#381 Packers Unscripted: Pro Bowl picks

There will be a lot of changes to these Pro Bowl rosters between now and when the game is played. Two Packers make it. Aaron Rodgers Davante Adams, certainly, congratulations in order there. I believe it's the seventh Pro Bowl selection for Aaron Rodgers, which he second in Packer's history behind Brett Farve. I think you had nine Pro Bowl selections, but the first original Pro Bowl selection for wide receiver

Davante Adams. We talked about it all season long. Very well deserving, and we're very curious to see just how his season finishes up here with two games to go, probably is well deserved of an original balloting Pro Bowl selection of anybody. I can think of in recent memory for the Green Bay Packers. Here's what I love about Davante Adams and his selection to the Pro Bowl. I believe I was talking to our one of our social

media gurus here, Ryan Hartwig. I believe Adams was I want to say ninth on the Pro Bowl voting is in the fans in that final week leading up to the balloting, and that's good enough. It's a third fans, third coaches, third players. But I think the fact that he got in and on the initial ballot speaks to what the league thought of him. It's not like there was the ballot was just stuffed in his favor by,

you know, the the outside Packer fans. Everything the league has caught up to the Davante Adams phenomenon and for him, a hundred catches, hundred and fifteen yards I believe it is.

And then obviously the twelve touchdowns as impressive as a season as I can remember, honestly, truly, when you look at the amount of contested catches he's had on a big plays he's had for Davante Adams, first time since two thousand, ten and eleven, a Packers receiver gonna be making back to back Pro Bowl appearances, but also the

fact that he was getting that respect now obviously well deserved. Yeah, and when it comes to those statistics, and we've talked about it a lot already, you said he's got the hundred catches thirteen more in these last two games, he will break Sterling Sharp's franchise record for a single season of a hundred and twelve and with hundred and fifteen yards, he needs two hundred and five yards to surpass Jordy Nelson's single season Packers record of fifteen nineteen. So be

interesting to see if he can get those. And hats off to Adams, as you said, his uh, second straight. It'll be a second straight Pro Bowl appearance, but he was an injury replacement last year, so he goes in right away this time. But of course, as always with Pro Bowl selections, you have to talk about the snubs and um for the Green Bay Packers, it's really hard for me to swallow that David baktr E is not

an original Pro Bowl selection here this year. And I'll say this West, I know there are only three offensive tackles selected in the NFC. That's how it goes. No problem with Tyrone Smith from the Cowboys. No problem with Ron Armstead from the New Orleans Saints. But to see David bak Try not make it above Trent Williams from the Washington Redskins. I just think bok Tr is a

better player. I think if you asked the vast majority of gms and scouts around the league if they would want David Baktieri at left tackle or Trent Williams, I think they'd say David bok Tr And I think it's unfortunate that that box tr didn't get it this year. So here's the thing, Michael, and it's gonna be very interesting what's gonna happen here in a couple of weeks because the AP will be announcing it's All Pro team, which picks two players at every position as it relates

to the offensive line. So you got a left tackle that will be first team, a left tackle that will be second team. David Bakti in the eyes of fifty voters in the AP, guys that are following the league, and ladies that are following the league every single week. Dave, the last two years, I've considered him among the best two left tackles that he's been second team All Pro two years in a row. The fact that he cannot be among the top three tackles in the NFC, it's

just it's incredible to me, and especially this year. I wrote about him last Friday First Store on our website. When you factor in what he's played through to make four teen starts, what he's done, and how he's diversified his game not just the best pass blocker in the league anymore, has become a really effective run blocker, especially in space, not easy for a three twenty pound guy

to do. And now for him in this season with Aaron Rodgers dealing with with what he dealt with with the knee injury, having to, you know, raise his game even more. One of the biggest travesties I think I've seen during my time on the beat. And it took a while for Josh Sitton to get there, it took

a while for t J. Lang to get there. But the fact, Michael, that we now in my eighth season covering the team here, the fact that the only I shouldn't say only because Sitton eventually got in, but the fact that you have you have bok tr In, Corey Lindsley have yet to be voted into a Pro Bowl, but Jeff Saturday was in two thousand and twelve, of the same week in which he was bench for Evan Smith.

