What's up, everybody? Welcome to Packers on scripted I'm your host. Wes Hawk was joined by an extra special guest, Larry mccarin, stepping in for Mike spot for today. Larry, thank you for coming on the show. Hey, Wes, can you explain the rules to me? Now? Are verbal spats allowed? Perhaps in extreme cases even fisticuffs? How don't you if you want to come across the studio and set me straight?
You want the rules? I want to dound so I don't you know, step over the line if you know you're you're totally within your right whatever you need to do. But but yeah, we we, we do appreciate you jumping out with us, Larry. The Green Bay Packers, for the third time since nineteen nine, clinched the number one seed in the NFC. More important probably than any other you're considering they're only one first round bio the NFC, and that came courtesy of a thirty five sixteen win over
the Chicago Bears. Larry, the Green Bay Packers finishing pretty strong here on the regular season Slate certainly had to dig down deep to pull this one out. But just your first impressions of that victory, and what it meant to go down to Soldier Field and get another win over the Bears. Well about your previous comment about finishing strong, I think that is so important and for just this moment,
regardless of opponent. I mean, when you get on a roll, and the Packers are on a roll, what do they want five straight And it's the kind of situation where they are playing their best football at the best time, the most important time, and confidence. Uh, success breeds confidence, and so this is a great situation for them to
be in. And then to go down and ice the thing, ice the number one seed, the home field advantage, and they'll buy that goes with it in Chicago against the Bears, who had all kinds of hopes, dreams and aspirations about that game. To get that done, I think it speaks volumes about the Green Bay Packers and their chances going forward, and Larry starting off on the offensive side of all. Aaron Rodgers nineteen twenty forty yards, four touchdowns, a hundred
and forty seven point nine passer rating. The I believe it was the fourteenth time to see her over a hundred passer rating. Kind of putting that final stamp in a lot of minds of many on the m m VP season what would be his third There were a couple of moments in this game though, I thought, right off the bat, this was gonna be something where they needed to start fast. They need to get their offensive
rhythm going. And and Rogers got this group, you know, right from the get go, kind of right up against it. Not having David baktr he got them into a rhythm. And it seemed like with getting three quick scores really sort of set the tempo for this game. Yeah, And wasn't it a crazy way the game started? The Bears possessed the ball for a major block of the first quarter, and then the Packers possessed it for the rest of
the first quarter and into the second. And I thought the Packers did a nice job early on of adjusting to what the Bears were doing against Davante Adams. The Bears don't normally travel a corner, but they were traveling Kyle Fuller, their best corner corner that has Pro Bowl credentials. They were traveling him with DeVante, and at the minimum he was on the same side of the field, and if DeVante was wide, he was right across from him.
And despite the fact Fuller is a real deal corner, they also had safety help over the top, and so the Packers they got a digestie adjust to it and still moved the ball while going through those adjustments. And they managed that and thanks mostly to the greatness of Aaron Rodgers West. I have seen every game that young man has played. I don't think he's ever played better. And the m VP thing, to me is a non argument case closed. I mean it is, it shouldn't even
be close. If somebody wants to debate best of all time, best player I've ever seen, I'll be willing to debate that. But I still think he's not only the m v P best player I've ever seen. Yeah, and there's a couple of moments in this game. The one that really stands out to me too is the past to marquisveld Is scandling, the first one that goes for the seventy
two yard touchdown. Matt Lafleur told a really interesting story on Monday about that how play clocks going down, there's a little bit of confusion in the Chicago defense, and he trusted his quarterback in that instance to make sure that not only getting the playoff, but getting the Packers into the right matchup, he kept all of his assets. I'll side he was thinking about maybe bringing in Jamal Williams into the backfield. He keeps him out. They stay
in the empty formation and they get mvs. Matched up against Danny Trevathan. Travathan is one of my favorite inside linebackers for a long time in this league, but that's going to be a mismatch. Rogers puts it over the top of seventy two yard touchdown. Really seemed to be the explosive play to kind of get this offense firing. Well, the match up you're talking about West that is Trevathan four seven coming out versus mvs. Four three coming out.
And the thing maybe underappreciated in the play the Bears after Aaron left Jamal Williams on the outside. After that, when the ball was snapped, the Bears had a jammed the line of scrimmage. Packers had five blockers. The Bears had him outnumbered. Duke Shelley, their nickelback is coming free. So Aaron out of the corner of his eye, he's got a free blitzer coming and then he totally puts that aside as he thought the Bears were confused. There's
gonna be a mismatch. He finds that mismatch and then unleash just a throw. I don't know if you noticed a trajectory. I just did a chalk talk on this, and this is why suddenly I have total recall. I don't know if you noticed the trajectory of this throw, but it was not an ally oop job. It was thirty six yards in the air, on the line to a spot, and it hits MVS in dead perfect stride. Amazing. And when you see like stuff like that, you said, that is other worldly. It ain't normal, but it is
Aaron Rodgers it was and agreement. Packers get off to a fast start in the first half. Wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Though the third quarters some adversity hits. Obviously, Rogers hits MBS on another deep all this time he campering it in drops it. Packers go first punt of the game. Then they go three and l But I thought, Larry, this is where the defense really did shine, and in the improvements they've made in the second half of the season. Very quietly, this ended up being a top ten unit
this season. They got the takeaways number nine. Yeah, they got the takeaways they were looking for late season. They improved against the run defense this game. David Montgomery only two carries for sixty nine yards, but most importantly Larry the adversity defense in this whether it was in the red zone holding them to one of five or just some of the different kind of adjustments that Mike Petton made.
