#644 Packers Unscripted: Roster reinforcements

you might say. First, of course, David Botieri and Josh Meyers get back into action on the offensive line in week eighteen. In Detroit. We've seen over the last several weeks Randall Cobb and Jaire Alexander both practicing, although they

haven't gotten back into game action just yet. And now this week on the practice field, Billy Turner and Zadarius Smith were out there on Wednesday, and then shortly before or we turned on the cameras too and microphones to record this show, Whitney Merciless was back on the practice field for the Green Bay Packers. Now no promises as to who exactly will be able to play next weekend when the Packers will play their divisional playoff game at

lambeau Field. But I have never I've covered the Packers through multiple times here over the last fifteen sixteen years when they've had a bye in the playoffs, I have never had a playoff bye week that had this much injury related news in it. Yeah, and I've never seen anything like this. Uh. I think Raven Green came back last year during the playoffs, and that was the one

player that was kind of designated to return. They've just had this whole boatload of guys that it's like their timetables to get back on the practice field all basically ended. At the same time. A lot of people after I tweeted that Mercedes Mercedes, Whitney Merciless, too many ms on this team. Uh, Whitney Mercills was back on the practice field.

So many people were tweeting me like we gotta get like the Hortal scene from endgame here from Avengers of all the superheroes coming back in for the final battle. And to some extent, it's very true. Here's the one aspect of this that there's a good reason why you you've thought that right up until last year, there wasn't an unlimited amount of players that could be designated to return. Before that, there wasn't there was one guy on the entire team that could return if you go back three

or four years ago. But but with some of these flexibilities that they created with COVID and everything else, you're allowed to bring back an unlimited amount of guys off injured reserve, which I've always said is the right way to go about. It's the way to keep guys healthy and safe from a player's safety standpoint. It's exactly what the league is should have been doing. But for the green you mentioned, you don't know who's going to come back.

But what I will say is kind of like if you're playing a hand to poker and you still got the turn in the river coming, somebody's gonna come back. I mean, when you have you know, seven eight guys that have been injured or on the COVID list or whatnot, and you have at least a few of them, some of these guys going to be back in the fold.

So for Green Bay to get this kind of push, I don't know if he'll be all eight of them, it will be three of them, I don't know, But this has to be a big mental boost for the Packers here entering this postseason run. Yeah. A couple other notes to mention here to Aaron Jones Devandre Campbell, who were both held out of the Lions game somewhat on a precautionary basis with some minor injuries. Those guys have

been back on the practice field this week. What is the latest with regard to a few other guys, Channon Sullivan, Marquis, Velda Scantling, Kingsley, Kiki, do you have an update for us? They're still not practicing that that's gonna be the interesting thing to see, you know, what these guys do with this week in what they're gonna be, you know, you know,

it doesn't surprise me they're not practicing. Guys coming out of a game with an injury, and especially Kiki's case has been sort of this this illness type thing that he was on the covid lest he came back. It's gonna be interesting to see exactly where this thing goes. You can't really be too sure until you know, you get some more solid evidence behind it. But you know, to have the Cobb running routes again out there, to have Jr. Alexander and Pads on Thursday. I think that's

the other thing that's noteworthy too. It wasn't that these guys were just out there for like individuals. Packers had their pads on on Thursday. I mean Mercedes Lewis, who typically takes a veteran rest date, he was out there too and pads. So, uh, that's gonna be the big thing here. It's it's one thing to be cleared to just go out there and do your individual work. It's another thing to be able to go out there and get the pads back on. And that's something by and

large Green Bay was able to do on Thursday. Yeah, well to to position groups, I think. And this is not to discount what Jr. Alexander could potentially bring to the defensive backfield if he has worked back into the mix for the playoffs, but on on a larger scale, obviously, it's worth paying attention to what's going on here with the with the offensive line and what the Packers ultimately decided to do for the playoffs because Matt lafleur is

we've talked about on the show. He is a tried and true believer and get the five best guys out there and the Packers train their offensive linemen, particularly the interior guys to be able to play multiple spots, and even a guy like Billy Turner who can play tackle or guard. He's done that in his time here in Green Bay. So seeing where the Packers go with with regard to that best five up front as the next week and a half develops will be definitely worth watching.

And then the other thing is with the pass rush with the edge rushers, because you have obviously Preston Smith and Rashawn Gary and they have carried the load at that position for the majority of the season. We saw Whitney Merciless starting to make an impact in his brief stint here with the Packers right before he you know, ultimately got got injured. But now Merciless coming back and maybe Zadarius Smith now getting worked into the mix as well.

