#338 Packers Unscripted: What it'll take

on Sunday. Before we get to that, though, a quick rundown at the time, we are taping this episode of where things stand with the Packers injuries, because I know everyone's wondering what's going on at wide receiver at this moment. We have learned that Randall Cobb has been ruled out for Sunday's game with his hamstring injury. He will miss his second straight contest. Davante Adams, with the calf injury, scheduled to practice on Saturday, so there's a chance that

Adams will be able to play. Geronimo Allison remains in the concussion protocol, but Mike McCarthy said there is hope for Geronimo, so possibility he could get through the concussion protocol by kickoff on Sunday. So all that being said, where do you want to start here with keys to

victory for the Packers at Detroit. I'm gonna go back to something I said earlier this week, and that is, I think, regardless of whether or not Davante Adams plays or geronimo Elson plays, certainly we know now that Randall cob will not play, I think the running game needs to carry the day here for the Packers. And that's for two reasons. One, when you're down, when you're missing weapons on the perimeter, the easiest way to make up

for that is with weapons in the trenches. We saw that with Eddie Lacy all those years, what he can do in the dimension that adds. When you establish that and get your production from that perspective, helps lessen the burden. Then also as well on the passing game and Aaron Rodgers. But secondly, and it was something you and I touched on in our Final Thoughts video, the Detroit Lions ranked dead last right now and run defense, and it's not close, Mike.

They're giving up a d fifty seven points per game thirty one in the league right now is Arizona a hundred forty one point two. So there's an opportunity there. Yeah, so they're more than they're more than ten percent worse than the next than the next worst team, and they're coming off probably the one of the roughest outings against the Dallas Cowboys. And it's it's fair, it's Zeke Elliott,

it's gonna happen. But if they did give up a hundred fifty yards, so I just think from whether it's Aaron Jones, Jamal Williams, Time Montgomery getting that triad going uh and being able to be effective in that way, regardless of what those receiver weapons look like, I think that's gonna be one of the keys to victory for the Packers is they had a hundred fifty seven yards I believe it was two weeks ago total yards from the running game in Washington, a hundred and eighty three.

I think it was last week against Buffalo. They need another performance like that in Detroit. Yeah, And not that there's ever a good time to have injuries to your wide receivers or whatever, but quite frankly, this is this is about as as bad as it gets for the Packers. From the standpoint that if you do have to go with a lot of younger wide receiver is less experienced receivers, Detroit can simply adjust the defense and say, well, we

are going to take away the run. All it is is committing the personnel to the box in order to be able to do it, and that does leave your secondary a little bit more vulnerable. But if Randall Cobbs not out there, if Davante Adams jeron him, Way Allison aren't out there, they're gonna be a lot more comfortable leaving their secondary a little bit vulnerable against Aaron Rodgers,

which sounds crazy. It sounds crazy to say they're gonna make Aaron Rodgers beat them with his arm, but that might be what they do here, depending on how this injury situation shakes out for the Packers at wide receivers. So I know they're ranking is bad. The Packers have shown obviously a lot of life running the ball the last couple of weeks, but it's not going to be that easy because stopping the run is simply a numbers game. If you commit the personnel to it, you can do it.

And if that's what the Lions do, then the Packers have to be able to make plays on the outside no matter who the receivers are and that's why Loki, a guy like Mark Oisbaldo scantling becomes incredibly important. He put it on film. Now, if you give him just single high coverage in one cornerback, he can beat you with his speed. With that thirty eight yard reception, Jimmy Graham, I think is going to be a really critical part of this offensive plan, huge part. He can affect the

middle of the field. You can position them outside as a receiver as well. So getting a guy like Time Montgomery open and space and getting him the football, whether it's as a runner or a pass catcher, you have to use your complimentary pieces because even if Adams plays, or you know, if Allison plays, it's probably a little bit different. But if Adam's plays, you're not sure what that's gonna be like with him trying to push through with that calf injury. So to have those auxiliary parts

going with this offense. They've really lived a lot with their three wide receiver and Jimmy Graham looks so far. So if anything else, I think this is really going to test them being able to bring out some of those other components of the offensive game plan. Yeah, if there is a a week that we may see the Packers offensively dig a little bit deeper into the playbook and start showing some personnel groupings, formations and things that maybe we haven't seen in the first month of the year.

