#464 Packers Unscripted: Heading west

saying Los Angeles Charges instead of San Diego. So there with me here as we us something like that. It used to be called the stub Hub Center, but then it changed its names. Thousand seat capacity that I talked with Mark Murphy yesterday. Actually I was doing a um a sort of conference call for one of our friend Haley's fan clubs, and Mark Murphy was on the conference call with fans and he was saying that he's predicting that about seventy of that seven thousand um seat stadium

is going to be Packer fans um Sunday. It's going to be interesting. Yeah, the other how this shakes out and then there's gonna be about other twenty fans, percent of fans that probably aren't fans for either team, and maybe like five percent that were there for the Chargers. Uh. It's incredible, and it's been a tough situation for the Chargers this year. I think there's been some comments and remarks made. Now, this is gonna be a pretty very

pro Packers crowd, just based on how they travel. There's a reason why this game is being played in l A as opposed to shipping it overseas. But it's actually funny. I think, you know, you listen to some of these comments the Charges players have made, it's almost like every game has sort of been a road game for them this season. Yeah, they played a primetime game at home. I believe it was a Sunday night game earlier this year against Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Steeler fans took over

the place. I mean it was it was a home game for the Steelers, more than two thousand miles from home, and it sounds like Sunday afternoon could very much be the same way for the Packers. You know, and this is one that I guess, you know, I'm gonna say, I really don't have a whole lot of sympathy for them. I mean, you could have easily had this game go overseas, and not saying that there would have been a ton of Packer fans there too, but you might have had

a better chance to have Charger fans. I just I go back to that game last year, Mike against the Rams. Oh yeah, ninety thousand seat l a Colosseum, and there's go Pack go chance during the entire game, and they're filled to the top of the building and it just and the Rams were undefeated at the time, and I would say that that was about as close to a fifty fifty split as I have ever seen at a

true road game. I mean, it really was. I believe the announced attendance that day was around eighty thousand because it wasn't a sell out at the Colosseum, but of the was eighty thousand, I bet it was forty thousand each side. Yeah, So needless to say, I think this game on Sunday is gonna be very interesting to watch from that perspective. Also, twenty seven thousand seed stadium that I think fits thirty thousand for football, so a very different environment than you and me are really you know,

used to covering well. When you look at the Chargers season, here in the record says they're three and five, but if you look at how these games are gone there, their record, quite frankly, west could be absolutely anything at this point. They won in overtime in week one, uh there other than one victory that they had by a considerable margin. Their other victory was against the Bears this past weekend when the Bears missed a kick on the mr field goal on the final play of the game.

All five of the Chargers losses are one score defeats that they were in those games all the way up until the end. Probably the most heartbreaking of the bunch was the road game at Tennessee where right at the end of the game they're down by three. They actually twice the officials call a touchdown in the final minute of the game and they think they've won the game,

replay the automatic review of the score. Twice those replay reviews placed the ball inside the one yard line, and then after the second nullified touchdown, Melvin Gordon fumbles the ball at Titan's recover and the Chargers take another loss. So they've they've had They've had about his wild, crazy down to the wire every week up and down season as you could possibly have. The bottom line, though, is

that they have five losses. They're kind of on the on the brink here, coming off of a playoff season when they were twelve and four a year ago. They're on the brink here, falling out of contention if they don't get the ship right at it. Yeah, and this is not a team you can mess with either, because the firepower is there. They had Super Bowl asked oprations going into this season, and all the reasons why the

Melvin Gordon holdout sort of complicated everything. It was funny, though, might because as difficult and demoralizing as that Tennessee game was, that was right after the game against Pittsburgh at home, whereas you were talking about a very pro stealers crowd in the Charges played about as poorly as you could play in all three phases of the game in that venue. But they got they got. You know, something went right for them last week. Uh, they played tooth and nail

with the Bears. You know, Philip Rivers didn't have his best game, but ultimately at the end of it, they had a little bit of good fortune with the miss forty one yard field goal from any Pinero. And here they are with three and four. But as you said, they're only blowout this year was that thirty to ten win over Miami. Otherwise the Colts overtime win, and all

those losses that were within a score. It's been a very down to the wire season for the Chargers and much like my fantasy football team, just haven't been able to find the wins well. And this is when I was looking them up and writing some things in Insider Inbox about the Chargers. Really you compare this seas and for them to last year. Last year they had seven of their sixteen games in the regular season were decided by one score, and they were six and one in

those seven games. Just look at their record in the one score games this year. It's it's what's happening in the fourth quarter where they're not able to get it together and pull these things out at the end. That's the difference between them being twelve and four a year ago and UH and kind of teetering on the edge of falling out of contention halfway through nineteen. It's a fine line in this league, as we talk about all the time. But that being said, as you said, there