The opportunities, the options, the different types of things that Joe Barry might be able to do with that group of edge rushers. If you can, if Zadarius Smith can play ten or twelve snaps, if Whitney Merciless can play six to eight snaps, whatever it might be, the possibilities are really really intriguing for what this Packers defense could look like in certain packages. Yeah, and Merciless is an eye opener for me because going back to my days at the Press Gazette, you know, we we went through

b J Roger's biceps injury a lot of times. I just thought that thing goes, if you have an injury, it's probably gonna keep you off for the season. Yeah, you figure that's a season ender. So I don't know.

You know, the outside linebackers are really far away from where we're allowed to view practice, So I don't know if he threw a if there there's a you know, in harness or something he can put on there, I'm not sure, but you know, for what Matt Lafleur sounded like, you just remember how downtrodden he was when Merciless went down, because it wasn't just what he was doing in the games, it was what he was adding to the meeting room.

I mean, this is a guy who's played eleven years in the NFL, the third most games played in Houston Texans history. That was a real big vet that I think the defense was benefiting from, not just those young outside linebackers. So to potentially get him back on the field could be huge again, like Preston Smith and Rashawn Gary are fully capable of playing of the snaps of the snaps in the game. That's the that they've handled this thing. Preston has been the epitome of durability during

his career. But if you could sprinkle in twelve fifteen snaps of Zadarius Smith in a divisional round game, or maybe even more than that for a conference championship, if you can get Whitney Merciless back out there too, even if it's a dozen snaps to be able to contribute to the cause, give those guys a breather and still

have elite pass rushing talent out there. Again, we talked about the boost that that could bring to this defense, but it really could keep that standard up no matter which down is on that they're going to have some really veteran experienced guys either holding the edges or getting

after the quarterback. Yeah, and as far as the offensive line goes, if all goes well and there aren't any issues here over the next week and a half, do you see the three interior guys here being Josh Meyers at center, John Running at left guard, and Lucas Patrick at right guard. Is that where this is headed, and then it's just a question of if Billy Turner is able to play, he plays right tackle instead of Dennis Kelly, and we all know bok Tr is planning to be

back at left tackle. Is that where this is headed? It is? But then Lucas pad Trick goes down and gets on the reserve COVID list. So you hope that Lucas can get through that the five day window. Now if he's symptomatic after that, he'll be allowed to return. Matt Lafleur said, the way he's played, the way he's performed,

he deserves to be in those starting five. I think you know the other thing is box tr he had that load management day on Wednesday, but to be in pads on Thursday, that's gonna be such a big thing for him, being able to get those reps, bank those up and be able to be ready for a big

push to play seventy snaps in the game. And I think that's exactly why the Packers gave box Tr Wednesday's practice office, because the practice reps in pads on Thursday are so much more valuable for him and where he is compared to a non padded practice on and Billy Turner was in pads as well, so that is really going to be the Donimo effect. It's crazy to me. And in addition to Elton Jenkins who was scooting around on you know, at practice obviously going through the reconstructive

knee surgery. Um the Packers, other than Jenkins, for all the injuries they've weathered, for all the illnesses that have kind of gone through that room, they have their offense line back now. So as La Fleur said, it's just figuring out what the best five combination is. To me, it would seem like that's Turner moving back into right tackle. Dennis Kelly's performed really well there too, So do you want to tap into Turner's versatility and moving back inside?

So many different things the Packers are gonna have to figure out here getting ready for that divisional round of the playoffs. Yeah, absolutely, well, Uh, a little bit of sponsor business here. West Serious x M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need seven three and had 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, I want to get your thoughts. We are a little tight on time today, but I want to get your thoughts on these upcoming NFC wild card match. It's really the whole weekend of wild card football, but starting with the NFC because obviously that's what pertains directly to the Packers. First one in the n SEE will be Sunday at noon Central Philadelphia

at Tampa Bay. What's your take? You know how, like Ben Roethlisberger said with the Pittsburgh Steelers, I mean, we really don't have a chance against Kansas City. I think he said something like, we're not supposed to be here. Yeah, you just roll the football out and see how it goes. That's kind of the way I look at this game for Philly. Tampa is by far the superior team, more veteran team. They've been there, they've done that. Philadelphia had a big changing in the guard this year at the

head coaching position. They're they're very young and a lot of different spots. So I'm not necessarily saying that as disrespect to the Eagles. I just expect them to play free and lose. And this is almost again the same idea as Roethlisberger. You're playing with house money here, what do you really have to lose? But you know Brady Gronk, yes,

