Kyle & Brust

The 4PM hour of Kyle & Brust starts with the Brewers and the importance of Game 1 against San Diego. With Jacob Misiorowski on the mound and Milwaukee entering as a massive favorite, Ben believes Saturday could set the tone for the entire NLDS. He trusts the Brewers’ resilience, but admits losing with the Miz would make him considerably more nervous about relying on an inexperienced rotation for the rest of the series.

Then Willingly Useless gets everyone ready for October by revealing the Brewers’ ceremonial first pitches, including Carlos Gomez and Teddy Higuera, before reminding Milwaukee of some old Manny Machado beef. Will brings back Machado stepping on Jesús Aguilar during the 2018 postseason and argues Brewers fans need to have the boos ready when he returns to Milwaukee. Plus, an old video resurfaces of Kevin Zeitler practicing his pass-blocking sets while his wife was in labor, which naturally gives Kyle even more confidence in Green Bay’s newest lineman.

Bryan Bulaga joins the show and says he does feel better about the Packers’ offensive line, particularly with Zeitler and Laken Tomlinson potentially taking over at guard. But he pumps the brakes on expecting an instant transformation. Bulaga expects fewer blown assignments and free rushers immediately, while improvements in the running game could take several weeks as the veterans get acclimated. Most importantly, Jordan Love should stop taking the kind of violent hits that plagued him against Atlanta.

And Bulaga puts Sunday’s trip to Tampa Bay in perspective: this is about as close to a must-win as it gets. Falling to 1-3 with the rest of the NFC North already creating separation would make the playoff climb extremely difficult. Tampa Bay is starting an undrafted rookie quarterback, and Bulaga says if the Packers believe they’re the team they expected to be, this is a game they simply need to find a way to win.

The 2PM hour of Kyle & Brust reacts to the Packers finally signing veteran Wisconsin native Kevin Zeitler, completing a dramatic offensive-line overhaul alongside Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton. Ben compares Brian Gutekunst to Michael Scott hitting Meredith with his car and then taking credit for driving her to the hospital: Green Bay deserves credit for addressing the emergency, but Gutekunst also helped create it. Kyle believes the three veteran additions could legitimately save the Packers’ season if they simply give Jordan Love time to operate and make the offense functional again.

The guys debate whether Packers fans should feel optimistic about the moves or furious that Green Bay reached this level of desperation only three weeks into the season. They also question Gutekunst’s track record developing and evaluating offensive linemen after moving on from players like Elgton Jenkins and Rasheed Walker while the replacements have struggled. And after a caller raises another issue, Kyle turns his attention toward offensive-line coach Luke Butkus and argues that Green Bay’s problems aren’t solely about personnel, they’re also about development.

Plus, the guys revisit Tucker Kraft’s frustration with Packers fans booing during the disastrous home opener. Ben and Kyle argue those boos represented the standard Green Bay fans expect and that the front office’s aggressive response proves the performance was unacceptable. Then Matt Lepay joins the show to celebrate Wisconsin’s comeback at Penn State while pumping the brakes on declaring the Badgers “back” until they prove they can build on it against Michigan State

The 3PM hour of Kyle & Brust asks a question that would have sounded ridiculous a month ago: what’s more likely, the Brewers winning the World Series or the Packers making the playoffs? Even Kyle chooses the Brewers. After Milwaukee’s 103-win season and dominant September, his confidence is soaring, while Green Bay sits at 1-2 with an offensive line that still has to prove its three veteran additions can actually turn things around.

Michelle Smallmon joins the show and refuses to abandon her Packers fandom, but admits this is the lowest point she’s experienced since becoming a fan. She says the quickest thing Green Bay can change isn’t schematic, it’s fight, effort and intensity after looking lifeless against Atlanta. Michelle hopes veterans like Mekhi Becton can stabilize the offensive line and give Jordan Love a chance, but when asked whether she’d put money on Green Bay making the playoffs, she isn’t ready to go that far.

Plus, the K&B Fam reacts to Kevin Zeitler, Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton arriving as Green Bay’s offensive-line reinforcements. Callers predict a Packers turnaround against Tampa Bay and Chicago, but Ben questions when a Matt LaFleur team has ever shown the nasty edge everyone suddenly expects. Kyle says the standard doesn’t need to be greatness yet: after three historically ugly weeks, simply becoming a normal, competent NFL offensive line could dramatically change what this Packers team looks like.

