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Packers headlines and trade deadlines · The UnPack Podcast - a podcast about the Green Bay Packers

0:07
Yes, it is the unpack podcast. I've been calling
0:13
it unpack at dawn lately when we do these morning
0:17
sessions. But because we've reached the time
0:19
of the year where we're going to pretend it's
0:20
a different time than it actually is, it's now
0:23
much brighter in my room here as I dial it in
0:26
from Albuquerque, New Mexico, following daylight
0:28
savings time. Follow our show at the unpack pod
0:31
on blue sky and Instagram. I'm Zach Rapport in
0:36
Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we have just elected
0:39
the first female indigenous governor. Go us.
0:43
Nice. Yeah. Big day this week. Most of our peak
0:48
behind the curtain. Most of our show prep time
0:50
was spent talking about politics. So here we
0:52
are ready to talk about football and remind ourselves
0:57
what happened 18 years ago when we lost was watched
1:00
the as I got up this morning and tried to remember
1:05
exactly. who I was and where we existed in time
1:09
and space out in Brooklyn. I am joined by Nick
1:14
Bornheimer, who's furiously looking at I'm assuming
1:16
gambling websites on his phone right now. How
1:18
are you, sir? I'm good. I'm getting distracted
1:22
by some silly slack messages to the you brought
1:30
up daylight saving time. If you were in your
1:32
neighboring state, you wouldn't observe that.
1:35
Fake time change. Arizona is not so funny does
1:39
not do it. I'm jealous of them It's interesting.
1:44
I know In Packers content world. I know our buddy
1:48
Monte is out in Arizona. I kind of want to like
1:51
Just DM him and be like tell me what it's like
1:53
to live without Daylight say like what's your
1:56
day to day because we all fantasize about like
1:59
this not existing anymore And there's a lot of
2:02
debate about like which side of the change they
2:05
should make permanent, which I don't really have
2:08
a dog in that fight, but I'm interested to hear
2:11
the perspective of someone who no longer has
2:13
to think about this. I mean, I would I would
2:17
always advocate for lighter later, I think. Yeah,
2:22
I tend to agree. I this yeah, this time change.
2:28
Normally it's the it's the spring forward that
2:31
like it messes me up for two weeks and the fallback
2:35
is a little more gentle. But this year for some
2:39
it was like day after daylight savings time and
2:41
we're just like sitting on the couch watching
2:43
TV and it is six thirty and you could have told
2:46
me it was eleven o 'clock at night. I was like
2:48
I'm ready for bed. Yeah I went to went to bed.
2:51
I was in bed before nine o 'clock last night.
2:54
I was just wiped out. I mean live in the dream.
2:58
Honestly, you know who's not getting to bed before
3:00
nine o 'clock because I'm assuming he's dealing
3:04
with baby stuff every 90 minutes. It's Alex Patakis
3:06
out in Amsterdam. How you doing, sir? Yeah, good.
3:10
I, uh, I do go to bed, uh, sometimes around nine
3:14
o 'clock, but that is when I have to wake up
3:16
at midnight and then again at three AM, uh, to
3:20
alleviate the, the feeding schedule, um, from,
3:25
uh, from my partner as she recovers. from birth.
3:29
It's a good excuse. Yeah. So yeah, but good.
3:36
I slept enough to do this podcast. So that's
3:38
good. Yeah. Your partner's status is limited
3:41
with having given birth. Yeah, exactly. Yep.
3:49
So all good. But, you know, like I said, the
3:51
night games easier to watch when I have to be
3:54
up anyway. So. It's great. Another Packers win
3:58
while holding a new human being, soothing her
4:02
and then occasionally disturbing her by going.
4:08
She's in my arms. Yeah. Another reason why your
4:12
child is a blessing in disguise. Yeah. Now we
4:15
just get to, you know, you have another reason
4:17
to just be up at two thirty in the morning that
4:19
isn't watching the worst offensive line play
4:22
you've ever seen. Yeah, yeah Really quickly before
4:27
we get too far into it We are coming to you today
4:29
via the official Glenn's not dead yet memorials
4:31
and castor account and the official Matt gave
4:34
us some money microphone Thank You Glenn Thank
4:36
You Matt generous patrons patreon .com slash
4:38
the unpack pod if you want to throw us a buck
4:41
or two and then really quickly I Keep mentioning
4:44
it at the top of every show. We are in an independent.
4:48
We have an independent podcast feed now So if
4:50
that's your thing and you want just us search
4:53
for us wherever you find your podcasts at the
4:58
unpack podcast and Leaves a review click the
5:02
five stars blah blah blah all that stuff helps
5:04
us out. We got a new review in a week ago the
5:08
title of which was these guys sound hot and I
5:10
just want to confirm Nick Alex total smoke shows
5:16
Alex got that new dad glow Nick's got that. I
5:20
just got married glow Me I'm a little bit more
5:23
of the classic Packers podcaster, very pale red
5:30
beard, bridge troll aesthetic. So I wouldn't
5:35
I would say you're you're kind of like I wouldn't
5:38
say you're the typical podcaster vibe. No, no,
5:42
I don't know. You're too you're I think you're
5:44
too edgy and cool for that. Really edgy. All
5:47
right. I don't know. Get the Waffle House shirt.
5:50
You got the you're the you know. Creative director
5:53
type like you always say although you used to
5:56
like always all wear all black I feel like we're
5:58
at least joke about that and now I feel like
6:00
you're working in a lot of color. No, that's
6:02
true. We're getting more We're doing phases.
6:05
Yeah Anyway, I think you're hot, too I think
6:09
you're very hot and my my wife has when she's
6:12
listened to the podcast has said I think Zach's
6:14
got a really nice radio voice Thanks Yeah, you
6:18
do very soothing. I would say the most reluctant
6:20
podcast host in the world. Alex, I approached
6:24
you about hosting this show for Matt, which I
6:28
feel like I did for a few years. And then I was
6:30
like, you know what? It's really much better
6:31
when you do it. I just absolved myself of all
6:34
responsibility. Yeah, it's like I will take the
6:38
compliment. And I think you just want to show
6:42
up and have the red light go on and start yapping,
6:44
which is fine. You guys are good at. All right.
6:48
That's enough about our relative. Relative hotness
6:54
We had a football game last Thursday. It's Thursday
6:59
as we record this Thanks for bearing with us
7:01
on giving us an extra day to recover from election
7:05
fever this past Tuesday Full disclosure woke
7:10
up this morning was making coffee was just kind
7:12
of Shuffling around the kitchen with wiping the
7:15
crust for my eyes trying to remember what happened
7:17
in this game Alex you reminded me that Christian
7:22
Watson went to the hospital and then K like that
7:25
Storyline was so amazing and so like classic
7:29
old -school WWF now WWE coded when it happened
7:33
It was the like the talk of the internet for
7:35
like 12 hours and I just completely memory hold
7:38
it because it's been a full week since that happened,
7:42
but the game did in fact occur 27 to 19 was the
7:47
final score and we won't I don't think get too
7:53
into the minutiae because enough time has passed,
7:56
but we can talk about a few big topics in this
8:00
game really quickly. The first thing I wanted
8:02
to hit on in the last episode, I tried to get
8:07
us to spend each two concise minutes talking
8:10
about referees. We ended up, I think we hit about
8:13
18 minutes with side banter. But I got to just
8:21
mention it again, because all right, let's look
8:24
at the timeline here. And I heard John Muirding
8:28
talking about this as well a little bit. So I
8:30
got to give him a shout out for resurfacing this
8:33
in my brain. But there's the fiasco of the Lions
8:37
game so badly officiated that national pundits
8:41
started to be like, what's up with that? The
8:45
league, of course, in the week following. uh,
8:48
you know, issued their support of the refs as
8:50
they always do. They're never going to not do
8:52
that. Frustrating anyway. Um, immediately after
8:55
they did that, those same refs who were slated
8:59
to work the next Sunday night football game this
9:02
past week, uh, were magically demoted. I don't
9:06
know another word to say moved to like banished
9:11
really to a middle of the afternoon dolphins
9:14
game, which If that's not, you know, cause and
9:20
effect, I don't like these things are related.
