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OPE Season 3 Episode 38 Regular Season Finale: Rivalry Showdown
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Aloha and welcome to another episode of OPE! On this episode we preview the upcoming season finale against the Chicago Bears! We look at key injuries and matchups, we answer a listener question and we tell a couple of people to stfu!
Please make sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your favorite podcasts! Also please go over to ohanapackers.org for all our latest articles, past episodes and our merch shop!
If you have any questions you would like us to answer please be sure to contact us through our social medias or email us at outbackpackers1919@gmail.com!
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Transcript
Intro
Podcast Introduction
00:00:19
Speaker
Aloha and welcome back to another episode of the Hana Practice Edition podcast. This is going to be our last opponent preview of the season.
Focus Shift to Outside Discussions
00:00:25
Speaker
and Joe and I are going to keep it as short and sweet as possible. We probably are going to have more outside questions and back to ah back to ah Joe's favorite segment than we are on the Bears because the Bears, they still suck no matter what.
Playoff Scenarios and Possible Opponents
00:00:42
Speaker
So if you win,
00:00:45
Speaker
If you win and the commanders lose, you are at the sick seed and you avoid playing the you avoid playing the Eagles for another week. So that would be a big
Clarifying Jair's Situation and Misunderstandings
00:00:56
Speaker
thing.
00:00:58
Speaker
And I know the Rams aren't the same team that we played back in week five, but they're a team that you've had success against. They are playing better, but I do think the matchup is a little bit better for Greedby at this point, especially given the Jair news that came out today, bummer. But as we said, people saying that know he was faking it, stealing money from the team, all stupid comments to make. It's pretty clear that he was doing everything
00:01:29
Speaker
Xavier McKinney basically echoed that, showed that there was no you know there was no rift in the locker room over what Jair was dealing with and all that kind of crap. All the really stupid shit that people were trying to point out and make Ja out to be a selfish you know individual who didn't care about the team and only cared about his money. That got shut up pretty quick today, as LeFlore said, like
00:01:56
Speaker
as it worked out the way they wanted it to. so you know It's a bummer, but now it's on Halfly to just do what he's got to do. and Honestly, this is a week where you should be testing what you can do against...
00:02:11
Speaker
you know This is a beat up Bears O-line they're missing, they might be missing the left side of their O-line because Braxton Jones they're starting left tackle is on IR. Tevin
Impact of Bears' Offensive Line on Packers
00:02:21
Speaker
Jenkins is again dealing with injury during the week he was a DNP on Wednesday.
00:02:26
Speaker
but You know, there's still the the ghost of Keenan Allen. Roma Dunsey is going to be a good player. DJ Moore is, you know, all despite all his antics this season, he is still a good wide receiver. And there's a lot you can glean from this week if you do, you know, if you're halfly and you change things up this week and try some different things. You know, try run some man, go with tighter bump coverage, all those kind of things. Just change it up.
00:02:53
Speaker
At least put some different things on film so that it's not the same repetition stuff that, you know, other teams are scheming for you kind of put some doubt in the back of their mind.
Packers' Injury Update and Defensive Strategies
00:03:02
Speaker
the Packers, not too much has improved on the injury front.
00:03:07
Speaker
from practice. So obviously Jair is going on IR. Zane Anderson missed with concussion. Brenton Cox was out with the foot. Dillard is still dealing with concussion. Coy Walker still with the ankle. Christian Watson, his knee. And Evan Williams with the quad. So all of those guys were DNP's today. So was a walkthrough. So we'll see how it goes the rest of the week. But you're looking at a still banged up defense going against this Bears offense. you know, Williams, Caleb Williams looks like... Mistakes, missing throws, not making reads because he's been sacked like 70 bazillion times this season. And so, like I said, just try some different stuff and, you know, Haffley can just kind of throw the book at the wall this week. Obviously, you don't want to show everything, but just put stuff on film and really test what your guys can do individually.
00:04:03
Speaker
Yeah. And bring it up with a couple of guys from the practice squad. I, I, last week was a little bit weird that they, they, um, used an elevation on Omar Brown, but you you know, made them inactive. Uh, I get that Bullard was able to go.
00:04:26
Speaker
And they didn't expect Zane Anderson to go out with a concussion, but it's still really thin. Yeah. you leave yourself yeah really thin So, you know, and I think he's only got the one more elevation this season anyway. So, but you've got a couple other guys, like King and Hayden. And, you know, I'm sure there's some other guys that I'm forgetting off the top of my head that, uh,
00:05:00
Speaker
that could get a call up, uh, especially with some of the injuries that it looks like, you know, don't rush some of these guys back.
Resting Josh Jacobs
00:05:11
Speaker
Uh, let's see.
00:05:14
Speaker
ah ah Honestly, what I would do, and this probably isn't going to make a lot of people happy. And I know it definitely wouldn't make the player happy. So please don't kill me for saying this. I'd said, Josh Jacobs, uh, he's had a ton of carries over the season, which I know he says he can handle and he's having fun and everything, but he's one of them that is dealing with, I think it says a wrist injury.
00:05:42
Speaker
And he was limited for today. So, you know, just, uh, just sit him, run with Emmanuel Wilson, run with, uh, Chris brook Brooks, even though it says Brooks is injured, is dealing with an ankle injury. Also call up a couple of guys, if you have to, like, uh, they just brought Deshaun Fenwick in.
00:06:13
Speaker
They've got, uh, I think that's the only one they got on the practice squad right now. You know, bring up maybe Michael Barrett, who's a linebacker to fill a spot if need be, uh, you know, just bring some of these guys up. Rust some of the guys that are dealing with an injury like, uh,
00:06:42
Speaker
like you know, Jacob's like Britain Cox like Quay Walker like you know, Evan Williams, you know, don't rush them back unless you absolutely need them. Rest them. Rest Josh Jacobs. Rest Quay. Rest Christian. Bring up some practice squad guys and call it call it good because while yes, it would be great to win over the Bears and they better win over the Bears otherwise all hell will break loose
00:07:13
Speaker
Uh, it's, it should not be a tough game. Kind of like I was saying with the Saints game, it should not be a tough game. I agree
Offensive Strategy Against the Bears
00:07:26
Speaker
with you. so and And honestly, the way to look at this from the Packers point of view is not like, Oh, Josh Jacobs is out or Oh, like, ah ah honestly, this is a game where the floor, Jordan, the receiving, you know, the wide receivers and tight ends, it's like,
00:07:44
Speaker
We are going to win this game with offense. like Yes, obviously, like I said, halfly experiment. You want to still see the defense play well against an offense that has been struggling for a while. You want to see the pass rush come back against a bad O-line. But realistically, this should be a game the Packers should put up 35 plus. like That's the way that Lafleur should be looking at it is. You're at home. You're trying to, you know as Lafleur said, you want to regain momentum. Yes.