I'm not saying that tells you everything you need to know about the Pro Bowl, but it's just it's tough because it's written to contracts with language, with bonuses and things of that nature. It's unfortunate that box Are again is on the outside looking in, and Lindsley for that

matter as well. Yeah, and I don't want to over analyze it here too much, but you mentioned it guys like sitting and laying how they eventually in time got the Pro Bowl recognition, and it's almost, you know, with botr getting his initial second team All Pro selection in ten, then you think, okay, the Pro Bowl stuff is definitely going to start to come after that. Well, now, the last two years the Packers have been out of the playoffs,

you know, and I'm sure that that factors. Whether it's whether right or wrong, I don't know, and I don't know all the machinations that go into all this Pro Bowl voting, but you just wonder in some respects if if that has hurt him that when he kind of became his time. Now the Packers suddenly are not a postseason team, whereas Ron Smith from the Dallas Cowboys they're headed to the playoffs this year. The UM, as I said, Toron Armstead from the New Orleans Saints, they're headed to

the playoffs. That's where to me when I yeah, that's that's why when I look at it, I'm like, how does David Fiery not make it ahead of Trent Williams. I'm sorry, I just I don't get that. Now on the defensive side, and you mentioned Corey Lindsley as well, Now there are only two centers. Lindley played better than Alex Mack this year, though unequivocally Alex Mack is a is a really good center in this league. Well, you know,

a perennial Pro Bowl type player. But I think if you look at the some of the issues that the Falcons have had over the course of this season, the fact that the run games had the issues they've had, I thought that to me was kind of a travesty, but it is what it is. Yeah, So Lindsley unfortunately doesn't make it. UM he is an alternate or astern yet, so it's going to take a couple of substitutions for them to get to get the phone call. But so

Lindsley and bok tr are alternates. Another alternate is Kenny Clark on the defensive side. Now Here as much respect as I have for Clark and the season that he has had three interior defensive linemen selected for the NFC, Aaron Donald from the Rams, let Your Cox from the Eagles, and a Chem Hicks from the Bears. I have a heck of a lot of respect for the year that Kenny Clark has put together, but it be pretty hard to make an argument to leave off one of those

three that did get picked. This one made sense. The offensive line I thought was, you know, a travesty of justice. But Kenny Clark is twenty three years old. You look at this season, basically, I think it comes down to him or Hicks. They both played really well, but Hicks. You when you look at it, their numbers are almost identical. Hicks has a couple more forced fumbles. So I mean I understand that you look, you know, Fletcher Cox and

and uh, Aaron Donald, They're they're in another tier right now. Yeah, there are people talking about Aaron Donald being in the league m v P conversation, although now that the Rams have lost a couple of games, that's calmed down a little bit. But it's incredible the fact that he has

fourteen sacks at that position, that's insane. But but yeah, Kenny Clark is a young guy though, and it's a position that I think, you know, also with the offensive line, when you get more towards your mid to late twenties, that's where you're really coming into your prime at those physical, powerful position. So Kenny Clark, there's a lot of upside there for him. The one thing that's unfortunate, we'll have to see how everything shuffles out with the elbow injury.

It's very possible some of those defensive linemen are going to drop off here if one of them makes the playoffs. Everyone who makes the Super Bowl, uh, you know, you know, with all those different possibilities, But you know, then it becomes a question of whether or not Clark can actually play in the game with the elbow. All things will have to figure out. But it was at least nice to see his name added to the alternates, to see him finally starting to maybe break that that glass ceiling.

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draft pick for the Jets this year. I guess you'd say having a typical rookie season for a high draft pick who's thrown into the fire some games where he's shown a lot of promise. And yes, this is the guy in the future, and then some games where you go, boy, he is still a rookie. And it's kind of just what the Jets have been dealing with. It sounds like they're going to be moving on from their head coach

in the off season. Some the New York media throwing Mike McCarthy's name into the mix that the Jets should be giving him a call to see what he could do with Sam Donald and developing him for the future there. But that's a story for another day. Right now, it is going to be Donald against the Packers on Sunday in New Jersey. Yeah, Donald's numbers are not going to impress when you look at them on the surface. He obviously had an injury as well there that he missed

some time with. But he's kind of coming off one of his better games of the season against Houston last week twenty four or thirty eight, no interceptions, two fifty three yards, two touchdowns, and there is some scrambling ability there with him as well, though not as uh, you know,

prevalent as you see with maybe at Josh Allen. It's very strange schedule for the Packers this season that they ended up matching up with all these rookie quarterbacks, um, you know, three of the top four that were taken in this draft minus Baker Mayfield. So the big thing for me with this matchup, Mike, I mean, when you're looking at Keys the victory, things will will cone in on later this week. Sam Donald has found Robbie Anderson

