Wisconsin Sports on the go with Trag
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Wisconsin Sports on the go with Trag
Badgers' Offensive Identity Crisis, Packers' Injury Challenges, and Can the Packers survive without Love? – Wisconsin Sports on the Go with Trag
How can the Wisconsin Badgers overcome their offensive identity crisis before facing Alabama’s powerhouse team? Join us on this episode of Wisconsin Sports on the Go, where we unpack the latest from the Badgers’ camp and Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo’s recent press conference. We scrutinize Longo’s strategy and its effectiveness under Head Coach Luke Fickle's influence and ponder if more autonomy in play-calling could spark the explosive offense we’ve been waiting for. Is Fickle's oversight a hindrance or a hidden asset? We analyze the delicate balance of guidance versus freedom as the Badgers prepare for a pivotal clash against Alabama.
We don’t stop at the Badgers' conundrums. Our conversation shifts to the Packers, examining their offensive line's health and the potential impact of David Bakhtiari’s comeback. Can the Packers sustain their momentum with Jordan Love’s injury clouding the horizon? We dig into Matt LaFleur's cautious approach and the strategic implications for upcoming games. With Malik Willis possibly at the helm, we explore scenarios for Green Bay's path to success, even amid adversity.
Our sports coverage wraps up with a comprehensive look at the NFL power rankings and the Milwaukee Brewers' current series against the San Francisco Giants. We highlight key movements in the rankings and the controversies shaping the league, including Tyreek Hill’s recent traffic stop. Plus, the Brewers’ hopeful series lead keeps us on edge. Tune in for an episode packed with thoughtful analysis, critical insights, and a look ahead at the key matchups and strategies that will define Wisconsin sports in the coming weeks.
Thank you how we doing everybody and welcome in to Wisconsin Sports on the go with Trage. I'm your host, trage. Today is September 11th, wednesday. September 11th a great day in the great state of Wisconsin, or I hope it's a great day wherever you are tuning in out there. Today we take a second. We remember back to 2001,. The tragic day that was September 11th.
Speaker 1:I mean to me I was young, yet I mean I'm a year old at that point, right Yesterday was my birthday right, yesterday was my birthday, but it's still one of those things that even impacts people who weren't remembering that day or anything like that. You still hear about it, you learn about it, everything like that. You still you hear about it, you learn about it, everything like that, and you still you feel for everybody who was impacted by that tragic day, everything that happened there, and I mean prayers out to the families, everything like that of anybody who was impacted on that day, because it was a tragedy, it really was, and all we hope that we do and continue to do. And it's hard to even think about because of the messed up world that it seems like we're living in and we can't even get together as people nowadays. But we hope that we can just keep growing and keep moving forward and hopefully the world just becomes a better place. That's all you can ask for every single day. So, with that, lots to get into today, lots to get into today.
Speaker 1:We didn't get into the Badgers much yesterday on the show. I want to get into the Badgers today here. Phil Longo spoke to the media. Luke Fickle spoke to the media ahead of the Alabama matchup. I want to look at both of their press conferences there. And then also I want to look into the Packers a little bit more. We got more to talk about with Packers after a disappointing week one to a lot of people and a lot of stuff that we have to talk about before week two, before the Indianapolis Colts game there. And then also just a little tidbits around the MLB Just see how everything's shaking out there. And looking around the NFL at this last weekend and some of the things we saw, some of the things that we liked, didn't like, and some teams that some fan bases just need to relax. They just need to relax out there.
Speaker 1:So right away, let's get into the Badgers. Let's get into the Badgers. Let's talk about what Phil Longo had to say, because this is the guy who I believe this might be just me talking, this might just be me talking, which it is right. It is me talking, this might just be me talking, which it is right, it is me talking. But Phil Longo, to me, is kind of on a. I wouldn't say he's on a hot seat, but his seat is warming up in Madison. I truthfully believe his seat is warming up because what I have seen over the past couple seasons this last season, now this first couple games, which is not a huge sample size, but it's like a Badger team that doesn't have an identity.
Speaker 1:Right, you need an identity right Throughout the years. What was the Badgers? You knew what they were going to do. You knew what they wanted to do. Right, every team's got that identity where it's like this is what they want to do. Some teams they're all around. Right, alabama can run the football. They can also pass the ball. Ohio state was always like that. Michigan last year, they wanted to run the ball. That's what they wanted to do. Or it was a dip and dunk with the pass. Right, there's lots of different um over the years. Universities still what same universities are still doing out there, and Wisconsin, to me right now, just doesn't have that identity. I don't know what they're.
Speaker 1:You know, truthfully, it's not an air raid offense. It's not and I mean a lot of people have been trying to figure that one out it's not an air raid offense. So what is it then? Right, it's like a Paul Crist hybrid offense. Right, we're leaning towards the run, yet we're trying to throw the ball a little bit more. We're running a lot more out of the shotgun, a lot more in the pistol. We're trying to start the. You know we're having backslide. You know I sit there and I'm like, okay, what is it right? I mean, you look around, it's labeled air raid. It's labeled as an air raid. Well, it doesn't seem like an air raid because we're playing mid-level to short dip and dunk passes right now. It really doesn't seem like an air raid offense to me.
Speaker 1:The badgers, first and foremost for me, need to find an identity on the offensive side. What are we trying to do? What is our focus? You know, and phil longo kind of goes into what he's been seeing out of the offense and everything like that over the first couple weeks there. So so he comes in to the press conference there talking about you know they have Alabama coming up a couple wins there. He says if we're going to be a little less explosive or a little more conservative or a little more efficient to win a game, that's what we're going to do. Whatever it takes to win the next football game is our approach. Fans love seeing points and they love seeing big plays. I think any of them would trade those for wins just about any day of.
