Packers Unscripted: Back in first, barely

Packers Unscripted: Back in first, barely

Hi everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers.com. I am Mike Spaford joined as always by my trusted colleague Wes Hodkitz. We’re coming to you here from our studios at Lambeau Field to discuss Weston. A big victory for the Green Bay Packers. 28-21 was the final score over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field late on Sunday afternoon into the evening. Um, turned into a real back and forth second half and none other than Mr. Keshan Nixon had the last word in this one. It’s an excellent way to intro it, Michael. And it was funny. I was thinking as I was walking in here this morning, uh, boy, have the networks got their money’s worth with Green Bay Packers football this season, right? I mean, there is I don’t know if there’s been a boring one in the bunch so far. Maybe the Minnesota game, but each one of these that Green Bay has played has kind of come down to that last drive, that last, you know, play. And in Keshan Nixon’s case, obviously the story of his game was, you know, you look early on, he has the illegal hands of the face penalty. Uh he has the scuffle with Luther Burton where he actually has like I’m just telling you what I’m seeing on the film. Yep. Burden puts his hand on Keshan’s throat. Uh Keshan reacts very poorly to that as I think most uh people would. I know I would. Um you know, we all try to be the best human possible, but in the spirit of competition sometimes the the uh you know that stuff comes out. Bears end up getting some points off that drive, but then you see him and the way he rallied late. And I thought the biggest key to his game, no pun intended, is the the ability to always push forward and not let adversity set him back. I mean, I think the two strongest attributes in Keshan Nixon’s game are his physicality and the way he plays. I think he’s one of the best tackling quarterbacks I’ve covered personally and also he is the very definition of wiping the slate clean, forgetting about what just happened and moving on to the next play. And for him to to play with his instincts on that fourth and one where Evan Williams took ownership for the play afterwards. He said he was the one responsible for Cole KT. He lets him leak out into the end zone. a play that the Philadelphia Eagles ran successfully against Philadelphia a week earlier. The the Chicago ran successfully a week earlier, right? Keshan Nixon covers it up and makes an unreal play on the ball to end another hotly contested down to the wire game. And Michael, it’s funny, for the last month, it feels like I’ve been walking in here on these Tuesdays talking about how these really were must-win situations for Green Bay. And this, I think, takes the cake. uh being able to knock off the Chicago Bears to move into first place by half a game in the NFC North and again a lot of football left to be played, but you could tell the emotions that were involved with being able to get this one. Yeah, no doubt about it. It was a big one. I think I said after the Thanksgiving win in Detroit, that was the Packers biggest win to date on the season. And then this one was even bigger. It took another another step forward. As you said, it moved the Packers back into first place in the NFC North, a half game ahead of Chicago. And we’ll get to more about the the standings in the NFC playoff picture later on. I like what you said what you said about Keshan and how he you know the the old adage with cornerbacks is it’s the it’s the one position in the NFL where you have to have the shortest memory, right? And Keshan really embodies that. Um he he just he doesn’t he he doesn’t let anything he doesn’t let anything bother him. And I’m not and that’s not really the right way to say it because he’s a very emotional guy and you know you see it all out there, but he doesn’t let anything that happens change his approach to how he plays the game and the Packers are better for it. The personal foul in the second quarter was really unfortunate. It was just one of many moments where Craig Rollad’s officiating crew was not up to the task for a very very big football game late in the season in the NFL. That was disappointing. But I don’t want to get into all that because Keshan Nixon, Keshan Nixon made the play. And you know, we hear all the time defensive backs in particular, they talk about how important it is to communicate out there on the field, how important it is to to play together and to know each other. I mean, that was the perfect example of it because Keshan Nixon on the fourth and one in the red zone, he’s responsible for DJ Moore, who’s, you know, kind of slicing his way through the formation to the other side. But as Keshan is following him, he sees Evan Williams abandon his assignment and go to the flat to take um I believe it was the running back who was over there. And that’s that’s an issue of it’s not even necessarily communication because they’re not talking to each other, but they know the defense. They know everybody’s responsibilities. And when Keshan saw that, he saw, okay, Evan abandoned his responsibility. I got to make sure this isn’t a touchdown, right? Um and uh it was just it was an incredibly incredibly intelligent um heads up play by Nixon to uh um to make that one save the game for the