Hi everybody, Merry Christmas and welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, joined by the one and only Wes Hodkowitz. Coming to you hear from our studios at lambeau Field Short week holiday week. Kind of a double duty episode here, like we did with the Thursday games earlier this season, we need to recap a Packer's victory and look ahead to a big game coming up next week. West will start
Monday Night Football thirty four to nothing. The Packers take care of business against the Saints clinch their playoff spot in the NFC. Quite frankly, New Orleans was just overmatched in this one, and it seemed pretty obvious by about the early portion of the second quarter.
Yeah. Really, with all the respect to the Saints, I mean, it was the first two Packers offensive possessions that just sort of told you what this game was going to be. Like twenty seven plays, fourteen points. The Saints counter with nine plays, zero points. And while Green Bay's offense, you know, at times, there was fits and starts, after the first two quarters, they just never really gave the Saints any
room for hope. The Saints looked like a team that was starting their backup quarterback with a backup running back, with backup receivers. Fortunately, some injuries on the offense as well. I think what was the most impressive to me, though, was the way that Green Bay built this game plan and the execution of it was exactly what you wanted.
I was talking with bow Melton in the locker room afterwards and he mentioned how you know on film they saw defensively they were giving up a lot of yards on the edges, so they ran some stuff outside for Josh Jacob. They got their sweeps going with the receivers. The end to round game, you end up having nine different ball carriers in this game for green Bay, first
time they've done that since nineteen fifty three. Three running backs end up with touchdowns, the first time that's happened since two thousand and nine.
Tossing in the Tucker Craft quarterbacks neque to pick up a first down there early in the ballgame.
Two three for three now on the year for Tucker in those instances. So and I think, again conversation I had afterwards with Don Tavian Wicks, the Packers still feel like they'd haven't played their best football game. Yet they still felt like there were things they didn't do particularly well in this game. But when everything was on the table, this is a team that clinches its spot in the postseason.
The New Orleans Saints fall to zero to five on this year when Derek Carr is not starting under center for them, and everything was sort of what it was.
Yeah, you mentioned the running game, just setting the tone for green Bay. Josh Jacobs once again goes over one hundred combined yards. As far as the rushing and the receiving put together, again, he was just a physical presence out there, breaking tackles, stiff arming a Pro Bowl safety there in Tyron Matthew down by the goal line. The Packers end up scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions, the first time in four years that Green Bay has
done that in a game. Three possessions, three touchdowns to start the game, and at the time that the score was twenty one to zero, the New Orleans Saints had
twenty one total yards of offense. Defensively, the Packers were on their way to a shutout, the second shutout of the Matt Lafleur era, joining the twenty twenty one shutout of the Seattle Seahawks, but also the first shutout in the NFL in twenty twenty four, which I had no idea that was the case until after the game when that started to circulate, I did not realize that there hadn't been a shutout in the NFL this season. The Saints limited to just one hundred and ninety six total yards.
The Packers get two turnovers defensively. Keishawn Nixon gets a strip sack on a blitz coming off the slot, and then Zane Anderson gets an interception on a ball that a rookie quarterback is going to learn from, you don't throw that pass. Zane Anderson, to his credit, his first career interception, making his first start in place of in place of Evan Williams, who was I guess sort of a late scratch in a sense where he popped up
on the injury report on Saturday. But again I think when you look at that, you look at what Zane Anderson did. You mentioned both of Green Bay's backup running backs scoring touchdowns in this game. The Saints were really banged up, but the Packers just showed they have so much more depth than New Orleans does. I mean the Packers depth in this game was just far superior to anything the Saints could put on the field when their starters weren't available, and the final results showed it well.
Rob Damowsky had this tweet two I think it was citing ESPN stats at info. The Saints got inside the thirty yard line.
The ESPN stats in both and got it cracks me.
Usually I always say Demo ski stats. Well, I actually credited appropriately this time. That's the Saints got into the thirty yard line of the Packers twice, and both times they end up turning over the football. The Dante Pettis pass for twenty yards was probably the best one that Rattler threw in this game. And then the next play, as you said, Zane Anderson leaps in front of that pass.
