#647 Packers Unscripted: Difficult ending

And I don't know where you want to start with this, and this show truly is unscripted, but all I will say to start is that for a franchise that has had a number of devastating playoff exits, this one was

in another fashion and it just gets added to the list. Yeah, the whole weekend, it was kind of wild with how these games ended to in this game, between what happened with Kansas City and Buffalo UM, the four divisional round games coming down to the final play of the game being decided on the final snap of the game, which

has never happened before on divisional playoff weekend. But yes, it was certainly historic in that I said it was gonna be a good weekend, Mike, But unfortunately that was strictly from the viewers standpoint, It wasn't strictly from a Packer fan standpoint. Yeah, disappointing game. Uh. As I mentioned in our show on Thursday, I was like, I was kind of pushing for the Packers to win because I really didn't watch much of the football games on Sunday.

I ended up clicking in and watching the final two minutes of both games in the regulation our collige Grindhartig was the one that was learning to me just the craziness that was going on. But I think there's a lot of guys said during locker room clean out on Monday they really didn't feel like watching it, And I

don't blame them. I mean, it's it's a tough way to go out and and certainly, as you mentioned, we've covered a lot of these from two thousand eleven, uh and the loss to the Giants after the fifteen and one season to what happened in volv in thirteen with the Ers, and you know, don't even get into with Seattle.

But it's a difficult thing because defensively, this is the best defense the groom of Packers have really had, and at least seven years you can maybe even make an argument for before that and the defense came to play, they allowed six points um, with the exception of really that final drive gave them a chance to win and only three points for fifty nine minutes and fifty six seconds or whatever it was. Right and offensively, they come out clicking, they come out looking strong. Um. Even that

second series, they're moving the ball and then there's the fumble. Um. It was funny my friend Scott was talking to before the game because I was asking about Fred, not asking what we're talking about Fred Warner and I'm like, yeah, you know, Warners is a problem, and there was the questions of what his health was going to be like. And He's like, ah, he hasn't really made any plays this year. He made a couple of big ones in this game, and then certainly this special teams was a disappointment.

So at the end of the day, Mike, the Packers had countless opportunities to win this game. They did not get it done. And uh, it is going to be a a long, um thoughtful offseason here as Green Bay sort of tries to regroup for this next step. Yeah, and that's certainly what we heard from the players who spoke to the media via zoom on Monday, and then also from the head coach you spoke, who spoke late on Monday afternoon. You can you can feel the disappointment.

There's there's disappointment, there's shock, there's dismay um and to say shocked. That's not to say that anybody was taking anything for granted, but the Packers just but the Packers believed in who they were. They believed they were the

better team. And and uh and quite frankly, you know, as that game unfolded on on Saturday night, the way the defense was playing, with the offense scoring a touchdown on the opening drive and moving the ball in the second drive before the fumble, you just felt like the Packers were going to be in command of this thing. They were going to roll it right. But yet it never you know, the block field goal at the end of the first half makes it still just seven to nothing.

The Packers never even made it a two score game. It was it was seven and nothing, then seven to three. Then they have a chance to make it a two score game. You get goal to go right, but then a false start kind of messes up. I think I think the Packers wanted to try to pound Aaron Jones there from the five yard line, but you get the false start, you're pushed back to the ten, you have to throw, you don't get it, you end up kicking a field goal. Still a one score game, ten to three.

UM the Packers had numerous, numerous opportunities, and as much as it felt like they should have had control of the game early, it still comes down to you have to be as we talked about on this show and in final thoughts and everything else, you still in these games. You have to be the better team in the fourth quarter. You have to be the better team at crunch time

in order to win playoff games. And UH, and you know crunch time was the final drive was really when when the defense had I guess I would say it's only real hiccup because certainly getting a fourth and one stop with six minutes to go at the twenty yard line, that's a huge, huge play right there. That is the