9:22
I don't know what is. And then magically Thursday
9:26
night football, the Packers, the second most
9:29
penalized team in the league, the Panthers, the
9:31
third most penalized team in the league. Magically,
9:34
suddenly it's a very flag free, let them play
9:37
clean game in prime time. And I just don't fucking
9:40
buy it, man. I don't buy it. Oh, man. Yeah. It's
9:49
nice to see that there are consequences, I guess.
9:51
That's the best thing that I could say. Go suffer
9:53
a Dolphins game. It sounds like they still get
9:57
paid. It is still officiating an NFL game, but
9:59
it does, relative to a Sunday night football
10:03
game, seem like a punishment. Was it in my...
10:08
I can't remember if it was rainy there. Banished
10:11
them to that Atlanta Falcons, Buccaneers. Yeah,
10:13
they should have gone to Tampa where it was just
10:15
like flooding. And I hope everyone's safe. I
10:17
know there's been like some serious flooding
10:18
in many parts of the state of Florida, but those
10:21
guys should have been there. Yeah, I think it
10:26
was in Miami, but I feel like it wasn't raining,
10:28
though. Yeah, odd. I don't know. Whatever. I
10:33
wouldn't expect many free flowing flag. relatively
10:37
flag free games going forward. That's for sure.
10:40
We got our makeup game. Yeah, exactly. Now we'll
10:42
go back to the same bullshit we see all the time.
10:45
Probably this weekend. NFL refs. It is a flat
10:48
salary across all games throughout the week.
10:51
However, you do get a pay bump in the postseason
10:53
and. As you mentioned, Alex, it seems like quietly
10:56
behind the scenes, there are some consequences.
10:58
We know that they handpick the ref crews for
11:01
the postseason. So maybe there is some punishment
11:03
there in so far as some crews don't get those
11:06
calls. And I don't buy for a second that refs
11:09
don't like being on prime time, because if we
11:11
know anything about refs and the way they seem
11:12
to act, they really like making it about themselves
11:15
in the NFL these days. So who wouldn't want the
11:19
eyes of the whole nation on Sunday night for
11:23
the ref show? Yeah. All right. Now we're going
11:27
to blow the whistle again. We're calling this
11:30
the end of the play. Final whistle. That's how
11:34
that's how that's how plays end guys. Let's talk
11:37
about this game real quick and just some some
11:41
major takeaways. I wanted to start with Nick.
11:46
I want to start with Jordan Love who continues
11:48
to put the offense on his back. The pass blocking
11:52
has been better. The run blocking doesn't exist.
11:55
The run game doesn't exist. Jordan Love has the
11:58
fastest time to throw in the NFL. Um, and that
12:02
is not, you know, these challenges are not stopping
12:04
him. Yeah. I can't believe how well he's doing
12:09
in the face of such adversity and like such obvious,
12:12
um, elements that impact a quarterback's play.
12:17
He doesn't seem to get very rattled. I think
12:19
every game we've talked about how he has like
12:21
that one I wish I could have that throwback throw
12:25
that boneheaded throw. But other than that, he's
12:27
looking like a legitimate MVP caliber player
12:31
and he won't get the recognition this year. I
12:35
think some of the, um, advanced metrics aren't
12:38
as impressive as they have been even in years
12:41
past, but like that I test stuff has been so
12:44
impressive. And, um, yeah, I, this, this team
12:49
flounders if he's not playing at the level he
12:53
is, which is true of most teams in the quarterback
12:54
play. But like they are still, even with Jacob's
12:58
back, they're still such a poor running team.
13:02
I think Steno had Steno's press conference earlier
13:05
this week. They were asking him about run blocking
13:08
and he's like, listen, like almost in like in,
13:10
in, in astonished sense. He was like, teams are
13:14
still playing us to, um, to against the run.
13:20
They're still putting guys in the box, still
13:21
opening things up for us. So we're not going
13:23
to give up on it. But he's almost in like an
13:26
amazed way that he's like, I can't believe teams
13:28
aren't just like putting five guys in the box
13:31
and just dropping everybody back into coverage
13:33
because love has been tearing teams apart in
13:37
such an impressive way. Yeah, I don't know. I
13:41
can't sing Jordan Love's praises enough. He's
13:45
far exceeded my already lofty expectations for
13:48
the first part of this year. Yeah, it is kind
13:51
of amazing though to watch Opposing defenses.
13:55
Yeah still kind of they're not stacking the box,
13:58
but they're playing the run and It is opening
14:01
things up for the pass game and it's like wouldn't
14:04
you maybe this is what's done I was driving at
14:06
wouldn't you rather just allow the Packers to
14:10
get I don't know 75 cumulative rushing yards
14:14
to be a little bit more prepared against the
14:16
pass. Like, what is the best you think the running
14:19
game can do if you, like, let them win a little
14:23
bit? I don't think it's very much personally.
14:26
Yeah, I agree. It's kind of similar to the way
14:28
we talked about the Lions game, where it's like
14:31
Amon Ra can have a million catches, a million
14:34
like 10, 8, 7, 15. Three yard catches like over
14:40
and over as you want but like you're not they're
14:42
not gonna break, right? Like I don't understand
14:44
Yeah, it's actually weird that people haven't
14:47
approached the Packers in this way. That's like,
14:48
you know what if Golden and Watson the you know
14:52
the combined Most deadly deep threat duo, I guess
14:57
in the league however, you want to put that Can't
15:01
beat us up top. Maybe we stand a chance in this
15:03
game fucking weird. Yeah, like I It's weird.
15:08
No one's willing to surrender like a decent rushing
15:10
day to us. 75 rushing yards. Man, what would
15:12
that be like? That would just be a dream. Imagine
15:15
if one player accomplished that, not even cumulative
15:17
amongst a committee. It's pretty ridiculous.
15:21
Yeah. Packers, if you're listening, I challenge
15:24
you to accumulate 75 rushing yards in a game
15:28
and bonus points if Savion Williams does not
15:31
have more than 10 of them. Yeah, I know. Well,
15:34
what's crazy about it, too, when you mentioned,
15:36
like, why aren't they a little bit softer and
15:38
making sure Jordan Love doesn't just rip you
15:41
apart is it doesn't look particularly difficult
15:44
when Jordan Love is having these games either.
