Inbox: Another long offseason on the east end of Lake Erie

Steve from Pueblo, CO

Ugh. What a disappointing Super Bowl matchup. Who are you rooting for?

Whom, and I guess I'll say Philly, though not with the gusto I was rooting with Sunday for the two teams that lost.

Jeff from Lompoc, CA

I was gonna say how I feel bad for the Bills, but honestly I don't. They blew the game in so many ways – the repeated failed QB sneaks, chasing the two-point conversions costing three points, etc. What are your thoughts on how the AFCCG played out?

Much the same. I do feel bad for Buffalo's fans, and for Josh Allen. I thought his coaches really let him down with wrong PAT decisions and unimaginative short-yardage plays. And then when he made an absolutely unbelievable throw against the Spags blitz on fourth down, his tight end couldn't catch it despite no obstruction from a defender. Ugh. Another long offseason on the east end of Lake Erie.

Eric from Kenosha, WI

Josh Allen made that first down, but the official on the ball side allowed himself to be influenced by the one who couldn't see the ball, then "the [wrong] call on the field" prevailed. The NFL continues to frustrate, confound, and disappoint.

And how 'bout that fumble recovery in the Eagles game, too?

Al from Tulsa, OK

I said when Buffalo failed on the fourth-and-short the game was lost. Why did they keep trying to go up the middle when KC was consistently stopping it. Shouldn't they have tried to bounce it outside?

As much as I hate the play, if they were going to insist on the QB sneaks/pushes, I kept waiting for them to put more than one player behind Allen to help push. That one guy was useless every time.

Craig from Weare, NH

Spoff, I agreed with you about going for 2 for a long time. I think Vic had similar. After watching Washington go for 2 in first half and now the Bills have gone for 2 twice. The Bills are still chasing that point.

At 21-16, Buffalo went for 2 in the final minute of the first half to try to get within 3. Really? Why? Who cares? There's a whole half of football left with plenty of scoring to come. Playing the numbers game that early is a fool's errand. The domino effect on the score and decisions the rest of the game was so unnecessary, and it did nothing but hurt the Bills. I stand by what I've said for 20-plus years, that going for 2 before the fourth quarter, absent unusual circumstances, is generally a bad idea.

Dominic from Riverside, IL

Too bad the Commanders lost, I was cheering for them.

It's too bad they put the ball on the ground three times, and their No. 1 corner couldn't hold up in coverage when they blitzed. They never really gave themselves a chance to win with those kinds of mistakes.

Mark from Fort Worth, TX

Speaking of player safety, to me, the punching the football has gotten out of control. Most of the time missing and delivering body shots. Do you think this needs to be looked at?

No. The NFL has way bigger issues on its hands.

Mike from Algoma, WI

Zero respect for S. Hoculi and crew. I understand warning Luvu about intentional encroachment over the top, but to then say you may award a score after another player accidentally encroaches makes me sick. And all during the course of the most boring play in the NFL.

This be the absurdity that a non-football play hath wrought. Once again, the league has been asleep at the switch. I made my feelings clear about the tush push three years ago and they haven't changed.

Nathan from Abingdon, MD

Watching the Eagles vs. Washington game. Oren Burks has played a really good game. A name I had forgotten about after he left Green Bay. Do you recall what happened that made it not work for him here? Lack of opportunity or failure to perform? Combination?

It just never clicked for Burks in Green Bay for whatever reason(s). He's been a backup LB and special-teamer for his entire seven-year career now, but he's gotten playoff opportunities the past couple of seasons with the Niners and Eagles and made the most of them. I suspect his level of experience now makes him a more reliable defensive sub than earlier in his career. That's my best guess. I'm happy for him. He's a really good guy and an intelligent, well-spoken man.

JJ from Westland, MI

Had to turn the sound off, too much Tom and Tony. That said, not sure Detroit could've beaten the Eagles.

You may be right, but it would've been a different game at Ford Field. The Eagles have played one road game since Dec. 1. They gave up 36 points at Washington in that one.

Dave from Huntsville, AL

It seems the team that beats the Packers in the playoff always makes the Super Bowl. When is the last time that didn't happen?

Three seasons ago, the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC title game.

Alan from Mount Auburn, IL

Hi Mike, looking at the injury reports for the four teams, other than Buffalo, I'm surprised and even questioning how few players are listed. What's your take?

It's the playoffs.

John from Portland, OR

If you'll permit a brief rant, I am disgusted by how the NFL has embraced gambling, integrating it into the pregame and in-game broadcasts. And the ads that say that you can bet on every play? How would we react if they substituted beer for gambling, and constantly told us that you should drink all game long? Many credible studies show that lots of people are gambling money they can't afford on football, but the NFL seems okay with it so long as they get their cut. Shame on all of them.

Capitalism at its finest.

Steve from Rockford, IL

Have you noticed the playoff winners seldom throw long. They just dink and dunk and move the ball. Is there a lesson in that?

Rob would like a word.

Rob from Prospect, KY

It was interesting how many long drives happened this weekend. Do you think that the Packers' youth hurt them this year in their inability to sustain long drives without making critical mistakes? Thus the over-dependence on explosive plays?

I can appreciate that point of view. But when the offense can't consistently play clean football, I can also appreciate the desire to get yardage in chunks.