Speaker 1:I'm not even going to move on there quite yet because I want to look at that statement that he said there, where he said I'm here to please Coach Fickle. Who's the offensive coordinator for the Badgers? Is it Luke Fickle? Is he the one telling you what to do, or are you the offensive coordinator? Are you the guy calling the plays? I'm here to please Luke Fickle. I'm here to please Luke Fickle. I'm here to please Coach Fickle.
Speaker 1:Well, if this is you trying, if you're supposed to be which is what we were under the impression of if you are supposed to be this offensive mind, if you're supposed to be this guy who's going to be able to come in, lead this Badger team in an air raid offense and be able to have explosive plays and everything like that, if you are supposed to be that guy, what is holding you back? Is it Luke Fickle? Is Luke Fickle holding Phil Longo back in the play calling department? Is that what I'm hearing out of this? I don't get that statement. I don't. What are you trying to say to us there? I'm trying to please Coach Fickle. Is he got you on a leash? Is there a leash there that's holding you back? I mean, I get it right. You're under the leadership of the head coach, right, but you're the offensive coordinator, you're drawing up plays, you're getting guys in the right spots. That's your job. It's not Luke Fickle's job. That's your job.
Speaker 1:So if everybody right now is answering to Fickle and everybody right now has got to do what Fickle says when he says it, is that why we have a crap show. Is that why this offense seems like it doesn't have an identity and where it doesn't seem like it flows and it seems like guys are out of, they're not even on the same page at times and it seems like the offensive line is struggling and it just seems like the whole offense at times it just doesn't look right. Is that why I mean, we're sitting here and even I've sat there and I've sat there and and I've blamed Longo and I blamed his play calling and I blamed this and I blamed that but now he comes out and he says I'm just here, I'm here to please Coach Fickle. That makes me believe that Fickle's the man, fickle's in charge.
Speaker 1:Fickle is the guy telling you what to do on certain situations which can agree with at times, if he's like, let's go for it on fourth down right. That's how it should be. Your head coach should be the guy in your ear saying, well, why don't we do this, why don't we do that? I get those. I, I really do. I understand what he's saying. What, what that scenario would be like like we're trying to, we're trying to, we're trying to, essentially I wouldn't use the word please Coach Fickle, but we're in agreeance with him on things that he wants to do in certain situations. Right, but you're the offensive coordinator, call the offense.
Speaker 1:And if he's not calling the offense, well then we need a new offensive coordinator who can call the offense. I don't need Luke Fickle to be in charge of my offense. I don't think that Luke Fickle is this offensive guru. I don't, I really don't. So if that's the fact, then they need to go out and search for a new offensive coordinator, because if he's not good enough to call the plays and call the offense himself and take care of the offensive side of the ball, while Luke Fickle's got to deal with everything else, if he's not capable of doing that, well then we've got to find somebody else who's able to do it, right. I mean, we look at the NFL. We look at Matt LaFleur. Yes, he calls the offense. Matt LaFleur calls the offense. That's Matt LaFleur, matt floor. Matt lafleur is a very good play caller. Matt lafleur is a genius at times with some of his play calls.
Speaker 1:What I've seen out of the badgers so far, not a whole lot of genius going on, a lot of methodical, a lot of slow pace. Tell me the difference between that and paul chris offense. Why did we change that? Why? Why was there a change? So that's what I got out of that first statement. I and maybe I'm interpreting, interpreting it wrong, maybe I'm thinking about it wrong. Whatever it is, maybe I'm just not reading it to the way that he was trying to say it. But when I hear that, I hear I'm doing whatever he wants. I'm not arguing with him, I'm not challenging him, I'm not doing my own thing, I'm doing what he wants, because that's what's going to make my job easier. So that's what's going to make my job easier. So that's what I got out of that first statement.
Speaker 1:There he goes on and he talks a little bit more. He said we got to continue to do what we need to do to create more explosives. We increased that from game one to game two and that'll continue to be an emphasis for us moving forward. The biggest play was that. Um to CJ Williams for the touchdown. Outside of that, yeah, there was some bigger plays in that game, but it's not like it was this high, flowing, high offense. You know consistently throughout a game, that you're going to need, in a game against Alabama, that you're going to need the threat of in a game against USC or Penn State or Oregon. You're going to need to have the ability to set up an explosive play in those scenarios. And right now it's few and far between with this offense.
Speaker 1:So to me, what I'm hearing out of Phil Longo is Phil Longo, either he's got to call the offense and he has to do what he thinks is right and stop trying to just please fickle. I'm just here to please fickle. That's enough. That's enough of that crap. That's enough of that crap. Either you're calling the offense or you're just.
Speaker 1:I don't even know, truthfully, what your role is. I don't know what you're doing during the game. You're kind of just there. You're kind of just there to oversee, but in all reality you're not doing a darn thing. I mean it's. It really seems like I mean man. It really seems like I mean man.
Speaker 1:It really seems like ever since Luke Fickle came in, I catch myself just back to the same point. I catch myself back to the same point. Is this Badger team getting better? Are they getting better, right? Ever since Paul Chris was gone, jim Leonard was gone, those guys left the building I've sat here and I've thought to myself is this Badger team getting better? Are they, truthfully, does it look like they're heading in the right direction? And every time I think it look like they're heading in the right direction, and every time I think it, I truthfully don't. You know, in hindsight, I hope so. Right, I really do think.