they're really down at the receiver position. But defensively, watching that front go up against this Eagles run game, I think ultimately it's probably gonna tell you who wins that game. To me, I just I look at the Buccaneers. Is just a more talented, deeper team. Yeah, I think with the Eagles, with their running game, the style they want to play, they want to be able to pound the football, they want to limit your opportunities on offense, control the tempo,

all that kind of stuff. That's how they got on a pretty good run the second half of the season to get a playoff spot. This Buccaneers defense is is the worst matchup really they could have gotten in the wild card round because because that's a that's a Tampa Bay defense that can clamp down on the run I think, and make it really really difficult for Philadelphia to play the way it wants to play. So the Eagles, Yeah,

it just feels like they're a big underdoge. There's just really no one like that front seven for Tampa where you have you know, Sue and obviously Vita Via just big, massive tackles and and guys that can really get their hands dirty. And then you have a very athletic range E sideline to signline linebacker corps behind them. Yeah, that's

a tough matchup for Philly. Not to say that it's it's you know, they can't be able to climb that mountain, but they have their work cut out for them for second one in the NFC Sunday three, this is the money game. Absolutely, San Francisco at Dallas. I think this is the game of the weekend of all six of them, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, I think this is the This is the um the cherry on top of of the wild card weekends, so

to speak. Forty enters at Cowboys. It's gonna bring back a lot of memories for me watching the Joe Montana and Steve Young and Troy Aikman days. Of these two franchises going at it in a playoff game. We haven't seen that in quite a while. And now obviously different eras completely different teams and everything, but the Niners and Cowboys going at it in the playoffs, that's gonna be something.

This is that, this is It's gonna happen to me too, someday, probably when you're long and retired and there's a young whipper snapper with me. You have those I have. I don't have those memories. All I know over the last twenty five years is a lot of inconsistency with both franchises. When this Forts have been up, Dallas has been down. When Dallas has been up, the fortys has been down.

But I know the stories and obviously when you look at that quarterback matchup the defenses team, is Dion Sanders playing for those type of things? I mean, that is really the tell tale sign both teams. But but that is there's there's history there and more than that, the point I'm trying to illustrate what that is. They're kind of coming back into the orbit together here. Dallas became the team everybody expected them to be really last year

when Mike McCarthy came in. They added a couple of defensive pieces, but offensively, you know what that situation is going to be. What they're looking to achieve San Francisco since the very beginning, like it's just about getting that team healthy. They have playmakers, but can they keep all their playmakers on the field without season ending injuries. It is going to be I said this earlier this week. It is must see television for me on Sunday afternoon.

I want to see if Dallas can impose their will against that defense, and I want to see if San Francisco can dial up some run techniques, be able to maybe, you know, get a couple of plays out there that we haven't seen before, and see if they can solve a Dallas riddle, which has again the Cowboys have looked like the best team in football at times and they've looked like an eight and eight football team at times. Which one is going to show up at a T

and T stadium. Yeah, last year, the Cowboys obviously lost their quarterback to injury, and they didn't have the pieces on defense. This year, Dak Prescott has been healthy, and you added Michael Parsons, who almost certainly is going to be the defensive rookie of the year and he's in the conversation for defensive Player of the Year in the NFL. So Dallas takes on a whole new look San Francisco down the stretch. Here. This is a team they beat the Bengals, looks like a team that could beat just

about anybody. They lost a close one to the Tennessee Titans, who are sitting there with the number one seed in the a f C. And then, of course, on our last show, we talked about how they got their playoff spot with a big road comeback against a division rival in the in the l A. Rams. The San Francisco team is playing really, really well here down the stretch. I think that's gonna be a fantastic game. Deebo Samuel Man Deebo Samuel on one sideline, CD Lamb on the other.

You talk about Deebo Samuel, you talk about your all purpose offensive weapon there. They will get him the ball any way, shape or form in that forty Niners offense. It's been a lot of adversity the last two years for San Francisco, but John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, they are in lockstep as far as what the philosophies are of this team. And Shanahan has kind of risen to this level too now where they understood what happened after the John Harbaugh or Jim Harbaugh era ended how they kind

of knows dive there. There's a vision there. Yes, you gotta win football games, but they also see the long game there, and it really is Mike. It reminds me of like a two thousand and thirteen Packers team where it's like they just wanted to get in the party and once they're there, they feel like they can do some damage. Yeah, well, to review the scenarios again, if the Eagles win, they come to lambeau Field. If Tampa Bay wins, and then San Francisco wins, the forty Niners

