#260 Packers Unscripted: London not calling

the coming shows. But until then, there is a piece of news to talk about with regards to the Packers, and that is actually the no news piece of the week, and that the NFL announced its London Games, the Games across the Pond, as they say, for three contests, and the Green Bay Packers still not chosen. Nope, the Green Bay Packers one of three teams now that have not

been selected to do anything in the International Series. Those teams are, in no in particular order, the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers are the teams that are still looking to make that trip. You know, there's a guy, you know, there's Socrates, right, We have Spotts here that is saying that maybe two two thousand nineteen would be

the year. And if you want to know why the Los Angeles Chargers, who happened to play in a stadium with sixty thousand less seats than the l A Coliseum where the Rams play, potentially could be a fit. We're not saying that this is going to happen, but if it's going to happen, Mike, you would think this is where it could be a potential fit. Yeah, that's where I I sort of pegged a while back. I pegged the Chargers game in twenty nineteen as the one a

combination of things. Obviously, the Chargers moving to l A, the Rams moving to l A. They're both playing in temporary stadiums, and teams in temporary stadiums while they're waiting for their new stadium to be built, can be plucked by the NFL play a home game overseas. So that's the that's the first part of it. The Packers are scheduled to play the Rams in l A and ten,

the Chargers in l A and twenty nineteen. So you look at that and go, Okay, you think it's going to be one of those two games, pretty good odds. Then you factor in that the rams temporary stadium holds ninety thousand seats and the Chargers temporary stadium holds thirty thousand seats. Now, the Packers have not been played a game in the l A market for how long, so I can't even think of what year it would be, probably right something like that. So you've got an opportunity.

Then if the Rams games stays at the Coliseum, you have an opportunity potentially with all the Packers fans on the West Coast who would want to see that game to fill a ninety thousand seat stadium, whereas the thirty thousand seat stadium for the Chargers game in twenty nineteen just makes more sense to be the one. You move it over to Wembley Stadium in LA where you could

sell eighty thousand tickets. That becomes a great opportunity, and you're not taking the way from the fans that first opportunity of the Packers being in the l A market. They go to the l A market. Then you flip the Chargers game across the pond in nineteen. It's sort of what I saw lining up over the last couple of years, and it just seems to make sense. Yeah, and again, we'll we'll see all this plays out. There's

nothing that's been set in stone yet. But I'll say selfishly, I actually do like the way that this worked out because I'm kind of I'm sort of quirky in the way that, um, I really do want to cover a game at the l A Coliseum. There's so much history there. Oh yeah, in Super Bowl one, WrestleMania seven. But but no, but I mean it will be cool to actually cover a game there. And with all due respect to the Chargers, I don't have an endearing need to cover a game

at a soccer stadium. So yeah, for for me, I really do. I know there's a lot of Packer fans. You and I get it almost every day, definitely every week about what are the chances of the Packers are going to play in London. I want to go there. You want to go there. The Packers really do want to go there too, but it has to make sense for them, and I think sometimes when when you look at the equation, you only have sixteen games in the regular season, the Packers are not going to give up

a home game. It means too much the community of Green Bay. You have endless amount of sellouts. It just doesn't make sense. The economic impact in this community. I mean, it's it's the lifeblood economically of what goes on around here. And to to reduce that by ten twelve percent by removing a game just not something the Packers are interested in doing. You've seen what the differences even with them not having a playoff game at home this year, in

the stories that are written about that. And then the other thing, conversely, is that a lot of places they don't want to give up the Packers away game either because it's an opportunity to sell out. I know there was a lot of rumors, even some reports that ended up proving to be inaccurate in the summer of two thousand sixteen or summer two thou fifteen. Excuse me that the Packers in two thousands sixteen could be going to

Jacksonville and having that game broad overseas. But as even Mark Murphy said his uh in his conversations with Um the owner from the Jaguars, they don't want to lose that game either, and it proved to be a sellout on a very hot day in Jacksonville. So these are all of the economic and competitive things that go into this. The Packers want to go out there, but it has to make sense. Yeah, and one of the teams going

over to London this coming season is the Chargers. And we've had some questions from fans, Well, then does that mean that the Chargers wouldn't go in back to back years. The answer is not necessarily. And again, you know, um, we can't say for sure that the Packers Chargers game

in twenty nineteen is moving over there. But just because the Chargers are going over there in eighteen does not necessarily factor into, um the twenty nineteen decision because they are in a temporary stadium and that yeah, the and and when you look at it from the Chargers perspective, they can probably make more money because those home games