Speaker 1:I don't think Luke Fickle's a bad coach. I don't think he's a bad coach, but then is it the coordinators that are causing the issue? What is causing the issue? Because I sit there and I ponder to myself and I'm like what does this Badger team need to do better?
Speaker 1:And I look at the linebacker core and I look at the defensive line and it's like you look back at Paul Chris defenses and you looked at the linebackers. I saw a statistic the other day of all the linebackers have just come out of Wisconsin and gone into the NFL, and I believe there's five of them right now that are in the NFL. Leo Chanel I talked about him the other day. He might be one of the better guys on Kansas City's defense. You got TJ Edwards in there. I mean, I'm not saying that you know those guys weren't diamond in the rough guys or that you know this and that, but we, you, but we had Luke Fickle coming in. We thought we were getting this coach that was going to take us to the promised land right off the bat, and I didn't expect that.
Speaker 1:I was like it's going to take a couple years. Right, it's going to take a couple years. I thought last year was going to be kind of a trial run, get everybody kind of flowing in the new offense. This season was going to be a little bit better and then next season we were going to possibly see this Badger team at you know, getting closer to its full potential with everybody flowing into the system. I haven't seen this Badger team take that next step. The offense for me the offense has does not look like it's getting better. And we bring in these transfer quarterbacks right. Tyler Van Dyke comes in from an air raid offense. Tanner Mordecai came in from a I mean having 7,000 yards in his career passing the football there, and it was just like these guys are going to be. I was so excited they're going to be able to plug and play into this offense. It's all going to look good. And I just haven't felt it yet. I really haven't. I haven't felt like this Badger team is moving in that direction. That makes you feel good. I haven't. So that's where I'm kind of at right now, thinking about what Phil Longo had to say there.
Speaker 1:But we move on to what Luke Fickle had to say about this upcoming matchup with Alabama. He was talking about there and he said I think that there's a lot of things that they're doing defensively that look similar to some of the things that I would probably recognize, but there's still. You can think you know too much. Fickle said We've changed a bit defensively. In some ways he's talking about his old friend there in Alabama. I believe he's the co-defensive coordinator now, Colin Hichler Hichler, that sounded bad. That really sounded bad. I'm sorry about that. That really sounded bad. I don't know how to say his last name. That sounded really bad. I apologize for that. Colin, whatever the heck his last name is there down at Alabama, there the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach there and he was talking about him a little bit there, and I mean just completely, just talking about the defense there. He was talking about some of the things that had to do with Alabama's offense.
Speaker 1:Wisconsin only has given up 249 yards per game so far this season. Alabama and they have scored on throws of 84 yards, 55 yards and 43 yards. They like to air the ball out. Wisconsin's secondary will be tested in this game and that's what Luke Fickle had to say about Alabama's offense. Heading into this game, who also they have the ability to run the football. We know Jalen Milrow can get out of that backfield and run. We know that he likes to air it out a little bit too there. So you got to watch out for both effects there with this Alabama offense.
Speaker 1:So, looking at the defense for Wisconsin it's going to be a lot about in coverage, keeping with your guys, and then in that linebacker core, like I was talking about there, the struggle in the lineback core. No, jake Chaney, for the first half against Alabama you got to be able to control Jalen Milrow and keep him in that pocket, keep him from getting the big chunk yards by himself, because if he gets in the open field you got a whole another boatload of trouble there to have to deal with Wisconsin's offense. They've averaged 27.5 points per game, 386 yards per game and only converted 17 of 30 on third down. This season. Alabama has only surrendered 16 points in its two early victories. I mean they played two not-so-good programs, right, so that tells you a lot about that. But Wisconsin definitely. I mean, like Luke Fickle was talking there, they definitely need to prove on the offense side of the ball being able to convert on third down, being able to keep their defense fresh. Keep them off the field there. Put drives together, methodical offense, being able to keep Alabama's defense on the field. Get them tired. Try to work the ball slowly down the field. Do your thing. It's going to turn into it.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know. Truthfully, I want to keep the the. You know wisconsin has a shot against alabama. Mindset going into this game here. If wisconsin wants to have a shot against alabama, they have to almost play like a paul christ offense kind of game against alabama. You're not going to win a gunslinging fit uh, fist fight. You're not going to win a gunslinging fight. You're not tyler van dyke in thislinging fight. You're not Tyler Van Dyke in this offense.
Speaker 1:From what I've seen so far and I hope I'm wrong, I really do hope I'm wrong I hope they can win a slugfest. I really do. I wish, I hope and I do pray that they could. But what I've seen, what I've watched, this Wisconsin team cannot win one of those games, cannot win one of those games. This Wisconsin team needs this game to be a low scoring game, like when they played LSU. Right, that was a low scoring game when they beat number five LSU a few years back.
Speaker 1:So what gives you the optimism heading into this game is if the defense and that is if the defense can step up in this game slow down Alabama's offense, get off the field on third downs, be able to get the ball back to the offense and the offense. I'm going to tell you this now I want to see a couple big explosive plays. I really do, and it'd be great to have them in this game here, be able to kind of put Alabama on their heels. But Wisconsin is going to have to play at times in this game some ground and pound, old school get after you kind of offense. And they got to hope I mean Tyree Walker I hope he's healthy for this one and Chez Malusi's in this one. They got to hope that their backs can find some holes, they can get up to that second level. They can put together some good runs on first and second down, set up third downs that are manageable and you can, I mean, dip and dunk for a first down. You got to be able to work the ball down the field.
