Inbox: His next step will be the most intriguing of anyone's on this offense

Paula from Apple Valley, MN

Sad day for Wisconsin and baseball. The voice of Bob Uecker on the radio calling the Brewers games my brother listened to (on a battery-powered radio with a dial) is one of the sounds of my childhood summers.

Same here. I lost part of my soul when I heard that news. Ueck helped me fall in love with baseball, as well as the Brewers for that matter, and was the source of my first professional dream – baseball play-by-play announcer. I wrote a "career" paper as a sophomore in high school on it. Then as a junior I joined the school newspaper and the rest is history. I'm forever grateful I got to meet him once. What a legendary life. Man, this has been a tough week. I'll simply refer you to the end of our latest "Unscripted" episode to explain.

Cindy from Minneapolis, MN

Bob Uecker has moved on. I'm sad that I won't hear him live on the radio again, but his Miller Lite commercial will always stay with me. Hollering "He missed the tag!" from up in the nosebleed section – it never fails to make me laugh.

Amen.

Brad from Denver, CO

Hi Mike. Please share with us what you felt was your biggest "wow" factor from any of the six games played this past weekend that just blew you away.

Too many to narrow it down. Houston's defensive performance, Derrick Henry's speed and power after 325 carries at age 31, Josh Allen's fourth-and-1 TD pass, and the walk-off doink. Looking forward to what this weekend brings with some winter lager, snacks and a fire in the fireplace.

Johan from Evansville, IN

Just to tag onto Wes's reply to Scott from Sauk City, WI, how lucky do the Chiefs feel that the Ravens and Bills play each other this weekend so if they beat the Texans, the Chiefs only have to face either Jackson or Allen (no disrespect to Stroud) and not both in their quest to three-peat?

The way the AFC shook out this year, the advantage gained by getting the No. 1 seed looks enormous.

Brian from Trego, WI

Mike, in past years you have supported the first-round bye for the top teams as reward for being top dog, but seeing all the significant injuries in games this weekend got me thinking that the tournament bye format is overly biased toward the best teams. They not only get to play one less game, allowing their players extra healing and rest time, but also to avoid new injury, on top of home-field advantage. Wouldn't it be more fair to eliminate the bye advantage?

If the regular season doesn't transition into a playoff format that's "biased toward the best teams," then what in the world are we playing 17 games for? I know, the answer is money, but it also has to mean something.

Douglas from Johnson Creek, WI

It seems like the best thing that can happen this offseason that is outside the Packers' control is for Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and Brian Flores to all be hired as head coaches outside the division. Would you agree?

I wouldn't complain.

Chris from Oakville, Canada

Let's admit that despite 11 wins 2024 was just not good enough. The issues that plagued this team are things often referred to as "coaching." Slow starts, pre-snap penalties, miscues and poor execution. Matt LaFleur admitted all year long their play was "just not up to the standard" and "I've got to be better." I applaud the accountability, but what's he planning to do about it?

Pinpoint the why. If the coaching staff had found the answers during the season, the problems would've dissipated. They have to figure out why similar problems persisted for so long.

Ian from Kirkwhelpington, UK

Gents, did Josh Jacobs' brilliance cause the deterioration in the passing game in the season just ended? Was one consequence of so many rushing attempts too few passing attempts spread around a plethora of receivers to create the rhythm and confidence required?

I think as the Packers adjusted their ground attack to fit Jacobs' strengths, with more gap scheme and pulling blockers, plus better running efficiency out of shotgun, it became more disconnected from the passing attack. The symbiosis slipped, which affects play-action, keepers and movement throws, etc., and the two elements never got reconnected to the extent they needed to be. I may be totally off-base, but that's my suspicion. It's the only way I can make sense of the Packers being such a good running team, but that ground game not helping the passing attack as expected.

CJ from Cedar Rapids, IA

I'm undecided on our offensive line. Top five in rushing is great, statistics show Jordan Love hasn't been sacked much. But something leaves me wanting. Your take? It seems there was a lot of third-and-1 and we couldn't punch it through. Am I seeing it wrong?

