#630 Packers Unscripted: Tough to take

off field goal thirty to thirty one. The Vikings emerged triumphant, And this one, for me just came down to the fact that, you know, it's very difficult in this league to play defense week after week after week at the level the Packers have been playing it, You're going to run into a hot offense at some point, and that's what happened to the Packers on Sunday. But they also had their opportunities on defense to stem the tide, to create those to get those turnovers that would have potentially

changed the complexion of this game. And the bottom line is the defense just didn't take advantag into those opportunities. No. I mean, this is the perfect embodiment, Mike, of what we've talked about all season. When you know certain things weren't working well for the offense, the defense really picked them up. This was a game in which you know, first and foremost, before we talk about any miscuse, any problems, any issues there, at some point you also need to

tip your cap to Kirk Cousins. I thought he played one of the best games I've seen him play in a Vikings uniform against Green Bay. He was surgical. They threw everything at him. He was facing a lot of heavy pressure throughout the game, and in those instances he found his hot read, he found some you know, the ways to keep the you know, the chains moving, and then when he did have time to throw, he really made the Packers pay for it. So you got to

give him credit. But defensively for Green Bay, it was one of these games, Mike, where they did stop Delvin Cook for the most part, they did really keep them in third and manageable situations. But when they needed to convert, the Vikings did it. They were twenty six I think in the league on third downs coming into this game, and then converted like seven of the eleven justin Jefferson

went off. There were some issues in the defensive secondary trying to get some of those things under wraps, and ultimately in this kind of shootout that it turned into

Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings one the day. Yeah, it was interesting because we talked a lot last week about how about the great season Cousins was having the fact that he'd only thrown two interceptions all year, and yet he gave the Packers opportunities for three, four, maybe five, depending on how you want to look at it, how you want to grade it. He gave the Packers chances with some very risky, questionable throws and the Packers just

didn't come down with the ball unfortunately. And and you know the those are those are the moments. You know these games, these games are decided by those big plays in the clutch moments, right, And we talked about how in Arizona the Packers defense was on its heels in the second half and Kyler Murray was rolling and what happened. Russell Douglas caught the ball in the end zone for

the interception. Packers had a similar opportunity, multiple opportunities against Kirk Cousins and uh and simply weren't able to convert. And unfortunately, that rendered a tremendous performance by Aaron Rodgers on a sore, painful toe um an offense missing Aaron Jones Um a tremendous performance by the Packers offense in which they put up thirty one points despite a very slow start to the game. But boy, when Green Bay's offense got rolling in this one, Minnesota could not stop

Aaron Rodgers. No. I mean, with the exception of Jordan's Love kneeling down before halftime, that was the only time there was really a stop past that Josiah Deguara twenty five yard touchdown. I mean, Rogers just got into a zone, and I thought that was really emblematic of what happens when while Alan Lazard wasn't playing, he did have a full array of his weapons. I mean, Marcas Velde scantling with a healthy hamstring against any NF fell secondary is

a really dangerous proposition in Rogers got going with him late. Obviously, the seventy five yard is the one that we're gonna talk so much about, but there were some of those passes even early on where you could see that the spark. How this offense looks different when MVS is healthy and contributing. Davante Adams, despite seeing a lot of cover two, was able to have a successful day, was back to being a serious red zone end zone type threat in this game.

And realistically, Mike, the way I look at this thing is green Bay put up four hundred and sixty seven total yards of offense. Minnesota put up foreigner and eight total yards of offense. Defensively, if that's how much you know production, you're gonna give up. Either need to take the ball away or you need to play clean, completely clean, three face football, and green Bay didn't do enough of that.

There was the thirty two yard miss from Mason Crosby, as you mentioned, not being able to get those turnovers when you needed them. And when you play an even game like that and both sides are producing nine times out of ten, it's gonna end up favoring whoever that home team is, and in this case, the team that held the ball last. Yeah, Aaron Rodgers ends up with three eighty five passing yards, four touchdowns, a one forty eight point four passerrating. All of those are season highs

for one. And if you're looking for some reasons for optimism coming out of the loss, I mean, that's what you hang your hat on here if you're the Packers, Because you mentioned that Lazard wasn't playing Aaron Jones wasn't playing, but yet this Packers offense found itself in high gear. The contributions from MVS, from Josiah Deguire, from e q st Brown in this game, those are the types of things that could really bode well here for the Packers

down the stretch. If if Aaron Rodgers is able to create big, explosive plays using so many different guys, right, agree. I think the other thing gree me as to hang its hat on his consistency. Minnesota has been a wildly inconsistent team this year. That's why they're five and five. That's just the fact exactly. You know, Yes they've led in every game, yes they've only lost by more, but

you're still five and five. So for green Bay standpoint, you're eight and three, and yes, we're gonna talk about some injuries here at a minute, unfortunately, but green Bay has been able to consistently produce throughout the course of the year and it's why they have this lead that they have right now in the NFC North. The big key for them, Mike, I think is going to be where they finished this game offensively. They still want to

