#690 Packers Unscripted: Beating the Bears

the office just yet. So we pulled out the technology that helped us out in the past and uh, and we're back on the air, West, and this time it's to talk about a Packers victory nineteen over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. And when you start the discussion of this game, it all starts with the fourth quarter, because through the first three quarters this game was not

looking good for Green Bay. No, it wasn't, Mike, and I was sitting there, you know, especially when Chicago's driving again, and you're kind of thinking, like, man, even if the Packers get some answers here, are they going to be

able to stop them defensively? But in al Lazar talked about in the postgame locker room, there were so many parallels between this game in the Dallas game last month where they actually had the first comeback in the fourth quarter into me I mean between the special teams coming through with the block field goal, jyr Alexander getting an interception. You know, he got burned twice on those deep completions.

He bounces back, responds the way you want to see him respond, gets a big pick and the Packers scoring points off of that pick, and certainly, you know Christian Watson once again doing his heroics late to really put this thing on ice for green Bay. All season long, like thirteen games, they've been trying to find a complimentary performance. I felt like in all three phases they found it at Soldier Field. Yeah, it finally came together there down

the stretch, and as you said, the complimentary performance. When things started happening green Bay's way in the fourth quarter, they kept going that direction. I thought to a couple of key turning points in this one for the offense. I thought, when Christian Watson drew that past interference penalty thirty eight yards, Packers were down at at that point in the game nineteen to ten I believe was the score.

That thirty eight yard pass interference penalty then set up the twenty one yard touchdown run by A. J. Dillon. Suddenly it felt like a brand new game at that point. And then on the defensive side, you mentioned Alexander had gotten burned for a couple of big plays. The Packers also early in the game got burned for a big

play when Justin Fields ran for a fifty five yard touchdown. Packers, they they're giving up too many big plays still, But I thought the turning point was the response to the big catch by n Kiel Harry down the sideline, which was the second time that Alexander had gotten beat deep. The defense rose up three plays to force a field goal, and then on top of that, Dean Lowry blocks field

goal to keep the score nineteen to seventeen. There, We've seen so many times over the course of the season, when the Packers defense has given up a big play, it hasn't responded to that well, to that very well, and it has almost always led to points and often touchdowns for the opponent. That sequence right there, I thought was was a big step forward in in winning this game and completing a comeback that was actually thirteen points in the first half when the Packers were down sixteen

to three. Yeah, They've had some monumental comebacks here. When you look at I think last month with the Cowboys, that was the first time the Cowboys had lost the game in the fourth quarter where they've been up, I think they're like a hundred fifty and oh by fourteen points where they've had that type of lead. The Packers came back from it, same thing, and this one, I mean there never that's I think the largest comeback the Packers have had at Soldier Field against the Bears. So

it speaks to the mental toughness of that team. But you wrote about it in your Monday Morning Insider inbox. You know, Dean Lowry is really the unsung hero of this game one. You know, we could talk about the block field goal here in a minute, but Kenny Clark was the one to point this out in the postgame locker room. I thought it was worth mentioning because so many eyes were on Equinomius st Brown catching that fifty

six yard against Jerr Alexander. But on that play, seconds milliseconds before Fields throws a ball, Dean Lowry lays him out, gets a really nice hit on him. And after that first quarter where they gave up seventy one rushing yards to Justin Fields. Luke getsy Fields. They were not running him anymore after that. They asked him to be more

of a pocket type quarterback. That allowed the Packers to hone in a little bit on David Montgomery and other than that explosive in the second half to Harry Really, I thought that for the most part, the defense played really well. Getting back to that field goal, though, my goodness, if the Bears get points there, if they go up by five at that point, Green Bay Packers, they're not in a position that in Mason Crosby thirty two yard or is gonna put down. Then you know, the Packers

get into scoring territory, they're gonna go for it. You're not gonna kick a field goal at that stage if you're down by points. And in terms of the Packers needing to find some type of answer, needing a phase like special teams to really pick them up, uh, it was incredibly required. Because yes, you had the force fumble early on from Mussul Douglas, you had it recovered by Rudy Ford. The Packers weren't able to get points off

of that drive. At the end of that game, Green Bay when I talked about complimentary football, not only did they create takeaways, not only did they make big plays and phases where you're not necessarily going into a game expecting a Dean Lowery block. It's what the Packers did after those plays. It has been the kind of rabbit they've been chasing all season, and from that regard, I thought that was probably the most encouraging thing about this performance.