I felt like the second half, until the Packers got going with that twelve play drive to start the fourth quarter, the defense really took the game from there. Yeah, and certainly the defense in between the twelve play what was the seventy six yard drives. If you look at that's the meat of the sandwich. On the outside of that, there was Channon Sullivan's big play breaking up a pass and then on the other side Adrian Amos with an interception.
But I think overall the Packer defense has really improved, and I think part of it was just attitude, putting that setting that hair on fire and getting hats to the ball and just playing with that kind of energy, that kind of effort, and as you mentioned, it's brought them up in the standings, and if you look at a number of different type situations, the various defensive categories you can look at. I mean there are suddenly, you know, after the Viking game they were in the twenties of
number one. The first week of the season, they're in the twenties as far as defense goes, and now they are very respectable and more in all the important categories. Hats off to Mike Patton and his group. They really came on throughout the season. And I'll tell you West, one of the things about teams that contend is they get better throughout the year. I know, it sounds kind of simple. Everybody wants to get better, but not everybody does it. The teams that contend figure out a way
to keep improved being throughout the year. And the Packers, and in particular defense is a perfect example. And now, hey, people, when they talk about the Green Bay Packers are green Bay Packer football team, opponents are saying, Hi, the women and children guys are to Yeah. No, they most certainly are. And one other comparison, I drew too, and it's not a full on straight line thing, but this defense reminds
me a lot of the four team unit. Now, there wasn't a big adjustment where like Clay Matthews moving to inside linebacker, but Chris Barnes stepping in as the MIC. Now, I think that's brought the most out of this thing. His communication skills, his ability to read an offense and understand the adjustments that need to be made. Seems like Christian kirksey move into the will spot has actually really helped him, and obviously the rotation they've gotten going there.
But more than anything, Larry he's a guy that doesn't get a lot of glitz and glamor he wasn't voted to the Pro Bowl. I'm guessing he probably won't end up being an All Pro. But Adrian Amos has really taken his game, I felt, to another level the second half of the season. Whether it's moving into that dimes out that Raven Green plays, or just his ability and you're talking about attitude, he brings it. Man. There was
one other moment in that game. I can't remember exactly the sequence, but there were about two or three guys that didn't really finish their tackles. Adrian Amos comes blazing in there and he ends the play and obviously got the interception to kind of seal it at the end. UH he's the kind of guy. I mean when they signed him from Chicago two years ago, they felt like he was on the ascent. And I think you've seen him as he's gotten more comfort in Mike Patton's defense.
Really that that has brought the best out of his game. Now when Adrian gets there, he arrives in a bad mood. He puts the wood to people. And as you talk about the defense, and I'll get to Adrian in just a moment, but the defensive improvement. I was talking to Bears Radio during the pregame segment on Sunday and they were asking about the Packers defense, and if you look at it, you know where's the improvement coming from. Well, the Packers are getting in provement from all three levels.
Let's start at the line of scrimmage. Very important. Kenny Clark got healthy. You know, those those core type injuries. Boy, you can play, but there's a difference between being okay and being one yourself. And I think towards the end of the season, Kenny got healthy and even though he didn't make the Pro Bowl, he is playing at a Pro Bowl level. And then you mentioned him earlier. Inside the Packers seem to have settled on Chris Barnes as
their every down inside linebacker. Now, Christian Kirksey, Camal Martin. They'll get the reps in different personnel groups, but every down, Chris Barnes is the guy, and he's just a football player. If you watch him sometimes slow down one of his tackles on film. If you watch him, there's just some natural in eight snapped to his game. Stuff happens the other guy Boom. He's jolted when Chris Burns hits him, and instinctively he is just he belies that rookie status.
I mean, he's like a four or five year veteran when it comes to instincts. Okay, so you got the first two levels and then in the back end you know jay Ere he's been lights out all season long. But you talked about Adrian and I also have to mention Darnell Savage. I think suddenly the Packers coaches, defensive planners, strategists, what have you kind of figured out? How do we use these guys where we can where can we place
them to take full advantage of their tools? And I think, as you mentioned with the injury rayburn Green, that opens some opportunities up for Adrian Amos near the line of scrimmage.