15:46
Yeah. Which is really interesting. Like he there's
15:50
virtually no threat of the run. The play action
15:52
game should be, you know, kind of just like for
15:56
shits and giggles at this point. Like, what are
15:57
we really doing? And yet somehow he makes it
16:02
like I don't want to say effortless, but it doesn't
16:05
look like he's grinding through two, three touchdown
16:08
pass games, close to 300 yards. It looks like
16:11
it's coming with relative ease. And it makes
16:14
me wonder, have we just not played formidable
16:18
defenses yet? I know the Vikings are obviously
16:21
great and that didn't go so well, but I don't
16:25
know, man. We've seen enough football so far
16:27
this year that we're like... Yeah, you just playing
16:29
it at MVP level. That's what it is. Yeah, I totally
16:32
agree. I think there's credit there for Jordan
16:34
Love. Obviously, I also think there's credit
16:35
there for Matt LaFleur, who we've been kind of
16:37
pooping on all season just in terms of like,
16:40
I feel like at some point after a few games,
16:43
he was like, OK, we don't have a run game. We're
16:47
just going to use the pass game to set up the
16:50
pass game. Just going to use like the short pass
16:53
game to set up the long pass game. And then,
16:56
you know. Maybe we'll run the ball four times
16:58
in a drive or something like three, three or
17:01
four times. But, um, yeah, it's, it's, it's kind
17:06
of astonishing to watch and it's a lot of pressure
17:09
to put on Jordan loves plate. I do think, um,
17:13
I mentioned earlier, he's got the fastest time
17:15
to throw in the league right now. I think that's
17:17
a fun, a little bit of a function of the, the
17:20
offensive line and kind of some learned behavior
17:22
of the first few games where there was no pass
17:24
blocking. The pass blocking has gotten a lot
17:26
better. Um, it's not great, but it's in that
17:30
average to between below and above average, um,
17:35
sweet spot that we kind of talked about earlier
17:37
and that's buying them enough time for the deep
17:39
passes. And it's just, I don't know, man, it's
17:41
just, it continues to be very impressive and
17:47
it keeps these, these games a lot more, excuse
17:51
me, a lot more interesting because, because they
17:55
can't run the ball. There's so many like, second
17:58
and third and like 12. And there's so many years
18:03
of Packer seasons where it's just like that's
18:05
just a three and out and the three announced
18:06
happens. But also they're they're picking up
18:10
first downs with the passing game more consistently
18:13
in those sort of what Matt LaFleur calls get
18:17
back on track situation. So it's a little bit
18:21
of a I wouldn't call it a silver lining because
18:23
it doesn't portend well for like the long term
18:26
health of the team. But it does. It makes the
18:29
overall product more fun to watch. Whereas like
18:31
the first few after the first few games, Atlanta,
18:36
especially Nick, I feel like we were just we
18:39
got back together and we're like, this is not
18:42
a fun team to watch. No. Do you guys know, have
18:50
you, have you seen what the team rushing yards
18:53
has been game by game? Have you looked up the
18:56
actual numbers? If you trust the AI overlords,
18:58
I just texted you 75 was a funny number to put
19:01
out there. Cause they've only eclipsed that number
19:03
once this entire season. I actually said that
19:06
because I was pretty sure that either it was
19:08
once or zero times they had done it. And they
19:11
got 86 yards against the Buccaneers. Other than
19:13
that, they've been pretty consistently in the
19:15
sixties, which is so breathtakingly bad. And
19:20
we all see how bad it is, but just to look at
19:24
those numbers one more time, like, Jesus Christ.
19:29
I'm making that a prop on the January corner.
19:31
More to come. Yeah. In addition to the pressure
19:34
that it puts on Jordan Love, too, though, being
19:37
this one dimensional, you know, it's interesting
19:39
because when you think about like, we're not,
19:41
you know, we're not strangers to having a quarterback
19:44
who can just kind of just put the team on his
19:46
back. we need a game, right? Like we had a guy
19:49
do that. We had two guys do that for a long time.
19:53
But beyond Watson and Golden, it's not like the
19:58
deepest offense either, right? So it's a lot
20:00
of pressure on them too, right? Like these guys
20:02
in the Panther game, like they each had 10 targets.
20:05
Like Watson was in the hospital for a little
20:06
while and then came back only in Green Bay. There's
20:10
no one on the road. You can do that. There's
20:13
no way he actually went to the hospital. You
20:15
can't do it in that amount of time. I'm like,
20:16
you don't know what Green Bay is. Yeah, you haven't
20:20
walked around the city of Green Bay while the
20:24
Packers are playing and trying to find another
20:26
human city and air quotes for those listening
20:28
at home. You could walk around. You could walk
20:32
to the hospital and be back. It would still be
20:34
going on. Yeah, exactly. But I just wanted to
20:38
add, it is a lot of pressure on them and it's
20:39
actually pretty amazing they've been able to
20:41
be so productive because this is a one -dimensional
20:43
offense with two receivers. And beyond that,
20:48
Savion is a nice weapon, but then it's just only
20:51
Tucker Kraft and Josh Jacobs getting legitimate
20:53
targets. J. Michael Sturtevant target here or
20:59
there like once in a blue moon or, you know,
21:01
a target or two for Savion that is designed and
21:03
it's probably behind the line of scrimmage, but
21:05
like who else is running routes downfield and
21:07
getting targets? No one. And like, yeah. Yeah,
21:11
exactly. Like it's, it's, it's crazy, you know?
21:14
Um, so it's really makes you think like, I don't
21:18
know, man. Like what, what, what could next?
21:20
I'm not like, keep punting on this year, but
21:23
What would a third receiver look like in this?
21:25
You know, like, what would a James Jones as your
21:27
number three in this offense look like? As opposed
21:31
to what? I don't even know who our third receiver
21:34
technically is. It's got to be. Savion has kind
21:36
of filled that slot role at this point. He's
21:38
been fine. He looks like an actual receiver now.
21:41
Yeah, he looks like he's yeah, he's just good.
21:43
Like a few things. Yeah, I agree. It's it's a
21:48
three man show if you include Tucker Kraft. I
21:50
do think. Since you guys mentioned Tucker Kraft,
21:53
I do think in this game, he's he looks like he's
21:56
rounding a corner in my mind. He looks like he's
21:59
getting more confident, more comfortable. And
22:02
the numbers didn't like jump off the screen.
22:05
But I see was chatting with a work colleague
22:09
of mine who's in fantasy. He has Tucker Kraft
22:12
on his bench. And I was like, he was offered
22:15
a trade for Tucker Kraft. um that was not very
22:19
appealing and he wasn't going to take it anyway
22:21
but i was he was like leaning on me as a as a
22:23
packers uh fan from my perspective and i was
22:26
like honestly i think he's gonna round a corner
22:30
he's gonna get more yak on the back half of the
22:33
season and he's gonna get a few more the touchdowns
22:36
are gonna be a little bit more concentrated in
22:37
the back half of the season um and that was two
22:40
days before this panthers game and then i feel
22:42
like the results kind of bore that out and i
22:44
think um I'm excited for the second half of the
22:47
season here with Tucker Kraft to get more comfortable
22:51
and more involved. And maybe, you know, to your
22:54
guys's point, like maybe truly become that number
22:58
three like weapon so that you have like a big
23:01
trifecta. I think that was the design in the
23:05
off season. And he's just taken a little bit
23:07
longer to round into shape than maybe they would
23:10
have liked. What else in this game? Defense.
23:18
I mean, you just talk about the defense in general.
23:21
Six sacks, nine quarterback hits, an interception.
23:26
Tyron Hopper, man. Yeah. Having having a statistical
23:32
performance, the likes of which we haven't seen
23:34
since I believe Charles Woodson. Yeah. Bad at
23:38
his own interception, like bad at a ball, past
23:41
defensed and and intercepted it. I'm not ready
23:46
to like. Crown Tyrone Hopper as like he's a great
23:49
player on this defense, but it is really nice
23:51
to see Nick after after a few years of Kind of
23:56
relative obscurity hiding on the depth chart.
23:58
Maybe only being used in certain spots or in
24:01
relief to see him get pressed into duty and like
24:04
Make some plays look like an NFL player Yeah,
24:08
I don't know so he had that game against the
24:12
Vikings last year where he just did not look
24:14
like he belonged on the field and I think that
24:16
Um, that gave the organization some pause in,
24:21
in making him the guy this year. So they go out
24:23
and get Zaire Franklin, who I think by all accounts
24:26
has been a totally serviceable player. And he,
24:29
I, I get in arguments with our old colleague
24:32
at ESPN Milwaukee, Josh DiMaggio, who he's just
24:35
like, so anti Zaire Franklin based on like some
24:40
of the, the, like the Raz metrics and, um, just
24:44
athletic ability, but I think he calls a pretty
24:47
solid defense out there. Um, but to know that
24:51
hopper and Isaiah McDuffie provide adequate depth
24:55
after losing, you know, edge and, and now as
25:00
I hear for a couple of games, um, I don't, I'm
25:02
not as worried about the linebackers as, as I
25:04
was. And then just to get Micah back in a couple
25:07
of games, which we haven't even talked about
25:08
that. His practice window opening, um, it, I
25:12
I've got really high expectations now for this
25:15
defense week, week in and week out, the Panthers
25:17
were a banged up team and their offensive line
25:19
was, I don't know, they might be in a worse spot
25:21
than, than the Packers are, um, at least in past
25:25
pro. So I'll, you got to take that with a grain
25:27
of salt a little bit, but they hopper looked
25:29
awesome that the D backs look pretty good. Um,
25:32
and yeah, they six acts is nothing to nothing
25:35
to scoff at that. We'll see how they look against
25:38
the Patriots this week, but, um, yeah, all good.