00:08:12
Speaker
the run game has become your identity but you know something that we mentioned on Sunday when we recorded Tuesday's episode and you know I've seen a bunch of different people including like Paul Bredl, Dusty Eavley and a couple other places notice like Green Bay has gone to their turn to their run game and it's worked well over the second half of the season but it has left the offense Kinda off-kilter in a sense because they're so focused on getting Jacobs established that love doesn't get to have enough throws early in a game where he's like Finding himself over the course of the game and certain games. He does find it You know the back half of that Lions game in Detroit the Niners game the Miami game The Seattle game, but then you also have the Saints game the first Bears game this
00:09:01
Speaker
Minnesota game last week where it's just like he's just so out of rhythm because you know they you you just have inconsistent drives and you know against a bad team in the Saints and the Bears it was fine you got enough plays together to put a winning score on the board but against a good team in the Vikings it just cost you because between love being just that much off your old line, not protecting as well. And your receivers dropping the ball, it costs you the game. So, that's something that, like I said, I agree with you. Like it's not the full, like, you know, the, the, like, if you're the first overall seed and you have a chance to rest guys, you know, green Bay's only shot is all these guys who could return do return. And so
Revitalizing the Passing Game for Playoffs
00:09:44
Speaker
you want them to be as healthy as they can be going into the playoffs and,
00:09:50
Speaker
at the same time, like I said, put the onus on Jordan LaFleur to get this pass game going. You still have guys in Wilson and Brooks who are running the ball so effectively and so with so much force that you can do more than enough things on the ground. I know they'll incorporate like Melton and Reed in the run game as well, but really like get the pass game going, get he get some good stuff on film to get Jordan feeling good about himself again, heading into the playoffs. And it would help getting some of the other receivers incorporated. You know, if you said Watson, you've still got Melton and you've still got Heath that can go out there and, and play. So, and like I said, you know, do some call ups. I know they, that you can only do what to, uh, practice squad elevations a week.
00:10:44
Speaker
But they're gonna have an open spot on the roster anyway, so unless they're bringing somebody from the outside in You know, it makes sense to okay we're gonna bring this guy up for the Jair spot and then our two elevations are gonna be you know, Jim Bob and and and cooter and You know oh And then sit, you know, Josh Jacobs, sit Christian Watson, because like you said, we're going to need them come playoff time. If they think that they can make a deep playoff run, they're going to need a lot of these guys back and healthy. And it's better to have them 80% healthy in the playoffs instead of trying, you know, 60% healthy and playing a not
00:11:38
Speaker
big game against the Bears. Yeah, I agree with you. And no, no, no, it makes total sense. And it really is the only prudent action you can make at this point where, like you said, obviously you want the team to be playing as well as it can be, but you don't have a bye week. You've got to find ways to get guys healthy on your own time at this point. and that's kind of the point we keep certainly going back to is this is a game you know the spread is like 10 or something like that you should win this game no matter who you so you put out there so long as Jordan Love is your quarterback and you know
00:12:20
Speaker
the As much as we're saying for Halfly to experiment, this is also for La Florida Experiment. Create a game plan around Romeo Dobbs and Tucker Craft. Make the two of them the backbone of your offensive passing scheme. And then that way you can work Jaden Reed off of that. You can work Melting as a deep threat off of that. You can reintegrate Musgrave as a seam threat into into that offense.
00:12:47
Speaker
As much as it is a big week for Halfly I do think it's a big week for Lafleur because he does need to, you know, as much as they say like Watson could have maybe played last weekend yada yada yada, he does need to prepare like, and he not This isn't a shot at Watson at all, but like he's got a at best he's got a deep bone bruise on his knee and those are the kind of injuries where like it doesn't get better till it does and you don't know how that thing's going to feel until you roll out of bed on game day and stuff. so
00:13:17
Speaker
he can't craft his game plan based on the idea that he's gonna be there unless he's just later this week is like oh yeah I'm feeling great and we're good to go kind of thing but that's generally not how these injuries go but yeah I think that this is a week where kind of like we said last week, but especially this week, your offense needs to set the tone, your passing game needs to be your best weapon, your best, your passing offense becomes your best defense. All the cliches you want to throw out there, that's what this week's got to be. And just let half the
00:13:54
Speaker
a, you know, it's a disappointing offense, but it has the potential to be dynamic. If you don't play smart, you don't read your keys and play disciplined on the back end. And then, you know, offensive, we saw what happened if you don't take care advantage of your opportunities against this bears team. And that was half a season ago when they still realistically had something to play for it. Now
Importance of Beating the Bears for Momentum
00:14:16
Speaker
this team is, you know, one, two, three Cancun mode. So it's like,
00:14:21
Speaker
You know, and the Packers, they were on their way to going up 14-0, 10-0 until Love throws that bad interception. And it's like, it just shows you, you can't miss these kind of opportunities up going into this game because you definitely can do what you did to the Saints against the Bears this week. And that should be the goal for this Packers ah offense. Can you think of off the top of your head, and maybe you can't because I know I can't, when's the last time the Packers didn't have a 4,000 yard passer.
00:14:54
Speaker
Um, Um, it honestly, it might be Roger. It might be the Super Bowl season because Rogers, missed the, oh no, I know what it is. It's 2017 his collar boat. All right. I was going to say, cause I was trying to think, cause love isn't going to hit 4,000 this year.
00:15:17
Speaker
He's only at 33 20. So I was just curious about when the last time. So that just shows that, yeah, I know he was injured and out for a couple of games, but that just kind of shows that the offense is more tilted towards the run game than it is the past game at the moment. So yeah, I completely agree with what you're saying that the offense needs to go out there and get more co cohesive and, you know,
00:15:47
Speaker
let Jordan mesh with some of these other With some of these receivers whether it's Romeo whether it's Reed Wicks Melton Heath whoever you know get Musgraves going in the game get Tucker going in the game. Maybe a little maybe even said Tucker and just let Musgraves and Ben Sims handle things and Maybe even Oh, what's the other guy's name? Uh, Fitzpatrick. Uh, let's see here. Mike dropped out again because of a shitty internet. So I'm trying to make things up as I go. Uh, what's his name?
00:16:34
Speaker
Now Ryan Fitzpatrick's in my head and I know it's not Ryan Fitzpatrick. Uh, Tucker. John Fitzpatrick. So, you know, even if it's been Sims, Musgraves and Fitzpatrick, you know, let those guys roll and let Tucker, you know, relax. I know he's not really dealing with once he got, he's yeah, he had a rest day to day. So he was limited. So yeah, you know, maybe just set him, let him relax until,
00:17:08
Speaker
the post season, which, you know, isn't that far away. ah ah it It'll be next week and, you know, give the other guys a shot, let Jordan get comfortable at, uh, and, you know, I keep saying it week after week, after week, after week, dig deeper into the, the playbook gets, you know, get creative with stuff. Don't just hold everything back and do some things.
