#392 Packers Unscripted: On board

the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why don't you give us the brief rundown on Mr Hackett? Yeah? What's interesting, Mike, And you wrote this better than anybody our five things on the website right now in reducing the Packers fan base to their new offensive coordinator. It's interesting all these things work at times because Nathaniel Hackett, the son of Paul Hackett, a mentor from Mike McCarthy uh in another disciple that

Bill Welsh uh coaching tree. Yeah, that West Coast office, the West Coast scheme that he did, and now he's here in Green Bay, thirty nine years young, same exact age as Matt Lafour at this point in time. Haven't had to get an official comment yet from Lafour as far as what his thinking was here with his first official outside higher but when you look at his resume where he's been, I think the exciting thing is is that he's accomplished some stuff with quarterbacks that aren't quite

at the level of Aaron Rodgers. And seeing now with him getting a chance to work with someone like that so fresh ideas coming into this building and what that partnership is going to be like, I think it's gonna be fun to watch. Yeah, it's interesting. You want to go down a rabbit hole, so to speak. You start looking at all these coaching connections and how small a

world this can be. Paul Hackett at the University of Pittsburgh when Mike McCarthy really gets his first big break into coach back in the I believe it was nine the late nineteen eighties, Paul Hackett was the was the head coach at that time for pit and uh, now here we are basically twenty years later and Paul Hackett's son is the offensive coordinator for the head coach who's replacing Mike McCarthy Green Bay. So go figure it's one of those things, and they are all kinds of connections

like that. That's why I set out an inbox. When someone asked about how many former head coaches kids, I'm like, man, there's too many. It's a it's a it's a league, and it's a game where you're gonna see a lot of those bloodlines. Yeah, it's a it's a small world, certainly.

But when you look at Nathaniel Hackett, what stands out the most is obviously his work with the Jacksonville Jaguars in sen Obviously, that is a team that made it all the way to the a f C Championship Game, and many would say if not for a somewhat inadvertent early whistle on a fumble play, they might have beaten the New England Patriots and gone to the Super Bowl

last year. But with Blake Bortles and a rookie running back in Leonard four Nett in seventeen with Jacksonville, the Jaguars had one of the best offenses in the league. I believe it was fifth is at fifth in points in sixth in yards um, and the number one rushing offense in the league. They certainly leaned on their rookie running back in four net considerably There, things didn't go as well in the reports were a lot of regression

from Blake Bortles. He wasn't living up to his standards. Obviously, injuries can affect anybody. Um, Nathaniel Hackett ends up getting relieved of his duties there in Jacksonville, But it sounds like Matt Lafleur is pretty excited to bring another I guess I would say fairly young, up and coming coach on board. Yeah, I think so. And in looking at where he's come from and in the road he's taken to get here, it's also interesting we're talking about how

how small the coaching circles can be. Well, look at the fact that Nathaniel Hackett was the offensive coordinator for the Bills in two thousand thirteen. Who was the defensive coordinator that year for Buffalo, Mike Pett. So, I mean, it just goes to show you that you know, these relationships that you build over the course of time and

then getting those opportunities. The thing that I like though, looking at this scenario now, is you you see la Fleur coming from being the play caller uh in Tennessee hack and getting the chance to do those sort of things with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and obviously, as we both mentioned, Aaron Rodgers wasn't the head coach or wasn't the you know, the quarterback for either of those teams. But what they did with the running game to set things up for

their passing game. That's why the Jaguars, ultimately we're able to get as far as they did last year, was with Havin Leonard for net being able to develop that and playoff that. And then you look and see the success that the Titans had during down the stretch this season, it was Derrick Henry opening that door. So I think that's gonna be one of the big hallmarks of this duo, and and it's obviously gonna be a big point of emphasis for any head coach, any offensive coording to establish

the run. But you have Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams and being able to get those guys going to make Aaron rodgers life easier. Mike, how many times have I said, over the last three years of doing this show, when you look back to Aaron Rodgers strongest seasons, he's always had a complimentary running game back or just somebody that can make impact plays out of the backfield. I think the Packers have that. It's gonna be up to Hacket

in La Florida get the most out of that. I think that is the most interesting part of this as as we're going to see and obviously talk plenty about the evolution of this Packers offense and where it's going. When you look at what Hackett did with for Net in Jacksonville, you look at what Matt Lafleur did with Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Packers have Aaron Jones, they have Jamal Williams. Maybe they'll add some others this this offseason to that depth chart at running back. We'll have to see.

