#642 Packers Unscripted: Overdue recognition

Field in Detroit. Before we talk about that game in particular, I want to discuss another subject, and that is that we've we spent a lot of time on this show talking about the history that Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have made or on the verge of making, all of these types of things, but we have neglected, and that's mostly my fault, to talk about a significant piece of history on the coaching side of things, and that is that Matt Lafleur last weekend got his thirty ninth victory

thirty regular season victory as the head coach of the Packers in his first three seasons, which is now the most wins ever by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons. And there's no there's no overstating how impressive that is. It's one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in the coaching realm. And and this is no disrespect to George Seyffert whatsoever, but when that passing the torch happened in San Francisco, it happened in a way that really barely ever happens in the National

Football League. He was handed a corvette, and he drove the car like a corvette. The Green Bay Packers were at a crossroads. Two thousand eighteen was the worst year that this organization has had on so many different levels, really in my lifetime, the last twenty years. I don't think the Floor gets enough credit for how quickly he changed. It's not like the culture needed an entire overhaul, It's

not like the roster need an entire overall. But they had to get back to being the Green Bay Packers again, and the Floor did that. They come out the gates thirteen and three. I thought then and there he should have been the Coach of the Year. It was the biggest single season turn around in franchise history in terms of wins. I felt like that was the moment where he was the Coach of the Year. They decided to give it to John Harbaugh last year. Pretty dominant on

all sides, all phases. He again doesn't get the award. When you're sitting and you've now played forty eight games in the regular season, you've won thirty nine of them. I think the proof is in the pudding there. And the fact of the matter is the flour can credit his assistance, he can credit the football team. He can do everything to take the shine away from himself, which he tries to do quite regularly every time we asked him about it. And it's fine. It's a humble humility

is a good thing. But as I wrote an insider Inbox a couple of weeks back, if people don't start paying attention to this, they're gonna miss one of the really truly special coaching jobs we've seen. This isn't some Johnny come Lately. Matt Lafleur is here to stay, and people better get used to it. I mean, you gotta start recognizing that achievement, because it's pretty incredible what he's on.

This run he's been on. Yeah. Absolutely, As you mentioned, the thirty nine wins in the first three seasons, one more than George Seafort, who won thirty eight games in the regular season his first three years with San Francisco. Seaford had a Super Bowl championship in there as well. Folks have been asking, you know about the larger historical context, what about any three year run in the NFL. The record is forty games, forty victories, and that's Mike Ditka,

the of the Chicago Bears. Seven. The Bears went fifteen and one, fourteen and two, and then eleven and four in a year that only had fifteen games as opposed to sixteen because of the strike, and there were three replacement games in there. The Bears went two and one in their three replacement games. That all added up to forty wins in forty seven games. Uh from Mike get

Mike Ditka. So Matt Lafleur with the extra game this year, with the seventeenth game, has a chance to match match Mike Get because Mike did because forty wins in three seasons.

Regarding the Coach of the Year, I am absolutely with you, Um, and we probably didn't talk about it enough on this show at the time, but but Matt Lafleur was very deserving of Coach of the Year in nineteen his first year, he took over a team that had missed the playoffs back to back seasons, um and uh and yes things had as far as the way things have gone in the last three decades, um at at lambeau Fielding with the Green Bay Packers two thousand eighteen was as close

to rock bottom as it gets. Maybe not. It wasn't as bad as two thousand and five, which I think was a four and twelve season that was that was probably the rock bottom of the last three decades, but close enough, certainly. And he not only got the Packers right back into the playoffs, but they were the number two seed. You know, they got a first round by and all of that is first year. That being said, I think the coach of the Year discussion this year

is very interesting. And here's here's the context. Here's the context that I'll put it in. For a while, it was looking like, for a while in one it was looking like this would be either Cliff kings Bearer or maybe Bill Belichick with what was going on in Arizona