Speaker 1:I mean, yes, in hindsight, it would be great if the Badgers could walk into this game and they had that kind of offense where you just felt like they could win this game in any kind of scenario, right, but I don't think they can. I'll be honest with you, right now, this is my most optimistic outlook as it can be, because I'm still giving them a shot, right, but I don't think they can. I'll be honest with you, right now, this is my most optimistic outlook as it can be, because I'm still giving them a shot, right, I'm still giving them. A lot of people aren't giving them a shot. I'm going to realistically tell you there's only one way for me that the Badgers win this game, and that is they get into a dogfight Like I'm talking like an Iowa dogfight, I'm talking like 15 to 7 kind of dogfight with Alabama.
Speaker 1:Alabama just comes out cold. They can't find anything, nothing's working. Maybe they come up with a lucky interception or a lucky fumble. Sometimes the ball rolls your way, and in this one, the Badgers need the ball to roll their way. But you need something to go your way in this game. You need this game to be a slow-paced, slow-moving. We're not explosive. Alabama can't move the ball. Even if Alabama does move the ball, it's slow. I mean, in all reality it's a low-scoring contest Like that, to me, is the one way. That's my way, that's my path for Wisconsin to win this game. They have to control the trenches. They have to be able to open up running lanes. They got to be able to just move the ball slow. Keep this as a low possession. We don't want to. It cannot turn. We look at the Ohio State game from a couple years ago and it was Graham Mertz. They went to the horseshoe and that was just an obliteration. That game was over within five minutes. That was just terrible. That was just an obliteration. That game was over it within five minutes. Like that was just just terrible. That was just terrible.
Speaker 1:You don't want this game to be anywhere near that kind of start. You want to play and I hate saying it, but you need to almost play that methodical football you have. It's like you want to win this game against a high powered offense and a pretty good defense in Alabama. You're going to have to play that style. You're going to have to play slow. You're going to have to play the ground-and-pound Paul Crist offense. Try to free up a tight end. Try to free up a wide receiver. Whenever you can, do some goofy things that get you guys open, whatever it is, but it's going to be those kind of things that win this game and is. But it's going to be those kinds of things that win this game.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, turnovers you cannot turn the ball over. If you're Wisconsin and you got to hope. Maybe Jalen Millrow makes a couple of mistakes, maybe a running back there fumbles the ball, one of their receivers tips a pass or something goes through his hands gets picked off. There's lots of different things that can happen in this game. Those are some of the things that you need to go in your favor if you're going to be able to pull off this one against Alabama so offensively.
Speaker 1:That's where I stand on this team is that they need to find a way to just move the football nice and slow, make it happen, burn some clock, keep that defense on the field and try to convert some third downs, to try and put some pressure, put this Alabama defense on their heels. If you can get the ground game going, if you get it going up the middle, you get some of the short stuff going. Maybe Alabama tries to cheat and that puts you ahead. Maybe that's what it does. Maybe they try to cheat and then you sneak Will Pauling behind them, or you sneak a guy like Bryson Green or Vinny Anthony behind him and then you hit that explosive play. There's lots of ways that you can shake it in this game, and the Badgers definitely will be. That's going to be.
Speaker 1:This is going to tell you a lot, right? This game is going to tell you a lot. If Alabama walks into Wisconsin and it's over by halftime, that's going to tell you a lot about the rest of the season for the Badgers. I mean, I'm going to be honest with you right now, like I would not feel comfortable with the rest of the slate that they have, because you have USC after this Alabama game. If you get completely just annihilated by Alabama on your home turf, traveling to USC is going to be tough. And then you still have Penn State, you still have Iowa, you still have Nebraska, you still have Oregon on the schedule. Right, you have to be able to. Just what would make me feel better about this game is if at the final, at the end of the game, it's like 27-14.
Speaker 1:If it's 27-14, the Badgers lose, I could walk out of there, I could walk from my couch and I could honestly say I don't feel as bad about Wisconsin. They played up to the competition. But if you go and you lose like 56-7, if it's just that kind of game, well, those two games to start the season where you were very unimpressive. Now you played against a good team and they just completely annihilated you. There's some tough teams in the big 10 that you're going to be facing off with and, uh, I don't feel good about the rest of that schedule. That I don't. I really don't. There's some tough teams in the Big Ten that you're going to be facing off with and I don't feel good about the rest of that schedule. Then I don't, I really don't. There's going to be some tough games in there and I don't know if the Badgers will be able to pull them off.
Speaker 1:I hope that this team continues to grow throughout the season so that I mean I'm wrong with that entire statement, but this Alabama game hinges just a little bit for me, just because I want to see this Badger team play a solid, just a game where I come out of it and say that was. They didn't win, but it was still impressive. That's what you want coming out of this game. So that's where I'm at right now with that whole Badger, with the Badger situation in Alabama week. Right, we're in Alabama week. We couldn't wait to get here and now it's like I wish it wasn't here. I wish we were playing like Western Michigan. I don't even want to play Western Michigan. I'll be honest with you. I don't want to play Western Michigan. I don't even know who. I'd want to get onto the Packers real quick there.
Speaker 1:I saw a lot of conversation happening all over social media and that was about David Bakhtiari is still out there. He's not signed by anybody. He's still out there. Would you want to bring him back as a Packer fan? Would you want to bring him back as a packer fan? Would you want to bring david bakhtiari back to this packers offensive line? Because week one they did have their struggles. Now, elton jenkins was, he played well. Zach tom played well. I thought jordan morgan played well in that game there. You know your two outside factors. Josh myers was the worst one at the center position, but david bakhtiari doesn't fix that unless you put him at the center position. So I mean Josh Myers. Hopefully he improves moving forward here. But you know that ship has sailed. We just kind of have to accept that one at this point, david Bakhtiari's days in Green Bay are done. They're done Like that is. We just got to let bygones be bygones with that one, that whole thing. David Bakhtiari is not coming back to Green Bay anytime soon there.