defense rising up and UH and making something happen. But then the offense faltered, The special teams faltered with the block punt, the offense faltered again, and UH and the defense gave up just enough yards for Robbie Gold to to have a makeuple field goal and what turned into a little bit of a snow globe game there in the second half. The snow was falling, the windshills were dropping, but the forty five yard or from from one of the best cold weather kickers to do it was true

and and that was all she wrote. Such an idiotic move by the Chicago Bears to cut that guy. Isn't that amazing? Um, what what a find he's been and he's in a six year now. I think with San Francisco, um and go dude. As soon as Gold came on, I I'm not saying I was completely like, ah, this is pretty much over, but I mean, I I've said it for a long time. I think him and Mason don't get enough credit for what they've accomplished in their careers. And certainly robb he's gone out to San Francisco and

a warmer climate and still performed really well. But I certainly wasn't thinking he was going to miss I was just so unless there was, you know, a major gust of winds suddenly that was gonna that was gonna misdirect that that football. But um, this has not Soldier field where the winds can get really crazy. So that wasn't in the card. No, And and I I have a hard time putting this on the defense still because ultimately

I know they're disappointed. And certainly Samuel gets that nine yard run and and that kind of put him for sure in kicking range. But the fact of the matter is the defense rarely ruptured in this game. I'm trying to think if they even had a play over twenty yards offensively for San Francisco eighteen yards throughout the course

of this game. It was close. I think Kittle might have had one, right, Yeah, but before the before the fourth and one stop, Kittle had I believe a twenty four yard catch and run that was actually on a third and eleven. It was really one of the only third and long until the Samuel run at the end, the only real third and long breakdown the Packers defense had.

Um Kittle had about a twenty four yard reception. But then the next series is the one that ended with the fourth and one stop, and the defense got the ball back to Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, and defensively, I just I was so impressed by you know, Rashawn Gary was just the man amongst boys out there, said, Darius Smith comes out. He only played nineteen snaps, but gets a sack on his first play. I thought Joe Barry showed

a lot of creativity with the packages. Matt Floor said, he challenged him to come up with some different looks at San Francisco hasn't seen before. He definitely did that. Um But but ultimately after the fourth and one stop, you have to be able to move the ball, and unfortunately for Green Bay, I think one thing we learned in this game was just how important A. J. Dillon is to this offense and how important he's going to be moving forward. And that's not a discredit to Aaron Jones.

Aaron Jones had what a hundred and seventy total yards in this game, I mean, really strong performance. But when they needed to pound the football, unfortunately they lose Dylan to the fractured rib on the kickoff return. Uh and and that kind of took away that dimension of their offense and and certainly weren't able to push the ball

down field. I know the play a lot of fans are gonna be talking about for a lot of long time is that the third and eleven Rogers tries the pass down field to two Adams and double coverage when it appears that Lazard's coming free over the middle. That's the game in its hindsight, and that's the way these

things roll sometimes. I still felt, you know, even though the offense kind of fell into some dul rooms there, even though the defense, I honestly felt the whole time that as long as the Packers don't turn over this football, they're going to be Okay. This is the type of game where I think they were playing good enough that they're gonna be able to hold off the forty niners.

The block punt happens, the block punt goes for a touchdown. Yeah, I mean, the block punt was the equivalent of a turnover. Doesn't go as a turnover in the statistics, but it was the same thing as a scoop and score or a pick six. I mean, there's five minutes left in the game, the Packers are up by seven points, and yes, you would hope after the big fourth and one stop. You and I am you know, we we were sitting there,

We're thinking the same thing. It's like, Okay, no matter how many minutes you can kill or whatever, but at ten to three, you go down and get and kick a field goal, thirteen to three, a two score game, and it's over. For all of the offensive struggles. The offense just needed one drive in the fourth quarter, whether it was that one or after the after the block punt. And uh, not only could the offense not put together a drive, it couldn't even get a first down. And uh.

