#670 Packers Unscripted: Rebound recipe

We can start there because Alan Lazard, wide receiver who missed Week one against the Minnesota Vikings, he was back on the practice field Wednesday on a limited basis, so things are trending in the right direction. He wouldn't make any guarantees he would be out there on Sunday night,

but things are are potentially pointing that way. Other good news in the injury department, Quay Walker Keyshawn Nixon, two players on the defense who had left the Minnesota game with shoulder injuries, were both back on the practice field on Wednesday as well, So that was that was also a positive sign. And we don't know exactly what's going on with the offensive line. John Runyon is in the

concussion protocol. David Botr and Elton Jenkins were practicing again on a limited basis, So we'll see what the rest of the week brings. All of that injury news being processed, what jumps out at you as the a number one top of the list first priority key to victory against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. I'm going to tie

it into your injury updates. I think if you have Quay Walker out there tackling the way that he tackled in that game against Minnesota, I think you have Devandre Campbell I like this defensive front against what the Bears are putting forth. The reason for that is because you need to have sideline to sideline speed and you need to contain justin fields. I don't know how many more time as I can say it, I've already worn out

the line. You have to be able to contain justin fields because this Bears offense is going to go as far as he takes them. I thought at times, you know, seeing some of these statistics about you know, his ability to create how many off schedule plays they run. A lot of that is predicated on being able to contain him.

The Packers have too really good rush to contain guys in Rashawn Garry just through his brute power and strength, and also Preston Smith just through his acumen and the fact that you know he's such a savvy football player. I have a lot of confidence with those two guys being able to keep their lanes and understand the assignment. But really, I think about that an interior, I think about your Kenny Clark's. Kenny had the best game of maybe anybody in that game against the Vike Games. Clark

Clark played a whale of a game in Minnesota. For the push that you get with Kenny, you know, Jaren Reid knowing his assignments, Dean Dean Lawry, I just think

that's such a critical part of this thing. But seeing Quay Walker back, not just because of the injury to Chris Barnes, but Walker the way he played eight tackles before he left that ballgame, Like I thought, for as many explosives that were given up, for as many missed opportunities as the Packers had when it came to c ball, hit ball, get ball to the ground, Kuay Walker was

right on point. And I really liked what I saw so far from him and Campbell being able to work as that one to punch yeah, and certainly staying on the defensive side of the ball. You have to believe that this Packers defensive backfield is going to have a bounce back kind of game. And yes, the Bears do not have a Justin Jefferson, you know, Adam thieland combination. Um, they don't have a Dalvin cook In in the backfield either. That's taking nothing away from Montgomery and Herbert, who are

quality NFL running backs. Darnell Mooney is potentially still a rising star at receiver in this league. But those guys are not on the level of the Vikings perimeter weapons. And this this secondary for Green Bay. We talked about it that that main five that plays in the nickel, it's an experience group. It's a talented group. It's also a prideful group. And they know that the way they played last Sunday in Minnesota is not who they are.

And they they're not you know, they're not talking about it, woofing about it whatever this week in the locker room, but you know, in their own minds, they're like, all right, let's we gotta be who we are and take care of business here. That's the that's the group, the personnel group, the position group for the packers that you look to really bounce back in the biggest way. This was a

seminal moment for me. Just now. You don't even realize this, but wolfing is now a thing that I think I'm going to work in my vernacular for the rest of my life from this bit MO day moving forward. I just want to make sure that you're aware of that. But you're absolutely right, Mike, because what I took away from the postgame locker room you were at almost said Mike McCarthy. You were at Matt Lafleur's press conference with

Aaron Rodgers. I was in the locker room and listening to Resul Douglas Gire, Alexander and Eric Stowe all addressed the media afterwards, and even some of those guys talking on Wednesday. Nobody was defensive, nobody was unsure of themselves. There was almost this this kind of like approach that it was round one of a boxing match and they got knocked down. You know, it's a ten eight round

for the opponent. They they owned it, but they're gonna be able to work their way back, and that's going to be critical because, as Jerry Gray said, you have to make the corrections because you're gonna see that number eighteen again in the purple uniform or white uniform later this season. They're gonna have to deal with Justin Jefferson again. But you can't do anything about that week too. You have to worry about the weapons that the Chicago Bears present.

