#480 Packers Unscripted: Getting back on track

as well dive right into Keys to Victory here. The Packers are headed to play the Giants in New Jersey Sunday noon Central time kickoff. The objective is to get win number nine. So how do the Packers go about doing that? Bringing up right now nfl g S I S the the information system for the NFL, and I can tell you confidently right now, the New York Giants are thirty second in the league when it comes to giveaways via the fumble fifteen lost fumbles minus eleven and

turnover differential this season. It's not very fancy. It's not this big, huge, massive take. The Green Bay Packers have been pretty good at points in this season. Taking the ball away. They need to do that. And you know the other thing is to see Kwon Barkley has been much beligned here the last month, people kind of doubting where he's been at. If he's healthy, the issues are having running the ball. The Packers can't allow themselves to be the comeback game here for Sae Kwon Barkley. He

needs to stay on that same trajectory. Fourteen carries twenty eight yards, thirteen carries one yard, seventeen carries sixty yards. I mean this, this pattern he's been on. You can't allow him to break out because that's what you've seen in this league. He's a young man, he has a lot of ability. If you allow him to be able to break one early, it's going to make for a long afternoon. So to me, there's the two biggest things in this game. Take the ball away. If the fumbles

present themselves, the interception presents itself, execute on it. And then just make sure that s Kwon Barkley doesn't run wild. Yeah, And with regards to those comeback players, I'll add that the Packers can't let this be Evan Ingram's big comebat game. If he does return from the foot injury, which we will see as the rest of the week goes along. But we all know the problems the Packers have had

covering tight ends in the middle of the field. Ingram is a guy that Daniel Jones would love to rely on. They'd love to build the entire passing attack around him against a defense like Green Bays. So if Evan Ingram is playing, or really whoever is playing tight end, but certainly he's the most dynamic if he is healthy enough to go, the Packers have got to do something about it. Wes.

I mean, you know, we've seen Travis Kelsey, uh, Darren Waller from Oakland, um now obviously um yeah, Greg Olsen from the Panthers, and obviously George Kittle from the forty Niners. Tight ends have been burning this defense, and the Packers have got us somehow, some way find a way to put a stop to it and start that trending in

the other direction here down the stretch. Yeah, because if you go back independent of the Packers own issues defending the middle of the field and tight ends this season, the last time New York's offense other than you know,

some promising signs last year for sake, Kwon Barkley. The last time their offense really was feared was during Evan Ingram's rookie season when he went off for what eight hundred yards, had a bunch of touchdowns, just really looked like this guy was going to be a decade defining,

era defining tight end. What he looked like in him coming out of the first round and the ability to just jump right in there as a rookie, And how many times have I said on the show how long it takes for those type of players tight ends to get it up to speed with the game, the speed of the game. Evan Ingram didn't have those issues. Yeah, he was high impact right away, but the issues he

has had is with injuries. And I'm glad you pointed out Ingram because we could go at this time and I were discussing, Okay, well, if George Kittle plays, the Packers have to be ready for it. Devin Ingram plays, you have to be ready for it, because, as Kittle showed, even if a guy's coming off an injury like that, he's still George Kittle. He could still burn you in

the middle of the field. And really that was the biggest you know, not to steal Wayne's phrase here, but dagger in that game was that the Packers just were not able to come back mount the comeback they needed without allowing the explosive play. And you can't allow Evan Gram to be that player. Yeah, I mean, I would say also with regard to this game, I mentioned I believe it was on yesterday's show that the Giants have been outscored one to seven in the first quarter of

this year. It would really behoove the Packers to get off to a fast start in this game. You're on the road. Don't let a two and nine team on a holiday weekend feel like they're going to be in the game, feel like, you know, hey, they can they can make a statement here by knocking off one of

the NFC's contenders. All that you have to you have to jump on this team early, try to break their spirit a little bit and uh and then you know, really just just get back on track with what's been successful and what's gotten the Packers eight victories this year, which is which is using the running backs Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams getting that defense to take the ball away. As you were talking about, get back to what's one you football games, and that that to me, really is

what this Sunday trip to play the Giants is all about. Yeah, and especially from the offensive standpoint you mentioned defensively this year Giants have had a really difficult time and it's been kind of a pattern for them for about three or four years now, where the unit that in the late two thousands and even in early two thousand tens was really stout, could dictate the tempo of the game, had a lot of pressure, could take the ball away. They've really had none of that the last five years

and this year it's kind of seeped into that as well. So, yeah, from Aaron Rodgers and in the running backs perspective and these offensive playmakers, this is where you have to get up. You have to able to mount some offense and and really, you know, give it to the Giants the way that they should be dominated. When you look at this on paper, again, you can't look past the moment. How many times have

