Predicting the Packers 2026 Awards Winners!!!

0:00Music Hello Packer fans, and welcome back into the Sunday edition of Packed Aid Podcast for Ever You May Be and How Ever You May Be Listening. Thank you so much for making this part of your day. I am Nick Schmitz in joining me to start week one of college football and the week before the kickoff for the NFL is Jimmy Christensen. Jimmy, yes, we've officially made it. Like I mean, we're talking like officially because guess what Jimmy, even though there is no NFL until Wednesday. Yeah. We've got Wampo Field is they're starting already. We've got Wisconsin and Notre Dame today which I mean, granted just because your Packer

1:02fan is not necessarily mean you're a Badger fan. But I mean, I'll raise my hand. I like the Badgers, but I don't really watch them in football anymore because they've really been horrendous for the last couple of years. But I mean, let's be honest Jimmy, I'm at least going to watch the first half just because it's at Wampo and I mean, whether you love Notre Dame or hate Notre Dame, can't deny iconic university. And this game was also, it's a make up game essentially because this was supposed to be played at Wampo in 2020 and then that stupid virus shut the entire world down. But so, Wampo Field, they're already ready to go. But we've made it Jimmy, there's football. Real quick, I mean, I think I know you well enough. I feel like I know the answer. You're much more of an NFL guy than a college guy, but do you watch college football?

2:05Yeah, yeah, I'll put it on. Just kind of as like, I don't want to say background noise because I'll watch it here and there, but it's not. I don't know. I don't know. It's not going to sit there. It's not appointment television for you like the NFL. Yeah, now I'll turn it on. I'll do work around the house or play with the kids or whatever and then kind of peak up at it, but NFL time they know I am a slot. Like I will be on that couch. Red zone will be on. We're going to be watching that. One of the packers around, I'll watch a little bit with the kiddos and then I'm like, it's time to go to my office and you get to gender lock in. Lock in. I'm going to say some swear words. I don't want you guys hearing me say so. Well, yeah, so Jimmy, that's that's actually the thing for me is like this year. So like Patrick is for now. Oh, yeah, you'll say it. Oh, because he's he's at that prime age now. We're like, you say things and he repeats it. And so like this year, especially like this is the first like full year where it's like

3:06I can't just yell at my TV. Yep. Oh, yeah, it's it's an adjustment. I remember one time I was watching a kind of like I'm the kid, it was had the time. She wasn't in the room yet, but I was watching a UFC thing and someone someone said the F word and she comes in and she goes, what does and then she says it? What does mean? I was like, oh no, you weren't in here. So yeah, that was not ideal. So yeah, it's it's it's tough. They repeat everything and it's always like it's always the words you don't want to then to repeat. It's all they do. Yeah, I don't give Patrick instructions on something of like, hey, this is what I need you to do. And then I'll go, Hey, can you repeat it back to me? Can't do it. No, right? Like, but if I say, you know, something that he probably shouldn't hear, it's instantaneous without prompting by the way. I don't even have to prop them. It's just like, ooh, what's that?

4:06And so it's an incredible stick sense that I have. Yes, yes. Yeah, but so all right, would you me, we've made it. So Wednesday, the NFL season kicks off different this year because the NFL is stupid and put a game 17 hours away in Australia, which is now the Thursday night game, which would normally be the opening game of the season, right? Defending champions would open on Thursday night. Well, we got to move it to Wednesday because we got to have a stupid game in Australia. And mind you, this is just, I think we talked about this before. I'm going to side tangent it again anyway, real quick. I think it is preposterous, like actually, like this is not a joke. I don't think any NFL teams should be required to play international games against division opponents. You should not be required to sacrifice a home game against a division opponent just so the NFL can slabber all over itself and attempt to make some money.

5:07You know, you want to put backers Jaguars overseas? Great. Off for it. Division games mean so much. Like, if teams agree to it, like that's one thing. But the NFL should not be able to come in and say, hey, San Francisco and LA Rams, you guys are playing overseas. Sorry, one of you is out a home division game. I don't, I'm not for it in any way, shape or form. And you know, it's easy, though, for me this year, Jimmy, to protest that because I'm not going to watch the game because I don't have Netflix. And I'm getting Netflix for one week this year. And that's going to be around Thanksgiving time. And that's it. So that's fair enough. I'll send you some links. Well, actually, though, not I think about it, Jimmy, my TV market is technically like the vocal channels are out of Milwaukee. So I may not have to because Milwaukee should get that game locally on.