you can only sell thirty thousand tickets. And it's not as it's not as though you can suddenly just say well, we're going to charge three is for all them to make up make the same amount of money in a ninety thousand seat stadium. It doesn't work that way. And let's be real to Mike, the Rams and Chargers are both trying to create new fan bases. They're trying to

get people to rally around these teams. Right now, the whole storyline for most of the season for the Charges has been they basically played an away game every week. When they've had home games, it's been teams that have been coming, you know, traveling well into their stadium, so they're waiting. They're trying to get to that new stadium in two thousand is a twenty one. Now, I'm trying to think of when they pushed forget it. Yeah, they

it got pushed back, and I forget now. If it's either twenty or twenty one, that's when they're really going to be off and running. Until that point, you know, I think they just want to find a way to to to fill seats, and one of the ways to do it, in my opinion, is to put them in the Packers in Wimbley and Uh. Again, We'll have to wait and see how the next couple of years play out, but as far as two thousand eighteen is concerned, no

Packers International Series for now, London not called. With that, we'll go to a break back with more on Packers on drifted right after this Welcome back to Packer's Unscripted Mike Spofford in this chair, Wes Hodkowitz in that one and West just to bring the fans attention to a story that's on Packers dot com um that I recently posted left guard Lane Taylor. There may not be a more high quality player and high quality individual in that

Packers locker room who goes more under the radar. He's obviously playing next to an all pro left tackle, and he's also next to a fifth round draft pick at center who just signed a contract extension, So there's been a lot of attention on those guys around him. But Taylor is a Taylor is an interesting guy. Had a really neat conversation with him in the final open locker room after the regular season finale, and uh I even asked him about you know, well, hey, what do you

what do you think? You know? Are you aiming for the Pro Bowl here someday you know you think it can happen, and not to put the card before the horse. But Lane Taylor was like, well yeah, and his comment was, I don't want to be just another guy. I'm still trying to be one of the best in the league. I want to be. In that conversation, it says a lot about and he's he's not being hyperbolic about himself.

It says a lot about his work ethic, his attitude, where he's come from as an undrafted guy out of Oklahoma State and where he is now. And I take my hat off to the guy. I think he is the definition of a guy who brings his pay all to work every day. Uh does I don't want to this as a negative connotation, but does the nine to five job, comes in, goes home, doesn't ask for a whole lot of notoriety. Yeah, just does his job. And the impressive thing about Lane Taylor is that's always been

his thing. And to some point, you could probably make an argument if you want that maybe that's part of the reason why he went on draft in two thousand thirteen is for that reason he went so far under the radar. But if you really go back and look at it, a guy that started four years at Oklahoma State. I mean, we're not talking about the sun Belt here, in no disrespect of the Sun Belt, but we're not. I mean we're talking about one of the Power five

conferences in the country. Yeah, and he was a starter for four years for them. I think it was forty seven start seven starts, forty one offensive lineman drafted. I told that story earlier this year he wasn't one of them. In two thousand thirteen, comes to Green Bay and ends up in pressing, and to be honest with he's kind of had like this Aaron Rodgers type trajectory where he basically was on the bench for three years. He got to sit back and wait and then when they finally

put him in there. You and I remember what it was like that first week in two thousand sixteen. What fans were saying, Yeah, that's surprise release of Josh sitting and all of a sudden they're turning over the left guard spot to Lane Taylor, who has to step in for a three time pro Bowl guard. There was a lot of panic. The sky was falling. This guy's not gonna be able to protect you know, Aaron Rodgers is what are they doing? And literally that was a narrative

for one week. And I remember talking to him in Jacksonville after that game, like how did it go? He's like, well, it's kind of hot, you know, I mean, but it was business as usual for him, and he's kept that same mentality and I think that conversation that you had

with him really speaks to the individual that Lane Taylor is. Yeah, it was interesting talking to him because I asked him, Okay, so now you've got your second year as a starter under your belt, So where do you think you improved the most from your first year as a starter in you know, through that second year as a starter in Seen, he said, He says, I I look at some of the film from He says, I just laugh at my technique. Sometimes I sit there and go, you know, what are

you doing? And he feels like he's become so much more of a refined player. I think the technique, you know, I think he sort of described it as you know, when his technique got out of control a little bit, it was just, you know, you're trying to throw blocks just to survive out there. You know, you're doing whatever it takes, but it just doesn't look all that polished.