and New England. To use your phrase, the shine has worn off a little bit on those Not to take away from two teams that are both headed to the postseason and could you know, have some magic here in January, who knows, right, But now lately you certainly have to consider Mike McCarthy a legitimate candidate for Coach of the Year, Zach Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals and suddenly where they are, Mike Vrabel has the Tennessee Titans in position now after

losing Derrick Henry, who was probably the single most important player on his team, the Titans now are in position to be the number one seed potentially in the a f C. My point is that while we've seen all of these other coaches sort of rise and fall in this potential candidacy for Coach of the Year, Matt Lafleur has sort of been there the whole time. He's he's he's been a candidate. He's been a candidate since the day he got this job. And I know it's not

a three year thing. It's it's supposed to be for an individual season. But he's been right in the mix the whole time and never really fallen out of it. And I think that I think that speaks volumes as to the type of um the culture that he has built here. I basically you have two coaches of the Year. I'd be willing to accept. And one is Mike Rabel just based on the standpoint of I think he used a very compelling argument for how he's kept that team afloat.

I even made the comment I don't typically tweet during football games. I just liked, if I'm watching, I just watched people like to like do the second screen thing. No, that's not me. But after they won, I believe that was what was that two weeks ago they had that big win late I actually tweeted. I was like, that's a gritty football team and the ways that they found to win this season, I think you got to tip their cap to him, and not only now Derrick Henry,

but also A J. Brown being back. I mean, they're gonna be a formidable team here in the postseason. That's a creditive Rabel or it's the Fleur Yeah, because what because what speaks to what la Fleur has done this year in winning thirteen games so far that the Packers haven't necessarily had to deal with through his first two seasons. As all of the injuries there have been, there are

injuries that happen every year. But as we talk about, it's it's which are the guys that get hurt, right, and we're talking about We're talking about a five time All Pro and David Bactieri who hasn't played all season, a second team All Pro, a pair of second team All pros, and Jaire Alexander and Zadarius Smith, and then another Pro Bowl offensive lineman and Elton Jenkins goes down, you know, a double digit touchdown guy at tight end,

and Bobby Tounyan goes down. I mean, the the injuries that the Packers have dealt with and that that Matt Lafleur and his coaching staff have had to have had to manage and deal with all season long. That speaks to why I think he's he's a top candidate for Coach of the Year this year for very different reasons than he should have been Coach of the Year two

years ago. Absolutely, and two years ago he should have did it because it was this incredible turnaround that year the AP voters decided, you know what, we're gonna go with John Harbaugh, which, by the way, the other thing I love to people insider inbox bringing up, hey, if you have the m v P, can they'd not be the Coach of the Year two years ago? That wasn't a big deal for the Baltimore Ravens, but yet that's the direction they went. Yeah, they had they had Lamar Jackson.

He was the he was the Cats. Me out right, I'm a couple of things. I just want to say here quickly, just to close the point on the floor. I loved how there was this argument early on about Sean Payton all these injuries and things that the Saints have gone through, and certainly they've been hit by injuries and illness more than any other team in the National

Football League, no question about that. But then everyone wanted to bang the trumpet for him as a coach of the Year that the Saints fell off the flour has been doing this since Week one, basically lost everyone outside of Aaron Rodgers, and he'd even lost him for you know, for one week, and they came within six points of handing the Kansas City Chiefs. They're only lost up until

last week. So be that as it may. I just think there's so many great awards that the Associated Press has, Offensive Player of the Year, m v P, all these different things. I think they tend to get him right. The batting average hasn't been great on coach of the Year these last few years. No disrespect to Mattnege, no

disrespect to Kevin Stefanski. There is a lot to be said for being able to have a turnaround, But I think they got to kind of figure out what's what they want to emphasize here because they moved the goal post. And if you look back over the last ten fifteen years, there's a lot of really random coaches that ended up being the NFL Coach of the Year. When I feel

like that honor should be a little bit more prestigious. Yeah, And I think and and go going back away is not to get not to go too far back into

