#355 Packers Unscripted: Miami musings

Packers at lambeau Field against the Miami Dolphins. Flex to a three pm kickoff from originally a noon kickoff on the the earlier schedule for those who weren't aware of that, but Miami Dolphins a f C East. As with all a f C opponents, the Packers only see them once every four years, so it's been a while and the Dolphins haven't been the lambeau Field since two thousand and ten.

And when you look at this two thousand eighteen version of the Miami Dolphins, where do you start, Well, I mean you would like to start with the quarterback position, Ryan Tannehill coming back from the a C L but then he suffers this capsule injury that appears to just have him out indefinitely. At this point, there hasn't really been given a strong timeline and when he could potentially be back, and as of the time in which we're shooting this, we don't know what they're they're gonna be

doing at Wednesday's practice. So that means Brock Osweidler has become their starting quarterback. And certainly Osweiler has been through a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of seasons. I got the big contract with Houston, didn't work out, gets his contract traded for a second round pick along with the second round pick to Cleveland. Cleveland cuts him, he goes to Denver in Willa, he's with

the Miami Dolphins. The thing though about Oswald that I've been impressed with this season at this point is that he has been protecting the football and he starts that they've they've had him out there for it. As strange as it sounds, Mike, this Dolphins team at five and four, I mean, they're not overly dynamic, but they found ways to win ball games, and you have to tip your

cap to that. I also thought, considering how quick of a start they got off too and then falling back to three and three, have found a way to rally and get some wins in recent weeks. Yeah, they're at five and four right now and right in the thick of the wild card hunt. Obviously, with three and oh start, they were hoping to be a little bit better than five and four after nine games, but as you said, kind of went through a rut. Now they rallied a

little bit. That victory they had down in Miami over the Bears, a wild and crazy victory a few weeks ago. That was as Wilder's first start, I believe in place of Tannehill, and uh, that was that was a big one for them. They won last week against the New York Jets, I believe. Now they've beaten the Jets twice, two of their five victories UM over the Jets. But

you said it with Osweiler, he's protected the football. Because I got an interesting question in an Insider inbox with all the talk about, hey, the Packers defense needs to start getting turnovers, and a fan asked, well, maybe a warm weather quarterback coming to Lambeau for a chili game in November. Maybe that's a warrant. I should say, a warm weather backup quarterback coming to Lambeau for a chili November game. Maybe that'll get the Packers going with the

turnovers on defense. Well, Osweiler, he's only thrown three interceptions this year, has not fumbled the ball, not just hasn't lost a fumble, but hasn't fumbled it at all. And I looked back at the sixteen box score when Oswader was the starting quarterback for Houston. He came to lambeau Field. Remember it was kind of a snowy like early December game, the type of game where you think warm weather team

is going to have some trouble. There was one turnover early where the Texans, I believe it was their tight end, fumbled the ball right in the beginning of the game. But Osweiler didn't throw a pick, didn't turn the ball over in that game either, And the Packers didn't put away that Texans team until the fourth quarter. So this is a guy that yeah, yeah, it was. It was snowy and wet and yeah, and there was some sleet. It was just it was a strange weather game, a

little chili in December. But but yeah, the Packers defense needs to start taking the ball away. But to Oswiler may not give them a lot of opportunities. If he does give them one, they have to pounce on. Because here's the other thing. Frank Gore's in that backfield, and while he is thirty five years old right now, Frank corp has actually had a pretty darn good season. I mean, he's kind of gotten the winning share of that uh,

that committee approach that they're taking with him and Kenyan Drake. Uh, it's really interesting because he's not giving you the football either. So I think that's really been a big thing for the Dolphins so far. You look at those two wins that you mentioned over the Jets thirteen to nine and twenty to twelve. You don't do that if you're turning over the football and giving them favorable field position. So

Adam Gaze's guys have found a way to win. It's a little bit different approach than they took last year, where it was Jake Cutler stepping in, and we obviously know some of the takeaway in turnover issues they had on that team. So yeah, it's gonna be incumbent on the Packers to pressure Oswidler, assuming that's what the quarterback is going to be, and not allow a guy like

Kenny Still's going either. Because Stills has been on sort of this hot and cold stretch this year where he has some really you know, dynamic downfield, big play games, and some other times where he's been taken away too. Yeah. Well you mentioned the ageless wonder Frank Gore in the backfield. Amazing what he's doing at that position at thirty five years old. And just you talk about the wear and tear on the tire, so to speak, it just seems like Frank or puts a new set of tires on

every season because he just keeps going. He's leading these guys in rushing. He's got over four yards on the ground. A complimentary back in Kent, is it, Kenyan Drake? Sorry, yeah, I got a little ahead of myself, um, Drake. There he's averaging I think close to five yards to carry as as sort of the complementary back to Frank Gore. And then you mentioned Stills. They lost Albert Wilson to injury.