And I'll tell you what, Mike, while they don't have a Jefferson, you can even make the case they don't have an Adam feeling, they do have guys that are pretty gritty, and that was kind of my main takeaway from that game with the Bears. You know, Dante Pettis being able to have the fifty one yard score or the fifty one yard completion. You look at the score that Econemius st. Brown had the those were heavy plays and a lot of that was generated off of the

creativity of fields. So you can't worry about the vikings. You have to turn your attention to this Bears team because again they're gonna be riding high coming off of this win and win that very few people expected over the San Francisco forty Niners. But the circumstances this game are gonna be much different. You're gonna have a crowd in there for the first time at lambeau Field in a regular season setting. We remember what that atmosphere was

like for the preseason game that they had here. Team they're going to be energized. The Packers are going to have that wind in their sales in These cornerbacks need to play up to their potential because when you look at what they did during training camp, which you look at what they did against the New Orleans Saints and those practices, they were dominating, suffocating, and they found ways to take away the football, and that's what they have

to do on Sunday. Yeah. Well, on the offensive side of the ball, we talked already with regard to the running backs and and the Packers getting them more involved. Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers have touched on it. I don't want to to beat that topic to death. I am interested though. If Alan Lazard is able to come back and make his two debut, and if Robert Tunyan, who we believe might have been on a snap count with

his first game back from that's our suspicion. That's our that's our Yeah, we we suspect the old clue goes um that he might have been on a rep count and perhaps if that increases and he has more opportunities to get involved with maybe Lazard. Coming back with the fact that Romeo Dobbs and Christian Watson will no longer be playing their first game in the NFL. UM, they'll also be back home, you know, with the crowd behind them, all of that, um, all of that kind of stuff.

I I you know, I just have to believe we're going to see not just because the Bears defense is different from the Vikings defense. I think we're going to see a very very different Green Bay Packers offense than the one we saw in a very difficult place to play last Sunday. Do you ever cover hockey? Yeah, you said what Green Bay could potentially do it again, It's it's kind of predicated on number third team being available. But I like the line changes that Green Bay can

potentially utilize. You saw a little bit of them in that game against the Vikings. I mean, at forty one offensive snaps. Sammy Watkins was the most active offensive perimeter playmaker for Green Bay. You go back to the days of Davante Adams. I mean he was playing maybe three or four snaps he was taken off the field. I like the idea that Green Bay has all these this this different mesh of receiving talent that can be used

in a multitude of ways. You can have your Randall Cobs that are just there quickly to catch a pass and get you a first down on a third and five right up the middle, because there's that that synergy

there with Aaron Rodgers. I like that you have the deep threat with with um Christian Watson because as much as we've talked about the drop this week, I think the long term thing here for Watson, if he can really put that in the past, is the fact that he was going up against an all Pro type cornerback on his first NFL snaps and he beat him off the line of scrimmage by three and a half yards. His talent, his skill, and his natural gifts are as advertised.

You and I have seen it a little bit. It just based on the knee injury and camp when he did come back, I thought that really shined. But at the same time, you need to be able to work with that and learn from the past mistakes. Romeo Dobbs. The list goes on and on, and the amount of Packers receiving talent that they have, and I think that can be a big, big asset for them in this game.

Eddie Jackson had the interception last week. Jalen Johnson I think is an up and coming cornerback in this league. But the Green Bay Packers need to kind of keep their foot on the gas, so to speak. And as Matt Lafleur said this week, a lot of that is going to be predicated on the backfield, to getting more touches for Aaron Jones and a J. Dillon. This is not the two thousanders anymore. This is not an offense that's going to run through one specific all pro It's

going to be versatile. And having Lazard back with all the different ways that you can use him, I just think again, it opens up that cookbook just a little bit wider with some interesting recipes for this offense. Yeah, you mentioned Eddie Jackson, the safety for the Bears. Uh, playmaking kind of guy. You definitely have to be aware

of him. And I'll go back to what I said at the beginning of the week and Insider in b X when somebody asked me about the keys against the Bears, and you have to get a hat on ro Quan Smith. You know, whatever sorts of running plays, whether you're gonna go inside zone, outside zone, if you're going to run the reverses, the jet sweeps, whatever it might be. Whoever is headed to the second level off of the offensive line, off of the combo blocks, you've got to be able

to beat fifty eight to the spot, so to speak. Right, You've got to get a hat on that guy because, um, because he's a guy who's just he's capable of wrecking so much of what you want to do offensively. This is not the same Bears front that we've seen in recent years with Khalil Mack and a Keem Hicks and guys like that up front. But ro Kuwan Smith is still there just behind the line of scrimmage, and uh,

and he's he's a guy. He's a guy. You just you have to be able to block him and he's going to make his tackles at the defense is designed to do that. But you can't let him be an impact player, I guess, is what I'm saying. Yeah, And I really like, you know, for for as much as you know green Bay. Last week we talked about the push on the goal line. You know, there were some issues there with the past protection, but I really liked this offensive line and the athleticism and how that's kind

of shown up at the second level. Josh Myers did that a little bit in the preseason. You saw, I mean, you see some of these intangibles that these guys have. The Packers have the athleticism there to really thrive on that side of the ball. But it's a difference between that and really getting a hat on a hat and and Roquan makes it very difficult for offensive linemen to achieve that. But that being said, you look at six point two six point three yards per carry for Aaron