The 4PM hour of Kyle & Brust turns into a battle over whether Kevin Zeitler, Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton can actually rescue the Packers’ season. Kyle believes Green Bay’s historically bad offensive line made it impossible to properly judge the rest of the team, and even becoming a competent NFL unit could transform the offense, keep Jordan Love upright and prevent the defense from spending entire games on the field. Ben isn’t buying the sudden optimism and wonders why three players who weren’t on Green Bay’s roster days ago should completely change expectations.

The argument eventually reaches the ultimate line in the sand: if the Packers lose to Tampa Bay and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, Kyle says the season is over. Until then, he’s willing to put his faith in the revamped line and see if Green Bay can reclaim its season. Ben remains convinced the problems run deeper than one position group, from Matt LaFleur to the defense and the continued mistakes that have plagued the Packers through three weeks.

Then the mood shifts to a team everyone can actually believe in. The guys explain why they’re done worrying about whether the Brewers draw the Cubs or Padres in the NLDS. After 103 wins and another strong finish to the regular season, Kyle says it’s time to trust Pat Murphy and Milwaukee’s “win our way” identity regardless of who is standing in front of them. Plus, Willingly Useless somehow turns Caleb Williams showering after a game he didn’t play into a debate about locker-room camaraderie.

Homer joins late and immediately challenges Kyle’s renewed Packers faith. Kyle officially plants his flag that Green Bay will make the playoffs if the new offensive line can become average, while Homer and Ben remain out. One rule, apparently: Kyle reserves the right to abandon ship later, but nobody who jumped off is allowed back aboard.

The 2PM hour of Kyle & Brust with Alex Strouf filling in for Ben starts with an uncomfortable realization: the Packers currently look like the worst team in the NFC North. After watching Chicago win with third-string quarterback Case Keenum, Kyle admits the Bears, Vikings and Lions have all shown something Green Bay hasn’t through three weeks: the ability to compete for four quarters. Even Packers-Bears has been moved out of its original national TV window, adding another indignity to Green Bay’s brutal start.

Then a Brian Gutekunst soundbite from less than a month ago resurfaces and ages like milk. Gutekunst said the Packers felt “really, really good” about their offensive-line depth and were worried other teams might poach their players. Three games later, Green Bay has turned to veterans Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton after injuries and disastrous performances exposed that depth. Kyle and Strouf question Gutekunst’s evaluation of the position and retrace the decisions involving Josh Myers, Elgton Jenkins, Aaron Banks and the young linemen that helped create the current crisis.

Mark Tauscher joins the show and says the veteran additions are essentially emergency moves that reveal how dire things have become. Tausch says Green Bay could easily be 0-3 because the line hasn’t played well enough to win NFL games, and needing outside help at multiple positions makes this far more concerning than simply replacing one injured starter. Plus, Tausch explains why Wisconsin’s comeback win at Penn State now needs to be validated with a strong Homecoming performance against Michigan State.

The 3PM hour of Kyle & Brust with Alex Strouf filling in for Ben features a special edition of Are You Smarter Than Ben Brust, with Strouf stepping into the hot seat. Nate from Slinger puts up seven correct answers, while Strouf stumbles his way to four, proving that replacing Ben for a day doesn’t necessarily mean replacing him atop the trivia mountain.

Then it’s all about October. The Brewers wait for the winner of Cubs-Padres, and the guys debate which matchup they’d rather see in the NLDS. Strouf wants another shot at the exact path Milwaukee faced last year: Cubs in the NLDS and Dodgers in the NLCS. After 103 wins and an 18-6 September, Kyle believes this Brewers team is better equipped to handle either opponent, with Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser giving Milwaukee a rotation capable of carrying it deep into October.

Plus, Xavier McKinney tells everyone to calm down about the 1-2 Packers, and Kyle surprisingly agrees. Green Bay has looked like the worst team in the NFC North, but Kyle argues the season can still change if the offensive line simply becomes functional. The hour ends with even more potential help on the way as the Packers host veteran guard and Wisconsin native Kevin Zeitler, giving Kyle yet another reason to believe Green Bay is desperately trying to repair the biggest weakness on its roster.

The 4PM hour of Kyle & Brust with Alex Strouf filling in for Ben reacts to another potential Packers offensive-line addition as veteran Wisconsin native Kevin Zeitler visits Green Bay. Kyle is ecstatic that Brian Gutekunst continues searching for help, while Strouf sees a giant red flag: a team that entered the season with Super Bowl expectations is already desperately searching for its third veteran offensive lineman. The guys debate whether Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton and potentially Zeitler can actually improve the unit or whether Green Bay is simply trying to make a historically bad situation survivable.