I said that this week? But this is the type of game where you can't even allow them to be in the game, I feel, especially being on the road. You get this win, you host Washington next week, then suddenly you find yourself at ten wins, you have to earn them. But the Path of the Playoffs, to steal my sponsor spor phrase is there for Green Bay. Well, I'd like to bring Path to the Playoffs back to Packers dot Com sooner than later make an appearance last year,

did it? No, it hasn't made it. It hasn't made an appearance. Well, actually I think the one right at the game when Rogers was going to come back from the collar bone. But then obviously the Packers were eliminated after that. But yes, I would like to bring Path to the Playoffs back to the website as a weekly feature down the stretch here, but I think it's at eight wins. It's a little too early to be to go with that. But if you get to that ten marker,

that's the one you always talk about. And to be at ten wins and then hosting the Chicago Bears at home in week fourteen or week fifteen, excuse me, that's that's the path. And the Giants are interesting because they have played some teams tough, but they've just always been in a position this year where they've kind of, you know, shot themselves in the foot at the wrong time. And it's costs the ball games. But I think last week's showed against Chicago. If you play down to their level,

they will mount a challenge. So for Green Bay, I think that's the biggest thing, just getting off to a fast start. We talked about it a lot, but they haven't done it in two of these three losses. They need to be able to do that. Yeah, I'm gonna put you on the spot here in a set to it, but I'm gonna preface it by saying that neither you nor I is an XS and OS expert. We don't coach this game. We've never played this game at any sort of high level. I the Howard Swamma Correct League

would very much, okayagree with you on that. All right, Well, maybe I had three sacks and flag football my last year. Maybe maybe the maybe the Platteville Rec League flag football in middle school would would count. Give yourself what I what I wanted to preface this with those I know all the fans are asking, well, how do you how do you go about guarding the tight ends? How do you go about, you know, defending the middle of the field.

I don't have the answers XS and OSE wise all I know is I think the Packers have got to try to find something different because what they have tried to this point is not working. I'm gonna turn a question out to you about the offense, because there are a lot of questions right now, is to what is going on with this Packers offense Since Davante Adams came back. The offense was better statistically all across the board. The offense was better in the four games that Adams was gone.

So what do the Packers have to do offensively with Adams back in the lineup to get back to where they were? And again I say, I'm putting you on this. No.

The thing I really liked from that Chargers game. I know that sounds weird probably saying that coming out of my mouth with everything that went wrong, but you know, we talked about adaptation and Jason Wilde from the Athletic and ESPN Wisconsin and all the other entities that Jason you know, works for right now, he did have an interesting story last week about Matt Lafleur Kyle Shannon and

how they will like steal concepts from other teams. I really liked that that first game against after Kansas City all that motion and not and not really like formal motion, like almost sort of like Arena League guys just moving around in the backfield, not even really getting set before the play. I really like that concept that they ran with Hardman, and they ran at some with Tyreek Hill Kansas City did in that game against Green Bay. They come out against the Chargers, they did the same exact

thing with Aaron Jones. I understand it went for a one yard loss on the catch, but I really liked it because it allows him to get open in space and they haven't. That's the last time Aaron Jones. I think it's called a ball if I remember correctly. Now, the challenge here is that when they split Aaron Jones out, now you're seeing more safety cornerback help than you did when it was just a middle linebacker trailing him. You can't do that. He's proven his hands are too good

and he's too fleet of foot. I still think there's ways you can scheme him open. And for as many times as Jamal Williams caught the ball last week, and mind you, some of that was in garbage time late, but he had seven catches, you have to be able to put the ball in Aaron Jones hand outside the numbers. Okay, I'm laying that out as like one thing because my original thought when Davante Adams came back is you have these two weapons, established weapons in the National Football League.

