#335 Packers Unscripted: Stepping forward

his third interception in three consecutive games. And while the first two would probably qualify as rather easy, almost gift wrap type of interceptions, the one he had on Sunday against Buffalo that was one heck of a play. It really was. I thought Larry McCarron probably had the line of the day. Uh. In the group hudder, wh where everyone was talking to Clinton Dix, he said, probably would be one of the more physical interceptions you've had during your career. And and I just love the play for

a number of reasons. One obviously, his third interception in three games. That's the headline and of itself, but so many times and we've seen it come up this season. The Chicago game was a good example of it, where people pull up the still frame of a wide receiver, a tight end wide open, and like, how how did Trubisky not throw this? I don't know if you remember it. There was a big thing on social media in Week one.

I thought the Calvin Benjamin play was very similar because it's really easy to look and see a guy open, but you also have to understand where the where the help is, where the defensive backs are by the time that and Josh Allen has a great arm by the time he was able to get that ball into the orbit of Benjamin. You have Clinton Dix ranging in center field and makes a great play on the ball. A lot of questions about the contact of it should been a flag, not a flag. There's no flag because he

played the ball. If you go to the letter of the law of the NFL, the defensive back, at least how it used to be called, has just as much of a right to that football as the offensive player. Clinton Dix goes up, makes a great play, third interception of the season, and for him and that secondary talks so much Mike about trying to get the big plays and in in momentum, changing moments in games. Clinton Dix now through the first four games of the season leading

the NFL tied for the lead in interceptions right now. Yeah, he's coming off of a season in which he had three interceptions all year in seventeen, so he's already matched his total from last year. He had five in his Pro Bowl year often so on his way potentially to a career high. And I tell you that that collision with Kelvin Benjamin, that was as as Larry said, that was a pretty physical collision and he's he's giving up probably what thirty pounds Kelvin Benjamin. I mean, Benjamin, there

is no small receiver. Clinton Dix comes in at two. Oh wait, let's see what Calvin Benjamin. I want to say, he's around two forty. I mean he's a he's a two. Yeah, he's a big receiver. So that was yeah, Um, that was that was quite the and just the fact that not only did he make the play on the ball, but then he hung onto it as well to get

that interception. So um, it's funny because you hear you know, when you talk about again, this is potentially a difference between the veteran quarterback, the young quarterback in the NFL. How many times have we heard Aaron Rodgers talk about, you know, how he reads a safety's feet. You know, when a safety's feet are are parallel to the line of scrimmage, flat footed in a certain instance, then he

knows he can get a throw out there. Whereas if ha Clinton Dix, for example, is already breaking on the ball, as you say, a still shot might show, oh, that guy looks wide open. But uh, safety who's already anticipating that throw and making that break is going to close that gap in a hurry. That's what he did on that play. And um a good sign for the Packers because this defense obviously wants to get on a bit of a role here if they can with taking the

ball away. Yeah, totally. And that interception. You look at where the game was at at that point in time. It's the third quarter of the Packers just got the thirty six yard field goal from Crosby, which doubled up their scoring opportunities after he got the fifty two yard or at the end of the first half. Buffalo, man, they're coming back. They have their second half game plan ready. They're trying to make adjustments and Clinton Dix just shuts

out that light right away. I have to imagine that you talk about a lot of momentum, you know, turning planes in the game. I just think that that was the play specifically that really reiterated. Okay, we finished the first half strong. We played well in the first half. Now we're going to carry it over and try to make that leap towards a strong second half performance to get that full sixty minute kind of showing that Mike

Penton was looking for. And also the other thing to keep in mind too, We're four games into the season. You have Clinton Dix now with three picks. You have a guy like JayR Alexander who in his mind has three picks even though the stat sheet might only say one. Josh Jackson has been really around the ball physical. I think Tremont Williams is off to a phenomenal start for a guy that's been asked to basically play exclusively boundary

cornerback at thirty five years old. Through the first four weeks of the season, there's a nucleus there, and certainly they want to get Kevin King back and you have to hope that that growing injuries okay, and it isn't gonna be something that keeps Alexander off the field for an extended period of time. But throwing in you know, Jermaine Whitehead, there's a lot of positive things happening right

now in that Packer secondary. Yeah, needing to potentially adjust again to some injuries, as you said, with Alexander exiting the Buffalo game. Kevin King has been out now for a couple of weeks with his injury. Also some injuries on the offensive side of the ball for the Packers, Geronimo Allison in the concussion protocol. Randall Cobb missed the last game against Buffalo with a hamstring injury. So we'll see what happens with those guys as the week goes along.

