#628 Packers Unscripted: Defensive dominance

out at lambeau Field of the Seattle Seahawks. And we've been talking all season long about how this defense, the arrow keeps pointing up, the unit just keeps ascending, and in some ways you don't know how much further you could have ascended. After a really impressive performance, although in a loss in Kansas City against Patrick Mahomes, but this defense topped itself once again. I can't believe that stat I saw afterwards. I wish I could give proper credit

to the first person to point this out. Is a stat though, that Kyler Murray trick Mahomes and then having Russell Wilson three Elite Pro Bowl All Pro type players and the Packers held those three guys to one passing

touchdown in those matchups. I mean, it was one of those deals where I know some people at halftime when I made a remark about how this is the first time the Packers have shut out an opponent in the first half, dating back to that game against Buffalo and eighteen, which also ended up being the last shutout, and some people are like, don't say anything, You're gonna jinxit, YadA, YadA, YadA.

I'll tell you what, Mike, this is one of the first times I think I can remember on the beat where I don't think there was any worry of a jinx. I don't think there was any worry of a let up the Packers. The way they were playing, the confidence in which they were playing, with the speed and tenacity that they were playing with. Defensively, they were the best unit on the field once again, not just for the Packers, but either team. And it's been that way now for

a number of weeks. And to have the injuries and the losses, and we'll talk about some of that here shortly, with the some of the more hits the defense took, they still keep moving forward in their ranked third right now in total yards and scoring uh and really looking like the unit the Packers need them to be to make a championship run. Yeah. Absolutely, And it was funny. I was for those of you who don't entirely understand

our game day process. During the game, while things are going on, Wes is writing what we call the quarter by quarter updates on the website. I am doing the live blog as the game gets towards the end, and West is writing the fourth quarter update. I am getting ready to write a TOPP or what we call the top to your quarter by quarter updates that we can post right when the game ends of the final score

and statistics and whatnot. My whole point of explaining this is that I was following live on g S. I s the total yards for the Seattle Seahawks in the game. On that final desperation drive, they just crossed over two hundred yards. Then Preston Smith gets a fourteen yard sack and drops them below two hundred yards, and it was looking like it would be a one ninety something game. But then they get a sixteen yard pass on the fourth and forever, so they barely get over two d

total yards on the last play of the game. And that just that just speaks volumes to what this Packers defense was doing. And the crux of it really was what turned this from a solid defensive performance into a great one. Were the two interceptions in the second half. It's three to nothing and Russell Wilson makes an ill advised third down throw in the red zone to the

end zone and Kevin King gets the interception there. And then when the Seahawks are in a little bit more of a desperation mode that tend to nothing, he tries to take a deep shot into double coverage to lock it. Adrian Amos gets that interception on the deep ball in the end zone. Those two turnovers, really, then is what allowed the Packers to stretch this out and take away any drama of what was looking like it could be a down to the wire game when it was just

three nothing at halftime. Well, and to tell you the strength of this defense in addition just the mental fortitude and to be able to rally the way they have around each other. It's a fact that we talked about in the preseason. They have playmakers at all three levels, and with the installation of Davandre campbellt inside linebacker, there really isn't a weak spot right now for this defense. And you know, you look at a guy like Adriannams, I just feel like He's the one that's sort of

really epitomizes this entire unit. He's an unheralded, rather spaff soft spoken individual that is just so darn consistent. I even think about that pass again, it's in garbage time, but they were in that zone concept the prevent defense there. I think it was to lock it. He was trying, Wilson was trying to hit along the sidelines, and Adrian Name is covering basically half the field, comes over right by the pylon and breaks up a past that otherwise

might have been the touchdown. Uh. Not a big play in terms of the grand scheme of things in victory, but that's what kept Seahawks off the board. That's what kept those numbers close to yards of offense him in in the talent of Darnell Savage on the back end, the way the umbrella of that thing. Uh, that's been a big lynch pin here for this defense. But even before that, you know, I made this comment in inbox, Mike. I don't know what you thought about it, but Preston