And that's what that's what's so so disappointing about the exit. And you know, I mean it was it was on you know, the face, the tone of voice of Aaron Rodgers, Matt Lafleur after the game. The this is a darn good offense with really really good offensive players, and when when they absolutely needed it and everyone expected it, it

couldn't deliver. And and that's that's hard to swallow. That that that's tough to swallow when you're really good at what you do and you can't do it when it matters most that can petitors these guys are, that's that's tough to take. And uh and and they have unfortunately, they're gonna have a long time in the off season to think about it. Yeah, And I think that's the hardest part with these things like I was thinking about

as we walked in the studio. Um, you know, it's January, the time in which we're taping this, basically six months since the start of training camp. It's almost like that intermediate point where six months removed from the start of training camp. It's six months away from the start of training camp. There's a lot of time in between there to have to to ponder this. Um. Certainly, there were some great stories this year and in the in the coming days, you know, we'll have another one of these

and we'll review some of that. But you know, to have the Russeul Douglas is step up, the Devondre Campbell's, to see a guy like Dennis Kelly uh Not play half the season and then be the right tackle against Nick Bosa in the most important game of the season. Those those things I think made this year feel a little bit different because certainly the Packers have probably had deeper teams if it, definitely had healthier teams, but where they needed guys and veterans and young here Is alike

to really respond. They did that. And you got your Alexander back for this game in a limited fashion. You've got Sadarius back, Whitney Merciless had the freaking harness on playing in this game. It just felt like things were finally turning for Green Bay. But unfortunately, as we always realize with these things, it ends suddenly and this is

the end of this journey. And as I kind of close our Insider Inbox with on Monday into Tuesday Mornings edition, and you just got to start the other the next climb. As difficult as that is, that's the way this game works. Unfortunately, it's the best of one scenario. Mike and I've talked about it so many times, and for how hard these teams have to work to get a playoff spot, to get a bye, to to get that it ultimately comes down to those sixty seconds, and in Green Bas case,

it didn't go in their favor. Yea to review. A few thoughts from Matt Lafleur on Monday when he gave his his conducted his season ending media session over Zoom. Obviously, he was asked about Aaron Rodgers in the future of Aaron Rodger, Matt Lafleur saying that he and the front office, um, everybody's on the same page and wanting Aaron Rodgers to come back. They are going to give him his give him his space to contemplate what he wants to do.

Rodgers has talked about that retirement is possibly on the table, though he still says um the competitive fire burns, he does want to continue playing. He doesn't want to be part of a rebuild. If that's where Green Bay has headed. Matt Lafleur trying to reassure with his words that they're for all of the contract and salary cap challenges. There is a plan. There is a plan that they don't have to blow this whole thing up, that they feel they can still be a competitive team and keep things

going in the right direction. Um if if they can, um, if they can bring Aaron Rodgers back, and if he wants to continue playing for Green Bay. Um, I don't think this is based on what Rodgers has said, it doesn't sound like this is going to take long to sort out. There there's going to be an answer. We're not going to be wondering in the middle of July like last year, oh, where things are headed with Aaron Rodgers.

But but right now it's sort of it's sort of like everything is on hold and it's just wait and uh and find out what the presumptive back to back m v P quarterback is going to decide to do. To me, there there's really two scenarios here that in my mind as far as how this thing should go. Um, if Rogers decides, you know, pon some some reflection and looking at things, that this is it, this is the time to go out, you know, could very well end up getting his fourth m v P here in a

couple of weeks. If he wants to end, you know, at the peak of his position. I wouldn't blame him for that at all. But if he does want to play again, if he wants to come back for year eighteen, I still think it has to be here. Well, we'll see what happens. I understand there's a lot of things with the contract and that and things they have to

figure out. But I was watching those games over the weekend, Mike, and I understand how this history has gone and how things have been in the playoffs for Green Bay recently. But it's just it's so I thought about I watched Josh Allen with the Bills, right, and it's not about how Josh Allen plays a position, Aaron Roch plays decision.