Speaker 1:So to Jordan Love, the Jordan Love situation. He was not put on the IR, I believe. If you're put on the IR ir, you have to sit out four weeks, I believe, or you'd have to be out until that fourth week. Uh, let's see. I believe a minimum of four games. So players on the IR need to miss a minimum of four games. So, with that three to six window that Green Bay had and well, they haven't completely closed the door on Jordan Love returning this week that would be like an end.
Speaker 1:I just wanted to uh, elaborate on that one too, because a lot of people were freaking out when they heard that there were still talks about Jordan Love being able to play this week and everything like that. Okay, first off, everybody needs to relax because we just paid Jordan Love a boatload of money. We're not going to throw Jordan Love back out onto that field if we have a glimmer of a doubt, just that little bit of doubt. You know that little bit of doubt. If we have that little bit of doubt that Jordan Love is not, if we just feel that he's not completely there yet, he's not completely ready to go, matt LaFleur's not throwing him back out there. Brian Gutekinds would call him and say, dude, he's not starting today. Just accept it. I don't care what he says, he's not starting today. Medical says that he's not completely ready.
Speaker 1:A lot of people were freaking out because they're like why is Matt LaFleur doing this, everything like that? Well, first off, matt LaFleur, the 1% chance that he gave us that Jordan Love was going to play against the Colts was essentially just a gimmick. You have to look at it as you don't want to tell the Colts what you're doing and what you're not doing. The Colts are sitting over there and they don't believe for a second that Jordan Love is playing, but they also don't know that he's not playing right. You're not ruling him out.
Speaker 1:It's like that whole situation with the 49ers right now with that backup running back and Christian McCaffrey and McCaffrey, you listen to that backup running back after the game and they asked him when did you know that you were going to start? He said friday and that would not have been good, because you're supposed to report when you have an injury. Nobody from the 49ers reported christian mcafree was going to be out or anything for that game on monday, which was yesterday there, the jets and the 49ers. So well, kyle shannon came out I don't know what he was. He came, shanahan came out, I don't know what he was. He came out and he's like I don't know what he was talking about, maybe somebody else, you know, was trying to get his you know spirit up and everything like that. But nothing was discussed like that. So out of that you got the simple fact of and yes, kyle Shanahan is playing that card and everything like that. But what truthfully, I believe in that situation was Christian McCaffrey was never going to go.
Speaker 1:But with the Jets defense, you scheme a game differently when you think Christian McCaffrey is in the game. You're going to scheme a game against the Packers differently when you think that Jordan Love is going to be out there. So you're basically just saying Jordan Love has got the potential to play. He's not playing, but he's got the potential to play. So now the Colts are sitting over there like well, we got to scheme up for Malik Willis because that's the guy we believe is starting. But we're also sitting there like, okay, there's that 1% chance that Jordan Love plays, so now we have to keep that in the back of our heads for different things. It's the mind game, right?
Speaker 1:Bill Belichick never listed Tom Brady out for a game. He lists him as questionable. He always used to list guys as questionable. You always do that because you don't want to let other teams know like, hey, this guy is for sure out, unless if he has a season-ending injury and he has the potential to be able to return it any week. You are definitely not listing him as a no doubt he's playing in this game.
Speaker 1:So that's essentially all that is right now. Is Matt LaFleur playing the game, just like any other head coach does in the NFL, not completely tipping his hand about what they're going to be doing come Sunday there against the Colts. So that is all that. That is Everybody who is worried about Jordan Love, and if Matt LaFleur is going to play him or not, he's not going to play him if he's not ready to go. Jordan Love would have to basically prove 100% that if he gets hit, there ain't no way that it's going to get worse. He's got to prove that 100%, that that thing is healed up and ready to go, and he's not going to be able to prove that right now. So that is that Jordan Love situation.
Speaker 1:So, without Love, for potentially two to three to four to five to six weeks right, that's the timeline there. We don't know if he could return week two, week three or whatever it is. We don't know. He's not going to return week three, four, five, six. He's in that range. Without him, the Packers what do they have to do to survive in those weeks? What is a good outcome in those weeks where you're sitting there as a Packer fan and when Jordan Love comes back, you're feeling like, okay, we're fine, we're fine, we still can do this, right.
Speaker 1:Well, it starts this week with the Colts. Now, I'm not saying that you have to. If they lose this game to the Colts, it's not the end of the world, right, but you have to see Malik Willis show you something in this game against the Colts. He has to come out, he has to look like he understands the playbook, he has to understand the calls. From what we heard from Matt LaFleur, he's been doing a good job of picking up things, working with the offense, understanding the offense, everything like that. So I'm not as concerned with that factor. But against the Colts. You got to see Malik Willis look like he can do it for a couple weeks, because then after that you have the Titans at Tennessee. But I still believe the Packers should be able to win that game in tennessee. They did get bear the bears some fits in week one, but I believe you can win that game in tennessee.