25:42
I'll get on the defensive side. Packers being
25:45
four deep at an off ball linebacker. What a time
25:48
to be alive. There was a time that we couldn't,
25:52
you know, stumble upon a good one of those like
25:56
at all. So shout out to Hopper and McDuffie for
26:01
holding it down for sure. It's great to see.
26:05
Yeah. I mean, you said there was a time. I think
26:09
that time was like most of my Packers watching.
26:12
Yeah. Yeah. Has been that I guess. Yeah. I'm
26:16
old enough to remember the Packers not having
26:17
much depth at off ball linebacker. Yeah. It was
26:20
kind of a running thing for a long time. Yeah.
26:25
And you mentioned the Panthers struggling on
26:29
offensive line. Old friend alert Rashid Walker
26:33
was in the house. Possibly the worst starting
26:38
left tackle. in the league over there. It doesn't
26:42
get much better after him on that along that
26:45
line either. Micah Parsons, Micah Parsons, Micah
26:57
Parsons. He rejoined practice this week. Did
27:05
you guys did either of you make your nodding?
27:07
Did you listen to any of the like the locker
27:10
room comments that he made talking about his
27:12
injury or anything like that? I listened to a
27:15
couple clips and then I read a couple of his
27:17
quotes. Yeah, I there was a lot of mystery surrounding
27:24
that date and when he would come back and not
27:27
not understanding that he had like a way more
27:30
in -depth knee procedure than I think a lot of
27:33
the public realized. So the timeline now makes
27:35
more sense. I'm getting excited. He's he's got
27:39
like a. His attitude feels like he what he's
27:42
when he when he comes back he wants to be as
27:45
close to the former version of himself as possible
27:47
so if they can if they can buoy for a couple
27:51
more weeks and I guess kind of target maybe that
27:54
I don't know if he said specifically what game
27:57
and but I think like that That Rams game seems
28:01
like a pretty reasonable target. I don't think
28:03
the Vikings game is probably realistic, but They
28:07
can come out they come out of They get a road
28:10
win against the Patriots. They can be set up
28:13
for a pretty good end of season tear. What is
28:17
that ticking? Is that the pain scale meter shifting?
28:23
I think I heard it happen real time as you were
28:27
starting to think about six and three after a
28:29
win against the Patriots being like, like a coming
28:32
back in a couple of weeks. I'm there, though.
28:36
I agree. I mean, this defense has been good without
28:38
him. We forget, you know, he's one of a handful
28:42
of players who can completely change the makeup
28:44
of a game on his own. And if he comes back and
28:46
is anything like that. Yeah, teams are going
28:49
to struggle, man. They're going to struggle against
28:51
us. And that's that's even with the other injuries
28:56
we have on the defense currently. So credit to
29:00
Gannon. Dude, Micah, like, let's yeah, let's
29:03
go. I guess it's like It's perfectly time, right?
29:06
Because it's right after the buy. So the window,
29:10
whatever it is, that 21 -day window where he
29:12
has to be on the active roster coincides with
29:15
an extra, I don't know, half a week or whatever
29:17
of rest. So that's great. Yeah, great to see.
29:23
Yeah, and still, like you guys are saying, keep
29:25
him out until they are obligated to get him back
29:29
on the active roster. Yeah, there was a lot of...
29:33
Nick, like you said, mystery around the recovery
29:35
process. And I think a lot of people had nine
29:38
months to the day circled on their calendar.
29:41
Like, that is the timeline. That's what you know,
29:43
Tucker crafting like this and that. And like,
29:44
that's that's the timeline for this injury. Michael
29:48
Parsons revealing this week that he had basically
29:51
a full repair surgery on both of his menisci
29:59
meniscuses. Which I didn't realize this that
30:04
you have two in each knee. It's like one on either
30:07
side Of the knee so both of them in I believe
30:11
it's from looking at the picture correctly his
30:12
left knee Yeah, that's not good. It's not good
30:18
and it explains a lot about why the recovery
30:22
is taking so much longer I think he said he you
30:24
know, you couldn't be weight -bearing for It
30:27
was like a certain number of weeks. Maybe even
30:29
months after the surgery and so that then also
30:32
explains sort of the slow ramp up of just building
30:36
your strength back up around the knee around
30:39
like your lower body strength in general. And
30:42
I think this is another instance where they went
30:44
to those University of Wisconsin specialists
30:47
like Christian Watson and others did to kind
30:49
of get some sports science input on the best
30:52
road to recovery. And they've just been really,
30:55
really careful with him. I mean, you know, he's
30:58
like the he's like the fine China that you only
31:00
take down for when the when the pope visits.
31:03
So they're they're handling with care. In this
31:09
case, the Rams would be the pope, I guess. Yes.
31:14
Yeah. Sean McVay, Pope McVay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,
31:19
I mean, if we get 20, 25 snaps out of Parsons,
31:24
30 snaps out of Parsons for the I don't know,
31:27
for the next handful of weeks, once he starts
31:29
playing again. Yeah, I'll take it. We don't got
31:32
to get too risky. Yeah, I would say yeah when
31:35
they when they do bring him back just like obvious
31:37
pass rushing downs for a while just to kind of
31:40
get him some snaps get get him back in the routine
31:43
of Being in a game and the cadence of the recovery
31:48
and prep and and all that stuff Yeah, fine China
31:52
white gloves little little rag Handle with care
32:01
All right, I don't know anything else Here before
32:04
we Pretend to win or lose some money. Yeah, I'll
32:10
say I Actually we did okay last week, but I was
32:14
just gonna say on on the Thursday night game
32:16
I had to be at a work event. Oh, that's right
32:18
and Wasn't able to watch the game live. I was
32:22
kind of like tracking along You always I always
32:25
try to make the decision. Do I want to just go
32:26
completely blind? and watch the game like I hadn't
32:30
seen it, but I don't possess that power to be
32:34
able to do that. Anytime I open my phone, somebody
32:36
will have been texting me or I will see some
32:39
type of tweet or skeeter alert. So knowing what
32:43
happened and then watching the game back, I don't
32:46
know how people do it. Like my grandpa used to.
32:53
not be able to watch games on Sunday or whatever.
32:55
So he had no idea what was going on. Watch it,
32:57
watch it through the commercials and stuff. Just
32:59
pretend like he was watching it live. Um, can't
33:02
do it, dude. I, I will make every sacrifice possible
33:05
to watch Packer games. It's just not, I assume
33:09
though that your grandpa was, was doing this
33:11
at a time where there was like, you were less
33:14
on your phone. There was like, Or was it a free
33:18
cell phone? Yeah. So that makes it a little bit
33:22
easier to kind of stay in the dark. I think totally.
33:25
Yeah. You could like not open a newspaper. Yeah.
33:28
Yeah. Basically, it's so much easier than just
33:31
not using. Just don't read Bob McGinn's like
33:34
Monday column and you'll be good. I would still
33:38
find a way to seek it out though. I can't I can't
33:40
help myself. Yeah. You've got a problem. I have
33:43
a problem. Yep. You did go pretty dark, though.
33:49
I was surprised because you were not responding
33:52
on the on the text thread. And I was like, wow,
33:54
you must be deep in business development network.