Smith gets that sixteen yard sack. I think it was it was this huge fourteen yards late in the game. I understand that that's a garbage time type sack. But the way Preston Smith played that entire type of that game, he really didn't have the statistics to really show the impact that he had made, the pressure that he had generated, some of the other plays that he helped create. That's the thing about this year's defense. There's not gonna be a lot of guys where you look at the cornerbacks

and be like, Okay, who's the stud right now. It's not gonna be a lot of Okay, where's the all Pro. It's just eleven guys when they're on the field playing as one, and it has the Packers with you know,

their best defense right now statistically in a decade. Yeah, I think it's interesting because because I had made a point of this an insider inbox as well, when you talk about the sort of those steady influences, the understated you know, not the raw, raw guys, but but the leaders on this team to the defensive captains here are

Adrian Amos and Kenny Clark. And you won't find two guys who at the same time can be so valuable to what their unit is doing, but in a lot of ways get so little recognition for it, and they also don't really care necessarily about getting that recognition, and I think that that says a lot about them. And and as as I said an inbox, that's not to take anything away from the larger personalities like as a Darius Smith or j Alexander who has also been they've

also been captains on this defense. And I'm not trying to to disparage their way of going about things at all. But with those two guys in particular, Amos and Clark both being captains on this particular defense, and the way these guys are are are going about things, UM really stands out to me. This team now wes for the season eighteen points per game allowed, which as you said, I think is third in the league. Now since Week one, the thirty eight to three loss to New Orleans, since

week one, it's fifteen point eight points per game. That's just remarkable. What um, what this group is doing. And now they will have some additional challenges. You just mentioned the type of game Preston Smith had and and then capping it off with a sack to get something big in the statistical column. Well, the pass rush here, Whitney Merciless, it looks like a very significant injury to his biceps, and then Rashawn Gary also leaving the game with an

elbow injury. There's still some evaluation going on there. We'll see what what ultimately the deal is with Gary's injury, but this pass rush is going to be relying even more on Preston Smith than it already has here going forward, and Jonathan Garvin too. You know the second rounder, excuse me, the second year player was the seventh rounder last year and a young man that is still only twenty two years old and has had to really grow up quickly

in this defense. It's after being a healthy scratch for half the season last year, he's suddenly been thrust in a rotational role. That's the way this thing has gone. What hurts the most about there's a couple of reasons that the merciless injury hurts that game, especially with some of the injuries they were dealing with on the defensive line.

That game was the first time, Mike, that you and I have seen and maybe over a month, maybe two months, where the Packers started running their dime with three outside linebackers again, they were using Preston Smith, they were using Rashawn Gary as down three tech linemen or using Garry as a rover. They got away from that because they just didn't have the bodies for it. But Merciless, the way he was playing, enabled them to get back in

those packages. It sounds, and Merciless had lined up inside on on an occasion as well, a lot of versatility there and that was sort of that spot they were missing without Zadarius Smith. That was a role that he had played before his back injury. And the thing that hurts the most is I felt like I tweeted this as I was leaving the building on Monday. Merciless really felt like that Eric Walden signing for this defense, he felt like it was, okay, you need help, but outside Rusher,

here's a guy that can can bring something. And he seemed like he was a really steady locker room guy. We only got to talk to him once, but obviously you hear what people say about him down in Houston. He's a you know, admirable, you know, type of locker room dude. And for that injury, and as soon as you and I saw it, Mike, and when you see him curled up like that, and then you understand it's the biceps. We've seen enough of those type injuries. Your

your your stomach kind of drops a little bit. The hope would be based on the reports we've seen so far as that the Packers might have avoided a big injury with Rashawn Gary. Got to see all that shuffles out yet. But the fact is is that Gary has been such an integral part of this defense. He's leading them in sacks right now. This season, he's gotten the uptick in playing time and he's really responded with those snaps.

