#622 Packers Unscripted: Six straight

on Sunday at lambeau Field ten. The final score, green Bay wins its sixth straight, now six and one on the season, with a two and a half game lead in the NFC North following a Bear's loss and the Vikings being on thereby. Um yeah, after week one. This is exactly what we thought, right, we'd be sitting here

talking about the Packers being six and one. Funny too, I know everyone's drawn up those stats about how hey, it's the first time ever a team has won six straight games after a thirty five point loss one the week after it was the first team to win five straight games after So we have to see how far they could take this thing. You know, it was funny.

I was driving on my typical route after I leave lambeau Field, You're going down Lombardi Avenue, pretty much dead to the world by the time you leave the stadium, And I was sitting there thinking to myself, like, you know, we witnessed some darn things over the years. You know, some some interesting games, some of them of which have

happened during this winning streak. But I don't know if there's anything more apropos than Green Bay having a setback like they did in Week one and then finding a way to write the shift and continually getting better throughout the course of their six game winning streak, despite the fact they keep taking hits to their defense, especially but as we found out today, um, you know, their offense

potentially going into Thursday. But the fact of the matter is, Mike, finally, the green Bay Packers defense played the way situationally, they needed to play. They were gonna have to do it at some point. You can limit teams, you can limit their opportunities, you can limit the explosive plays, but when you get down to the brass tacks and the red zone, you have to be able to get stops and the

Packers got four of them consecutively to win this game. Yeah, you know how I I always like to say this is a week to week, right, I mean, yes, there are certain things that are indicators and and things that you follow, and the numbers of the numbers, you can't

argue with the facts. But there's no maybe no better example within a given team than going fifteen consecutive defensive possessions in the red zone, allowing touchdowns and then suddenly getting four consecutive stops, two of them inside the five yard line, one of them with an interception in the end zone, and then forcing a field goal at the end of the game when the Packers were up by three scores in Washington, was just trying to get within

two scores at that point. Hats off, Hats off to this Packers defense because, as you said, the injuries that they've dealt with, Preston Smith, his career long consecutive game streak came to an end, Kevin King still not back, and we all know of course about Zadarius Smith and Jayar Alexander currently being on injured reserve and uh and the Packers defense came to play. Um they yes, they gave up a bunch of yards Washington was able to

move the ball. I will say this though, the four hundred and thirty yards that a lot of people are focusing on, just remember sixty five of those Roughly we're in the last two minutes of the game when the Packers were up by fourteen and essentially letting Washington run out the clock, which is what they did. So it really was a defensive performance of less than four hundred yards on top of the four the four red zone stops. And this is what the Packers defense needed to do.

They've been they've been building this foundation of where this defense is headed week by week right west, and and they just they laid down another pretty significant building block in this victory over Washington. I'm glad you use the term block, because I mean you take a piece by piece here right the way the Packers played collectively as a unit. You don't have Preston Smith a hundred and two consecutive games, played a hundred and seven if you

count in his five postseason appearances. Most NFL players would give an arm or a leg to play a hundred and two games in the NFL. NFL let alone doing that consecutively. Preston Smith has been an absolute iron man. You don't have him, though, so what has to happen? He's not available, so Darius is dealing with his back injury on injured reserve. It was time for the third Smith brother to step up for Shawn. Gary was a first round pick, the twelve pick and the two thousand

and nineteen NFL Draft. The moment was gonna come where the Packers were gonna need to lean on that young man, and he came through in Spains. I mean I saw the Stafford Pro Football Focus ten pressures he was credited for by that stat agency. He had four quarterback hits objectively, and then also with the two sacks in that game, one of which was really a momentum turner there at

the beginning of the second half. Green Bay gets that scoring drive, you get the fourteen to seven lead at halftime, but we always talked about doubling up right that possession by Arizona. They go out there, it looks like they're gonna have a chance to answer what the Packers did, and Rashan Gary gets the ball back to Green Bay. They score another touchdown. Suddenly it's seven game. There's a lot of guys. You can talk about Russell Douglas, Kenny Clark, Kingsley, Kiki,

the way he finished this game, Dean Lowry. The list goes on and on. An incredible, you know, end zone interception from Channon Sullivan and Adrian Amos coming up with a big you know, turnover on downs play, but Rashan Gary stepping up and being a dominant player. The Packers needed it, and I thought he really took a massive

step forward in this one. Yeah. Absolutely, And I'm glad you mentioned the double up thing because we talked about that with the strategy and and you know, with the coin toss and that, and this is the second game in a row where the Packers lost the coin toss. The opponent deferred in order to have the opportunity to

double up, and in very different ways. The Packers completely thwarted the strategy last week against Chicago, it was the defense getting a stop at the end of the first half, getting a stop at the start of the second half to maintain the small lead that the Packers had. This time, as you mentioned, the Packers get the ball three minutes left in the first half, drain the clock and get a touchdown on a beautiful back shoulder from the slot.

