#333 Packers Unscripted: Keys to victory

start with this one? As far as what it will take for green Bay to get back in the wind column again, I preface this by saying I probably could start this way for every single episode, every year, every you know, every week, every game. But it's Aaron Rodgers and this week I think we got a new angle to this storyline in that he was able to practice on Thursday for the first time since he suffered that

knee injury against Chicago. He's out there and pads. We joked about it, wrote about it on Packers dot Com, Tim Boyle, Deshaun Kaiser giving him the sort of this ry ovation, which then Rogers played into as he came out on the practice field. And the big part of this is Rogers talked a day before that. Now, he did not really say he didn't really hint that Thursday was going to be the day, but he did say at some point he hoped to be able to practice

before Saturday. It ended up being this week and one, I think that shows progress with the knee injuries he's coming back from. But secondly, this is just as far as a communication standpoint, a chemistry standpoint with his receivers.

Mike McCarthy also doubled down on it on Monday. On Friday morning, saying, you know, this is something where there's an obvious benefit to being able to have the quarterback that's going under center on Sunday being the one that's taking the reps in practice because it isn't so much about Aaron Rodgers at this point. It's about the offense around Aaron Rodgers. We know what he can do on short to no practice, but it's about all the other

components around it. So I think Aaron rod Jers getting healthier, being able to be out there on the practice field is going to go uh and and really help this offense get to where it wants to be. Because at the end of the day, Mike, it's all about protecting the football. Rogers a hundred and sixteen passes thrown. I believe this year does not have an interception yet, really been consistent in that and hopefully can you don't get

some of that explosiveness back now as well. Yeah, as we've talked about all week, all you have to do is turn on the first quarter of Buffalo Minnesota last week and it will tell you that the key on Sunday for the Packers is to protect the football. Because the way the Bills got after Kirk Cousins, they got sacks, they got turnovers that staked him do an early lead with great field position that they cashed in on. Packers

have to protect the ball overall. The Packers usually very very good at that, and this is one of those games West that you know what the Packers playing at home, Rogers getting back in practice. Like you said, some things are on the upswing here. Even though I know the Packers are coming off a loss, this isn't one of

those games. As much as the defense obviously would love to get some turnovers and rack up a few of their own, this isn't one of those games necessarily where you have to ask the defense to get a bunch of turnovers, but the Packers just can't lose the turnover battle here. I think if this if the Packers either win the turnover battle or at least stay even if even if it's zero zero, when both teams protect the ball. I like green Bay's chances here because with the matchups

that Rodgers is going to have. I think Davante Adams turned Abous White is a really really good matchup on the perimeter. But the rest of green Bay's matchups now Randall Cobby is on the injury report, will see what happens there. But you know, Jimmy Graham, Geronimo Allison, they're what they're capable of producing. I like the Packers matchups on the perimeter in this game if Rogers is protected,

which also goes along obviously with protecting the ball. Yeah, and then there was also an interesting stat I believe. I'm trying to find it here. I think it was our you know, PR communications guru, Nate Lacassi. I dug this one up, and I'm probably gonna mess it up now because I can't find it in the dope sheet. But I think it was something like the last six meetings. I believe it was with the Lls have all been

decided by ten or more points. I mean, it's been one team coming out and really, you know, I don't want to say dominating, but controlling the tempo of the game. The Bills were fortunate enough to do that, you know, at Ralph Wilson Stadium four years ago. Packers are looking to flip that. And when you look at those offensive weapons, when you look at Geronimo Allison, how consistent he's been over the last couple of weeks. Assuming everything checks out,

okay with Graham and his knee and Cobb with his hamstring. Yeah, the big money matchup is going to be Davante, Adams and White, but it's all about being able to spread it across. They have two exceptional safety's employer and then obviously you know Mike Hide everybody knows well about. But to be able to prevent them from getting into cover two looks, you know, making those guys drop down in

the box, find ways to beat the secondary. The more mobile Aaron Rodgers gets, the more dangerous this offense gets. But he's also shown when he needs to do be quick and decisive. He can play that game too. I just look at it from the standpoint of assuming you get Brian Balaga out there working through the back injury, you have some semblance of a healthy offense operating with its full arsenal of weapons. The table set there for the Packers to have success of the defense can do

its job. Yeah, I think so too. Another statistical oddity you might say with regards to this Buffalo Green Bay series, I believe you have to go back to for the last time the road team one when these two teams have met, and that was actually Buffalo going into Milwaukee County Stadium, and I looked it up this week. The leading receiver in that game for the Buffalo Bills Jeff Query. No,