I think I think Rattler was starting to feel himself.
He was too much.
After that, he makes a great play. He steps up in the pocket, kind of throws a jump pass to convert a third and seventeen. Heck of a play. You tip your you tip your head to the kid. Then he's you know, then he's out there thinking he's you know, John Elway, you know, rolling out to the right, throwing back across the field to the left, and Zane Anderson gets you know what, not only his first interception, Well, it might be the easiest one he'll ever have in his career.
But you know what, We were talking with Zaane about this afterwards, and he didn't say this, but I was thinking that those are the interceptions you got to make in this league. Yeah, when a quarterback puts it out there, and a guy like Zane Anderson, who had a few reps at safety this week, and then Evan Williams goes down on Friday with the quadricep with draws for practice or was limited in practice, can't go in this game. He's suddenly making his first NFL start. It can't always
be Xavier McKenny. It can't always be Orshaun Gary or Kenny Clark or Edger and Cooper. Sometimes it's Karenton Valentine getting his first pick. Sometimes it's San Anderson getting that pick. And I'll give credit to Rattler with this too. If you look at his statistics this year when he's been out there for the Saints, there's a pretty big dichotomy between when they're in a two minute offense and the production he's had and when they've been running their standard set.
They got back into that two minute rhythm and it seemed like you said, he was kind of feeling himself again, and that could have been a major turning point, you know, in terms of being able to double up potentially have other opportunities present themselves. Green Bay did not allow that. They did not allow them at the end of the half. They did not allow them in that situation to have any opportunity to come back in this thing. Keishawn Nixon
afterwards was talking about it. Jeff Hafley, You know, this was never the goal to go in and have like, Okay, we're gonna shut out the Saints. But this is a
testament to those guys stepping up. Greenbay had plenty of injuries on their side of the ball to defensively halfway, I feel like this defense has been working towards this and with this shutout and with as you said, one hundred ninety six total yards allowed, Greenmay now sixth and total or six and scoring defense seventh and total defense.
When you look at the balance and the complexity of a seventeen game season, when you face an opponent like this, the green Bay Packers did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Yeah, the green Bay's defense is definitely uh trending upward.
The the only real negative coming out of this big Monday Night win for green Bay was was the health Department finding out that Evan Williams, for one on the defensive side, the rookie safety, it sounds like he could be out at least through the end of the regular season, Matt Lafleur saying hopefully he can be back for the playoffs, but it sounds like he will be down at least for a little bit, and then a lot of concern just because of the uncertainty at the moment with Christian
Watts and who. On one of those end a rounds in the red zone, he ends up just awkwardly getting landed on while he's out of bounds by a Saints defender and seems to have reaggravated something from his knee from a little bit earlier this season. He tried to come back into the game, wasn't you know, wasn't having it. Had to shut it down at the time that that
we're taping this episode. There may be some some testing and whatnot going on We'll see if Matt Lafleur later today has an update just some where things are with with Christian Watson. But really the you know that that injury situation and finding those kinds of things out as as the Packers are trying to make a push here for the best playoff seed possible. That was certainly concerning.
Well, what hurt the most was talking to you know, hearing Christian speak after the game, the fact that he felt like there were things he could have done to try to turn on the burners a little faster, maybe get to the end zone, maybe score on that end around where then you're not in a position where you're having two defenders hit you on the sideline. Yeah, it's those small plays. I know. It's something that a lot
of guys have talked about in the past. It's something that you know, Mercedes Lewis always used to talk about. It's not just injuries, it's the positions that you end up in that cause injuries. And unfortunately for Christian that's what happened on that play. A credit to his toughness, he did try to go back out there. It wasn't responding the way he wanted it to. He did say on Tuesday they were going to get some you know,
get that checked out. See where things are again the end to rounds in this game, and the sweeps were so critical. I thought to building that early momentum. Whether it was Christian two for twenty three I think, which was over span of maybe three or four plays, Bo Melton had one for fourteen, Jaden Reed does it constantly.
