for the guy. I mean, he did everything he had to do. Obviously, you hope everything with the concussion, the second concussion that he sustained in unfortunately everything from there goes smoothly and

he comes back with no issues. But but we even saw on social media Aaron Rodgers awfully happy that that there's no concern with Davante Adams going elsewhere. Yeah, and Randall Coby even talked about the locker room after the

game on Sunday night. I mean, here, here's a guy who came into Green Bay I think had pretty big expectations because of that that history, the legacy they've had of second round draft picks in Green Bay really becoming Pro Bowl type receivers, difference making type of Eavers and Adams. He had to take the long, hard road. I mean the first year he kind of broke out a little bit, stepped in that number three spot, was a good complimentary piece for that offense. The second year, a lot more

was going to be asked him. Without Jordy Nelson. He ends up injuring his his ankle in the first week of the second week of the season. It lingers the entire season wasn't the same player. He had so many doubters, so many questions, you know, so many questions are being asked about him going into that third year, and then you really started to see what he can do. He's ever ever so confident in his abilities, So I think

that went a long way. And then just to touch on really quickly, Mike, when you look at Corey Linsley, I think this says a lot about Lindsley because this is the first time the Packers have really extended and given a second contract to a center. Since I believe Scott well I was going to say Scott Wells I think was the last one into the late two thousands. So uh, for them to feel like Lindsley's the guy there, I think it's it's it feels a huge need because

there wasn't an air apparent obviously there. I mean they were going to have to make a big move there if Lindsley didn't come back. So now you bring him back, you have Lane Taylor extended earlier this season. You have to see where things are at with Brian Blog. You know, if if Jarry Evans wants to come back or not, or what the plan will be there at the right side.

But as far as having those three pieces together with box tr Taylor and Lindsley for at least the next three seasons a very very big thing for Aaron Rodgers now going forward. Yeah, there's a there's a foundation there,

certainly on the offensive line. There are some questions both injury wise and with Jarry Evans and and his decision about his future exactly what what the right side is going to look like inen And with regards to the receiving corps, I know a lot of people are wondering with Jordy Nelson's contract, Randall Cobbs contract and now Davante Adams getting his new deal. How is this all gonna work out? Is somebody going to be the odd man out?

I don't know how this is gonna work out. I will just say this, the fact that the Packers, going back to your original point, that they signed both Lindsley and Adams before the season ended. It changes and we'll see how things come out in terms of the numbers, but it certainly changes what the cap number for both

of those guys is in twenty team. So what I think it does, however this shakes out, is it gives you more flexibility with what you want to do in some of these other financial contracts situations then you would have had if both of these guys take it all the way up to March, and then you don't have that option of counting some of that signing bonus and some of that money against the cap. And keep in mind too, because this has become a big narrative, and

I just want to dispel one notion. Let's say I get paid one million dollars for four years to write in report for Packers dot Com. It would be nice. I don't a lot of times with the NFL contracts, it isn't just two and fifty or fiftif the way that these contracts go, just because it's X amount of dollars, you just don't divide it by how many years it is and say, okay, that's the cap number. It's a

lot more complicated to that. And I think one thing people are is not thinking enough about is the fact that the first year of an NFL contract a second contract, typically it's not a huge cap hit. It's more towards

the end of it. So another thing to keep in mind when you start trying to become micromanaging and doing all these couch GM decisions, right, it's not necessarily a huge cap hit because they're getting all the money in the signing bonus and then then they're getting a lower salary in that first year the deal, but then the signing bonus is pro raded over the life of the

contract in terms of the salary cap. So it is uh, you know, it is a numbers game and uh, and the Packers are playing it and the cap keeps going up to that's another thing it does. It absolutely does. With that, we'll toss it to a breakback with more on Packers unscripted right after this welcome back to Packers unscripted, Mike Spofford right here, West Hodko, it's all the way over there, and West, I gotta tell you we need

to talk about this. The way this last playoff spot in the a f C was decided in Week seventeen, there wasn't a lot of playoff drama in Week seventeen compared to maybe of other years we've seen in the past. But the way this a f C thing went down with the Baltimore Ravens, all they had to do was stop fourth and twelve from the forty nine yard line in the last minute of the game at home against the Cincinnati Bengals to go to the playoffs. They blow it.

Not only do they allow the fourth and twelve, they allow a forty nine yard touchdown pass. Baltimore hands its playoff spot to the Buffalo Bills, and thanks to fourth and twelve from the forty nine by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills are in the playoffs for the first time since This is one of the crazier The league is crazy. I get that, and I talk about it all the time. This is one of the crazier ones I think I've come across I I couldn't make any

I couldn't make heads or tails. To be honest with you, I think I'm still kind of struggling with it. So all right, so here's what happens. You and I get donecovering the game. I was still writing my notes, so I was kind of like in tunnel vision until probably i'd say, like eight pm Central Time on Sunday night. Finally have a chance to sit back, and you were obviously working on cider inbox, but I finally a chance

to sit back and start watching. What happened in the first clip I see is of Micah Hyde and the Buffalo Bills in their locker room watching the monitor in their locker room after after they got their you know, stuff taken care of in that play unfold. It is amazing I think for that franchise to be able to

accomplish that this season. Um, let's be honest. These are the storylines that I think make the game the most compelling and for the Bills through all the ups and downs this year, and there's certainly were a lot of them for them. I mean, there's the issue almost a disaster with the quarterback situation mid season, their defense fluctuated.