I'm sorry, I got a hit of myself. Was it James loft It was James Lofton, the former Packer James Lofton came back to County Stadium towards the Packers and the Bills won that game, I believe was something like that. It was a fun box score to kind of look back at this week. But you mentioned Wes, the Packers defense has to hold up and send of the bargain here and I've talked about this a little bit on our final thoughts video and other things that are going

to be posted here coming up on the weekend. It's time for the Packers defense to play a complete game. We've seen some growing pains, We've seen some struggles here and there. We've also seen what this defense is capable of. You look at some of those stretches in the Chicago game, you look at the first three quarters against the Minnesota Vikings, you look at the second half against Washington last week. There are stretches where this defense has really clamped down

and done exactly what you would like it to do. Now, okay, it's Week four. It's time for those growing pains to kind of, you know, be put in the past and to put together a solid four quarter game that the coaching staff that Aaron Rodgers can rely on to give this team it's best chance. Yes, Mike McCarthy mentioned this week, after you get through that first quarter of the season is kind of when it starts to be you are

who you are. So the Packers are trying to show that they are that team that played as well as they did in the first three quarters of that matchup against the Vikings, how well they played in the second half against the Bears and then how well they played in the second half in Washington. It is about stitching

to other complete performance. I understand it's easier said than done, but at the same time, if you're able to control the tempo early on and force the opposing offense to make decisions and and you know, kind of control it from that standpoint, that's ultimately what you're looking to do.

Obviously they had to overcome some adversity with the Vikings, but to be honest with you, up until that point, I thought that was a blueprint for how you want to attack a potentially explosive offense with a quarterback that you know, I think a lot of people in Minnesota have their hopes kind of tied to at this point. Last week, Alex Smith throws for six past six receiving yards in the second half. So Josh Allen is a is a dynamic football player, and we've seen that he's

not afraid to run. He's he isn't a scrambler by any means, but he has that component to his game, uh to to be able to move the change. So being able to queue in on that and being able to actually, you know, make sure you're not giving up those explosive plays is going to be important because there is dynamic football players in this offense. I just think it's probably not what it's been the last you know, few weeks in terms of the potentially explosive Pro Bowl

type elements that they've seen in Washington in Minnesota. Yeah, with regards to Buffalo's offense and quarterback Josh Allen, the Packers, I know Packers fans are are waiting hoping for the pass rush to kind of find its groove and start racking up some sacks. And obviously without the roughing the passer penalty, you don't need to get into that. But honestly, West, this is one of those games where I don't think

you need to sack the quarterback. I don't know if you necessarily want to go you want to go blitz crazy and and try to go sack crazy in this game. Because Josh Allen, he he's leading this team in rushing. He will take off and run with the football. This is, in my opinion, because he's a rookie, he's only got a couple of starts under his belt. You rushed to contain him. You don't don't let him bail himself out.

With his legs. Make this guy beat you with his arm, Make him beat you with decisions against you know, some different coverage looks and some things that I'm sure Mike Petton has designed to confu use him. You get into those if you get him in a second and long or a third and long situation, don't let him talk the ball and run. Make him, you know, contain him in the pocket, make him throw the ball and beach

you that way. Yeah, and I'll be interested to see how much of the spy element doesn't play with this game, because, to be honest with you, Mike, the first three contests, Alex Smith, don't get me wrong, he's in some ways as as Jake Gruden said last week, he has that similar sort of mindset mentality that Rogers has where he'll

scramble when he needs to to extend to play. But they hadn't really faced like a guy that that potentially is putting up the numbers that Alan is right now, it's twenty two carries for ninety seven yards and two touchdowns. So it is gonna be interesting. You know, how the Packers want to attack that is that where you know,

a guy like Blake Martinez gets called into duty. Do they find a defensive back that they feel could potentially have that kind of flexibility as well, or do you just try to rush to contain, you know, keep him in the pocket and see what develops. Those are all the little chess games that Petton is going to have to play. But I think the hope is from the Packers perspective, even though you do lose Mohammed Wilkerson now in certain like you know, Devon houses On, I R