That's going to be a challenge for defense is to figure out how to scheme against them. Now, they've played some pretty good units San Francisco. There's not a whole lot that can be drawn out of that because I think San Francisco is the best defense in the NFL right now. But the games against Carolina in l A. I think there were opportunities there the Packers were not

able to take advantage of. So whether it comes down to the game plan coming in, sticking to the game plan, you know, finding different things that work for where the offense is at. That's the challenge from Matt Lafleour this week. It's a challenge of these offensive coaches in the weeks to come. But they've they've been more spread out, they haven't been doing as many condensed formations as they did early on this season. I just I wrote it an

inbox this morning on Wednesday morning. I just feel like you got to get back to doing what you do well, and I don't know in these last two losses if we've really seen that, if you know what I mean, Yeah, no, I hear you. I'll say this. And I don't like to get into schematic discussions too much. I just wanted to throw that one at you when I look at the San Francisco forty Niners game, and what sticks out in my memory that that is one heck of a

defense that San Francisco has. I take nothing away from it from them by any means. The two plays that stick out to me in my mind that really worked for the Packers and looked like they were the best plays they ran all night eight the end around Alan Lazar and then the touch pass to Davante Adams going in motion that went for a walk in touchdown. So

it was as though, okay, so those plays work. But then all the other times the Packers were running the motion and all that kind of stuff, the forty Niners weren't biting. So the times that they actually did give those guys the ball, those plays work. So do you need to do you need to literally give those plays more of a chance to get defenses to just play you more. Honestly, I'm just I'm throwing it out there. Yeah,

and I actually did. Like I mean, both of those plays might came out of those those bunch for more informations we were talking about. In the Lazard one, I really liked because for the last two years everyone's been talking about Alan Lazar being you know, a hybrid you know type receiver tight end. Yeah, line them up off left tackle, let him come around on an end around.

He had the second. We had that little screen up in the press box that shows you, like that must be a next gen Stafford speed Alan Lazard, who have buy a lot of people up they were he wasn't fast enough to play in the NFL. Yeah, one of the reasons he didn't get drafted. He had the second fastest time on a play of any other player that night, nineteen point eight. Miles pro Er was his peak speed on that play. Yeah, get that guy the football in

those situations. I guess my point is, you know, giving the ball to the receivers in those motion type situations, maybe instead of doing it as a token thing, like, actually build more off of that so that the defenses really do have to honor it for the bulk of the game. And then maybe it opens some opens up some other things against defenses, like the forty Niners that you know, quite frankly looked like they knew everything that

was coming at him. So, you know, I really like that that you mentioned that, because that was one of the things when I was looking at the box score last week going in this game, I'm like, wow, you know, for as much motioning as the Packers have done, I think maybe Trevor Davis had two carries, I think NBS had one this season, they haven't actually fed the ball a lot to the to they show, they show, they

show it a lot, they show it a lot. But maybe maybe it's maybe it's time to actually just run though, actually run those and give the ball to those guys more often and make defenses play you more. Honestly, in that respect, I don't know, And there is a lot of variation that goes into all this, but when you think about it, you go back to a month or two ago with the Danny vitality, you know, wheel route

out of the backfield, those type of things. Those are the things that defenses once they see them, they have to scheme against them. And when you have more variation, when you have more unpredictability. That's when things really kind of open up. That the problem the Packers have been stuck in in the game against the Charges and now against the forty niners is when you fall behind the way they did at halftime. Now you're spreading it out

a lot more. Now you aren't able to run as much because the game situations definitely get into into how you go about things in the second half. But what's the difference, Mike, The Packers are eight in three when they had those aid victories. It's being able to get off too fast stars. It's being able to score off that initial possession. We can talk until you know, however