the history. But I always felt it was extremely unfortunate that when Mike McCarthy put together that thirteen and three season in Green Bay in two thousand and seven, his second year at the Helm, when he had gone eight ate his first year, Brett Farve became an m VP candidate again in two thousand seven, Well, it just so happened that the New England Patriots ran the table and we're sixteen and oh, and there was sort of like this obligation to give the Coach of the Year to

to Bill Belichick. Um because of what because of what the Patriots had accomplished there and and Mike McCarthy got got overlooked for what I thought was was a tremendous coaching job. So, yeah, these these awards, they aren't perfect. Stuff happens, but um, but I hope, I hope the Fleur gets due consideration issue even though I do believe there there are other there are other worthy candidates. Um. You know, the the cupboard is not bare in terms

of the potential candidates here. But uh, but over the course of the entire season, from Week one until now, um, I think I think Matt Fleur, Matt Fleur has been there. He's been in this mix, He's been in the discussion the whole time, and he's never let anybody down. And the fact that once again for a third straight season, he has not lost back to back games as a head coach, to me, that is that is his most impressive accomplishment if I look at the three years in

total right now. Yeah, and to be able to manage everything that's happened over the last twelve months in Green Bay, salary cap issues of things in the off season program, I think you got to give a lot of credit and then I'll also you know, mention this too. I mean, the Packers want to win a super Bowl. That's all

they're really focused on, and that is totally appropriate. But what Aaron Rodgers said after they clinched the NFC North, when he gave that speech to the huddle afterwards, about enjoying these moments, enjoying these victories, understanding how difficult it is to win in this league. It's not that have your cake and eat it too scenario to appreciate when you have individual accomplishment. And I think that's something that is important to remember with la Fleur is that it's cool.

It's it's neat that there's a coach of the Year. I understand it's it's a very subjective thing, but it's it's cool. If it's cool to be coach of the year, it's okay. And I think if if it would work that way, uh, it would be amazing for La Fleur. The biggest point though, I thought you raised her. That is very valid as just to get duke and sideration. There hasn't been enough votes cast for Matt Lafleur the last two years. It would at least be nice to

see him get a better run at it this year. Yeah, I would agree. I would I would absolutely agree. Serious x M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need seven three 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. Cousin Subs, we believe in better all right, West. The Packers are headed to Detroit for

the regular season finale. The plan is to start the game with the starters. We don't know, Matt la Fleur says. They have developed a plan for how to work through this. We don't know how long the starters are going to play.

Maybe it's going to be one quarter, two quarters, three quarters, I don't know, but the Packers are essentially Matt la Fleur has decided, you know, yes, there there's a risk of injury any time you put guys out there, but he's willing to accept the risk of injury over what he feels is the larger risk of giving the guys this week off and then the following week with not having a game over the over wild Card weekend um as we talked about our last show, then suddenly it's

three weeks um between games. So so the Packers are going to Detroit. They are preparing this week with their with their frontline players ready to start the game, and then we'll see how it unfolds from there. I honestly don't think it. I even wrote about it for our website. I don't really think this is a big of a deal, is what it's sort of become. I think it honestly. This is a week in which there isn't a lot to write about because the game really in a lot

of ways doesn't matter. But the one thing, there's a couple of things that that hit me on Wednesday about it. One it was Davante Adams discussing it because he was asking a very intelligent and terrific way by Jason Wildy about the difference between this and then you guys don't want to play in preseason? What's the difference and Davante, it's it's so obvious when you think about it, but

you don't really it doesn't hit you right away. As he mentioned in the preseason, which when he set is pointless, which I don't disagree with him for players of for players of statue. Yeah, what what good is going to come out of Mike Spott for going over to a local you know, middle school and writing something for their school paper, right, I mean, it's just it's a different level. Um. But but the thing is is that he mentions in training camp, you're going pretty hard in those practices. You

have padded practice. You have padded practice day after day. There is an element of almost you need some rest with those to kind of de escalate a little bit. Yeah, And for fans who don't know, training camp practices are significantly longer, greater duration than regular season practices, it is. It is a it is much more of a daily grind on the field in training camp than it is during the regular It's more like a play. It's not just a dress rehearsal. I mean, they are really going

