#549 Packers Unscripted: 3-for-3

to Sirius XM. And as far as NFL football was, we have a three and o Green Bay Packers team to talk about going down to New Orleans. The for the franchise is sake. The Packers get their first win in the super Dome since Super Bowl thirty one back at the end of the season. But in that's a big win for green Bay. Yeah, it really is, Mike, And you even said it there. You're the one that kind of put that out there last week, the fact that it had been since actually January. The Packers won

their last game there. You have to go back to for the last time that they beat the Saints there, and it was an emotional victory because I think they overcame a lot of adversity throughout those four quarters. Offensively, they still did a lot of what they've done. Now, mind you, they didn't have Davante Adams, but Alan Lazard comes through with a career day, six catches, a hundred

forty six yards touchdown. They got over a hundred yards from their tight ends, two touchdowns from those from that position. The Saints really wanted to take away Aaron Jones. The Packers said, Okay, well we'll go to our other guys and take advantage of some one on ones. And at the end of the day, it was Aaron Rodgers being Aaron Rodgers, and without these crowds in these stadiums, he has become a bona fide weapon with his cadence and

his stead and his his heart count. The fifth play of the game, Mike, he caught uh the Saints office hides and just a remarkable, uh you know performance by him. A hundred twenty one passer rating out through the first three games. Yeah, and when you look at this game, West, I think we knew going into this Sunday night football game it was going to be a back and fourth game. Teams were going to gain the momentum with their offenses moving up and down the field, And that's really how

it played out. But I can't remember a game, quite honestly, where you're in a tight one in the fourth quarter and the momentum shifted so instantaneously a couple of times because the score is tied, the Packers get stuffed on a fourth and one at midfield, the Saints take over, and you're thinking, boy, Drew Brees with a short field, they're probably gonna take the lead here, Aaron Rodgers gonna have to play from behind in the fourth quarter to

pull this out. But no. On the second snap of the saints next possession, Taysom Hill gets the ball knocked out by Zadarius Smith. Smith recovers the Packers have the ball right back, almost in the exact same place where they got stopped on the fourth and one. It was as though the field fourth and one never happened. The Packers go down and take the lead and stayed in command the rest of the game. Those momentum shifts were so huge and so quick back to back. It was

really an interesting occurrence in such a tight game. Yeah, and again you hope that the Packers defense and its totality will be better than the two thousand and eleven group was. But they've been as opportunistic as that team was when the Packers were just setting every scoring record, every offensive record that they were back nine years ago.

And this is one of those moments. I think there's a lot of really solid playmakers on that side of the ball, and when they given, you know, an opportunity to to take the ball away, you know they capitalize on it. Is that Darius Smith and then also kings Ley Kiki. He had a strip sack as well in this game. That was a big point of emphasis going into the season for Green Bay, not just getting sacks, not just you know, getting negative yardage plays, but going

for the football, attacking the football. They did that and Zadarius I mean again, Mike, the way that they're using him, the different areas of the field where he's lining up. You know, there's a couple of times where you know he's gonna take a chance and maybe it won't pay off, but the playmaking it that he brings to that position and how that play in itself was able to sort of turn the game on its head and the Packers were able to extract the momentum back at that pivotal

point of the contest. That really speaks to what sa Darius springs as a player and also the energy that he's infused into that locker room. Yeah, there there were certainly some things that didn't look good for the Packers defense in this game. Obviously, the tackling was an issue. Alvin Kamara nearly two yards from scrimmage, combining his rushing and receiving obviously the fifty two yard touchdown on the

catch and run, he had multiple miss tackles. An ugly play for the Packers defense and and one that they're certainly gonna hope not to repeat down the road. But I will say this west the way the Packers defense bounced back from that, because that's a demoralizing play that has a chance to completely take the wind out of your sales for the rest of a ball game on

that side of the ball. That didn't happen because the next two possessions for the Packers defense where the Zadarius Smith fumble we talked about, and then after the Packers took the lead with a field goal, they got a three and out with two of those tackles in those

three downs against Alvin Kamara in the open field. The Packers defense bounced back and rose up when it had to, and then the Packers offense was able to capitalize and get the touchdown that provided a two score lead with two minutes to go, the only two score lead that any that either team ever had in this game, and that's what finally sealed the win. Yeah, and you know what I loved about that series after the Zadarius uh Force fumble there, it was that it was the complimentary