Uh throw, Aaron Rodgers to Al Lazard. You don't see back shoulders from the slot very often, and Rogers and Lazard pulled that off. So that's the touchdown that puts the Packers in the lead. Washington has no time left in the first half to answer, and then on the second play of the opening possession of the second half, Rashawn Gary just berries Taylor Heinrich in the pocket, the ball comes out, Dean Lowry grabs it, actually gets it on the fly before he even where the ball even

goes to the ground. And then a couple of plays later, Aaron Rodgers to Bobby Tony and the Packers are in the end zone. Again. It's a two touchdown game, and for the second week in a row, the opponent's opportunity to double up ends up being a stretch of the game where the Packers take control and establish who's got command of the football game. And you know, Green Bay, you talk about defense, you know, being able to set the tone in a game, and I felt like that's

what they did specifically in the second half. I mean, as Alan Lazard said after the game, this wasn't the picture perfect performance. I'm sure Green Bay's offense wanted against you know, Washington. There was too much pressure on Aaron Rodgers.

They weren't able to establish the run. There are a lot of things that kind of worked against him, but the defense was the one that kind of gave them the jolt and obviously gave them an incredible opportunity to put points on the board that ended up leading to the tongue in touchdown. But I just thought you saw those two phases play off each other really well. The fact of the matter is, to Mike, total yardage that is sort of an antiquated, archaic way to sort of

judge defenses. I think everyone pretty much agrees with that now because you look at a game like this. Yes, there were four and thirty total yards. Some of that again came on that last drive, but it was what green Bay did over four against the opposition, the red zone, over two in goal, the ghost situations. Certainly, I know some people brought up an insider inbox. Well, you know, the the Heineke play was sort of a fluke. But see that's the thing, Mike, that is the NFL. Everything

is not going to be perfect. Things like that happens in this league every single week and multiple times in any given game. It's a matter of it's a matter of whatever happens, how do you respond to it? Who rises up in a big situation? The quarterback sneak on the one yard line. That's not what you expected to happen because everybody thought Taylor Heineke had scored a touchdown. Well, somebody had to make a play on fourth and goal from the one. The Packers were the team that made it. Yeah,

and Devonga. Campbell made a lot of plays in this game and thirteen tackles, two force fumbles, including one he was credited for on the Heineke sneak, which then ultimately ended up being stopped after heine corral the ball. Gary made the stop there. Two turnovers on downs inside the five yard line for Green Bay. Again, a defense that's missing Jerry Alexander, you know, Kevin King unable to play, you know, Press the Smith. The list goes on and on.

To get contributions from Campbell the way they have and some of these young guys, especially on this defensive line, to Mike the one position where the Packers have been healthy that has enabled this group to be a top ten defense here at the beginning half of the season in real realistically. As Aaron Rodgers said afterwards, there he

feels like the offense is close. And this idea that the Packers are six and one without maybe playing their best football yet and definitely not having the best version of themselves on the field, that bodes well for them down the stretch, even though they're going to be facing an incredibly difficult November stretch. And I want to touch on one other thing with regard to the offense too,

because you mentioned it. The y in defensive front completely took away the run was dominating the line of scrimmage. Early in the game, the Packers couldn't run the ball and Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times in about the first quarter and a half of play. But then that drive at the end of the second quarter, the past

protection settled down. The Packers still never really found a running game throughout the entirety of this ball game, but the past protection settled down late in the second quarter, and then that held through the second half to where even though the Packers couldn't run the ball the one drive there there after the one turnover on downs, they're backed up on their own four yard line, but they were able to come out of there and drive down and get a field goal to make it a three

score game. And and the past protection settling in against a really, really tough Washington front, I thought was what solidified at least the offense being able to do just enough to maintain the lead and and finish this game. Aaron Rodgers had such a great line last Wednesday, Mike, where you talked about, you know, statistics, they are kind of whatever you make them. They and sort of provide

evidence to whatever you want your argument to be. I thought that the kind of doggedness that people have sort of had towards Washington's defense, or the trepidation that you know, people talking about how they haven't really lived up to the hype, I'll selly well, Mike, I don't care what their total defense ranking is. If you just looked at that what that unit on Sunday, that's an impressive unit. I mean, Chase Young and Monte sweat team has advertised