Kevin King. You'll see whether or not he's available on Sunday. But they still feel really good about the group they have and in these these playmaking abilities that they have in this this defense. But it really it does and they needed they know they need to play better and they know they got to put you put it on

the field. Yeah, just statistically speaking, I did look up some numbers this week as far as the Packers facing rookie quarterbacks in the Mike McCarthy era, And it's a good time to talk about it because the Packers are potentially going to see Josh Rosen from Arizona, Sam Donald from the New York Jets, who are both on the schedule in December. If those rookies continue to be the

starting quarterbacks of those teams. Since McCarthy took over in two thousand six, the Packers have played fifteen games against a rookie starting quarterback and the Packers are ten and five in those games, they've won two thirds of them. Ironically, the last one, the most recent one was against de Shaun Kaiser, who's now in the Packers locker room, when he was a rookie for the Cleveland Browns last year.

But it's been kind of a mixed bag because for some of those some of those games, when I look back at the statistics in the past, I think it was Matthew Stafford his rookie year in two thousand nine through I think it was four interceptions against the Packers in the one game that he started against Green Bay

as a rookie. But then just a couple of years ago, we saw Dak Prescott as a rookie quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys come into lambeau Field, put up a sparkling passer rating of like a hundred and seventeen, obviously had a great running game to go with it, and the Cowboys came in here with those rookies on offense and beat the Packers. So it has been kind of a

mixed bag. But overall ten and five Packers are gonna face potentially three rookie quarterbacks now over the next few months, and you know these are games you you got to get the job done. Yeah, and this will be actually a good opportunity for if you want to look at it from the Bills prospective perspective or Josh Allen, because it looks like Shady McCoy is gonna play in this game, so that that, by far, that's your top playmaker if you're the Bills in the offense, both as a pass

catcher and what he does on the back field. So that'll be his best friend. How did how did he get that nickname? By the way, Lashawn McCoy shady Like, I don't. I think it's a cool name. I just don't know. Is that is that an old Western reference? Anyway? I didn't follow the Philadelphi Eagles enough, I guess. But be that as it may make. Uh, it is also interesting to me and that you have all these teams that said and did all the right things. The Jets

they had Josh McCown. They went and obviously signed Teddy Bridgewater, these guys originally brought in a J mccaren. You had the Browns just continue to stick by to Rod Taylor. But at the end of the day, I think with the pressures of the NFL and the way that things happen in injuries to sometimes play into it, the rookies end up being out there, and I just I don't think we're ever gonna see quite a day again like Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo sitting behind guys for three

years and then becoming starters. It just seems like there's going to be that pressure to get guys on the field, get them out there early, and see how they respond. And you have a guy like Baker Mayfield that really stepped up in his game. You had a guy like Sam Donald that didn't play too hot during the final

stretch a week ago either. So seeing where Josh Allen fits into this, uh, it's gonna be very interesting to see where he is today and where that maturation process will take him right and the other part of it too, as we're seeing what really is becoming the trend around the league, and it was on display in Thursday Night Football with the Los Angeles Rams against the Vikings. And

we'll get to that in a minute. But when you talk about playing these high draft pick rookie quarterbacks, right away, the formula, the way things of the way these teams have built themselves to compete for championships with the likes of the Tom Brady's and the Aaron Rodgers of the world.

You find out if that rookie quarterbacks got it, and then if he does, you know you're not paying him the big franchise quarterback money for a few years until he gets to that second contract, so you have a chance to build a team around him and spend your money elsewhere, not quite so much at the quarterback position. And boy, is that working out for the Los Angeles Rams. Right now, we can talk about that Thursday night game.

Jared Goffel was at four hundred and sixty five yards, five touchdowns, a perfect passer rating R one fifty eight point three against the defense. That's not too shabby in the Minnesota Vikings. I know that you know, Everson Griffin's not on the field right now and some other injury issues in Minnesota, but still three receivers with over a

hundred yards in one game. Um, this uh this Los Angeles Rams team, you know, they're they're they're off to a four and no start at the quarter pole, undefeated. They really are announcing themselves right now as the team to beat in the NFC. And it's interesting you bring that up too much because for me, there's two types of rookie quarterbacks. There's the ones like, you know, a guy like Carson Wentz who comes in and plays really well,

makes a Pro Bowl in his first year. There's a guy like Jared Goff that had his share of struggles and there was some real questions about you know, was this guy when when? When Wentz is playing that well, people asking it was golf the right guy to pick number one overall, the right right, But they can go to directions. You saw what happened with Aaron Rodgers, played waited a couple of years, played well. Alex Smith had some horrific seasons at the Big getting missed the whole