He was kind of their big play receiver, whether it was Tannehill or Oswiler, so they've lost some of that big playability. But Stills is a guy who can kind of get hot, as you said, and and make some big plays down the field. So there are some some

weapons here, some options for for Osweiler. They didn't have a good game offensively last week against the Jets, but I watched a good portion of that game they had at home against Chicago because I believe that was the week the Packers are playing on Monday night, so I was home on a Sunday to watch other games, and uh, they moved the ball up and down the field against that Bears defense. Khalil Mack wasn't playing, but that Bears defense really struggle to stop them. Yeah, they did. You know.

I wanted to mention to Danny Ammond. Dola has sort of been the favorite target here the last few weeks for Osweiler, not really the big play aspect of it, but being able to help them move the chains. But yeah,

to your point, the Dolphins. The thing that's that's gonna be interesting about them for the Packers perspective is there's a lot of reasons why the Packers have to win this game, but the biggest one is that if you look back to the last month, the Dolphins have lost to the Lions, They've lost to, uh, the the Bears. So I mean the Packers considering those a f C as you mentioned those they beat the Bears put the

thirty one to twenty when over time. Yeah, So, I mean with those type of opportunities we saw it before, We've talked about it with some of these other matchups with the uncommon opponents. That's where ultimately you need to win your games in your division, but you can also pick up a lot of steam getting those victories as well. So I'm interested to see how it plays out, because I think, as I mentioned you on the show, I believe it was yesterday the day before. This isn't Tom Brady,

this isn't Jared Goff. You know it is brus brock Osweiler, And there's a reason why he came in the years the back up to Tannehill. The Packers had some issues. When you go back to that game last month against C. J. Bethard, they have to take care of business against the quarterback like this. If that ends up being what it is on Sunday, well, I'm gonna take care of a little sponsored business here West before it gets away from me.

The powerful noise canceling technology that helps NFL coaches block out eighty thousand screaming fans can get you closer to the music you love. Learn more at www dot bos dot com. Slash Packers Bows the official headphones of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, shifting gears to the defensive side of the ball for the Dolphins. You know what I like to do when it comes to trying to figure out a team's defense. I like to look at the

stat sheet and go, Okay, what are the numbers? Are there any numbers, any stats that jump off the page to me? With this team, fifteen interceptions in nine games west not just games, as many interceptions as they have sacks right now? Fifteen sacks, fifteen interceptions. Remarkable, Remarkable what they've been able to do in terms of taken away the football. Yeah, they have three players who have three interceptions a piece on the season, a fourth player with

two interceptions. Now, it makes for an interesting matchup because Aaron Rodgers has thrown only one pick all year? Am I correct? Yeah? One interception all season at the halfway point for Aaron Rodgers going against a team that's picked off fifteen balls in nine games, and quite frankly, I know I keep talking about this game against the Bears because it's the one I watched and it's how I got at least a little bit familiar with the Dolphins.

The interceptions from at least there was one huge interception there might have been a secon one for ms Rubinsky was really what turned that game around, because the Bears were in control of that game in the second half until Trubisky got picked and and that was it was an interception in the end zone when the Bears were either going to get a touchdown or at least a field goal to get a two score lead in the fourth quarter, and that interception in the fourth quarter just

lifted up Miami and led this comeback that led to kind of the crazy finish in the overtime and everything that went on with that. So Aaron Rodgers needs to continue to protect the ball. These guys they're they're going to take their chances to try to get interceptions because it's what they've done and it's and it's been defensively what they do best, because when they're not picking the ball off West, they give up a lot of yards

and points. That's the biggest point I was gonna try to make because I was looking this up right now with with where they're at on the season, yet they currently fifteen interceptions leads the NFL in that category, but they the opposing passer rating still eight seven point four, which is somewhat surprising when you consider that you have fifteen picks. Yeah, to be in past defense sixteen touchdowns allowed. So there has been opportunities, certainly some big plays that

mix into that as well. The thing that I'm gonna be most interested about, well here Mike Petton talk on Thursday. But Petton uh player he was once attached to as a rookie. Kiko Alonso is the middle linebacker there for Miami. He's had some injury issues that he's had to work through, been on a couple of different a few different teams now, but is settling in there with Miami. I think a D eight tackle summer eighty tackle somewhere around there. Three

of those fifteen picks belonged to him. We know Mike, and we've seen it in the past and Don Caper has always talked about it. Joey Jr. You want your secondary to take the ball away, but when you're linebackers, when your secondary players in the trenches can start to find ways to be able to do that, that's where you're really going to be able to get maximize your production in that capacity. That's what stands out to me.

