#570 Packers Unscripted: Dandy of a day

the results fell for the Green Bay Packers. In the early part of the day, the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which gave the Packers the opportunity to clinch the NFC North Championship with a victory over the Lions, which Green Bay did with a thirty one victory. And as the Packers were kneeling that out, the Philadelphia Eagles were kneeling out an upset victory over the New Orleans Saints that now has the Packers technically in the

number one spot in the NFC. With that tiebreaker over New Orleans, it was a pretty good Sunday all all around for Green Bay. Yeah, it was like the opposite of my fantasy football team, Mike, where in that particular case, nothing went right for me. The last few weeks for the green Bay Packers. Everything went right for them on Sunday,

but namely their performance against the Detroit Lions. Now, I warned people, if you go back to Insider in box last week, anytime you crossed Lake Michigan, you have to throw out the records, especially when Matthew Stafford is the quarterback, and that held true. I mean, this is a matchup where going into Ford Field, there's just something about it, Mike, I don't know exactly what it is, but you can never just take that game for granted at any juncture

of the season. And even though they have an interim coach, even though they had a bunch of injuries on both sides of the ball, Detroit was game in this contest. But what I like that green Bay did. They started off fast, they started out efficient, and that first play, third play of the game for green Bay, first series of the game, being able to hit Davante Adams on

the sixty five yard. They were testing the Lions secondary that was without Jeff Acuta and all so a Desmond Truffont and I are they tested those young cornerbacks early on. It worked to the Packers benefit and we're able to

kind of control the tempo throughout those four quarters. Yeah, and we saw Davantae Adams make that bit of history that we had talked about last week where he got a touchdown reception in his eighth consecutive game, which snapped that franchise record tie with Don Hudson, and also just a touchdown rushing or receiving an eight consecutive games, broke

a tie with Paul Hornig Anamon Green. So Davante Adams sitting alone in the record book there with that streak, which hopefully for his sake, he'll continue against the Carolina Panthers this weekend. But you said it west offensively for the Packers. It was a fast start, first two possessions, two touchdowns, but then the Packers really took control of

this game at the start of the second half. It was a fourteen all tie at halftime, but the Packers got the ball to start the second half, put together two methodical drives, one that was almost nine minutes on the clock, the next one almost eight minutes on the clock. Both of those resulted in touchdowns, and sandwiched in between was a three and out by the defense, So suddenly twelve minutes remained in the ballgame. The Lions had run only three plays on offense and the Packers had a

fourteen point lead. That was that worked out absolutely as perfectly as the Packers could have asked for to get

command of that football game. Eight minutes and forty nine seconds to drive that far and as Rogers even said afterwards, a real grinding out kind of series for green Bay, And it was at an important time, Mike, because it sort of flipped the Packers typical game plan on its access, where they've had some really strong second quarters and then the third quarters have been times when they just haven't

really gotten the start they wanted. In this particular case, the Lions kind of, you know, grab some momentum at the end of the first half. Green Bay needs a response after a three and out to close the second quarter, and they get it that series in particular, trying to remember if it was three or four third down conversions they were able to make. The biggest one, of course, being probably one of the prettiest plays of green Bay season.

Marci was abled is scantling yards on third and fourteen, a play that started, mind you, Mike, with Robert Tunyan on the right side coming off the quick chip block ends up bowling over three Lions defenders. Aaron Rodgers could have had all week to throw that ball, and with that type of protection, with that type of time, Marquis Valdes Scantling making a big play. Six targets for Scantling

in this game, six receptions, eight five yards. Rogers was just emphatic in his praise of the third year receiver afterwards, talking about not only the strong hands, not only the way he stepped up when he was called upon, but the way in which he responded the last two weeks. You gotta remember, before that game against the Lions, his last catch was the fumble in Indianapolis. At the end of that game, he kept his shoulder, his head on his shoulders and was able to bounce back, and he said,

that's the reason. Rogers said, that's the reason why he's learning the respect this locker room and more importantly, earned his trust in this offense. But what was interesting with regard to the way the game developed for MVS is afterwards everybody was wondering, well, where were the deep balls