are coming to lambau Field. If the home teams on Sunday Buccaneers and Cowboys both win, the Packers opponent will be determined on Monday night when the Cardinals face the Rams in Los Angeles. And as I think I mentioned on our last show, when you have two division rivals in their meeting for a third time in the postseason, it's just even more so than normal. It just feels like it's anything goes type of thing. A third a third meeting within within the same season. Um, you know,

it's all bets are off. As far as I'm concerned, and one of these teams seasons is going to end in a thud. You gotta remember, you go back to week seven or what was what was in it like to seven and O teams basically playing each other Week six or six and oh teams. Yeah, they both kind of nose dived in some regards. The Rams have kept the plane up a little bit more Arizona. It's been a grind for them. One of these teams is gonna have a lot of questions they answer throughout the off season.

But the one that wins Mike the rebound the ricochet to get back into the divisional round, then you feel like you're back in the you know, really the chase absolutely does does Arizona. People were leaving Arizona for dead. Then they go into Dallas and knock off the Cowboys.

But then you know, they kind of stubbed their toe obviously against se Attle in a game that that that had quite a bit on the line for them, and uh, the Rams dealing with the COVID and rescheduled games and everything they've had to dealt with, and they were in position to to win and potentially win big against the forty niners and then they couldn't close the deal in the in week eighteen. For the Rams. To me, this is about It's about Matthew Stafford. This is a quarterback.

He's been in the league a long time, but he's never won a playoff game, and he's entering these playoffs on a bad run of turning the football over. I believe it's like six turnovers in the last three games, something like that, five interceptions and a and a fumble or or something along those lines. Matthew Stafford has to stop turning the ball over if the Rams want to

make a run here. He absolutely does. I mean, what happened in the last fifteen ish minutes ten minutes of that regular season finale against San Francisco, it can't happen anymore. You hope from their standpoint that they get that out of their system. The argument I've been making all week long is that I doubt that the Rams are going to play that poorly again. I I it was the first time they've lost after halftime when having a lead

under Sean McVeigh. I expect that team to respond. It's just to me, Mike, that the stakes are so high for them, because everybody wanted to talk about all the Packers, they're all in this year. Los Angeles Rams are all in right now. Yeah. They confirmed that when they brought in O. B. J. And with everything else they've done the trade to get Stafford. They gotta win. They don't have draft picks like literally, they have one next year.

They have to find a way to win right now and this team was on paper bill to do it. Can they stay afloat and turn back? Arizona improved that they really were the rightful NFC West champions. Yeah, And speaking of getting guys back, which is where we started the show with the Packers, Arizona Cardinals might be getting J. J. Watt back on their defensive front to add to their pass rush. We are almost out of time here in the a f C. Raiders at Bengals, Patriots at Bills,

Steelers at Chiefs. Which of those three intrigues you the most? Raiders and Bengals just because both are on the come up. The Raiders overcame a lot of adversity, probably more than any team in the NFL this year when you look at the John Gurdon debacle. So for them to be able to make this playoff run, Derek Carr just has played exceptional. I mean they've had injuries to Max Crosby is the most disruptive edge rusher in the game right Uh. And Cincinnati is just fun. I mean Zach Taylor, I

mean what they've built there with Joe Burrow. Yeah. Yeah, So that's the matchup. I've joked about it, but I legitimately mean this. I don't need to see New England and Buffalo play anymore. I'm just not even interested in the match. And that's the thing I actually, I actually am. But I say that because it sounds like it's going to be cold and potentially windy, like it could be a true, a real another one, another one of those

winter games in Buffalo. But now Buffalo won't be surprised at all by whatever the Patriots do from a game plan standpoint. So yes, even though it is it's the third matchup, um, the third matchup between those two teams, because the weather, the weather that is being predicted in Buffalo, I'm still interested in how that one turns up. Remember how for a while there everyone was saying like the Packers would be better built under Mike McCarthy at a certain stage as a dome team, than a ground than

an outdoor team? Is that not the Buffalo Bills? Like it's like do you realize where you play? Like what what? Typically the recipe has been there? But Josh Allen's really talented. I just they they leave, they lean on him a lot. I mean he he really is. He really is everything to that offense and uhum. But he's fun to watch and he almost he almost got to the super Bowl

last year, so he knows. He knows what it takes if if Pittsburgh, if Pittsburgh beats Kansas City, they I'll make sure my picks and packs an extra lunch for you. That would that would that would catch me a little off guard. That happen? All right? With that, we're going to call it a rap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com for Westim Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time.