33:58
I was having that biz. Yeah. Yeah, I was a bit
34:01
surprised as well, to be honest. I basically
34:04
read through all your text messages. And then
34:07
I said, I think one alarming one was Christian
34:09
Watson in the hospital. I'm like, what the hell
34:12
happened? But he had already come back to the
34:16
field after that. So, yeah, I would have been
34:20
a lot more frustrated watching the game live.
34:24
Seeing Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love throw that
34:27
interception late in the game. Like, I don't
34:31
know what he was looking at, but knowing that
34:33
the Packers had already won watching the replay,
34:36
I'm like, OK, well, stupid, but fine. Yeah. Yeah.
34:42
It does change. Yeah, when you know the outcome
34:46
and then you're watching it back it does change
34:48
How you absorb it obviously it changes like your
34:52
emotional You know the emotional roller coaster
34:56
that you would get watching it live without knowing
34:58
the income outcome, but But it also it Yeah,
35:05
it's just it's a weird. I don't know. I don't
35:08
like it. It's a weird kind of hollow I like the
35:16
blood pressure effects of me too. All right.
35:21
Speaking of blood pressure effects, we're going
35:23
to check in on our bets and look ahead to Packers
35:28
at Patriots right after this. All right. We are
35:42
back. We are stepping out onto the corner. It's
35:50
been a full week here over a week since we've
35:55
been on the corner. Things change quick in the
36:01
city. All the buildings look different. A new
36:03
high rise has gone up. Favorite bodega is closed.
36:10
Miss that bodega. The guy always called me boss.
36:13
I can no longer see the Freedom Tower out of
36:15
my window because there's some new residential
36:17
building that went up right in front of my downtown
36:20
view. Just like one day it was just up. Yeah,
36:23
truly. Like I looked outside. What the hell happened?
36:27
They took your freedom away. Yeah. Nice. I'm
36:32
proud to be an American. OK, let's look at pull
36:38
up the pull up the old spreadsheet here. All
36:42
right. Let's look at look at last week's bets
36:45
despite Christian Watson going to the hospital,
36:50
presumably being serviced at the hospital with
36:52
some kind of scan and an IV and coming back.
36:55
We hit Christian Watson, 25 plus receiving yards
36:59
in unbelievable half. Yeah, I'm giving us a cha
37:05
-ching for each half on that one Incredible incredible
37:13
I saw I've got a co -worker who is really nice
37:18
guy, but also like kind of an insufferable Bears
37:20
fan and He was he had the nerve He had the nerve
37:27
to call Christian Watson a drama queen As if
37:32
a as if it was Christian Watson's decision to
37:36
go to the he wanted to leave the game in a vehicle
37:40
in the middle of the game and go to a hospital
37:43
and be as if your starting quarterback didn't
37:49
tweak a hammy and then leave the field on a anyway,
37:54
we're not revisiting that. It's just like if
37:57
his goal was to trigger me, it absolutely worked.
38:00
Yeah, it absolutely worked. All right. Next up
38:03
was Jordan Love over under twenty one point five
38:07
completions. We all took the over and we hit
38:11
that. What did he what did he have? I think at
38:15
thirty completions money through the wall a lot.
38:19
Forty something. I'm looking at Bryce Young.
38:21
I'm like that's not right. Yeah. Thirty completions.
38:23
Thirty of forty one for two eighty eight three
38:27
touchdowns and the one. obligatory boneheaded
38:33
throw that did end up in a pick. Speaking of
38:38
those touchdowns, Jordan left two plus touchdowns
38:40
and 250 plus passing yards. We sweetened the
38:45
pot a little bit and that was a hit. Go us. Tet
38:52
Macmillan over under seventy five point five
38:55
receiving yards. We all took the over on that
38:58
one and that is a satisfying toilet flush. back.
39:07
The Packers defense. They held them to 58 or
39:12
something. Yes. Overall in the game, I think
39:15
it was like two. Yeah. Two hundred and fifty
39:17
eight total yards surrendered to the Panthers
39:19
passing and rushing. Pretty good. Pretty good
39:22
in prime time. Feel good about that. This last
39:25
one. This fucking kills me. I don't feel good
39:28
about this. I don't feel good about this. I'm
39:30
not nominating anything like this again. Out
39:33
of spite you threw on the board Trace Mac misses
39:36
a field goal or a P .A .T. a simple take or no
39:40
take bet. And I'm going to I'm going to make
39:44
you hear your cha ching your blood money Nick.
39:49
It is your fault. What do we do about Trace Mac.
39:54
Let's pause for a second. I don't know. You can't
39:56
really do anything like at the at the moment.
40:00
You just have to you got to you have to what
40:03
are they going to do? They go get go bring McManus
40:06
back. I wonder where he is. Is he on the Rams?
40:08
I sign somewhere. I think he's not maybe with
40:09
the Rams. Oh, yeah. Where did Brandon make? There's
40:12
been there's been a bit. Zach, you mentioned
40:14
this via text earlier in the week. There has
40:16
been a bit of a kicking concern across the entire
40:22
league this year with some like otherwise trusty
40:25
players missing a lot of Maybe not as chip shoddy
40:29
as what Trey smack is missed, but some very makeable
40:34
field goals that are just don't seem as As much
40:38
of a sure thing. So there's there's been some
40:39
shuffling going on, but I'm I don't know what
40:43
Doesn't help. It's not gonna help his confidence
40:45
to bring someone else in at this point. Yeah,
40:47
but also Maybe it's not our his confidence is
40:50
not really the team's concern when it comes to
40:54
just being able to close out a game. So it's
40:57
a tough spot. Yeah. Well, you do have Craig in
41:03
the building, I believe. Do they still have Lenny
41:05
Craig, Alex's guy, second round traffic? Who
41:08
would have thought my autodraft would come up
41:10
so big between John Williams and then looming
41:14
behind Trace Mack as pressure mounts. Imagine
41:19
he imagine he makes like a kick in the playoffs
41:22
or something once smack is like cut. Amazing.
41:26
I'm just picturing like smack misses a field
41:29
goal and then Craig literally looming like that
41:32
meme of Nathan Fielder and you can see everything
41:35
like peeking around the corner with the headphones
41:38
on. That is Lenny Craig. But also come on Lenny
41:42
Craig. Great name. Great that is a good name.
41:45
I can't bring them up on this podcast without
41:47
being like that is the name that you'd see that
41:49
on Tecmo bill like 1991 linebacker for the Buffalo
41:56
Bills Lenny Craig Great name. Oh, yeah Yeah,
42:01
I don't know man. I just I you've made your bed.
42:05
You got to just kind of Roll with it. I think
42:09
like the thing is is I don't know who you would
42:12
pick up that's any better. I think Haversick
42:15
is available still and he is technically perfect
42:19
in his Packers in game kicking history apparently
42:24
was far from perfect in practice which is why
42:26
they ended up cutting him. But yeah you mentioned
42:30
I was I was texting with you guys. Maybe it was
42:33
a week or two ago but like early in the season.
42:37
smack had a few misses and you're like, this
42:38
is not good because you're looking at the numbers
42:40
and it's like everyone's 100 % or 99 % and then
42:45
he's missed like three, like two field goals
42:48
in a PAT and you're like, this is not good. But
42:50
you fast forward a few weeks and it's like, actually,
42:52
yeah, there is this rash of just kicking problems
42:56
throughout the league. I'm not saying it makes
42:59
smack look any better. But it does sort of dull
43:03
the the grass is greener sense that you have
43:05
where it's like, oh, just bring anybody in. And
43:07
it's like, no, man, they've been trying to bring
43:09
anybody in for since Mason Crosby left. And it's
43:12
been nothing but a parade of horrible. It feels
43:18
like he said it's like we talked about this last
43:21
week. It feels like a psychological thing, like
43:23
a true like technique thing. If he's putting
43:25
his toe in the ground and like there's just there
43:28
should be hopefully some mechanical things because
43:29
we can obviously see the athleticism he kicks.