to MVS. What's forgotten is that that third quarter drive started with a third down and a deep shot to mvs but he draws a defensive holding penalty who's actually held up about ten yards from the line of scrimmage. The flag was thrown very early. Then the deep shot was overthrown as a result of that holding, so they did still try to go deep to him, but it was it was the way he was incorporated into the offense and all the other ways, the back shoulder throw

for the touchdown with the strong hands. You mentioned the comeback round on third and fourteen. Really interesting on that that drive for the Packers to open the third quarter. They had to overcome two holding penalties on that drive in order to get that touch and one of those was by Velde Scantling and then he makes up for it by converting on the third and fourteen to keep that drive going. So a lot of things the Packers were able to work through and and really get things

going there at the start of the second half. And I'll say this too, I think we saw and we'll be talking about this, I think in the coming weeks here, but I think we saw Aaron Rodgers make a legitimate move here toward a potential third m v P with him putting up another hundred and thirty plus passer rating game, three touchdowns, no interceptions. He's done that now, I believe is it nine or ten times in his career where

he's had a three touchdown game without any interceptions. He extended his lead in the passer rating category over Patrick Mahomes. He's Rogers now at one nineteen plus as far as his passer rating, and with Mahomes throwing three interceptions, Rogers has four. Mahomes has five on the year. So Rogers is and isn't gonna catch Mahomes In terms of the passing yards, Mahomes is already well over four thousand yards. Rogers is more than five hundred yards behind him with

three games to go. But all those other major categories for quarterbacks, Rodgers is in the lead right now, and I think he's got a legitimate shot at that third m v P. He really does. And I thought a performance like this, the fact that Mike the Packers have played now thirteen games this season. In one of those games Tampa Bay, Aaron Rodgers pass raining has been under a hundred and eight. Uh. He's been north of that

in twelve different games. That is a remarkable stat. Tom Fanning Packers Communications rep that they have here was just churning out the stats. Uh in in the career milestones that Rodgers has reached. Heck, he even surpassed the incomparable Tobin wrote for the all time franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. When this thing is all said and done, maybe absent, you know, the iron Man record that Brett five has, Rogers is gonna make a run

at all these here in Green Bay. But more importantly, Mike, I think this thing that stands out to me when I was looking at his stats and sort of digesting everything after the game on Sunday two thousand and fourteen, He's exceeding those numbers right now. He's he's kind of outpacing that. While the yardage isn't what it was in two thousand eleven, he's kind of closing in on a lot of those different stats as well. Thirty nine touchdown

passes through thirteen games. Just a remarkable season that he's put together. You can see the comfort in the offense. He's utilizing all of his perimeter weapons, He's getting Robert Tounyon involved the way he has with nine touchdown passes. He's making those running backs better Mike for a guy that allegedly didn't have any weapons to begin the season. I think the people that are going to be voting the national narrative that has been construed, they have to

make a decision here. Okay, was it that Aaron Rodgers didn't have any weapons like a lot of them said, he didn't at the beginning of the season, so naturally, I mean, my goodness, he should be the m v P. Right he's doing this with a bunch of guys from down the block at Bayport High School. Or is it the fact that maybe they underrated what the Packers had offensively and maybe Aaron Rodgers has just taking those different levels to the next step. Uh, that's what's gonna be

the big decisions they're gonna have to make. Because we all knew what Patrick Mahomes had coming back coming off a Super Bowl Aaron Rodgers, everybody's questioning thirteen and three? Is that a legitimate thirteen and three? Is it a fake thirteen and three? Because you know, it's just so easy to win thirteen regular season games in the NFL. No, this is a guy that is very much in the

thick of this thing. And if this pace holds Mike with three regular season games to go, I don't know how you can deny Aaron Rodgers a third m v P. Yeah, I think it's I think it's going to be difficult to do that. But there are still three regular season games left that is a legitimate chunk of the season, and both Mahomes and Rogers with some big games here

left to play. But since I was absent minded last week with regard to the sponsor business, I'm going to get to it a little bit earlier and my son gets to eat this week. It's awesome, Thank you, So here we go serious x M NFL Radio Channel eight is the only radio outlet dedicated to the National Football League seven days a week, three hundred sixty five days a year, and Packers fans score up to five hundred dollars for your devotion to the pack when you open

