Inbox: Hats off to the Packers fans

T from Cedar Falls, IA

Well, that was fun!

Most of the way, yeah.

Jake from Greenfield, WI

How high is Edgerrin Cooper's ceiling?

I don't think anybody knows, but that's what's so exciting about him. His raw athletic talent just brings a different dimension to that position for the Packers. I don't know how else to say it.

Curtis from Moreno Valley, CA

There is no more question now, Edgerrin Cooper NEEDS to be a full-time starter immediately. This guy is special.

Only the coaches know how much he's missed in terms of reps and installs due to his injuries this season, but I suspect they're going to use him as much as possible without asking him to do things he's not prepared to do.

Ray from West Des Moines, IA

I was happy to see Romeo Doubs back on the field and wearing a Guardian cap.

I think as time goes on we'll see more players take such precautions. Both of his TDs were impressive for different reasons. Like Cooper, it was a big-time welcome back for Doubs.

Lynn from Somers, WI

Boy, am I glad we got both Edgerrin Cooper and Romeo Doubs back. Which one do you think made the most difference?

Forced to pick, I'll take Cooper, but I agree with your first thought wholeheartedly.

Jim from Ripon, WI

So, are we first-half team or a second-half team? Good road win but it's frustrating these inconsistencies.

The Packers are a team still searching for that complete game. They keep getting closer.

Joseph from Sioux Falls, SD

I don't have any questions, but there were quite a few questionable decisions by MLF in that one.

He knows. He took himself to task in the postgame press conference, in a way that sounded a bit different than other times. He wasn't overly happy with himself.

Dave from Lake Zurich, IL

Did you think the Packers were a bit casual on offense during the final minute of the first half? 'Twas a great victory, though, in what has been a house of horrors over the years.

LaFleur took the blame for the clock mismanagement at the end of the half.

Vishnu from Santa Clara, CA

I am loving Green Bay's commitment to the run game through all four quarters. It does seem like Josh Jacobs is wearing down himself a bit in the second half, though. I'd love to see the Packers mix it up with their other two highly capable running backs, although I can understanding wanting the ball in Jacobs' hands as much as possible, too.

It was really unfortunate Jacobs stumbled through that hole early in the fourth quarter. It not only took away a potentially big run to bury the Seahawks, but it gave the defender an opportunity to punch the ball out. I hear what you're saying about Jacobs' usage, but I still want him toting the rock whenever he's up for it.

Graeme from Tucson, AZ

Wow. Josh Jacobs was a beast today particularly in the first half. I'm sure he'll be disappointed with the fumble but I guess if you are going to make a mistake, getting it out of the way when you have a three-score lead probably is the best time to do so, right?

Jacobs was the tone setter and then some to start the game. What a workhorse. Yes, the Seahawks adjusted and the running game wasn't as effective in the second half, but the pass plays were there as a result. The Packers just didn't execute. Love missed a wide-open Doubs off a play-action rollout, and Reed fell down when he was going to be wide open to convert on third down. Make one or both of those plays and a lot about the second-half offense feels different.

Steve from Scranton, PA

Mike, is Romeo Doubs a playmaker or what? His first TD was raw power, carrying defenders with him into the end zone, and the second was a combination of soft hands and body control. While the Packers' WR depth has been beneficial in the past few years, it's become obvious that the trio of Doubs, Watson and Reed are the leading actors and, when healthy, are as formidable as any receiving corps in the league.

I'm not really into comparisons to other teams, but all those guys' abilities were on display in Seattle. Their variety of skills, combined with Jacobs and the ground game, allows LaFleur & Co. to devise game plans to attack opponents in specific ways. When those plans are executed efficiently, like Sunday night's was in the first half, everyone sees how dangerous the Packers can be. They still need to shake the self-inflicted stuff, though.

Kyle from Preston, WI

Our interceptions were partly due to bad QB decisions. We will face smart QBs in the playoffs, and if we continue to play soft coverage in the middle, we'll get picked apart. So tired of watching opponents dink and dunk. We survive against non-contenders, but it won't cut it next month. Lots of talk about getting Alexander back, but he hasn't been the same guy. I keep waiting to see improvement. Still waiting.

The Seahawks gained 208 total yards, 115 when Geno Smith was in for the entire first half.

Bones from Ripon, WI

Am I the only who was screaming for Carrington Valentine to go down in the end zone after his interception? Why risk a safety there?

To my knowledge, there was no risk of a safety unless he leaves the end zone and goes back in. But yeah, just go down there. Sam Shields' career took a horrible turn when he was trying to run an INT out of the end zone and absorbed a big hit that gave him a concussion. The risk-reward isn't worth it unless the pick is made with momentum already moving forward.

Mike from Algoma, WI

I admit I was a little concerned in the second half. The offense seemed to be sputtering. Then I heard "GO PACK GO!" over my TV speakers (in Seattle!?!) and I felt better.

Hats off to the Packers fans. I've never heard that strong a contingent in that building before. Never.

James from Appleton, WI

After the game, did all the Packers fans in the stadium retire a jersey for the 13th man?

Nicely done.

Marcus from Pearland, TXh

I can speak candidly since I'm not employed by the team. We are not playoff ready. Not when the other teams are the Lions, Eagles and Vikes. You may be hoping for improvement or luck, but I've seen enough to convince me we're one, maybe two and done. Way too inconsistent.