They were able to stretch the Saints and make them run and I just felt like those long, meticulous drives, a seventeen ninety six yard touchdown drive that eats up almost nine minutes or whatever it was off the clock, those things are just demoralizing for defense, and Green Bay had that early on. Unfortunately they finished this game though without number nine on the field.
It did seem like and I think it was one of the players you quoted in one of your postgame stories talking about and it might have been Melton who said that they noticed the Saints weren't necessarily chasing the guys going in motion, So that sort of set the stage for all right, Well, then, yeah, you try the end around, you try the jet sweep kind of stuff to see if you can get the edge, and you wonder just how much of that is a function of Okay,
they're not going to chase the motion guys, because Josh Jacobs is back, They're ready to ramp the ball down your throat. So if the Packers are seeing that and reading that, and then they can make the adjustments. I mean, for the Packers to have one hundred and eighty eight rushing yards in this game and Josh Jacobs had sixty nine of them, yes, you know, I mean that says something about the variety and the way they can go, the way they can go about it as things move a little.
It was telling too they opened the game and the two RB package, but it was Jacob's and Reid and I feel like as this thing goes on that it's going to be a very important look for them. Now they've done those type of things before, but think about it. They open up in that look read I believe motioned out and on the next play they could still stick with eleven personnel and Read now is out as a receiver and you can go back to a one back set. That's the type of stuff the defenses are going to
have to account for. The Packers have put that on film now and now going into the playoffs. That's another feather in the cap. When Jacobs leaves the game, Emmanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are doing two backpackages together. Brooks gets his first NFL touchdown after he gives up that one against Jacksonville. Emmanuel gets his in the fourth quarter.
For as much as we've talked about Josh Jacobs this season and him being the bellcow, green Bay showed in this game when he does go, you know, they shut him down basically after they get to twenty four to nothing that they have other guys they can turn to. I think that's going to be you know, you know, for the versatility and the complexity of this scheme.
Yeah, no doubt about it. And certainly a shout out to the offensive line here for green Bay, not only the way those guys paved the way for the rushing yards and with the variety of ways the Packers are running the ball. But Jordan Love doesn't get sacked once again. This was a defense, as we had talked about a lot last week. They had eight sacks the previous week against Washington. Jordan Love doesn't get sacked once. The Packers up to now four games in the last four games.
The only sack of Jordan Love was the opening offensive play in Detroit on that Thursday night game. Not a you know, crazy good game for Jordan Love, but certainly he was efficient enough, made some plays. You know, he was just a little bit off target on some downfield throws, but really only put the ball in Harm's way once where the Saints had a chance at an interception off of deflection that didn't happen. So it became another turnover
free game for green Bay. And I mean, you know, when you get up on a team twenty one to nothing, it's all about just limiting, if not eliminating your mistakes on offense. Because as we saw last week, it's you know, the unfortunate fumbled by Josh Jacobs that suddenly got Seattle back into a game when green Bay was in total command.
That type of mistake didn't happen in this game, So the Packers stayed in command and the defense just the defense just rode it out against an offense that didn't have enough playmakers to turn too well.
And then, as you said, Mike, three straight scoring drives to open this thing, ten for sixty three, seventeen for ninety six, six for sixty seven. You don't have that type of production if A you're not protecting the football obviously in b if you're having penalties that are knocking you backwards. Green Bay avoided those two things, which were sort of the buggaboos, right or whatever you want to call them. Yeah, sort of the hiccups there in the first half of the year for them, I felt like
that was huge. And then also the offensive line to be able to be in a position now where there's six times this year over fifteen games, Jordan Love has not been sacked. I believe that is the most since two thousand and four, if I remember reading Tom notes notes correctly.
Yeah, the great, the great Tom Fanning note postgame notes list. Yeah, We're just got some great stuff in there.