long we want about certain schematic adjustments. If you score, if you get that first drive right away off the bat, that what ultimately gets you set up for the remainder of the games. It sets the tone absolutely. Um Select Cousin Subs locations West 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. Okay, Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner, and that means football three games early mid afternoon and evening Bears Lions in Detroit. Quick thoughts, Oh, you know it's it's really emotional for me, Mike that it's been six years since I've eaten that Thanksgiving turkey at Ford Field. Man, those are the days the last time the Packers played in Detroit and a very a

very forgettable one. Of the current NFL stadiums, there's only one n RG and Houston I have not been to yet, which I will check that box hopefully knock on wood next year. Uh. The Ford Field is the only one that I make up beeline for the for the food, not because it's awesome, but because it runs out very quickly. Yeah, well, I was gonna say I've covered I've covered Thanksgiving games at Ford Field in two thousand seven, two thousand nine,

two thousand eleven, and two thousand thirteen. I have yet to eat a bite of turkey at Ford Field Ford because they always run out of food. I don't frequently get timed at the forty, but if you had like one of those highway guns, like in terms of like measuring like speed, that thing, I'd be I'd be pushing maximum speed on that thing because not that again, not that the turkey is that good, but if you don't get to the turkey, it's just potato salad. And you know,

you know Lettuce. I mean, ask Tom Silverstein from the Waukie Journal Sentinel about that. But okay, long story short, Chicago, Detroit. Yeah,

I don't know. It's interesting to me. I don't know what's happened the last few years where the Packers have not been put on Thanksgiving ever since the Brett Farve comeback game, because they played in thirteen in Detroit and it was basically every other year they were going to do every every odd number year, like I say, seven, nine, eleven, thirty, and then fifteen was the Bret for game here against Chicago on Thanksgiving, which was a rainy night, just like

it is outside right now as we're taping the show. But yes, since two thousand and fifteen, now the Packers have not played on things like it's turned the world on its access and now they can't find a way to get back to equilibrium. No, but I mean the Chicago Jeff Driscoll, if he plays David blows his back up the former Perdue quarterback. Um, to me, this looks like a game where Chicago should improve to six and six. I don't see any other way around it. Their defense

is still pretty good, they have enough offensive weapons. I just haven't seen anything from the Driscoll Lions offense to suggest that they're going to win this game. Yeah, I think the I think the Bears are looking at this obviously as get to six and six and then they say, hey, you know, we have one more game and then we're

going to be playing the Green Bay Packers. So the Bears are looking at it saying, hey, if we can get to seven and six and then come to lambeau Field and knock off the Packers and get to eaten six with two games to go, then it's like, hey, you're still scoreboard watching in in that instance. But they're hanging on by a thread and they're gonna try to

hang on as long as they can. They kind of remind me a little bit of the Pittsburgh Steelers too, because it's not like you're not playing for draft picks. I mean you're playing for wins. There aren't draft picks there, so they got to get after this thing. I think for Ryan Pace and and certainly for Matt Nagge, showing that the steps that they made last year, they're not that far off of that. But and and let's be honest to Mike for Mitchell Trobiskie, it's got one month

here to show some real signs of improvement. Needs to make those strides. Yeah, no question alright. Game number two

on Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Buffalo Bills. A lot of noise in Dallas from Jerry Jones and his frustrations with losing to the Patriots last week and the Cowboys being six and five at this stage and the Buffalo Bills at eight and three and looking to try to stay on track for a playoff spot in the a f C. But everybody questioning just how good the Buffalo Bills are based on their schedule and who they beat. It really weird. I don't know what the Vegas ads

are in this game. I would still think that the Cowboys are favored, even though the issues they've had. But here's the thing for Buffalo, this happened to him two years ago with Sean McDermott's first year as I think his first year as head coach. Maybe it was two years ago. You gotta play that you gotta win the games that are in front of you, and for the most part they have. Now they've taken on the chin a couple of times too, but you know that's a

good defense. Offensively, they do enough to win some of these games. I still don't think they're overly dynamic with what they do, but be that as it may, they're playing the competition that they are. The Dallas Cowboys to me have underachieved. I mean, they just have. And I understand that that was a mud bowl, slot bowl on Sunday night. You throw some of those different variables up. They did not get the ball to Marie Cooper in

that ballgame. Zeke Elliott has been kind of up and down this at points of this season when he has played. But the Cowboys are still in the lead of that division. If you get to nine wins in the NFC East, you have to be feeling okay about of playoff chances at this point or at least winning that division. And I'll be honest with you, Bills are eight and three. But I mean, the Cowboys need to win this game if they are legitimately going to try to put together

any argument that they are a contender. And in the night game, the New Orleans Saints getting a rematch from just a few weeks ago against the Atlanta Falcons. This one will be in Atlanta. The Falcons a few weeks ago came off of their by at one and seven, went into the super domin New Orleans and kind of shocked the NFL world in a sense by not just beating the Saints, but but quite frankly beating them handily.