I thought about how many quarterbacks the Buffalo Bills had to go through between Jim Kelly and Josh Allen to get to that moment, right, I thought about the issues that Kansas City went through for a lot of years. Kansas City wasn't always the team that's going to all these a f C Championship games. There are a lot of years in between there where you had, you know, shoot, random quarterbacks just kind of ended up being the starter there for for some time, and and they couldn't they

couldn't find their next guy. Uh really, I guess unless I'm forgetting somebody since what Joe Montana Elvis Gerback was in there a little bit. The point I'm trying to illustrate is that it's difficult to find franchise quarterbacks and if you feel like this team still wants to compete for a championship, which Matt Laflour that was probably the biggest thing that came out of his forty three minute presser. They're not rebuilding, They're not. That isn't where they're looking

at right now. Realistically, probably what's going to have to happen, though, he said, difficult decisions will have to be made and they're gonna have to probably end up making some decisions at some veteran positions if they want to go with some of the younger guys that have been coming up.

That was the one thing we learned about this season, Mike, because there's a lot of young guys on this roster, specifically on the defensive side of the ball that stepped into bigger roles this year and really grabbed that opportunity you know, by the horns and made the most of it.

So and the reality of how it works in this league is younger is cheaper, right, And when you have a salary cap to deal with, if you have young players that you feel can step in and do the job and they don't, they don't take up as much cap space. Those are That's what's called the difficult decisions because it's not saying that that veteran guy who has the bigger contract that he can't play and that he

can't help you. Um. It's it's making the decision based on all of the factors, right, Um, you know, all of all of the financial ramifications and what each decision relative to the salary cap means for all the other

positions on the roster. It's this big puzzle that needs to be put together, and you know that this is this is something they've been you know, they're not talking about it publicly, but you know they know the situation with the contracts, the money they pushed out in order to keep this group, the most of the group together, in order to make this run at it. They knew exactly what they were doing, but they but they didn't just do it. They didn't just do it and then say, Okay, well,

we'll deal with the rest of it later. They know there are things that are going to change over the course of how certain guys play and and and potentially injuries and how things play out. But they have a plan for what they're going to do with all of

the contract situation, the financial ramifications. But as both of us have said, with Aaron Rodgers situation, and then with Davante Adams and him having an expiring contract and and being on the brink of unrestricted free agency, those are the first two dominoes here, um the quarterback and the best wide receiver in the league. And whichever way those go is going to determine. You know, now there are those who are saying, well, Aaron Rodgers is going to

want to know what the other moves are. Well, As I said, they have a plan, and they will present that plan to him. I believe they will show him this is what we plan to do. If you are here. If Aaron Rodgers is not here, there may be a different plan than in terms of how they go about it. But um, the first two decisions that have to be made and have to get settled our number twelve and

number seventeen. Yeah, and those are those are the biggest dominoes, the heaviest dominoes, And once those fall, I think the rest of the offseason sort of takes care of itself. In that regard that. The thing about the Rogers scenario, there's gonna be a lot of discussion about it in the days and weeks ahead. I've been saying this for a number of years now, and I want to make this abundantly clear because I've seen a lot of comparisons towards the end of the far era in two thousand

seven and things of that nature. Rogers pretty much has always been pretty transparent with what his intentions are. Even last year when there there was those questions of whether or not he was coming back, I never really got the feeling of it was he was going to do that or he was going to be done. It just seemed like he probably was gonna end up playing. It just matters, you know, if they could make it work here,

which they did. I don't feel like this is going to be a situation that really gets you know, strung along, let alone to July. But I'm saying even the months ahead, I think the Packers will have a pretty clear idea. I think Rogers is very clearheaded and focused on what he wants to do. Um, you gotta give him his time a lot of let him sort it out. But I feel like because the question kept getting asked, well, you know, developing your plan for the off season and

those sort of things, they'll figure that out. Yeah, you know that these next couple of weeks, they're gonna look at what other NFL teams are doing. They're gonna self scoult. They certainly have to figure out what the coaching staff situation is going to be, where all those things are. That's that's what the end of January into early februaries about. Yeah, and and Matt and Matt Lafleur did say he hadn't as of Monday, afternoon, he hadn't even gotten to the