The Packers at four and eight going into this game, really looking up at a lot of different teams here. They could have packed it in going into that the end of that third quarter, and instead they came together. Yeah. Well in a big moment obviously at the end of the first half as well, with the Packers getting into scoring position. Score is sixteen to three. It's fourth and four from Chicago's fourteen yard line. I'll be honest, West, and I said it in the live blog. I'm kicking

the field goal there. It's still the first half, sixteen to six. Just go in at halftime down by ten. You got plenty of time to come back against this Bears defense. Matt Floor was having none of it. He's like he felt like the Packers are gonna have to score a lot of points to win this game. Settling for a field goal there, he didn't like it. He

went for the touchdown. Gutsy bold call and a little bit of a scramble drill, and guests, who's on the same page with Aaron Rodgers on a scrambled drill there the rookie second round pick Christian Watson a fourteen yard touchdown. Huge risk there, because if you don't get the touchdown and you going at halftime down sixteen to three, you're really not feeling good about this game. But that was

such a huge lift for the Packers. I know when we're at the games, you know, we don't get to go into the locker room at halftime, but I can only imagine there was a certain amount of energy in that locker room at halftime, even though the Packers were down by six. It it felt different even at that point. Well, and to add a little bit more context to to to your comment about kicking the field goal, why that

also would have seemed possibly like a prudent decision. They just lost a yard with Aaron Jones the play before that when they tried to run it. My guess is when they ran the ball, they're thinking okay, well, we'll either get the first down or we'll get close to it. Then we're in another position. At fourth and four. You basically have to pass the football. And for Christian Watson, you know, we hear the term plaster you know, we talk about defensive backs extended plays. The counter to that

is you have to plaster on your man. Christian Watson, with his size and his speed. That is not an easy assignment for anybody. And when the Packers are sending him on these deep crossers. I wrote about it last week, Mike, it is the ultimate weapon right now for this offense because it's not just your typical slam, it's not typically your drag round. It is him taking that thing up field. And once again, is he's catching those balls, getting more confidence,

more and more dangerous. The rookie becomes yeah, well, and you mentioned earlier to Dean Lowry, you know, kind of the unsung hero with with the block field goal. Other unsung heroes in this game, Zach Tom the rookie steps in at left tackle for David Baktieri, who um had

an emergency appendectomy on Friday. Um, I know a little something about that, by the way, Um, But um so Bat couldn't play this time, unlike the Washington game, which the Packers made the decision to go with Tom at left tackle right before the game because Bat's knee wasn't feeling well. At least Tom got one day of you know, full day of practice on Friday as the number one left tackle, was able to prepare mentally and everything else that goes into getting ready for the game. The Bears

don't have the best pass rush. You know, Robert Quinn was traded, Rokuan Smith was traded, Jack Sandborn, you know, the the undrafted linebacker round Wisconsin. He's going to be a terrific player. He already is a player. But in terms of the front four for the Bears in the pass rush get after the quarterback, they weren't able to do a whole lot of it. Um Zach, Tom really

really held up well. It was the type of performance from the offensive line that that the Packers certainly needed with Aaron Rodgers dealing with the with the sore ribs and everything. So shout out to Tom there. We'll see you know exactly if for when David Bactieri might be able to come back. Um, you know, it's very uncertain at this point recovering from an emergency surgery like that. And then the other thing you have to point out to Sammy Watkins, things haven't gone as well as anybody

would have hoped for. Watkins coming in as a free agent and you know, being a veteran presence and hoping to you know, ease this transition to the to the post Davante Adams receiving corps. But Sammy Watkins through two

really really crucial blocks in this game. One on a J. Dillon's touchdown run which was off of faking the jet sweep and Dylan going the other way, and then on the forty six yard jet sweep run by Christian Watson to seal the game, Sammy Watkins throws really the only block that that Watson needed because nobody else for the Bears was anywhere close to him. The whole side of the field was wide open um and uh so wanted

to wanted to shout out Sammy Watkins as well. It's pretty cool to see him throw the block and uh and put the number one the fist up in the air right away after that, because he knew as well as anybody else who was in that stadium that that was a touchdown as soon as that block was thrown. Yeah, that was my favorite takeaway is that that image of Christian Watson, you know, extending down the field and and you see you know, Watkins in the background there, uh, celebrating.