Jonathan Allen had a big game. They can pressure with four and get to the quarterback. Yeah, they don't have they don't have to blitz and I said it an Insider inbox in Monday morning's column. That looked like and I was wondering all week long last week, and we're right when I said, something doesn't compute here with regard to the talent on this Washington defense and where they were ranked, Well, that looked like the Washington defense that won the NFC East last year and put that team

in the playoffs. Yes, I know Washington is now two and five. This could be a turning point, uh for that team because because the defense was starting to look more like the version that was re be really good. And let's never act like the NFC East is just all solidified. Yes, Dallas is off to a fine start for she still a lot of football. We played Washington. One of the reasons they made the playoffs last year

is because they made a big run. Just to make one last comment on that, Taylor Hanekey Heineck, Mike, I said it to you last week. I think we might even said on the show, the kid is a gamer, and I thought he proved that again. Now I understand he doesn't have the NFL first round pick. Arm I know he doesn't have the stature, but the kid is tough, he's willing to run, and he's not afraid to make a big play, and I just feel like, maybe he's not the guy you go into the season going, Okay,

well this is our starting franchise quarterback. But you can win with that kid if you put some pieces around him. Washington's not as far away as people might think they are. I think there are a couple of pieces in the secondary way from having a defense that can contend. Yeah, and I think and and Taylor Heineke needs some better weapons on offense too. I think they have Terry McLaurin and they have a bunch of guys that haven't really done a whole heck of a lot for them on offense.

So so we'll see where that goes with them. I want to also mention with regard to the Packers special teams, one blip on special teams in this game, Mason Crosby getting a field goal blocked Maury straight and said there was some uh leakage on the interior with the protection, but also the kick was low. I think everybody could see that. But other than that one moment, this was a pretty good game for the Packers on special teams. The kickoff coverage that we've seen some returns come out

to the thirty maybe the thirty five. Those were all stopped. The returns were all stopped inside the twenty five yard line in this game. And then we've talked about him a lot already, but Corey bojork has What more can you say about about this young man? He He is becoming a field position factor every single week and the Packers defense is benefiting from it. There's no question about it.

Ten years have been covering this team in ten years in for and with all due respect to Tim Massy because I loved him, not that he's watching this right now, but great guy and had a really solid career, great career.

But you know, there are so many times over those ten years that I watched Packers games right where you'd see Andy Lee, you'd see some of these guys, Shane Lechler, some of the best of the best in the National Football League, Jock, Johnny Hecker, you know, Michael Dickinson, right, but Dixon whatever his name is, from Seattle, in Seattle, And so many times I'd watch these guys and be like, man, if the Packers could get a punter like that, somebody

that can really help change the field position. Somebody that when you're into your past the fifty, you can find a way to pin defense or offenses back if you know your offense gets stopped. They've gotten that kid and his name is Corey Bjrkez. And yes, you know, we just saw the eighty two yard punt. We saw the leg strength. But as Maurice Straitton talked about the toolbox that he has, the number of different punts that he

can utilize. I was so happy to see him get rewarded games out of reach packers are gonna win, but just to see him get the credit for that punt, which is one of the most miraculous punts I've ever seen. Mike, I don't think you could have. You couldn't have put an index card between that football in the goal line for where it bounce and for him to get the credit at the three there. I thought that was a real nice test. Yeah, it was remarkable. Yeah, absolutely some

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Cousin subs, we believe in better. All right, Well, we knew this was going to be a challenging week for the Green Bay Packers regardless, right, Arizona seven and oh the Cardinals get to host the Packers making a west coast trip on a short week. All of that, two of the top teams in the NFC going a head to head in prime time, and then the news breaks on Monday that Packers defensive coordinator Joe Berry and wide receiver Davante Adams have tested positive for COVID and have

been placed on the COVID nineteen reserve list. I guess I shouldn't say with regard to that it was actually a positive test place we don't know that the official roster designation, as they've been placed on the COVID nineteen reserve lists. So, of course, Murphy's law right timing is everything of all the weeks, of all the weeks that you're going to have a key coach and obviously a very key offensive player end up on the COVID list it's when you have a short week and you're facing

the lone undefeated team in the NFL. So the challenges just got stacked a little bit higher here for Green Bay as as they get ready to go out to Arizona. Well, and you know, first and foremost, you know, just kind of keeping you know, Joe Barry, my thoughts a little bit. That's kind of the way I approached this thing. I've approached at the last eighteen months. You hope for the

best of the wealth and health and wellness side of things. Certainly, as you pointed out with Davanta Adams, what we know right now, he's placed on the COVID nineteen reserve list. NFL teams do not comment on what the status is of those guys. Could be a close all those different things that happen. So we'll see what happens with Davante Adams.