But when you look at heading into say, for example, if it's a worst case scenario for Aaron Rodgers on offense and you don't have either Cob or Willson for Detroit this upcoming week, kind of points to maybe the all of these guys the Packers have at tight end potentially playing a bigger role here. We saw Jimmy Graham get his first touchdown catch as a member of the Green Bay Packers. We haven't seen Marcedes Lewis a whole lot in the passing game, yet, maybe that's coming. Maybe.

I know there's a real big group of Packer fans out there that want to see it. I'll be honest with you, I really like Louis a lot. I've enjoyed the interactions we've had with him. He's a really well spoken individual, understands his place in the locker room as a veteran and at this juncture of his career. But Packer fans, man, they just feel like this is just a guy that's just waiting to be un leash on

the defenses. And you know, I thought one positive that came out of that game, and I understand I think he only played one at round of the offensive snaps, but they actually did have some packages drawn up for just Lewis. It wasn't like he was coming in as the number three tight end always. They did some things with just with him. So I think as you put that on film and you set up some of those run packages and defenses start to, you know, kind of zone in on him and be like, okay, well Lewis

is in here? Is that a sixth offensive lineman situation can we really build in the box. As he said right from the get go, he still enjoys me being able to make secondaries and in second level defenses pay for kind of sleeping on him. But certainly I think with those two guys, you're not sure what's going to happen. With Cobb and Allison. We saw them go to a lot of two tight end looks in that second half especially, so we'll be very interested to monitor where that where

that heads. Yeah, all right, Well, before we move on, here's a little bit of sponsor business, because it is time to enter the Cousin Subs Best Seats in the House promotion. You and a guest could win a chance to kick back on the fifty yard line in style. Two pairs of lucky Packers fans will be chosen prior to each home game for this v I P experience. Enter daily now through December sixteen by completing the entry form and submitting. For complete rules and eligibility, go to

Packers dot com slash Best Seats Cousin Subs. We believe in better. Okay, looking ahead here, what we've seen in these in these first um handful of games for the Packers, starting to see some young players emerge, and this is something that we know how it works in Green Bay. It's a draft and developed type of team. You want to see young players who you know maybe don't have a huge role at the start of the season, they might be asked to be playing a bigger role as

the season goes along. We've talked a lot about Geronimo Allison. He's definitely a guy who has stepped up in that fashion. Unfortunately he's he's in the concussion protocol now. But Kyler Facro with the three sacks against the Buffalo Bills. Jermaine Whitehead, we're seeing him show up in some of these blitz packages of of Mike Patton's where he's gotten a couple of free runs at the quarterback based on how things

have been schemed up. And on the offensive side, rookie receiver Marquez Valdez Scantling first kind of making a name for himself, so to speak, as a gunner replacing Jeff Janis as the number one gunner on punt team. But then also after a mistake in the second half on a ball that almost gets picked off that that Rogers throws, he comes back and makes a big play down the sideline to move the chains in the fourth quarter and

keep the Packers in possession of the ball. So we're seeing some young players, you know, start to get their feet under him, so to speak here in the NFL. Yeah, I want to start on Velde's scantling Mike, and it's for two reasons. The first one is he's put himself in this position to be the next man up. He had a really strong preseason. You go back and I think you look at the production he had. He had

a hundred yard game under his belt. There's certainly an explosive element to his game, which we saw in that win over the Bills. Uh, he needs to you know. The route tree is a part of this getting on the same page as a part of this with Aaron Rodgers. But as far as pure straight line speed, we saw how he's just able to defeat a cornerback if they're not getting help over the top. That thirty eight yard

passed him. Looking that in getting the separation, I think gives you an idea of what he offers as a potential downfield rent in his development. But also the gunner position is important to now they did get back Josh Jones. He did that role last year. He played fifteen special team snaps in this But I think you've seen Velda Scantling my mind. You this is the guy that has been strictly a receiver in college. He was often the top receiver you know in in at USF and then

before that, you know, working over at NC State. Now he's getting a chance to sort of get his feet wet with special teams for the first time. We saw him take a few kickoffs the first few weeks of the season, but that gunner spot might that had been opened up with Jeff Janis and leaving in free agency. He has four three four speed and he's able to detach from those those jammers. It's off to the races

from that standpoint. When you look at what j. K. Scott can do with his hang time in the emphasis he puts on that didn't see it as much in this game, mostly because the Packers didn't have to punt that often. But that's certainly an element to Elda Scantling's game. When you look at a young rookie receiver and trying to say, okay, this is how you get on the field. He's doing all those steps right now, making a contributions on special teams and waiting for his turn on offense. Yeah,

and when you talk about that turn on offense. Obviously, as we mentioned previously with Cobb and Allison, their status for this week a bit uncertain at the moment. We'll see if some of those rookie wide receivers are going to need to step up and look, Valdes Scantling is not the first young wide receiver to catch the wrath of Aaron Rodgers in the middle of a game. I mean, it happens to almost all of them at some point, right, I mean, yeah, exactly. So this is, uh, this is

