#672 Packers Unscripted: Trip to Tampa

the final rogers versus Brady or not. Time will tell in that regard. But Um, but a big early game in the NFC when you're talking about two teams that both envisioned playing in January and UH and taking a shot at this thing again. Well, first and foremost, Mike, got in my car this morning, turn the key, pulled out, I was starting to drive down the road, made a call to my friend Scott. It's one of my morning routines and do you know what I noticed? As I was going up to the stop sign, I had like

the visible breath coming out of my mouth. It was it was chilling. I could actually see my breath for the first time in this fall. That just started the Green Bay packers. You know, I think today in Green Bay high is going to be sixty. I'm not trying to make too much out of the heat element in Tampa because honestly, the packers, you know, they practiced in some hotter temperatures. There were some humid days during camp.

But I think for myself personally, going down to Tampa this weekend, that is going to be a big wake up call because I think physically my body is starting to get augmented back to fall in northeastern Wisconsin. Yeah, when when we get back from Tampa, we're gonna be starting over the body Cold Tub. But here's the thing, Mike, is that it's not about and rodgers, it's not about Tom Brady, it's not about the buccaneers defense, it's not

about the packers running game. It is about which team is going to be more consistent on Sunday, which team is going to make fewer mistakes. That's how I really boil this thing down. At the time in which they're taping this, everybody in their second cousin is injured right now. On the buccaneers offense, they're missing their top four receivers right now, now that this this suspension has been upheld. We know with Mike Evans, their offensive line is banged up.

They Lost Ryan Jensen last month. You Know Donovan Smith has been out with the elbow injury. There are a lot of things working against the Tampa Bay buccaneers. But Mike, I know this. I know Tom Brady still is their quarterback and I know you look at that defense with Devin White, Lavante David, obviously you know Carlton Davis, Wield, Charlton Davis. Excuse me, Carlton, my bad Um, I was

gonna say Jamal Dean, Antoine Winfield. That that secondary. There are still a lot of weapons, a lot of talented players. That's how deep this buccaneers roster goes and honestly, I feel like this team against the Green Bay packers, it is going to be a four quarter battle. Yeah, and that's where it starts for me when I look at the matchup. First off, the packers offense against this Tampa Bay defense. I've been writing about it, mentioned it on

three things. The numbers might even mentioned it on our last show. The numbers for this Tampa Bay defense through two games thirteen points allowed, best in the league. Ten Sacks, best in the league. Six takeaways tied for third in the League. Um Most in the League is seven, so there are only one takeaway off of having the most in the league in that category. This, this Tampa Bay defense, is off to an unbelievable start. And when I look at what the packers have to do, yes, they need

to stay committed to the running game. All of that, the ball needs to get to a j dillon and Aaron Jones, however they want to get it to him, whether it's the handoffs, the path is, the jet motions, whatever the case might be. But the bottom line is, for me, the same thing you just said with regard to not making mistakes the packers offensively against this Tampa

Bay defense, they have to play clean football. You can't have the sacks and the penalties that push you back and put you in the bad you know yard is situations. You can't fumble a handoff. You can't have a mistimed shotgun snap like the packers had against the bears, which prevented them from putting away an inferior opponent much you know earlier than than they did last Sunday night. Those kinds of things are what the packers simply can't afford.

You have to be able to play clean football. Your explosive players are going to be hard to come by. You are going to have to drive the ball seventy five yards to get a touchdown and you're gonna have to take nine or ten or eleven plays in order to do it. So you have to be will to stay clean and sharp Um play after play after play to give yourself a chance. And even if you do that, you get into the red zone, it's not going to be easy to put the ball in the end zone

on these guys. They've given up one touchdown in the first two weeks of the season. So it really, really for me. Offensively, whatever the game plan is, the packers just have to have to play clean, sharp football, because the I mean Rogers, has been sacked seven times. We've seen some penalties that have put the packers in bad situations. I mentioned the physical mistakes against the bears. Those are the kinds of things that packers simply cannot afford in