after it in right now. It isn't like that they get their plays in. They have their script in, but everything's been installed. They've run a lot of these schemes. It's just trying to figure out what are we going to install for this game. It's about it's about the game plan and just refamiliarizing everybody with certain concepts in the playbook that they're choosing for this particular contest. So you're not going all that hard in those games, so

in those practices. So that's where this three weeks comes in that we keep talking about if if they wouldn't play on Sunday, and I wrote this an inbox too. Okay, the game doesn't matter. We know all that. So that's where you just avoid the risk. Aaron Rodgers is under pressure, throw the ball away, you know, I mean take an intentional ground and call these type of thing. I think there's it's a very physical game, it's an important game.

But at the same time, I don't think it is the danger that everybody wants to present this as preseason. There's no point in it because you could get it. You could get a non contact injury, as we saw with Jordy Nelson. These guys don't need these reps. They're installing stuff in practice. They don't want to show the stuff they've installed against the opposite AI to put that on film. This is a different animal. And for the Packers to actually go out there on Sunday, do they

need to play? Probably not, but to be able to keep that momentum going and keep building and keep the wheel turning. As Edvante Adams said, I think there's a lot of value in that. Well, we will see, We will certainly see how things unfold. I will say this with regard to however long Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and and the front line guys play, I don't think there's anything one way or another that that Aaron Rodgers can do or not do that will that will impact the

m v P voting. UM. I'm not going to get into all of the Hull Barker stuff. It is not worth our time to discuss that. What I do want to say is that, UM, I think it's pretty clear cut on the field that Aaron Rodgers is the m v P in the NFL. You said it an inbox. I've said it as well before. To me, I felt like a few weeks ago, it felt like it was Aaron Rodgers, Jonathan Taylor, and Tom Brady and with a few games to go in the regular season, Okay, like,

how is this going to shake out? Now? You know Taylor had the nationally televised game, you know, in prime time, had like a forty plus yard run but then was held to like sixty some yards on his other carries. He didn't have that big monster game down the stretch. And the Coults are sitting there at nine and seven. Yes, they'll probably make the playoffs. They beat the Jaguars, they'll get in, But ten and seven, it's I think it's hard to vote for an m v P on a

team that that loses seven games. You look at Tom Brady, He's got the shiny year statistics, certainly in terms of the yards and the touchdowns, then Aaron Rodgers has. But with the Buccaneers in the fight for the playoff by and the number one seed, Tom Brady got shut out by the New Orleans Saints in a game that he only need to put up ten points to win because his defense held New Orleans to nine. He got shut out.

And yes, Aaron Rodgers had a terrible game against the Saints back in Week one, but games in December matter more. And to me, that sequence of events, with the fact that Rogers has continued this run where every week he's throwing either two or three touchdown passes with no interceptions, and the Packers are finishing now on with a with a winning streak here and and have clinched the number

one seed with a week to go. I think the separation has occurred between Aaron Rodgers, Jonathan Taylor and and and Tom Brady, that this is that that this award should be Rodgers. Since Week one, the guy has thrown thirty five touchdown passes and two interceptions, and he's lost one game because the other Packers losses when he didn't play. He's lost one game on a walk off field goal. Yeah, and he threw a seventy five yard touchdown to give his team to give his team a chance to win

that game late. So to me, it's just I don't know. I honestly don't know how in good conscience any voter, whether you whether you're taking in the off the field garbage or not, I don't know how any voter and good conscience can really can really say that Aaron Rodgers is not the m v P. To me, there are more valid candidates for the Coach of the Year discussion we just had than the m v P one. This is a slam dunk for Aaron Rodgers. I think so. And I agree with you. I think you should go

back to back. I think it should be number four for him. The other thing I want to is I just I want that focus to be on what happens on the football, absolutely and absolutely this is the one thing that's funny, right My um my dad recently retired congratulations pod worked for forty years close to it, a nearby paper mill here celebrate, Yeah, exactly. I don't know what his day to day was like. I don't know what happened there. I knew what he was like when