This could be it because this is this is an injury situation that's highly unusual, just because so many injuries have hit at the same position. In the story I wrote about the three young receivers being ready to step up here, one of the things I referenced in Aaron Rodgers reference this week was the Atlanta game from two thousand six. Right. I understand the Packers lost that game thirty three to thirty two, but I don't think anyone

anticipated at being the shootout that it was. But the thing is is that Rogers was at the top of his game. He had a hundred and twenty five passer rating in that contest through four touchdowns. Three of those receivers it was their first NFL regular season touchdown catch, including Geronimo Allison, which Rogers frequently you know, cites that

is his you know, big coming out parties. So if that's the direction they have to go, I think they've proven that they're innovative and that they can do it and if if nothing else did. It is also going to be a really good test for some of these young guys, whether it's at running back, receiver, tight end, guys that could be counted on to make big plays and you know, really step up for their offense. Yeah, this will be a big challenge for the Packers offense.

But you mentioned the game in Atlanta, which when we the inactive list before the game, you would have thought the Packers are gonna lose by at least two touchdowns. Yeah, it was like there were no playmakers available. But yet those young guys stepped up. We saw Aaron Rodgers almost win a playoff game in Arizona with nothing but James Jones, Jared Aberdaris and Jeff Janis at wide receiver because everybody

else was down and out. So, um, he's done this before. Uh, there's a there's a lot on his plate every single week. He is getting healthier, which is a good thing. He was a full participant in Thursday's padded practice for the first time since Week one before the knee injury, so there's obviously at least some progress being made there. Even though Rogers has Rogers has downplayed a little bit, but Mike McCarthy is indicated there's definitely progress being made with

regards to that knee. So a lot is gonna fall on number twelve, especially at the line of scrimmage. How are they lining up run pass option type of stuff. And the Packers have got to find a way to, you know, when they do put together a good drive to put the ball in the end zone, because kicking field goals in Detroit's not gonna cut. No, it isn't. And and we've seen that in the past just in terms of and I've cited it several times that when you the Lions get going, when Stafford gets going early.

You can look at any of their games historically packers are not Packers. They have a lot of success just because it's that rhythm based offense. It's been that way since Jim Bob Coutter took over as their offensive coordinator. The other thing too, that that's an interesting facet to this, as you mentioned, with with Rogers being a full participant. I was talking Aboldes Scantling about this this week, and

he's gotten a lot of work with Rogers. He's had a lot of work with the Shawn Kaiser and that's starting offense as the number four receiver, Jamon Moore and Equinemius st Brown. This was really their first extended look on Thursday of Rogers and playing with him, and in knowing what he's looking for and taking the playbook as it stands, and also kind of keeping in mind what Rogers needs when you're out on the field with him.

So regardless of whether or not those guys actually end up playing significant snaps in this game, there is a byproduct a positive effect from that for those young guys getting used to what he's looking for and what it's going to be required if another situation like this should arise at some point else in the season. Yeah, and

you said it West. As far as the key on the defensive side of the ball, Matthew Stafford and the rhythm that he can get into with this offense, I'm not sure how the Packers are going to do it. I don't think there's necessarily one way to disrupt Matthew Stafford's rhythm. You have to do it with pressure. You have to do it with mixing up coverage looks. You have to do it with getting a turnover here there and and blunting the momentum that the Lions can generate

sometimes with those big plays on offense. But you have to disrupt Stafford's rhythm because we saw last year in both of the Packers Lions games. Aaron Rodgers didn't play in either one, but Matthew Stafford was the star of the show in both of those games. He was he

was completely in his comfort zone. And especially the one here, the Monday night game here at Lambe Field, which you know, as I've mentioned to you before, I thought that was really what put the writing on the wall for for the changes to the defensive coaching staff that came later on, because Matthew Stafford just just did anything and everything he wanted to in that game, and the Packers cannot let

him get into that type of a rhythm on Sunday. Yeah, And it's really interesting because you know, you're always going to get at this juncture of the season, You're still gonna get un scouted looks. There's still gonna be things that the lines have been working on since you know, March in April, especially for a division opponent, right for

a division opponent to be ready for. But at the same time, you kind of know what you're getting they've they've played Matthew Stafford more than any other quarterback obviously now that Jay Cutler's gone in the NFC North, in really the NFC in general. And you look at where this offense is structured right now, there's three receivers there that have made up of Matthew Stafford's passing yards with Golden Tate, you know, one of the most consistent, you know,

playmakers in this league for some time now. Marvin Jones Jr. Is a big play threat, and Kenny Galladay is a guy that continues to cement himself in this offense. So I wrote about it earlier this week. I mean, if they can get Kevin King available and healthy for this game, if Jr. Alexander is able to play through the growing injury,

they can have that full contingent of secondary weapons. It's gonna be the perfect way to combat that and allow some of those guys in the trenches to be able to get to work and trying to keep Matthew Stafford uncomfortable, because the double sided coin of this is that when you are able to pressure Stafford, when you can get him on his back foot, that's where the turnovers happened.