00:17:39
Speaker
uh, you know, uh, flea flickers or I'd love to see a wide receiver pass. That would be amazing. I don't think it's been a while since I think the Packers have tried to pull one of them off. Was it Cobb? I think they might've done one a little bit sooner than Cobb, but, or more recent than Cobb, but I'm pretty sure Cobb was the one that sticks in my mind more. Open up the playbook a little bit more flea flickers.
00:18:10
Speaker
uh in the rounds I even said maybe a a QB pass or not a QB pass of course they're gonna throw a QB pass what is this the 1920s uh a wide receiver pass and I was trying to think of what the last one was was a Cobb yeah it was gonna it's gonna be a Cobb one or something so I know they tried the one with Wix last year So and he had a couple in college, so that would probably be the guy. That's the silly body one where he threw it back to love. And I think he had one at Denver as well. No, silly body was threw him the ball. And I think that was Taylor or Dylan. OK.
Using Creative Plays Against the Bears
00:18:55
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:56
Speaker
Which one's the lefty? Cause wasn't it, didn't it come from a lefty? That's why it was. Oh, that must've been Wix. Yeah. Okay. but I'm not talking about one of them crazy passes. I'm talking about an actual, you know, like Odell Beckham type pass or, you know, somebody like that where Wix has those on the end of round.
00:19:17
Speaker
Virginia did use it use him for a couple of those if you look at his college highlight film, he does have some like 20 30 yard downfield throws and stuff. So I think he can do it I Just and it doesn't even have to be him. They could be read it could be any of them just dig into the the Playbook and you know go for it. What's it gonna hurt? It's not gonna hurt. Nothing. Yeah, it's the fucking bears.
00:19:44
Speaker
Lafleur said it already. They're just looking to regain some momentum. And you know that's that's the big thing is like I know like game-to-game momentum doesn't necessarily exist. But you don't want to go into the playoffs playing two absolute stinkers on offense, going in and just having that bad taste in your mouth. Because you know that usually doesn't bode well for your success down the road. So want to see improvement there. And like we said on defense,
00:20:13
Speaker
Just don't be static. I know the bears shouldn't require too much in, you know, it's for like imagination or anything like that but that's the whole thing like I said is it's not that you're doing it to beat the bears, it's you're doing it to get your guys used to doing different things come playoff time and We know Jair is out unless they make the Super Bowl. That would be the only chance he really has to make it back because that would put it about three to four weeks out from this this arthroscopic operation they did um on his knee yesterday, I believe they said. And
00:20:47
Speaker
So yeah, and you're you're not like Jordan would have to go like Toyota thon on Royds for them to make it to the Super Bowl playing the style of defense they're playing because they're just gonna because they're gonna have to face one of or two of the Lions Vikings or Eagles to make it to the Super Bowl. You just can't keep playing the same style of defense and you know, whether it's Which is weird for you to say considering how well the defense is, you know, how they're, how they're doing. Cause I was looking at that earlier before, or during one of your, your internet malfunctions and there, there's 17 and defensive passing yards per game given per game. And there's six in rushing yard. That's probably the best this defense has been in decade.
00:21:45
Speaker
at least oh yeah like and that's the thing is like i think schematic that's the thing is like so they're they're strong especially the second half of the season they're strong because schematically they've gotten really good at what halfly wants them to do the problem is is that they struggled against the better tapes not because they're necessarily making mistakes i know they had the blown coverage on the nailer touchdown and all that kind of stuff but like the problem is is that their weaknesses due to injury, lack of talent, whatever way you want to call it, those things get amplified and found by good teams and mean the nailer touchdown is because they're trying so hard to cover up for deficiencies on the perimeter that you let a guy through like ah ah what shouldn't happen but it's because you have all eyes are spotlighted on
00:22:33
Speaker
other players. So you know it's it's it's a big thing this week. And like I said, you're my whole thing is you're not going to win playing this umbrella or soft coverage. You've got to change things up. And you that's where it's like I said, there is something to play for you. You are still playing for the the six seed, but at the same time, like Like you said, it's not that it doesn't matter that they win. Obviously, we always want to beat the Bears, but you can't play conservative or whatever just to beat the Bears. you have to be This has to be played for the bigger picture, this game. So yeah, you can't play a reserved style because you're so, quote unquote, concerned with beating the Bears because that that would be, even if you win the game, that's a loss in my eye because it's a wasted opportunity. And that also goes back to something I've said
00:23:27
Speaker
throughout the season. Uh, don't just stick with some of the same guys over and over again. I'm looking at the Viking game snap count. Harrington played a hundred percent of the snaps. That's good. Well, I understand that, but Keyshawn and Carrington are the only, uh, corners that played 100% of the snaps.
00:23:53
Speaker
Then you look down here and Corey Ballantyne played What was the other one I was looking at? Hopper, I'm assuming, or? No, I think Hopper was out for the game, wasn't he? No, he played. He played. but He was 0%. Yeah. And so it's just Robert Rochelle, 0%.
00:24:22
Speaker
You know what? What's the use of having them as on the roster? If you're not going to rotate them now You know, I get and I'm not saying anything against Carrington it's great that he played as many snaps as he did and It's great as well as I mean, we were talking it up. He's been playing a hell of a game the last few weeks. And, and it just, it it boggles my mind that they have these guys there that they won't use them for anything. They would rather just continue to trot out and wear out these guys, then try something different. Bullard 94% of the snaps.