a Packers checking account from Associated Bank. Learn more at Associated bank dot com. Backslash Packers all right west on the defensive side of the ball for the Packers in this game against the Lions, I think it was and I wrote about this Monday night after Matt Lafleur addressed the media. It just seemed to be another one of those games with with a lot of ups and downs

on on the defensive side of the ball. There were some really good moments after you know, the Lions had had scored a touchdown early, then the Packers defense got a couple of stops and the Packers took a fourteen to seven lead. The three and out at the start of the second half that we talked about that was

also big. But then you look at the negatives and you know that drive in the fourth quarter when the Packers are up by two touchdowns and the penalty flags are just flying all over the place, you're giving the Lions. I believe it was four free first downs on that drive alone, five and all in the game. Because the

defensive penalties, those kinds of things are frustrating. And if there's a trend on the defensive side of the ball that you get concerned about here, it is that the Lions took the opening kickoff and went right down and scored a touchdown. The Packers have now allowed points on the opponent's opening drive in four of the last five games now, the Lions getting a touchdown, that's the only time that that opponent has put it in the end zone in this current street. The other ones were all

field goals. But the Packers defense is not coming out of the box, out of the gate, you know, right away in the first quarter, playing the kind of defense that they want to play. It's it's it's been this kind of roller coaster thing game to game series two series. That's just kind of what the Packers defense is right now. And and uh, hopefully you know you can get the key turnover, get the key stop. That's the kind of thing that this this Packers team is going to is

going to count on from the defense. But quite honestly, this Packers offense is going to have to continue its trend of of putting up thirty plus points, which it has done the vast majority of the season, to give themselves the best chance to win. Right now. Let's let's start this by quoting one of my all time favorite coaches in the nashvill Football League, Dom Capers. Let's start with the positives the Green Bay Packers defensively, there are

there have been a lot of upticks here. I think Dean Lowry is playing his best football the season right now. Kenny Clark looks healthy again, but unfortunately they lost mon Trevias Adams, so they got to figure out a rotation here and how they want to go about handling this thing moving forward. But Lowry and Clark have really impressed

me as of late. Kenny Clark also getting his second sack of the season at the end of the first half, an important time for green Bay after a jumping off sides penalty had just given the lines and on timed down uh Jaire Alexander playing an elite level the thing, and also with Shawn Gary, we have to see exactly where he's at health wise, but he got his fifth

sack as well. The thing that that is the most concerning to me at this point um on the other side of the spectrum for green Bay's defense is one they're making teams go the distance, especially on those opening series where it hasn't been one big breakdown. It's not a seventy yard catch that they're getting down the field and and then you know, putting points on the board, but there hasn't been a lot of I keep trying to think the right word in terms of like it's

it's too easy. Matthew Stafford completes six and seven on that opening drive. The only incompletion was a pretty obvious T. J. Hockinson drop. Uh, they aren't able to get the stops on third and long, which typically Green Bay actually has done a pretty good job of this year. That hurt them in this game. They they've stopped the run the last two weeks money, I mean, they only have a given up a hundred and fifteen rushing yards to running backs in the last two games. But it also in

those third and short situations. They just haven't been able to really hold their line and stop teams there. You've got to have one of these things sort of happened in order to win consistently on the defensive side of the ball. This team is talented enough, they're going to get takeaways. Those things are going to happen. But you also don't want to be like that eleven team that just had to live and die off the takeaways and then sort of hold on for dear life when those

things don't happen. They're deep enough, they're talented enough to do it. Unfortunately, they had lost Raven Green that caused a domino effect and they lose Channon Sullivan. But honestly, I thought, you know, Vernon Scott played well in a small basis. So it's just figuring out the right rhythm and tempo for this defense and being able to maintain it, because, Mike, the reality is we're gonna be talking about a lot

on Thursday. But if Christian McCaffrey plays this week and Derrick Henry plays next week, the Green Bay Packers are entering a very very difficult part of their schedule defensively making sure that they stopped two of the NFL's elite running backs. Yeah, and that's what I wanted to get to next, is that you mentioned the Packers run defense has been on the upswing here and I actually looked at it statistically. You go back these last three games. The start of the Bears game, the very first hand

off David Montgomery goes fifty seven yards. Since that opening handoff of the Chica Ago Bears game, in the last three games, the Packers run defense has allowed only three point nine yards per carry to the running backs of the opponents. So that's taking out the quarterback scrambles and these other things that get thrown into rushing yards. That really isn't a reflection of your run defense. Running backs.