6:11I don't know how it works with the streaming stuff. Did I still do? I know it's like Monday night. I follow the localy off table, but I didn't think with streaming. I thought they were kind of like, sorry. I'll have to look into that. I don't know, but if it's like the night football, I should be able to get the path of game without having to get Netflix. But that's neither here nor there. So in case you didn't know, have fun. Everybody watching the second game of the season if you don't have Netflix. So but so Wednesday night, you've got the Seahawks and I'll be honest, Jimmy, I couldn't tell you who the Seahawks are opening up against. Patriots. Oh, so we get a literal Super Bowl rematch. Got it. Yes. All right. That's cool enough. And then you've got Rams 49ers on Thursday. And then you got to wait till Sunday to watch the rest of the NFL. So, but it's right around the corner, Jimmy. And so we thought with the Packer season one week away, 330 on CBS against the Minnesota

7:14Vikings up in Minneapolis, which I have to say. I hate playing in Minneapolis. I hate opening it on the road. But if there was a road game that I would want to get out of the way right away in week one, it is the Vikings. Just go to Minneapolis week one, get it done with and over with. And then we don't have to worry about, you know, traveling to that state again for another year. Yeah. It's like, I know I'm with you. I don't like division games week one. For me, that's my old man, old man thing. I want all the vision games happening like week five or later because like we've seen so much stupid stuff happen week one where it's like, no, I want to play division opponents when both of them are in their groove. It's the best version minus any injuries that happen to the teams. Like, there's so many things week one that like last year when we beat the Lions, it's I was pumped. We kicked their ass. But then I was like, it is only week one. Like can't get too excited. Things are going to change. You see the Packers get destroyed.

8:15Those Rogers years week one come back and go to the NFC championship game. Like, it's a fun thing, but week one is, it doesn't mean much. Yeah, for sure. But so today, though, figure we would take a look at our predictions for the 2026 season awards for the Green Bay Packers. So starting off, Jimmy, with let's start off with the rookie of the year. So between Packers, rookies, who do you think is going to be the rookie of the year for the Green Bay Packers? Now this is feels like a little bit of a loaded question because they didn't have a first round pick. And probably anybody drafted fifth round or later is probably not going to play enough to really be in consideration for this. So it's kind of like a, in my brain, it's a two man race.

9:18But who do you have for your rookie of the year? You know, I am going against what you just said. And I don't, he's not going to play as much as Chris McLean or Brandon C. Say, but I think Jager Burton is going to be a big part of the team. I don't, he's not going to be starting week one. At some point Aaron Banks is going down. It is what it is. It's just 10, 90s in the knee, someone that missed a lot of time last year already. His play wasn't really there. Jacob Monk at the right guard position. It's going to be his first year starting as of right now. At some point we're going to do the normal packers. He's going to split time with one of those and then eventually when the starting job. So I'm going to do, I think Burton's going to be a lot more valuable than, than we expect going into the season. Even as that backup role, we've seen it year over year. Your backup guard will play at some point and I can see him kind of stealing that position like Elton Jenkins did in the past. Not saying he's going to be all pro like Elton Jenkins, but kind of that similar thing.

10:22Earns enough to split time and then eventually locks in that starting spot. Yeah, that's certainly, you know, it's a great argument for him just from the standpoint of a, especially along the offensive line, injuries happen. Right. So like he's just like the, the, the sure, the pure mathematical like probability is that he is going to play this year just due to injury. Right. And then, and then from there, if he plays well enough, he may just like earn a spot somewhere. But yeah, like the statistical probability that he plays this year is pretty good. Just due to the injury factor. And you know, for it, it's also one of those things like offensive line seems to be one of those positions that Green Bay just like they do a really good job getting good offensive lineman in the later rounds.