this game. No, because it's gonna be you're you're playing, you know, one of the best quarterbacks of all time and I thought what Aaron Rodgers said about Brady was so spot on in that. Okay, he's forty five years old. I don't think anybody's gonna sit here and say that Tom Brady is at his physical peak. He might be for a forty five year old, but yeah, you know,

physically there is going to be natural aggression involved. But, as Roger said, from an experienced perspective, being able to to lean back on everything he's seen for the past twenty four years or whatever it's been now, there is so many things that Tom Brady can beat you with and and I watched a majority of that game against the saints and seeing the way that Brady directs the bucks offense in concert with Leonard for net, and being able to make the most out of his perimeter weapons,

as opposed to what the saints are trying to do with Jamis Winston. It doesn't matter. That's a weird thing about the quarterback position. It is the ultimate neutralizer. Doesn't matter if you're at your peak athletic, you know, summit zenith at thirty years old. When you have the experience that Brady has and his ability to be smart with the football, he's not prone to turn you know he's not.

You know there's going to be turnovers, but he is just the ultimate chess player when it comes to this game. So if you don't come out sharp on offense, defense and even special teams, the buccaneers are going to make you pay for that. Defensively, I feel Mike, There's been some really good units in this league. Buffalo has a great one, San Francisco has had some good ones, but Tampa really has been the gold standard, and it was even before Brady got there. That was the scary thing

about it. They just didn't they they've that. That unit has been so consistent over the years. It's you don't ever seem to face Tampa Bay where you go, Oh yeah, their defense isn't that good this year, like their defense is always pretty darn good and kind of like those Great Baltimore Defenses. They've just found ways to regenerate and be able to shuffle the deck as players get older, with the exception being David of course. I mean they just they have so many guys that they've been able

to find a vita via. They just haven't missed on them. Shack Barrett has been impactful at times in this league. So I'm excited for this matchup because, as Matt Lafleur said, this is going to probably be the better litmus tests, the better mirometer for where this team is at offensively, defensively and special teams, because you know the type of opponent you're getting and the fact that this also is the home opener for the buccaneers, they are going to

get a team that is rip roaring and ready to go. Yeah, absolutely. The you mentioned watching the bulk of the buccaneers saints game last Sunday. I did as well, and I was reminded of something with regard to a quarterback like Tom Brady, because that saints defense was doing a number on the bucks offense. They had they had brady frustrated. Obviously there was the skirmish and everything that led to Mike Evans getting suspended and all of that, but the the extracurriculars

aside the saints. The saints were having their way pretty well with that with that Tampa Bay offense. But then all of a sudden, what happens? Deep shot to Brashad Perriman in the back of the end zone. It's an

absolutely pinpoint perfect throw and touchdown. Banging all of a sudden it felt like all of this great work that the Saints Defense had done for two and a half or three quarters, or whatever it was at that point went out the window because Tom Brady pulled the Tom Brady and just and threw a forty yard pass that was right on the money for a touchdown. That's what these guys, that's what hall of famers can do to

you right the channel. The challenge here is is significant and with regard to the packers defense, you talked about it earlier. We've been talking about it all week long. There's so much that the packers have to have to focus on in this game aside from Tom Brady. And yes, Mike Evans is suspended, Chris Godwin Julio Jones are on the injury report. We don't know their status at at wide receiver, I mentioned Perryman gaining the big touchdown against the saints. He could be a key guy um on

Sunday for Brady in the passing game. But the packers absolutely cannot let Leonard Four Nette be the guy that dictates the tempo, Um and just the pace and everything of this game. Because if if Leonard Fournette is going to spend the day putting Tom Brady in third and one, third and two, the packers defense is gonna have a hard time getting off the field and and it really does.