He choked that up in some respects to playing left guard for the first time as a starter in the NFL, as opposed to the four years he started at Oklahoma

State was all at right guard. All of his game experience in college was at right guard, so there was a little bit of that shift, and he's now feeling so much more comfortable, particularly with one element of his game that he that he described to me, and it's what he called the jump set, which is where an offensive lineman has to sell the run on a play action pass, but then be ready to pass block and not you know, not just have the guy do a quick swim move and get by you because you're too far,

you know, out over your toes trying to sell the run. He said in he really had some bad moments with that, things that he really didn't like, felt he really shored that up in so it you know, these kinds of things. You and I don't see him every day. We're not looking at every single snap of film like he is, like his coaches are, but but it just it speaks to all the finer details that these guys are working on all the time to try to take their game to the next level. And he feels like he still

has another level left to go. And I was talking with Justin mccrane at the end of this season two and now, obviously he ended up making a lot of starts at right tackle, but his natural position is guard, and he mentioned how much of an eye open experience it was this year working with JR. R. Evans, who's obviously a six time Pro bowler, multiple time All Pro,

twelve year veteran, and Lane Taylor. He pointed him out too and said, you know, whether people realize it or not, Taylor is pretty darn close, if he's not already there, to be in a top ten guard in this league because of just how how sturdy he is, how durable he is, and how accountable he is at that position. And he's continued to learn throughout this process. Uh. The thing I guess when I'm going into this next year with him, the fact that they did resign Corey Linsley.

Now they extended Taylor at the beginning of the two thousand seventeen season, and David Baker has been extended since September of two thousand and sixteen. That left side of the line is together now. Yeah. And he talked about that. Yeah, he talked about that and how and how comfortable he feels with you know, the continuity that the three of them can develop now over multiple years together with all

them being locked up. Yeah. And and it was one last little story I thought was interesting talking to David box tr at the end of the season. Um, him and Lane Taylor, I don't think we're feeling great during that Detroit game. I think they were kind of banged up, but they said they had that conversation with each other in the second half, even when things were not going well for this offense, they were not going to quit on this thing. They were going to finish this game.

And I think that mentality really tells you a lot about those offensive lineman. What the Packers have really, you know, grown in terms of that culture in that room. Yeah, well, we've seen in Green Bay guys like Trumont Williams, Sam Shields, undrafted guys who eventually made it to the Pro Bowl. A guy like Donald Driver, a seventh round pick made it to a Pro Bowl. I'll be really interested to see if Taylor gets there someday. But with that, we're going to throw it to a break back with more

on Packers unscripted. Right after this, Welcome back to Packers un ripted. Mike Spofford here, West Hodkowitz over there, and West. We are coming up on really what is the best playoff weekend in the NFL. It's what they call the Divisional Round, which isn't a very descriptive phrase by any stretch, but you're at the final eight here. Um two games on Saturday two games on Sunday. I want to start

with the a f C games. You have the Tennessee Titans at New England on Saturday night and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon. I've felt for a long time, for multiple months here, that the a f C has been pointing towards Tom Brady versus Ben Roethlisberger for the a f C Championship all along. I think that is what is going to happen. Do you see a possibility of an upset by one of these road teams in the a f C always a possibility, Yeah,

I mean there's always that chance. But I do look at these is more twelve three versus four teen seeds in the n c A Tournament. To be honest with you, yeah, I know. There's actually some people and I appreciate this kind of feedback. I like this stuff. People replying to our podcast on Twitter yesterday, uh saying I was really down on the Jaguars. I'm not down on them. Leonard for Nett. I ran him as a running back for Fantasy football all year long, but he was my second

round pick. But here's the thing, um Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles need to manage these games for their teams to be in it. Um. I look at Bordles right now. The Jaguars have to play better against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they did against the Buffalo Bills. We're talking about on the jump that they're going to have to make in terms of this competition. Their defense kept a minute and they very well could keep them in it again

this weekend. Yeah, their defense could, but their offense clearly has to do more. They have to do more. Blake Bortles is not going to be able to have another game where he outrushes his passing game, you know. I mean, he's gonna have to be able to to utilize his tools around him. And I understand they're depleted with their receivers. I get that, Um, But Blake Bortles needs to manage that football game. They need to get the run going

against Pittsburgh. If I'm the Steelers right now, you have the killer Bees, and I've seen this narrative popping up about if there's pressure on them to get something done here with this group. No, oftentimes we hear a lot about wealth Aaron Rodgers in the window. Pittsburgh is looking at the same situation. Uh, you know, Roethlisberg even I think a tad older has Levy on Bell and Antonio Brown a unanimous All Pro. This is their chance to get on a run. And as you've said before, I

think they are the most complete team in this field. Um, and they need to get past the NFL's best defense this weekend, second best defense. Yeah, and they're talking about some potentially nasty weather in Foxborough on Saturday night, you know, some some sleep. Yeah, the Patriots have been through that before. You wonder what that will mean for a team like the Titans coming from Nashville. That being said, they are

a team that can run the football. And if you if you get some bad weather and then you're able to establish some things on the ground, maybe that helps to keep Tennessee in it. But I just I see both of these road teams as just such big underdogs with with what they're going up against. And and I think, you know, I think we're gonna be talking about a Patriot Steelers a f C title game to Marco Murray's injury.