And to be able to do that against that front and while still running the ball that well, yeah, you're right, it wasn't the virtuoso passing performance. But at the same time, we can't sit here in ridicule that when you and I spent so much time talking and spilling so much ink, as a lot of the beat did, about how this defense had really made a lot of changes since Darren Rizzy took over they've done a lot of more positive things. I think Green Bay just hit him with some big
shots early on. Yeah, it ended up not being as cold as I think everybody was fearing with refrigerator talk and all that stuff. But our freezer.
Yeah, the walk in, the walk in freezer walkthroughs.
But let's be honest. You're a dome team going from about as celt as you can go in the continental of the United States to right around the most northern point at least in the National Football League, and you're playing on Monday Night football and the Packers get up twenty one to nothing on you. Yeah, it's how you draw it up if you're green Yeah.
Absolutely, Well, the victory puts Green Bay at eleven and four. Due to the results on Sunday, the Lions beating the Bears, the Vikings beating the Seahawks, the Packers cannot win the NFC North. The chances are very slim anyway. Now it is official the Packers will be a wild card in the NFC playoffs. So from here it's about the positioning. Well, the Packers get the five seed, the sixth seed, or the seventh seed. Currently Green Bay is in the sixth spot.
But Washington, which got a big win a last second, last minute touchdown pass by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington is right on Green Bay's heels.
So as the Packers head into this game this week against the Minnesota Vikings over there in Minneapolis at US Banks Stadium, dreen Bay is trying to win that game to give itself a chance at the five seed, But a loss would put Green Bay in danger of possibly falling to the seven seed depending on what Washington does over these last couple of weeks. So there's still a lot to be sorted out as to exactly how this
playoff picture is going to take shape. But the big thing, the big thing for green Bay is you've got a chance to be the top wild card. You have a chance to get to the five seed, and the only way you can keep that chance alive is to go beat Minnesota.
One hundred percent the Philadelphia game, I said this an insider inbox, and I understand the defense kind of were on. I just thought that was a pitiful performance at the end of that game by the Eagles. You lose your starting quarterback. They did not adjust well after that offensively and then defensively and special teams wise, you just collapse under the weight of that final sequence. Jake Elliott took care of business. The rest of that team really didn't.
And for them, I mean, that's again, I keep going back to what happened last year. I understand they're not in the doldrums that they fell into, but you're riding kind of an emotional high after the Lions finally blink and then you give it right back right exactly. But on the other side of that thing, Jaden Daniels is
legit man. He is a real playmaker. And I thought he was cool, calm and collected down the stretch to be able to take what Vic fangils giving him, take what the Eagles are giving him, and then when he had to make the play to win the game, he did it.
Yeah. And you want to know, just you know how slim the margins are in this league? Right the Washington Commanders. They've won a game on a hail Mary against Chicago, and they've won a game with a touchdown pass with what was it less than ten second five second, five seconds left against Philadelphia. That is the difference between Washington being ten and five versus eight and seven, and they're very in very good playoff position to get a spot
whereas they'd be. They really have their backs against the wall heading into the into these last two games. So, as I said with Green Bay, it's a matter of can can the Packers get up to the five seed? Can they stay out of the seven seed? Where exactly are they going to fall there? On the flip side, the Packers opponent this coming week, we'll move ahead to that game. Talking about the Minnesota Vikings. They are thirteen
in two. They are tied with the Detroit Lions at thirteen into atop the NFC North, the Lions having won the first head to head meeting between the two of them. But Minnesota is looking at the old control your own destiny thing. The Vikings are looking at if they can beat the Packers, and they can beat the Lions in the last two games, they are the number one seed and they have a first round by guy. So Minnesota
has has a ton going forward here. There's you know, there are a lot of different a lot of different ways that this that this can shake out. But boy, it just got flex to three twenty five pm next Sunday at US Bank, which was certainly expected and it should be a wail of a game on Sunday afternoon.
Guys are championing at the bit for this one in the Packers' locker room. Yeah, obviously, losing those back to back to the Lions, that hurts, but they haven't forgotten about what happened with the Vikings here either.