43:32
It's 60 plus yard field goal with ease. Yeah,
43:35
so you don't want to give up on that leg It just
43:38
it hurts that we pumped draft capital into a
43:40
kicker again, and we're in this spot again Yeah,
43:43
he was the only kicker drafted in this draft.
43:45
I'm pretty sure yeah, he was Yep, crazy If I'm
43:50
good against I'm so annoyed that I have now drafted
43:53
two kickers and The first one was a total bust
43:56
and this one is not not shaping up well so far
44:01
I still I have some hope. Like you said, he can
44:03
kick it a country mile. He can kick it straight
44:05
when he's like on it. There's just some something
44:08
going on between the years. Maybe it has to do
44:11
with the the environment at Lambeau, the wind
44:14
and all that stuff and just kind of getting to
44:15
in his head about overcorrecting things. And
44:17
he'll tell you that that's not what he's doing.
44:20
But then I don't know. Well, Gillette, Gillette
44:25
is a notoriously awful place to kick. Yes. Yeah.
44:29
And they, I think they, the team finally got
44:32
reprimanded for their little gimmick. I don't
44:34
know if they, I guess, I don't know if they're
44:36
still allowed to do it or not, but they would
44:37
on the jumbotron behind the goalpost, they would
44:41
put up a camera angle that like skewed the. the
44:45
view of what the goalposts look like. So, like,
44:48
it looked like you were looking at four posts.
44:50
Oh, my God. It's like the last vestige of the
44:52
Belichick administration. Yeah, exactly. You
44:56
know, we could do we could just put a little
44:58
thing on the jumbo. Scheming in a smoke filled
45:04
room before each game. All right. Well, I'm looking
45:10
at the list already. We don't have a trace Mac.
45:13
prop on it. It's funny that you mentioned Gillette.
45:15
It's like this is actually the week to be like
45:17
you could miss a kick in this game and it would
45:19
be probably forgivable. But I still think we
45:23
should not. We should not put that juju in the
45:26
air. All right. Who's who's got the who's got
45:32
the mic here. Who Nick you threw these on here.
45:36
I threw the majority on here. I see one that
45:40
AP nominated. First up is Matthew Golden over
45:44
under five point five receptions feels like a
45:48
gimme if he doesn't drop Four or five passes
45:52
in the game. He just gets targeted so much I
45:55
don't know what it doesn't feel like Watson's
45:57
gonna have any type of snap count, but just out
45:59
of an abundance of caution Maybe they maybe the
46:03
game goes in a direction where they don't have
46:04
to To feed him the ball as much I do anticipate
46:08
it being close probably coming down to the wire
46:10
and Watson is Security blanket, but all the underneath
46:15
stuff has been going to Golden and I Am I'm taking
46:20
it. I think five five and a half receptions seems
46:24
like an easy number to eclipse Yeah, let's see
46:29
here Just looking at yeah, I mean Receptions
46:33
starting week one six four five three six six
46:36
six seven on targets twelve six twelve seven
46:43
seven thirteen twelve thirteen I'm taking that.
46:47
That feels like high targets. Yeah. You just
46:49
got to catch the ball when it hits your hands.
46:52
That is a key piece of the puzzle there. Yeah.
46:59
I'll also take the over and then I'll just go
47:03
to the one I nominated because I nominated it
47:08
probably under similar thinking. I guess maybe
47:11
a little bit less about Christian Watson and
47:13
the underneath game and a little bit more about
47:17
just the way the Patriots play defense. I was
47:21
reading Justice Mosqueda's preview, citing Christian
47:25
Gonzalez and obviously how impactful of a cover
47:28
corner he is, but also citing some of the advanced
47:32
next gen stats, talking about the Patriots. They
47:37
play a lot of man coverage. And they also like
47:42
to bring pressure with that. So I could see Tucker
47:45
being a little bit of a safety valve and maybe
47:48
it's not his biggest game in terms of yards per
47:52
catch or like, you know, uh, per target or whatever.
47:56
But I went in doubt, just take the easy four
47:59
or five yards with Tucker. So four and a half
48:01
receptions over under with craft, I say over
48:03
on that. Um, I think the ball's going to have
48:07
to come out quick. It already does quickest in
48:09
the league. Uh, I think more so. And I think
48:12
with man coverage on the outside, I could see
48:15
Kraft work in the middle of the field a bit more.
48:18
So I'll go over four and a half receptions for
48:20
him. Yep. I'm taking the over there as well.
48:23
You said everything I would have said about their
48:25
defense man coverage pressure defense. Just seems
48:29
like that's a recipe for how Jordan Love has
48:33
kind of excelled this year. And yeah, Tucker
48:37
Kraft gaining confidence safety blanket like
48:39
it might it might be instead of the long developing
48:43
plays. Yeah. dump off behind the line. He might
48:46
get, you know, six or seven catches for 45 yards
48:50
or something like that is very possible. Let's
48:54
throw it. Let's sprinkle a touchdown in there,
48:56
too. Come on. Yeah, there we go. I'm I'm also
48:59
taking over why we refuse to nominate Josh Jacobs
49:04
prop for many of the reasons we've discussed
49:06
on the show, but doesn't feel like it would be
49:09
as the makings for a good dump off to your running
49:12
back kind of game. Yeah. Yep. All right. What's
49:19
next? Oh, Remondra Stevenson over under 83 .5
49:24
rushing and OK, combined rushing and receiving
49:26
yards. This is a spicy one. Spicy one. We were
49:30
I was looking at that the props for potential
49:35
touchdown scores. And I'm like, for the Patriots,
49:38
I'm like, what name is that? Who's that? Who's
49:40
that? I just like they don't they've lost a lot
49:42
of receivers and Drake may have been spreading
49:46
the ball around a lot, but Ramon Dre has remained
49:49
their staple, especially with Trevion Henderson
49:50
being out of the game, um, due to injury. Um,
49:57
it feels like that's the obvious guy that they're
50:02
going to target in this game. And the Packers
50:04
run defense has been porous enough that they're,
50:07
I feel like early downs are going to feed Ramon
50:08
Dre. He should probably get to, uh, he might
50:11
get to 83 rushing yards. alone without the receiving,
50:15
but a couple of dump offs and get that number
50:18
pretty quick. Yep. Yeah. So I'm taking over.
50:22
Yeah. I agree. I'll take the over there as well.
50:24
Seems a bit like the obvious guy, a guy also
50:27
that I feel like we can live in, you know, having
50:32
him eat a little bit, uh, in this game. So, uh,
50:37
cause otherwise, yeah, who else is going to beat
50:39
you? Um, yeah, I'll take the over on that for
50:44
sure. Yep, no disagreement taking the over All
50:52
right I said I put it on here and I even lowered
50:56
it five yards Will the Packers eclipse 70 rushing
51:00
yards as a team in this game? And what a sad
51:05
thing To put no on yeah, you know, what's sad
51:09
is yeah, I'm gonna say no. Yeah same. I just
51:12
can't in good faith I mean they did it what one
51:14
time? Yeah, we're all taking I guess that is
51:16
effectively the under Yeah on there. I mean the
51:22
you know, I guess My thinking is very simple
51:27
if they couldn't do it against the Carolina Panthers
51:31
who are essentially the worst -run defense In
51:35
the league if not like they're at least top three
51:38
then They're not gonna do it against the Patriots
51:42
who are in the top ten in in rush defense Allowing
51:49
92 .6 rushing yards per game. Oh, what I would
51:52
do for 92. Yeah. 92 is a dream. Yeah. Seventh
51:59
use in the NFL EPA per rush allowed is ninth
52:02
best in the NFL rushing success rate allowed
52:06
is eighth best in the NFL. So yeah, they're they're
52:09
a formidable opponent. Yeah. And Packers have
52:11
not given you any reason to believe that it's
52:15
going to get any better. Yeah. or reason to believe
52:17
that we really need it to yet. Exactly. Like
52:21
we do need it to. I want to make it stress that
52:24
I prefer to have a run game. So long as teams
52:26
continue to modestly respect the Packers run,
52:29
it's going to open up enough for Matt LaFleur
52:33
to just allow Jordan to do Jordan things. Yeah,
52:38
absolutely. All right. Last up here, Packers
52:43
plus three, a little simple, simple sprinkle
52:46
at the end here. little moment of truth to talk
52:49
about what we think is going to happen in this
52:51
game. Um, the Packers, if you want to cite the
52:55
playoff odds, um, just in the, in the North there,
53:01
it's going to be hard to, to win the division
53:04
at this point. Um, but their playoff odds drastically
53:09
decrease if they don't win this game. It's Kind
53:12
of sucks that we're at a week nine gotta have
53:15
it moment against the Patriots on the road especially
53:17
at five and three Where they've you know in?