this is a growing moment. It's a learning moment. And the fact that he came back in that same game and when Rogers laid it out there for him on the thirty eight yard passed down the sideline, he made the catch, he made the play. That's that's a big step for a young receiver because now he doesn't not that you just completely flush away what happened when you made the mistake and you didn't come back to the ball on that back shoulder type of throw when Rogers

was trying to convert on fourth down. But he doesn't have to spend all week just thinking about that play. He's also got a big play that he made on the positive side of things, and he could he could end up playing a bigger role on Sunday in Detroit, Mark Quez Veldes Scantling played fifty four snaps in that game, Mike, Jimmy Graham played fifty four snaps in that game, Like I mean, he he had a role with Randall Cobb

not being available. And I asked him that the locker room on Monday, and he said, yeah, there's a lot of experience to be gained for that, because practice helps, and certainly you go through training camp and until you're in those situations and when you're in the trenches with a two time m v P quarterback, everything changes. And to your point about him, you know, kind of catching some heat there. He mentioned the problem on that play was he didn't fight back to the ball. That's what

he needed to do. That's what Rogers was asking him. And Rogers, as he said after the game, probably said some things that were not too was it not too kind or however worded it? Because the stakes are so high, Mike, if Valdes Scantling doesn't fight back to the ball and that ends up being a pick six. The game changes completely, the momentum changes. It is a game of protecting the football.

What did I say all last week? Protect the football the three keys for that game, and that was one area where you have to if Rogers is going to throw you that ball, you have to be there and be accountable. Fortunately for Vali, Scantling something a teachable moment, a learnable moment, and it was able to come up with a big play. I think you saw a lot from that young man of what he can offer this team with his raw talent as he works with you know,

Jim Hustler and David Ryan trying to hone that position. Yeah, and on the defensive side, as we've discussed in the past, with a lot of defensive backs, versatility certainly comes in handy and we're seeing that right now with Jermaine Whitehead and what Mike Petton is asking him to do in terms of, you know, playing a little bit of hybrid linebacker,

playing a little bit of maybe slot corner. I don't even know exactly what you'd label him right now in in this defense, but he's on the field quite a bit. And uh and a lot of times when we've seen him, you know, get the call to go after the quarterback he's getting home. He's a smart football player that loves the game, and you know, he lets his play on

the field doing the talking. He's not the kind of guy that's gonna sit on his locker and hold cord about you know what he thinks about himself for you know what he thinks about how he fits into this defense. He just goes and does his job. Very unassuming individual and almost to the point that when the Packers signed him and brought him into an undrafted free agent two years ago, you sort of forget that he was invited to the combine. He was a jack of all trades

type player at Auburn. Uh. This is a guy that you know how Clinton Dix is very familiar with based on their ties to the SEC and the Packers saw it. You know, Joe Witt and Jason Simmons have talked about what he offers and in terms of being able to really fill those shoes that you know, a guy like Morgan Burnett uh sort of vacated when he moved on and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In this day and age, Mike.

It's not just about inside outside versatility. For guys that are maybe number four or five six on the depth chart, you have to be able to play in the box at an inside timebacker position. To Whitehead has done that consistently and basically all four games, the second half of the last two games in his accountable made a play as a blitzer in those packages. So you know he's not just a body rushing into a brick wall. I mean, he's a guy that's going to be able to to

make some plays for you. So again, we're gonna have to see how everything shuffles out with Alexander see if Kevin King is back in the fold. But depending on how that secondary looks and where the injury stand. Going into Detroit, Jermaine Whitehead, once again, as he's already had a role in this defense, could be in for some more responsibility as well. Yeah, and hats off to Kyler Fackral for his three sat game in all three sacks in the fourth quarter actually of of that Buffalo Bills game.

A guy who I I say young guy, but in terms of experience obviously we know when he was drafted he was a little bit older than your traditional college graduate, but a guy who's coming along. The packers continue to ask him, you know, to be one of those rotational guys at outside linebacker and to make an impact when he's in there, not just fill somebody's shoes and not

just fill a spot, so to speak. So um, And it was interesting too because Mike McCarthy mentioned that maybe his best play wasn't even one of the three sacks, but it was a play where he chased down Josh Allen on a scramble and Alan only got what was a two yards maybe um on that because because Factor was able to prevent him from really getting away. So um, yeah, if Factral doesn't get him there, it was actually they

were facing a second and eighteen. But if you go back and look at that play, if Facral doesn't get him from behind there, it's off to the races. Josh Allen has an open field ahead of him in a lot of different ways that he could take the football. So maybe even if he doesn't get the first down, he's gonna make it third and short. Unfortunately for Faculty, he's able to trip him up and end up being

like third and fifteen or something. Yeah, that was those I mean It was interesting because it seemed that all for all the problems the Packers have had in the down and distances through the first few weeks of the season, it was as though the script was flipped because it was Buffalo that was facing a lot of the difficult down and distances one day, and and really that's how the Packers just stayed in control of the game. It's

it sounds silly. You can look at third down conversions at the end of the day as a stat but how many yards you need to get on third down is such a huge factor and what your conversion percentages, and it just it felt like for all the third and longs the Packers had been dealing with through September, the third and longs were all on Buffalo side. Yeah, Buffalo was three of sixteen in this game. N Conversely, the Packers eleven of nineteen, fifty eight yard or fifty percent.