What I wrote above may have something to do with your ambivalence about the offensive line. Love wasn't sacked much, but I felt he was avoiding sacks while under pressure a lot against the better teams (certainly in Philly last Sunday), though that may also be a reaction to how opposing QBs were protected. There are issues to parse, that's for sure.

James from Appleton, WI

When Matt LaFleur gets a handle on what went awry, the first person he should talk to is Jeff Hafley, because what Hafley did this season – incorporate rookies, get everyone on the same page, build momentum to the last game – is what LaFleur did with the offense the year before. The defense can't be locked in to pick up where it left off, but at least everyone got to see that the system works.

Interesting thought.

Steve from Phoenix, AZ

Since we're debriefing … I thought one of the team's biggest and most surprising shortcomings this year was the pass rush. Preseason optimism aside, the team was overmatched by good offensive lines. The Rams and Lions harassed Darnold, who gets easily flustered. He had a peaceful easy feeling against us. In five games against Phil/Det/Minn we had 1.4 sacks per game; in the other 12 – 3.2.

I look at the Eagles games a tad differently because of Hurts' running threat. But Goff and Darnold combined to attempt 134 passes over four games and were sacked five times. There were a lot of reasons the Packers didn't beat those teams, but that one certainly ranks up there.

Yotam from Atlit, Israel

It always amazes me the discrepancy between the preseason hype and postseason summery. Case in point, eight months ago, the two biggest selling points for this team were the young, diverse, talented WR room and the potential pass-rushing surge with the new defense. Fast forward a bit, and these were the most problematic parts of the team (apart from penalties). Not much of a question, just an observation.

That's why there's always a point in time the baloney stops.

Robert from Chandler, AZ

Watching Jordan and our corps of young receivers has been like raising teenagers. A lot of promise. A lot of growing pains. A slew of injuries. But one guy has emerged as proven: Tucker Kraft. Catching the ball, running after catch, blocking, and, wow, fourth-and-1? Love that guy.

His next step will be the most intriguing of anyone's on this offense.

Jack from Black Mountain, NC

I like the intensity of Tucker Kraft's "we have not won anything." I do like what I hear about the team's culture and caring for each other. But to reach the next level do you think more players need Tucker's intensity about winning?

Based on Gutekunst's answer to conclude his 35-minute season-ending news conference Thursday, maybe.

Greg from Perkasie, PA

Regarding Guety's "We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency" quote, do you think it is hard to reach that sense of urgency with such a young team with players who haven't been chasing Super Bowls, let alone even being in the league itself, for that long?

That might be exactly what he was getting at.

Graeme from Tucson, AZ

Someone once said (back in my home country in a sport that Vic wouldn't talk about!) that you don't win anything with kids. It's very exciting to be watching a young team develop and grow together, but having room to grow doesn't guarantee that a player will. At what point does the narrative have to change from "this is a young team" to "this is a team with enough experience to deliver at crunch time"? Thank you for your in-season coverage – just a shame as ever it's over too soon.

It depends how each player uses the experience gained. This year, and the playoff exit, brought new lessons compared to last year. Everyone a part of the last two seasons now knows what's possible when you're playing your best in the biggest games, and how doing so can't be assumed.

Al from Hartford, WI

I've seen a few fellow II'ers comment on our cap space next year. According to overthecap.com, the reality is the Lions, Vikings, and Bears all have more 2025 room than we do. Point is, this road ain't gettin' any easier.

I don't know much about the Detroit and Chicago situations, but Minnesota's cap room is purely a mirage. The Vikings have a greater portion of their total snaps (45%) heading into free agency than any other team in the league. The vast majority of their cap space will be consumed by re-signing their own and/or filling the holes of departures, not adding to what they've got.

John from St. Albert, Canada

Good day Insiders. Jordan Love may never win an MVP, but being all-in on someone with their potential still in front of them beats the Vikings' situation. Imagine having to decide which is the real Sam Darnold, especially considering the last two games looked a lot like the first six years.