I also got to give a shout out to Sammy Watkins because on Friday, Mike, you might have remembered this back when you were uh, you know, having some younger kids around the household. It was the Packers holiday family Christmas party and uh, my son, You've had a chance that I think meet him now a couple of times. He Uh, he's the most extroverted little four year old

you've ever met. And uh we were at the crafts table while we were waiting to meet Santa Claus and Sammy and his family came up and his daughter's beautiful young family. You know, they were at the crafts table. Well, my son because again being the most extroverted probably person in the entire family, uh, quickly made friends with Sammy, was trying to share pens with him and everything. And kudos to Sammy, a true pro handled that very well, was very nice with my son, and to see him

succeed in that way. I mean the Packers this season, Mike. They went into the year talking about when it comes to blocking receivers, Alan Lazard and Sammy Watkins are two of the best in the business. And to see that area of the game come through for them, because it wasn't just that play for Watson. Over in the other side of the locker room, A J. Dillon talked about

his touchdown run. Watkins was blocking on that as well, helping kind of a crackback not crackback block, but sort of the seal block with Zach Tom to spring Dylan to the end zone. The Packers have been so good at that. When we talked earlier this season about running the football, it wasn't just well they can't throw it, they have to run it. It was how they built

the offense to run the football. And this game, especially with Aaron Jones and my goodness that the next time the Packers play a Soldier field, I I might just have Aaron is a healthy scratch. It's just there's something about that field where he just always seems to have

some type of thing that pops up. But when they when they went to A J. Dillon in this game, Dylan responded the right way, and I loved Aaron's quote afterwards about it, when he's asked about being you know, Dylan kind of taking the lead at the backfield, he said, Hey, when a dog is being a dog, you gotta let the dog be the dog. And and and certainly Dylan,

you could tell how much that meant to him. This newly, as we found out expected father Um being able to do that little celebration as well with the rock and the baby, So positive signs all around. Unfortunately for the Packers, as we know, Mike, they've dug themselves into a little bit of this hole. But I thought the way that they back when they could have easily folded Um definitely

spoke volumes about this football team. Yeah, and for those who like to dig into the film clips and stuff, a little bit of self promotion here the Christian Watson jet sweep forty six yard touchdown on the fourth quarter. I went through the game film my what you might have missed. It's up on Packers dot com. You can go through all the clips. It was the eighth time in the game that the Packers ran Watson in motion all the way across the formation, and the first seven

they ran all kinds of other plays. There were pitches this way, pitches that way, play action, passed, straight, drop back past, all kinds of stuff. Of course, the first seven times Watson did not get the ball. The eighth time he did. If you go and look at the plays six, I would say five of the first seven were very successful plays anyway, and then obviously the big the kill shot at the end with Watson. So it's fun film to go through. It's it's cool to look at,

so be sure to check that out. And if I may be sure to check that out, it's great, great stuff from Michael. But you know the thing about Soldier Field is we are in a corner of the end zone over there, and there aren't always great imagery of the on field action that play and also the touchdown pass both actually where we had great vantage points on. What was so astonishing about that is you could see Chicago try to react to what Green Bay was doing and they bit hard on the run. But I also

bit hard on the run. And it wasn't until Christian Watson is steps away from the sideline did I realize he had the football. And at that point, Mike, you watched the film you broke it down. There's a few people even standing close to him the rest of the way. I mean, that's the interesting about him. There's nobody close to him when you when you watch it, it's when

you watch it, it's pretty remarkable. And you see, you know, and the A J. Dillon touchdown round that we've been talking about, that was another one to where where Watson is on the jet sweeping that Uh. You know, that action pulls a couple of guys, you know, makes it just even if the guys don't move necessarily, but it can make them hesitate. It's to you know, to their

reaction to where the ball is actually going. And and uh, that hesitation allowed A. J. Dillon to get through there with those good blocks by Tom and Watkins to to create that lane. So um, it's a it's really it's really fun film to watch. It was. It was a good one to go through packers now five and eight. Obviously the idea is to try to win out, to try to get above five hundred. You see where other things fall and uh, and we can talk about some

of those other results here coming up in a minute. West, but uh, I will take care of the sponsor business serious x M. NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to them in the NFL News that true football fanatics need seven three, six five, And at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired

with your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs fifty years of better alright elsewhere around the league in Week thirteen, a lot of interesting things to touch on. Um. The Giants and the Commanders played to an overtime tie in the first of their two games this season. That could be very interesting here if the Packers do get on a run. I don't want to get into it too much yet, but if the Packers get on a run, we're gonna be talking about that. That Giants and Commanders tie.