The biggest question mark right now for the Dolphins is this whole kind of controversy surround owning they're all pro Pro Bowl safety Rashad Jones. That's what I was going to ask you about, because I apologize I didn't do my research here on this before we turn the camera on, but I saw a couple of headlines related to Rashad Jones. What exactly went on there? So in the gate this past week, at some point this is all a cord to Adam Gaze. It's not like this is a report

or anything. Gaze step to the podium after the game and said, yeah, Rashad Jones pulled himself out. This was the Jet skis this is the Jet skame on Sunday, pulled himself out from the game. Two interceptions. On the year, he's been to the Pro Boy. I believe the last two seasons considered one of the top of his position in the league right now. So he pulled himself out. Minca Fitzpatrick, who you and I talked a lot about in the lead up to the NFL Combine to the

NFL Draft. Their first round draft pick ends up coming in has played situationally at points this season, and that's how they finished the game. But as of after the game, all the beat writers that I followed from Miami the locker room was not talking about Jones. Jones did not speak to the reporters, So up until this point right now, we really don't know everything that went on other than

the act at that game ended without him on the field. Yeah, just a strange situation because the defense for the Miami was playing well. I believe they intercepted Sam Donald four times. Things were certainly going well on that side of the ball. But then uh, but then down the stretch Jones wasn't on the field, and then the stranger The real strange thing about this is this isn't just the first or second. I mean, this guy's been there since two thousand and ten.

He's thirty years old, he's been in the league sort of coming to his own the last couple of seasons. But I mean he's been with the Dolphins for eight seven eight seasons now so and and obviously with Adam Gaze now the last two and a half. So I mean, it was a strange circumstances and we're gonna have to see exactly how that plays out. But if he's on the field, historically he's been one of their top playmakers

in that unit. Yeah. Well, you mentioned earlier the fifteen sacks that they have through nine games, which is not a huge number by any stretch. Their leader in that category, not surprisingly as Cameron Wake. But he has but he has only three this season. But we've seen in other games over the years against the Packers Cameron Wait can be a handful. Now. I mean, if he's lined up

across from David bak Try, the Packers will take that matchup. Certainly, they have all the confidence in the world in Bok tr but Cameron Wake is a guy that when it comes to pass rush, you have to keep your eye on him because he can explode at any moment. Well, what's funny too, is the Packers Cameron Waggs had an up and down career. Obviously, if you know, if you follow his story was in the CFL. I mean, he kind of took the long way to get into the NFL and and be able to become the player that

he did for the Dolphins. But it seems like the Packers have always caught him in that four year intervals you talked about in his best seas exactly two thousand fourteen sacks. Two thousand fourteen he had eleven and a half. I remember being a part of that Beat Corps and the narrative going into that game about David Bak try playing him and what it was gonna take to be able to calm him down. I can't really remember off the top of my head how he performed in that game.

But yeah, as far as this season is concerned, three sacks and seven games. As I mentioned, uh thirty six will be thirty seven in January, so he's been doing this for a long time. But as we've seen with the Julius Peppers of the world, guys that are in that you know, six three, six four and higher, you know it's two sixty eight range, they can find ways to be effective pass rushers in their later thirties. And while it is only three sacks, I think Wake has

done that to a certain extent. Yeah, alrighty uh West, another bit of sponsor business here at home or here in the stands. We all know that Green Bay fans give it their all and that takes a lot of energy. So grab a warm bowl of Campbell's Chunky Soup. It's meaty goodness fuels the greatness of Packers fans everywhere. Try to try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just visit your local supermarket and asked for Campbell's Chunky Soup. Official

sup partner of the Green Bay Pass. And just to follow up on that, Wake had a sack and a half in that matchup in Miami that hot day down

in Miami in two thousand fourteen. Yeah, that was a hot one and that that was one that came right down to the wire there Aaron Rodgers with the fake spike in the past to Davante Adams and then the touchdown to Andrew corlis in the in the final seconds, big win Andrew corliss career to Roger showed a lot of confidence there to throw them that ball in that situation. Remember him talking afterwards about how they had actually discussed that if he got that matchup against the linebacker, they

wanted to exploit it and they did. Yeah, alright, Well, one other thing we need to get to before the end of the show here, Weston. That is a roster move, A couple of roster moves for the Packers. On Tuesday, Geronimo Allison unfortunately placed on injured reserve. Mike McCarthy had had mentioned that it was a pretty significant injury that he was dealing with, So Allison now out at a

minimum for the remainder of the regular season. He would potentially be eligible to come back for the playoffs if the Packers were to qualify, and if they have still have an option to bring him back from i R. The other thing is, for the second straight week, the Packers have shipped out a safety who was playing a lot of snaps for this team. Last week ha ha. Clinton Dix has traded Jermaine Whitehead is released on Tuesday.