Jones and a j Dillon last week. Green Bay needs to repeat that recipe and maybe throw a little bit more in there too, UH to be able to get into more favorable situations, because realistically, the only time where Green Bay started to fall behind in some of these these downs was when there was an incompletion or a sack on first down. UH. When they ran the ball, for the most part, they weren't getting stuff for second

and nine or second and eight. They were able to get into some second and six, you know, second and five situations. You want to see that replicated because if a guy like Rokwan gets going, and especially you know with Robert Quinn, if he's able to you know, pin his ears back a little bit, that's a self fulfilling prophecy for any defense. So, uh, that's gonna be probably the big intangible in this game is what does Green Bay do upfront early on to really set the tone

in that matchup. Yeah, when you look at when you look at the twenty nine yard run by Aaron Jones last week, I had it in my clips on Zach Tom Larry did a great Rock report on it as well for anybody who wants to check it out. The key to springing that run was Marcedes Lewis taken out Eric Kendricks, you know, and and Eric you know, Roquan smith Is is sort of like the Eric Kendricks you know of um of this Bears defense. So that's ah,

that's where you get a hat on that guy. That's where you can turn the three and four yard runs into the potentially explosive ones. On the special team side of things. Um. I thought it was a solid debut for Rich Bisacci's units. Matt Lafleur talked about a little bit too leaky in the punt protection. Uh, there were a few punts that were a little too close for

comfort in terms of getting blocked. But I think that's something that type of attacking mentality from opponents is something the Packers are just gonna have to get used to. Um because of what was put on film last year and the block punt in the playoff game and everything. Teams are gonna come after Green Bay in that regard and see uh and see if the Packers can hold

up on the return side of things. I thought there was the one punt return where a Mari Rodgers might have had a lane down the sideline maybe called for the fair catch a little bit too early there. That was that was an opportunity, But the sure hands were definitely there. There were no no issues in terms of in terms of potential turnovers or worries in that regard. So a solid effort there. But um, but certainly some

ways that you can see this special Teams unit moving forward. Yeah, I just like seeing a Mari get north and south. There was you know too much, no kind of indecisiveness last year. I think that was one of things that really kind of hurt him down the stretch. And also just the way he's fielding the ball he's fielding and

a lot cleaner uh in year two. Uh. This is an interesting matchup though with the with the Bears, because you know, for so many years here you kind of had to worry not not that you don't have to worry about Pettis here, but you know, jacchem Grant and obviously the Devin Hester years, there was always kind of this this fear a little bit associated with you know what you know, uh, the amount of playmakers that you could potentially see on that unit. You still have to

be on your p's and ques. But I thought one of the big tests that Green Bay passed last week was just being able to survive those returners. I thought Pat O'Donnell, even though maybe there was some you know a little bit of leakiness with the protection pedal donnald I thought punted really well in the situation. I thought

O'Donnell had a great game. All things considered. You can't really give them much quarter because of what Reagor could potentially do, which Green Bay has seen firsthand three years ago. So being able to neutralize that I thought was a solid building block for them. You know, Mason Crosby a few extra points, but still getting back into his own rhythm, getting back into his whole pregame process, his second consecutive

start in the NFL, or consecutive game played. All those things are gonna matter because I'll tell you what you mentioned Keishaw Nixon early on. How important is it not only is him as the dime cornerback, but him still being available now as a gunner. Rudy Ford was fantastic. I thought in that game as a gunner, Green Bay has some vets there now, and and being able to see those young guys rally around those veterans as opposed

to last year. I think a lot of times it was guys just looking at each other trying to figure out who's gonna like lead this group, who's gonna step up. I think over the course of the year, Mike, you're

gonna see that show up. Yeah. Well, I want to get to a couple of interesting statistics to throw your way West, But first some sponsor business 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 Currents, mac and Cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all aired with your favorite sub or sub

in a bowl. Cousins Subs fifty years of better. All right. Two stats for you West. First, the Green Bay Packers have won fourteen of their last fifteen home openers going back to two thousand and seven. Since two thousand and seven, the only home opener the Packers have lost was the Week one contest. It actually was a season opener against the San Francisco forty and Iiners in two thousand and twelve, so this is the type of game that the Packers