Once again, I may be full of it here, but I wondered on Tuesday's "Unscripted" if Darnold's lack of experience in truly big games was a factor, because in both of those, once things went south, he couldn't get his team back in them to even have a chance. Coming into 2024 with a 21-35 record as a starting QB, it's fair to question how many seriously high-stakes games he'd played in, and suddenly he had two back-to-back, neither at home.

Matt from Middleton, WI

Hi Mike, the Vikings should have an interesting offseason. The oldest team in the NFL, unsettled QB situation, free agents galore and limited draft picks.

Barring other moves, they'll have only four draft picks – a first, a comp third (for Cousins), and two fifths. That's it.

David from Fort Worth, TX

The analysts say that in order to become an elite team, Green Bay needs to be more physical and more disciplined. Coaching can fix the discipline problems, but is physicality something that can only be achieved by getting tougher players or can that be coached, too?

I gave my assessment on physicality the other day. You don't run the ball and stop the run the way the Packers did without it, and this team had more than many Green Bay teams. Philly had more yet, and brought it, but it wasn't missing. Discipline does need to improve, in various areas. That I agree with wholeheartedly.

Tom from Two Rivers, WI

Listening to pundits, fans, and to a certain extent Matt LaFluer, I get that you want to say we've just never seen the Packers play their best game so we will never know how good they could have been. Not true. We took six cracks, and played the same game six times. I love this team. They are good. But great teams almost never let good teams play good football. We saw this six times. Can we finally admit that our beloved Packers weren't good enough to beat great? It's okay if we do.

I agree they weren't good enough to be great. They never proved it. But "played the same game six times" is too convenient and inaccurate. Realistically, the best game this team played, when factoring in circumstances and opponent, was that Thursday night in Detroit. In a hostile building, they rallied from an early 10-0 deficit to get the lead twice in the second half, only to lose on a walk-off field goal when a close officiating call here or there might've altered things. They took that performance out to Seattle and played another very good game. But that turned out to be the peak, and not only did they not build upon it, they never got back to it.

Dan from Wausau, WI

I believe when Coach LaFleur was asked about T.J. Slaton's penalty, he stated you have to be disciplined at all times. I found that interesting. There were several times this year the coach himself lacked discipline and threw baby-like temper tantrums on the sideline. Sometimes, leadership comes from examples not words and I think Coach LaFleur needs to examine his own behavior this offseason. That, plus game management and challenges … Coach did not have his best year.

As introspective and accountable as LaFleur is, I'm sure he'll spend plenty of time critiquing himself as he debriefs the season, especially the way it ended. I have no doubt about that.

Jessi from Sterling, KS

Will you remind us who has contract coming up and how this team could shift in the 2025 season?

Here is the list of pending unrestricted free agents: Eric Stokes, Josh Myers, Slaton, Corey Ballentine, Eric Wilson, Andre Dillard, Isaiah McDuffie, Zayne Anderson, Brandon McManus, Robert Rochell, AJ Dillon, Tyler Davis.

Tom from Keota, IA

So the Jets requesting a head coaching interview with Hafley? If we needed any more evidence of what a great hire he was, there it is.

It would be a shame, though not necessarily a shock, to lose him after just one year.

Nathan from Manitowoc, WI

Are any of the Packers' coaches going to the Senior Bowl or just the personnel staff?

Jason Vrable will be the offensive coordinator for one of the teams. I'm not sure if any other coaches are involved.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

Which playoff matchup intrigues you the most in the divisional round? I feel like Washington might give the Lions more trouble than expected.

Washington is the true house money team this year, on this run of last-second victories. The game of the weekend, though, is definitely Ravens-Bills. Should be a doozy.

Bob from Ocean View, DE

So the season is over and we can all start thinking about the draft. Say, would you guys happen to know where it will be held this year?

And with that, I'll ask you to send me your thoughts and observations on the games this weekend and we can talk playoff football for a day. I'll be opening the laptop Sunday night while rooting for Buffalo, a town I grew fond of while my son went to grad school there. Happy Friday.