00:25:08
Speaker
And I do think if that was 100% of the snaps. That's not a surprise, but the Bullard one too, like that's a lot of that is on the fact that you don't have Williams. You're, you lose Anderson, like the first like five minutes of the game kind of thing and stuff. So yeah, it's but what I'm saying is you lost Zane Anderson. So you would think that would obviously bump Katon up a little bit, even for like 10% of the snaps. Yeah. and And that's where I agree is like, you've got to start, like, I know that they're probably not ready, Ola Dapo and Hopper, but you know what the guys you have can, and not so much in Ola Dapo's case, but more in Hopper's case is like, you know how limited Wilson and McDuffie are in coverage and you know how that compromises your defense. So it's like,
00:25:59
Speaker
Honestly, just like, you know, and they kind of talked about it after the game, you know, LeFlore basically outright said, like, Edge Cooper, he made a lot of nice plays, but he had a lot of bad plays too, and just trying to find the medium in between. But i I think that with Hopper, you have to be willing to live with the bad to get the good side of it too, because yes, he might, you know, he might be 50-50, but The way you can't look at it as only he's 50-50, you have to look at it as well that Wilson and McDuffie are no better than 50-50 because they're physically athletically incapable of it getting to a spot or because they're both short, incapable of like taking away throws down the middle of the field and stuff like that. So you have to look at it from that side as well. I get it at the beginning of the season, you're trying to, you know, Halfly's trying to establish a new scheme, you know, you're you're trying to,
00:26:53
Speaker
get as many reliable pieces in place and all that kind of stuff. But when the playoffs is all about what can your ceiling be, we know that they are capped with McDuffie and Eric Wilson playing so many of the linebacker snaps, especially with Kway out. You've got to generate some kind of you know, guys who can just, even if it's by dumb luck and they're actually making a mistake, that they have the athleticism to be in a spot that those other guys couldn't get to. And in that, in that way, I do say that's where you kind of want to play Oladapo as your nickel or as your strong safety because it, you know, whether it's him in the slot and bullared back or bullared in the slot and him and Oladapo back.
00:27:41
Speaker
just have guys who have the athleticism, the requisite of athleticism to do things that some of the guys getting snaps now can't make. So that's the way you've got to look at it. it's It's all about ceiling and the floor. You can't view it as a static floor anymore because those other guys inability to make plays is a lower floor as well. You know, no matter how much they may better know the scheme kind of thing. Like you have to look at it from that side.
00:28:10
Speaker
right yeah How do you get better? By going out there and play. exactly and and yeah and I do like how they've handled Edge to this point because yeah you can't have him you know in the middle of the season busting stuff every other play and things like that. But now you're at the point where you've established that Edge makes he makes the right play let's say two-thirds of the time and of that two-thirds of the time 50% of the time he's making a dynamic explosive creating a negative play for the opposing offense and that's why you can live with him you know and and it's unfortunate that his last mistake was the final third down conversion for the Vikings like that's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes
00:28:55
Speaker
And at this point it's like, okay, I don't know what Hopper's percentage would be, but you've got to roll the dice and see what you got there and just get more athletic guys on the field. Right. Even if it's like for 10, 10% of the snaps, you know, just to get him out there. Cause like I said, you know, practice can only do so much for a player. Yep. You've got to get them into the live action. You got to get them into.
00:29:21
Speaker
position where they can at least see what they're dealing with out there and then you can Coach them up by what you're seeing them do on the field exactly so Yeah, all right, I like we were pretty much on the same boat on all that yeah, I think we can move on Yep, you want to do any over unders this week or you want to just get into your talking point your TED talk? you know I
00:29:49
Speaker
No, let's not do any over unders because right now we don't know who's all playing and who's all sitting and no, you tell her no, whatever she's trying to give you, you she don't you don't need it.
00:30:02
Speaker
No, i we don't know who's all in and who's all out. So, you know, if if they, oh yeah I just get like J Josh Jacobs, you know, then that obviously takes out. Is he going to get, you know, one touchdown, you know, whatever. So now we'll skip the over-unders for this week and we'll just go right into what you called my Ted talk. So, obviously I am more active on blue sky than I am on, uh, the ah Elon machine.
00:30:30
Speaker
And I was skidded at by Gumby Brain Doc. And the question goes, Hey, Joe, I've enjoyed your podcast, which we really appreciate. Uh, you know, we don't get too many people that say that. So, you know, either we're doing something right, or you're doing something wrong. uh, I was wondering what you think is going on with Van Ness.
00:30:58
Speaker
just young and raw, but can still become a difference maker. Lots of fans are giving up on him already. And Mike, I know we've talked about this a lot over this season and there's just so many times that you can go over certain things with it. Uh, you know, the big reason they don't, and this is going to be sound completely biased. So if somebody throws me out there as an argument at, you know, it's,
00:31:26
Speaker
It's going to ah ah appear biased just because I am who I am and I like who I like. But there's a, there's some big contributions to why he hasn't hit anything yet. One, obviously this is just a second year and I know, well, the excuse is going to be, well, this guy has done this and this guy's done that. And you know, why isn't he doing, you know, having more success?
00:31:56
Speaker
Well, that brings me to number two. This is his first year and a new system. This, you know, so far he's had two defensive coordinators. He's had two systems that are completely different than what, you know, completely different sides of the spectrum, but you know, to be in it. We always give.
00:32:25
Speaker
quarterbacks, the benefit of doubt when there's a change in head coach and offensive coordinator, but we never think about how ah ah handle how other.
00:32:37
Speaker
Positions on the team handle that kind of thing. Well, it's the same kind of way. If you got so used to, if you come into the league and the only system that you're running for that whole first year is now no longer there and you've got to learn a completely other system, of course, you're not going to have a ton of success right now. There's not many people or not many of the players on the Packers that are having a ton of success when it comes to rushing the quarterback. And it's it's all a learning process. There's there's not much you can do there. The third thing that I have to say, and I've said this before, and I actually
00:33:19
Speaker
I you know this definitely must be a new year and hell must have froze over something because I actually went in and did research and Yeah, it's scary that I actually went in and did research Mike. I'm gonna drop this for you real quick I went through and Took everybody that I Saw from the 2023 draft. That would be deemed an edge rusher. There might be some guys that I didn't put on, but they were listed as defensive tackles. And I didn't really view that as more of a jet dresser. I did more linebacker defensive end types. And were you able to get it thumbs up? Okay.
00:34:18
Speaker
you're muted. That's why I said thumbs up. I'm being descriptive to the people so they know what's going on since this isn't a video podcast,
00:34:30
Speaker
but basically I went through and I pulled up all the stats and I made a
Lucas Van Ness' Performance Evaluation
00:34:37
Speaker
spreadsheet for all the stats for everybody that was drafted in 2023. I want you to look.
00:34:44
Speaker
through that list and you're going to have to unmute for a second. And can you tell what the biggest difference between the top group and the bottom group?
00:34:58
Speaker
It's this thing about snap percentage. it's And not that it's going to scale linearly or anything like that. But when you got Lucas playing 39% of the snaps, and you got guys like Byron Young, Keon White, Yaya Diabe, all above 70, Will McDonald, who a lot of people point at, is above 65. Will Anderson is only at 63% of the snaps. But that's a big contributor to where you know Lucas's production relative to others guys is or isn't and you've laid out a lot of really good points is you know your three points that you made are excellent ones to go a step further on you know the where he is in terms of the learning curve side of it so a lot of people who say like will he played in a 4-3 in college so why isn't he you know he should be better at it this year
00:35:48
Speaker
One, it's not the same one that he played at Iowa. And two, and to go further down that point, he's not doing the same thing he did at Iowa. At Iowa, he played like Justin Tuck used to for the for the Giants, where he would start on the outside, he would start at defensive end, you know, on base downs, run downs, whatever you want to call it, but on definitive passing situations, he was rushing as the three technique and he was really effective as it. and You know, that's one of those areas where I do wish Halfly would allow Lucas the the benefit to rush from the interior. Not that he's like this is this immaculate technician or
00:36:35
Speaker
You know, it's just that he does so something like elite at an elite level, but his athleticism plays up his, you know, then you combine that with his size and like his arm length and all those physical traits and athleticism. They combine to play up when he plays on the interior because most guards are not equipped to handle what he's got on the inside, even if it is just like a straight, you know, jab step and cut the other way kind of thing. And.