They bring in Calvin Bedroom so many different variables to it for them to be able to get in the playoffs, I think, especially in an uneven year like this where they're really only two bona fide like front runners in that conference. Um, you have to feel great for him. Yeah, I mean, what a day for the city of Buffalo. Really.

I mean when when you start, when you when you're looking at the clips of the fans at the sports bars watching the end of the the end of the Cincinnati Baltimore game, and their franchises is in the playoffs for the first time this century. It's it's one of those days. Regardless west of what happens in the playoffs, they have a tough matchup obviously going down to Jacksonville in the wild card round. All of that, it's a game they certainly can win. But regardless of what happens

in the playoffs. For the Buffalo Bills, those fans of that team are going to remember New Year's Eve seen for a long time. Yeah, and I'll tell you this too, Mike. If I'm the Bills, I want to play Jacksonville right now. Jacksonville has a lot of questions to answer, they're limping into the playoffs two straight losses. Their offense hasn't done much at all. Um, you know, the defense going through some ups and downs, you know, losing that game to Tennessee.

Tennessee had a playoff spot on the line, had to beat a playoff team in order to get it, and they did it so as much of the up and ups and downs. Also for the tennis See Titans, hats off to them for getting Yeah, like you and I predicted at the beginning of the season, Buffalo and Tennessee where the natural wild you know they were. We saw it coming from a mile away. Um, But I think it goes back to what you and I said before.

And I don't want to turn this into the you know, we're gonna rip on Blake Bortles here for two and a half minutes. But when you have inconsistent quarterback play, doesn't matter how good your defense is, it doesn't matter how good your perimeter weapons are. You have to be able to protect the football. Bortles hasn't done it in the last two games, and it's really come back to hurt the Jaguars. In credit to Marcus Mariota, he did what he had to do. Their running game did what

it had to do. Although I'm sure Derrick Henry isn't going to be talking to his relatives about his twenty eight carry fifty one yard performance. You did what you had to do to be able to get into playoffs. And Dick Lebo that defense, they're gonna make one more run at this thing. Yeah, They're going to give it another shot, all right? Before we go to break the West picture this. You and a friend are sitting v I P and plush leather recliners watching the Packers on

the fifty yard line at lambeau Field. Nice picture, isn't it. Well. If you enter Cousins Subs Best Seats in the House promotion, you and a guest could win a chance to kick back on the fifty yard line and style. Two pairs of lucky Packers fans will be chosen prior to each home game for this v I P experience. For complete rules and eligibility, go to Packers dot com slash Best Seats, Cousin Subs, we believe in Better Back with more and

Packers Unscripted. Right after this, Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford alongside West Hogo, it's west quickly. Before we go, let's touch on where things are in the NFC playoff picture Week seventeen. Basically nothing changed in essence, the Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers to get the sixth and final spot ahead of the Seattle Seahawks. All the positioning

everybody else one through five, nothing really changed. I know you and I have both mentioned in an Insider inbox and another settings we're both kind high on the New Orleans Saints and their opportunity to get back to the Super Bowl. They lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week seventeen, not necessarily a whole lot at stake for them in the grand scheme of things. But does that

loss change your feeling at all about New Orleans? I don't think so, Although that I don't know if you saw that postgame handshake between Dirt Cutter and see I missed that. Yeah, it's it was. It was. It was strange. I'll just say that it was. It was very physical. Let's just let's just put it that way. But I really don't um certainly, I don't think they were pulling

very many punches. Drew Brees played in this game. They had Kamara and Ingram out there, but I just think when it really boils down to it, the potential is really there for them to be able to get on a run here. I'll be honest with you, Mike, as far as the NFC is concerned, any of these six teams, realistically, I think have a shot at this deal. I agree

with you. I was just talking with with our producer Marvin before we turned on the cameras here that in the a f C, I have a hard time seeing anything aside from New England and Pittsburgh as the a f C Championship game the NFC. I'm with you. I could see any one of these six teams representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Somebody's gonna get hot, maybe even a couple of teams get hot, and we end up with an NFC Championship game for the ages. From this field, I can see any one of these half

dozen making it all the way. Yeah. I mean when you look at like the Cowboys speed the Eagles six to nothing, I mean it was just such a strange weekend with how this this game played out. They need to be better from Nick Foles. I mean, he's gonna have to be a guy that that leads them to where they need to go, because again, a defense that can get them there. Minnesota I think ended up leading all three major defensive categories this season, so certainly you

know the blueprint is there for them as well. I'm just really I'm really curious to that NFC South. You know, whether it's Carolina, whether it's Atlanta, if they can get on a run. I think there's some really dynamic offenses there, and I think they have defenses that can get it done. It's going to be exciting to watch. Yeah, Atlanta gets a chance to defend its NFC title, and the winner that Carolina New Orleans game could be a team to to watch out for. But with that, we'll call it

a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com and on Twitter. You can still find him at west Hodd I am at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time. H