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There were far better football games to consume on Sunday than the Green Bay Packers’ 20-6 win over the Los Angeles Rams but, goodness, did Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love and the gang need this one.

Aaron Jones was himself again, and it showed.

The Rasul Douglas trade is already paying off with the Packers’ young defensive backs getting invaluable playing time.

Everything comes with a BRC, “Brett Rypien Caveat.”

The season’s not dead yet and a winnable game at Pittsburgh is next.

We discuss it all on the podcast with Bob McGinn.

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'Does he have that something special?' Kurt Warner dissects QB Jordan Love

FAVRE: Time for Jordan Love to make ‘chicken salad’ out of ‘chicken s**t’

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These are bizarre times in Green Bay. After three decades of sublime quarterback play and perennial contention, the future is a total unknown.

The 2023 Packers are 2-5 and, now, Jordan Love has 10 games to prove he’s the quarterback of the future. Pressure’s heating up for all involved: GM Brian Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur, Love and a green-as-grass offense.

So, let’s check back in with the player who revitalized the franchise itself.

On Episode 4 of “FAVRE,” three-time MVP Brett Favre examines the state of the organization, and a lot more:

* The problems in Green Bay run deep. What does he see?

* How is Love performing? Favre knows seeing an element of “razzle dazzle” is important… even if the deck’s stacked against the QB.

* The challenge of trying to win with so much youth. Favre knows he was lucky to have Sterling Sharpe at wide receiver to begin his Packers career. Frank Winters, too. Any vet at any position can go a very long way.

* Why the 54-year-old Favre has more desire to train than he ever has in his life. (But, no, he isn’t mounting a comeback.)

* How Favre knew Doug Pederson would be a great NFL head coach.

* His relationship with his father. He never heard “I love you” or “I’m proud of you” from his Dad. What effect did this tough love have on Favre as a kid? Today?

* His relationship with his daughters. He’s been open to both about his addiction to alcohol and pain pills.

* Connecting with the fans on a deeper level and why this meant more to Favre than any statistic, any accolade.

VIP members at Go Long can join our recordings to ask Favre questions. Upgrade here to our founding tier for this access, a Go Long sweatshirt and a copy of “The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Save Football.”

Audio of “FAVRE is above with video below.

Go Long is completely independent, and strives to cover pro football through a longform lens. Subscribers can access all stories and all podcasts.

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Previous episodes of “FAVRE” below:

Ep 1: Reliving an unforgettable moment in NFL history

Ep 2: Bar fights, throat-slashes and the car crash that could've killed him

Ep 3: The unique attrition of football

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By the end of this week’s “Ty & Bob Pod” podcast episode, our longtime scribe had the 1988 newspapers out. It’s been that long since the Green Bay Packers offense was this anemic in the first half of games.

That cold stretch under Lindy Infante sure mirrors this one under Matt LaFleur.

Now, there’s a Halloween scare.

You may start to see empty…

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One and a half seasons in, the Las Vegas Raiders have only gotten worse.

Out is GM Dave Ziegler. Out is head coach Josh McDaniels.

Obviously, the Raiders franchise has been a joke for a while now. But as we delve into this episode of the Go Long Show, change was needed. A flawed quarterback plan, an abomination of a defense and losses like the one we all saw on Monday night against the Detroit Lions demand accountability.

Also, what does the addition of Leonard Fournette mean in Buffalo? Co-host Jim Monos recalls scouting Fournette out of LSU.

And what does the opposite of everything Raiders resemble? It’s the Detroit Lions, where the head coach and GM have made a series of correct decisions.

Brian Daboll sure would love that fourth and 1 back vs. the Jets. We’ve seen many coaching mistakes halfway through the season.

Monos also explains why Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata is Victor Wembanyama.

Audio is embedded above and the video is below.

Thanks, all.

Miss our column Tuesday? This is a defining moment for Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

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There is too much happening in the NFC North to jam our weekly discussion into one post.

Miss Part I? Here’s a lengthy chat on the state of the stammering Green Bay Packers.

For Part II, we begin with the Baltimore Ravens’ throttling of the Detroit Lions. One week ago, we were crowning the Lions as contenders. Dan Campbell’s crew, as co-host Bob McGinn eloquently puts it, had their brains handed to them by the Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Was this a one-week fluke? A bad omen? It’s complicated. We discuss.

And, holy, did the Minnesota Vikings make an NFC statement by upsetting the mighty San Francisco 49ers, 22-17. Without his star receiver, Justin Jefferson, quarterback Kirk Cousins was exceptional in a primetime spot. Jordan Addison introduced himself to the country. And blitz-happy Brian Flores hinted that this is a new day for the Vikings defense.

Go Long spent time around the Vikings in training camp. They were optimistic about 2023 — eager to prove that was substance to all those one-score wins a year ago. The life-saving K.J. Osborn is one player who brings this team’s spirit to life, too.

After a 1-4 start, the Vikes are now 3-4 and should be thinking about contending. This season. With Cousins.

Finally, we wrap with Eagles-Dolphins talk and another “McGinn Memory.”

Thanks, everyone.