I think you see this a lot in the NFL where it opens the team's eyes to their younger player, and I think with him being out it showed them Okay, probably going into two thousand eighteen, Derrick Henry needs to be our guy. I thought he had a phenomenal performance last week. If he can run the ball the way he did in that that victory against the Patriots, who have had their issues defensively this season, that's going to

keep the Titans in this. But Marcus Marriot is gonna have to make some plays with his feet and he's gonna have to protect the football. Yeah, and I want to talk about the the NFC games too, but we're gonna do that after the breakback with moreen Packers unscripted. Right after this Welcome back to Hackers Unscripted, Mike Spofford alongside West hog Wits and West Shifting Gears to the

NFC playoffs coming up here this weekend. On Saturday, we have the Atlanta Falcons traveling to the top seeded Philadelphia Eagles, but that top seed without their starting quarterback, as we talked about Nick Foles stepping in for Carson Wentz, and then the finale of the four game parlay in the NFL this weekend is I think the one that a lot of people are really looking forward to the New Orleans Saints traveling to Minneapolis to play the Vikings, a

rematch of Monday Night Football in Week one. Both of these teams looking at heck of a lot different than they did back in Week one. How do you see these NFC matchups plan out, Mike Spofford, I don't have this readily available. This has to be the first time I would think. I'm not gonna say NFL history, but at least during my living and breathing time, maybe you can think of a time that a number six seed has been favored over a number one going on the

road in the divisional round of the playoffs. Yeah, that's that's the reality. Yeah, the Atlanta Falcons are hard for me to think of any any time where that would have happened, because this is just such an unusual case with the Eagles hanging onto the one seed even after they lost their starting quarterback, and so they're just they're viewed as very, very vulnerable. If there was ever a year to be a number six, this is this, and

the Atlanta Falcons looked pretty darn impressive last week. But the original point, I think this game against the Saints and Vikings could be one for the Ages. It's finally the unstoppable force first, the immovable object the Saints in that offense and Kamara and Ingram and there you know Michael Thomas, so many weapons there for Drew Brees, who has now a capable defense to to back him up. And then you have basically the polar opposite in the

Minnesota Vikings. That defense number one ranked in the league, one of the top most stifling pass rushing you know packages in the league, and offensively kind of making do the way they have a Case Keenum in that litany of running backs, very interesting to watch. This will be on my TV. I will be glued to the to the two one that day. It's it's gonna be a

great one. Yeah, it's the The The way these NFC matchups came together is really interesting because the with the visiting teams, you have the quarterbacks who have been there and done that. Matt Ryan has been to a Super Bowl, should have won a Super Bowl, Drew Brees has won a Super Bowl. And then the home teams in these NFC matchups have quarterbacks Nick Foles in case Keenum. They've both had their share of accomplishments in the NFL, don't get me wrong,

but they haven't done anything in the post season. And we all know that the postseason is a different animal. And that's that's what's just really intriguing about this, because there is something to be said for home field advantage in the playoffs, but but there's also a lot to be said for having quarterbacks who have gotten the job done before. There is that whole analogy. And I don't want to take anything away from keenom here because he's had a phenomenal year, but there is that kind of

Cinderella aspect to this. No question, clock is going to strike midnight. The lucky horseshoe as it may be very talented guy. They are in this position getting a first round by because of case Keenum. If they didn't have somebody step up in the aftermath of Sam Bradford's injury, they might not even be in the running for this thing. It doesn't matter how good your defense is. If you

can't offensively do something right. The Lions might have might have won the division absolutely and to be able to replace Delvin Cook the way they did. At the same time, I really want to see how he does this and then also look on the other side of it, the Atlanta Felcons. This is a great opportunity. Maybe Philadelphia pulls it out. Great defense there, but the Falcons could get on a run here too. It's so many different angles to watch. What's your call for the NFC Championship matchup?

What are you going with? I think it's Atlanta and I think it's gonna be Minnesota, but um, it is gonna be I think the Saints have a chance here, it just can they beat them in that stadium. I think it's I think it's gonna be the NFC South. I think Atlanta is going to be going interesting. But yeah, with that, that's a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the

team on Packers dot Com on Twitter. He's at west Hod I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, We'll see you next time. H m hmm.