And twenty eight to nothing in the second quarter, you know, and and the Packers did everything they could to try to come back, end up losing thirty one to twenty nine. But yeah, that is a game you can just you can tell by the way the guys, you know, Jordan Love was talking about it at the podium, guys were
talking about in the locker room. Those guys remember, yep, this for it was way back in Week four, but they remember this first game with the Vikings, and Jordan Love said it, they feel like they owe these guys, and it's it's it's a short week. It's a tough week. You got the holiday and everything like that. Minnesota had the short week last week, had to go out to Seattle. They won a big game on a short week with a late touchdown pass by Sam Darnold. Packers are in
that position. Now the challenge here late in the season with a big game on the road.
And I'm going to give the Vikings some advice and they could take it and not take it. They're obviously not even watching. But Sam Donald's your quarterback. He is, He's the quarterback today. He should be the quarterback next year. Yep, and beyond.
I think he's proven it.
If you want to muff that, go ahead, be my guest. And I understand you drafted JJ McCarthy. But after all this conversation this week about what happened with Atlanta with Kirk Cousins and then they're benching him and potentially moving on for him, they're already these things being leaked out that they're going to cut him before Penix even plays in a game. Pennox obviously performs admirably to be able to beat a big leaguered New York Giants team.
Well, it helps when the Giants give the Falcons two defensive touchdowns in the game. That always helps a rookie quarterback making his first start.
But I digress, But the real thing here should be the Minnesota Vikings made a really savvy signing one year, ten million dollars they get Sam Darnald, he continues this renaissance of his career and is still I believe he won't win it, but I think he is legitimately in the conversation for MVP because when it hasn't been Aaron Jones, and at times it hasn't been Justin Jefferson, Donald has been the thing that has kept this thing together. It's
why they're at thirteen wins right now. I don't think this is as much of a debate is what people are making it out to be. I think JJ McCarthy, especially with all the knee injuries, you let him sit, You let him figure out what's gonna happen with his career. But you could absolutely not let Sam Donald. If you're the Packers, go ahead, But I mean if you're the Vikings, I don't think there's any way you could let him out of the building. And they're playing inspired football, I
think it's gonna be a real tough test. Matt Lafuller talked about the challenges now on a short week, after having all that time that led up to the Saints game, Now you're on a short week going into US Bank Stadium, a place that is going to be rocking and rolling. And for the Packers, a team that will have to go on the road, whether five, six, or seven, this is a great litmus test for where you are entering winning season.
Yeah. Absolutely, yeah. I think with the Sam Donald quarterback situation, it's sort of the bird in the hand thing, right, I mean, how do you do't with everything that he has done? I don't know how. You just say, Okay, Sam, thanks for the memory. Now go with the guy we drafted. Like, I mean, they're thirteen and.
Two negotiations that probably end up getting kind of serious, but they're third line and two with one of their losses to another team that's also thirteen and two by the way.
I mean, so yeah, I'm totally I'm totally with you there. I want to get to our keys to victory here, but I should take care of some sponsor business before too much longer. Serious XMNFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need. Twenty four to seven, three sixty five and
cousin subs. We have something for everyone, like our Wisconsin Cheese, Kurtz mac and Cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or sub and a bowl cousin subs fifty plus years of better. All right, the Minnesota Vikings, we know all about them. We don't need to well, don't need to go through the ABC's of Sam Donald, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, TJ. Hockinson, Brian Flores in that defense, all the crazy looks and crazy blitzes
and fake blitzes and everything else. It sounds like Harrison Smith is going to be back from his injury. You know, he's always been a nemesis for Green Bay in the back end there at safety for Minnesota.
A lot of things you can line up.
As the as keys to victory. What's at the top of the list for you?