are explosive weapons on this team. There is a savvy veteran quarterback who has been there and done that. Do not sleep on the l A Chargers. Well, and the thing that actually confused me the most. For all the ups and downs that the Charges have had, they are coming off a win and then that's when they decided to make the change of offensive coordinator with Ken wizzen Hunt. Right, I mean that they make a change there. It seemed

like an interesting time to do it. Wizzen Hunt had been there for a number of years at this point. But they're just looking for some kind of spark. Let's be honest, though, Mike. In the good years the bad years, this team has gone as Philip Rivers has gone, and unfortunately for them, he's just not been at his peak this season. Last year I really thought he was, Oh he was put especially down the stretch. I thought he

was playing tremendous football. I mean they went in in a primetime game into Arrowhead Stadium and knocked off the Chiefs, who ended up being the number one seed in the a f C in the playoffs year. Yeah, and it's one of these things where you know, you look at him and how he plays even this season, I mean the games in which he's been down. You think of Denver, you think about Pittsburgh, the loss against Detroit, he hasn't

played well. It's kind of weird because then you look at like what Atlanta is going through with Matt Ryan the last two years. Matt Ryan's passer rating, all the statistics look great, they just aren't winning football games. With the Chargers, it really does need to be the Philip Rivers show, especially early in the season when they didn't have Melvin Gordon. He's come back but hasn't quite found

his rhythm yet. Austin Ekeler has had his months. But the dangerous thing about this Chargers offenses, Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen have been doing this for a long time now. Allen again six yards I think already on the season. He's a type of difference maker that you have to account for at all times and a big play threat that can put points on the board at a given moment. Yeah, I mean Keenan Allen is uh is certainly a big

play threat. And Mike Williams, the number two on his team, has made some big plays down the field as well. I believe Williams average you've got it in front of you per catch, Yeah, I mean sixteen yards per catch. This guy has been a pretty big play guy. And you mentioned Austin Ekeler, who essentially became the number one running back at the start of the season because of

Melvin Gordon's long holdout. He's a guy that now is very regularly being worked into not only the rotation to run the ball, but to catch passes out of the backfield. He's racked up five hundred yards receiving in five touchdowns as a pass catcher already this year for umum for you know, smaller shifty running back. So that's definitely a weapon to keep an eye on. But I'm with you that this team really does go as as Philip Rivers goes,

and the change that offensive coordinator will we'll have to see. Obviously, it's being done to to provide some kind of a spark, to light some kind of a fire under an offense that head coach Anthony Lynn Fields is underperforming. And um, you know we've seen it West. These things can go one of two ways. Sometimes it can take a while to adjust to the new voices in the room and the new types of game plans. Other times it really does provide a spark and then and suddenly a team

takes off. Yeah. I mean the biggest example that that I can recall is really, you know, the Jim Bob Cooder era in Detroit. Yeah, after Joe Lombardi had been let go. It seemed like that was a galvanizing moment for that offense and Matthew Stafford. This is interesting though, because as you mentioned, with Eckler, uh, it's fifty one catches already on the air. He's tied with Keen Allen for the most on the Chargers roster, putting him on pace for over a hundred this season. Melvin Gordon is

back in additionally has been their bell cub. But I think the one thing they learned in those whatever it was five six weeks that they didn't have Gordon is Eckler is a guy that you can turn to, you can rely on, and he does seem to have some

chemistry there with you know, Philip Rivers. And let's be honest, when the Packers have had issues this year, it's with those type of shiftier type players and open space in teams that have tight ends and you know the Chargers have tight ends to Hunter Henry is a guy that can make you heard at times, and in Dontrell Inman has quite a few big plays this season, even though he maybe doesn't have the ton of catches that you look for from like guys that really jump off the radar.

So yeah, I think you have to pressure Philip Rivers. I think you need to be able to stop the run, and you've got to make sure you can limit those big places because there are multiple threats there. The only thing that will be interesting though, is if things kind of crazy and Charges have to switch switch to like a silent count in their own stadium. That's gonna be one thing to watch because that definitely will challenge the communication of that unit. Yeah, but that's also something that

they've already had to do. And you know, they took their lumps against the Pittsburgh Steelers with that that pro Pittsburgh crowd, so they've been through that once before. UM quickly here West Select Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're ordering catering or your favorite sub, They're delivering