11:23You know, they may not be ready to go. They're a rookie year, right? But like I based on Green Bay's track record in two years. If you're like, yeah, yeah, you're Burton's like one of the best offensive lineman on the team. And it's not because the rest of the offensive lineman or crap, but it's because he's just really good. Like I would not be surprised to have that conversation in two years. So that's our best offensive lineman right now. You know, Zach Baklwelley like to get late round pick. Yes. Offense lineman on the team. That's the already went down that. Yep. He was a fourth round pick. Yeah, exactly. So it's something that Green Bay has done pretty well. He's historic. So my rookie of the year, I got to tell you Jimmy. So I haven't written down here who I had as my rookie of the year. And as I was going through my explanation, I actually changed it. OK. So I did have Brandon C. Say as my rookie of the year and my entire logic for it was not

12:23because was he the second round pick? I can't remember working. Yeah. So not because he was the second round pick, but because he's playing a position where sadly a second round rookie, he is the best corner on the team. Right now. Like, so like he's going to start and he's going to play a lot. And it's going to be interesting how that goes because rookie corners don't around the league. This is not just a packers thing, but around the league. Like rookie corners, like, it's not that they're bad. They're rookie year, but like, it's quite a change from college to pro. And that first year is really tough. So he's going to get lots of opportunity, but a lot of opportunity for a rookie also may make him look maybe not as good as he will turn out to be. That's exactly why I didn't pick him either. He is going to be the most playing time and a very important role, but to your point exactly. Yeah. He's going to be targeted a lot. So I actually changed it because this is going to come as no surprise to you, Jimmy.

13:29I'm picking the kicker. I'm picking the kicker and trace back because first of all, it's a very important position. But like, and I understand that like kicking is one of those weird positions where it doesn't matter how long you played for the job is literally the exact same every time. Right. Whereas Brandon C say like, yes, the job's the same, but every snap of the ball is different. Like it's like, yeah, you're covering the receiver, but how it's working is different on every snap of the ball. Whereas kicking it's just like you kick the ball and it needs to go through the uprights. Doesn't matter where from doesn't nothing else matters. Just kick the ball through the upright. And so I think he through preseason has done a phenomenal job in proving himself. Certainly, I think where it's at least right now where it's going to be more interesting to see how he kicks is when it gets colder.

14:30He played at Florida, right. I don't know how many people know this, but Florida doesn't really get that cold. So, you know, kicking down in Florida, you know, for an entire season is a lot different than kicking in green Bay for an entire season. The weather's going to change. But right now it's been very promising and one other thing that I will say that I like it feels kind of not under reported. That's not the like right way to phrase it, but like not as like it because it's not as sexy and really what we care about is him kicking field goals because that gives you points. Right. But his ability on kickoffs to like kick the ball to the two yard line and not kick it into the end zone. Like that is something that is really difficult, especially with the way the rules are set up now. Kick the ball into the end zone. It just comes out to the 35 if they take a knee, right. Doesn't matter if it's one yard or ten yards deep, right.

15:30So kicking it to the two and forcing them to return it, you know, if your kick coverage is any good at all. Right. They're probably not going to be starting at 35. So he's been doing a really good job of that in preseason. So I'm going to go with, I think he's also in a lot of ways. I think of all the rookies. And again, it's very different because of the position, but I think he is set up to be the most successful of all the draft picks. Yeah. And so I'm going to go with him as my rookie of the year for green bank. That's a good one. I have no arguments here. That's a good one. It's going to be, he's going to be putting some tough spots too. Like we're going to get to your point. We get to those later those cold games at Lambo. If we make the playoffs like every kick, we've seen it time to time again. Carlson in that 49ers game. We've had some bad luck in the moments that matter with these with these kickers.

16:32So he's going to have a lot of time to, or a lot of chances to kind of solidify himself. It's kind of the folk hero in within Packer fans because we've been burned so many times with kickers the last few seasons when it mattered most. Yeah. So he's definitely got a lot of pressure, but he's also like I said, I think. You know, set up to be the best success. And Jimmy, we talked about this two weeks ago. I'm looking right now. His jersey number on the pro shop still has the official number TBD. Okay. So official number TBD. But I do believe on the website. He is still listed as number 28. So I would also think like oddly enough, like it's Labor Day weekend. We are literally a week away from the Packers, like starting the season. Yeah. I mean, I guess anything is possible, but like I can't imagine if he hasn't changed it by now that it's not going to get changed.