The K&B Fam floods the phone lines over who deserves the blame. Some callers argue Packers fans and media are overreacting to a 1-2 start, while others believe Green Bay’s sudden urgency proves Gutekunst badly misjudged his roster. Kyle argues the Packers deserve credit for admitting the problem and attacking it, while Strouf says the frustrating part is that these moves became necessary only three weeks into a season when the offensive line was already an obvious concern.

Then Homer crashes the show and immediately pokes a hole in Kyle’s optimism: if Gutekunst built the offensive line that failed, why trust him to pick the players who fix it? That sparks a hilarious battle over whether these veteran additions are actually “better” or merely “different.” Kyle insists even marginal improvement could give Jordan Love enough time to function, while Homer compares Green Bay’s attempted fix to owing $1,000 and finding another $20. It’s technically progress, but the Packers still have a mountain of problems left to solve.

The 2PM hour of Kyle & Brust begins with Kyle finding something he desperately needed: Packers hope. Green Bay adds veteran offensive linemen Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton after Jordan Love spent the first three weeks under siege. Kyle isn’t expecting miracles, but after watching the offensive line post a brutal 16% pass-block win rate, he believes simply adding experienced players who understand their assignments could dramatically improve the offense. Ben pumps the brakes and wonders whether Kyle is already talking himself back into the Packers after declaring the season dead three days ago. Pasted text Pasted text

Then it’s time to celebrate an actual Wisconsin football win. The Badgers erase a 17-point deficit to stun Penn State on the road, surviving three Colton Joseph interceptions before completing a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. Kyle and Ben debate what the win means for Luke Fickell and whether Wisconsin can finally build momentum instead of following a big performance with another disappointment. With Michigan State, UCLA, USC and Iowa coming up, the guys say the next month will show whether the Penn State win was a breakthrough or just one great Saturday. Pasted text Pasted text Pasted text

Plus, Kyle finally jumps aboard the Brewers World Series train after Milwaukee finishes with 103 wins and closes September playing its best baseball. The offense is heating up, the pitching staff is rolling and Kyle believes the Brewers have finally shown him enough consistency to make a deep October run. Ben, naturally, reminds him that Milwaukee has been giving him reasons to believe all season. Pasted text

The 3PM hour of Kyle & Brust finds Kyle clinging to his newfound Packers optimism after Green Bay adds veteran offensive linemen Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton. Kyle believes even average, experienced blocking could dramatically change an offense that has been historically bad through three weeks. Ben isn’t ready to buy it, especially with the Packers headed to Tampa Bay to face an 0-3 Buccaneers team starting undrafted rookie Jalen Daniels. After what happened against Atlanta, Ben says Green Bay has lost the right to have any opponent labeled an automatic win.

Jason Wilde joins the show and pours a little cold water on Kyle’s “A New Hope” storyline. Wilde likes Tomlinson’s experience and says both additions are worth making, but reminds everyone they were available for a reason and shouldn’t be viewed as season-saving acquisitions. He believes Tomlinson has a legitimate chance to play immediately, while Becton could provide another experienced option if Green Bay decides to elevate him from the practice squad.

Wilde also explains what actually has to change for the Packers to turn their season around. The offensive line doesn’t need to become elite, it simply needs to become functional enough to keep Jordan Love alive and create a running game. Green Bay has thrown the ball on 74.2% of its offensive plays, an unsustainable imbalance made worse by Josh Jacobs’ absence. And after surrendering 242 rushing yards to Atlanta, fixing the run defense is nearly as important as fixing the protection.

The 4PM hour of Kyle & Brust forces Kyle to officially reset his Packers expectations after entering the season predicting 12 wins and an NFC Championship Game appearance. After a 1-2 start, Kyle lowers the bar to nine wins and admits he wouldn’t pick Green Bay to make the playoffs based on what he’s seen so far. But there’s one giant variable: if veterans Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton can turn a historically bad offensive line into even an average unit, Kyle believes the entire outlook changes.

The guys also give Jacob Misiorowski his flowers after a remarkable regular season. They run through the numbers behind Miz’s dominance, including a .157 batting average against, a 1.80 ERA and more than 1,100 pitches at 100-plus MPH. Kyle and Ben debate where the season belongs in Brewers history and how aggressively Milwaukee should deploy Miz once October arrives.

Then Bryan Bulaga joins the show and pumps the brakes on expecting the Packers’ veteran additions to immediately save the line. Bulaga says improvement is possible, but learning a new system and building chemistry takes time. More importantly, he draws a line under what happened against Atlanta: “unacceptable.” Unlike Minnesota’s exotic pressure packages, Atlanta repeatedly created free rushers through breakdowns in communication and assignments, leaving Bulaga with no more excuses for what Green Bay put on the field.