Speaker 1:The vikings game is going to be interesting because aaron jones and that offense didn't look terrible, sam donald running it. So the packers vikings match up there. Without jordan love could be dicey come week four, week five. Then if you don't have Jordan Love back yet, you have the Rams, followed by the Cardinals. If Jordan Love comes back, at that point you have the Texans, jags, lions, bears, 49ers and Dolphins all in a row. That's a tough stretch of games for Jordan Love coming back. So let's just say he misses. He's going to miss this week, I believe. So he's going to miss that Colts game, say I would honestly, if it doesn't look terrible, if they beat the Colts, I am starting. I am going to start Malik Willis against the Titans. I don't care. Unless, if Jordan Love is 110%, I'm starting Malik Willis against the Titans. I don't care, unless if Jordan Love is 110%, I'm starting Malik Willis against the Titans.
Speaker 1:If you go two and one, if you're two and one with Jordan Love returns against the Vikings, if he does return against the Vikings, you feel great. You feel great Now if you're 0-3, if you just lost those three games right there and Jordan Love returns against the Vikings there now you got a different kind of animal to deal with. Right Now you're trying to dig yourself out of a hole. This team's in shambles right now. But getting Jordan Love back, maybe that's a boost, right, maybe that's the boost they need. Let's just say, okay, I'm going to predict here, I'm going to predict and I'm going to say he's going to miss three weeks. He's going to miss three weeks there. So Colts, titans, vikings, you're going to miss those games there. Colts Titans, vikings, you already have a loss on the schedule.
Speaker 1:One and three is not bad. One and three is not bad. You're not completely in shambles, you're not falling apart completely. One and three isn't bad. Oh, and four, that's bad. That's bad news. If you're 0-4 when Jordan Love comes back, I don't like that situation one bit, especially with the tough games they have coming up.
Speaker 1:After that Vikings game 2-2, you're sitting pretty. I mean, if you're sitting at 2-2, you're sitting pretty. If Malik Willis walks in here and he goes 3-1, if he wins three games in a row, rattles him off. Jordan Love can stay out for a little bit, that's fine. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding on that one, I'm just kidding. But realistically, 2-2 in that stretch you're feeling good.
Speaker 1:But what does this team need to do? Well, you look at the defensive side of the ball. You have a couple teams now A couple teams. They're the Colts and the Vikings who are going to want to run the football on you. We watched the Vikings there against the Giants. Aaron Jones had a fantastic day for him there and Colts, anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor. They're going to want to run the football. So in those two games, your run defense has got to figure it out, right, quay Walker? If Quay Walker's ever going to figure out how to play the linebacker position in the NFL, he'll be able to do both, not just play good in the pass, because he's a good pass linebacker, but we need him to be a good run linebacker too. Can Quay Walker be a good run linebacker? We need to see it here in this stretch here, because the Packers definitely need to control that run Passing game. Jair Alexander has got to take a step up. He has to.
Speaker 1:That week one performance for as much trash talk. As he was doing on the field there against AJ Brown, he got cooked. Aj Brown made him his baby in that game there. Jair definitely needs to shut up. He needs to shut up. I love the trash talk. I love the trash talk. But if you're going to trash talk, dude, you better be able to back it up, and you have not. You did not show me that you could back it up against AJ Brown. You got to be able to do it in this game, in these games coming up here for this pack, they need you to be the star that we know. We paid you to be out there. Eric Stokes I thought he played a solid game against the Eagles.
Speaker 1:He needs to continue to do what he's doing and I mean, all in all, defensively, make a tackle. I mean too many missed tackles in game one. Can you blame the slippery surface? Sure, you can blame that. You can blame footing, you can blame all that kind of stuff. I get those. You can blame all that stuff you want, but in these games coming up you have to be able to control the line of scrimmage. You have to be able to set the outside. You got to be able to control the outside run. You got to be able to do your thing and I mean when a hole opens up, you got to be able to fill that hole. You can't blame Quay Walker for every run play that the Eagles had because Quay Walker was out on pass coverage. You know you can't blame him for everything, but when he was there he's got to be able to step into that role. Same with Eric Wilson if he's out there.
Speaker 1:We need to see more of Edger and Cooper because I thought Cooper played with the most fire in that linebacker core and I thought he's the most all around linebacker. I think he's the most best all around linebacker the Packers have right now. I really do. I think he's got the ability. I mean he's a run stuffer, he can be a run stuffer and he can also pass. He can defend in the passing game. So I think Adrian Cooper has got to play more in this next game for the Packers.
Speaker 1:Here I really do, outside of that defensive line, a lot of bad grades coming out last game there. They've got to be able to put pressure on Anthony Richardson in this game, be able to keep him and be able to collapse that pocket on him in this game here. Take away something from Anthony Richardson because we see from him in game one against the Texans, he can throw the football, he can run it too. You've got to be able to control one aspect of that game for him. And when he gets out of that pocket, linebackers, you've got to be able to step up. You've got to be able to fill in and control him there.
Speaker 1:So for me, what needs to happen in this stretch without Jordan Love, the defense has got to play a lot better. First off, the offensive line is going to have to play a boatload better. You know, what makes a backup quarterback's job a lot easier is when they don't have to make split-second decisions because whoever's rushing them is right on them within 2.5 seconds. You've got to be able to give him time in that pocket to be able to step back, step into a throw, make the right read, make the right throw, especially early on there, and also opening up holes for uh, josh jacobs in there, emmanuel wilson, whoever it is, you gotta be able to open up holes for those guys, because the run game is going to be detrimental in these. For in these games without jordan love, you're going to need the run game to be able to step up too, because you don't want to put it all on Malik Willis to try and figure it out there. So definitely need the offensive line to take a big step up in these next couple games.