It starts every week with with stopping the run. But even with a hall of fame quarterback and arguably the best of all time in Tom Brady, the packers really the number one focus defensively has to be not letting Leonard Fournette get any kind of a rhythm and being able to dictate how this game goes. Yeah, for Nette is an absolute Marauder and he seemed like, you know, to really get rejuvenated. We saw the flashes of his potential, his power, his vision when he was in Jacksonville. Some

thing's fell out of alignment there for him. He resurfaces in Tampa and it took him what a little over a year to really emerge as their number one option the backfield, originally with Ronald Jones being there. This season, I think more than any other, Tom Brady, I think, is going to lean on the running back because you see in that game against the saints, you see in some of these early matchups are having, it is about being able to get into second and favorable, third and

favorable and then brady letting plays developed from there. That was the biggest difference going to be into that saints game when Winston was doing that with the saints. Now, mind you didn't have Kamara, but it didn't look the same. It looked like a guy that was pressing. It looked like a guy who was trying to protect the football and then, ultimately, when he lost the patients, the damn breaks right with Brady. It is just that that's what

you're talking about, Hall of fame quarterbacks. It's the patients right. I know exactly what you're saying. It's waiting for everything to develop so that when the big play is there, you make it happen. Aaron Rodgers did the same thing with Sammy Watkins last week on the fifty yard or. That's the danger if you don't get them in second and eight, third and nine. And the one thing that is very positive for green bay. They need to improve

a lot right now with their tackling. They need to get back to what they look like in week one in that regard. But they have the horses to do it, they have the guys to do it. I was really impressed by the rotation they actually ran in that game. You saw more T J Slayton on first down, so you could take some of those snaps off of Kenny Clark.

They have the tools to do it. It's about all eleven guys getting together and tackling to the ball, because Leonard Four Nett is not a guy that's going to go down with one guy, especially once he leaks into

the second level. Yeah, it's interesting the way this plays out because they're there are different there are different moments, crucibles, whatever you want to call it, throughout the course of a season and quite honestly, for the packers to have the breakdowns in the run defense and some of them miss tackles and everything that they had against the bears, at the end of the day it's not necessarily a bad thing because, a it didn't cost them the game

and it happened heading into a week where you have to be geared up to stop a guy like four net and so you know the packers this week in practice, they they've seen the film of what happened against Chicago with Montgomery and with Herbert and some of those big runs that they broke. You know, it's a it's a long season right, both mentally and physically, for these guys. Sometimes, sometimes when you when you kind of get you you you get that reminder of what you need to really

really pay attention to. Sometimes the timing of that reminder can really help you. Maybe the fact, because we know the packers have the talent on defense to defend the run a lot better than they did eighty yards rushing against the bears was was a shock, quite frankly, but maybe it was. Maybe it was the sort of the kick in the pants, so to speak, that the run

defense needed heading into a matchup like this. Because because Leonard Fournette will you know, in combination with Tom Brady, this offense will have a chance to keep that packers defense on the field all day long in the ninety degree heat and and that's not going to be a recipe for success. The packers have to be able to stop for Net, get after Brady and get off the field.

All of it, all of it easier said than done, but I'm very interested and curious to see how the packers run defense responds from the breakdowns last week to what they do against a real bull of a back and for net. Yeah, and keep in mind too. I mean Leonard for net there isn't that home run threat necessarily with him. I mean this year right now he's

longest carries seventeen yards. I think last year he may had one forty seven, but he's still averaging like four and a half even with with only a long of seventeen, which tells you that that's he's he's a grinder. It's telling you on first and second down he's getting those yards. And to do that with an offensive line that is down at starting left tackle, down at starting center. You Know Tristan worth's has been injured over at right tackle.

There's so many different guys have been banged up and they're still finding ways to be productive. The fact that Tampa has gotten to two and oh it hasn't been the prettiest path, but it tells you everything you need to know about it. And conversely, for the packers, they're gonna need to be able to run against this Tampa defense as well, because if you allow them to pin their ears back, if you allow them to play their coverages, then the job gets progressively more difficult for Aaron Rodgers.