00:37:01
Speaker
you know the pressure stats are up over the second half of the season you know the the joke is that not joke but you know since the bi-week he's like top five or ten in the league in terms of pressure stats you know per like pff and another a couple other sites so like there's improvement there but kind of like what we said about tucker craft last season is like do give him some things that he is like really used to doing while you have him learn other stuff and at the same time he's got the same number of sacks through two season that Roshan had. Roshan was more playing on the edge like 80-90% of the time at Michigan as opposed to where Lucas was like
00:37:46
Speaker
I don't have the exact, but I feel like it was closer to 50-50 or maybe 60-40 like where he was on the edge versus where he was rushing on the interior. And the thing is, is to me,
00:37:57
Speaker
especially if Wyatt's out for a little bit. But because you've had so much trouble generating interior pass rush at different points in the season, whether it's because of Wyatt dealing with injury, Kenny Clark dealing with the toe injury the whole season, or Karl Brooks having a long ramp up into the season. you know He really only has started to come on the last month.
00:38:19
Speaker
i wish that they had given lucas interior snaps to kind of just let him hit the gas and go and like shoot an a or a b gap and try and attack in a straight line to the quarterback and i do like a lot of the improvements he's made i do think he's been a better hand fighter he's setting up moves better on the edge but because of the kind of rusher he is, he's either got to dump truck his lineman into the quarterback. You know, you've seen Rashawn do it a couple of times and Lucas has done it a few times here and there, but the quarterback just hasn't been there when he's done it. and And so, or, you know, he's trying to set up like a legit speed move and it's either not quite there yet, or again, the quarterback's not there at eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. So,
00:39:06
Speaker
as much as it is an individual you've got to beat your man kind of thing there is a you and you've talked about it a lot there is a there is a it a harmony that has to happen between the past rush where you can't have just one guy winning every time like that's where KGB was kind of special where like they didn't have another pass rusher and he was like the only guy that was a pass rusher which was which made his like four straight seasons of double digit sex even more stupidly weird because they just didn't have anyone else who really created pass rush but like you just can't win that way in the NFL anymore everyone's got to be able to push the pocket and it's
00:39:48
Speaker
It's that synchrony that synchronization of Rushware. And you've seen it where, like, Rashawn hasn't gotten a sack, but Lucas cleaned it up for him. Or Carl Brooks flushes the quarterback up in the pocket, and Rashawn comes back to get the sack or stuff. Like, the the only guy who's, the only two guys who have really just won and beat their guy and got in a sack are Rashawn has done it a couple times, Davante Wyatt when he just wins through the A gap and he's just running at the quarterback. And then the couple times where Brendan Cox is like, fuck it, I don't care, I'm just going to run at the quarterback and dab the torpedoes, I'm going for it. so And that's the thing is like,
00:40:31
Speaker
he's learned he reprogrammed to playing on two feet last year for the three four and now he's learning to play with his hand in the dirt again and he's not playing the position he played in college predominantly so it's going to take time And I know some people are like, oh, but Mosby out snapped him or Cox out snapped him. But it's it goes back to something you pointed out last, it you pointed out on the recap show where he dropped, Lucas dropped into coverage a couple of times. And to me, that's why Mosby and Cox played over him is they're both guys who did that a lot more in college. And
00:41:14
Speaker
that was part of Halfly's scheme for what he wanted to do against Minnesota is, again, he was so overcompensating for a lack of coverage guys that he's like, I'm not blitzing, blitzing. I'm going to four man rush, but I'm going to drop guys out, send different guys, send the linebacker, send a secondary player, drop a lineman out. And the lineman, the position that Lucas plays was often the guy dropping and like someone pointed out like oh Lucas is dropping but he's dropping where no one is I'm like well it's because he never drops like he didn't drop in college very much you know I know they used him as a spy every once in a while but that's not the same as zone dropping out of like a out of a defensive end stance and stuff and Barry sure as hell didn't have him doing that last year so yeah like
00:42:03
Speaker
There's context with everything. And if you don't understand the context, it's not like they're disappointed in it. It's not solely, I should say, they're disappointed in him. and And you've heard Rebovitz talk about it. You've heard Halfly talk about how they like what they're seeing out of him. Yes, they want to see him make more plays, but the progression is there. You just have to look with the right keys and the right context to understand what's happening there.
00:42:26
Speaker
so Like, yes, obviously would love him to be an eight plus sack guy this year and playing 60% of the snaps. But even if he had turned the corner, he was never going to be above 50% of the snaps because of how they're trying to. Even Bruce Shawn isn't playing like over 65% of the snaps this year. So that's just how they're rotating so heavily this season and.
00:42:47
Speaker
like if your top guy isn't playing that many of the snaps, your third or fourth, depending on how you want to look at it, Edgerusher isn't going to play that many of the snaps. So that's just how it is. And honestly, I would be more concerned if he was like inactive or something, which obviously he's not. So I think they're progressing. And like I said, I just wish that they would let him do some of the stuff he did in college. And I think it would help the defense if he got to rush from a three technique stance and stuff. Right. And just to go back to my table here, because I put a lot of work into this. So I'm going to go back to it as much as I can.
00:43:27
Speaker
oh Tyree Wilson went number seven overall, which was six spots before Lucas went.
00:43:41
Speaker
He's only playing 50% of the snaps. And that's what a bad team in Las Vegas. and And Max Crosby has been out for like a couple of weeks. or he's He's on IR, so yeah. Yeah, he's only playing 50% of the snaps. He's only got a second and a half more than Lucas does. They've got the same same amount of tackle tackles for loss. Lucas has more tackles overall.
00:44:10
Speaker
Tyree's only got four more QB hits and four more QB hurries. And they've got the same amount of force fumbles. Tyree's got, what, eight more pressures. That's 11 more percent snap production. If Lucas was getting that 50%, I'm pretty sure he would be getting close to those numbers also.