I I think that's a very interesting um part of this as as we follow it moving forward with regards to the running game. The other thing I'll say, and this is interesting because I saw the question in Insider inbox. I believe you were the one who answered it. On

your day. There was a and who wrote in and said, you know, a lot of Packers fans are are kind of on edge, a little bit disappointed or upset that you know, Matt Lafleur is coming from Tennessee with an offense that was ranked in the twenties and now Nathaniel Hackett's coming from the Jaguars after being relieved of his

duties mid season in ten. But if you actually go back a year, Nathaniel Hackett with what he did in Jacksonville in seventeen, and then Matt Lafleur as Sean mcveigh's offensive coordinator with the Rams in seen if this were a year ago, these would have been two of the most talked about offensive candidates to UH to move up

or to move on in their NFL careers. So this is what the Packers are banking on, essentially, that that both of these guys are um are going to be able to UH to continue what they had done in the past, and that the rankings and just the flat out numbers of teen obviously don't reflect the types of coaches that they are. Yeah, and I think it's important to remember too in this business, very rarely are you going to find a coach at any level that has escaped,

you know, being fired. At some point in time. They're hired to get fired. I mean, that's the that's the old saying, right. Bill Belichick fell into that. Andy Reid experienced it with Philadelphia after he had built all that. Even I think the story always is of Sean Payton and where things were heading with the Giants when he got hired away. You know, whether or not he would have been there long term, that's just the way this game goes, and there's so much parody sometimes it's inescapable.

So I think the important thing when you look specifically, not that la Fleur has bet well, he has been on that side, but if you go back to Washington but now with Hackett, is trusting yourself, trusting your principles, trusting your system, and being able to implement that in a new place. This is gonna be a really important offseason. And you know, in the next couple of weeks here

Matt Lafleur will be finalizing that coaching staff. I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of back and forth conversations with Hackett, with Mike Petton whoever comes in as their special teams coordinator, to figure out what that was gonna look like. But once that staff is finalized, you and I have been around this long enough, Mike, they're gonna

be spending two months developing that playbook. They're gonna be spending time getting those players, getting their preparation ready for when the players get back in the building on April one, because it is the Packers haven't experienced the off season like this in the new CBA environment of being able to you know, change up the head coaching, you know, stint and and look at a new program here in

Green Bay. So I think for Nathaniel Hackett again, without having spoken to him at this point in time, you have to imagine he's energized by this idea of working with Aaron Rodgers, challenging Aaron Rodgers and trying to get this Packers offense back on track. Yeah already, um quickly west here before I forget the powerful noise canceling technology that helps NFL coaches block out eighty thou screaming fans

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Try to try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just visit your local supermarket and ask for Campbell's chunky soup. Official sup partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, you said it, West. There's a lot of machinations here to figure out with regards to how this coaching staff is going to come together, but I think it's worth mentioning one assistant coach here in particular, who has left Green Bay after a very long and prosperous tenure. He has

moved on to the Cleveland Browns. I'm talking about long time offensive line coach James Campon. And for those who don't know coach Campon's full story. First of all, as a player, he was a center for the Green Bay Packers. And if you look back in uh in when Brett Farve began his consecutive start streak, that NFL record that I don't think we'll ever be broken. Um, when he began that consecutive start streak at quarterback in Green Bay

in his entner was James Campon. Um. Fast forward from there to two thousand and four, James Campon returns to Green Bay as an assistant coach on Mike Sherman's staff.

He's with coach Sherman for the final two years of his tenure and then for the entirety of Mike McCarthy's tenure, um starting out as an assistant offensive line coach and then taking over as the offensive line coach in two thousand and seven when Joe Philbin was promoted to offensive coordinator and boy fifteen years as an assistant coach in one place. That doesn't happen very often in this league.