Packers. I I think you would agree with me on this and and Ben Johnson happened to say so on Monday as well, but in the moment I think we were both watching that final drive for the Bears, figuring, okay, if they get a touchdown, they’re going for two. Ben Johnson is playing win or loss. Was not going to play overtime um in that game. And uh um and it was a rough second half for the Packers defense from the standpoint of that Bears running game was controlling the clock, not with big runs, but with the four and five yardd runs that were moving the chains, churning the clock, keeping that defense on the field, wearing them out. It was a long second half for Green Bay’s defense, but they made the play when it mattered. Yeah, I’m I can’t we we there’s a huge game this week uh between the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers. So, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. In insider inbox, I even said I’m not going to get ahead of myself, but I think um that game at Soldier Field in two weeks is going to be the most challenging Green Bay probably going to play in the regular season. One, the Bears haven’t lost at home yet, but two, I I think Ben Johnson got lost in the sauce a little bit in this game. I think he got way too cute uh with some of his play calls. When you look at where they were the most successful, it’s when they were playing tried and true NFC North football, the the Chicago Bears running north and south, getting Caleb Williams out of the pocket and letting him extend plays and create big plays downfield. That’s when the Chicago was at its best Sunday when they started doing, you know, convoluted ender rounds to Burden. when they started, you know, trying to to to throw in some like kind of tricky concepts, that’s when it seemed like their drive stalled the most. Uh, and it it was particularly early on. I think there was a couple different things they were trying to do that just were not working. To Green Bay’s benefit, I will say this about the defense. For the most part, they played to their keys and uh particularly in that secondary, not allowing a Jameson Williams to kind of break out the way he did a week earlier that sort of kept Detroit in the game. the Packers kept everything in front of them and the ultimate in as much as Evan Williams will put a lot of this on himself in addition to the fact he might have even had an interception or forced fumble in the first quarter. Yeah. Uh but the fact is is that Williams the the play that Keshan made was really important because one you’re giving up the first down even if his guy ends up coming uncovered. But Philly got posterized on the touchdown. I think also was to KT. Yes, it was. It was about a It was between like 25 30 yard touchdown. Exact same play. Play play action rolled to the left and Caleb Williams put it out there and and KT was behind the defender and uh and and got a long touchdown out of it. And nobody from the Eagles covered it. Uh this was not that case. I think it shows you the depth of this defense, the experience of this defense. There’s plenty of stuff to still clean up, but what you’re learning about the Packers with the way they performed late against Detroit, the way they performed against Chicago in this game, this is a championship caliber defense. They’re up to fifth now again in total defense, too. By the way, the Packers have a unit that can play and win multiple different ways. And that’s why they’re suddenly on a four-game winning streak. Yeah, it’s interesting what you said about Ben Johnson because I’ll I’ll put it a little bit different way. I think I think Ben Johnson got spooked by Kyle Manungai getting stoned on third and one by Kings Leanbari because if you go back through the playbyplay and I did this for um I believe it was for Monday’s insider inbox, the Bears had not had a handoff to a running back gain less than three yards. going back to actually the play on which Keshan Nixon got the personal foul which was when they had stopped the running back for a for a one-yd gain and I think in that moment third and one and Johnson just figured okay you know we’ve been running straight ahead we’ve been picking these up and then anari makes the big stop there stops Manungai for like a half yard gain so so it’s fourth and fourth and a half yard and I think he got a little spooked and he just he just even though they had done so well running the all in the traditional way. He just didn’t quite have that confidence that they were going to get it cuz yeah, he had let the clock run down, but he still had two timeouts left. If they get the first down there, he was perfectly comfortable where they were with the clock and the timeouts and and the opportunity to uh to to get the touchdown. So, um, hats off to, uh, to Anigbari because the, um, the Packers had not had, as I was just outlining, a lot of run stops in that game, you know, where you really stop a running back cold and he did it on third and one to set up the fourth and one. Yeah. If if I may, just to throw in there too about Kingsley, uh, cuz big year for Kingsley. He’s in a contract year. No doubt. Was a a remarkable find for them in the fifth round, excuse me, three and a half years ago. and how he’s been able to affect this football team in so many different ways. I don’t think it’s talked nearly enough