We heard Mike McCarthy talk all week long about having to to win first and second down, having to you know, be more productive on those those downs. They were able to do that and also to throw one more note in about Facral. Whatever the outside perception is, and I know there are times where he catches some heat from people. But you could tell listening to Clay Matthews in the locker room afterwards, just exactly what fifty one means to

that room and that defense is. He said, there's a lot of things that Facral's asked to do that compliments what he and Nick Perry do. Uh. He is a very versatile He's a very athletic body. He can drop into coverage, he can take on a tight end for some steps if they need him to. He does fit

what the Packers want to do really well defensively. Unfortunately for him, you know, with the couple of changes they made, especially in the late in that game, with him moving over and rushing against the right tackle, was able to have some success. Yeah, all right, Well before we go, I just want to uh get into a little bit of where things stand in the NFC. I know late last week we talked about the Rams and then being four and oh we talked yesterday about the Bears and

being on top of the NFC North. What what do you think is going on right now or where are things headed in the NFC South? Because nobody would have expected the Atlanta Falcons to be where they are at one in three right now, losing on a essentially a last second touchdown pass at home to the Cincinnati Bengals. AJ Green made a heck of a play there to win that ballgame for Cincinnati. But you know, New Orleans seems to have completely bounced back from their Week one

showing against Tampa Bay when they fell. Carolina also seems to be right in the mix. That NFC South really interesting division. It always is. And in Atlanta if you look, especially since what it was their five and oh start a couple of years back, they've actually sort of been slow starters. It seems like last year they kind of had a rough time trying to find their footing in the first half of the season. Eventually did, but but

certainly it's funny the New Orleans Saints. Man, no matter how much things change, they stay the same and the blueprint is pretty much always been the same. They're regardless of who the defensive coordinator is, They're there to do one thing and that's the outscore the opposition. And sometimes they're gonna do it, sometimes they're not, but they're gonna,

you know, they're gonna die in their sword of trying. Um. The other thing that's interesting too, just because we get all these pundits at the beginning of the year and I'm and I'm guilty of it two at times. But everybody's trying to project how things are gonna look, who's gonna be fitting where. Well, if the playoffs started today, Mike, you know, a whole four weeks into the season, the Packers would be in as a wild card. You have

Chicago and Washington leading their divisions. Though right now Washington I think is really interesting because one us again, the question has been said time and time again about Jake Bruden and with this offense, and you know, people just wondering what the upside is there with them. Well, you know, the Philadelphia Eagles already took two losses. Washington is still a really good football team. I think that's the one thing in that Packers loss a week ago that people

didn't quite give enough credit to Washington. They did some really good things that football team, and they were able to incorporate a lot of these veterans they brought in. I just think between the East and the South especially, it's gonna be really interesting to see which teams are able to sustain the consistency side of things. I was going to be the team that maybe clamps down a little bit defensively in the South and in the East. You know, the Eagles trying to, you know, be the

team that everybody feels that they are. Yeah, I think I think the consistency is really what's going to play out, especially in the NFC East, because I think the Eagles are going to get it going. I know they just they lost a tough game to Tennessee this past week. And um, I'll say this, I take nothing away from Washington beating the Packers. I'm not a believer in that Washington team. I'm not. I'm not a believer. And if if they proved me wrong, so be it. I'll say so.

But Jake Gruden's tenure for me has just been way too inconsistent. And um, I think the Packers just honestly had a terrible day. And I think green Bay is better than Washington. Didn't show it on that day and Washington got a victory. Hats off to him. But I think the Eagles are still going to be the team to beat me. Sure. Yeah, And I think I would agree with you too as far as the Eagles being

then the number one contenders. There so to speak. The thing I like about Washington though, is between everything that was made out of the quarterback situation, actually, Alex Smith is probably the guy that fits what Jake Ruden does better just because he protects the football a little bit

better than Kirk Cousins. Certainly doesn't have the four thousand six yard passing type seasons he had one I think, But I mean, for the most part is sort of you know, always takes precedent over making sure that he's smart with the football. The if the defense can keep up there and that's a big if. Yeah, but I mean that is there. That is their path to the playoffs, that's their path to having success. We'll have to see

how it works out, all right. Well that we are going to 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 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. H