After the fifty seven yard run by Montgomery. Running backs only have about a hundred and forty rushing yards over the last three games. But here comes potentially Christian McCaffrey on Saturday night at lambeau Field. Then the following week the NFL's not only reigning rushing king from twenty nineteen, but league leading rusher in trying to go back to back in that category in Derrick Henry. So this uptick in the Packers run defense is going to get tested.

They're going to it's you know here it is prove that your run defense really is, you know, making the strides that you wanted to make heading into the playoffs. You can't ask for too bigger tests back to back Now again, McCaffrey will see where things are injury why is But the reports that we're hearing is that he's potentially returning to practice this week. He was held out last week when some people thought he would play UM and UH and McCaffrey and Henry back to back. UM.

The challenge doesn't get too much tougher than that. It really doesn't like And it's funny too, because they're completely different running backs to UH. Christian McCaffrey is just an all around weapon. Now, we've got to see exactly where he's at healthwise. He's only played in what three games this season? If he does go or if he's limited, we're gonna have to see exactly how how much you

know he's going to be available to them. And then the other thing the Panthers have to start thinking about is not necessarily shutting him down, but do you really want to put more tread or take more tread off of his tires here in a year that has, you know, ultimately basically been lost for them now sitting at four and nine. But if he does play, he can hurt

you in a number of different ways. The one game he played on when he came back, I think he ended up putting up however many total yards and whatnot. I mean, he's he's a definite playmaker, one of the best in this NFL. And Derrick Henry Man. I mean, the thing about Derrick Henry is he's a monster truck. And you don't want to just go tackle monster truck with my Grand Prix out there. You need several automobiles

in order to stop that guy. And that's where this it's on the defensive front, it's on the outside linebackers holding their edges. It's on the inside linebackers being able to be stout, and even the guys when he does trickle in the secondary with the defensive backs making sure that they gang tackle. Grimy did an interesting thing in this game, like looking back at Sunday, they rotated all three their inside backers. I don't know the last time

I've seen that. Typically you always go with one every down guy, the the mic that is their first second and the usually the only inside lane back around the field on third down, that Blake Martinez type. This game, they use Kamal Martin, they use Chris Barnes, and they use Christian uh uh curtsy. I maybe you know this. I didn't really see a big parallel and where they use specific personnel. It just seemed like they rolled all

of them. So figuring out what that combination is going to be is gonna be critical, because not only are they going to it matched against potentially McCaffrey as a pass catcher, but there's gonna be those instances to where they're gonna have to take that guy on head on, and it's gonna have a big impact on whether or not the defense is going to be able to get

off the field. Yeah. I mean one way to look at this is, you know, if McCaffrey does play on Saturday Night, he's sort of like you're you know, almost like your rematch with Alvin Kamara and the potential preview of the playoffs in terms of how you're going to handle a guy like Kamara if the Packers were to face the Saints in the postseason. We all know what Dalvin Cook did to the Packers. Well, Derrick Henry and

Dalvin Cook. It's not totally apples to apples, but those guys are pretty you know, similar in a lot of ways. And you look at a running back like Cam Akers and what he's doing for Rams, you know, a team like that that looks like it's headed to the postseason. So, um, these are you know, the these are the tests that are going to that are going to get the Packers ready for the postseason. In really, what is in my opinion,

their most vulnerable defensive area. Um, even though it's been trending better of late, but their most vulnerable defensive areas, certainly considering what happened last January, is the defense against the run. Yeah, And the other thing to keep in mind too at this Panthers game, and again we'll talk more about it on Thursday, But even if McCaffrey is limited, or even if he doesn't play, we'll see how the

week shuffles out. Mike Davis has had kind of a resurgence this year for Carolina and he actually fits what Matt role and that offense wants to do pretty dang well. He's been a good fill in piece. He can catch the ball, he can run. He's not as dynamic as McCaffrey, but he's been a definite one B to what McCaffrey has done. And keep in mind, this is the guy that barely ever played when McCaffrey was healthy. McCaffrey's in every down back. They don't they don't have a Jamal