That's where your big place for your defense can occur. Yeah, this will just be conjecture on our part, But do you have a sense if the Packers are fully healthy and ready to go in the secondary, with King and Alexander both playing despite being on the injury report, with the groin injuries, all that kind of stuff, do you have a sense of how the Packers might match up

here with these wide receivers. My personal take is with Golladay being such a speedy, deep threat type of guy, but a boundary and outside receiver, I kind of see Kevin King being there, Termont Williams being um on Marvin Jones Jr. And then you line up year Alexander in the slot against Golden Tate. Now, whether that is the matchup all the way across the board for sixty plus plays, I don't know, but that's kind of what I'm guessing.

I don't know if if you if you think that's uh, that's in line, or if you have other thoughts, Well, it really depends on how they want to attack this thing in terms of are you gonna just keep guys on one side of the field or do you go back to the old Sam Shields Let guys travel and you know where you want to have your matchups, and that's gonna be right now, it seems like for the most part at this point of the season, and it's probably partially due to the fact that they've had some

moving pieces in the secondary, but they've pretty much kept Hermon Williams on one side and they've kept the other boundary corner where he's at and just let the game play out from there. So it would be interesting to see if they make an adjustment to that this week. I don't know whether or not we're gonna see it with it being Kevin King if he plays his first game back. But the one thing I really do like in Alexander I give I tip my cap to him.

I thought he played really well these past couple of games without King, but having him in that nickel slot position, the defense is different there, I agree, And he's he's a playmaker. He's the type of ball hawk that you want that I think defenses need now, to be honest with you, in that nickel position. Josh Jackson again another a guy that's great to have available depending on where

you need to play him. They've trained him at multiple spots, but to me, I think going in right now unless I see something different, I'm very curious to see if it just ends up being King on one boundary, Tremont Williams and the other, and then you know, make your moves inside with your interior guys. Okay, well, before we go here west at the end of the week, let's take a quick look at some other things going on

around the NFL. Chicago Bears are on their bye week, so regardless of what happens elsewhere in the NFC North, at three and one, Chicago will remain in first place. The Packers can inch closer if they win and get to three one on one, they will obviously be right on the Bears heels. There but one game in the NFC North that definitely stands out, the Minnesota Vikings traveling to I believe they're on the road, traveling to Philadelphia,

the rematch of last year's NFC Championship. And looking right now at both the Vikings and the Eagles with two losses apiece, these two teams trying to avoid a third loss this early in the season. What are your thoughts on this match? You kind of ends too the SEC a little bit. I still refuse to think that either one of these teams is a three lost team at this juncture of the season, one of them, assuming there's not a strange tie, will end up being that. Again,

I'm gonna throw that caveat we kind of have. There's been a lot of overtime games, a couple of ties and a couple of near ties already in the NFL issue. But it sort of reminds me the sec where you end up having like Auburn or somebody gets two losses right off the bat, but they're still ranked like twelve in the country. I think both these teams are still big playoff contenders. I think they're Super Bowl contenders. But you're right in that you're digging yourself into a hole

here if you don't come out on top. Carson Wentz is back as the starting quarterback of the Eagles. Can the offense get back to where they feel like they should be? And then from the Vikings perspective, they've had some tough matchups. They lost a game they should have won at home against Buffalo, and then you go and you lose a game that you know maybe you should lose on a short week against the Rams. So what

tough assignment there, what team are you? And I think that's the thing that probably Mike Zimmers talking about with this guys this week. But yeah, from the Packers perspective, with having the Bears an idol this week and and having a chance to play a division opponent and the Vikings having the opponent that they have, it's a big opportunity this week if they can go and take one on the road from the Lions, considering all the other

things that are happening right now in that division. Yeah, well, another game that's really interesting, and you don't we don't normally talk about the cross conference games all that much, but Atlanta is traveling to Pittsburgh, and you're talking about a Steelers team that already has two losses in a tie and they've been dealing with the whole distraction of

the Lady on Bell situation all the way along. And the Atlanta Falcons are one in three and having to go on the road here to Heinz Field, a very difficult place to play. These are two teams. I don't I don't like to use the word desperate for a victory in early October, but this is about as close as it gets for early October for for being in that desperation MODEI just you have to get a win. Yeah,

it's a marathon, it's twenty six point two miles. But the thing is is that if you can not fall behind, you don't have to gas yourself all down the stretch trying to make, you know, make it to the finish line. Yeah, the Steelers have gone through so much so far early on.