evaluation of the coaching staff. It's for for those for those who don't understand, it's a very methodical process that every head coach goes through at the end of every season, where the meets with all of his individual coaches, there's

an evaluation process. Step by step, they go through everything and then decisions are made and so um for those who are wondering what might be happening with the coaching staff, whether whether it's in regard to special teams or if Nathaniel Hackett moves on he's a finalist for the Denver Broncos coaching job, and then that could um lead to

some changes obviously here in Green Bay. But Matt Lafleur said that process has has not even really begun yet because because the players were still just cleaning out their lockers. So it's wait and see in that regard, Yeah, and then you know, it's a typical thing. Is he even mentioned on Monday, it was a lot of eggs and interviews, a lot of discussions. That's where the discussion came with Rogers.

It's whereas the discussion came with Adams as well. I think everybody understands what's at stake here and where they're going to try to line this thing up for the future. And that's not even just to clear this up too, that's not even necessarily an indictment on Jordan's Love. The point I was just trying to illustrate with what I was saying is that you don't want to wish away your franchise quarterback, and because there's just no guarantee what it's going to be on the other side of it,

I still think, in my opinion, Rogers comes back. I still think that's a great scenario for Love to get another year of seasoning, just like Rogers did getting the third year behind Brett Farve. All those things have to figure them, you know, you have to get be determined.

But again, I think once the calendar flips towards March and we get closer to the Looke New League year, I think everybody will have a pretty clear vision of what's ahead for the Packers and what challenges they're gonna have to overcome to to put together this two thousand two roster. Yeah. Well, a shout out to our sponsors 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 six. And at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like our Wisconsin Cheese Kurds, 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, before we go, I know you said you didn't watch too much of it,

but you did catch the endings. Um, just those Sunday games Rams, and I mean to two down to the wire thrilling games that unfolded completely differently, right, I mean the Rams. The Rams have a twenty four point lead on Tampa Bay and uh, and then they start fumbling the football all over the place and the Buccaneers end

up getting the score tied. And then um, Matthew Stafford pulls, pulls a Cooper cup out of his hat and uh and hits Uh the all Pro receiver on back to back plays and they get in position for a walk

off field goal. And then the last two minutes at Arrowhead Stadium between the gun Slinger duel whatever you want to call it, between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, absolutely stunning, and for for as much as for as much you know, I'm not just trying to say misery likes company, but for as much as Packer Nation is hurting after a loss like that one to San Francisco. The Buffalo Bills scored to go ahead touchdown with thirteen seconds left west

and they had to defend. They gave up forty four yards in two plays that took ten seconds with the timeouts, and then the field goal tied the game and sent it to overtime. I mean, it's kind of it's kind of ridiculous. I saw I saw one. I saw one tweet that Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs forty four yards and kicked a field goal in less time than it took Dak Prescott to run a quarterback dor on stop the clock seriously, And that's that's just true. It's crazy

to think about. But he pulled it off. And somehow the Buffalo Bills scoring a go ahead touchdown in a playoff game with thirteen seconds left couldn't win the game. Yeah, and Buffalo, I mean for them not to squib that kick with thirteen seconds left to kick in the ends, and I don't know what the plan was there, um, especially with the time outs that Kansas City had, that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Man,