17:36Yeah, I don't think it would because it was a perfect opportunity to be like, hey, Caleb Johnson, you take 28. I'm going to change my number to something else and 28 peak running back number. Marshall Fulg. Yeah. He had a prime opportunity to do it. So now he's going to stick with 28. And I'm going to hate it until he starts making kicks. And then it's the best kicker number in the entire. Correct. Exactly. So all right. Let's move on to our next award for the year. Team MVP. Who do you got Jimmy? And I hate going to just easy answers, but you have it's Jordan. Look, especially right now with the situation around Josh Jacobs. If the team is going to have success, especially early in the season. Jordan loves going to have to throw up. We have our running backs right now are Caleb Johnson, Marshall Lloyd and Chris Brooks, which is player who can't stay healthy. A player who's just coming to the team and Chris Brooks, who is an incredible pass blocker. He's. You can get by giving him a few steps again, a few carries the game.

18:39But we really need a. We're really going to have to rely on Jordan love and and see what he can do because now we have the top. The top three receivers are set there. They're locked that chemistry should be there. Without Michael Parsons that to start the season, who knows how our defense is going to be and might have to be. We just have to outscore the other team and it shoot out every time until Parsons is back. So it's it's going to fall on love. And I think he's more than capable. For instance, top five quarterback. I put him in that six to seven range, but he has a real chance to solidify himself in the top five top five in the NFL and then and bring the Packers to the playoffs. Yeah, you know, and Jimmy, I grew with you. I don't like going with the, you know, what seems to be the easy answer, but like just given everything with this team right now. And you mentioned the Josh Jacobs thing up in the air. We have no idea, you know, what's going to come of that is hearing did get moved up to the 10th. So I mean, we'll certainly find out, you know, a lot more about it a lot sooner than we originally expected.

19:45But just because it's happening on the 10th doesn't mean that you're going to get good news and that, you know, he's going to be around for a while. And then really beyond that, like the other two players that would like really come to mind that would, you know, really buy for team MVP is talk of craft, right? And I mean, he could still certainly win it, but like the hard part is, talk of craft's performance is going to be heavily reliant on Jordan love, which just, you know, it gives into the Jordan love idea here for team MVP. And the other thing is, you know, he says he's going to be ready week one. Okay, well, he may only play 1015 snaps week one, right? Like, and like how long does it take to ramp him back up and how long does it take him to be effective just because he's active on the game day roster for, you know, 17 weeks doesn't mean that he's going to be able to perform at a high level until maybe mid season. And then the other guy is Mike Parsons, but we know that he's probably going to miss the first six. I mean, he's already for sure missing the first four on the populist and, you know, he may not really be back up and full Mike Parsons until like week eight.

20:58And at that point, he's missed half the season doesn't mean he can't still win the MVP, but like he'd have to do insane numbers or over nine games to do it. And then you just come back to like the other hard part then becomes to is like the at the end of the day, the reality is the quarterback is still the most important position on the team regardless. Right. Like, I mean, you'd still be having conversations about Jordan love, even if Tucker Kraft and Mike Parsons hadn't gotten hurt, matched you. It may be a harder conversation, but you still wouldn't be like, oh, well, it's, we don't even need to talk about it. And I mean, I ultimately think I mean, this year with the way everything is set up, like this is like not a proven year for Jordan love that he needs to prove that he's a good player. I think this sets up perfectly almost for him to prove to the league and everybody else that like, yeah, I can be that dude. Right. When my best receiver is, you know, coming back, you know, to start the season.

21:59And like he's not fully healthy and my best defense player is missing for six weeks. And my star running back is not available. And the guys behind him are a guy that can't stay healthy a guy that's new to the team and a guy that is was on the roster as a third down past blocking back. Like this is his opportunity to say, yep, like I am that guy. So, and I tend to think that he'll live up to that. And I also tend to think to one of the things that I think Matt the floor, I will give him credit on. I don't give him much credit for a lot of things, but I will give him credit on one thing is a sometimes it takes him a little while to figure some things out. But man, once he figures something out like offensively speaking, like he figures it out. Right. You had that two week stretch last year against the Eagles and was it the Panthers? Yeah, we're the offense just looked lost and awful. Right. And there was a lot of changes going on due to injuries and everything.