I think this game in particular for them, even though they are technically the team that only has two losses right now, I think this is a huge matchup because you've had the questions with Levan Bell and where and he's when he's going to come back, who's communicating with who? Ben Roethlisberger saying that he needs to do more. Antonio Brown miss practice a couple of days. So it's just like these type of things, it really tests you, and

it tests the defense as well. Pittsburghs off to a really slow start with their defense this year, and that historically has been a hallmark. They're taking on Atlanta Falcons team that's had questions on defense, but is you know, Matt Ryan's throwing through the roof right now with Kelvin Ridley and Julio Jones. So a big gut check for both of those teams. Certainly from the Packers perspective, you wouldn't mind seeing the Steelers just pull one out here.

But but certainly from the Falcons, trying to go on the road and win in Hinesfield is not easy to ask. Yeah, and one last thought as far as the NFC West goes um, I tell you what West with with losing Jimmy Garoppolo for the season, they're on their backup quarterback, the Arizona Cardinals clearly struggling out of the gate. The Rams here undefeated at four and oh going to Seattle. Arguably it might be the rams toughest road game of the year in terms of the you know, a stadium

to go into. If the Rams win this game and get to five and oh and hand the Seahawks their third loss, with everything else going on in that division, it's almost like that division race is over. I mean, if Seattle wants to have a chance to win the NFC West, they almost have to win this game against the Rams on Sunday the way it sets up, and certainly there's a lot of football they play, but it kind of they start to remind me of the two

thousand eleven Packers a lot. Now their defense with Wade Phillips, it's a lot more stout than the Packers were that season. But their offense is so explosive. They're able to blow teams out. They're able and then and then when they get and shootouts, they're able to you know, go tip for tat with them. And you know, Jared Goff fits

that system so well. It's what Sean mcveigh's developed. They have three legit downfield options, certainly one of the best running backs in the game, a lot of things for them to hang their hat on. And conversely, now it's a Seattle team that's going through a lot of adversity. You look at what's happened now with Earl Thomas and losing him. I mean, that's arguably your biggest playmaker on

that defense. The the offense has had a lot of questions and there's been you know, some some issues there with Russell Wilson and being able to to generate the plays that you know he can generate just based on the weapons and offensive line around him. So it's gonna be a good game to watch, one that I'll be paying close attention to just to see. Okay, from the Rams perspective, you are going into century Link, Central Link still going to be century Link. Yeah, so are you

able to overcome that? Is the offense able to play to what they believe it can play to, uh, to get a huge win that would really give them a lot of separation in that division early on. Yeah, this is a real gut chet game for Seattle. They're getting the division leader at home in their building. But that division leader is coming off of extra rest, having played the Thursday, the game the week before. They're rested up

and ready to go. And the Rams know this is this is their opportunity to absolutely stop on the rest of the division and say here we are, We're the team to be totally and before we leave them, Mike, I want to throw one more out at you. Okay, just kind of my favorite just from a pure football perspective. Really no ramifications whatsoever with the Packers, but Jacksonville versus Kansas City, Yeah, it is. It's the immovable object verse

the unstoppable force. Right now with Patrick Mahomes against the top ranked defense in the NFL that is not wavering. I think what you look at what Doug Moron has developed there. I know there's still things offensively that you have question marks about, but defensively, Jacksonville is a jugger not right now. They have become what Seattle was four or five years ago. Patrick Mahomes is off to this

incredible start to an NFL career. Which things gives there and who ultimately comes out on top in terms of the a f C race right now and where teams could potentially be slot at the end of the season. A game that has major major implications for for this playoff race potentially. Yeah, you talk about a young quarterback who simply does not flinch. I mean Patrick Mahomes down two scores on the road at a division rival on Monday Night football in Denver, down two scores in the

fourth quarter, brings his team back for a victory. They're still undefeated. He's the top rated quarterback one point five passer rating, fourteen touchdowns, no interceptions. Yet um remarkable start for him and does the test As far as the defense doesn't get any bigger than Jacksonville, it doesn't, Mike, and he's been so important for them right now because Kansas City's defense has just been a sieve so far in terms of the yards that they're giving up. So yeah,

they've been putting up a lot of production. They have their weapons going, but defensively they've needed that too to get to where they are. They've needed every touchdown pass he's thrown. Yeah, so that's it's made for some really exciting football. But ultimately, you know, Blake Bortles, you know, he's still a pro and he's been doing this for a long time now, so it'll be interested to see what that matchup ends up looking like. With with that, we will 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 Ford Field in Detroit on Packers dot com. On Twitter, you can follow him at west Hot I'm at Mike spoff It at Packers for the team accal. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time. H m hm