normally win. And the other thing I came across this week it was really interesting and I'm gonna be writing a little more about this in my one Last Look column which will post on the website on Saturday. But I didn't realize in two thousand eighteen, when Matt Naggy brought the Chicago Bears UH to lambeau Field for the first time for him as a head coach that when the Packers came back from that twenty point deficit with Aaron Rodgers being injured coming back out of the lock

room and all of that. The Packers winning that game actually broke a streak of and I'm bringing this up because Matt Eberflus is coaching his first Packers Bears game at lambeau Field. The two thousand eighteen twenty point comeback against Matt Naggi's Bears actually broke a streak of four consecutive Bears coaches head coaches who had won their first

Packers Bears game at lambeau It was really strange. I went back and looked at Dick Geron going back to love Smith in two thousand four, and then also Mark Trustman and John Fox. They all won their first Packers Bears game at lambeau Field, and Matt Nagy was really darn close to making it five and row as as Eberflus comes in for his first Packers Bears game at Lamba, I just thought it was interesting. I'll have more on it in my column, but but just one of those

weird stats that you don't think would be even possible. Yeah, and in this rivalry with the Bears, I mean, this will be the seventeenth straight You're these two teams are in prime time. Um, these are the type of things that I'll always forever remember Lovey Smith taking the podium for the first time as their head coach and that

my number one goal is to beat the Packers. And and I'll be honest with you, Mike, over all the rhetoric that I've heard for years and how excited fans get, you know, if their team beat Screen Bay within the division, that's always been the number one thing. Because I think Love's comments spoke on two different levels. Because one, obviously,

there is the rivalry. There's a reason why we're continually tracking, Hey, which team has more Pro Football Hall of Famers, which team is up on the regular season career you know, wins total. But it also was the statement that love You was making that day, where in order if you're going to become a perennial contender here in the NFC, you need to get past Screen Bay. You need to get past Aaron Rodgers, Brett Farve, everybody that they've had thrown at this division, in the NFC Central and all

these years. And as Rogers touched on last week, teams just haven't been able to regularly do it. Uh. You know that the comment last year's Soldier Field that Go is this said, I won't I won't elaborate anymore on it, but regardless, these are the type of matchups that teams wake up for, and it's the type of things that head coaches when they chart out their season, when they take over an NFC Division, an NFC North team, you know what the task is going to be. You know

what you're ultimately gonna have to deal with. There was a reason why the Minnesota Vikings hired Mike Zimmer back in two thousand fourteen. The Vikings need to do a better job against Aaron Rodgers, and Zimmer had some success against him in Cincinnati. It's those type of lessons that get passed on and for my money, seeing how eiber Flus handles this moment, especially with the Bears having a chance to go to up in the division, knocked down

the Packers of Pedestal. As far as week to go is and Aaron Jones touchdown on on Monday, it's not a must win. I will never say a must win before December, but it is. There's a lot of implications in this matchup and and certainly I'm I know that that Bear's locker room is aware of it. There are some interesting things to keep an eye on around week two. Um, with the Packers not playing until Sunday night, we'll actually have a chance to maybe watch some some noon games

from the comfort of our living room couches. Um. Well, first off, tonight after we're taping this episode, the Thursday night game Chargers at Chiefs. It doesn't get much better than that. As far as Justin Herbert against Patrick Mahomes. You know, an a f C West showdown at at Arrowhead in Kansas City. That should be a fun one. Do you like how they scheduled that for week two

as well? Like that didn't end up in like week eleven, where hey, maybe you end up getting the second string quarterback against the fourth string running back or something like that. But like you know, teams not wanting to put out their talent on a on a quick turnaround. Now you're getting that right in week two. And you get it when you know Justin Herbert's star is about is as big as it's getting. I mean, did you see that

throw he had last week? That that that one that he had down the scene where it was like there's basically triple coverage there and there's one spot like literally like six inches that he can throw that football. He nailed it like twenty five yards downfield. Yeah, he's a talented young man. Yeah. It's gonna be uh, it's it's gonna be fun to watch some of those a f C matchups when we get a chance this year. On Sunday,

Washington is at Detroit in the NFC North. Interesting thing there, I heard that Detroit is actually favored by the odds makers in that game. It's the first time in like a season and a half that Detroit has actually been favored to winning something like twenty four games they've gone with with being the underdog games in a row. So um so, the Lions actually favored to win at home, playing at Ford Field for second week in a row after the shootout with Philadelphia last week. Tampa Bay at

New Orleans. For whatever reason, the New Orleans Saints have just had Tampa Bay's number um over the last couple of years, so I think that's an interesting one to keep an eye on. Seattle at San Francisco the forty and is coming off a very disappointing loss at Soldier Field and Seattle coming off of a tremendously uplifting wind for them Week one Monday Night Football, the whole Russell Wilson returned to Seattle and the Seahawks came out on top.