players that really achieved it. It was Ty Summers who had come into the game and yeah, he was one of the guys that miss a tackle on that big Kamara run, but he came back and made a big solo effort. Jyr Alexander Mike. I can't compare him to the rest of the NFL. I haven't watched enough of these corners, but he's in the middle of a breakthrough right now with the way that he's performing and and

the way he covers the flat. I haven't seen a cornerback do it like that since maybe going back to Charles Woodson, and in terms of how a guy that just in the in space, he goes and he makes the tackle, he makes the play, and he's also just sticky Sticky Sticky's smooth and coverage. Incredible performance by him. And then Shannon Sullivan teaming up with with Kevin King at the end of that play, King pushing Kamara back inside, Sullivan making the tackle. It was the complimentary pieces that

pulled the game through for Green Bay. No Kitty Clark, Kevin King's Ley Kiki. You know you have to make adjustments. It had to be Ty Summers playing his first snaps in the NFL in a regular season contest on the defensive side of the ball, and he came through at nine tackles. Yeah. Well, on the offensive side, as you mentioned before, the Packers were without Davonte Adams and a

couple of things here. The Saints, they were loading the box here and there to cut to stop Aaron Jones after obviously the big game that he had against the Detroit Lions, and they were shading a safety over toward Marquis Velda scantling side most of the game to take away his speed and his potential for the deep ball. So what are the Packers do? They go deep to

Alan Lazard. Two big plays down the field against single coverage, Lazard has a forty eight yard or that puts the ball in the on the two yard line or three yard line. Then he has a seventy two yard catch and run on the opening possession of the second half. That also creates a goal to go inside the five. Lazard with six catches career high a hundred and forty six yards. That's how you make up for your number

one wide out not being in the lineup right. Yeah, absolutely, Mike, And also, as I mentioned, taking advantage of what the defense is giving you. If Lazard's gonna get one on one opportunities, Matt Lafleur started moving him around that big play the seventy two yard He came from the slot and moved across the field to be able to pull that one down and then nearly get inside the end zone.

You talked about loading the box up, Well, what was one of the adjustments the Packers made in the fourth quarter. You start moving around j Sternburger, you start moving your tight ends, You get the defense moving sideline to sideline, and that creates opportunities. Three catches for thirty six yards,

a twenty three yard catch from Sternburger. That's set off that final orring drive for Green Bay, the kind of bounce back the Packers wanted to see from the former third round pick after he had a couple of drops the last few weeks. But Mike, I'd be remiss. I have to talk about it. Alan Lazard, the player that he's become in this offense. This isn't about him just being a great story anymore an undrafted free agent. This is a guy that's becoming a bona fide number two

receiver on any football team. Not just what his skill set says or not where he was drafted, but the way that he has adapted himself to this scheme. If Aaron Rodgers throws a deep ball down the field, he catches it, who does that remind you of? That's a Jordy Nelson type feature attribute. His focus is concentration in his hands. That is what has enabled him to become the player that he's become in this offense. And basically

under a year at this point. Yeah, Well, this game really was and and much the same way in the first two games, although you had Davante Adams with the big game and Week one, Aaron Jones with the big game in Week two and we talked about the complementary pieces. This game was about the complimentary pieces taking on an even larger role, not just Alan Lazard, but the Packers

tight ends collectively Tanyan Sternberger Lewis. They combined for over a hundred yards receiving and a couple of touchdown passes. You mentioned Ty Summers stepping in for Christian Kirks you exited with a shoulder injury. Summers is wearing the communication helmet, calling the defensive signals. He's getting his first defensive action after playing only on special teams as a as a rookie, and Kingsley Kiki gets the two sacks. With Kenny Clark

missing uh missing a game. We'll see what happens with with Clark in practice this week if he can come back. But then the other the other glue to this whole thing West has been the Packers offensive line. They started with a different combination as a starting five for the third consecutive game, with Billy Turner making his twenty debut.