he came home. I knew what he's like when he was my dad, But I had no idea what was going on at his place of business, as he has no idea really ultimately what happens at mind now these days. The thing I don't understand about the Rogers fiasco is all this is there's so many people on the outside, and it's been like this for you know, last five years, six years. It seems like where everybody wants to draw conclusions and have these these grandiose statements about things, but

they're not the ones actually in the locker room. And when the argument gets made about the bad teammate about these off the field distractions, it didn't show up in the winning lost column. This season, and when time came to it, and when time came to play football in July, Aaron Rodgers was there. I'm not privy to any of those conversations. I don't know what those things have been like with Brian good Quins, but all I can go

off of is what I've seen. And what I've seen is a thirteen and three team, a quarterback with the best passer rating in the NFL this season. You know, for so many years people want to dog him for the QBR. He leads that darn statute. I couldn't tell you one thing about it, but I know he's He's leading that category. Aaron Rodgers is the most valuable player

to the league's winning his team. And I, as I wrote an inbox, I'm like, if you neglect to recognize that, you're just denying reality and to over think it and draw these other conclusions. If Aaron Rodgers had these stats and the Packers were five and eleven right now, I don't think you and I would be sitting up here talking about why he's the m v P. No, we're not doing that for Jonathan Taylor right now. In the heck,

they they got nine wins on the season. So I just think, you know, I don't know, it's gonna be weird. I think that when this thing is all said and done, however many years or whenever that ends, there's gonna be a lot of dissecting about what what exactly all this was about, because it isn't just one thing. To me, It's it's a lot of things. And ultimately, I think the guys in that locker room, the guys that he

connects with, they're the ones that speak the loudest. And for the Green of Packers, it's led to a lot of winning and it has them once again in the driver's seat in the NFC. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, with regard to the NFC, before we go, I just want to touch on where things are with regard to the playoff picture. We all know the Packers have the number one seed, they have it clinched. There is one spot still available, so I'm gonna put you on. I'm gonna put you

on the spot here, Wes. The forty Niners are playing the Rams. If the forty Niners win, they get the last playoff spot. If the Rams win that game, the New Orleans Saints can get the last playoff spot with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons. So what do you think Who's going to get that final wild card spot in the NFC? I think the New Orleans Saints are And the main reason I say that is I think the Rams kind of like Green Bay has been on.

The Rams have been on a big run here too to end the regular season, and I just feel like San Francisco has been way too up and down in While you give San Francisco a lot of credit for how they handed it to the Rams, I think this game will be different in l A. I feel like thing. I just feel like the Rams, in addition to being the more talented team, are the more consistent team. Um. To be honest with you, I would actually like to see the forty Niners in the playoffs more than the Saints.

From a pure entertainment standpoint, I think they're a bigger question mark. I have a hard time seeing the Saints getting on much of a run. Yeah, forty Niners are a more balanced team, but but the schedule is what it is, and for the forty Niners this is a difficult opponent. I just don't see l A laying another egg against San franc could happen but but if you put me on the spot for who I'm picking, I'd

probably pick l A and pick New Orleans to get in. Yeah, it's it's interesting because I think San Francisco has had a pretty strong push here towards the end, and the Rams while you know, extremely talented, but dealing with dealing with you know, a massive COVID list and all this, and then there you know, their games getting rescheduled, moved around, and then you know, playing on a super short week and all this kind of stuff, and Matthew Stafford has

been turning the ball over like crazy, and so that's where that's where I just I just wonder if if, if Now the game is in l A. As you said, it's at Sophi Stadium, But but I just wonder if San Francisco will be able potentially to pull this out. And what's interesting in the larger picture in the NFC, the Rams right now are the two seed, and if they win, they will be they will be the two

seed right behind the Packers. But if the Rams lose, there's suddenly this this potential domino ripple effect with regard to how all of the seating between number two and number five could shake out amongst the Buccaneers the Cardinals, who could steal the NFC West if if the Rams lose, obviously the Cowboys are in that mix as well. If if the Rams end up losing the division, if they lose in the Cardinals win, the Rams go from being the two all the way to the five and suddenly