23:01And it took two weeks and for two weeks, it was bad. But I will give Matt with the credit. He figured it out and offensively it looked so no Josh Jacobs for who knows how long right we don't know what the pitch countertruck craft is going to be. Matt before the one thing that I do have confidence in him is he has been given a stern like, hey, you're going to have to revive on Jordan love due to all these other factors for the first couple of weeks. And the one thing that I feel confident is because he was kind of almost put in a corner of like you don't have options here because your star running back is on the exact list. And our tight end is slowly coming back. Your star defensive players not going to be there. You need to let Jordan love just do what he does. And being put in that corner, it's going to force him to be like, all right, let's do this. Yep. So there's a world we have to we have to also consider. I know you said it. I said on here like we're going to Josh Jacobs is going to be facing a suspension like there is a world where this video gets leaked.

24:06That's the most likely scenario. They always get leaked. And it is much worse than we realize and the packers release like correct. There's a chance where like right now. I should say packers on the field performance winning the most games. The best thing for him is Josh Jacobs on the field. But bring it in the whole aspect of he might be a terrible person. We might not want him on the team because he abuses women. That video might come out and it's we don't have them at all on the roster for the intifer again. So it, that just even goes more into this rely on Jordan love might not just be a four to six week thing. And then we can see an entire season thing because that running back room just doesn't doesn't have the juice. Yep, exactly. So all right. Well, for the second time, Jimmy, let's keep it rolling here. So surprise player of the year for you. Yeah, this one, this one, I want to go a few different. There are a few different avenues. I wanted to go.

25:08I'm going to pick a new player that I think kind of getting overlooked. I think having hardgrave on that interior of that defensive line. It was a late addition to the team after we knew he was going to come to the team, especially with a connection with Jonathan Ganon. Once he was released from the Vikings did not take long was signed was signed by the packers, but just someone that was solid. He didn't live up to the contract. The Minnesota was still a solid starter. He's going back now to defensive coordinator. He had a lot of success in. I think in the beginning of the season, we'll see some flash plays here and there. But once we get Parsons back, you have Van S to worry about why it's going to be healthy. I've hidden worried about in the past past, past rush like hardgrave might be the fourth person you're worried about them. He's going to win someone on once. He's still a good player. I think once he's now he's going to be way down on the priority list for that offensive line. I could see him having just a big splash season, which I shouldn't say is a huge surprise, but I just think right now it's he's kind of an overlooked piece of this defense because all the talking point is what are we going to do at corner?

26:20What are you going to do until Parsons is back? What edge rush is going to step up? How is Edran Cooper going to perform? He's going to be back to his first season with the Packers form. There's so many other talking points that I think Hardgrave is just kind of overlooked at this point. Yeah, he definitely is kind of that sleeper player based on all the other names. It's also just kind of hard. You mentioned all those names and he's the new guy to the defense that is going to kind of like be put in and given opportunity. And so, you know, it's always kind of hard to predict how the new guy is going to come in and fit in, but certainly would not be surprised if he is a surprise player of the year. I kind of went I kind of went with a caveat and it's probably not like a super big surprise to hear that he's my surprise player of the year, but I'm going to go with Marshawn Wood certainly because he's going to get the opportunities.

27:22He is clearly somebody that green Bay, regardless of the status of Josh Jacobs wants to get involved in the offense. You know, it's just it's injuries been keeping him up. That's honestly the only reason he hasn't done much of anything. And so the big caveat is can he stay healthy? You know, and if you can though, like green Bay seems like they really want to get him involved in multiple ways in the offense. He's going to be given his opportunities this year, given, you know, we have no idea what's going on with Josh Jacobs and like, well, we do, but we don't know how long that, you know, he's going to miss. So he's going to be given those opportunities. And I think if you know, if he can stay healthy, I do think he is going to surprise people with with how good he can be. So that's a good easy easy one, but you know, again, caveat totally by he's got to stay healthy and you know, right now that's the big thing for hasn't been able to prove that he can do that. The other one I was thinking of doing, which I knew would piss people off is going to be Keisha Nixon. And I was just he's going to be looked at as a cubie or a CB to now instead of CB one.