run the ball more. I would have liked to have seen a j Dillon get a few more than eleven carries in this I thought he was an impact player when he had the ball in his hands. But they were able to get the downfield passing game going again, and and must win situations not just hey, let's just see what happens here. I mean, they needed every single one of those four touchdown drives in order to compete,

in order to be in this game. And I feel like going forward now, especially if MBS gets through this game, okay, especially if you get Lazard back, you're gonna start to see those perimeter weapons emerged for Green Bay and allow them to kind of start looking more like themselves off offensively. Yeah. Absolutely. And as much as we've talked about West over the course of this season, how the Packers seem to have had some costly victories in terms of players who got

hurt when the Packers emerged victorious this one. The Packers lost much much more than just one game. With Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elton Jenkins unfortunately being down for the season now due to a knee injury, and uh once again this uh you know, this Green Bay offensive line

is going to have to shuffle things around. You were hoping everybody was hoping that at some point this season that left side of the offensive line was going to be David Baktieri at left tackle and Elton Jenkins at left guard, and you were going to be able to re entrench those high level, elite level players at their positions for the stretch run. And unfortunately that's not going to happen now. Um, a really really unfortunate injury with Jenkins and and things with David baktr still up in

the air. The Packers still believing he's going to be able to come back at some point this season and help out, but things are still on hold there as he is not on the practice field now. It sucks. It sucks for Elton and I don't know, man, it it hurts that for everything bok Tr and Jenkins accomplished together, the fact that that December thirty first practice is the last time we're going to see them on the field together now for at least another year probably or at

least in their abouts. Um, if this is the type of injury that I think everybody fears, it is for Elton, and the guy has been so selfless this year, And what stands out to me the most Mike, we don't get to be in the locker room anymore, at least at this point. But him being up at the podium, just seeing Elton Jenkins personality come out there as a guy that's a third year VET now and seeing the playfulness and you know, the photos that I know he took with the with the portraits with bok Tr before

the season. The definition of growing comfortable in your own skin, right, I mean, that's that's what we've seen. He's always been such a nice dude since day one he came in. But just listen to him talk and the way he speaks about his game, and that there just was so

much more. I don't want to say charisma because that's not the right word, but just confidence with how he carried himself and to see him play it the way he did, Mike, as I've said time and time again, it should not have been this easy to go eleven games without David bok Tr and for eight of those, Elton Jenkins was the big reason why. So to see him go down with this in the scenario that it did,

I know, it's a poluted mindset. I know Mike McCarthy would probably say, I'm a loser, but you almost just wish you could go back just forfeit the darn game and then just go on to the Los Angeles Rams with Jenkins still intact. I mean, it was that type of loss. So Green Bay has been really resilient on their offensive line. Yash Naiman, I think the Packers coaching staff has to feel a lot more confident right now than probably they were two months ago when he had

to sub in there for three games. But but still they got to get back to your are back. I mean, if they want to make a big run here, you need to get the five time All Pro back, and now without Jenkins, that is becoming more and more evident. Yeah, it's really remarkable here that we're talking about the Packers heading into Thanksgiving weekend and the starting five across the front going left to right is going to be Niman, Runyon, Patrick, Newman,

and Turner. And take nothing away from those guys. This this is a unit that can get the job done. There's no question about that. These guys have all proven it. But when you look at what the Packers were hoping they were going to have at this point of the season, where you're talking about, you know, obviously Jenkins, but Josh Meyer's your rookie center who was so promising and and

getting box tri back at some point. Suddenly now that offensive line you envisioned three fifths of it is is not available here for what is going to be a really significant game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Packers at eight and three, the Rams at seven and three, the Rams coming off there by week and a two game losing streak, and they're looking to reassert themselves as

a top NFC contender. Yeah, And and the point I think that you're kind of alluding to too, is the fact that when the Packers were turned back for the off season program at the end of April. There I think basically we can all agree one of those guys

that you just mentioned, Billy Turner, was considered a starter. Runyan, Patrick and Newman we're going to get an opportunity to compete for a starting spot, but Turner was the only one that you kind of had written and Sharpie, So to be in a position now where they've been very blessed with depth, I mean, how many times have we talked about depth and versatility with this group and it's still a really good offensive line but now it's like, this is where you start to remember why they signed

Dennis Kelly, this is where you start to remember about how they've developed Jake Hanson over the last year. Because now the next men up behind the next men, it's starting to become more of a real probability possibility of them potentially having to step in at some point. You just hope that at some juncture of this season the injury thing is just going to calm down and hopefully maybe week thirteen and that buy is going to be the beginning of that. Yeah, that would sure be nice.