00:44:40
Speaker
But like Mike pointed out, you know, they're, they're relying on that heavy rotation, which it's not a bad thing. You know, you want to have a ton of guys out that you can rotate in and out, but yes, kind of pulling. And at the same time though, like the rotation is nice from a freshness standpoint, but if you talk to guys who rush the passer, it's, it's all a setup.
00:45:04
Speaker
like you're trying to read the offensive line when you're going again. And you're you know just like you know the Jordy Nelson route where it's like, we're going to run this route, run this route, run this route. And then, bam, we're going to hit you with this double move that like feels like it's open every time we run the play action the way we do. It's the same thing for pass rushers. And so Roshan's only playing 60% of the snaps on the season. That's your number one edge rusher is playing 60% of the snaps.
00:45:29
Speaker
and you've heard it from guys like like the best pass rushers in the league in league history where you know they're like yeah obviously it would be nice to like not play 70 80 percent of the snaps but If I set up my best move and I know I can go to it whenever I can, I need reps in a game. I need three, four, five reps in a row to be like, yeah, I'm going to do this. Yeah, I'm going to do this. And then, you oh, he don't come and do something different. And, you know, Dwight Friedi can't set up his spin move if he doesn't play the other downs or if he rushes straight kind of thing. So, like, I do think that's an element of it as well, where, like, they're rotating so often that Lucas is like,
00:46:13
Speaker
It's not necessarily paralysis by analysis, but it's like, oh, I'm going to go for a power move. But like maybe the tackle has just seen power rushes all day. So it's like, oh, like he's set up for that. so it's like And in in the middle of his rush, he's like, it's not going to work. I've got to try something else and stuff. And yes, developing counters and initiating his counters more quickly, that's all part of his improvement process. But that stuff that you know just like we were talking about with Hopper and Oladapo, that takes reps.
00:46:44
Speaker
I know some people will say like, well, he's not demanding a higher snap meal. What? Like if the number one edge rusher is only playing 60% of the snaps. your number three or four guy is not going to out snap him. And you know maybe that'll change with Halfly next year. But like I said, if if Lucas does increase his snap count, I think it's going to be because he's getting roughly the same amount of snaps on the edge. But on passing downs, he's getting more interior rush snaps and stuff like that. And I think that's another thing I would love to see Halfly experiment with this week against, especially against
00:47:22
Speaker
the the Bears where having the most athletes you can to corral Williams would be a bonus. So like I said, this just goes into another reason why like use this week to cook some crazy shit up and That's kind of where I'm going to leave it with Lucas. It all ties in together. like it It really does. Not even trying to like come up with that. It really just all does tie in. Halfly has done an amazing job of being way more open-minded, imaginative with how he schemes and attacks opposing offenses. But there's still another level that he can go to.
00:48:00
Speaker
and i It's one of the the angles that I'm really hoping to you know see. but this game you know They have two guaranteed games. They have this Bears game and then they have whatever wild card game they play on the playoffs. And I really do hope we see different things from Halfly because you know whether they do or don't work, if they don't work, honestly, that's more an indictment of the players.
00:48:22
Speaker
I want to see Halfway through the kitchen sink at this point because that'll have me a lot more excited about where we go moving forward because yes,
00:48:36
Speaker
and like we said, the offense has to get going because this defense was never built to hold the to just like hold other teams to 10 points. That was never going to happen. This offense has got to score freaking points earlier in games and more efficiently.
00:48:53
Speaker
We got a couple more points and then we'll move on to the next move off of this one. And hopefully that answers what Gumby was asking. But my other, uh, uh, comparison that I was going to throw up was Miles Murphy, who a lot of Packer fans seem to want to have my, you know, take Miles Murphy. Okay. Great. Miles Murphy is playing 40% of the snaps, which is only 1% more than Lucas's has.
00:49:23
Speaker
11 less tackles oh Five less tackles for loss three less sacks one less pressure one less force fumble three less QB hits and two less hurries He's playing I know it's 1% but it's still one more percent than what Lucas is and Lucas is outperforming him and this was a guy that a lot of Packers fans wanted over Lucas van s I know the big name is Will McDonald, but, and I'll throw those numbers out here for people who are thinking that he's playing 65% of the snaps with the New York jets. He's got seven more, uh, no, he's only got four more tackles for a loss, but he's got seven more sacks. That's it. And he's got five West tackles at all.
00:50:21
Speaker
He's got more pressures, but that comes with the snap percentage. You know, and that was the other point that I was going to make was you pointed it out perfectly. Lucas came from a school where you had, and Mike knows this just as well, because Michigan's the same way. They're blue collar, blue chip prospects. These guys are, you know, they,
00:50:47
Speaker
what What's the saying about the blue collar ones? They're, they're the ones that bring their lunch pails to work. You know, they're, they're, they're guys that go out there and work their ass off. And like you said, you know, he's got to see the field more to be able to set up his stuff. It's, it doesn't come easy for him to set up his pass rush moves. Yes, he didn't start for Iowa for, you know, whatever reasons.
00:51:13
Speaker
But just because he wasn't the starter doesn't mean he didn't play the majority of the snaps for the hot guys. And he had success when he was playing more snaps. So hopefully, Gumby, this this answers your your question on what they're saying. Basically, when fans are telling you to the they should that the Packers should give up on him, just tell them to shut the fuck up.
00:51:41
Speaker
so Nicely done. and and Like that segue So technically I've got two of them and Mike you kind of brought it up earlier and I was gonna jump in on it then but I was like no I'll wait and that's this whole discourse around Jair and I'm seeing a lot of people and there's one specifically that keeps throwing this out there and I think it's his you know
00:52:13
Speaker
If it happens, it's a, my, I told you so moment. And
Jair's Future with the Packers
00:52:17
Speaker
that's good old Pete Bukowski who keeps saying that, well, Jayers played his last snaps with the Green Bay Packers. No, I don't see it. For one, it doesn't make sense. The Packers aren't hurting for money. I think it was, uh, Wendell Ferreira that just released an article today or yesterday that They're going to have a hefty amount of money rolling over next year. Over the cap puts them at almost $65 million in cap space next year in 2025. So technically this year, but the next season, that's a lot of money. I know there's a lot of guys that they're going to have to re resign and there's a lot of stuff right there and draft picks and everything else, but the Packers are not in cap health.
00:53:13
Speaker
that they have to do anything with Jair. Based on over the cap numbers, if the Packers were to release Jair for the 2025 season, dead money is $18 million. The cap relief is only $7 million.
00:53:36
Speaker
doesn't make sense to you, doesn't make sense to me. And it's not even just that's, it's not even just the money side of it there. And I know some people are going to say like, Oh, you don't know who's going to cut. No, I don't. I'm basing this off of who the fuck is going to be a free agent when the clock, who is definitely going to be a free agent when the clock strikes midnight on March 3rd or whatever the turnover date for the newly here is this quarterback free agent class sucks.