53:23
Previous seasons you'd be in a you'd be in a
53:25
fine spot for a playoff outlook, but they really
53:27
They really need this game so For the vibes I'm
53:32
saying yes So you're not betting on what you
53:36
think will happen you're betting because they
53:37
need it Yeah I really don't know what I think.
53:43
They're getting three points, right? So yeah,
53:48
Packers plus three. I was actually thinking about
53:50
nominating for degenerate corner in the spirit
53:53
of being wacky and alternate spread and giving
53:56
points for the Packers to try to make it like,
53:59
I don't know, you know, a better return. But
54:03
since Nick nominated Packers plus three. I will
54:07
take the three points instead of surrendering
54:11
extra points. Don't get too cocky there, pal.
54:14
No, I know. I'll take the Packers in this. It's
54:17
not going to be an easy game, but I do think
54:20
we're playing well. We've got some good things
54:23
going. Offensive line has been stabilized. I
54:25
still love our defense. There does feel like
54:32
an absence of a threat a bit on the Patriots,
54:35
which Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I'm just too
54:39
confident in our defenses. That's what it's really
54:41
about like Drake may has has righted the ship
54:44
a little bit He looks like that Drake may have
54:47
of last year, which it was it was a little shaky
54:50
early on in the season, but I don't know they
54:54
don't there's there's not the the major threat
54:59
on there on the receiving court with no AJ Brown
55:02
and Romeo Dobbs is still hurt which if Romeo
55:06
Dobbs is your best option and he can't even make
55:10
it on the field. I don't feel super threatened
55:13
there. Yeah, it's a it's a winnable game. It
55:15
is. I think the Patriots are in a it's a similar
55:19
category of the Packers where I think they could
55:22
win basically any game and also lose basically
55:25
any game. I would just put them in my mental
55:28
power rankings a little bit below the Packers.
55:30
And so I do think that they will the Packers
55:33
will will pull it out and possibly even Impressively
55:40
so but it also wouldn't I wouldn't be shocked
55:44
if they lost this game at the end of the day
55:47
If the Packers lost this game, so really quickly.
55:49
That's all the bets we have on deck for this
55:52
week, but before we next podcast there will be
55:59
a trade deadline and I just wanted to bring that
56:03
up and Kind of just like throw it out on the
56:07
table and ask like what is your Read of the situation.
56:11
Do you think they should go for anyone? I heard
56:18
I think it was I think it was Tom Silverstein
56:23
who I normally really like his reporting Said
56:30
I don't have it in front of me, but and this
56:32
was heard at third. Did he say like go get Saquon
56:35
or something? He said but he said that they should
56:38
include they could include consider including
56:41
LVN in a trade for a running back, which just
56:46
feels like like laughably implausible and just
56:56
GM malpractice like your young up and coming
57:00
pass rusher part of your Micah Parsons insurance
57:03
policy. part of the reason why you can get pressure
57:08
with four and you're going to get rid of them
57:11
for a run for like a older than you'd like running
57:14
back to put them where behind this run blocking
57:17
unit? Like, what are you talking about? Makes
57:19
no sense. I would so rather them not do anything
57:23
than go and try to get Jonathan Taylor and take
57:25
on that contract. I don't know who's going to
57:28
want to Josh Jacobs bundle at this point. Well,
57:33
my thinking. on the running back situation was,
57:38
you know, could they trade for a like a non special
57:43
running back just like a competent guy who has,
57:50
you know, better vision than Marshawn Lloyd,
57:52
and then they would cut Josh Jacobs. I think
57:53
that is, you know, we haven't talked a lot about
57:55
Josh Jacobs and and, you know, Matt LaFleur having
57:59
to go to the podium, like like Goody putting
58:01
him in that spot of having to go to the podium
58:02
and explain why he's still on the roster, even
58:04
though that's Goody's call. Goody's had to just
58:07
like had the. the privilege of kind of hiding
58:10
because he doesn't have any media availability
58:12
right now. But I just assume that what is going
58:14
on behind the scenes is that they are trying
58:16
to find a low level trade target at running back
58:20
so that they can move on from Josh Jacobs. That's
58:23
what I'm hoping. Anyway, Alex, I don't know if
58:25
anyone like comes to mind that fits that bill.
58:28
I kind of struggle to think of think of anybody.
58:31
Yeah, I agree. I just think like the I was going
58:34
to say my wish list would be that, but not the
58:36
names that people are talking about, like Jonathan
58:39
Taylor or Saquon. I just think it's too big of
58:43
a splash and it's too big of a spend for a player
58:48
that's still not going to be like, they're not
58:50
going to be that effective anyway. Barry Sanders
58:54
behind what we're doing. in the run game right
58:58
now, he's probably not like, he's not gonna necessarily
59:01
make a huge impact. So yeah, a competent guy
59:04
who doesn't fumble, who also maybe can pass block
59:08
or be a threat in the passing game because, you
59:10
know. Josh Jacobs has been kind of thought that
59:13
was Caleb Johnson. Yeah, but I guess it wasn't,
59:15
you know, so like just keep cycling them through
59:17
whatever just get bodies through like until something
59:19
sticks right until someone else can be effective
59:21
in the past game the way Josh Jacobs has been
59:23
since his return because that has been a huge
59:26
addition like Between Savion being worked in
59:30
and someone who can do that then yeah, then you
59:33
could cut Josh Jacobs and part ways with it but
59:35
in no way would I I can't even really think of
59:38
a guy who would garner any value on our defense,
59:42
I would want to trade for a running back. It
59:44
would be just like a guy who's basically like,
59:47
could be cut, but maybe we give up like a next
59:50
year late, you know, day three draft pick or
59:53
something. That's the only action I could really
59:56
foresee or would want at this point. It just
59:59
sort of feels like you got to weather this year
1:00:01
and hope to strike oil with something other because
1:00:06
they're getting the They don't have first round
1:00:08
pick next year, unless something changes, but
1:00:10
offensive line and running back are going to
1:00:12
be the targets. Like, yeah, that's what you have
1:00:14
to target. And, and like, you know, Lake and
1:00:18
Tomlinson's played okay. He's kept Kevin Saitler
1:00:22
out. And so like, what do you, you can't really
1:00:25
say, Oh, I really want to trade for this offensive
1:00:27
lineman. Like, cause that's not going to fix
1:00:29
the run game either. Like we have to build this
1:00:31
thing. Like, kind of from the ground up and make
1:00:34
it sustainable and focus on the future with the
1:00:37
offensive line and invest smart. Um, there's
1:00:39
not a quick fix there. We've done the only quick
1:00:42
fixes we can do in our little spree of signing
1:00:44
like three veterans. Um, and that's as good as
1:00:48
it's going to get, I think at this point. So
1:00:50
earlier you guys both mentioned, um, wide receiver
1:00:56
or just pass catcher in general is like, wouldn't
1:00:58
it be nice if we had like one more option? So
1:01:01
I don't know if there's anything there. I haven't
1:01:04
heard any chatter, but that's like, you know,
1:01:06
in the, in the, a guy can dream category is like
1:01:09
someone you think we can add or some move we
1:01:11
can make there. Yeah. Um, in the spirit of at
1:01:15
any given moment, you know, somebody could be
1:01:17
hospitalized as well. Like, I mean, think about
1:01:19
how different we look if Christian Watson went
1:01:21
to the hospital with something that I hate to
1:01:25
minimize it, but that wasn't like a crack rib
1:01:26
that he could return from with heavy padding.