Shawn from Kissimmee, FL

What would you say is the biggest difference in QB play from Rodgers to Jordan Love? To me, it seems that Love is more willing to throw a 50-50 ball or even a throw into double coverage giving his receiver a chance to make the play, compared to Rodgers looking for the highest percentage or his most trusted go-to guy. Seems to go against the standard today and more in line with how Brett Favre used to play. Is this something that can be tuned or when going gets tough, expect this from Love?

I realize this fan base's frame of reference is the two longtime QBs who came before Love, but I encourage everyone to separate them and let Love just become his own man. Rodgers took a lot more chances with the ball in his early years and had his very first pass in a playoff game picked off. People also easily forget he threw double-digit INTs the next year, when the Packers won it all. My point is he evolved as a player, just like Love will evolve, and we don't really know how he's going to turn out. Their supporting casts in these developmental years also have been night-and-day different experience-wise.

Jeff from Mequon, WI

Hi Mike, I would just like your opinion here. Last year, we sat at No. 25 and I still believe Jordan Morgan is a good young player who will develop into a reliable starter for GB. However, the top two cornerbacks, which is now also a position of need, were right in front of us. They were taken by the team that knocked us out of the playoffs and also the team that won our division traded up in front of us to get the other. Does this change your approach as a GM to be more aggressive?

No. The Packers have always approached the draft aiming to maximize value with as many selections as they can based on their evaluations. They do their homework and stay true to it. I have no idea what the Packers thought of those two first-round corners last year, and neither does anybody outside that draft room. Positional need, which is baked into the evaluation process, also has changed at that position compared to a year ago at this time.

Jay from Altoona, WI

Brian Gutekunst recently stated that teams who utilize a feature WR rarely advance far in the playoffs, yet the Packers' offense is markedly less effective when Christian Watson is not in the lineup. Given that Watson is recovering from a serious injury, should the Packers explore bringing in another player to stretch defenses, or do you see the Packers expecting or hoping for improvement from within?

If I'm Gutekunst, I'm not spending big money in free agency on a wide receiver. That market has gotten out of control, so I'd use those resources elsewhere. If the Packers can get the next Christian Watson in this draft, sign me up.

Steve from Flagstaff, AZ

Going forward if I could take four players from the past two drafts to make significant improvement and be called on to be dominant players, I am asking for Lukas Van Ness and Dontayvion Wicks from '23 and Morgan and MarShawn Lloyd from '24. I am not saying Luke Musgrave because I think he is good and just had bad luck with injuries this past year. I am curious as probably you are to see what a dominant LVN can really do on defense and what Wicks can be for this offense and same with a healthy Morgan and Lloyd. Agree or disagree?

I have no problem with your choices, but Musgrave, Karl Brooks and Carrington Valentine from '23, plus Javon Bullard and Ty'Ron Hopper from '24, have me just as intrigued.

Brian from Dunkirk, WI

Does San Fran get two third-round picks again if Saleh leaves them for a head coaching job, again?

I'm guessing not, because he wouldn't be a first-time head coach, but I honestly don't know the specifics of the minority provision.

Tom from Fort Myers, FL

Which teams had the best fourth-down DEFENSES in the past season?

Minnesota, Detroit, Baltimore, Cleveland and Chicago were the only teams to allow less than a 50% conversion rate.

Robert from Chandler, AZ

Richard from Livermore must be an old-timer like myself to recall the years when there was no multiple-team playoff, just East versus West for all the marbles. It's worth noting that had there been even a four-team playoff (to include just the runners-up), Green Bay might very well have won seven titles in a row under Lombardi rather than five of seven.

Those same Packers also might've been knocked out in an earlier round once or thrice. We'll never know.

JP from Geneva, IL

Is it true since 1977 only two NFL head coaches (Cowher and Reid) have won a first Super Bowl after being with their teams more than five years? Coach LaFleur will be in his seventh season in 2025? Hmmmmmm...

That may be true, but if you're suggesting what it appears you are, you should know that stat conveniently omits the fact that Vermeil, Gruden, Dungy and Arians all won their Super Bowls relatively quickly with a second team after longer, successful stints with a former team didn't produce a title.

Patrick from Murfreesboro, TN

More than 16 regular-season games is bad for the integrity of the game. Game 17 (and heaven forbid, 18) is loaded with teams eliminated from playoffs, or resting for playoffs, rarely offering games with two competitive teams. It's essentially preseason level games infiltrating the peak of the regular season. The NFL has abandoned its "protect the shield" values. I miss Pete Rozelle.

I'm with you, and the really sad thing is the league's response to this will be to add an eighth playoff team in each conference so half the league makes the postseason, just like the NBA and NHL, making the long, four-month grind worth even less, to eliminate just half the teams and determine nothing more than home field for each playoff matchup. That's it.

Bil from Stateline, NV

"…probably two-thirds the reason I work here." Here, I thought it was for our well-thought-out questions and pithy commentary.

Tom would like a word.

Tom from New Berlin, WI

There are times I feel some questions you receive should be put in a garbage bin.

Try sitting on this side of the keyboard.

Diane from Hot Springs Village, AR

What's the biggest "want" in the offseason?

I "want" Wes to pump my gas on these cold winter days. The longtime readers will understand. Happy Monday.