28:31And I think that's going to change people's perspective on him to where if he performed as a solid starter at cubie or keeps in cubie cornerback number two, it are perspective on him would change, but I didn't I didn't feel like defending that man. Fair enough. All right, most improved player this year for you. Who you got Jimmy? Yeah, this one's I think it really just going to come down to he's going to be giving a lot more opportunity. We only saw a few times last year, Baron Serule being that adress your room. We need someone to step out step up opposite of Lucas fan. Yes, it's between him, Brennan Cox deny Dennis Sutton. I think Serule just being a second. A second year player now, I know he's a fourth round pick just like deny, but I think he's he's prime for a big for big step up. Yeah, we definitely be great to have the improvement there. I went with LVN. Certainly he he looked good good enough last year with Mike Parsons and this year, you know, it's going to kind of be one of those things for him where.

29:39You know, he's edge russia number one right now until Mike it gets back and then certainly when Mike it gets back it's almost like the expectations go up because it's like. All right, well now that Mike is back, you're going to be getting that much less attention because they're going to be looking at him. So. Yeah, and it's one of those things were like it you know, I don't know I haven't been a huge LVN fan because they spent the 15 pick on him and I don't think he's lived up to that building for the 15th overall pick. But at the same time like I wanted to be good him being good is good for the team so. I just think again he's going to be given the opportunity to to really show that he you know how much he's improved and yeah, I just I have a good feeling that they're going to make it so that he's given those those opportunities that he's needed and hopefully he can just make the most of them. So all right, two more to go with Jimmy and then we wrap things up defensive player of the year.

30:44What do you have for your defensive player of the year? I had two of these I want I wasn't going to pick Mike just because he's missing that time he's easy one to kind of go with but I had two players in mind. I'm actually maybe this is just hopeful thinking I'm going to go at your Cooper. I think with Parsons gone he is in argument our second best defensive player right now McKinney is up there having a Williams is up there but like Cooper now he's you're going to see him on some more. Some more past rushes he's just he's able to play you have now a leader of veteran in the middle of Zaire Franklin kind of bringing that attitude I think you can kind of unleash Edren Cooper a little bit more moving around the field a little bit keep keep keep offence is guessing and we saw. We made a change at linebackers coach I think that's going to be a nice step up for him as well just getting a new perspective last year he didn't take the step that we wanted. I think this is a year we're going to get him for this defense to be where we wanted Edren Cooper has to take that step for that we thought he was going to do last year he wasn't bad last year but he didn't get to like the one of the top linebackers like a lot of us thought he might.

31:51Yeah Edren Cooper definitely definitely on the list and certainly he's going to have you know he's going to kind of be looked at as kind of that leader now that Kueh Walker is gone and that Mike Parsons missing the first couple of weeks like it really feels like as far as your defensive leaders it's him and Xavier McKinney that everybody's going to kind of be looking to at least to start the season you obviously certainly. Hope the players like LVN you know as the season goes on they perform well that they kind of also put themselves in that category but yeah it wouldn't be surprised all to see him be you know the best defensive player. I think that's where you know for the team I went with two players and not like not to say that they're both going to be defensive players of the year but like I really think that one of these two will be I think it's the safety I think Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams one of those two is going to end up being I mean they're obviously both very very good players.

33:05Certainly you're going to need them to play really well because your corners you know Nixon is inconsistent at best and then you know you don't know what you're getting with C.C. He's a rookie right just please also everybody would see say go into the season there's going to be a handful of plays throughout the year we're just like WTF and it's he's a rookie it's going to happen. But so I think a like it's just one of those things you're going to need them to play well given you know and it's going to be that much harder that you know Keesha again inconsistent at best and C.C. is a rookie and for the first six weeks you don't have your best past pressure either right so like those two guys his jobs are hard enough to begin with C.C. I think that's a great day and Nixon and now they don't have their best past pressure to help him out a little bit and so my hope is that you know between these two guys one of them can really just you know have a you know a stellar season and you know really really help out the corners and you know again front seven play is going to make that a lot easier for them but I think it's also going to be kind of imperative given the

34:24kind of makeup defense especially the first you know six weeks with injuries and whatnot I think it's going to be imperative for one of those guys to really step up this year. No I was Evan Williams was my second one I was considering for defense a player I think he there's a real chance I considered for surprise players saying he was going to solidify himself as our best safety I think we're going to for in for a big Evan Williams here. Absolutely so all right well Jimmy that's the awards now let's get to the final part which is record how do the Packers do this year 17 games what do you got for prediction for a record I went I'm copying if anyone listens to the bill Simmons show when he does the over unders with cousin Sal I'm taking his prediction with 11 and six I think let's say we go for a four and two into division we're playing the AFC or the NFC South so that's three wins there gets us a seven we have the jets we have the dolphins we get around nine I have all confidence in this team between the Cowboys bills patriots one of these other teams that we can we can take another couple wins so I'm going to go 11 and six.