they're going on the road on Wildliad weekend. It's a huge it's a huge shift of fate, so to speak, for them. So um, really that if if there's one, if there's one game in in week eighteen, that that has the biggest implications in in the bigger picture, it's this forty Rams. Yeah, and and I obviously should probably amend my previous statement to and say that, you know, New Orleans has to get past Atlanta for this thing to become all relevant. But I us, you and I

were discussing a couple of days ago with Atlanta. They are seven and nine, But I mean they're they're winning percentage as far as the opponents they face is less. I mean, they've had they've had plenty of opportunity to put themselves in a better position. And so I just think seanpa Falcons just continue to the Falcons just continue

to come up short. That would be classic Falcons though in a way is if the Rams do beat the forty, but then the Falcons would actually stop the Saints from getting in, and then uh, and then the forty others would would still get in any way, and they were back to the yearly question of is Matt Ryan still the quarterback? Right? The whole discussion, the whole discussion in Atlanta starts over last one before we go. As I mentioned before, the Colts most likely will be getting into

the playoffs. They just have to beat the two win Jacksonville Jaguars in order to do it. And if that happens, then that sets up a Sunday Night football winner go home game between the Chargers and the Raiders if the Colts, if the Colts clinch a playoffs spot, then between Chargers Raiders it's essentially it's a de facto playoff game. The winner season is still alive, the loser's season is over. So Chargers Raiders, are you going to add in the

other contingency to that? Well, Brandon Brandon Staley addressed that very He addressed that very directly. As far as the if you don't know what we're talking about it as far as the whole idea that if the Colts were to lose to the Jaguars, the Chargers and the Raiders would both get in the playoffs if they tie. So of course you could have this conspiratorial, you know, gentlemen's agreement to to somehow play seventy minutes of football and

uh and have a tie. But Brandon Staley said, everyone respects the game and that's not going to happen because of because of the respect for the game. So this is West Hackwits the anarchist, though not a big fan of you know. So there'd be nothing more hilarious than flexing a game in the prime time and then the team goes out there, takes a knee and the whole thing sEH is being thrown. Yeah that could yeah, that could get that could get a bit, that could get

a bit. I'll say this. I'll say this. It's going to it's it is more than likely, considering the chances, the very strong likelihood that the Colts will beat the Jaguars to get one of those playoff spots, that this will be a win to get in loser loser goes home games, the Darryl Bevil game out and Jacksonville win one for the Bevil. You know, now, hey, let me put it this way. Let's let's boil it down like this. Justin Herbert, I mean, I don't need to say any

more about Justin Herbert. Everybody knows how much I love Justin Herbert. The games on the line, these are the type of games that young man is gonna have to win. They may not win a Super Bowl this year, but these are the moments and things you want to see him tested By the fact they got us In Eichler back to I mean, I think that's really going to help them now after he's done with his boat with COVID. So yeah, I definitely like the Chargers chances if they

don't kneel. Yeah, I like the Argers in this one too. If I'm a if I'm a fan of another team, you know whose team is in the a f C playoffs, I think I'm kind of rooting for the Raiders though, just because because the Justin Herbert like get hot. I know, this is a young quarterback who hasn't played in the postseason and has all of this, all of this January experience the big games and everything that he has to learn. But justin Herbert's one of those quarterbacks who's capable of

getting of getting that hot hand. If I'm another team in the a f C, I'd rather see the Raiders and then the Chargers. But that's just my love. I do think the Chargers will win this game. I love the way the f C shaping up though for years to come, that is going to be an exciting conference with Burrow. With him, I mean to had some moments this year, a ton of a ton of young, young,

really exciting quarterbacks. But Herbert, Man, you want to get the Charges now because in five six years, if that kid stays healthy, I think they're going to be a tough out. Yeah. I think so too. With that, we'll call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of Sunday's game from Ford Field in Detroit. We'll have it all for you on Packers dot com. For West, I'm Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. See you next time. M