So that's an interesting one. In the in the a f C West and Cincinnati at Dallas, Joe Burrow four interceptions for the Bengals in Week one and they lose a weird whole kicking thing in overtime um to the Pittsburgh Steelers and and the Dallas Cowboys having to deal with the absence of Dak Prescott. Now, so I threw a lot of games at you, any comments on any of those, this one I want to just add this one too, and maybe you're gonna get to it in

a second. But also Minnesota at Philly, yeah's gone to night. Yeah, I'll let we can touch on that in a second, because to me, that's probably the most fascinating game because you go from Minnesota's defense facing Aaron Rodgers to the Jalen Hurts offense, which is very talented, very dynamic, but there is sort of a throw the grass up in the air and see which way the way it takes the element to it. But but as far as this weekend is concerned, I'm I'm really interested. It's not to

be a game. I'm sure it's in the DC area, and I'm sure it's in the Detroit area, but I really am interested to see that Lions game because you remember, I didn't know that stat that you just threw at me about the row of being underdogs. But Detroit lost Washington one, and yet Detroit is the favorite team in this matchup because of how well they played against the Eagles, with everybody kind of getting behind the Eagles now thinking that they're gonna be one of the top contenders this year.

So it was kind of an interesting let miss test and Mike, I've said it so many times, if if DeAndre Swift is healthy, Detroit's offense is just so much different, and that they've had they've struggled to just get him on the field, but when he's there, I thought last week you really saw how dynamic he can be. Uh. And then realistically, the New Orleans Saints, I mean, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers did everything they had to do

to win that game. But I thought it also kind of showed the way that Tampa's probably gonna have to win this year, which is a lot of Leonard for net in good defense. The Saints are going stress them a little bit. They're gonna do some you know some. You know, Michael Thomas came back and had a good game last week. You know, Taysom Hill's still carrying the football. There is a lot that they're gonna throw at that Bucks defense. I think that's gonna be a barn burn

until the very end. Yeah. Well, you you mentioned on Monday night. It's actually a Monday Night doubleheader this week and a f C matchup Tennessee at Buffalo, two teams that that made the playoffs a year ago, So an interesting one there. And then, as you said, I think the most the most intriguing game maybe on the entire week to slate right up there with the Chargers Chiefs on Thursday night is Minnesota at Philadelphia. Both of those

teams want to know. The Eagles were sort of the last team to get into the playoffs last year and then they got bumped out right away. They're kind of especially with the Dak Prescott injury, they're kind of being peg now. Is the clear favorite in the in the NFC East and a chance to for them to really put an early stranglehold on that division in Summer X because of because of the length of time that Prescott could be out for the Cowboys. And then the Minnesota Vikings.

Can they build on what they did against the Green Bay Packers. But now Kevin O'Connell takes that show on the road in primetime Philadelphia, that fan base not an easy place to go play really intriguing Monday night game. Vikings Eagles completely flipping the script offensively, defensively, and atmosphere wise from what they had last Sunday. Uh, you know, going back over that game with Detroit, I mean, we're gonna learn so much about both of those teams coming

up here. You know, are the Eagle are the are the lines better than people gave him credit for? The Eagles not as good as everybody thought either way. I just thought that Jalen hurts. The way he runs this offense and the way that they're building this thing around him now it fits. Um. I couldn't tell you anything about their run game. I think forty eight different people

are involved in their backfield right now. But that being said, they have a formula that works, and for her, it's it's looking for opportunities to get out in the open field and also using that that footwork and that allusiveness to potentially open things up for their receivers as it goes. In terms of entertaining football teams to watch. On that power rankings, the Eagles might be at the very top

right now. The Minnesota Vikings defensively, I think we're gonna learn a lot about them because Hurts is going to stress them in a lot of different ways that they didn't see with Green Bay. So that aspect of it, I think is going to keep me glue to the television. Yeah, absolutely, it should be. It'll be a whale of a Monday night doubleheader and there's quite a bit of overlap, so maybe you know, flipping channels back and forth to you know, the commercials are long enough. You can do that quite

a bit with NFL teams these days. With that, I'd better get off the air. We call it a wrap. On this edition of Packers Unscripted, be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team. We will have everything from Sunday Night's big game at Lambe Field against the Bears for you on packers dot com. For West, I'm Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. Let's see you next time.