As much as the headlines this week are going to be on Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady and tablets. It is really about these run offenses in their ability to

establish that momentum and establishing it from the opening whistle. Yeah, for the packers offensively, we've talked about a lot of times, it's you have to get something going with that running game to set up the play action, because Aaron Rodgers doing trying to do a straight drop back passing game against this defensive front is not going to be a

recipe for success. The passing game is going to have to come off of play action and the only way you get them to respect respect play action is if they're respecting that running game with with Jones and Dylan. So there's a there's a lot that the packers have to do and do it right in order to uh, in order to come out with a victory here. Some answer business here West and then we'll take a look

at other games around week three in the NFL. 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 AD 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 Subona bowl cousin subs. Fifty Years of better. Alright. Well, on our last show we talked about how everybody in

the NFC north is one and one. The packers are going to Tampa. Elsewhere in the NFC north you have Detroit going to Minnesota. Interesting matchup there, with Detroit coming off a big victory, Minnesota coming off of a disappointing Monday night loss and being on a short week. And then,

Um Lovey Smith's return to soldier field. The Houston Texans go into Chicago, with the bears coming off of that loss to the packers on Sunday night football and love e Smith's Texans being a pesky bunch, a team that a lot of analysts said, hey, you won't even really have to think about these guys too much. Well, the first two opponents they played have had their hands full with the Houston Texans and and Lovey Smith's team is going to do the same thing to the bears on Sunday.

I I agree. And and for you know, Chicago, how quickly things are going to change here. You know, they were feeling really good coming into lambeau field now you're feeling not so good and there's been a lot of bad headlines this week about the bears fans and the Justin fields comment. There's a lot of distractions going on there. The one thing I do like about the direction that Texas are heading underneath Lovey Smith is they actually appear to at least have a vision of what they want

to become. I don't think they're going to be a playoff team this year, but I'll be honest with you, they're not the team I'd want to see on my schedule just because I don't think people are gonna give you a lot of bonus points if you win it and there's a pretty good chance that they're going to test you all four quarters on the other side of it. So that's a big gut check for the bears, but realistically,

probably outside of even the division. My I am most interested to see if the Detroit lions can do what they've done the last few weeks against this Minnesota defense with Dan Campbell's bunch man they are. We know the grittiness, we know all that well. Now they're starting to get athletically better as well, and Aman Ross St Brown appears

to be the real deal for Detroit. Yeah, I mean what if they put up sixty, seventy points, I think, offensively the first two games of the season, and I know they're one on one, but they've scored a batch and it's starting to look more to me like what Jared Goff was kind of doing in his hey day in l a. So Uh that that's gonna be an interesting matchup for the Vikings, who again are in the same boat as the bears in that I think they felt really good about themselves. Well, now you have Detroit

come in there. I'm gonna tell you something right now, Mike. I don't care how week one win anymore. If Detroit goes in there and hands it to the Vikings at US Bank stadium, there's gonna be a lot of ticked off Vikings leaving that field that day. That's gonna be a really intriguing thing to follow because again, as I said, an insider inbox and today's edition on Thursday, lions aren't

going anywhere. Yeah, hopefully we can find a find a TV in the Ray J press box to uh catch the second half of Detroit and Minnesota before packers and bucks kickoff, because I'm very, very interested in that game as well. A couple others I wanted to mention. Um, an interesting one in the NFC west. The rams are going to Arizona, and I bring this one up not only because the rams, as defending Super Bowl Champs, are one and one, having lost that kickoff opener to buffalo

in week one. But Arizona, Arizona was all but oh and two, right and UH and made a crazy comeback

to defeat the raiders last Sunday. And you just, you just wonder is is there going to be any momentum whatsoever for the cardinals that carries over from an incredible comeback like that, an uplifting victory that prevented them from starting Oh and two against the division rival with the rams coming and these are two teams that know each other really well and, quite frankly, the playoff the last time they met, the playoff game between these two teams,

it wasn't even a contest. The Rams just um just took it to Arizona and the cardinals were never really in the game. So you know, that is sort of sticking with the cardinals as well in this division rivalry.