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No win on the road is a gimmie. But, for the Green Bay Packers, this was supposed to be the breezy lull in the schedule.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s Raiders? Russell Wilson’s Broncos? They couldn’t have gotten these two clubs at a better time.

Both wins were the Packers’ grasp and they let ‘em slip away. Instead of heading into their NFC North matchup vs. the Min…

Mac Jones and Mike Gesicki doing The Griddy at the end of a game-winning drive certainly was not on the bingo card of even the most tortured Buffalo Bills fans.

An alleged “get-right game” was anything but for the 4-3 Bills.

Could this simply be an average team with an average defensive mind? There’s much to be written on this 2023 season, but the pressure’s building on head coach Sean McDermott. Injuries aren’t an excuse, especially when Bill Belichick managed to pressure Josh Allen on 41 percent of downs without key starters. (Including Matthew Judon.)

We try to make sense of it all here on the Go Long Show with co-host and longtime NFL exec Jim Monos.

Also, some thoughts on the horrendous officiating staining pro football games, those Pittsburgh Steelers finding ways to win in the fourth quarter and a thought on offensive line play in light of Tyrod Taylor and Tyson Bagent earning wins.

Of course, the main focus is on the Bills and that precarious Super Bowl window.

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Few remember the level of ugly to a victory in the NFL. Few will be able to recall just how close the Buffalo Bills were to near-disaster against the New York Giants.

But right now, this is a team lost in the woods.

The good news? It’s mid-October. Week 7. There’s plenty of time for the Bills to dust off a compass and find their way out. We examine the state of the team on this episode of the Go Long Show. Co-host Jim Monos, the team’s former director of personnel, offers his unique perspective as always.

Also…

* Lyft/Uber etiquette. Some stunts don’t warrant the tip.

* Rookie QBs. The start of Bryce Young’s career has been a nightmare, but how much is his fault?

* Why a hearty rushing game is exactly what the doctor ordered in Buffalo.

* Defensively, Monos pinpoints the areas of concern. Expect teams to take the fight to Sean McDermot’s team on the ground.

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The “Go Long Show” is accessible right here at GoLongTD.com and wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Video below:

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The Detroit Lions — the Lions! — just may become this year’s Super Bowl Champions.

It’s time for everyone to face that reality.

Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have spent three years building a mentally- and physically-tough powerhouse of a roster. So much has gone into this, too. From the Jared Goff trade to building an ass-kicking offensive line, to resetting the secondary to — above all — seeking a specific DNA in players. (Links to stories below.) The time is now for a franchise that’s toiled in the NFC basement.

Detroit’s 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasn’t necessarily pretty. But, once again, the Lions proved to make the sort of hustle plays you won’t see on other teams.

Like, say, from Chicago Bears rookie Darnell Wright on a Vikings fumble recovery.

On this episode of the “Ty & Bob Pod” with our resident Hall of Fame sports writer Bob McGinn, we analyze the Lions’ win over Tampa Bay and what makes this a legitimate contender. We then try to make sense of that messy Vikings-Bears game, and think big picture on the Vikes. Where should GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell go from here? How the Vikings perform against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday night could dictate the terms of their season.

We cap with Cowboys-Chargers talk. Contrary to a media talking point this week, McGinn isn’t impressed with quarterback Dak Prescott.

Finally, this week’s “McGinn Memory” turns the clock back to 1984, to a classic snow globe of a Packers game.

Go Long subscribers can always access all stories and all podcasts:

Also, we’ve been growing our Go Long TD YouTube page. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to catch clips from all three podcasts (“FAVRE,” “Ty & Bob,” “Go Long Show”), all Zoom Happy Hours and 1-on-1 interviews with the likes of Matt Hasselbeck, Drew Bledsoe and future guests.

It’s about time we got to your Mailbag questions. Will post in the AM. Have a question? Email me at [email protected].

Thanks, everyone.

Lions Links:

DNA of the Lions, Part I: Vanquishing 'bad juju'

DNA of the Lions, Part II: The obsessed ones

'The Problem' is The Future

The Detroit Lions Must Break You, Part I: Life and death

The Detroit Lions Must Break You, Part II: Bringing the pain

Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions miracle worker

'There is only one Barry Sanders'

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When Mike McCarthy told Matt Hasselbeck that he needs to buy a truck and build a house to send a message, frankly, the young quarterback thought his position coach was nuts.

McCarthy essentially could’ve told the balding second-year pro to bench press 315 pounds with no spotter.

The Packers longshot, however, earned the No. 2 job behind Brett Favre… was soon handpicked by Mike Holmgren to lead the Seattle Seahawks… and enjoyed an NFL career that spanned from 1998 through 2015. Surely, the Seahawks fans that watch this podcast will forever believe Hasselbeck was robbed of a Super Bowl in 2005, too. (He holds no grudges.)

I think you’ll love this conversation. Hasselbeck opens up on the football life he never imagined.

Audio is available at the player above, and everywhere you get podcasts. (Including Apple and Spotify).

Video is below.

The written Q&A is right here. Thanks, everyone.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe