#462 Packers Unscripted: Win No. 7

we have to start with number thirty three. Aaron Jones. What a performance I think you have to write. And here's what was amazing about this performance from Aaron Jones. We talked all off season, how is Matt the Floor going to use all these running backs? How is he gonna, you know, get them involved in the passing game out of the backfield. Aaron Jones was practically a receiver in this game with how much they flanked him out wide. And and that was a decoy that the Packers have

used in the past. But very rarely would the ball be that you know, he would that receiver be that running back be the first or second read for Aaron Rodgers. These plays were designed for Aaron Jones, and he made Kansas City pay. I really thought it was funny. You know, early on, he has that sixty yard touchdown that ends up getting brought back ten yards because they ruled that he stepped out of bounds even though you know, there really wasn't anybody by him. He kind of outsprinted everybody,

but his toe just touches the white chalk. He went back to the sign line and he told Aaron Rodgers, I owe you another one and then lo and behold here we are. That a fiery explosive third quarter from Green Bay to pull themselves back into this and then they come out in the fourth quarter and they carry that momentum. He gets the sixty seven yard touchdown seven catches, is a career high hundred fifty nine yards of receiving

two and twenty six yards of total offense. Both he and Jamal Williams were responsible for all four Packers touchdowns. Can't say enough about the performance of those two running backs. Yeah, and Aaron Jones. Now with eleven total touchdowns on the season at the midway point um A note to watch here. The Packers single season record is twenty touchdowns him on Green in two thousand and three. So Aaron Jones on pace when you look at the math, halfway to potentially

getting that record. Yes, eight rushing touchdowns now three receiving touchdowns and as you said, could have had another one last night if not for the foot just barely hitting the sideline there that the replay review caught. But I tell you West, the explosiveness of this young man is it's really amazing. And yes, he got some great blocks and everything else, but um, but boy, he's he's just

an electric player on the field. We talked all week last week about tie Re kill and Nicole Hardman and these guys that the Kansa City Chiefs have, and they certainly lived up to their building as well, even with backup quarterback Matt Moore put on a very solid performance and the Chiefs gave the Packers absolutely everything they could handle in this game. But Aaron Jones takes a backseat to no one in the NFL right now. He is He is dynamic. He is on the field every down

he is. He is a three down back, whether you need him to protect Aaron Rodgers, whether you need him to run the ball from the two yard line with five minutes to go, whether you want to flank him out and get him in a matchup to against a linebacker to see if you can get an explosive play.

He's just doing everything for this offense right now at a time over the last month when the Packers have absolutely needed it with the Vante Adams missing his fourth straight game and lo and behold, the Packers are four and oh without their pro Bowl wide receiver. One of the things I thought was really interesting that you know, a little small factor, and I dug up the fact that Jones and Williams and these four games together. In

mind you Jamal Williams didn't play in one of those. Uh, they've combined for seven fifty four total yards eleven touchdowns the first four to start the season four twelve yards and five touchdowns. I mean, both of those guys have you know, taken their game to another level. But here's the thing, Mike, we talked about it from the very beginning when they didn't have Davontae Adams, and they're working through some of these things offensively that they need to

get through. Who are your next biggest playmakers? You can make an argument that Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams are those next guys and when the moment is called for both of them have you know, kind of risen to the occasion. But at the end of the day, the thing we're starting to learn, you know, halfway through this regular season, now, Aaron Jones isn't just a really good running back. He's becoming one of the more explosive players in this entire league when you get him the ball

in open space. And I thought you brought up a good point a moment ago. When you talk about Hardman, when you talk about Hill, when you talk about Watkins, then how dangerous they can be in the open field. Aaron Jones was the counter to that. And you saw when you know, if you get him in space and there's no tackles around him, his explosiveness and his top end speed. I don't know, to be honest with you, And I think it was Vick Fangio that said this a month ago. How this guy ever went in the

fifth round is just beyond me. He's just he's such a dynamic football player, and you know, for the first time in his career, he's winning. He didn't win a lot at you tap, you win a lot his first two years in Green Bay. But here the Packers are at seven and one and they got a player like this, who mind you gutted through his shoulder injury that momentarily took him out of the game. He came back, didn't

look any worse for wear. And I'm sure you're gonna talk about this too, but when the Packers needed to run the ball too in the four minute offense late to kill the last five or four off the clock, he did that as well. He got them two first downs, twenty nine rushing yards, and allowed the Packers to kneel at the ball after an eight yard outroute on third and five. The confidence that Matt Lafleur and Aaron Rodgers showed him that young man, it's just incredible what he's

put together here the last month. Yeah. Well, and then you look at the rest of what was going on on offense. Obviously two six yards from scrimmage from Aaron Jones and a couple of touchdowns you mentioned Jamal Williams. Aaron Rodgers, by the way, puts up a hundred and twenty plus passer rating three another three hundred yard game, three touchdowns, no interceptions. Yes, he got sacked a handful of times. Of the Chiefs definitely gave the Packers some

issues with their pressure packages. But again, Aaron Rodgers executes a game plan, doesn't really ever put the ball in danger of being turned over. Um, all of these things that you come to just expect from Aaron Rodgers, and obviously you don't want to take it for granted. But um, but boy, that touchdown pass to Jamal Williams. I don't know. I don't know what you thought. We're sitting next to each other in the press box. I don't know what you thought at the moment. I didn't even see Jamal

Williams in the back of the end zone. I'm my eyes are on Rogers and on Jimmy Graham, And as soon as the ball left Rogers hand, I'm like, oh, he just he threw it over his head on purpose. It's going out of bounds. They're going to kick the field goal and and take a three point lead, and Jamal Williams is streaking across the back of the end zone and makes a diving catch by the by the back pylon. And sure enough, you ask Aaron Rodgers after

the game, Yeah, he saw him. He did, he didn't see him like I'm just I'm I'm blown away by the stuff we are seeing on a weekly basis from this Packers offense and that touchdown pass I don't know how to rank him anymore, West, but that touchdown passes is one that's somewhere on a list for me. I still for this as far as this season is concerned.

That touchdown he had where he threw it into Aaron Jones for like triple coverage in the end zone a couple of weeks ago, that's still the That's the top one in terms of just the overall skill level and the narrow window. He had some room to work with because he was near the sideline. But let's be honest, Mike, the Packers needed to make plays in that second half, and Aaron Rodgers did just that, uh to to find a way. On that particular play, you gotta remember they're

sitting there. I believe it was third and one at that point. I think you and I were both anticipating, Okay, is this where you run it and then see if you get the first down. If you don't go for it, well then they end up coming out an empty set, which if you go by the you know, the statistics

on the night. I don't know how it all ended up shuffling out, but that ended up being one of their better packages when they were able to take the inside linebacker out of the equation and make sure that they had to make a decision with how they were defending the running back well, and that one was with

all of your run offensive personnel on the field. So from a personnel standpoint, you're thinking the Packers are going to run the ball, but then they spread it out and go empty, and then it's like, okay, well what's coming now. I mean it was I was. I was stunned by what was going on, and then even more stunned by the touchdown catch that ended the end of

the drive. It was a big shift and it was funny listening to, you know, Jimmy Graham tell it, and you know he's thinking he's boxing out the safety or the cornerback there. He thought the ball was going to come for him. And the way Rogers described it in his postgame news conference was that he wanted to put in an area that if Jimmy could go up and get it, it's there. But if it isn't he saw that body whoever it was, and it turned out being Jamal Williams in the back that that white jersey that

could potentially help him out as well. And for Williams to show the urgency too. And as you pointed out when we were discussing this earlier, Kansas City did everything right. The cornerback switched. Jones is covered, Graham is relatively covered. As much as you can cover a six ft seven guy,

it's backing you out. But for Jones to stay with the play, curl to the back of the end zone, try to find a way to you know, find some open space and then make that catch along the sideline was absolutely critical for the Packers to capitalize there and keep the momentum in their favor. And Jones, I mean Williams, I mean, people aren't going to talk a lot about him because there's all the stats that Aaron Jones put

up in this game. But Jamal Williams, for what he was asked to do in this contest, including the one yard touchdown run early on behind Danny Vitally, he was also a very critical part of what the Packers were able to do in Kansas City. Yeah, well, you use the word momentum, and I want to get back to that thought in a second, but I don't want to

forget about this either. Select Cousin Subs locations are now offering to livery whether you're ordering catering or your favorite sub, they're delivering right to you when you order online at Cousins Subs dot com. Cousin Subs we believe in better all right, Wes, you said it, momentum. It was a game of momentum shifts, certainly really, from the beginning of the game all the way to the end. The Packers jump out fourteen nothing in the first quarter. The Chiefs

come back with an explosive second quarter. They score seventeen points. The Packers fortunately hold them to a field goal on that final drive before halftime, so the Packers are down fourteen and a half. Green Bay puts together a long third quarter drive that takes more than eight and a half minutes off the clock, but Packers have to settle

for a field goal. Aaron Rodgers talked about his helmet communicator going out, which partly led to the delay of game and the goal to go, and then also the time out they had to use before the third down play, but anyway, so the Packers get the field goal that

ties it. And then first play of the Chiefs next drive, Tyler Lancaster, the undrafted second year defensive lineman from Northwestern, makes the biggest play by far of his young career, stripped Shady McCoy and gets the fumal recovery at the twenty seven yard line, sets up the Packers for the go ahead touched on, which turned out to be then that fabulous t d catch by Williams. Yeah, and it was really interesting talking to some of the guys in

the locker room. Lancaster was certainly very humble and excited that he was able to make the play. As he said, you know the way he was describing it, you know, when he's basically filling the A gap and when McCoy makes a decision to cut into the B gap, Lancaster has one play at that point, and it's basically to stick his arm out there and see if he could

find football, which he did, much to his surprise. The ball end up bouncing directly, you know, into his gut basically, Yeah, while he's laying on the ground there there it is, so he gets a fumble recover. He said it kind reminded him of play at Northwestern, very similar, where he's doing his job inside, he punches the ball, it ends up getting out back for a touchdown. But again one of those just calm, kind of happy accidents, right. That was the uh, you know, the old phrase, and and

for him to come up in that moment. I was asking Preston Smith about this afterwards. You know, you can make all you want about Zadarius Smith, Preston Smith, Jyr Alexander, Adrian Amos, I mean, all the name type players on this defense. If you want to be a team that can win in the postseason, you need to have the Tyler Lancasters of the world making a play here and there. At a critical point in the game, Sadarius Stephen mentioned know when he went back to Silon Packers, they got

punched in the mouth in the second quarter. It did not go the way they wanted to. They came out great. I think the first seven plays or six plays, kan City only mounted seven yards of total offense. But they started to find those weapons underneath in the second quarter, and those weapons made guys miss. They were able to put up a ton of yards and Zadarius said, you know, this was kind of the thought in the locker room is that this is our time. We have to prove

that we can. You don't not break in this moment, we can come back together. I thought a really under rate play was the fact that Jire Alexander finally stuffing Watkins for a two yard loss on what that little receiver screen they kept burning the Packers for in the second quarter. Yeah, one of those funky X and no scheme things, and and Alexander was very quick to react to it. And I thought that I agree with you.

I thought that was another play that showed the Packers defense, which had its issues and there were miss tackles and and you know, you knew these playmakers for the Chiefs, we're gonna be able to do some things. But I thought that was a play where the Packers defense kind of started to stand tall and get a little bit of that mojo back again. And I mean, for Alexander just shot out of a canon to make that play, and then that's what sets up to Darius Smith then

getting the third down sack. And as cool as that was for Green Bay to get a stop out of the break right after Kansas City had scored at the end of the first half, it was even more important to finally get a takeaway. There was one turnover in this game. It came by Tyler Lancaster when he went

back to the sideline. The story I was trying to mention is that Darius Smith went up to him and basically thanked him and said, you know, kind of saved our bacon on that play to be able to get a turnover, get the offensive all the back at the twenty seven yard line, they go in and they score from there, and then that really was the momentum shift they needed. Truman Williams said it to in that locker

room afterwards. That was the play of the game. And to have a guy like Tyler Lancaster who in this particular game plan, it wasn't a Tyler Lancaster game. Packers use a lot of hybrid defenses, including their base package, to account for the speed of Kansas City, but when Lancaster had to be in there and make a play, he certainly did that. Yeah, Well, if there's another play on the defensive side that stands out aside from Zadarius

Smith's two sacks, Packers didn't really get. I don't think the pressure on Matt Moore consistently that they were hoping for, especially with the Chiefs being down a couple of starting offensive lineman's Darius Smith did get the two sacks. But the other defensive play that stands out is in the fourth quarter. As we talk about the momentum shift, So the Packers go up by a touchdown. After the turnover,

the Chiefs come back and score a touchdown. Packers thought they had him stopped, but Tremont Williams gets the flag for the hands to the face on the down, so they get an extra first and goal and then they score, so it's tied up. Then Aaron Jones gets the sixty seven yard touchdown off the screen pass, so the Packers are back ahead and the Chiefs are coming back third down. Who does Matt Moore want to go to a course? It's Travis Kelsey, his reliable and very dynamic tight end

and your guy, Wes Jandon Sullivan. I give you credit, man, and I'll say it again. You said it last time, I'll say it again. You had your eye on this guy from very early in training camp, and I'll admit I had my doubts because what I saw in camping in the preseason was a guy who made who was flagged for just as many penalties as for the plays he was making. So that left me wondering, Okay, this guy's on the bubble. I'm not really sure. You were pretty confident that he was going to make the team.

And what we've seen when he's been thrown into these situations in the regular season is he's not committing the penalties we were seeing in the preseason. He's making the plays. And he breaks up that third down pass over the middle to Travis Kelsey and that turns out to be the Kansas City Chief's last offensive play of the game. Play of this game, really really solid play by Sullivan at a big moment. Yeah, and Sullivan was all smiles in the locker room afterwards. I mean, you got understand

where this young man came from. He's not an undrafted rookie. I mean, he is an undrafted free agent. But he was with Philadelphia last year. He started a game for the Eagles and kind of got tossed aside in May and he ends up on the street free agent scrap heap. The Packers pick him up and had a really deep position he ends up mounting a run. What's impressive, though, the most about Sullivan is that he's done this at two different positions. He's playing both cornerback and safety and

almost indiscriminately. I mean, they use them either spot and doesn't really seem like Mike Petton has any trepidation about deploying him at either spot. In this particular game, a lot of safety because Adrian Amos was moving up into the box of that nitro nickel package, allowing them to, you know, have some flexibility out front. Sullivan has a great skill set. He was a big ball hawk at

Georgia State, which is a still a young program. Didn't get a lot of national recognition there, but he stayed home, came from an area where there's a lot of talent, big hot bed in that Atlanta metro section of Georgia, and sort of got overlooked. But if you look at his speed, if you look at his coverage ability, I think there's a lot of talent in this young man. And it was also funny too, Mike. He ends up being the kickoff returner for the Packers in this game.

He had eight kickoff returns at Georgia State. He hasn't returned to kickoff since two thousand fifteen, his sophomore year. And suddenly, you know, Sean Meninga goes up to him this week and says, I'd like to use you in this way, And he said, all right, I'm up for the opportunity. Why not. Right, This is as you said with Lancaster. I mean, these are the type of performances you can have. Your Darius smith Is, your Smith's and your Preston Smith's. They're critical. That's how you went to

Super Bowl. No question, you need those guys out there. But it's the one eleven thing. I know some people think that can be a cliche, but it's absolutely true. You need the Lancasters and the Sullivan's to pick you up, and in this particular game they did, and they made arguably one A, one B for the biggest plays in this contest to put away a very dangerous Kansas City team. Yeah, and that breakup, that pass breakup by Sullivan on third

down leads to the Chiefs punting. They pinned the Packers back on the two yard line from the two, five oh four on the clock. I thought the first play running Aaron Jones right up the gut and he powers his way for six yards gets the Packers out to the eight yard line. I thought that really set the tone because that was that was a moment. The Packers did not run the ball as well as I thought

they were going to in this game. Based on Kansas City's defensive run statistics coming in, the Packers had not reached a hundred yards rushing as a team in this game. You know, heading into that final drive, they end up running seven consecutive running place, six of those from Aaron Jones, one from Jamal Williams, and uh boy, that was some I don't know what the right phrases. Big boy football is kind of what some people call it. That was

a big time gut check moment. You're on your own two yard line, You're trying to protect a seven point lead, You're in allowed stadium, you know, road environment, not a place you're familiar with playing in all of that, and you're starting right tackles. Out of the game. Brian Blog has gone to the locker room with a hand injury, so Alex Light is filling in at right tackle. Even Evan Bayliss as the third tight end, is coming in to block on some snaps there, and the Packers got

it done. Three first downs, the third one coming right after the two minute warning on the only pass of the drive, the little quick out to Aaron Jones for the kill shot. I guess you could say, because that was the one that put the game away. But what a drive I mean from your own two yard line five minutes and four seconds the Chiefs, I said this an insider inbox. The Chiefs had to be liking their chances. You pin the Packers on the two, there's five minutes

on the clock. Andy Reid is thinking we're getting We're gonna get the ball back here like we're Matt Moore is going to get one more shot at this and uh, Packers didn't give him that one more shot five oh four with all your time outs. That's a favorable situation for any team that's looking to, you know, mount to late comeback the thing. There's a couple of things that stood out to me in this one. By far. This is the Packers best four minute offense that they've had

since two thousand thirteen. Even in fourteen, when Eddie Lazy was running the way he was, they didn't close out games the way they're doing it this year. They did it in thirteen. It's one of the reasons why they ended up making the playoffs. But it's exceptional what they've been able to do in this first half of the season when you have to have those yards, when they know that you're going to run the football and you get them anyway. The one thing I disagree with you

on is that first play. Use the word power for Aaron Jones, and there is a good way to use it. But the thing I even look at two is it was a finesse type run. It's incredible to me. If you go back and watch that, he made a little sliver in the off pensive line look like a gaping hole with how he's able to slice through there. You

are absolutely right about the power. That's what it was though, every single time between the tackles pound pound pound offensive line did a great job, especially as you mentioned with having Alex Lighton, they're having to work through some things. David Baktiari left momentarily early on. Light was playing left tackle for two plays. He returned to the game. But Aaron Jones, it is incredible to me. For as much as people thought he was a scat back or you know,

kind of an outside stretch type runner man. He can run between the tackles and it doesn't matter how big the whole. If the hole is large, if the play is well blocked, he's taken it from you know, an explosive play. But even if there's just a sliver there. The guy is so quick and versatile and with his size, he really makes you pay. In Kansas City, despite loading up the box, despite knowing what was coming, they couldn't

do it. And then you wrote about it too. But Matt Lafleur, the guts that he showed in his quarterback and his running back, in his offense after the two minute warning, Kansas City doesn't have any time outs left, but there is one fifty eight or whatever on the clock. You run it, you know, maybe you take it. You get forty seconds off, and you see what you leave Matt Moore with. They didn't do that. They went and past the ball and Aaron Jones made a phenomenal play

catch to end that ball game. Yeah, well, we've seen we've seen this evolution west over the last I don't know, maybe what the time frame is, seven to eight years, maybe ten years in the NFL, that situation two minutes to go, the other teams out of time outs, your third and five in your own territory, I say ten fifteen years ago, NFL coaches would run the ball, try to get the first down. Not saying you're just giving up, but you run it and try to get the five yards.

If you don't, you run the clock down under one twenty. You punt the ball back to them. They have a little over a minute left with no time outs, and they need a touchdown to tie the game or go for the win if they want to go for two this day and age, if you got the ball in your quarterbacks hands, you're going You're going for the win. On offense, you're doing whatever it takes to not have to put your defense back out on the field. That's

the decision Matt Lafleur made. The Packers executed it, and uh and they drained that last five oh four after the first down, even with Aaron Jones going out of bounds, it was sub two minute warning. Chiefs are out of time outs, kneel down three times, those last two minutes off the clock are gone, and the Packers are seven and one and one. Thing I love about the NFL in two thousand, nineteen two. Is that you can throw

to your running backs ten times. You get all the production that the Packers got out of Bolchamal Williams and Aaron Jones, and there's no longer a negative stigma or cashid to that. It's a respect factor because you know, even go back about twelve years Mike, I remember people people just ran Trent Edwards out of the league because I was checked down, Charlie, and you know, you're always going to the running backs. I honestly think it's sort of I mean, Shaun McVeigh deserves a lot of credit

for this. Certainly you look at at what Kyle Shanahan's doing and now Matt Lafleur, But I go back to kind of what Bill Belichick was doing a ten years ago, when it's like, you know what, if the running back is the best option, and the tight ends are covering,

the receivers are covered, get him the football. No team over the last ten fifteen years has moved the changes consistently as New England Patriots in the NFL, and and seeing these type of things where it's like, you know what, you have a your top quarterback against your top receiver. You have your second quarterback against your second receiver. You have all these things. It's like, Okay, that's the way game of football is played. Where's your arguably your biggest mismatch.

If you have a dynamic running back, it's against the linebacker, it's against a collapsing safety. It's incredible. It's simplistic. It is it's crazy, and it's simplistic what this game, you know, can be if you allow it to be. But again, you have to be able to make the catch. You have to be able to make you throw exactly. You have to be able to execute it. You have to be able to execute it and take advantage of it when the opportunities present themselves. And that's what the Packers did.

And Matt floor Man, I mean, I was thinking about this as we're walking out the building last night. I mean, at some point, I mean, there's some really good coaching performances going on in this league right now, but when you're talking about Coach of the Year accolades and things like that, at least at the midway point of this season, I think he has to be firmly in that conversation.

It's incredible what he's done with this offense and what he's done with this team for the first eight games this season, and the Packers are seven and one, as Mike Spofford pointed out in one last look last week, for the first time since two thousand eleven. Yeah, the first time they've had seven wins four Halloween since two thousand and eleven, when the Packers were eight and no at the halfway points. So well, seven and one, one game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.

We'll get to where things stand in the NFC and all that and the rest of the Week eight results in the NFL on tomorrow's show, but for now we have 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. You can subscribe to us, like us on iTunes and other podcast services. 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.