The Vikings pull out another close one, holding off the Jets at the goal line a couple of times down the stretch. Minnesota gets a win. They're holding off a big Jets come back. A couple of questions I want to ask you. The forty Niners get a big win over the Miami Dolphins, but they lose Jimmy Garoppolo. They are now down to Brock Purty as a third string quarterback to try to lead what I think is a really really good forty Niners team. Um, where do you

see things going for the forty Niners from year? And then my other question for you is do the Cincinnati Bengals somehow have the Kansas City Chiefs number? They've beating him three times in a row? Now, who's beating Patrick Mahomes three times in a row? Yeah? I don't know. Joe Burrow has like right look out, I mean wow? Yeah. First and foremost, Um, brock Purty did everything he needed to do to manage that football game once he went in,

and he's not going to get help. He's the man now. Uh. My biggest takeaway from that game, though, it isn't gonna be about brock Purty. I think San Francisco's playoff hopes is going to go back to the guy that they sort of wagered their season on, which is Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a versatile, dynamic playmaker, but he hasn't been the same running back out of the backfield this season.

They're gonna need more from him in that area and It's going to be key to their hopes because if you don't have your number two or number three quarterback, what did the Packers learn, you know back in two thousand thirteen, you better have a really good running back and you better have a really good offensive line. That's where San Francisco's hopes and fortunes are going to lie.

As far as the rest of this week kind of shuffled out, um, I thought New York and Washington tying was just the perfect sort of um culmination of just what that division has been this year and just the the insanity of it all, I mean, um, and from Washington's perspective, that tie really hurt them and that they fell behind Seattle. Now because of Seattle's come back over the Rams. Seattle now is that number seven seed in

this playoffs hunt. So I really tying it into where the Packers are at if I may really quickly Brian Goodkin's talk to the media on Monday, as did Matt Lafleur, and Packers have four games to go and the only thing they can worry about is winning, but seeing how the East shuffles out, seeing about whether or not San Francisco can weather Garoppolo's you know absence and you know

can seattle rally for all of its flaws around Gino Smith. Uh, this is such an intriguingly high stakes here in the NFC, Mike, because I I've said it once, I've said it a million times. I think any of these seven teams that make the playoffs have a chance. The Detroit Lions this week, Mike, going into this upcoming week, are actually favored right now over the Minnesota Vikings, the number two seed um as that game will be played at at Ford Field, so

they're obviously getting the home advantage. But the fact that that's even our consideration right now, with the Lions being on the outside looking in with Green Bay, I think speaks volumes about how this this conference and and things have shuffled out. Yeah, well this weekend, that that Lions

game at Ford Field in Detroit against Minnesota. I mean, for right now, you call that the biggest game of the Dan Campbell era to this point, right, I mean, because really for the for the Lions, it's it's are they going to stay in the playoff race down the stretch and give themselves a chance and put people on notice potentially by beating a two lost Minnesota team that has that's won so many clothe schemes here along the way,

or are the Lions not quite there yet? And uh and and they're going to They're going to fade down the stretch. There's a lot of a lot of excitement. They were fired up in Detroit for that Thanksgiving game against Buffalo and they took a really good Buffalo Bills team all the way to the wire before losing. I think that game on I think that game on Sunday against the Vikings is gonna be a full sixty minute

battle against against Dan Campbell's boys there. And oh, I'm sorry, I was gonna say, and for all the random games that the Vikings have won this season, this would be a good time for Minnesota to finally, you know, pull a rabbit out of its hat that actually benefits the Packers.

That's gonna be the other thing too. I mean their ten and two and they've won all these one score games, They've had all these type of weird comebacks, and it's like, okay, well now this week, go into Ford Field and actually take care of business. Yeah, one other thing I want to ask you before we go, Um, the Las Vegas Raiders. They have suddenly gone from two and seven to five and seven with two overtime victories and then another down to the wire victory over a division rival in the Chargers.