I believe Darnell Savage has had more opportunities to play that robber roll, that lurk role where you're kind of BACKDRD rush, reading the quarterbacks eyes and you can jump on things because that young man has incredible physical tools, and you can see when he jumps on something, when he sees it, it looks like he's at full speed, and the rest of the field and all these guys are fast. Yeah, the rest of the field is in
slow motion compared to Darniell Savage. So you add all those things up, and suddenly we got the ninth rated defense in the league. Absolutely, Green Bay Packers thirteen three. I'd be remiss. Leary gotta end on this note to
all these records that Green they ended up breaking. Aaron Rodgers forty eight touchdown passes new franchise record, seventy point seven completion percentage I think is one of the more underrated numbers with his season, a guy that for so long people are talking about him holding onto it too long, throwing it away seventy point seven ends up leading the
National Football League among qualifying quarterbacks in that category. Davante Adam ends up resetting the single season mark for catches, also tie Sterling Sharps mark with eighteen touchdown receptions and Robert Tonyan larry eleven touchdown receptions right there, Paul Kaufman's record thirty seven years old, and then Robert Tonyan, the former undrafted free agent out of Indiana State breaks them for a for a team that many people felt like
didn't have a lot of weapons coming into the season, it's it's kind of interesting how it's worked out for them. On the offensive side the ball, finishing the year obviously leading the league and scoring and then also the most efficient red zone offense in the National Football League. Well, you know, you mentioned all the people involved in all those milestones and tremendous individual efforts and achievements, and the
chemistry game to game between Aaron and Davante. I don't think I've ever and Aaron has enjoyed tremendous chemistry with his receivers throughout his career, but I don't think I've ever seen chemists tree to this level. But at the center of it all the eye of the storm, I think you have to go to Aaron Rodgers, Uh, because his play. He's the trigger man. He's the guy getting done.
And I don't know, West, when you look at and we will be doing this, when you look at the opponents, and you look at how the Packers match up, and they have this guy and they do this well and all that kind of stuff, do you ever stop and think that the Packers enjoy such an advantage at the most important position that all the rest of it is window dressing. I mean, this guy is so off the chart, otherworldly great that whoever I mean a great example of
this last couple of weeks, Ryan Tannehill. He's having a terrific season by anybody standard, including his own. He theater got he thought he got screwed out of the Pro Bowl. I mean, by anybody's standard, he's having a terrific season. But did you notice the difference between what he could do, how he led, the things he could get accomplished on the football field, between him and Aaron Rodgers Not even close, right, Mitchell Travisky, I mean, all I could do is just
say the same things I already have. So when you got that guy pulling the trigger, I mean, and sometimes I think, you know, we go into the game we're up twenty one. Nothing it really is. I mean, that's the way sometimes these things play out. Obviously, Rogers playing it because we talked about an m v P level. Will find out another month from now whether or not that ends up being his third NFL m v P Larry thirteen and three. The Packers clinched the number one seed.
Aaron Rodgers said after the game, it's it's not maybe the same home field advantage as previous years because you're
not gonna have a Ruckus Rambo lambeau Field crowd. But still that being said, having watched this team like we have this season, it does seem like there is a palpable energy and enthusiasm and really just an understanding of the field and the elements that that really could benefit Green Bay here in the month of January for as many games as they can host at Lambo Field, well depending on the day West I think elements could be
a factor. And this may be all washed up, but I'll throw it out there anyway because it's what I think. I don't think the opponents coming in say it's a snowy, blustery type classic green Bay winter day, say the playoff games are played under those conditions, I don't think the opponent comes in here shaken in their boots because it's cold outside. I don't think it's that. I think the big advantage for the Green Baby Packers comes in the fact that the Green Bay Packers, to their core, think
it's their kind of weather. They live in it, they practice in it, and if they've been here any length of time, they embrace it. And I think what the Packers have going for them in weather situations is the packers own attitude. The heck with the other guys, it doesn't matter because the Packers when they take that field, they think this is and they believe this is Packer weather. And I think the elements could play a role. Yeah, thirteen and three back to back season's first time Green
Bay has done that in twenty three years. We'll see exactly how that scenario plays out. A week from now. We do know it'll either be Tampa Bay Washington, Los Angeles Rams, or a rematch with the Chicago Bears. And I even said, I don't really think there's a bad matchup in that bunch. You could get La Fleur versus Sean McVeigh. You could get the rematch against the Bears.
Green Bay versus Washington could be compelling considering the relationship and friendship that Rogers has with Alex Smith, who has made his way back to the NFL really and obviously the rematch with Tampa Bay that game could be very different at lambeau Field. All those different scenarios that we'll get sorted out this weekend, the Green Bay Packers get a chance to sit back, relax and see how everything unfolds. Yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely, Well,
thank you so much, Larry. I appreciate you stepping in. That is our show. We wish everybody a wonderful week and be sure to stay tuned to Packers dot Com. Mike Spofford. Hopefully we'll be back in the chair with us later this week. But we appreciate job. What do you mean, Well, you did a fantastic You can replace me this week too if you want as well. You're more than one. But for Larry, I'm west. I don't want to throw in a verbal barb or something. No,
absolutely I didn't. I didn't really give you a chance to like spar with me too much, So maybe maybe that will save that for the next next time. Maybe I'll get you in the Hall, back to our desk absolutely, But for Larry, I'm West and until next time, take m