Well, and it's the reason in my opinion, Kevin O'Connell, is that near the top of the list for Coach of the Year. A lot of the same threats that we're there in that first matchup with the Vikings are still there. Andrew van Ginkel has been fantastic, Yeah here for them, eleven sacks on the year. Blake Cashman has belve battles some injuries, but he had a twelve sack performance against Seattle I feel like he's been a big
difference maker on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, Justin Jefferson the best receiver in the National Football League. Green Bay has to find an answer for that. Is Jyry Alexander going to be available? Is he not going to be available? If that's the case, what combination of defensive backs and approach and scheme are you going to utilize to minimize him, to try to contain him, and certainly trying to get Sam Darnold off his rhythm and
offensively protect the football. I said six different things there, Mike, But if you go back to the unscripted we did two three months ago, it's probably the same exact thing I said back then. You know what you're getting with the Vikings. You know what their defensive look is going to be, like, the Packers have to be able to weather that, and they, as you said earlier, need to respond better in the first two quarters to keep up with that pace.
Yeah, And you know me, I always I base a lot of things, a lot of conversations off of what teams have done most recently and seeing seeing how Justin Jefferson in a lot of ways kind of took over
that game in Seattle. I mean, the Seahawks just couldn't handle no. And in a lot of ways, it felt, even though the Seahawks did have a lead at one point in the fourth quarter, the way Seattle had been struggling dealing with Jefferson, it felt somewhat inevitable that Justin Jefferson was going to beat them, and ultimately he did.
I think, if you're the Packers, and I know the game is never this simple, and you know Hockinson and Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones and all these guys can hurt you, I just don't think you can let Justin Jefferson beat you. You have to make Sam Donald go somewhere else in order to beat you, and UH and the and the best way to UH to deal with Sam Donald the course is to try to disrupt him. I think the Packers have been on a pretty good
run defensively at not letting quarterbacks get comfortable. Jared goff in that Thursday night game in Detroit, he certainly had a level of comfort, but he was also running a game plan with all these screens and just getting the ball out right away, and and Ben Johnson wasn't gonna let the Packers defensive front disrupt you know, what he was trying to do offensively, the uh, what the Packers can do to try to, you know, get Sam Donald out of a rhythm or prevent him from getting into
a rhythm, I think potentially goes a long way.
In forty five sacks this year for Donald, when the pressure has been there, that's been a key. But as you said, Mike, we can you know, you tip your cap to TJ Hockinson, you tip your cap to you know, Jalen Naylor and all these other people that they have. But realistically it comes down to three weapons for the Vikings.
Jefferson at the top of the list, Jordan Addison and what he's done is the complimentary piece in Aaron Jones notching another thousand yard season, appearing like he's put some of the issues that he had earlier this season injury wise behind him. Still a factor in the passing game as well. Those have been the three outlets for Donald. Hockinson's not had a fantastic year, it still doesn't have a touchdown this season, So the Packers want to try
to keep that trend going. Some of the things that you would think of when you think of how spread out they are on the offense, it still comes back to that trio and I feel like, if you take away or you contain some of those threats, that's where you're ultimately going to have success. In addition to the fact that Jordan Love in this Packers offensive line have to manage the Brian Flora's defense and the looks and
the misdirection and the pressures. One reason Jordan has gotten into this rhythm that he's been in he has not been pressured a ton, and I feel like that's that's really when he's at his best. He's back there, he's standing tall, he's looking downfield looking to make a play. Yeah.
I don't pretend to be an expert on the Vikings and their defense and what Brian Flores is doing, but the times that I've watched the Vikings this year, there are moments where you see, whether it's Gino Smith of the Seahawks, or Kyler Murray or the Cardinals, even you know other quarterbacks as well. Suddenly an opposing offense will put together a drive on the Vikings, get the ball in the end zone, and you're like, oh, well, is
the Vikings defense you know, showing some vulnerability. One of the things that I think makes the Vikings defense so tough is that they don't give up scores on like back to back possession yet like they give up they they'll give up a score, but then the next one they're very likely getting a three and out. Like they just they have this way. They have this way of bouncing back, making adjustments, making things difficult on you after
you've had some success. And when you look at what the Packers have done starting the Seahawks game with back to back touchdowns, starting the Saints game with three consecutive touchdowns, getting on any kind of a scoring run like that
is going to be very difficult. But if the Packers can do it, if you truly can get a Brian Flores defense on its heels by scoring on consecutive possessions, I think that's the type of thing that can that can set the tone, particularly with the Vikings plan at home and the home crowd and the noise on third down and all that that Jordan Love and company will be dealing.