about and that’s on me, too. Uh, this is a guy that is a a guard on their punt coverage team. I mean, he plays in multiple phases for them in addition to he’s always been a reliable, durable rotational edge rusher, and I think you’ve seen him make a lot of growth and a lot of strides with his run defense. In addition to when there’s an opportunity where Micah Parsons is penetrating and he’s getting so much attention, Eddie Bari steps up and ends up getting the only sack of this game for Green Bay, right? He he is a very heads up player in addition to the fact that when the game was on the line there, the way he slid from the the right basically defensive end position moved across the line and filled that gap, which I think was almost like the right B gap. Um, remarkable second effort, good eyes and allowing himself to keep the offensive lineman’s hands off him. Um, again, I think you’re right. I think that was probably the most pivotal play in that game that probably didn’t garner the most headlines afterwards. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Well, there’s a lot to talk about on the offensive side here for Green Bay as well because we saw yet another big-time performance from Christian Watson. Um, I tell you what, what Jordan Love and Christian Watson are doing together is going to make every single opponent the rest of the way wonder whether they really want to blitz. Jordan Love because because if you blitz and you’re compromising your coverage in the back end, that means you got to go manto man. You got to single up. And Christian Watson singled up is a mismatch in this league. and he he burned CJ Gardner Johnson on uh on the slant for the uh for the second touchdown. And uh um and you know, Jordan Love really just kind of threw one out there toward toward the goal line on the first one because the Bears were sending seven guys. There’s only four guys there’s only four guys in coverage with three guys out in the route. He knows he knows it’s a one-on-one and it’s like, “All right, throw it out there somewhere and let Christian run and go get it.” I mean, it’s it’s going to be interesting to see as the Packers hit the stretch run here and then hopefully the playoffs how how many times our defense is really going to come after Jordan Love because uh you got to have a plan for Christian Watson if you’re going to blitz the quarterback. Yeah, you absolutely do, Mike. And I love seeing the way they’re using Christian now, too. Um, I know Matt Laflur said on Monday, you know, you have to be cognizant of how the defense is covering you, what what the scheme is, what the coverage is, what the assignments are going to be, but throwing a 6’4, 28-lb man and probably even a little heavier than that who runs as fast as he does in the slot creates mismatches because no disrespect to Gardenner Johnson, he’s having a great year. He’s had a bunch of picks for that defense, including one in the first half in the first quarter. Yeah. But him and a lot of a lot of slot corners, they aren’t typically 44 guys, 4-3 guys. They typically are more of the safety varieties in the 46. And the Packers got a matchup they like there. And he he went to work. And it it was so fascinating to listen to, you know, Matt Laflur talk about him and Jordan Love talk about him and certainly the other receivers. You know, we were chatting with with Jaden Reed about it afterwards the game too. The the route tree and how Christian has expanded his game. He didn’t just come back a healthy receiver. He didn’t just come back fast as ever. He looks confident and complete. U this is the the guy that I think a lot of people looked at in the 2022 draft as a potential first round pick. A really raw toolled but talented young man and he he is grabbing that opportunity. The fact that he has done all this without an offseason program, without a training camp, he’s almost at 500 receiving yards already on the season. depending on the metric you use. Uh he now starts to qualify for some of those receiving categories. 18.1 yards per catch. That is the second uh most productive receiver right now in terms of average yards per reception in the NFL only to Alec Pierce from Indianapolis. Christian Watson has it all together right now. And he just keeps getting better and better and better. And and the guys afterwards joking about, you know, the gazelle that he’s become. um when when you are that big and that talented and that fast, um defenses have to take into account what what you bring to the table. The Packers lost Tucker Craft, there is no making up for that the rest of the way. But getting Christian Watson back, getting Jaden Reed back in this game, you started to see them re sort of rediscover their identity. And um it’s funny, as much as time moves forward and you evolve, there’s those players that have led you to this point that are now stepping up. Yeah. Yeah, you mentioned the Packers getting Jaden Reed back. His first appearance since week two. He gets a handful of touches. Um got a couple of handoffs, also some pass receptions. Uh 50 plus yards for him, including a big uh catch that kind of jump started what turned out to be the game-winning drive there in the fourth quarter. Um, and obviously then you got you got Bell Mo Bell Bo Melton, excuse me, showing up um, catching a 45 yard touchdown pass kind of out