The Packers need him and you know, knock on wood at some point maybe the next two months, Saidarius Smith is back in the fold. Two. Yeah, we'll have to see how that goes. Rashaan Gary with five and a half sacks, I believe on the season, which is hops

on the team. So before we shift gears to the offense west some sponsor business Serious x M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need two seven, three six and at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or sub

in a bowl. Cousins subs. We believe in better. All right. Offensively, the Packers did indeed get quarterback Aaron Rodgers back off of the COVID list, and he played despite not having essentially practiced for the previous two weeks. Um and give some credit to Seattle's defense, that's uh, that's no slouch of unit, especially when it comes to uh to what that group does in the red zone. But the Packers

were having some trouble finding their footing on offense. A missed field goal early that took some points off the board. But this offense, as we had talked about last week, it went through the running backs Aaron Jones, A J. Dillon, combining for more than two hundred rushing and receiving yards, adding up those yards from scrimmage. But now things could shift in at least for the next game or two.

Most likely are going to shift even more heavily to A J. Dillon because Aaron Jones is now out with a knee injury, though it sounds like it's only going to be a short absent. Yeah, and that's you know, as Metal even said on Monday, you know, the hope is they avoided you know, kind of a you know, a bullet there, Aaron Jones, you saw it. I understand his rushing yards where they're at right now. But in

terms of the pass catching, you saw it. With those two catches he had over the span of three plays, bolt him over twenty yard explosives. The way he can energize this offense with his play style, what he can create when he's in space, it's incredible. A J. Dillon For a guy who was kind of maligned a little bit as a pass catcher coming out of Boston College, and I think a lot of that was just due to the fact he didn't really do it and this

their system. What a revelation this guy has been. I mean that fifty yard or the reason that was so impressive. It wasn't like he had to make He's made better catches over the course of the year. But to throw an underneath pass to a running back and have that running back turned it into a fifty yard game down the sideline of making three guys miss or breaking their tackles, breaking their will. Uh that that was a huge play. You saw how amped up Davante Adam Scott after it,

given the big shove to him after the play. This young guys come a long way, and the Packers knew that this was going to be a part of his maturation process. When you lose Jamal Williams, someone that was as steady as they go at the running back position, they knew they were going to need A. J. Dillon to step up. It wasn't gonna be carries a game with Aaron Jones, and I think he's done that in an exceptional way. And you'll also give credit to Aaron

Rodgers too. I mean it was his first game back, you know, as mattal Floor pointed out, he hadn't really practice at all in two weeks, not only because of the COVID week, but then also the week before that they were on the short you know schedule going up against Arizona, so they really never even practice. It was just all walk through type stuff. So Rogers managed the situation and when they needed big explosive plays down the stretch, as Rogers said, all three of them were compliments and

courtesy of A J. Dillon. Yeah, absolutely, what I liked what I like best about this game, And I mentioned this also an inbox because whether you're talking about the score being three to nothing after three quarters or the

score being twenty four after three quarters. What I liked about this game is when your offense can put together two drives and score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and your defense doesn't give in and gets a second turnover and simply doesn't allow the opponent to ever generate any kind of momentum. Whatever the score is after three quarters, you play like that in the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, You're gonna win a lot of

football games in this league. And that's something as much as as much as those first three quarters offensively, it was it was frust rating. The Packers had some opportunities to score, mistakes were made, things didn't go their way. They finished this game the way you want to finish any football game, regardless of what the score is going

into the fourth quarter. And I think that bodes well here as we're starting to hit, you know, getting closer and closer to what we could call the home stretch with Thanksgiving and the Packers by week now just around the corner. Well, and you know, and and O b J. Made his decision right he went to the Los Angeles Rams. It is what it is there isn't gonna be this big, you know, type of hero coming over the mountain. That's

gonna just add even more plays in this offense. The Packers, if they're going to get where they want to offensively, it needs to be the young guys. It needs to be guys stepping up. A J. Dillen has been a big part of that. I think he's probably been the

most improved player. I think would be easy for everyone to say in his second year here, with this offense and with Aaron Jones being gone here for a minute, this is gonna be a big test for him, not only against you know, this upcoming opponent in Minnesota with all the challenges that Mike Zimmer defense presents, but also historic really one of the best defenses in the league, and the Los Angeles Rams over the last three or

four years they're gonna have to battle as well. So I think the exciting aspect of this is you do hope you're getting Aaron Jones back, and obviously you hope that you know that's going to happen in December when you really want to get the run game going. But this is the trial by fire that I think A. J. Dillon really needs and see if, okay, can this guy be the every down back we needed to because with all due respect to Patrick Taylor, that was his first

