#373 Packers Unscripted: Fresh start

do you want to start? You know, it's funny, Mike, there's so many places you could start, And you and I have pontificated so many times in these episodes of Unscripted on what the Packers need to accomplish, what they need to do. But to me, I actually think it's more mental at this point. It's being able to kind of overcome the circumstances of the week, rally together and you know, pursue a common goal in terms of trying to pick up a much needed victory here against I

still maintain a pretty good Atlanta Falcons team. I've said it all week long, Like when you look at the parallels between the season the Packers have had in the season the Falcons have had. There's a lot there in terms of the injuries, in terms of the adversity, close losses, um not being able to play full four quarters in both teams have found themselves in the situation they're in

at this point of the season. So, for my money, the biggest thing I think the Packers need to do into this type of game is I think on paper, there is a big advantage for them with the ground game. Aaron Jones what he's been doing. If you feed him the football and you can defend against Tevin Coleman in the worst ranked run offense in the league, I think that's a big thing for the Packers to accomplishment accomplished in this game. Control the pace, control the down in distance,

get a victory. Last week, I said it on our Final Thoughts video spoiler alert that game against Arizona Mike, they did a really good job of bottling up David Johnson. They did. He averaged three point two yards per carry. But that third quarter, whether it was the end around, whether it was Josh Rosen scramble, or whether or not it was also Edmunds getting a couple of pictures. Chase Edmunds kind of snuck in there and and made some

things happen. A hundred and one rushing yards in that quarter alone, and that kind of allowed the Cardinals to get some momentum in their sales. Packers got to win the ground game in this game. Yeah, speaking of Chase Edmonds and the Arizona Cardinals. So I'll throw this back at you. Is there some you know, with the Vonte Freeman on injured reserve Tevin Coleman is the number one running back right now for the Falcons. Is there some other guy that we're not paying attention to who could

have an impact on Sunday? Like last week? I mean, Smith is the I believe the undrafted rookie that's behind Coleman. He is. I mean, he made the roster and he's you know, he did some really good things in the preseason. He's only averaging three point two yards per carry though, So but to your point, I'm glad you brought that up because last week you and I did not say Chase Edmonds name was, and he ended up being kind

of the game breaker. He was. He was the difference in the game early as far as if you point to one individual player, but if you talk to you know Tan quinn uh and and certainly you know Steve Sarkisian. Their their offensive coordinator, Tevin Coleman is the back, he's the guy, and that they want to get the ball two more. They haven't been able to do it. And I think it's not they don't need to live with

the run. I view this offense that the Falcons have right now in a very similar light to some of the better ones they had before Freeman Ware. Okay, you don't just have a guy that's gonna just burn you for yards. You're gonna count on your perimeter weapons. But that being said, they need to be able to lessen the load a little bit on Matt Ryan because a lot has been on his shoulders this season. Yeah, I'm with you as far as the Packers defensive keys go

in this game. And and I'll just expound on it a little bit in that when I look at this Falcon's offense, as we've talked about all week long, you've got Julio Jones, You've got Mohammed Sanu, you've got the rookie Calvin Ridley who's leading them in touchdown receptions. Tevin Coleman still can be a productive guy. Matt Ryan was an m VP just two seasons ago. I think the Packers. What you really have to be on guard here if

you're the Packers is the big play defensively. And when you look at the Arizona game last week, Cardinals had five explosive plays of I believe it was twenty three yards or more, all of them in the second half. First half, the Packers defense was fine, and I believe four of the five in the second half. We're in the third quarter, Like you said, that's when the game got away from from the Packers defensively. Suddenly the chunk

play started happening. You could feel the momentum shift and then kind of with all that pressure that was on the Packers with everything on the line, and and ultimately Green Bay wasn't able to come through at the end. So I think limiting the explosive plays is really going to be a key in this game. I still can't figure out how an offense with all of these weapons has gone four consecutive games and not even reached twenty

points on the scoreboard. I know I watched a chunk of a good portion of that Thanksgiving night game when the Falcons were down in New Orleans and they moved

the ball up and down the field like crazy. They just every time they were it seemed like every time they got in the red zone they had a turnover, somebody coughed it up, or Matt Ryan threw a pick or something crazy would happen that you know, they drive the ball sixty six five yards and then come away with nothing, not even a field goal because of the turnovers. So that's been part of it in this four game stretch for them. But still four straight games with this