of nowhere quite frankly. Um, and uh, and it h it was right at the end of the first half. The last the last minute of the first half allowed the Packers to take a 14-3 lead. And you got to love you love the way this team reacts, rallies around a guy like Bo Melton. love the way you love what Matt Lafleur said about Bo Melton on on Monday at the podium. Um just uh just what he means what he means to the team from a spirit standpoint. Um this guy is uh you know the the whole like you know glue guy type of term gets gets overused but it really does apply to a guy like Bo Melton and uh and to see him make a big play like that in a big game that was really cool. It was it was incredible to watch. And you you and I are in the locker room. You see it all the time. Uh this is a guy that will he is friends with everybody in that locker room. You know, sometimes the way these NFL teams go when there’s 53 guys on an active roster, 69 uh 70 with the practice squad, then you add in another maybe five, six guys on injured reserve, it’s really easy to to not be able to connect with anybody. I I think I’ve at this season alone, I think I’ve pretty much seen Bo at everybody’s locker throughout the course of year interacting with every player in that locker room. And the fact that he’s now become a three-phase player, I think sort of is apppropo. Um, but at the end of the day, he’s said it a numerous times. He is a receiver by trade. That is how he made his his mark. You know, when you look at what he did at Rutkers and becoming a seventh round pick for the Seattle Seahawks a number of years ago, he is a really fast, really talented football player, really solid flyer on on punt coverage and has the bandwidth, has the the football IQ to be able to handle also learning these assignments at cornerback in a pinch. Um, but Christian Watson said it after the game. It was actually completely different conversation from Bo. I I wish I would have been able to ask Bo about it. They ran the same play on back-to-back plays. Green Bay did the first one. They B Christian Watson’s running the same concept downfield that streak route across the middle of the field and the ball ended up going over to to Luke Musgrave and it was incomplete. Well, you know these rules when a guy runs 30 40 yards they come out. You’re gassed. They they don’t bring you back to line of scrimmage and set up a new play. So Bo was the one responsible for spelling Christian Watson. That’s why he’s even in that position to begin with. And he laughed afterwards because something that’s been happening here in these last two games was people are forgetting to cover him. Yeah. He almost had a touchdown against Detroit, but but Jordan wasn’t able to fire the ball in there quite right. This one uh Bo was almost standing in the end zone. Yeah. And I had asked him about that afterwards like I mean what is going through your mind there? I mean, his time stands still a little bit and really he was just in awe of the ball that Jordan threw uh that he led him that far and Brisker had to cover that much territory that it ends up being a touchdown. It’s one play and obviously I think Bo only had nine offensive plays in the game, but seeing how that sideline responded to him. Matt Lafleur even said you have to be careful that not people don’t come onto the field, they’re that excited about when Bo Melt makes a play. Um my my good friend, your good friend, uh Joe Reutder was celebrating with him on the sideline, one of the football tech guys. I mean, people love this dude. And I think when you look at how Green Bay was sort of going to halftime at 14 to three, it’s plays like that that I think lift a little bit more energy out of everybody, especially on a cold evening at Lambeau Field. Yeah. Well, a couple other things I want to hit on offensively. Um one was the performance by Jordan Love. And for those who are who like to get into the statistical nerdy stuff like I do, I’ve got a story on Packers.com. It’s kind of my crazy what I call my crazy stat column. And I focus specifically on Love for this one because this was the first game in Jordan Love’s career where he posted a passer rating above 120 but threw an interception. And that’s very difficult to do because interceptions really hurt you in the passer rating formula. But the fact that he still had a passer rating of 120 with an interception on the ledger in that game just tells you how efficient and how explosive Green Bay’s passing game is. Because that’s what passer rating is. It’s about being efficient. It’s about being productive. And you get a lot of credit for big plays because yards per completion, yards per attempt, all that stuff factors in. Um, and again, we’ve talked about it many times before, but Jordan Love displayed what is probably his best trait as an NFL quarterback, which is the ability to shake off a mistake. Um, made a bad throw, bad decision, whatever you want to call it, for the interception that ended the Packers first drive right after a sack had put them in, you know, third and and a gazillion. So, he tries to force one down the field. It doesn’t work. The Bears get the interception. Credit to the Packers defense. They didn’t allow that turnover to result in any points for Chicago. Kept the game zero, but Love just completely shook it off and bounced back and played his game