I think Um this game. To me it just strikes me as one that's uh, that's a little more interesting than Um then maybe people would think on the surface, and then the other one, the other one on Sunday in the A F C is in the A F C, east buffalo at Miami, a pair of two and o teams that are both lighting up the scoreboard like nobody's business. Um Bills Down in Miami and kind of like packers going down to Tampa northern team having to go down to Florida to play in the heat in September. I

think that one's going to be interesting as well. You know how, when we were breaking down this packers and bucks matchup, I kept saying it's not about the quarterbacks. In regards to buffalo and Miami, that one absolutely is. I think that this is the game for Toua UH if he I'm not saying he's gonna have the same performance he had against the bucks or against Baltimore, but if he plays well against that Buffalo Defense, and we got to see what their secondary looks like. My thoughts

are with Micah Hyde. Hopefully everything checks out with his neck, but you know they're a little banged up on the secondary side of it. But that's still a really good unit. They are deep, they play well together, they are veterans. They have a lot of guys that have been with them for a lot of years. I think the von Miller thing is really infused a lot of confidence and swagger into that group that was already very talented. But to AH, he's proving me wrong and that I was

really wondering. Okay, you got tyreek kill, you gotta feat tyreek kill the ball. What does that mean for Jalen waddle? Well, Jalen waddle is still getting his touches too. They're very dynamic. If I can close just with this quickly too. I don't know. We talked about there's never must win games. Remember I was pitching that last week. This isn't a must win the game. That's a boy. We gotta have a game. I think there's a must win game him this week and it's the raiders facing the titans, because

one of those teams is going to Owen three. YEA, and for the raiders perspective, you were this close to winning that game last week. You go to Owen three, Josh mcdaniels is gonna have to rally the troops. On the other side of it you have Mike Vrabel, who was the coach of the year last year because of all the adversity, injuries wise that the titans went through and they got the number one seed in the playoffs in the A F c. Now you know, you're seeing

Malik Willis playing games, so that's a big one. Yeah, last one to mention really quick Monday night football, Dallas at the New York giants. I bring this up obviously because cowboys got a surprising win over the defending a F C champion Bengals with Cooper rush as the backup quarterback, filling in for Dak Prescott. And the giants are at home on Monday night football with a two and oh record, facing a division rival that will have a backup quarterback.

If the New York giants get to three and Oh, suddenly, suddenly, the packers trip to London isn't just some kind of a novelty. It could. It could turn into a really, really big important game. Um, as far as the early season goes in uh, in the NFC, with with where some of these records fall. So Um, I think there'll be a lot of eyes on that. that Monday night game, giants hosting the cowboys. Every headline in the off season, at least in July, was about Christian McCaffrey and the

Carolina Panthers. What is McCaffrey being back in the mean for the panthers, Y'all must have forgot. With Sae Kwon Barkley, because I understand he's been hurt the last few years. Brian Dable, the new new coach, Buffalo Offensive Coordinator, takes over head coach of the giants. He's UH. He's got that team believing right out of the gate and they're

gonna be a tough customer. And how many times we've talked about over the years, man, when you have it back like Sae Kwon Barkley and he's healthy, that's a big part of that, huge part of it with it. But that if sae Kwon Barkley could still prove to be sae Kwon Barkley, I don't think the giants job was as bad as everybody thought it was and they're riding him and you can see how that's making Daniel

Jones life easier now too. It's allowing the giants to get back to what made them successful early in Barkley's career and I think they're gonna be a fun team to watch. Certainly, as you mentioned, with the with the London game, it changes the equation. Yeah, absolutely well with that. We're going to call it a wrap on this edition of packers. On script to be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team, everything from Sunday afternoons big game down in Tampa. We'll have it for you

on packers DOT COM. For West, I'm Mike. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. See you next time.