35:3811 and six I like that so here's a question for you at 11 and six is that good enough to win the North. Oh yeah I mean it was last year it's possible for not for green Bay it was but it was good enough to win the division last year this division so it's it's a tough one I yeah 11 and six is possible for sure to win the division it's just I also think the bears and the lions are going to be right around that 10 and 7 mark as well so it's going to come down these division games are going to be so important so I'm going to say yes it's it's it's definitely definitely enough to win the division in those seasons so I'm very close to you Jimmy I got him a 10 and 7 and so I wanted to be more optimistic but like I think it's it's not going to be like a definitive roadmap but like the start of the year for green Bay is I think you're going to after the first six weeks have a really good pulse on where this team is at because here's the thing

36:47if green Bay say just say they start two and four right that's not going to be great and especially in the NFC and in the NFC North like that's going to be a hard thing to recover from but given that you know by week seven micaparstances coming back by week seven you know Tucker that should hopefully be you know fully back to like no pitch count right maybe he's not back to what he fully was right but he's you know you're going to have him for the entirety of a game right yeah and then again still don't know what's happening with Josh Jacobs but let's say you know that it's just kind of a I don't want to say standard suspension but you know kind of like you know like a six game suspension right okay so you go to and four and it's like okay that's hard to recover from but you should hopefully be getting a lot of your really good players you know back right now again it may not be good enough to recover from you know for a playoff run but like I could definitely see with everything they've got going on in the first half of the season that like that's where it starts but like also like flip it around and say you go four and two

37:56and you did all of that without Josh Jacobs and with Tucker craft on a pitch count and no micaparstances right then it's like all right well if they were able to do that without those three guys like water that what's the back half of the season going to look like and it looks really promising but it's those first four games we got to be three and one by the end of them with Vikings jets Belkins and Buckingeers we got to be three and yeah first right and and and the nice thing for Green Bay is like I mean the schedule is favorable in that sense that you know again the Falcons aren't great and they're probably going to be playing two uh yeah and you know the jets are just hot garbage um and you know the Buckingeers are good and I believe that games in Tampa um since probably of the first four probably the hardest one and I mean I guess you could juxtapose that with Minnesota just because Minnesota is a division opponent I think we want the hardest yeah and so but I mean those are all games that I would certainly look at on the schedule and say none of those games like

39:03I look at the bills game for an example right I know it's in Green Bay but like if you told me that that the bills beat Green Bay I'm not surprised by it bills are great If you told me definitively that one of these four teams is going to definitively beat Green Bay I'd be kind of surprised by that that's not but there's not a definitive loss and they're not there they're two of the games Minnesota and Tampa are going to be tricky they're going to be tough right but they are very winnable games for Green Bay so uh but yeah the first part of the season it's just like it's so difficult with no Micah no Josh Jacobs and you know talk to craft I mean you just don't know what you're going to get in the first you know again he says it's going to be back but how effective is it going to be how much of a pitch count right um you know how much of an impact does he have in the first four weeks you know given you know what is coming back from so I just don't know um and and give given that like that's just it like I can four four and two is on the table and two and four is on the table in my yeah that's second and later the later part of the season though like it we have a couple games in there sprinkled in of like okay we can take I don't

40:14want to say take a breather but Cowboys Lions this is starting October 18 Cowboys Lions two tough games get the Panthers they've been playing well against the last couple times yes uh then we get the Patriots they were in the Super Bowl I don't think there is good as people think Vikings then we have Rams Saints which should be a win and then Bill's dolphins which should be a win and we finished with a very tough three game stretch of bears Texans Lions so this is going to be a year where we can't have the blunders of last season like we cannot lose the games that we can't have a Browns game situation or Panthers game situation like last year just with the schedule or you can't be up 21 to 3 and half time and then not win that game or be or have that on sidekick the bot you like we look yep 100% yeah so so yeah I I 10 and 7 my problem I will say this Jim you gave him 11 and 6 I think regardless of division I think if the Packers go 11 and 6 I think that's good enough to make the playoffs as a wild one yeah 10 and 7 I that's