I'll tell you what the Packers. I know, you're always going to favor your team because that's when you watch the most, right, that's where fans talk about them having their hearts ripped out. There might not have been a team that deserved to be in the super Bowl more than the Bills this year just because of for lack of a better term, they have circled the wagons so to speak, when it's come to making it to the super Bowl, and they just haven't been able to make

that step. And Mahomes has been really the big, you know, obstacle to making that happen. I mean, these single the single best player in all of the NFL postseason thus far is not playing for a conference championship, and that's Josh Allen. Josh Allen has been an absolute mega star in this postseason and yet yet his team is his team is home, just like uh, you know, twenty seven other teams. Yeah, and and you know you give credit to Mahomes, you gotta give credit to Harrison Buckner too

to be able to make that kick. That's a big kick. Oh, that's big. That's a big time kick. I mean outdoors on grass not I mean Kansas City was not lambeau Field in terms of conditions, but it wasn't It wasn't sunny Florida either. No, and and for it really did feel like that was probably the most important coin to us in terms of the overtime as I can remember, because I don't think either team has probably stopping the other one. No, those those both of those defenses, the

tanks were empty. There's there's no question about it. Neither neither one of those defenses had anything left. And for the Rams, you feel good for Matthew Stafford. I've said that for a long time. I think Stafford went about it in the right way. In Detroit. I think he, you know, kind of had some some mud thrown over his legacy there just because of some of the talent, you know, dearth of talent that they had for a

number of seasons. It's good to see him be able to make a big playoff, you know, push at the end Cooper Cup is exceptional. Yeah, you have you have to give you have to give Stafford credit. You tip your cap to Stafford because he came into this. He was brought to the Rams. You know, in in this you know, complete all in sellout move by the Rams and how they built their roster right to go win a super Bowl. And he's a quarterback who hadn't won a playoff game. There's a lot of pressure on him.

He got his first playoff win. That Arizona Cardinals had a god awful performance, but Matthew Stafford gets his first playoff win and it felt to me West watching from from Matthew Stafford a playoffs passed to that game in Tampa Bay on Sunday. Suddenly, with one playoff win under his belt, Matthew Stafford was in his element in the postseason. He was there and for as badly as that looked for the Rams to blow that lead, it was all of Matthew Stafford's teammates that were making all the mistakes.

He wasn't making. He wasn't the one making the mistakes and giving the ball away. His teammates were that game. That game was was almost handed to the Buccaneers. But then when the Chips were down, Matthew Stafford came through and uh and got a slightly injured kicker who came up short from forty seven yards got him close enough to be able to make that game winning kick in a walk off scenario. Yeah, Matthew Kay has been so good for them this year too. I think he's a

pro bowler if I remember correctly. I mean, it really has been strong. But then dealing with some of these issues. Air's what's interesting, Wake because now you've got either San Francisco or the Rams are going to the Super Bowl. Right Either the Rams are going to kind of fulfill this prophecy that they've sort of ad here with Sean McVeigh and getting back to that game, or I think officially you put San Francisco right in that category with

Green Bay from two thousand and ten. As far as a team that got fired got caught on fire late in the season one, difficult games and difficult circumstances to be able to advance knocked off the number one seed,

both of those stories are great. On the other side of the conference, you have the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, who looked like they're going to probably be one of the more exciting teams for years to come, very interested to see if they can win the games necessary to get a Super Bowl just based on the way they play. It's they're flying by the seat of their pants a little bit, but they're incredibly talented, have great offensive weapons.

And then the other one is the Kansas City Chiefs, which is the dynasty that has really sort of emerged here in this league. And Patrick Mahomes at six years old, uh, him really carrying this team on its back, them having early season adversity and now make another championship run. I don't know how much of the breast of the playoffs I'll be watching, but it does set up really well for some entertaining football y'ere down the stretch. Yeah, it

should be pretty exciting. And uh and yeah, I mean the the um the Cincinnati Cincinnati Bengals going into going into Arrowhead Stadium mean they just won a big road game in Nashville, obviously, but from an environment standpoint, in Nashville is not Arrowhead. I mean, um, Joe Burrows walking into a into a completely different situation and Josh Allen

answered the bell um. Now we'll see if we'll see if Joe Burrow can even though Josh Allen came up short but no fault of his own by any stretch there So with that we'll call it a rap on this edition of Packers on Scripted. Be sure to continue to follow all of our coverage of the team. Will have everything for you on packers dot com for West Sim Mike. Thanks for tuning in everybody, We'll see you next time.