And I can't say enough about what a great guy James Campon is, let alone a very very accomplished football coach. It's interesting because now with his new title with the you know, Cleveland Browns's associate head coach, offensive line coach, and you know, and there's so many different ways to

rise up the ranks. You know, you look at what Matt Lafleur has done, you know, being a quarterback driven type coach and and being able to go from one spot to another and kind of have that gradual incline. What's interesting about James Camping story is he basically became a high school coach once his playing career was done. He was settled out I believe it was in California, and then he got an opportunity to come to Green Bay and he started from the bottom to get where

he's at today over the last fifteen years. The thing that was really special with him when you dealt with him, whether it was professionally personally, he always was that high school coach. If you could take out all the layers away, you know, take off the packers hat, just put on a regular starter jacket James Campon, you would have thought he was the Bayport high school football coach, just the way he carried himself, how personable he was. Even in

the interactions with the media. You and I covered our share of high school football games, and in interactions with the media and interviews, it was he was still that high school football coach. When you'd ask him questions, the way he talked about his players, the way he would he would answer those questions and interact just um a tremendous guy on a personal level. I'm certainly going to miss him a lot. I know you will too, but certainly wish him the best and hope that he continues

to find a lot of success in Cleveland. Yeah, two of my favorite stories about Campy. One goes back to two thousand twelve, my first official year on the Beat. This is back when the Green Bay Packers, the way they handled assistant coaching availability, they would you'd sign up for specific coaches, you go interview him in the hallway outside the locker room. Offensive coaches on one day, defensive

coaches on the other. So I'm going around with Rob Demowski, my former colleague who now works at ESPN dot com, and we basically I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself and I introduced myself to Campy and right away and he wasn't joking. He's like, oh, so is this is this your intern? He says, Rob, mind you. I was twenty four years old at the time. I still tend to be a younger looking fellow, especially on the days I decided to shave uh And so I go and

we had a good laugh about it. I'm like, no, I'm actually the new guy that's coming in for Kareem Copeland. I'm gonna be the third beat writer here. And we had a good laugh about it. I put it out on Twitter, and I don't know how. I don't know if camp he had Twitter I don't know if somebody from the PR staff had learned it to him, but you know, next interactually had with him like, oh yeah, so you go and you know put that out there.

And I looked like the dumb but you know, a coach that doesn't know that you're an intern or not. We had a good laugh about it. The second story I want to tell very quickly was after I came on board here in two thousand sixteen. Um James Camping was one of the guys that I, you know, kind of had bounced some stuff off of about all this stuff, and I was at a I wrote about this an

insider ran box. I was at a local pizzeria that I don't think I could actually say the name because of sponsorship deals, but I can't be just happened to be up at the bar waiting for his pizza. I was waiting for mine. And this was probably, I want to say, a couple of months into the job. And and the thing about James camp and I'm sure you have experiences like this too. He had a way of listening to you, and I think his players experienced this too. It wasn't waiting for his turn to speak, It was

really clearly listening to what you were feeling. And and I think he knew my reservations when I came over here with this position, and he knew, you know, some of the it's difficult. You did it too, going from a journalism background to to working for a website team website, and he had a way of kind of seeing through me to have those conversations on a deeper level. I will always appreciate it, and and just being able to

get that feedback from him at times. I don't know if there's anybody in this building that made me feel more welcome about joining the Green Bay Packers and James Camping, and I doubt he's watching this, but if he is, I have to say thank you to camp Be for yeah. Absolutely, And I'll say this about his coaching tenure here as well.

A lot of teams spend first round draft picks on offensive life, and throughout Mike McCarthy's tenure here, James Camping only had two first round draft picks to work with. One was Derek Sharad, whose career unfortunately didn't work out because of a really nasty leg injury at the end of his rookie season, and unfortunately, UM that ended things

for Derek prematurely, the other one being Brian Bulaga. But James Campon has whether you've given him fourth round draft picks like Josh Sitton, T J. Lang and David Baktari, whether you've given him undrafted guys like Lane Taylor, whether you've given him second round picks like Darren College. He's always had this Packers offensive line in UH in tremendous shape, ready to adjust, UM guys, being cross trained at multiple positions, all of that, and I just think he deserves a

ton of credit for what he accomplished. Now people may be wondering, well, well then why isn't he staying with the Packers. Well, a new head coach comes in, he's gonna have his own ideas. He's going to have ideas of people he wants to bring in and ways he wants to do things. This is I mean, the fact that James Campon is leaving is nothing against him and UH and I wish him all the success in Cleveland,

but his tenure here as an offensive line coach. You talk to any player who was in that offensive line room with him, they have nothing but respect and glowing things to say about him as you and I do as well. Yeah, and I'm glad you brought up the Sharad thing because it actually does lead me to one more story. I don't so it's it's obviously you get