right to you when you order online. At Cousin Subs dot com Cousin Subs, we believe in better all right on the defensive side of the ball for the Chargers, reigning a f C Defensive Player of the Week is Joey Bosa. Not only did he have two sacks in the seventeen to sixteen victory for the Chargers over the Bears on Sunday, he had two additional tackles for loss in that game. And this is also the second consecutive

game now that Joey Bosa has had multiple sacks. So um a lot of attention going to his younger brother out in San Francisco, and for good reason, because Nick Bosa is also a defensive Player of the Week this week. But Joey Bosa, he's been doing it for a little bit longer than his younger brother. I believe this is his fourth year in the league. And uh, this is one of those guys that know Matt Lafleur, Nathaniel Hack

at that offensive staff. You go into a game building a game plan against this defense, Joey Bosa is the guy with the target on his back, do you I'm trying I was trying to think of this before the show. I wonder if this is the first time that him and Jake Kumer are going to be playing each other, because there are first cousins for those people who yes, you're right, and that is one little storyline. When we're all done with this, we're sitting back at our desk

and trying to like plot out the week. That's be one thing that's interesting to follow. But Bosa, obviously his brother Nick, two of the pre eminent pass rushers in the league. I saw that stat last week that they actually beat the Watt Brothers record for most sacks in a single week by Brothers five. So you can jot that one down in your little notebook. Um, but no, Joey is a fantastic football player. For four sacks the last two weeks, um thirty five and a half already

in three plus seasons. I mean, how quickly the time goes, not even his twenty fifth birthday yet. And yeah, I mean they need him to be a difference maker. They're really relying on it. They do have real solid playmakers here. I'm sure we'll talk about Casey Hayward here in a second. Um, Thomas Davis is still in the NFL. I mean that's incredible. That's that he's still he's still going strong. He's not

just playing, he's playing well. Yeah, and I mean Desmond King, I mean, there's there's a lot of names on this defense that kind of jump off the page to you. And then certain Melvin Ingram when he's healthy is has been one of the top guys in this league as well at times. So yeah, but both say is the guy. I mean, they draft him to be the guy and and certainly he's lived up to that reputation over the last few seasons. Yeah, this this Chargers defense a unit

that's had its ups and downs. But you know, for the most part, I mean, granted the Bears, they've had their struggles offensively with Mitchell Robinsky and everything. The Bears really struggled to to put points on the board against this unit. It's there really isn't a game this year that you look at this Chargers defense kind of getting

blown out of the water everything. The biggest reason, frankly, that the Charges have played so many close games and have really been in every game that they've played, is because their defense is just solid. It's not spectacular, it's not to knock you over, it's it's not that fearsome type of defense that um that that you know, takes the ball away all the time or just buries the quarterback.

But it's a really really solid unit. And you know, Casey Hayward, the former Packers certainly one of those guys in the back end you mentioned Melvin Ingram is the tandem guy on on the other edge. As far as a pass rusher with Joey Bosa, this is a this is a solid group that is not necessarily going to

be easy to score. Again, it is funny though there are now this I would say this is a better defense than Kansas City, but there are parallels there though, right I mean defensively with their run front, there's gonna be opportunities there for Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams again this week. I think they're in the twenties as far as their total run defenses here, but there are top ten past you know, unit against that in twelfth overall in total yards. Uh. Certainly a team that is that

is difficult to be messed with. And Casey Hayward, I'd be ever missed if I didn't just talk about the career that he's had out there. Um in the last four seas, and I mean has become an all pro cornerback. I know every time you bring up the c H word packer fans get enraged. Um, it is what it is. I mean. I the reason I guess I probably have this like this perspective is I always valued Hayward as the top of the line cornerback. I just thought he was.

I thought he caught some bad breaks with the hamstrings, but I thought he was a leader in an important voice in that room, especially in two thousand and fifteen when you know they started to you know, there weren't there wasn't that Sam Shields guy in there anymore more. You know, there was different type of you know, makeup.

You needed someone that talked, You need someone that lad and Casey Haywards that guy, Um, and I have a really high amount of respect for him and how he's carried himself and how he's bounced back from adversity in his life to become the player that he has been. And there are big time playmakers in this defense. So, um, this is gonna be another one of those battles where it's gonna be yards, it's gonna be time of possession, It's gonna be takeaways. The Chargers definitely are a team

that can take the football away. Their third down defense has hurt them at time times this season. But as you said, Mike, there's a reason why there's been so many gut wrenching losses for l A this year, and it's because they've been in every game they've played. Yeah, So, I mean that's when you go through nine games, when you get to this point in the season into your ninth game and you've played that many close ones, you expect to get at least those and they just haven't

