Midweek Shock: Can Aaron Rodgers’ next move against the Packers rewrite the game entirely?.QQ

Hey everybody, thanks for adjusting your schedules and logging on. Hope all is well. Go ahead and start sending in your questions and I’ll get going.

Hey Mike – you hear much from Vic these days? How is he? How’s his health?

I haven’t connected with Vic for several months now. I should probably do that. When I talked with him last spring (I believe), he had moved from Edisto Beach in SC to western NC, right on a golf course, naturally.

Is Luke Musgrave’s low snap count more a result of the emergence of Tucker Kraft or his inability as a run blocker?

A lot has to do with Kraft, and in some games the Packers won’t use as many two-TE sets as in others based on the game plan. Also, John FitzPatrick has earned snaps at TE as well.

Will Christian Watson be playing Sunday?

Popular question. I honestly don’t know. We’ll see what we hear between now and the end of the week.

How about that tie and the #1 seed now. So weird.

Barring any other ties amongst the NFC contenders, it’ll eliminate any talk of tiebreakers when it comes to the Packers’ position. But the NFC is really jammed up top now. One loss and you can fall a long ways.

Are we expecting to get Devonte Wyatt back this week?

He has not practiced since his injury so we’ll see if he’s out there later today.

How do we establish the run? A more consistent short passing game, misdirection, screens, draws?

Better blocking, honestly. I think GB’s O-line has been rather stout in pass protection, but the run blocking has been less consistent. Hopefully the same starting group continuing to play together will lead to progress.

Watson has to at least be put on the 53 by this w/e, correct?

No, the 21-day window expires early next week I believe.

I’m more than a little concerned about our secondary holding up against Rodgers. I’ve seem what lesser QB’s have done so far.

That’s been another area of inconsistency I’d call it. Rodgers is going to get the ball out quickly. There are completions that aren’t going to be stopped, but if the tackling is on point those can be kept to short gains and give the D chances to get off the field.

Having had two grueling trips to Europe myself recently, I have to believe that five hour delay adversely affected the players more than they are letting on.

Maybe. I don’t know. It was just rotten luck that a travel issue like that happened to occur on the longest flight of the season. If it happens when the team is going to Chicago or Minneapolis, it’s not that big a deal because the flight is less than an hour. Phoenix was about 3 1/2 hours.

The way the commanders are struggling the less impressive the win. Good thing the playoffs are based on wins and not style points

Jayden Daniels’ health has been a big issue for Washington. They’re not the same offense without him. Most teams aren’t when the starter goes down. Arizona might be an exception, honestly. Brissett is playing pretty well.

Based on what you seen from Pittsburgh this year do you expect us lean more on the pass or the run?

The Packers are going to strive for balance. Look at what Cincy’s offense did last Thursday. They got a 100-yard rusher and Flacco-Chase were almost unstoppable.

Hey Mike, based on the first question from II today — why are fans so obsessed with their team being “respected” or showing up in everyone’s “top 5”? Who cares if they’re “disrespected”? Just go out and win!

Exactly. I don’t understand all that nonsense and pay zero attention to it. All that matters is where you end up at the conclusion of the season.

Hello Mike ~ non Packer related question. Have you ever been to Brewers spring training? Thinking about going this March to get in a game or 2 and lots of golf.

I’ve never been but I definitely want to go sometime.

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Would the strategy to neutralizing TJ Watt this weekend be similar to the Detroit game with Hutchinson?

There will be some similar tactics I’m sure. The difference is the Steelers have Heyward on the interior and Herbig on the other side, too. Those guys deserve attention as well. Heyward is a whale of a player as a disrupter on the inside.

I don’t recall this much early talk on ” seeding” in years past. Did I just successfully ignore it then?

It seems to have become part of the news cycle sooner for whatever reason. I don’t start looking at it until there are about 5-6 games left, honestly.

I was excited to see Matthew Golden involved early in the game but I don’t recall any catches or targets after the first qtr. what happened?

18 of Jordan Love’s 29 throws were targeted for Kraft or Romeo Doubs. They became the go-to guys in that game.

It seems we haven’t done that well against short, quick passes. Rodgers is throwing more quickly than he used to. Will that be a problem for our defense?

It’s going to be another test, for sure. As I said, tackling will be at a premium, and trying to stay in the underneath passing lanes as much as possible. Easier said than done. But if teams aren’t going to challenge the defense downfield, then get to third down and take your chances.

Do you think Brandon McManus is worried about being Willy Pipped?

No.

Two yellow helmet teams could be strange.

Yeah, I haven’t heard anything, but I’m wondering if the Packers will be wearing the all-whites. GB wore them on SNF in Seattle last year.

(Editor’s note: The Packers have since announced they are wearing their all-white uniforms in Pittsburgh.)

What are the biggest threats in Pittsburgh? How are their lines?

Pittsburgh’s pass rush is a big concern, and I think the Steelers are going to try to run the ball with Warren against GB more than recent opponents have tested the run D.

Awesome for kid on sidelines with high 5 from Kraft. Also saw Josh Jacobs’s reached out to find a missed high 5 kid.

Yeah, the players know what those moments mean to young kids. They were young once, too.

Will Aaron get a free play this Sunday night? The DL needs to be disciplined.

For sure. The penchant for jumping offside is definitely something Rodgers will try to use to his advantage. The Packers have to stop doing that or it could really cost them. It was costly enough in AZ.

Hey Mike, how much of an impact did blitzing Quay Walker have on Micah Parsons’s successful day? Having to account for Quay’s tenacity had to cause some shifts in protection from the Cardinals.

Walker had a terrific game, but honestly the Cardinals decided to try to block Parsons one-on-one more than any other opponent so far this season, and they paid the price.

What week are we wearing the throwbacks with the new brown helmets?

The Carolina home game, next week

I think Hutchinson has more moves than Watt. I see Watt more of pure speed rusher. Kraft will be chipping.

Chipping will be involved, but Watt has plenty of moves too. He’s not some one-trick pony.

At the end of the season, they don’t ask how, they ask how many.

Right.

Now that touchbacks come out to the 35, why would a team purposely kick it into the end zone? That decision cost the Cardinals three big points at the end of the half and there have been other similar examples throughout the league this season.

I don’t know if the Cardinals purposely kicked to the end zone. I asked LaFleur Monday if that’s what GB did after the go-ahead TD with two minutes left and he said that wasn’t the plan. Sometimes the kickers just get too much leg into it.

Can the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers?

Can they? Yes. Will they? I doubt it.

I noticed the Lions shut down Tampa without any of their starting secondary. Meanwhile we seem to struggle stopping anyone with our starters. Just the NFL or is Detroit just that deep with talent?

Credit to the Lions for how they pieced together a D-backfield to handle the Bucs, but what we don’t know is how much they changed up what they do with different players back there. Once that stuff is on film, other teams adjust. We’ll see what happens moving forward.

I was at the game Sunday. The Packer fans were numerous. I witnessed a franchise record, and a hip drop tackle flag. (so I have that going for me now)

The crowd reminded me of Nashville last year. Pretty much a takeover.

How many Packers fans typically show up in Pittsburgh?

I’m not expecting too many. The Steelers fans are going to be jacked for this one.