This this Packers team has been waiting for that bye week to get here, to to have to play, To have to play twelve games in this league without a bye week is a really tough task. And I know the Packers in a sense did it. I forget if it was last year the year before where they had the early buy and then you know, you go all the way through that and into the postseason. Um, although the Packers then would you know, had to buy in the playoffs, so it was like they got to buy

there in um in early January. But it's a but it's tough, it's a brutal game and uh um, you know, unfortunately, the this uh, this injury epidemic so to speak of the season for the Packers just doesn't seem to uh

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in better all right. Taking a look at the big picture here, the Minnesota Vikings have climbed within two and a half games of the Packers in the NFC North Green Bay at eight and three, Minnesota at five and five. In the NFC as a whole, Arizona has jumped back on top into that number one spot at nine and two. Hats off to the Cardinals. They've lost their quarterback for three games and Colt McCoy has won two of those as Kyler Murray's backup. So that is why Arizona is

nine and two. Despite plenty of injuries of their own significant ones, and then right behind the Packers at eight and three, you have three teams that are seven and three. And I'm talking about, of course the Rams who are coming into Lambeau on Sunday, as well as the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is five teams west, Uh, any one of whom quite frankly could end up with that coveted number one seed in first round by in

the NFC. This is six or seven games to go, depending on, um, you know, the bye week situation, but six or seven games left and this is wide open for that top spot in the conference. Yeah, because I think all those teams you mentioned have been fallible, they've been human. Uh. Dallas, the fervor out of Dallas right now isn't great. After Kansas City, who is much maligned for some time, is sort of reignited. You look at suddenly Kansas City is winning with defense, by the way.

I mean, yes, they had one big game from Patrick Mahomes out of these last three or four, but Kansas City Chiefs are playing some really, really good defensive football. And that's what looks like is going to catapult the Chiefs into the a F C playoffs could have played eight quarters. You don't know if Dallas is going to be able to find the end zone that I mean, that's the way that that's how dominant they were. It felt a lot like that Seattle game for Bay. But

you know, you look at the Los Angeles Rams. They got Odell Beckham and they're feeling really good about themselves, and then they had some lightdowns. The real, big interesting thing about the way that's lined up though for Green Bay this week is they're going to be facing arrested

Rams team and they're really hurting. So you know, I think this is really going to be incumbent on Matt la Fleur keeping these guys up for one more week and saying we have one more focus here to try to get that ninth win here before the bye week and be able to give ourselves a little bit of a break, because you have to imagine Sean McVeigh is going to be sending the same the opposite message to

his guys out in Los Angeles. If you guys are arrested, you're going up against a beaten and battered kind of Green Bay crew here and seeing those two things to come together is gonna be really interesting to watch. But it is both conferences right now, Mike, it is going to be a sprint to the finish with the way that this thing is lined up. Yeah, you look at

the Rams season. I know we'll talk more about them on our next show later this week, but you look at their season and the way they just seemed to be absolute we rolling offensively, and then suddenly against the Titans and against the forty Niners, they score sixteen and ten points respectively in those two games heading into their bye week, and you wonder was that was was this a team that was also sort of dying to get to their by to get to they lost Robert you know, yeah,

they lost Robert Woods and Beckham came in but hadn't practiced much obviously, so you know, the it's just it's just the way this league works sometimes, right, And I don't want to over dramatize it, but when you look at the fact that you have this big game against the Rams on Sunday at lambeau Field, and then the Packers are finally going to get to their bye week, and the Packers will either be nine and three or eight and four, those two records just look will look

and feel so different, right, depending on depending on which one the Packers fall into well, and the fact you have to think about it, you know, for that extra seven days, you don't get a chance to turn the page like you usually do. Um. And that's the interesting part with the Rams though, to the fact that they were seven and one and then suddenly lost too straight and then had this whole extra week to stew over,

you know, losses that really really frustrated. And the landscapes a lot different in that conference and that division where you got the Arizona Cardinals kind of just keeping their heads above water here hoping they can get Kyler Murray back. Will still being at the top of the conference. So again, every season has it's built in challenges. I'm really eager

to watch how this team adapts to it. Um. You know, you would hope if it's not this week, it'll be after the boy you get Aaron Jones back, you know, same situation with Alan Lazard. If you get box tr back in the fold and then obviously the two biggest carrots the gold at the end of the rainbow here, if they can get them back as Gire Alexander and Zadarius Smith, that I think can be uplifting for them if they can find a way to get healthy, if

they can turn off the faucet with these injuries. Yeah, you talk about a potential infusion of energy, you know, for a stretch run when you're in this highly highly competitive and contested no matter what happens in the NFC North, but looking at the conference as a whole, how highly contested. This is that type of infusion of energy from big time players potentially coming back and rejoining your lineup, that that's promised. I think back to thirteen with Aaron Rodgers

and Randall Cobb coming back. I mean you get you start to get that type of ability back in your locker room, back on the field. Uh. It can't help but be a galvanizing moment. But again, you have to earn it. You have to earn it with a gut bunch of guys here this upcoming week that probably weren't viewed as main contributors at the beginning of the season. So it's gonna be a challenge. It's gonna be one of the biggest they faced all season. Yeah. Absolutely, Well,

we will talk more about the rams. As I said 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 all week long. We'll have it for you on packers dot com for West, I'm Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.