1:01:29
You know, um, things would look a lot different.
1:01:32
And all of a sudden the one -dimensional offense
1:01:34
is even less dimensional. Yeah. 0 .75 dimensional.
1:01:40
Yeah. Yeah. Who's that guy? That's fun. I haven't
1:01:46
thought about it enough to think like who's like
1:01:47
a receiver who probably wants to play meaningful
1:01:49
football. Who's not, he's probably playing with
1:01:52
a quarterback who's not that great. Who's at
1:01:54
that stage in his career where he's like, you
1:01:58
know, desperate to play with Jordan Love. It
1:02:01
would have been like a Marvin Harrison Jr. type
1:02:05
player until he got traded, like that you could
1:02:07
get on the cheap maybe. But I don't know. We'll
1:02:11
see. There will be a trade deadline. Packers
1:02:16
will be active on the phone, but at the end of
1:02:19
the day, how active? There'll be an ever conversation.
1:02:24
There'll be so many conversations, you guys.
1:02:27
If LVN gets traded for even a premier running
1:02:32
back, it just wouldn't make any sense. They're
1:02:35
not using him as much as they should this year.
1:02:37
And I like recognize that. But he's got too much
1:02:41
upside. Yeah. Yeah. Really quickly on past catches,
1:02:46
I'm just kind of like looking around the league
1:02:49
for like an interesting name to say, like Josh
1:02:51
Downs, like the you know, not that they need
1:02:55
a slot receiver, but you know, the Colts are
1:02:59
selling the farm right now. I think about other
1:03:02
teams that might be in the same boat like the
1:03:04
Chargers who are just like somehow terrible and
1:03:08
they've got Lad McConkey and like, I don't, you
1:03:10
know, again, like those are names. I don't know
1:03:12
what you're, you know, maybe down to be had for
1:03:14
like a third or something, but is it, is it a
1:03:17
value on impressive this year? Yeah. Um, but
1:03:22
maybe that's just the product of the system around
1:03:24
him. Lad is a very talented receiver. I would
1:03:26
welcome Lad onto my team and just that whole
1:03:29
dumpster fire into in, in Los Angeles is crazy,
1:03:34
but I don't know. Who do you who are you willing
1:03:35
to? It would have to be a draft pick because
1:03:37
I don't you can't really part with anybody on
1:03:39
the roster. Yeah. Yeah. No, totally. Yeah. And
1:03:42
like Lad McConkey is like that is again in the
1:03:45
a guy can dream category because it's like he'd
1:03:47
be a great fit. He's a talented player. But it's
1:03:50
also like is he on the market? What would that
1:03:52
price tag be? What are you giving up? I'm not
1:03:54
prepared to answer those questions really hurt
1:03:57
to. Yeah. I just think this year. Even more than
1:04:03
some others. I think like the Packers are Not
1:04:09
buyers, but also not sellers. I think they're
1:04:12
gonna stand Pat and I think You know in years
1:04:16
past we've used the trade deadline as like this
1:04:19
is an indication of like how Far away good accounts
1:04:23
thinks the team is and blah blah. Like I don't
1:04:25
think we need to be doing that exercise at this
1:04:28
point I think it's like in more than ever We
1:04:30
know who this team is. We know like roundabout
1:04:35
what the ceiling is. And we know what like all
1:04:39
the future contract and like they're just like
1:04:41
this. It is what it is. Like I know people are
1:04:43
tired of hearing Matt LaFleur come to the podium
1:04:47
every week and say it is what it is. But like
1:04:49
that is kind of the like mantra of this team
1:04:53
at this point. And you just kind of got to make
1:04:56
the most of it. You got to sometimes you just
1:04:58
got to eat the leftovers man. I'm, I'm, I'm fine.
1:05:02
Being in a position of it is what it is. Um,
1:05:05
in relation to where we, like how we felt after
1:05:09
that, after the Falcons game, for example, where
1:05:11
you're like, man, is this a punt on it season?
1:05:13
So to be able to be in a, in the playoff mix,
1:05:17
sort of what our expectations were at the very
1:05:19
beginning of the season, kind of, if you would
1:05:22
have given me, I don't know, a bunch of simulations
1:05:26
and set after it, we Week eight, the Packers
1:05:29
would be five and three. It's probably where
1:05:31
I would have put up. So we just have to hope
1:05:36
Micah coming back in the next couple of weeks
1:05:38
can make a measurable difference and that pain
1:05:41
scale will keep on ticking up. No question about
1:05:45
it. I am ready to get hurt again. All right.
1:05:49
Well, fellas, we're going to hit the poker. Yeah,
1:06:00
we do a. We do a quick pick them update here
1:06:05
as I do the broadcaster Lee thing of talking
1:06:09
slowly until I can find the right screen on my
1:06:14
phone. I believe it is. Yes, it is. Brian Polakowski
1:06:20
still in the lead. Commanding lead looks like
1:06:23
about 50 points. Simon Maynard, Chris Adam, Justin
1:06:29
Scott. Hey, I'm in the top eight. Hang it in
1:06:33
there. It's a tough season for picks, man. Alex
1:06:37
and I are tied at exactly six hundred and seventy
1:06:41
six points in fourteenth place. Wow. Kind of
1:06:46
weird. It is weird. A lot of football left. We
1:06:51
got this. I'm making my picks right now. That's
1:06:56
right. Get them in Thursday morning as we record
1:06:59
this. If you're listening to it on Thursday,
1:07:02
get those picks in and you too might win. a little
1:07:07
plastic trophy or a T -shirt because we have
1:07:10
T -shirts now. I did a little soft launch of
1:07:15
the store, by the way. The store is live. I was
1:07:19
going to say it was a bit of a soft launch. Yeah,
1:07:21
if you go to I haven't publicized it and I'm
1:07:24
still working out some kinks. But if you really
1:07:26
want a shirt or a koozie, find us on. No, I was
1:07:31
going to say blue sky. I believe it's in the
1:07:33
show notes. Whatever podcast app you're listening
1:07:35
to, go to the show notes. And at the bottom,
1:07:37
I've got links for all the socials and I got
1:07:39
a link for the merch store. as well. And I'll
1:07:43
get that linked up on a blue sky and all the
1:07:46
other places as well. We'll get a link tree set
1:07:47
up so that you guys can more easily find that.
1:07:51
It's been a season of soft launches for me as
1:07:53
I work behind the scenes to make stuff happen
1:07:55
and then forget to tell everyone then I did it.
1:08:02
All right, guys, that's all for us. For them.
1:08:04
I'm me. Leave us a review. Tell your friends
1:08:10
reskeet us. Spread the word. subscribe on our
1:08:17
new podcast feed, The Unpacked Podcast, or Frozen
1:08:22
Tundra Frequencies, if that is your thing. As
1:08:25
always, remember, folks, free yourself from the
1:08:27
burden of expectations. Nick, I'm telling that
1:08:30
directly to you as I can feel the pain scale
1:08:32
inching up. Yeah, I'm going to need that reminder
1:08:36
weekly. We can try. All right, everybody, enjoy
1:08:42
the football. Let's go, Petco.