the rest of the way. And I was I was really impressed there. And then you also got to tip your hat to Josh Jacobs. Um the more you watch this guy, the more you just you love the way he just sticks his nose in there and is not going to be denied in big moments, right? I mean, and and I know there was there was a lot about the whole fourth and one against Philadelphia in that Monday night game that that blew up on the Packers and all that, but man, I tell you, you you need if you need a yard or two in the middle of the field, you need a yard or two at the goal line. I’ll trust number eight all day, any day. Never seen anybody like him. Uh he now leads, I think, again, I think he led it the category last year, too. Leads the NFL in touchdowns scored inside the 5 yardd line. He has eight now, which I think is eight of his 12. Eight of his 12. Um, and you know, I’m going to start there because we focus so much on the 21 yard run, and I’ll get to that in a second, but that that two-y touchdown off a draw, I mean, that’s a third down play. I mean, there was a lot of big third down plays that he made in this game that if Josh Jacobs doesn’t make the play, the Packers have some difficult questions to answer on fourth down. Yep. And what are they going to do? are, you know, if Jacobs doesn’t get in the end zone there, are you kicking a field goal to take a lead? That would be like 22 yards. I mean, like, it’s those type of decisions that would be on Matt Laflur’s plate. And Jacobs erases that, right? The the third and two carry for 21 yards. I’m sure there was a Houdini run that Aaron Jones had during his time that I am forgetting, but I don’t know if I’ve seen a better run than that in my 14 years covering the team. Yeah. Uh there are four Bears players pretty much all there to make the play. It’s a toss right that turns into a cutback. You don’t see that every day even if there aren’t blockers there, even if there aren’t defenders there. But Josh just parted the seas, man. Two bears on each side almost. It was like a comedy routine. It was like a It was like a cartoon the way they’re colliding into each other and he gets through it. It was It was like It was like this cloud of smoke and all of a sudden he emerges. he emerges and then he’s in the open field and, you know, was almost looking like he was going to take it the distance and score. Ends up getting in, you know, inside the 10 to set up first and goal. But yeah, I mean, I asked Matt Laflur about it after the game. Jason Wy followed up on Monday, uh, Monday’s press conference. Like, how did he do that? And the answer is still like, we don’t know. Like, it you you look you look at it on film and it’s it’s really hard to tell exactly how that happened, how he got through there. And I agree with you. I said in the live blog at the time, I thought it was I thought it was the the the best run I’ve ever seen Josh Jacobs make. All things considered, the circumstances, you know, what was what was on the line, what uh what the Packers needed in that moment. Um just a um just a big time play and it was great to see him finish it off. As you said, at the goal line, it was third and goal and Jordan Love actually checked to the run because they had called a pass play. Didn’t like the look for the pass. And it must be nice when you just say, “Oh, we don’t like the look for the pass. All right, we’re just going to give it to number eight and he’s and he’s going to get the job done. That’s it’s kind of uh that that’s as big a compliment as you can give to any offensive weapon you’ve got. And trust, I mean, trust, man. And you know, it’s funny, too, because like I don’t want to say that Aaron Jones wasn’t meant for the offense. He definitely was, but like Aaron Jones is like a fifth round find, right? Like he was like originally projected as like the scatback that ended up becoming a Pro Bowl player for Green Bay. Um but but I’m I’m going all the way back to 2012 when I first started covering the team. Obviously, you got the Ryan Grant era, and Grant came in on a trade, but it’s just like this running back is tailor made for what Matt Laflur wants to do offensively. Uh this is you you needed this type of back and you know, as much as we’ve always looked back on that off season of 2024 and and Xavier McKenna, they had to make a change, right? They needed to improve their safety position. They were in a they were in dire straits at the safety position. They needed to renovate it, right? Yep. But Josh was just like, “Okay, well Aaron’s going, we’re bringing in Josh Jacobs.” But it’s like, it’s almost like it caught me so much by surprise that they actually signed Josh Jacobs that I never really fully computed in my head, okay, this is this is the guy. Like this is not he’s he’s an all he’s a rushing champion already. He’s an all pro. But I’m just saying like no, this is the missing piece for what Matt Lafleur wants to build. And at that point, he’s 26 years old. It’s wild. It’s wild to watch him run because uh yeah, even if it’s not there, he he he finds it. Yeah. I mean, I knew I knew who Josh Jacobs was at Alabama. I knew who he was with the Raiders. Admired his game, admired his stats and his production. There’s a there’s a different admiration you get for Josh Jacobs when you watch him week after week. And when when you get to know him and you talk