year I think with injury at one point. But golf is showing the potential there in Sean McVeigh has been able to really develop a system in a scheme that seems to really tailor him. Mike, I'll be honest with you I didn't think we'd ever see a day where Mike Szimmers defense would have twenty six completions only seven in completions fo sixty five yards and five touchdowns for one fifty eight points re passer rating and one sack and one sack. So that is that is startling numbers

with or without Everson Griffin. So uh, it's a gut check right now for the Vikings because they have a lot invested into this season in particular, they're gonna have to bounce back. It's a tough start to be one two and one at this point of the year. Yeah, and that's obviously a big result as far as the

NFC North goes. The Minnesota Vikings one two and one, the Packers with a chance to get to to one and one, and uh, the Chicago Bears hosting a team with a pretty explosive offense so far this season in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game in Chicago had Soldier Field. Tampa Bay Chicago not one that at the beginning of the season, a whole bunch of people would have circled as a as a big matchup in Week four, But it's turning into what's going to be a game with

a lot of eyes on it. So who's starting that game for the Bucks? Do you know yet? Is that even out there? I believe they're staying with Fitzpatrick, but I I guess I haven't heard. I haven't. I certainly haven't heard anything that they're switching to Winston at this point. That's the that's the two headed coin of this when you're when when you're a coach and you have to go with a veteran backup like that who plays well, and then the original starter comes back, it's gonna be yeah.

There there's still some debate over there what's going to happen. But the Bucks are off to a great start. I know they did lose to Pittsburgh, but they played him tough, right and and I know Fitzpatrick had a rough first half in that game, but you look at what he's done, You look at what he's done over the first three

weeks of the season. I just don't I don't see how you could pull him out Right now, I say, I say, you keep rolling with them with those weapons, Mike Evans and those guys that he's got on that offense. If if I'm Tampa Bay, I'm not turning it over, turning it back over to Jamis Winston right now. For my money, I think Ryan Fitzpatrick, this guy would have been perfect in nine in the nineties, if you would have been able to get out in the league then because he is he to me, he's the biggest gun

slinger right now in the NFL. He has that Brett fa mentality. He's going to challenge downfield. He's gonna have a short memory. Unfortunately, there's gonna be some takeaways there, there's gonna be some turnovers and ultimately that's all what kind of cost him the job and with the Jets and with the Bills. But he really knows how to to get this offense clicking and moving. And it's exact type of player I'm sure the Bucks wanted to have for Dirk Cutter. This is a big year man. They

got to make progress. They gotta pushed for a playoff spot in a really competitive division. But yeah, getting back to your original point. For the for the Bears, this will not be a walk in the park. And for the Packers, even though I think everybody projected that the Vikings are gonna be the team, you're gonna be chasing the leak switches fast. You have ebbs and flows every single week right now. The Packers need to get a

win to get back up there with Chicago. Yeah. Well, in the bottom line is, if you're looking at it from the best case scenario for the Packers, you went at home against Buffalo. If fits Magic does this thing at Soldier Field, you're at the quarter pole in first place in the NFC North at two one on one there there, there would be worse places to be. Yeah, and I think we've already seen you talked about the

parody last week, Mike. It's just it's so it's so weak to week at this point, and it always is every year we're talking about you know, you know, you're look, you got the you got the Dolphins playing the Patriots. Dolphins are three and no. New England's one and two. Can you imagine, I mean, can you if Miami wins that game and goes to four and oh and is three games ahead of the Patriots in the a f C East at the quarter pole, that would be I mean,

it would be unheard of. But yet it's entirely possible the way things are going right now, and it's parody it's the way they want it. It's gonna be interesting to see how it plays out. From the Packers perspective, You've got to take care of business. You have them back at lambeau Field. You have a chance to get that bad taste out of your mouth from Washington and what happened late in that game against Minnesota. Aaron Rodgers

looks like he's getting healthier. There's a lot of things going on going into this football game, but I think for the Packers, this is an excellent opportunity to really churn the tide and and you know, get some momentum built up now going to that second quarter of the season. Yeah, that's a good way to call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team and of Sunday's game

from lambeau Field on Packers dot Com on Twitter. He's at West Hot, I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time.