But the fact of the matter is from a football perspective, from the business of sports perspective, from the fact that the Green Bay Packers are six and one of the Arizona Cardinals are seven, and oh, this is not the news agreement Packers wanted to get. This week, Barry's defense has done an exceptional job this season. I think you've seen him really settle in, you know, with some of

the defensive play calling in the last five weeks. I mean, this is a unit that, as I said in our intro, has gotten better really steadily for six seven straight games, basically always taking a step forward. Davante Adams, man, I just I want to see one year where he can play six in games were now seventeen games, and just see him blowout record books because he's that talented, he's that good, and the guy just produces. I know you're not a fantasy football guy, but I've been playing fantasy

football for fifteen years. I'm telling you right now, Mike, you watched receivers in this league. Guys will have a hundred yard games with two touchdowns. The next week they'll come back with thirty yards. They'll drive you nuts. From a fantasy perspective, I can't recall anyone that's been as consistent in terms of production then Davante Adams. If he's not getting ten catches for a hundred yards, then he's getting two touchdowns. If he's not getting a touchdown, then

he has fourteen catches for a hundred sixty yards. The guy is a dynamic football player, and I was so excited, and we'll see. You know, you can get two negative tests whatever that is, you know, be potentially active. All those things that are above my head, above my pay grade. But I was so excited this week Mike about DeAndre Hopkins Davante Adams. They don't play each other, but these are the two most consistently dominant receivers in the league

over the last five years. So excited to see them on the field. Uh, It's still gonna be a great matchup regardless of how all this stuff unfolds, but certainly for Green Bay it is a massive wrench in the plans to have to be dealing with this on a

short week, playing the best team in the National Football League. Yeah, And Matt Lafleur at the time that we're taping this, he hasn't addressed, um the issue of Davante Adams going on the COVID list, but he did talk about uh, Joe Barry, and although la Fleur didn't really make a specific announcement, he did suggest that Jerry Gray, the Packers defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator on the defensive side, who has been a defensive coordinator for multiple teams in

the NFL previously in his coaching career, most likely will be the defensive play caller for Thursday night in Arizona. Is certainly a guy that that Matt Lafleur the rest of that defensive staff would have plenty of confidence in.

But um, but this is this, this this is a shake up here, you know, Um, as we've talked about, with all the progress the defense has made, all those building blocks and everything, now suddenly you get a little bit of a you get a little bit of a wrench thrown into uh, you know what's supposed to be this this straight ahead progress and and we'll just have to see how they react because, um, Kyler Murray, you know, one of the big storylines here in this short week

as much as uh, there isn't too much time to talk about it, but Taylor Heineke did scramble for a whole bunch of yards for Washington, and that's one of those things that now you're gonna face Kyler Murray, Who's who's even faster, who's even more elusive. The Packers defensively

will have to obviously have a plan for that. Maybe it's something that actually works in Green Bay's favor in the sense that Okay, yeah, Taylor Heineke leaked out a few too many times and hurt them with his legs, So that sort of puts you even on extra heightened alert. Now going into the going into a matchup with Kyler Murray, we'll see what happens. I'm really interested to see what Kyler Murray looks like on Thursday Night and how he plays,

because the guys having an m v P type season. Yeah, but he's actually doing more with his arm this year. You know, his his rushing yards, his scrambles per game are down compared to last year. He's starting to rely more on his instincts and his talent around him than just his feet. Now that being said, we've seen it time and time again where all it takes is one matchup. All it takes a particular look and all that stuff can change really fast. But and not all those throws

are coming from the pocket either. He's getting himself out and he's not necessarily running. But then he's making a play with his arm after his legs give him the opportunity. So that's where he's really interesting. I just think he's trusting his eyes more, he's trusting his arm and I mean, this kid has it all. I mean when you go back and think about Arizona and that the stuff about Okay,

are they gonna take him? Are they going to stick, you know, with with what they had already, and you started to look at the intangibles that he he showed that made him my first overall pick type caliber player. Despite the hype questions, I think at twenty four years young man, this he has shown everything to tell you that the Cardinals made the right movie dependent of the

other stuff that happened. I'm excited to watch him. It is a massive test for this defense, for Davandre Campbell and for whoever the defensive play caller ends up being. If it's Jerry gray Um, the Packers have to mind their p's and ques in this one, because whether it's their passing offense, whether it's the scoring offense, this is an explosive unit. Man and the Arizona Cardinals They've shown it time and time again. They are not to be trifled with. They have kind of I made that comparison

a month ago. This has kind of been the little brother this division lately, well, the little brother punched all the other brothers in the mouth and said this is my house now. Yeah, absolutely well. We will have plenty more to talk about with regard to this matchup Packers and Cardinals, a big Thursday night game as this week moves along, but for now we're going to call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team all

week long here on Packers dot com. For Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We'll see you next time.