Brian Balog in the building. He ends up becoming the youngest right tackle or whatever it was, or starter in Super Bowl history at one years old in two thousand and ten. But I don't you look at Derek Sharrod for example, Sharrod had a devastating injury. I don't know if there was anyone anywhere in any profession that was more invested into trying to get Derek Sharad back on the field and make him the player that they thought

he could be than James Camping. H just I know how much he cared about Derek, how much he cared about him as a person in trying to help him. Now, ultimately it didn't work out, but I'll say what. I'll say this, it wasn't for a lack of trying from either Sharad or James Campin's perspective that meant a lot to him to be able to get him back on a roster whatever the situation may be. However, long he

may have lasted. That was a difficult injury, an injury that required two separate surgeries for Sharade to come back. And those are the stories you don't hear about. Whereas you look at David box Tr, David Botr was a fourth round draft pick in a draft where I believe it was seventeen or eighteen different offensive lineman, guards, tackle centers that were taking ahead of him. You go back and look at his scouting page, as NFL dot Com scouting page, people saying that this guy needs to move

to guard. James Camping helped make a franchise All Pro Pro Bowl left tackle out of David box Tr, a position that if you redraft that box Tr is a top five picks maybe a top three pick. Yeah, he's absolutely a top five draft pick if you if you re select from. And that was where I know a lot of people things went a certain way nor near the end with Ted Thompson and in you know, in frustrations about things. But that was the draft in developmentality

at its finest, especially that two thousand thirteen draft. JC Treader. You know Eddie Lacy, the players, the Packers personnel department in and Thompson was able to identify and given him to someone like James Campon that was able to develop them. It's a great story. I think Campi is going to go down as one of the all time best assistants that this organization has had. And as you said, though, you wish him luck in the next phase, because that's

what this game is. It's moving and shaking, and now he has a good opportunity in Cleveland, which last for him. Well. Before we go west, I know, we've got the conference championships in the a f C and the NFC coming up this weekend. For those who want a little bit more of a breakdown. Our previous episode, we talked a lot about what was going on in the playoffs through division a weekend looking ahead of these conference championships. So quickly here before we go today, I'm just gonna put

you on the spot. Who are you picking. I'm gonna go with the Saints and I'm gonna go with Kansas City. And I know the stats, I understand how good Tom Brady has been in Cold Weather, But as I said on our previous episode, there's just something about this Kansas City team. Even though Pat Mahome the The coldest game he's ever played in was twenty seven degrees and it happened once. There's still something about the way that that team is structured. I think they're going to find a

way to win. It will not be easy. You're gonna be playing the Patriots and all Pro mode, all Madden Mode, but it's gonna be exciting to watch. As far as New Orleans, I've said it all along. Why change the statement? Now you have to beat them in the Superdome. Nobody's been able to do it. Yeah, I'm with you on

both games. I've I've been bullish on the New Orleans Saints since last January when I thought they were the best team in the playoffs, and I think they might have won the whole thing if not for that Minneapolis miracle. I think the Saints are going to the super Bowl.

I don't see them losing in the Superdome. With regards to the Chiefs and the Patriots, I agree with a lot of things that you said with regards to the cold weather and Mahomes young quarterbacks, when they get into that freezing cold weather, and even if they're not used to it, it doesn't seem to affect him. As much, at least from what I've seen as as the older quarterbacks. Not that Tom Brady is any stranger to cold weather,

certainly coming from New England. But I'll also say this, the last two times the New England Patriots have played on the road in the a f C Championship, they lost both of them to the Denver Broncos. I've been saying a lot in Insider, in box and elsewhere there's a lot of this dynasty of the Patriots that has been built on being able to play home games in the playoffs. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it's

just a fact. You look at the number of the vast large majority of home games they've had in the playoffs, that is what has helped build the dynasty. They're on the road for this one, so I think I think Kansas City beats him because you look at New England's road record in the postseason over time, they're not really that much better than anybody else when they play in the playoffs away from Foxborough. So I'm going with that.

I think Kansas City gets to the super Bowl. And so much was made this past week Mike about now a week ago about Sean Payton bringing in the Super Bowl Trophy, the money, all that stuff. Is there anything more motivating right now for Andy Reid than the Lamar Hunt Trophy being there right now on the podium with the two helmets for first time that that's happened in in the team that Lamar Hunt built, the organization, the stadium, and have a chance to play for that trophy at

your home. Yeah, no question about it. I think it's gonna be a great Sunday of NFL football. Hope everyone enjoys that. I know I will. So with that, we will sign off on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage continuing coverage of what's going on here at five on Packers dot com. On Twitter, follow him at west Hot I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, Enjoy Championships Sunday. We'll see you next time.