41:21going to come down to do you have the right timebreakers I think you know it still could be it probably won't be still could be enough to win the division just because the division might kind of eat itself enough you know 10 and 7 but again that would come down to do you have the right timebreakers within the division and then for a wild card like that again comes down to did you beat the Panthers you know did you you know did you beat all of these kind of teams that might be hovering around that 10 and 7 mark to get it so like that's my only thing I think if they go 11 and 6 I don't think there's a way in which 11 and 6 for the Packers is not good enough to get in the playoffs at any juncture 10 and 7 is definitely much more of a question mark let me ask you this very last one I know we'll go fast because you got to dip out I'm stealing this from the athletic show what is the bare minimum for it to be a successful Packer season bare minimum yeah I mean I understand you have injuries I think

42:22I think if they missed the playoffs it's a failure like the team is good enough on paper and on the field that like they should you know again barring that you know Jordan love goes down and misses 10 weeks like okay fine right but if you assume relative health you know at key positions and nobody is missing the season like it has to be playoffs and quite honestly I'm at a point a little bit with Matt the floor and even a little bit with Jordan love I know it's a tough division you got to win it that's right I think that's my minimum it to be a successful season you got to win the North it has not happened with love we've been to 7c3 years ago you have to win the North that'll be anything under than that for me unless somehow we are the 5th 6th seed and go to the Super Bowl like that you got to win the NFC yeah yeah you gotta start winning the division um and um you for sure got to make the playoffs like I mean that's that's my other thing like you know

43:22and and I'm sorry I'm gonna give one caveat to it um um you have to be the 6th seed or better uh because I know I'm an old guy with this the 7c didn't used to exist it's not been around forever and Matt before the last 3 years has been making a killing off of saying I've gone to the playoffs with a seed that didn't exist when he took over the the coaching job um so I don't I also need them to not squeak and back into the playoffs yeah no that's fair but um all right well that's what we'll wrap it up for today uh thank you for spending some of your um uh labor day weekend Sunday with us we greatly appreciate it um you know tune in to uh Badgers uh uh Badgers fighting Irish just to see what the second ever college football game at Lambo Field looks like you don't have to watch the whole thing but and also you know they were nice enough to not put it on a streaming service you can watch it on NBC

44:23you don't you don't even need cable um so uh go ahead and give that a you know check that out for a little bit um and then keep it tuned here all week and he's got a great lineup if you uh he announced it last week I don't remember on which show he announced it on but um he's got the lineup set uh for all of his shows for the season uh it's a great lineup you get Justice Muscata twice during season uh I believe it's what Tuesdays and you'd see their Friday or Saturdays I don't remember which one I cannot tell you the days I just know it's yeah like you said justice twice Dusty's a weekly spot with him uh Neghler's a weekly spot with him and then uh they oh I'm um uh Paul Farranton uh he will be on Wednesdays as well so they're gonna do that collab again this year which is great um if you haven't checked out uh the Paul Farranton show he's a Viking fan but it does a really great job very uh interesting insight from the Vikings perspective of things um so that collab is great um and uh so uh he's got a great lineup for you for the season so make sure

45:27you're checking those out daily so uh and uh I just recommend you check it out as well because it's way more informative than what Jimmy and I put together because Andy's really good at this so uh we just we just appreciate that Andy lets us do this like really at this point so um but he'll keep he'll keep you up to date on everything that you need to know all the important stuff and he's got really great guests lined up for the season so uh thank you so much for listening everybody enjoy the rest of your Sunday uh enjoy your Labor Day Monday as well there's some couch football on on Monday as well I couldn't tell you who's playing uh but that's not why we're here season starts on Wednesday uh if you have Netflix enjoy the game on Thursday uh and if you don't I mean go to a bar or find a new legal website I'm sure they exist I'm not condoning that I'm just saying that's an option uh good to know minute and then uh Jimmy and I will be back next Sunday to preview Packers Vikings for the opening week of the season uh in Minneapolis so uh enjoy your

46:29weekend every time you talk to me next week and as always go back