This week, he uh had been ejected from the Patriots game for slapping the opponent, the opposing offensive lineman in the face mask. I don't think this is necessarily just because of that one of these situations that there can be a lot of other things that go into a decision like this, But the bottom line is the Packers continue to have to make adjustments in the secondary. What's your sense at this early stage of the week what

this next adjustment is going to be. Well, the first thing is to me that I mean it must and again I don't want to speculate in this, but it must be somewhat positive for Ken tro All Bryce that there isn't a significant injury there if the Packers are willing to part with white Head, considering he was the backup there between now Truman Williams and Bryce. But we'll have to wait and see there thought Josh Jones played

well given the opportunities that he had. The biggest thing that Whitehead was doing is he was playing that what I've almost referred to as that Burnette linebacker role where you're you're lining up next to to Blake Martinez. Josh Jackson played that spot a little bit. We've seen Kenstroll, Bryce be able to move up in the box before. Obviously last year Josh Jones handle it when Bright when

Burnett was down, So there are options there. The you know, the biggest interesting thing to me is that a week after the Packers make two trades, this was about as eventful but Tuesday as I can remember in some time for the Packers. With as you mentioned, also Geronimo Allison going on injury reserve. You hate to see that just because of how doggon consistent he had been up to

that point, I believe was on pace for a thousand yards. Yeah, the first four games in the season, first four games of the season, Allison was off to a great start this year, was producing just the way everybody had hoped that he would as the number three guy, a position as the number three receiver that he didn't relinquish to anybody throughout the off season. Throughout training camp, he took

ownership of it and was was producing. He gets the concussion, and then coming off of the concussion, suddenly the other injuries a hamstring and a groin injury crop up, and now all of a sudden, his regular season is over. Yeah. I want to just mention to Ibraheim Campbell was claimed off waivers on Monday as well, so the Packers do have another safety option there. I don't want to dismiss that former fourth round pick of the Browns is actually

has some Northwestern connection. Four guy is now on this roster that played at Northwestern. Kind of interesting. All that's uh sort of worked out. And then lastly the other thing, Will Redmond gets promoted in place of Jermaine Whitehead. Redmond is a really interesting story. If you know anything about this guy played at Mississippi State was a third round pick of the forty niners three years ago, but has

never played in an NFL game before. Pretty remarkable considering typically, you know, even if guys maybe don't necessarily click somewhere, they still get those opportunities. He never got that, so uh, it could be a big, big opportunity for him, you know, these next couple of weeks if he can get on the field. Yeah, and if people are wondering, how are

the Packers managing this with all? With all these roster was One thing we didn't mention is that the second punter that was signed last week, Drew ka Kaiser, was released and an interesting story there. You wrote about it on our website. The reason the Packers had had grabbed the second punter over the weekend was because of j. K. Scott's wife and the fact that she's due to give

birth any day now. I haven't seen any updates if the baby has arrived yet, not yet, But the Packers basically had an entire contingency plan in place from when they were in Massachusetts if j K. Scott needed to miss the game and come back. What did you learn about That kind of reminds you of the West Hodkowitz scenario in Carolina last year, right where three days beforehand we decided I wasn't gonna go and then lo and behold there's my son in the middle of the second quarter.

Um no, and this is it meant a world to J. K. Scott to to be able to have that conversation with Brian good Quin's. They had a plane available for him and ready to go back if he needed to get back at a moment's notice. She's due November fourteenth, so a week from today, but he said that all likelihood they'll probably end up inducing this week, so they'll probably one day here where maybe J K. Scott Mrs Practice.

But being proactive and the fact that they did have a spot open on the fifty three man roster, they go and get Kayser bring him in. Former punter with the Chargers, could not have been more of a gentleman in my time dealing with him, And J. K. Scott said too, he actually enjoyed having him around over the again, because as you and I probably forget, at least I forgot, he didn't even have any competition in the off season.

He didn't any competition in camp. I don't know what the situation was like at Alabama or how many punters they had running around there, but this was his first opportunity to really sit down and talk shop with a guy that's been in the league, and it was kind of, you know, beneficial in that way. Yes, Scott's sounding board since he's been here really has been Mason Crosby certainly a veteran guy, and plenty he can learn from him.

But a veteran punter coming in and even just for a couple of days and getting a chance, as you say, to talk shop of with that specific skill and guys have been drafted in the league too, Yeah, something that the rookie definitely appreciated. Yeah. And now now with where things stand in totality after all this, the Packers do have one spot open on the fifty three man roster. As we didn't talk about this show at this minute, you know, you do have Jake Kumar available, you do

have Trevor Davis available. We'll have to see what they do there. Brian Goodkin said last week they're both options to be returned. So it's gonna be interesting now with Allison and I are what they could potentially do with that spot. Yeah, we'll see if there are some more roster moves in the mix. But with 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 still at West Hod, I'm still at Mike Spofford at Packers still the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time.