in this offense. Last year, Robby Anderson became the best friend of Josh McCown and what ended up being a pretty surprising season for the Jets, and he almost tipped the thousand yards. Receiving had really been quiet most of the year, but these last two games, specifically, Donald's been connecting with him. So that's a matchup the Packers are and have to make sure they're aware of because Anderson's

an explosive threat. I think you look at him, but he has the potential to be a perennial receiver just with how much he can take a top off a defense. So for me, it starts there. They've had some issues with their backfield. Isaiah Crowwell has been placed on injured reserve. They still have Blah Powell um, but it's been more of a work you know, work in progress for them offensively, Big thing for me, like a lot of these matchups with these rookie quarterbacks, you have to get after Donald,

you have to pressure him, you have to make them uncomfortable. Yeah, and I think when you bring up Robby Anderson, he is the one guy that adds some explosiveness to this Jett. I think that's the one that's the biggest thing that this Jet's offense is lacking, and Anderson is the one guy who brings that to the table. Now, if the Packers,

obviously they're not in the playoff funt. If they were still in the playoff funt, obviously everybody was looking at if the Packers google to Chicago and beat the Bears, You've got the Jets and the Lions the last two games. The Packers could win those games and maybe sneak into the playoffs. But regardless of the Packers situation here, you look at that game last week, the Jets against the Texans.

This game was not going to be a gimme for the Packers by any stretch of imagination because Houston, one of the hottest, one of the best teams in the a f C, had a two score lead, multi score lead on the Jets. Donald brought the Jets back, got him into the lead in the fourth quarter, and then the Texans had to rally at the end for a

couple of scores in order to win that game. I think that one surprised a lot of people, but again, it was another one of those performances where you look at Sam Donald and go, that's why they drafted him where they did. That's why this guy is the quarterback of the future, and he's certainly capable of that on any given day. And the Packers defense is going to be have to be on its p's and ques as

they say, because this kid's got talent. Yeah, And I think if you know, Matt Arvin up in the control room went back to our some of our pre draft, uh you know, discussions on unscripted. I actually had Donald for a long time as my top quarter back in that draft. I thought he would fit well there with Cleveland in the direction they wanted to, and there were other draft analysts that did think he might go number one. But certainly John Dorsey knows a lot more than I do.

Baker Mayfields turned out just fine there in Cleveland, but they still feel really good about this kid and what he's going to be able to do in the long term. Uh, it's just it's been a challenging year on a number of fronts for them. I mean, they they've had to go through a number of different maschinations of this roster. Again, like McGuire now has been their leading rusher. He carried the ball eighteen times last week. You lose Darren Lee

to the suspension. Um, you know, you have Jamal Adams, There's some talent there on the defensive side of the ball, But overall, I think it's just been kind of a dearth of playmakers for them, and the result has been what it's been. Yeah, it seems like I didn't take too close a look at their defensive statistics, but a defense that seems to have struggled, particularly later in the seasons.

On average. Uh, this second half of the year, they've been giving up you know, in that twenty seven twenty eight points per game range, which certainly makes it tough on a rookie quarterback. What stands out to you about their Teachermaine Johnson. Uh, they you know, they ponied up the cash to get him this offseason. A lot of people he became a very popular Uh. You know guy in this league and in terms of free agents and considered,

you know, of a pretty deep class of cornerbacks. Was considered one of the top ones there with the Rams for a long time right before going Yeah, for six years. Uh three interceptions in the last three games, two of which came against Buffalo in that victory that they had over the Bills. So a guy that I think will be interesting to see him match up probably a little bit with uh Davante Adams, but I mean Jamal Adams.

They finally looks like they you know, after a couple of swings at the plate and missing, they did finally get their safety the future. Ninety four tackles on the year, three and a half sacks, one interception, twelve passes defense in three fource fumbles. So a guy is is from that strong safety position that can make plays all over the field, and you're gonna see him probably make an impact against the run as well. So another guy that

the Packers are gonna have to account for. Yeah, Adams, a high draft pick out of l s U which they as they like to say in the SEC D b U uh the the Louisiana State Tigers crank out a lot of defensive backs. But we'll get to more on the Jets with our last couple of shows this week. But we do have to go for right now, so we'll 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.