to him, you know, the all the interviews we’ve done over these two seasons he’s been with Green Bay, um there’s a there’s an appreciation level for the professional running back that he is. Um that uh that’s just um something different and uh and I hope uh I hope he can keep it rolling here in Green Bay for uh for a few more years to come. Before we roll it over to looking at the rest of the league, I just want to make one more attempt uh one more comment I should say on Jordan Love because I in addition to what you said about kind of Ben Johnson explaining some things you want to talk about when this conversation I know the question was asked of Matt Lafleur on Monday if if Jordan should be in the MVP conversation, right? Um I think definitely needs to be in the Pro Bowl conversation. I mean, this is a guy that I think already should have been there. I really hope that that works out for him this year because I think the league needs to start appreciating what this young man is doing. But you want to talk about ultimate signs of respect. Ben Johnson’s saying on Monday, one of the things that factored in their mind with running that clock down was they didn’t want to give the ball back to Jordan Love. He didn’t he didn’t have he didn’t have a whole lot of faith that his defense was going to stop Jordan Love with the game on the line if there was if there was any time left there. And he had made the decision, yeah, they were going to run the clock down and they were going to go for two. They were going to they they were going to go for the win there. And uh um yeah, because to Chicago’s credit, they got a pair of threeandouts defensively in the second half. The Packers offense became a little bit of feast or famine there. Um and that those those two three and outs certainly contributed to Green Bay’s defense getting worn down as as the second half went along. So that was a factor there. But even with that, the his defense his defense had gotten two three and outs in the second half. The other two possessions were both touchdowns and relatively easy drives for touchdowns where where the Packers weren’t putting any, you know, third and sevens or any really really big-time opportunities for the defense to get off the field. And that’s what Ben Johnson was feeling as he was calling that final drive for his offense. Pretty remarkable. I mean, for for Jordan to be viewed like that by a coach uh that has his team off to nine wins. Um, I I tell you what, man. It’s just it’s wild and and anything can happen in the National Football League. This kind of goes into the next segment here talking about the other teams and stuff, but Jaylen Herz threw four interceptions on Monday night. Monday night. Yeah. Jordan has four this season. Anything can happen four weeks ago in the regular season, but you know, for so many people that want to dog him and get on him about the way he’s throwing the ball and is he is he being smart with the football, I I hope you’re taking a minute to appreciate what you’re seeing this season. Yeah. because Caleb Williams, young quarterback that’s making mistakes, but he he’s at a place where there’s been such I don’t want to I don’t want to I want to be careful with how I say this, but there’s been inconsistency at the quarterback position for the Bears for a very long time. Yes. And that that allows I think Caleb Williams, you know, a little bit of latitude with fans and a little bit of latitude with the front office because they’re not used to having elite quarterback play. That’s well said. the the Packers have had Brett Favre, Aaron Rogers, and somehow by the grace of God, they got Jordan Love. I mean, and I and in my opinion, we’re talking about one of the top five quarterbacks in the National Football League right now. Yeah, I couldn’t uh couldn’t agree with you more. We do need to pay some bills. So, let’s hear a quick word from our sponsors. SiriusXM NFL Radio delivers hard-hitting analysis and up totheminute NFL news that true football fanatics need 24/7, 365. At Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone. Like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes. All paired with your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs, 50 plus years of better. Pit Boss Grills, the official grill of Packers Tailgating at Lambo or at your house. Take your game day to the next level with a Pit Boss wood pellet grill. Pit Boss Grills available at Menard’s. Hey Packers fans, we always knew Lambo Field was a wonder, but now it’s official. Learn more about all the wonders of Wisconsin at travel Wisconsin.com/wonders. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. We don’t have a whole lot of time to do this, but we will do it anyway. The NFC North Packers 93 and one, Bears 9 and4, Lions 8 and five. Still wide open there with four games to go. Anything could happen down the stretch. Um, but the Packers have put themselves in the right position here with uh with four games to go. And I know we’ll be talking on our next show previewing this big matchup with Denver, an 11 win team out west. You got to go on the road to their place, you know, with the road trip to Chicago looming the following week and all that. The NFC picture as a whole, seven teams in the NFC right now, Wes, have either eight, nine, or 10 wins. And in some ways, you would go, “Oh, well, that’s cool. There’s seven playoff spots, right? Well, not exactly because there is not a team in the NFC South that has 8 n or 10 wins right now. That’s between Carolina and Tampa Bay. They’re both seven and six with four games to go. So, one of these seven teams that has 8 n 8 n or 10 wins in the NFC is going to get left out. Um and uh um there’s a lot of it’s a lot of fighting. It’s a lot of jockeying for a position. Just with the results from this past weekend, the Packers jumped from number six in the NFC all the way up to number two. The Bears went from number one all the way down to number seven. And that’s not it’s it’s not an illustration necessarily of one team or another. It’s an illustration of just how bunched up and crowded everything is and how how uh just a couple of results going this way or that way can completely turn everything like topsyturvy, right? So, um, it’s, you know, and with four games left to go, I mean, this it’s it’s, uh, we’re deep into the season here, but yet it’s still there’s still a long way to go to sort out exactly what this playoff picture is going to look like. Yeah. Cuz as good as the NFC North has been, the NFC West has been just as good, if not better, right? I mean, San Francisco, Seattle have been two of the more consistent teams. What 49ers have done this year despite losing Brock Pury for six games or whatever it ended up being and then losing Bosa, losing Warner on defense. Yeah, the the injuries that they have had and where the 49ers are. Um, that that’s that’s been uh one of the untold stories on the national scene in the NFL is what Kyle Shanahan has done with the 49ers. And I’m telling you right now, I mean, the the Detroit Lions are absolutely a playoff team. Uh, the way that’s a dangerous squad, man. The way they bounced back from that loss to Green Bay and really handed it to the Dallas Cowboys. The only 44 points. The only reason that game was even close was because of Dak Prescott and also Brandon Aubrey. But yeah, but Dak Prescott did what Dak Prescott does and he gave his team a chance. But ultimately that defense could not keep up with Detroit. But Detroit’s sitting in that the they’re without a chair right now, right? So, okay, the Dom Capers, let’s start with the positives, right? If Green Bay takes care of business, the rest of the NFC is going to be beating up on itself here in the next four weeks. There’s a lot of crosspollination here between what the NFC the NFC West has to play each other and then also Detroit Chicago having some tough matchups with them as well. The Packers just have to focus on one these interconference games they haven’t played yet. But then that game against Chicago, the game against Minnesota, the Packers are in a position that if they can keep winning, I think the rest of the laundry is going to get sorted out itself. But the stakes each week, yeah, only get higher. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, what what can happen to you? What can happen to you with one loss at this stage if you let a game get away? I mean, it’s it’s sort of what happened to Detroit. They lose to the Packers on Thanksgiving. Now, it’s what happened to the Bears. They lose to the Packers at Lambeau Field. And now the Packers can’t let themselves be that team, you know, and yeah, it’s a huge challenge going out to Denver. and we’ll talk about that one um preview that one on our next show. I mean, as big as these games are with the Bears, um this uh um this this matchup with the Broncos, you’re talking a 9- win team against an 11- win team in the middle of December. Yeah. Uh you know, from from the from the two different conferences. I mean, the games just keep getting bigger and tougher for Green Bay as the as the stretch run rolls along. I’m sure there’s probably, this happens every year, but I just don’t notice it. But the fact that you have the top seated team, a team that’s competing for competing for the buy in the AFC taking on the second seated team right now in the NFC this late in the season. Yeah. Uh very unique if nothing else in Green Bay’s perspective. Um but at the same time, the Broncos are riding a 10-ame losing streak and they’ve had 10ame winning streak. Uh 10ame winning streak on Wow. All right. Show needs to end. The Broncos are riding a 10-ame winning streak. Uh, and much like Green Bay and up until last week, much like the Bears have had to kind of pull a rabbit out of their hat in the fourth quarter a couple times to get there. It’s going to be fantastic to watch. Yeah, it is. It’s going to be a good one. And we will get to all of that previewing Sunday’s trip to Denver on our next show. But for now, we’re going to call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team. All sorts of great stuff, photos, videos, articles, everything for you on packers.com. For Wes, I’m Mike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We will see you next time.

Mike and Wes review the victory over the Bears, discussing CB Keisean Nixon’s game-saving INT (1:04), the overall defensive performance (5:34), the big plays on offense from WRs Christian Watson and Bo Melton (11:02), plus the standout performances from QB Jordan Love and RB Josh Jacobs (18:35). They also look at the NFC North standings and playoff picture (29:32).

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