Williams that's coming off the bench to spell him. I mean, he just goes and for Mike Davis to step up the way he has, He's actually performed pretty admimably uh in the last few months when McCaffrey has been down well. As we mentioned at the top of the show, the Packers ten and three tied with the New Orleans Saints now for the top record in the NFC. The Packers technically in the number one seed with the head to head victory over New Orleans, so the table is set

for Green Bay. If the Packers can run the table from here three straight victories, they will be the number one seed. They will get the first round by in the NFC um elsewhere. As far as the the NFC playoff picture, you've got the Rams and the Seahawks are going toe to toe here. I think they're going to meet in week sixteen for a head to head matchup

that could decide the NFC West title. Um. The NFC East is, you know, still a bit of a mess um, but Washington is the team that is definitely coming on strong there with with Alex Smith at quarterback and now it's Dwayne Haskins again. So it's just like it's been a mess we'll see. I mean, fortunately for Alex Smith, they're saying it's just a calf injury, so it isn't anything serious with regard to his his previous leg injury that had kept him out obviously for a couple of years.

But then this this NFC wild card picture, rus, I mean, it's like, you know, the Bears and the Vikings are gonna play each other this week. They're both six and seven. The winner kind of stays alive in the hunt. The loser is probably out of it. The Arizona Cardinals they kind of you know, they they snapped their losing streak. They beat the Giants, so they're in the in the

thick of this wild card thing. Obviously, the team that doesn't win the NFC West between the Seahawks and the Rams is most likely going to get a wild card spot. But still a lot of stuff to be determined. And certainly the Packers winning all three games here and finishing thirteen and three to get the number one seed, that's not a given with the schedule. Uh, with the schedule

the Packers have. If McCaffrey comes back, obviously Derrick Henry, and if the Bears are playing for something in week seventeen at Soldier Field, that's a that's a lookout type of game too. Yeah. I made that point an inbox to Mike. I know everybody they want to talk about. Okay, Packers have issues on the defense. They gave up the seventy one yard return to Jamal egg knew there's things

that they have to shuffle out. No question, everybody has answers as questions they have to answer though right now, and I think this past week was good proof of it, Mike. When you look at New Orleans, the fact that they have the best defense in the NFL statistically, well, that didn't help him much against Miles Sanders when he's screaming down the field from an ad two yard touchdown. It didn't help him much when Jalen Hurts ends up going off and being able to use his legs to extend plays.

This is the type of thing where remember when I was saying in in October and the end of September that that last three weeks is probably is going to be what separates that number one seed from the rest of the group. The Green Bay Packers are sitting in a very nice advantageous position right now. They have good competition coming up. None of these three games are gonna be pushovers. But to be here in week fifteen now and have your schedule in they always use the control

your own destiny thing. But to be able to be playing in front instead of how many years were you and I have covered this thing, Mike, and they've been trying to play catch up, that is an incredible position for Green Bay to be in and it shows you that the team that's most consistent, there's gonna be highs and lows, but the team that's most consistent is the one that's going to be there in the end. Yeah.

And the other one I should mention when we talk about the NFC playoff picture, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. They got a big win over the Minnesota Vikings, which obviously helped the Packers in clinching the NFC North. But now suddenly with the Saints taking a loss and they're not sure if Drew Brees is coming back yet and they have to play the Chiefs, and the Buccaneers are are two games back of the Saints with three

games to go. Now, the Saints swept them um in the regular season, so they have the they have the two oh tiebreaker advantage there. But that division, the NFC South, isn't actually decided. No, no, it isn't. And one of the big reasons for that is again getting back to the consistency side of things. And I think everybody just anticipated and just assumed that New Orleans was just gonna run through Philadelphia, and the Eagles figured a couple of

things out in that game. Yes there were moments of adversity, Yes there was times where it looked like the Saints might in fact pull themselves back into it. But sometimes, Mike, you know the way the ebbs and flows of a game go. If you just have enough wind in your sales and you can get to that fourth quarter, no matter what your record is, no matter how good or bad they say you are, you're going to find a

way to pull it out. And and for green Bay that ended up being a blessing because here they are now with three to go and sitting atop the NFC with that tiebreaker over New Orleans. All right, well, with that, we will call it a wrap on this edition of Packers on Scripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team all week long on Packers dot com for Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.