Speaker 1:Here I'm going to be honest with you. I'm starting Jordan Morgan there. I'm starting him and I'm not splitting the snaps with Sean Ryan right now. I thought Jordan Morgan played better than what Sean Ryan did. I would start Jordan Morgan there. If Sean Ryan can play the center position, by golly, put him at center. I don't care If he can play the center position, screw it, put him in there If Josh Myers continues to struggle. But you got to find a line combo right now that is going to be beneficial for you and is going to be able to open up holes and run block a lot better in there. Pass block, give Malik Willis some time back there in the pocket. So those are some of the things that I believe need to happen over the next three to six games I mean we don't know what it's going to be, but three to six games that Jordan Love could be out there.
Speaker 1:So, last but not least, with the Packers, a lot of talk. Should Sean Clifford get the start over Malik Willis? The Packers have showed a lot of faith in Malik Willis. They have to believe in him because, like we've like we know now I mean Sean Clifford was he got sent to the practice squad. Malik Willis is your starting quarterback. You have to believe that the Packers think that he knows the playbook good enough, he knows what he's doing good enough that he can step into this role and be the man. So right now, malik Willis is the guy. I wouldn't say I'm comfortable. I'm 65% in the door with Malik Willis right now, but this is our guy. So we have to sit here, we have to hope, pray, crack a beer. Whatever we got to do to try and get through that first game against the Indianapolis Colts. Hopefully we see some great things out of him there. Hopefully I mean I mean honestly, hopefully he plays well enough that he can earn a contract somewhere else and be a starting quarterback somewhere else, like that's what you hope out of anybody in a backup quarterback position is that maybe they play good enough that they can find a role somewhere else. Right, you don't want to lose a great backup quarterback like that, but hopefully he plays great for this Green Bay Packers team and everything is looking good.
Speaker 1:Pft power rankings for the week. There they had the Kansas City Chiefs in that number one spot, followed by the Detroit Lions, the 49ers in the three spot, ravens in the four. They, I believe, went up one spot. 49ers go up a spot there. Eagles went up a spot to the five, buccaneers went up three spots to the six spot there. And then we see the Bills in the seven spot. There they went up one. Texans went up two to the eight spot. Dolphins moved up two spots to the nine. Packers dropped seven spots from three to 10. There they're in the 10 spot for them. Steelers in the 11 spot, cowboys in the 12., bears in the 13. 14 is the Bengals, 15 is the Rams, jets in the 16. Then we got Browns, chargers, falcons, jaguars, seahawks, colts, saints, vikings, patriots, cardinals, broncos, titans, commanders, raiders, giants, panthers. To wrap it up there.
Speaker 1:I mean, I'll be honest with you. I'm not opposed to the Bears. I know a lot of Bear fans think. You know there are some power rankings. They brought out there that Bears should be ahead of the Packers. The Bears' defense could be ahead of the Packers, but the offense looked like crap. I mean honestly, look at your offense. They looked like crap.
Speaker 1:Game one and Caleb Williams looked like a rookie, that's all you can say. Week one looked like a rookie. Now would it be great if he just continued to do this throughout the season. That'd be fine with me. That'd be fine with me. I think he's going to slowly figure it out. I really do. He's going to slowly start to work his way in.
Speaker 1:I mean, outside of that, the Bears' defense was about all they had A couple I mean turnovers, everything like that. To take the lead late was an interception that, I mean, what's his name? Will Levis just kind of shoveled out there and was picked off in house. So it was self-inflicted wounds for the Titans. You were losing 17 to nothing at one point against the Titans and it was special teams and defense that brought you back. So no, your offense did not win that game. You did not impress anybody with your offense.
Speaker 1:So the Bears in that 13 spot, that's where they got to be Cowboys. I thought they impressed. I thought the Cowboys looked like a well-rounded team week one. I thought they looked good in that game. So being up in the 12th spot, that's A-OK.
Speaker 1:Packers, they dropped seven spots down to the 10. You still have high optimism for this team, so that's why they stay up there in the power rankings. Buccaneers look good, so I see them in that sixth spot there. Texans they got the win over the Colts. Colts look like a good team too. So Packers better be careful with that Colts team coming up, because that looks like a good team. Anthony Richardson, finally healthy. That looks like a solid team. Browns look like crap. And now Deshaun Watson's got another assault charge allegation against him there. It's like when you know, a couple of years ago, when he was a good quarterback, they swept underneath the rug. I don't know if they're going to sweep this one underneath the rug there. I really don't know if they're going to be able to do that in this situation. Just a mess. Just a mess there. Dolphins they are in the nine spot About where I'd put them right in that nine spot there. You know they had the whole Tyreek Hill situation before the game.
Speaker 1:Here it's like dude, just keep your window rolled down. I I don't, I don't know what else to say. It's like, dude, just keep your window rolled down. Like the cop asked you to keep your window rolled down. You had tint on your windows, nobody could see you in there. Like, just roll your window down. It's what he was asking you to do. It's not a race situation, because it was a mexican that pulled you over. So it's not not like it was a race situation that we can blame this on. I don't know what you want to blame it on here. They asked you to keep your window down. Just keep it down, dude. It's really not that hard.
Speaker 1:I tried to see it from both sides. I've tried to understand it from both sides, and maybe you disagree with me on that. Maybe you might agree with me on that. I mean you with me on that. I mean you gave me your id. That was great, right. But then you rolled your window up. They asked you to keep your window rolled down. You wouldn't do it. They asked you to do it again. You kept yelling at him and calling oh, I can't remember if he called him dude or bro, whatever it was in the video, but you kept yelling at him for knocking on your window.