And as much as I've talked about Love, this is about Josh Shakups and the fact that the Packers were able to take some reps off of him in the second half, I think is going to be key. They are facing the number two ranked run defense in both yards allowed in yards per carry. The Vikings are twenty ninth against the pass. I mean it is feast or famine with what they offer you and what they present
to you. So being able to get a run game going because of what the Vikings want to do is they want to get you in third and long and want you to make a mistake.
Yeah. Absolutely. To lay out the proper scenario for those who are wondering, okay, have been talking about the Packers could get the five to six or the seven. How can the Packers get the five seed? Really, the path to doing it is for the Packers to win out, to beat the Vikings and the Bears, and then in week eighteen for the Lions to knock off the Vikings and give Minnesota another loss. Because then the Packers would
end up tied with the Vikings. There would be a series of tie breakers that eventually would go Green Bay's way in the way of common opponents, where they because of the Packers win over the Rams and the Vikings having lost to the Rams, that would give green Bay the five seed over Minnesota. In that scenario.
The tricky thing.
Is that if the Packers beat the Vikings this week, and if the Lions beat the forty nine ers, the Lions have the one seed wrapped up.
It's over.
The Week eighteen game against the Vikings will not matter to the Detroit Lions. Now. Dan Campbell has said he's always gonna play his guys at Sarah.
Well, we'll just see.
The Detroit Lions have never been the number one seed, you know, looking at a buy and it is a team that is awfully banged up, and are they really gonna risk, you know, injuring anymore guys. So that's the tough thing for green Bay is that as much as yeah, you feel like you can go into Minnesota, you know, potentially get a big win, look at trying to get the five seed, but then you need the Lions to
beat the Vikings. And if the Vikings lose this week and the Lions win, then the Lions aren't playing for anything. So we'll just have to see. That's nothing the Packers can control. All they can control is go to Minnesota, try to get a victory, and see where the chips fall.
Here's where I feel like Campbell tipped his hand a little bit on Monday, though. There is a scenario where the Lions could know that nothing that happens against the forty nine ers could affect this by Monday night football because they'll have already seen what happened with the Packers and the Vikings. He said, that doesn't matter. He's still playing his guys on Monday night football. It's still full steam ahead. Now would he take that approach in Week eighteen?
I don't know, right, but he said if that game doesn't matter and everything comes down to that last game against the Vikings, he's still playing his guys against the Niners, which I thought was interesting. Now again, will he do that? Is it? Al bravado, you're playing Monday night football? What do you do? I don't know, but damn Campbell, I.
Guess I didn't. I didn't even realize that the Detroit game this week was Monday.
Money Night football. So there's a scenario. Don't ask me to figure all this out, but there's a scenario where that game could win or lose against the forty Narrows have no impact on what happens for their Week eighteen games. Sure, Vikings, sure so, but Dan Campbell said it's still full steam ahead as he is wont to do.
Yeah, that would, that would That's what I'm brandicked from Dan Campbell. We will just have to see how everything unfolds and with that we'll call it a wrap on this edition Packers Unscripted. But folks, the home of the twenty twenty five NFL Draft is right here in Green Bay, so don't miss any draft action coming April twenty fourth through April twenty six of twenty twenty five. That's officially only four months away. Wes.
Visit green Bay dot.
Com slash Draft twenty five for more information. And with that, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas here from the desks at Packers Unscripted and be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team and Sunday afternoons big game at us Bank Stadium in Minneapolis against the Vikings. We will have it all for you on Packers dot com for Wes, I Mike, thank you for tuning in everybody. We will see you next time.