NFL carries on Sunday. So I got the ball twice there in the in the fourth quarter, giving Dilon a little bit of a break. Yeah, you want to get the you know, more backs involved, but realistically this is going to be a one back offense you would think

for a couple of weeks here. Yeah. Absolutely. The The one thing that will be interesting to see to me, sort of one of those little earth things that that people can forget about is that with Aaron Jones being out and a J. Dillon now taking the Lions, share the snaps at running back that pass protection in the backfield. I'm not saying that A J. Dillon isn't any good

at it, That's not my point. Aaron Jones has become exception as a pass blocking pass protecting running back with the Blitz pickups and the communication and everything like that.

That's uh, that's something that that will be worth watching here with a J. Dillon because that's going to be another area where as big as strides as we've seen him making year two, he can take even more strides in that area because we saw what Aaron Jones has done over the first you know, three or four years of his career to get to where he is now.

Big picture in the NFC, well, first, with regard to the Division, the Packers stay three and a half games ahead of the Minnesota Vikings, and we'll talk more about the Vikings on our next show with the trip to Minneapolis coming up here next weekend. But as far as the top of the NFC, the Packers are right back there. Suddenly, West one week after losing a game, losing your quarterback and losing a game and all that, Green Bay has eight into Arizona takes its second loss, not having its

quarterback against Carolina. Cardinals and Packers both eaten two. Packers obviously have the head to head there Dallas a half game back at seven and two. The Rams took their third loss of the season on Monday Night Football. They lose on the road at San Francisco, and in division game out West, the Rams are seven and three, and suddenly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are six and three, having lost two games on either side of their bye week. They lose to New Orleans. Going into the by, they

come out of their by and lose at Washington. So, um, it's all right out there for Green Bay right now. The Lass at the Lass at Kansas City. We talked about it, you know, in some respects it was a missed opportunity considering all those results, the other results that had happened um last week. While the Packers got some more results in their favor this week, and they got the win over the Seahawks and uh and and they vaulted themselves right back up where they want to be.

These seventeen games are not about who is the best team in the NFL. It's about who's the most consistent team, Who's gonna be the one that earns that first round by Who's going to be the team proves that we deserve to be considered the upper echelon entering the playoffs. And the way I look at it right now, Mike, as the Packers got four more division games, both of which against the Minnesota Vikings they still have yet to

play this season. You win those, you run that table, and then you kind of let those other chips fall where they may with the remainder your nonconference stuff. And then also this matchup coming up against the Rams that

puts you in the dance. And these next couple of weeks, the Packers take care of business against the Vikings again, a team that we're going to talk about scares the living daylights out of me, a team that cannot be overlooked, a team that has been in every single one of the nine games that's played so far, a team that is a team that is four and five and is just a whisker here. They're away from potentially being seven

and two, but it's real, but it's consistency. And the Green Bay Packers at eight and two, have been an incredibly consistent football team, despite the injuries, despite the potential distractions, despite all that, and it has put them in a position now to to be able to really claim the top of this conference. It's gonna be a really exciting final seven games of this season, and obviously it starts

on Sunday against the the Vikings in US Bank Stadium. Yeah, the Packers will have an opportunity to go four and a half up on the Vikings with only six to play. That would be considered the catbird seat if I'm allowed to use the old cliche. But we'll talk more about that on our next show. For now, we'll call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team. We've got stuff for you every single day on packers dot

com for West, I'm Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.