I get the sentiment. With a little different perspective, that's what I focused on in my Rapid Reaction piece. But all I know is nobody has to win three or four playoff games at once. They're still played one at a time, and every game is its own entity. That's why nothing can be taken for granted, either way.

Harris from Pewaukee, WI

Mike, I agree with you completely when you say get in the playoffs and see what happens. Not there yet, but let's pretend just for conversation sake. Anything can happen and injuries change everything, but the Packers just don't look like a four-quarter team right now. Run game stuffed in second half and soft coverage in the middle of the field will kill us against Eagles or Lions. Glad we're (almost) in the dance, but not overly confident. We're good, but inconsistent. Your take?

Right here.

John from Rhinelander, WI

So the Packers swept the AFC South and swept the NFC West. Should we be concerned about having one win and three losses in our division so far as the regular season winds down?

The division record will only come into play at this point if there's a tiebreaker needed to decide playoff positioning with the Vikings.

Shannon from Ovilla, TX

That should make Path to the Playoffs easy this week. When was the last time we swept the full AFC and NFC divisions we played in the same year?

In 2021, the Packers swept the AFC North and NFC West.

Randall from Grand Junction, CO

Mike, looks like you missed out on a good pep rally. Wes stole the show.

He always does, whether I'm there or not. If I'm the Prince of Platteville, he's the Prince of Pep-ville.

Richard from Madison, WI

Mike, we've already heard from Wes on this, so now it's your turn: "scooch" or "skosh"?

Tad.

Nick from Gresham, WI

Any idea how long Javon Bullard is going to be out?

LaFleur said he's week to week.

John from Del Mar, CA

Long days and pleasant nights, II. Rarely do I disagree with Spoff, but "Just because it didn't work doesn't mean it was wrong" was too much to resist. On a fundamental level, if it didn't work, it's wrong.

So if, by your logic, strategy evaluation is entirely dependent on the result, deciding to pass instead of run on third-and-2 is automatically wrong if you don't convert? A player whiffing on a block or dropping the pass or falling down on his route means your strategy was flawed? That's not how I look at the game and not how NFL coaches do, either.

Arn from Kenosha, WI

Mike, please allow me to elaborate on my comment regarding "an illusion of consistency." What I mean is that … if you're going to make a wrong call, at least make it apparent that you do it for both teams. That way we have equal-opportunity malfeasance.

Somehow that doesn't seem particularly satisfying.

Jacob from Greenfield, WI

Can you explain why the Lions got the ball at the 20 after the Bills missed a 24-yard field goal? Don't you usually get the ball from the spot of the missed kick?

The ball is placed at the spot of a missed field goal when that spot is beyond the 20-yard line. If it's inside the 20, the ball goes to the 20.

Zak from Huntington Beach, CA

Wes mentioned the still photos that the coaches/players can view during a game. How are those photos produced? Does the NFL just take screenshots from the video footage and send them to both teams? How many photos per play are provided?

It's a pretty straightforward electronic process as far as the production and distribution of the photos. I don't know how many per play, though. I'll have to find out.

Mark from Glendale, AZ

Flopping seems to be getting out of hand across the league. It's not surprising considering a 15-yard penalty can be game-changing, and there aren't any negative consequences for trying to deceive gullible refs. Do you think this is an area where replay assist should get involved?

I wouldn't be against a flop rule that could be reviewed. The NBA and NHL have flopping rules.

Dave from Gwinn, MI

Any thoughts on the "New York Sack Exchange 30 for 30"? With all the recent talk about the four premium positions, will we ever see a team go all in on one defensive group? Would that even be feasible today? If your defensive line can get 50-60-plus sacks in a season, would that elevate a fair secondary into a great one, or an average linebacker corps into a good one? What strikes me is of that line, they only used one first-round pick.

In the salary cap era, if a defensive front produced like that, it wouldn't be together for long. That group was at its peak a dozen years before the cap came along.

Terry from Green Bay, WI

Good morning, Mike. Reading Oliver from Germany's statement that a game in Germany would be like a Super Bowl, I have a question. Do you think the Super Bowl will ever be played outside the US?

I hope not but it wouldn't surprise me.

Chris from Waukesha, WI

Granted that there is still plenty of season left to mess with anyone and everyone's playoff predictions, I am wondering about the possibility of Minnesota facing Buffalo in the Super Bowl, in particular who I would be pulling for. That would be a matchup of two teams that had been to four Super Bowls each and lost all four. Can't have both teams lose. Which of those two franchises breaking a SB losing streak would be better?

You're asking that as a serious question on this website?

Keith from Lincoln, IL

What is your typical travel schedule after an away game? How long after the game ends before the Packer contingent heads to the airport? When you get to the airport is it right out to the tarmac and wheels up? Or do you sit for a while at the airport? Thanks for the insight.

Most of the time, the plane is wheels up about two hours after the game clock hits zero. When we go through security at the stadium before getting on the buses, then we walk off the bus, onto the tarmac, and onto the plane. If we go through security in a hangar or some other place at the airport, it can delay takeoff a little.

Stephie Rae from Flowery Branch, GA

Do you guys head out immediately after a late game on the West Coast, or wait 'til morning? What time do you usually get home in bed?

The plane landed around 4 a.m. CT, so I'll be in a fog for a couple days now.

Leon from Victoria, Canada

Oh please, please Bears, just for the fun of it.

Happy Monday.