been able to do that. Yeah. Yeah, that's it's really been, uh, some late game failures that have been some some major regrets, and they're looking at obviously, as you said, they caught a break. The Bears missed the kick on the final play, So they finally get one of those late game situations to go their way and they're hoping that that begins the turnaround for them to get back on track and

back into playoff contention. On the special team side of things, I actually want to talk about the Packers because we have some roster news there to discuss. The Packers have brought Traymont Smith back up to the active roster from the practice squad and have released undrafted rookie wide receiver and her man Darius Shepherd. So we saw a little bit of a shake up with the return game. Shepherd was replaced on kickoffs by Channon Sullivan, but Shepherd was

still returning punts against Kansas City. Now the shake up is essentially complete. The Packers really looking for some kind of a spark in the return game because both with what opponents have done on returns and the lack of explosive plays in terms of what the Packers have done with their returns, the Packers have been losing the field position battle this season and that's one area that Matt

Lafleur really wants to change. Yeah, and that's why when you look at the offense, the four minute offense, the ability to sustain drives have been so critical and important because a lot of times they have been having to go the full distance of the field. They want to find a spark play. They want to be able to turn that around and you know, and find some success there. Um, I'm I'm very curious see what they do with Trey Smith here. Uh. Certainly we already talked about it at

nausea months ago. I mean, this is a guy that is the top of the line kickoff returner. He was one of the best in the business last year, made the p f A w A All Rookie team in that compa City. But he hasn't really returned punt since college. So do you look at him to handle those duties because realistically, that is the one when you were talking about you know, Shepherds still being back there against Kansas City.

Packers don't have a lot of like guys with a lot of pelts on the wall and regards to punt returns right now. Truman Williams did it in a pinch last year, But I don't think that's your that's your prime option. That's more of an you know, break the glass in case of emergency. Yeah, we've and we've seen in training camp, preseason, we've seen Jay Year Alexander dabble in punt returns a little bit. But again, that's your you know, one of your top cornerbacks. I don't know.

I don't know. At the end of the defensive series, when he might be tired and the defense is getting off the field, do you send is that the guy you send back their return upon I don't know what the Packers are going to do here, frankly, and we may not find out until Sunday afternoon because there was no indication there was There was no reveal from the coaching staff or from anybody in the locker room that there was a change being made at kickoff return until

the beginning of Sunday night's game when we saw Sullivan back. Yeah, and Sullivan said, I mean, you know, he'd taken you know, kickoff returns here and there, and he caught some balls. But it wasn't until that week that Sean Menninger finally told him, Okay, you're the guy, and he went in there and you know, he did the job. But as you know, my kickoff returns and punter turns, there's such

different animals. And I'm not trying to put punt returners up there with the difficulty of playing quarterback or an island corner, you know, trying to coordinate a defense as a middle linebacker. But it is a difficult job. I think if you have the top of the line punt returner, you gotta value that person because there just aren't a

lot of them. Because it's it's a it's such a delicate balance, probably more than I think maybe any other position besides quarterback in terms of being conservative in wanting to make a big play and having to have a little risk, and the Packers just have not they've not had the big play and unfortunately they've had enough punt already this season. So these are all options that they're looking to exercise a little bit. And you know, we'll

we'll have to see how this game plays out. But there is an extra roster spot open to mention that too as we're talking right now. Um, certainly you have Jay Sternberger is an eligible you know, guy to take that they also had released, you know, Evan Bayliss. That's how that came open. Um, you know Ibrahim Campbell's coming back. I mean, just a lot of different things that kind of get thrown up into this discussion in terms of how you picked your fifty three and then from that

fifty three, who are your special teams stalwarts? Right, Yeah, I mean there's a lot of shuffling out to do as as the week goes along. And there's one thing we know about Matt Lafleur. He's not necessarily going to just reveal what his plans are. He'll take those plans into Sunday night. We'll be sitting in the press box and then we'll see, we'll see how it shakes. Yeah. I mean that's the reason that with Channon Sullivan, it

was funny. We're way up there in that Kansas City Head press box and I, you and I were saying, oh, that's Channon Sullivan. Rob Demovsky, God bless him. I'm not trying to put him on blast here, but Rob, you know, says, oh, Channon Sullivan's back for the return. And then he switches his tweet and note to no, that's that's Tony Brown.

Oh no, no, it's still Channing Sullivan. I mean, that's just the position everybody was in because once you realize it wasn't Darius Shephard, you really didn't have a thought in the back of your mind who it might be. I thought maybe Jama Williams. And as it turns out, they end up going that direction with Sullivan, and we'll see what direction they go now moving forward. Yeah, all right, Well, with that, 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. You can subscribe to us and 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.