He's at right tackle, Lucas Patrick is at right guard, Elton Jenkins settling back into his customary left guard spot, Corey Lindsley at center, who was on the injury report but was able play. And then David Baktieri the rocket left tackle, and this Packer's offensive line list for all

the changes, all the moving parts. Only two sacks through the first three games, and Aaron Rodgers and Matt Lafleur both took the blame for the one against the Saints because it was a free rusher and what the Packers have been able to do establishing the running game. It wasn't as productive against the Saints, but it's still got done what they needed to to open up the things for the tight ends on the shallow stuff and then the deep stuff down the field. Almaz Art, Yeah, and

that's that's really been the starting point. I mean to have two sacks and three games, and you go back and look at Aaron Rodgers box scores and some of the sacks he's taken over the years. That is both a credit to him getting the ball out quicker, that's a credit to Matt Lafleur in their scheme and being comfortable with what's being asked of them. But most importantly, it's just how adaptable this offensive line has been. For

my money, you read it insider in boxing. What I wrote on Tuesday, David bat is the best offensive lineman, definitely the best left tackle in the league at this point. What he can do against the run. How stout he's been again the pass I mean the pancakes that he's had so far. He had one on the big pass to Lazard. And then also we talked so much about

Billy Turner, Rick Wagner and Lane Taylor. Well here comes Lucas Patrick out of nowhere, and he has now started three games at guard for Green Bay and they obviously have made a concerted effort to keep him there. Turner filling in really nicely. Then at right tackle, the third different right tackle that Aaron Rodgers has worked with so

far this season. So all those things come together, but it's about how those guys really have adapted, jelled, and credit to Adam Stanovich to for having those guys ready on game day. Yeah, well, a little bit of sponsored business here quickly was before I forget fans, be sure to gear up for game day. Open up Packers checking account from Associated Bank and score a fifty dollars Packers Pro Shop gift card. Learn more at Associated bank dot com.

Backslash packers. Okay, quickly West. Heading into Week four here, the Packers will be preparing for a Monday night football game at Labo Field against the Atlanta Falcons and a Falcons team that, quite frankly, just has to be reeling right now. They have loan two huge fourth quarter leads the last two weeks and losing to the Cowboys and the Bears. There's talk swirling about dan Quinn and his

job security in Atlanta. This is uh, this is one the Packers obviously can't overlook them, because, as Matt Lafleur said, this is going to be a hungry and I think a very angry Atlanta Falcons team that comes into lambau Field next week. Well, first and foremost, the Falcons are no longer allowed to make a change at the coaching position. We already have submitted dan Quinn's head shot for the game program on Monday night, so there are no no changes allowed now as we're going to do that at

the time we're taking this on Tuesday. But the floor said something else, Mike, He said, I mean the Falcons basically could be two in one right now, very easily with the way that these last two games have played out for them, demoralizing difficult. It's going to be a huge gut check for them coming into lambeau Field having the extra day to sort of stew over how things went against the Bears. But as we've seen with Matt Ryan and the weapons he has offensively, they can play

with anyone in the National Football League. That's why it's gonna be really critical for green Bay to get his health as they can get with some of these guys. Will see if Kenny Clark can come back or not, or if they wait until after the bye week. But it's just it's a team you can't take for granted. But as far as Green Bay is concerned, Mike three and O to start the season for the second consecutive year, Matt Lafleoor has only lost one time so far at

lambeau Field, and that was over a year ago. Now at this point, uh two points in the first three games, the most enfranchise history to start a season. All of these different accolades that they've had, I keep saying over and over again, well they just can't keep doing this, but they are, and that's a credit to them. Is

every Sunday gonna go perfect? No, is every play always going to be the best called no but to be three and O. Given everything that the league has dealt with already, that speaks volumes about Matt Lafloor, and it speaks volumes about this locker rooms ability to gel and be able to really can contour themselves to playing good football in spite of all the different setbacks they've had

this summer. Yeah, and I think if you had told me before the New Orleans game that the Packers are going to be without Davonte Adams, We're not going to rush for a hundred yards and we're still going to put up thirty seven points in the super Dome, out have said you are crazy. But one of the biggest keys to all of that has been the offense has not turned the ball over yet in three games. So you knock on wood a little bit to hope that

keeps going. But for now, we're going to sign off in this edition of Packer's Own Script and be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com. For Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We will see you next time.