Speaker 1:It's's like man, just roll your window down and then to say after the fact that, well, I didn't want to be noticed, I didn't want to cause a scene out there by being noticed. Well, why didn't you say that? Why don't you say that in the moment? Instead of acting like you're a million dollar turd, like just in that moment, just tell them like hey, I don't want to cause a scene out here, I don't want people pulling over, I don't want this mess on the freeway right now, I just want I'm heading to work right now.
Speaker 1:I understand that I was speeding. I get it Like, let's just move on with life. I understand I was speeding, maybe I was recklessly driving, maybe my windows have too much tint I don't know what the tint grade is down there in uh in florida, but it's a lot of tint on those windows because they could not see him. Like they couldn't. You could not see him inside of that car. Like it was just that blacked out, like the windows were that tinted that you could just not see anything that was in that car. So I mean, in that situation, I get, I get. You know, everybody wants to argue that situation and I, anybody pulling the race card on that, come on like, come on Like. We're trying to move on with this, we're trying to move on as a society and everything. It's like, don't keep pulling a race card on everything like that. It's not. It had nothing to do with race.
Speaker 1:It was a cop who pulled somebody over. They knew you were Tyreek Hill, they had your ID, they understood that. But they asked you to keep your window rolled down. It's not in that situation. It's not that hard, right, it's not that hard. But you kept denying it. You kept denying to do it.
Speaker 1:And you know what leads to all these escalations with police officers. It's real simple Guys not complying with the rules. What the cop asks you to do, right? I've been pulled over. I've been pulled over a couple times and every time they ask you for your ID, they walk away. They do their thing. They come back, they give you your ticket. You move on with life. It's real simple. If they ask you to get out of the car, you just get out of the car. It's not that hard. It really is a simple thing.
Speaker 1:But instead we sit here and we act like every cop is so bad and they all have it out against everybody and this and that. And it's like. You know, I'm not going to sit here and say there aren't bad cops out there, because there are bad cops out there, I'm not going to say that there aren't. There are some guys who are a little bit crooked. They take the, the power trips or they take things a little too far.
Speaker 1:But in that situation, from all the body cam footage that was released and everything like that, from what I could see was they were asking him to do one thing. And I might be under a different interpretation, but what I've always known, what I've always thought, is, when they ask you to do something, you do it Because that's their job. That's their job is to keep everybody safe. You know, they're not worried as much. They're worried about you driving that car, maybe recklessly, maybe without a seatbelt on, maybe too fast, whatever it was. Nobody knows what the speed limit was. They said he was speeding. I don't know what the speed was right, if he was going 50 over, if he was going 20 over, I don't know. But you're not just endangering yourself, you're endangering pedestrians walking into Hard Rock Stadium. You're endangering other drivers out on the road. So it's not just about you. That's what you know.
Speaker 1:I think the biggest thing was in this situation was it was not just about him. It was about police officers who are living in a time where they don't even feel safe to go to work and we sit here and we act like they should just be okay if people don't comply. Don't say yes, sir, understand, get it. You want me to keep my window rolled down, I'll keep it rolled. If it's raining, snowing, anything like that, a police officer is perfectly okay. If they walk away to go back to their squad car, to run your license or whatever it is, they're okay. If you roll your window up, they don't want you. They don't feel like you. Getting rained on is gonna make them feel better, right, they don't want that. And then when they come back, you roll your window back down, they give you your ticket. Whatever they talk to you.
Speaker 1:You know what and I've heard this and it might be true, it might not be be the nicer people are in situations, some cops will actually let you off easier. They won't like throw the book at you, they won't impound your car or whatever it was. They will come to an understanding. They'll be like, okay, I get you were trying to do this, like, hey, you know, just slow down a little bit. Maybe you're going like 10 over. Just slow down a little bit. I get you're late for work or whatever, but slow down a little bit and you can go on your way. Just be careful out there, put your seatbelt on, be careful, you move on with life. That situation was avoidable. It really was. It was avoidable. So that's enough about that.
Speaker 1:I went off on a little tangent there. I didn't really want to get into it today but I brought it up so I thought I'd get into my take on that. End of the day, it was a situation where, whether Tyreek Hill thought he was in the right or not, just do what a police officer asks you to do and everything is simple. Life is simple. You move on with life. It's just that simple there. So that's enough about the power rankings there. Dolphins in that nine spot. Outside of that, everything else kind of. I mean Chiefs at the one spot, that's where it seems like they love to hang out Lions in that, two 49ers and three Ravens in the four and Eagles in the five. I can agree with all of them right there for that top five there. So with that, that's about all I got for today. I mean we went on a little tangent to end the day there everybody's been getting into so I figured I'd get my take on it.
Speaker 1:Outside of that, I mean Badgers, we're going to be talking more about that matchup coming up with Alabama coming up this weekend there. Colts got some games coming up here, brewers in the middle of a series with the Giants right now. As I'm recording, we see the Brewers with a 3-1 lead. Great to see there. Hopefully they continue to pull off this win against the Giants and I'm talking about a Brewers win tomorrow and setting up another game with the Giants there coming up here, hopefully a series win. That's what we want to see is a series win out of the Brewers. But I want to talk more Brewers tomorrow here on the show there. So with that, this has been Wisconsin Sports on the go with Trage. Thank you guys for listening. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, but until I talk to you guys again tomorrow, deuces.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, my Lord, watch me sway. Darkness falls and we all pray, hoping for the light of day. Down to the river, I have held the devil's hand, felt the weight of my own sin, buried by the heartbinger. Down to the river, down to the river, oh oh, bury me, carry me, oh, oh, far beneath, oh oh, fire and water me Going down deep, say, oh.