offense not scoring twenty points. I'm just gonna be honest with you, and this is this is not a knock against the Packers defense, but I'm nervous that this Falcons offense is ready to explore. Well, it's a good point you raise, because that one of the things I said in this game is I felt like this is where the Packers offense does need to come to life a little bit. I think the Packers defense can do a

really solid job against Atlanta and still give up some points. Now, the one reason why I think the run game is so important in this is, if you know, what the conditions being in the twenties or whatever, it's gonna be like on Sunday morning. If if you're not able to run the football, it makes a lot more difficult to get the vertical passing game going, specifically for a dome oriented team, a team from the South like Atlanta like the Falcons. So I think that's gonna have a big bearing.

I think it's gonna be very important that this game is played at lambeau Field and not down at the Mercedes Benz Dome, so uh that I think that's gonna be critical. But at the same time, as you sort of pointed out, when you look at these weapons right now, Austin Hooper can hurt you in the scene, he can hurt you underneath. Kelvin Ridley kind of went through a lull as I mentioned earlier this week, but it seems

like he's kind of gaining his fire back again. I think he's gonna be a problem for teams in the NFC for years to come, along with Julio Jones in Mohammed san News, you know, a very good, solid possession receiver in that mix as well. So I am sure that they're gonna have a game plan for this. I know what they're they're gonna be expecting to do. They are the fifth ranked pass offense in the league compared to you know, the issues that they have had with

the run. So the Falcons they play football one way and that's airing it out. At least that's been their offense this year without Freeman. So it's gonna be very important for the Packers if they have Bishod Brelan available, if they can get some of these secondary you know, you know you're not gonna have Kevin King, but get

some of these defensive backs healthy. They're gonna need to be able to play a full four quarters because they will test you whether or not they're successful or not as one thing, but the Falcons will test you with Matt Ryan's arm. Yeah. Well, you mentioned this is a game that the Packers offense definitely needs to get going, and I want to get to that as soon as I take care of some sponsored business. So Packers fans stop in at your local Quick Trip and pick up

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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 West. With regards to the Packers offense again spoiler alert. I said this on our final Thoughts video that will be posted on the website, which we taped just before we sat down here.

If there's one thing that the Packers you would like to see them start to straighten out offensively with Joe Philbin now taking over his interim head coach and all the changes that have gone on, it's got to be on third down. You have to start converting third downs on some more consistent level. And I went back through the numbers. I'm going to share these with you because it's to think that this is what the Packers offense is done through twelve games with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback

is almost mind boggling on third down. Only one game this season have the Packers converted fift or better on third down one out of twelve games. It was against Buffalo eleven out of nineteen, which is a lot of third downs in one game, but eleven out of nineteen

that day against the Buffalo Bills. But not only have the other twelve games are the other eleven out of the twelve all been below, but only three of them west have the Packers even been within one third down conversion of getting to there was a six out of fourteen, a six out of thirteen, and a four out of ten. Those are the only three where you look at the numbers and go okay, if they had converted just one more,

they would have been at least at fifty percent. That leaves eight of the twelve games where you're not even within one conversion of hitting the fifty mark. And and the worst has been the last three games, eight out of thirty five collectively in the last three games for

twenty three percent. It almost defies belief that that this Packers offense could struggle that much on third down for this long And if there's one thing that whether it's this Sunday or through these last four games the last month of the season, you want to see the third down offense look like it can. It has something it can hang its hat on and something that will create some consistency. Yeah, I'm actually gonna jump over you there.

I'm gonna say there's actually something else this team needs to do over the last month of the season. Over that. I'm gonna touch on that in one second. Leave that as a little bit of a teaser, But to your original point, it's a great point. And it's incredible when you look at the stats with the amount of consistency.

You don't want to use that word, but just how much of a struggle it's been for the Packers to be able to convert those and and it's just been so against what this offense has done over such a long period of time. That's why it stands out so much. And earlier this season it made sense because they were in a lot of third and long situations, and and and Aaron Rodgers talked about it, Mike McCarthy talked about it. When you get in third and nine plus, it changes

the game. It reduces your window for what you can put up on your call sheet, the advantage switches to the defense. There no question. The bigger issue I think has been more recently when it's been these intermediate third and you know, third and five, third and six is, and even down to third and three, third and four.