00:54:00
Speaker
Like there is no, you're not finding a Jair level player on the, you know, you're not bidding war and someone away from another team. The franchise tag still exists. And, the only one that I know that of that's appetizing is maybe a Sante Samuel Jr. And he's had a bad three years since like his rookie year was really good and it's just been all mess. And so that's a reclamation project. I like, and I had, so I tweeted too, like,
00:54:28
Speaker
I think he's back because you, I know like, you know, different people I put out the like, he's only played more than seven games once in the past four years. Okay. And I know this is kind of cherry picking, but that one season he was in all pro 2021. How does he get hurt? He takes on Najee Harris and fucks his shoulder up. That's a freak injury.
00:54:52
Speaker
2024 has the stupid bullshit, you know, unfortunate knee injury that has been just this roller coaster of emotions that, you know, he injuries it against Jacksonville, tries to come back too early again, Chicago, and then it's just been in the shitter sense. Last year was the whole year. And they're saying his issue is he's having swelling in the knee.
00:55:13
Speaker
Yeah, that's why he's been able to practice but hasn't been able to play because he's not responding to the practice because his knee is swelling up after said practice. Yeah, so that calls the and like I said that calls that he's just stealing money from the team. No, he's trying to be out there. But So you're on this like, so like last year was the only year where he missed a bunch of games because of a bunch of like nagging injuries kind of thing. Otherwise it's been two freak injuries that have knocked him out of the chunk of seasons, which for a smaller corner, no, he doesn't quote unquote get better at avoiding those as he ages. But also at the same time, it's not the same injury over and over and over. So it's not like he's got a bad knee or a bad, you know, like a chronic whatever or anything like that.
00:55:59
Speaker
know, this isn't the bakhtiari thing where it's just a degenerative issue. Well, you hope it's not at least. But so on that front. And like I said, you combine that side of it, you combine the fact that there is no one in free agency that you're like, oh, yeah, if they sign this guy, their corner back room will be better. And yes, good.
00:56:19
Speaker
should probably will really attack the cornerback class in this draft because as of right now, Kishon, Jair, Valentine, those are your only corners signed through 2025. But they're rookies and you can't guarantee you know like everyone will be like well Quinean Mitchell well you don't know that Quinean Mitchell there is a Quinean Mitchell who will fall to 20 whatever and every everyone wants good corners so you can't just magically get one to fall to you and so then if you don't get one in round one then it's like oh so you cut Jair to rely on
00:57:00
Speaker
a mid or lower tier free agent signing and a non, you know, not saying that you can't find good cornerbacks in not round one, but you're really going to say that, you know, after everyone complained about how Goott handled the corner situation this year, that a team that's supposed to be another year into their Super Bowl window is going backwards in their cornerback room. Like, that's what you're doing as the cards lay right now, not knowing what the draft situation is, you know, and you can't say like, oh, someone else will get cut. It's like, well, what team is going to cut a good corner who's not in injury concern?
00:57:39
Speaker
You know, like that just doesn't happen. You don't cut those guys. So yeah. and You know, it's so easy to say guys like Xavier and Howard and stuff like that. Why hasn't he been on a team? Cause he can't pass a fucking physical. Okay. So what I see go doing with the corner position is what he did with the safety position overload on it.
00:58:05
Speaker
But he didn't also rely on draft picks. What did he do? He brought in a veteran on top of having draft picks. And that's my point is that there is no Xavier McKinney. There's nothing near that on the cornerback market this year. So like there is no it's for the people that are like you know like Peter who said he's definitely not back is like no you can't use the word definitely because like I said as it stands right now there is no there is no free agent that you're getting anywhere near the top end of Jaws play in free agency. They're just not. And whether there's cuts or whatever, I don't think that player becomes available who doesn't also have question marks like Jair, you know, nudge, nudge, Marshawn, Lattimore. Like, that would be the kind of guy who's getting cut for the same reasons Jair is getting cut. And for everyone- Right, who's only played, what, one game since being traded to the commander?
00:59:00
Speaker
we played a second one, but yeah, exactly. So continue on. You may, lead you may throw the punch line. Well, I was just going to go back to something that you said that, you know, he's been in, in the league for seven years, for seven seasons. He's only had three seasons where he's missed any significant time 2021 and the last two years. And like you said,
00:59:30
Speaker
It's all been freak incidents. It's not the same thing over and over again. It's not like a Christian Watson and Eric Stokes who were suffering from chronic you know hamstring injuries. and well it's not like oh It's not like a constant shoulder thing. It's not like a constant, you know, like clay with it's not like clay where it's like, at some point, Clay's hamstring is going to explode during a season kind of thing. Right. So, you know, it just, it is what it is. And like I said, I think Bukowski was just, is just trying to use it as, as a hog, you know, I told you so moment. If by some slim chance, they do release him in 2025, but
01:00:19
Speaker
His the best out for him if you're going to have an out for him is 2026. Yeah, because that's when the most cap relief is you still got a little bit of dead money, but there's more cap relief. Theoretically, they could do a post June first cut and that would save a ton of money. But if you're going to have them on the roster that long, you might as well just keep him. Yeah. Because you're just doing a disservice to him.
01:00:47
Speaker
by waiting that long to cut him and not allowing him to get onto another team. You know what I mean? yeahp I guess they could do kind of what they did with Bakhtiari and, you know, designated him as a post June 1st cut, but still that that does him no favors. And then that just ruins a relationship right there. So in the end,
01:01:13
Speaker
No, Jair's not getting cut. Yes, Jair will be back in 2025. So Pete Bukowski specifically, cause I'm not a big fan of yours. I know there's some friends of the show that are, you know, get along with you and that and like you and all that shit, but I think you're annoying little prick. So Pete Bukowski and anybody else who is saying that Jair is going to get cut, shut the fuck up. Now the last one I've already done.
01:01:40
Speaker
as a shut the fuck up earlier in the season. But I'm going to go ahead and do it again because like I said, there was an article that just came out. It's the 29th. And it's regard regarding good old former frenemy Zadaria Smith and his why he hates the Packers so much. And this is, uh,
01:02:09
Speaker
I'm going to read this full, not the full article that would, we're already over time on this. So I'm going to read you a portion of it real quick and get into it. So quote, it wasn't right. I gave that team my all. They lied to me about my back. Smith told go long for a lot of fans who think I did wrong or was the mean guy in the locker room. That's not my MO. I'm not that type of player. I want to help my team win, but they didn't know that story and outside looking in, I'd be mad.