And then the Falcons won another game and they were looking like, Okay, they're putting everybody in the NFC on notice who's on their schedule. Then last week they go out and their defense sort of reverted to form and they gave up a whole bunch of points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they lost again. Atlanta playing at

home against New Orleans. New Orleans trying to get to ten and two and keep pace with those teams like the forty Niners end the Seahawks that are sitting on top of the NFC right now, To do the Saints get the revenge? Here? Here's the thing, Yes, I would think so, but Atlanta, I've I'm done trying to figure them out. The one thing I will say, people are gonna look at it. They're gonna go nine and two

New Orleans against three and eight Atlanta. It's going to be an entertaining football game, like it's going to be fun. I just don't know if Atlanta is going to be able to you know, lightning is going to strike twice there. Uh. New Orleans has had ups and downs too, but every single time they've had a lull, they've bounced right back. And I just think when you look at their weapons, what they offer, there are so many challenges for Atlanta to be able to stop them twice in a row.

And offensively, there were years where Matt Ryan could just outshoot the other team. This hasn't been one of those years. So I think it's gonna really exciting. I'll probably get a chance to watch it on Thursday night, But other than that, I don't know where that one's gonna end up. It would be great for the Packers perspective, though. I mean, if New Orleans would question kind of, you know, drop their tea again, that's fine and Packers can make up

another game. Yeah, certainly certainly would help green Bay there. If if Atlanta were to get the season sweep over New Orleans quickly before we go, I have to get your thoughts on the game of the day in the NFL coming up on Sunday, which is the San Francisco forty Niners traveling across the country to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. I'm really disappointed we're not gonna be able to watch this game because it's at

the same time as Packers Giants. I know you and I'll be uh, you know, will be have a little try to have a little window up on our screen, on our computer screens, just to follow the play by play a little bit and see how the score is developing there. But what do you think of this game here? San Francisco at Baltimore. There's one matchup I want to watch and it's Lamar Jackson in that offense against San

Francisco's defense. Because you know this is gonna be something where you don't want to take these for granted, because it reminds me of two thousand fourteen. Are the Packers beat the Patriots? Is the last time that New England lost that season And we were like, all right, super Bowl preview and it doesn't work out that way. So you want to appreciate for what it is. There's a lot of things that can happen between now in February, and even though these two look like front runners in

their respective conference, a lot of things can change. So appreciate it for what it is. And that appreciation is the hail storm that Lamar Jackson is and just the way he stresses defenses, the integrity that you know, your gap integrity has to be perfect, your fundamentals have to be absolutely perfect. Oh and then by the way, he can hit you with a one two punch with their backfield when the ball isn't in his hands. So yeah, they can play that road grading one game and just

try to It's a beautiful thing to watch. And San Francisco is as good as anybody when it comes to defense. I mean, they are on a historic pace right now. If they can hold it in terms of their passing yards allowed that they're they're on pace to have the fewest passing yards allowed since nineteen sixty in the NFL, which in this age of renaissance, that's incredible. Pittsburgh, I should say, San Francisco Baltimore. Just seeing who comes out

of that slug fest, it's gonna be really fun to watch. Yeah, yeah, that's going to be I'm definitely gonna try to catch as many highlights of that game as I can, But for now, we do need to sign off on this edition of Packers on Scripted'd be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team, including Sunday afternoons game against the Giants that will all be on Packers dot com. Subscribed to us, like us on iTunes and other podcast services,

and check out the Packers YouTube channel. Happy Thanksgiving everybody, Thank you for tuning in. We will see you next time.