Davante Adams is absolutely going off statistically. His numbers are are are going off the charts. Are the Raiders just maybe put you know, putting some teams on notice in the a f C that that just like last year when Rich Pisaccio was their interim coach down the stretch and they made a run for a playoffs s part.

Are the Raiders doing this again? Yeah? I don't know if this one is about the win one for the McDaniels, but it was that line that came out during the heart of their their dull drums about you know, potentially could Derek Carr be cut at the end of the season. Are there, you know, considerations are gonna have to make.

Davontae Adams knows what he's saying, and he knows how to play football, And I really thought, you know, him reiterating again that I'm here because of Derek Carr, speaks volumes about you know, the motivation and the feelings that those two guys you know, have for each other in mutual respect. There. Um, they don't want this to be

a one and done type arrangement. They wanted this to be something that propels you know, Davante do a potentially a Hall of Fame career and hopefully, in the Raider's sake, a super Bowl type run. That has not happened this season, but they did pull themselves back into it. The challenge for the Raiders, though, is going to be I honestly believe the talent element of this. They have some good

offensive skill position players. They have you know, Max Crosby on defense, but Chandler Jones, you know, largely underperformed this season and there's been a dearth of depth at other positions. So um, but in the game of you know, looking at the a f C, you know, the Jets right now are sitting at seven and there seven and five, the Raiders are five and seven. Um, there's plenty of teams still looking to get through the back door in that conference. Yeah, I think it's uh, it's gonna be

fascinating down the stretch and uh in both conferences. And hey, if the Packers can can keep winning and winning and uh and stringing some some victories together. It could get even more interesting here in Green Bay. Hey, I'm gonna put you on the spot too, how old old Tom Brady b when he retires? Uh? Is there a five? Does it start with a five? Yeah? No, I don't think it starts with a five? But I mean how

how long? I mean, was it wasn't George Blanda still kicking field goals at like something like yeah, I mean who knows, right? I mean, boy, um, pretty pretty remarkable though. I actually didn't realize until seeing the statistics after the game that the only time in his career previously that Tom Brady had come back from thirteen or more down in the fourth quarter was the Super Bowl against the Falcons when they had when they had that really big deficit.

So um, He's obviously pulled up plenty of comebacks that were fewer than thirteen points, but um, but that one, and boy, what a um what a kick in the gut of the New Orleans Saints to play the way they did on the road, you know, prime time added division rival for fifty five minutes and then and then to have it to have it just unraveled like that on both sides of the ball. Um just a just a tough one there. Um. And and I think I think Dennis Allen after the game said, you know, it stinks,

it sucks. It's this, it's that. I mean, what else is he gonna say? Right? I mean that was that was a gut punch because as much of a train wreck as this, you know, see the Saints offense has been this year, and the litany of injuries they've had defensively, that's been their calling card into to lose that game, uh five minutes to go and to see that kind of comeback, that's that's incredibly demoralizing in a division where if you win that thing, you're a half game, your

game out or whatever it is. I mean, if if the Saint the Saints are looking like, hey, they're gonna win a big division game on the road, and they'll they'll be they'll be five and eight and right in the thick of the division hunt because of because of what they would have just done to the Buck in years. I mean that that the way that game flipped in the last five minutes um huge implications for that, for that,

for that entire division, the Saints. The Saints could have, The Saints could have kept that whole division in the division race essentially if they had, if they had hung onto that one. But um, but yeah, the Buccaneers, the Buccaneers pull it out. It certainly looks like Tampa Bay will be back in the playoffs and they will get a home game as a as a division champ against uh, you know, most likely the whoever the number five seed is,

which would be the top wild card. So we could end up you know, I mean, if you looked at it right now, the top wild card would be the Dallas Cowboys, right, so you'd have Tom Brady against Mike McCarthy in the first round of the playoffs. But um, but anyway, we could spend the rest of the day talking about all of those scenarios, but we will let our producers go so they can put the final cut on this show and UH and get it get it out to the masses. So with that, we'll call it

a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscript. You'd be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team through the bye week into next week leading up to Monday Night football against the Rams. We will have it all for you on Packers dot Com for wes I am Mike, thank you for tuning in. Everybody, We'll see you next time.