Lisa from Lee, TX
Do you believe the NFC North championship will come down to the last game with the Lions?
Yes, I do. From the Packers' perspective, they would have to have a two-game lead over the Lions going into that game to have clinched the division title before that game is played. I'm not counting on the kind of collapse it would take by the Lions for that to happen. I think the two teams will be within a game of each other, one way or the other, heading into that final game.
Jason from Austin, TX
Vic, as of now, the high on Sunday is going to be around 30 degrees. I think both teams will be prepared for the cold weather. I would label Philadelphia as a cold-weather city, though not as frozen as Green Bay, but still cold. This game might be right up your alley. I think running the ball and stopping the run will be as important as ever. Dare I say this might be a low-scoring game?
That's not my expectation for two up-tempo teams. I think the winning team will score 30 or more points. Just a guess.
Josh from Richmond, VA
Do you think moving Clay Matthews inside has more to do with putting your best 11 players on the field, or just putting him in a different spot?
It's all about putting your best 11 on the field. Look at it from the opponent's perspective. If you were attacking the inside because Matthews was outside, then you're going to attack the outside because Matthews is inside. It's really that simple, unless the guy that has replaced Matthews on the outside is playing at a high level. Nick Perry has been playing at a high level. His game is on the rise. He's one of the Packers' "best 11," and it's a big reason this strategy worked against the Bears. Perry will be tested by LeSean McCoy.
Mike from Lansing, IL
A QB can be described by his arm strength and his ability to read defenses, a safety by his speed or his big-hit ability. What attributes would be used to describe a good special teams player such as Jarrett Bush?
Courage, toughness and the will to succeed.
Johan from Pembroke, ON
Vic, you once said something similar to "If the Packers defense is going to get better, Clay Matthews has to play like the star of the defense he's supposed to be." I'm guessing that rotating him between ILB and OLB is a way to get this done?
Whatever it takes, because for the Packers defense to be the best it can be, Matthews must be its star.
Kinley from Elkhorn, WI
If Lambeau's capacity is listed at 80,735 and the games are listed as sellouts, why is the attendance always in the 78,000-plus range?
The Packers and the Steelers, I believe, are the only teams in the league that announce actual attendance, instead of tickets distributed. In other words, the Packers and Steelers are giving you the no-show count; other teams don't. I wish the league would require all teams to provide actual attendance. I know how many seats are in each stadium. What I don't know is how many people are attending the game. What value is there in announcing the seating capacity each week?
Ryan from Westfield, WI
I just had somebody tell me the old Eagles field had a jail cell in the stadium and a judge on duty during games to ticket and fine people quickly and swiftly. Any lick of truth to any of this?
It's true. For a game between the Eagles and Steelers at The Vet years ago, the city installed a night court in the bowels of the stadium. A high volume of arrests were expected for that game, and instead of increasing the size of the holding tank and battling to transport the miscreants downtown, the city decided to process them all right on the spot. As expected, there was a high volume of misbehavior during that game, and the night court idea was a huge success, so the city continued it.
Mark from Nottingham, UK
Vic, some time ago you wrote about the "Ketchman Prevent" and now you've unveiled the "Ketchman Sunburst" defense. Do you ever bring your unique brand of play design to the offense, or are you strictly a defensive guy?
I do offense, too. How about the "Ketchman Gotcha" short-yardage play. Say the ball is on the 1-yard line going in. The offense bursts out of the huddle and gets over the ball quickly, except the center isn't over the ball, the guard is. The idea is to catch the defense out-manned to one side of the ball and get a walk-in touchdown. More likely, you'll cause the defense to burn a time out. Either way, it's a win, right? I got a million of them.
Aumed from Moorhead, MN
Vic, is this match up with the Packers and Eagles a preview of the NFC championship game?
It could be. I love this time of the year; everybody knows that. I love the playoff scenarios, the tiebreaker possibilities, etc. Right now, I can't help but think of a scenario that would give the Packers a first-round playoff bye, followed by a game at Lambeau Field against the Seahawks. Is that wrong? Should I not be doing that? Hey, I'm just dreaming a little bit. Coach McCarthy doesn't like drama, but I loooooove it.
Reggie from Jackson, NV
I want to know why most of your answers are sarcastic. Yeah, I understand fans have crazy questions but you are here to answer them and we, as fans, know you don't know everything, but you can answer them better than what you have been doing, or if you're tired of answering questions, just stop the blog all together cause you are here for the fan and that's what the Packers pay you for, cause you are losing readers every day.
Wrong, Reggie, baby. Readership is exploding. Packers.com was No. 1 in the league last week for unique visitors. Just think what it would be if we had the Eagles' cheerleaders.
Harold from Chippewa Falls, WI
Bobby Dillon had only one working eye and he still leads all Packers in interceptions? A tough game for tough guys, it would seem.
I guess he had an eye for the ball.
Brian from Albertville, AL
Thanks for pointing out the weakness in my plan of double-covering Jordy and Randall (and for the editing), but what would be your plan to defense the Packers?
I'd play cover two. Invite the run, protect against the big play and make them drive it. Chuck Noll was fond of saying, "How do you wish to die?" I prefer a slow death.
Adam from Duluth, MN
On running plays, Favre used to fake a throw after the handoff. He claimed it caused the linebackers to hesitate, thus allowing the back to break into the secondary more easily. Do you think there was any truth to this and, if so, why don't other quarterbacks do this on occasion?
It's called carrying out a fake, it's old-school and I love it. Yeah, I think it might give you an edge and I don't understand why this technique has been abandoned. I wish I had covered Brett Favre.
Chris from Upland, CA
Vic, what must Green Bay's special teams do on Sunday when they face the NFL's best kick-return game?
No. 1, contain Darren Sproles. Special teams play becomes more important now that the cold weather is here because the ball won't fly as far and that means there will be more returns, more chances to impact the game.
Daniel from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, for years on message boards like this, Packers fans called for offensive line coach James Campen's head. Now, for the second year in a row, the team's got a mid-round pick that stepped in under emergency conditions and has performed better than anyone could've expected. How much of that is coaching? Can Campen take a bow?
He's doing his job. That's the ultimate compliment you can pay a coach. I'm glad you took the time to compliment Coach Campen for another job well done.
Raymond from San Antonio, TX
Just wanted to say they showed the video of the Immaculate Reception slowed down and you can see the ball deflect off a Raiders helmet.
Shhhh. Seal it in an envelope, tell people you know the truth and then do speaking engagements at which you wave the envelope in the air and tell everybody the truth is in the envelope. Seriously, the answer to the question about who touched the ball last on the Immaculate Reception is an answer best never known. The mystery of the Immaculate Reception is too much fun to be spoiled by the truth.