As I mentioned on one of the shows early this weekend, it was sort of a tongue in cheek reference I made with Madden, where you just have that one play that you call against your buddy and you know that you're gonna be able to move the ball on him. I obviously I am joking, and you can't be that simple about it. But the Packers in the past have had those plays that they hang their hat on. They've had those plays that you know, if you need to get five yards, you're gonna be able to do it

this way. They just haven't been able to find that this season. But to the other point, I want to make even more than third downs, even more than run defense, even more than anything else, the biggest goal and objective I have for this team in this game. Let's just

have some fun. Because here's the thing, Mike. Last week, whether it was offense, defense, special teams, everything, the Packers played that game like a team not wanting to lose, knowing that they needed to win it to be able to get on a run here, but not really playing that way. It just wasn't quite where it needed to be. Well, let's be honest. Now we know what the stats are, we know what the percentages are for the Packers to make the playoffs. I think you win out there's a

chance you make it. Go out there and just have some fun. Play loose. You have a new guy in that seat. And Joe Philbin and Joe Philbin talked to the media on Friday morning and he said, you know, play calls are very important, but it's also about players going out there and believing in what they're doing in playing the game. That's what I look for the most in this game. I'm not saying to get away from your fundamentals or not be disciplined. All that stuff factors

into it. But I just think one of the things during this this five out of six stretch the Packers have struggled with, they just haven't had fun. I think that's something I want to see in this ball game. No,

I'm with you. I think the emotional aspect of this game is going to be very interesting to watch because I think as you and I were in the press box on Sunday, the Packers had to put together that yard touchdown drive, you know, to tie up the game and have a chance against the Cardinals, and you could just feel it was there was so much tension in the building because because of the opponent and because of

everything that had been going on. And then when the Cardinals end up retaking the lead, now you've got to drive down again and try to get some more points to try to extend the game. And there was just there was this incredible tension in the building and and I'm with you, it's it's it's time. It's time to forget about the playoffs, whatever the percentages are, and if you can run it and all these other dominoes can fall,

and it's time to forget about all that. It's time to get the ball with five minutes to go and you need some points to win the game, and to just say all right, this is it. It's like we're we're in the backyard. This is recess at school. Let's let's go out and have some fun and do what we do and not worry. I mean, yes, you want to win the game, but not worry about the consequences. And and you know, I mean somebody makes a big play, hey, get fired up about it. Not like, oh good, it's

a good thing. We move the chains there, boy, you know we still got I mean, I agree with you. I think there's a I think there's a potential emotional aspect to this final month of the season. If you're going to carry anything over into next year, it's for all these guys in this locker room. However, many of them are going to be here and not be here, but for all these guys in the locker room to just get back to having fun play in the game again. And and uh, I hope they find it, even even

if it comes in defeat, whatever it is. Hopefully it comes in a victory, but get back to having fun. I'm totally with you. And it's one of these games too. There's no reason why this shouldn't be one of the more entertaining games of the Packers season, just based on the way that dan Quinn's team has built, what Matt Ryan can do, what Aaron Rodgers does when those two

guys are on paper against each other. This is the fourth the third straight time the Packers are playing the Falcons at lambeau Field in the month of December and week fourteen. I believe that's what the status think about those that I forgot and now right and think about some of those other games. The shootout in ten was the shootout, was the Matt Flynn was the Matt Flynn game that came right down to the young The Packers won by a point and stayed in the hunt before

Rodgers came back. Outside of probably that NFC title game in sixteen, to be fair, have had some really competitive, fun matchups. I want to see that come to life. Atlanta the regular season game in sixteen. I know the Packers lost down in Atlanta, but what was it thirty

three to thirty two or something like? I mean, you're talk I mean at that time, Ryan was on his way to the m v P. But we're still looking at two quarterbacks out there on Sunday who have a combined three m v P awards and uh and have

accomplished a lot in this league. And and yeah, I just I hope it's a fun game to watch and for everything that gets made out of you know, Mike McCarthy and some of the offensive struggles that game against the Falcons two years ago during the regular season, that was, to my money, still one of the best games that he called one of the best games Aaron Rodgers put together,

considering how few weapons were available to them at receiver. Yeah, with what the Packers had to deal with that day roster wise, and looking at who was on the inactive list that day, ninety minutes in act, that was a whale of a football game. It wasn't really fun football game. So that's what I'm hoping for in this I just think that the way everything is built for the Packers, just play like you have nothing to lose at this point, because it really is. I mean, you're gonna be able

once the season is over. The chips will fall where they made a new coaching staff or however is developed. All those things will be figured out in January and February and March. Right now, though you have four weeks. And then the other aspect of this too is we talked about on yesterday's show. There's a lot of young, hungry guys on this team that are gonna want to show this is what I can do. This is my moment. You know, it doesn't just have to be Tyler Lancaster

or you know, Kendall Donnerson. It is still Kenny Clark. Hey, can I finish off a Pro Bowl season? You know Davante Adams? Can I make a run at that record? Can Aaron Jones get a thousand yards running? You want to win games, you want to make the playoffs, you want to win a Super Bowl, but you also want to challenge yourself as an individual to be better, to get the most audio. These are four great opportunities for

this team to do that. Yeah, I'm with you there. Hey, before we go, let's just take a quick look at what else is going on in the NFL, because there there are some interesting matchups. Actually, and I'll just start right with the other games involving the NFC North because Sunday night football, hopefully you and I can get our work done and and get home, put a fire in the fireplace, and settle in for Bears against the Rams

in Chicago. Gonna be a chilly night. I would imagine off off Lake Michigan there and uh and off of Lake Shore Drive on the south side of Chicago. An l A team coming into those kind of conditions. Ms. Traubinsky presumably going to be back after missing a couple

of games for Chicago. Really interesting matchup on Sunday N see Vic Fangio's defense match up with that Offense's gonna be a lot of fun to watch, just with the weapons that they have, the way they can pressure the quarterback to get after Jared Goff, I think is gonna be really exciting. And then even the Monday night games, that was the other one. I was going to mention Monday night football Minnesota and Seattle. I mean, Mike, I don't want to, you know, be labor what happened last

week and how tough that was for the Packers. But one of the reasons why that game was so important was because the NFC North has some tough games coming up. Yet everything went pretty much the way you would want

to go if you're the Packers. And and if the Packers were five six and one right now instead of four seven and one, a lot of and no I'm not just talking about the head coaching situation, a lot of things would look different because we wouldn't be talking about having so many dominoes that need to fall in order to make the playoffs. Everything would look different. But with where the Packers are right now, this this Viking Seahawks game is really intrigued. Yeah, and trust me, I

get it. The Packers season did not go according to plan. They made a coaching change for the first time in sixty five years during the season. But the thing that stands out to me that's the strangest about this is that you look at what the Vikings are going through

right now. And Kirk Cousins, I believe, had mentioned this to the Minnesota Meeting media on Friday morning or maybe it was Thursday afternoon, about you know, we haven't put ourselves in the position we wanted to be in to be a Super Bowl contender, to be one of the NFL NFC's elite. Well, now you're taking on arguably the hottest team in the league right now in Seattle. They

be able to put together. They got hot in that fourth quarter against the Packers out there and and I mean primetime Century Link Field, it's the perfect environment for the Seahawks to Obviously, they beat the Packers, and they're going to get that same thing on Monday night playing at home against the Vikings. Whoever loses that game is

not out of the NFC. Playoff picture by any means, But it's a really important game for somebody, for one of those two teams to make a statement and to say that we are we are going to be in this thing because uh and certainly for the Vikings, um, if they can, if they can win on the road at Century Link in a primetime game against the hot Seahawks team, all of a sudden, the narrative on the

Vikings you can sense it. It's gonna it's it's gonna flip because because you know, they beat the Packers, but then they had to play the Patriots last week, a tough loss on the road. Now they're going on the road again to another tough place, just as the narrative with the Packers would have changed if one of those close, tough road games would have gone the other way. That's

what the Vikings are looking for right now. Yeah, definitely they have a big game there to show that what they solve in front of them and to me, Mike, game we will not probably be able to see, but for my money, might be the most important game of the season. Listen to me. With the hyperbolet Philadelphia traveling to Dallas, Washington, they lost Colt McCoy. Now it looks like Mark Sanchez is gonna be their quarterback, down to

their third stringer. Their seasons going in a certain direction, and you have Doug Peterson with those Eagles kind of rising from the dead like the undertaker here trying to make a playoff push in Dallas is another team that's very hot to coming off a huge emotional victory. It's gonna be a great week of football. Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna be a big time weekend. So everybody enjoy it for sure. And with that we'll call it a

wrap on this edition of Packers on Scripted. 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. One