01:02:40
Speaker
at me too. The veteran defender explained that he had been hampered by a back injury. Initially, the medical staff didn't tell him um about a bulge in his back for and after an evaluation. Smith got a second opinion from Dr. Robert Watkins and learned that he indeed was dealing with a bulge in his back, which was causing nerve issues. Smith flew out to California for for this evaluation, which did not go over well with the Packers. When he returned out to California to have surgery, the Packers find him every day he was gone.
01:03:10
Speaker
This is what the fans aren't knowing. It added up to a million dollars. Smith said they didn't void it. They kept it because I wanted to leave and go check my back out. End quote. So I know that was a long thing that I read, but basically, and this comment has gotten me over like 300 upvotes on Reddit. So I'm going to do it here and hopefully, hopefully it gets me some, some points on, on podcasting.
01:03:40
Speaker
with this conservative as this medical staff is, there is no way in hell they're not going to tell you about an issue they know about. You cannot tell me otherwise. This is
Controversy Over Zadarius Smith's Accusations
01:03:55
Speaker
the same group that dealt with Bakhtiari for the last three years. This is the same group that we're talking about Jair about this year. This is the same group that held that kept Aaron Rodgers from pushing himself back from broken collarbones. This is the same group that worked with Romeo Dobbs through his concussion this year. There is no way in hell this medical staff, Dr. McKenzie or whoever's the physician anymore, I think it's still Dr. McKenzie, is going to see a bulging disc in your back and say, nah, you're good, bud.
01:04:39
Speaker
you're You're good. You can go out there and play. You're sad. There's nothing wrong with you. There is no way in hell that's going to happen. the Plus that doesn't explain what happened to you with Cleveland. That doesn't explain what happened to you in Minnesota.
01:04:57
Speaker
So yes, there might've been an issue. I'm not saying there was no injury. I'm not saying you didn't have some kind of dispute with the medical staff.
01:05:09
Speaker
My opinion is, is the medical staff told you there was something wrong with your back, but they weren't quite sure exactly what it was. And you weren't happy with that. So you went out to your specialist or whatever, without telling them you were going out to your specialist and you just up and left the team. And that's why you started getting fined. But for you to sit there and cut these guys down three years after the fact,
01:05:37
Speaker
and come out and claim it was the medical staff? No, I'm sorry, I can't believe it. its it just goes it's It's cowardly because he knows the team can't say anything because they'll sue over HIPAA violations and all that kind of crap. But what Zadarius is conveniently leaving out is, and I'd have to look at it, but I believe the story was he hurt his back like early or like in earlier in the middle of the off season.
01:06:02
Speaker
and I'm pretty sure his whole thing like, oh, the Packers, they find me for no reason. I'm pretty sure what the Packers were pissed off about is he basically used his back injury as like, I'm not getting it treated until we talk about my contract kind of thing. And like, the whole way that I'm like, the the reason that, you know, not and this isn't the like, I picked the team or the blood, but but
01:06:30
Speaker
Obviously hindsight is 20-20, but there always did seem to see something be something a little off between the team and Zadarius. Everything didn't always seem to be hunky-dory, except for the day that he signed his name on the dotted line for that contract. But that whole season, Lafleur seemed Like, you know, like everyone's like, oh, like he's not very forthcoming on Jair or Bakhtiari, but with the Zidarius one, it was a very different tone. Like instead of being irritated at the question, he was irritated that he had to answer the question. And I know a lot of people will say like, that's the same. No, it's not like the Jair and Bakhtiari one. He's like, look, I don't have an update for you. Those Zidarius ones were like weird because he was giving like,
01:07:17
Speaker
short of saying like, well, Zadaria should have figured that out. Like, like he had some, he had some really fiery ones during the sea. And like, he pretty much said, like, I think there was a point where he said, like, I'm not gonna answer it anymore, because I'm just gonna get myself and the team in trouble kind of thing, which spoke so many volumes about like, where that situation had devolved to and stuff. But it's, it's like,
01:07:45
Speaker
Like I said, I don't put too much attention to it because I just think it's a cowardly move by Zadaris because he knows the team can't really say anything outside of like, you know, it's unfortunate he thinks that way, but you know, we know what we know and he can say whatever, like that's really all the Packers can say at this point. So yeah. Medical staff could do, and it would be frigging hilarious if they did it.
01:08:11
Speaker
is Zadarius is pretty much saying malpractice without using the word malpractice. Right. And they could sue for defamation of character. They could. And that would be hilarious on on top of hilarious. Now, they're not going to do it because the Packers are always going to play the bigger the bigger man in the thing. We all know what the situation was with Zadarius, starting with him not being happy, he didn't get the the captaincy. So he went out and bought the giant pendantcy. And I was trying to remember, didn't they go from giving out captaincy's to, it was team voted, you know, the the players on the team voted for who the captains were each week? Something like that, yeah. So if
01:09:07
Speaker
The players aren't voting you as captain. Don't you see as that as an issue more than the team itself as an issue? And like I said, what he conveniently left out of that story is at the end of 2020 was the news that he was upset that the Packers weren't approaching him about a contract extension and all that kind of stuff. Then the back injury magically pops up around the time of the 2021 draft and all that kind of stuff. fit Or it like pops up at the beginning of training camp and then the team's like, well, yeah, he hurt himself like around the draft and it's still a problem and stuff. So yeah.
01:09:43
Speaker
like It all points back to Bunny and he can try and explain it away however he wants. But like the fond memories of 2019 and stuff, everyone only remembers like the no shows in the playoff and all. So it is what it is. But you can say the line because we'll put a ball on this episode. Right. And just to repeat what I said, you know,
01:10:09
Speaker
What explains the Minnesota, you know, why aren't you saying anything about Minnesota? Because you did the same thing with Minnesota. Why aren't you saying anything about Cleveland? Because you basically did the same thing in Cleveland to get your way out of Cleveland. I think there is an issue, but it's the one looking at yourself in the mirror or looking back at you in the mirror. Did the team do you right? Maybe not. But to come out and blast them like this,
01:10:38
Speaker
in things that Packer fans are a little bit more knowing on because yeah, they may not know the full thing on, you know, your whole medical record, but we know how these, this medical staff is. We know what they're, what they're able to, do you know, that they're going to hold you out for reasons. So for you to come out and blast it like this,
01:11:08
Speaker
It is. It's a very douchebag move. So Zadarius, I know you'll never hear this. And if you, even if you do, you'll just do a little, it's a Packer fan and you know, he's just doing what he's going to do. Shut the fuck up.
01:11:22
Speaker
And on that note, we will bid you good night. Happy new year. Wish you all a very good 2025. We hope the Packers find something to give us the greatest gift going into the new year, but, we will just be going on with our recap shows on Sunday at this point, as we transition into the off season. We'll see how long the run for the Packers goes, but for Iowa Joe, I might go pack, go happy new year and a little high.