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Inbox: It was the kind of throw only an MVP can make

It was a lights-out performance but there’s still work to be done

QB Aaron Rodgers
QB Aaron Rodgers

LeeAnn from Carefree, IN

Biggest takeaway from this game? I'd have to say the way the Packers embraced the conditions on the snow-covered tundra. They seemed to be in their element while the Titans never looked comfortable out there. Tennessee is built for those conditions with their running game so why was it such a struggle for them?

Oh, you think the cold is your ally. You merely adopted the cold. The Packers were born in it, molded by it. These players didn't feel the warmth until they were veterans. The cold betrays you because it belongs to the Packers…or something.

Matt from Fort Worth, TX

If that's what four quarters of complete football looks like for this team, sign me up! Hopefully they can keep this up for the remainder of the season and postseason!

It's looking the way you want it to look. The Packers also persevered through their midseason injury issues and appear to be as healthy as they've been all season heading into Soldier Field next Sunday night.

John from Fox River Grove, IL

Gentlemen, it is good to see Mike Pettine was creative in stacking the box with a five- or six-man line. That is the type of thinking the Pack has come to accept under Matt LaFleur. I hope there are more surprise packages during the playoffs. What are your thoughts?

Pound-for-pound, that was arguably the Packers' best showing in Mike Pettine's nearly three seasons as defensive coordinator. The game plan was exceptional and every defender knew what was being asked of him. The Packers played Rashan Gary more on early downs. That not only helped against Henry, but also kept Za'Darius Smith fresh on passing downs. On the first play-action rollout, everyone stayed home and forced an incompletion. Pettine did a great job mixing up his calls and personnel, and knew the right time to send an extra rusher. It was a lights-out performance but there's still work to be done.

Maria from Hellertown, PA

As I scrolled through Twitter this morning, I saw my favorite photo from yesterday's win (Evan Siegle is so good!)...it was a shot of Chandon Sullivan wrapped around Henry's torso, Jaire Alexander chopping Henry at the knees, and Krys Barnes hitting him at his shoulders. Now THAT'S how you tackle!

On the few occasions Henry did get to the second level, the Packers had multiple hats flying to the ball. Pettine preached to his players all week about not allowing Henry to become "the spark" for the Titans' offense. The defense did its job.

Lambeau Field hosted a Week 16 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020.

Scott from Palos Park, IL

Is there a pair of safeties playing better football than Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are right now? Fun to watch those two lately.

What's more, each safety is winning in his own way – Amos roving in that dime spot and Savage playing off his instincts and athleticism on the back end. Spoff compared Savage's maturation this year to the jump Eddie Jackson made in Year 2 next to Amos in Chicago. I can see it.

David from Aurora, CO

Can the Packers please clean the snow from the top rails in the endzones? Somebody (AJ Dillon) might get hurt. It takes a secure grip to get up into the stands.

Yet another reason we need fans back in the stands.

Mitchell from Stevens Point, WI

LaFleur talked about energy after the game. Well, who has lots of energy? Young guys! Dominique Dafney, Dillon, and Allen Lazard were fueling the run game. Darnell Savage and Gary are becoming true difference-makers. The young linebackers have Christian Kirksey competing for snaps and playing heads-up football. Obviously, the vets played great but was this the best game so far for young players?

The Packers' recent draft classes are powering their playoff push. More on that later this week.

George from Kennebunkport, ME

Seeing what looked like two fullbacks on the field at the same time (Dillon and Dafney – I know they are RB and TE) reminded me of the inverse wishbone formation from the past. Is this "heavy" set something we will see more of or was this more due to Jamaal Williams being inactive?

It didn't have as much to do with body types as it did LaFleur really wanting to have a move tight end on the field. With Josiah Deguara and John Lovett out, those duties have fallen on Dafney, the former Wildcat QB at Indiana State.

Tyler from Fargo, ND

Has LaFleur commented on AJ Dillon's workload against the Titans? Was his extended playing time part of the initial game plan implemented during the week, or was it a result of the game flow and Aaron Jones working through some injuries?

It was clear the Packers wanted to get Dillon more involved than he was against Carolina, but the rookie quickly became the hot hand in the backfield. Dillon subbed in for Jones after he injured his leg at the start of the second quarter and just kept trucking Titans. Hopefully everything checks out OK with Jones this week but Dillon proved the dragon has three heads.

Jared from Brighton, TN

Longtime reader from back in the Ask Vic days but first-time asker. Love what you guys put out! Three-headed hydra...the three horsemen of the apocalypse. Man, we have a stable of running backs! Did the snow bring out Dillon's north-to-south running style? I don't remember a lot of cuts or change of direction, just him plowing forward for an extra 3-5 yards after first and second contact.

Dillon made the highlight reel with that 30-yard TD run but he was a handful every time he touched the ball Sunday. In fact, Dillon had 13 carries of five-plus yards – that's the most in a game by a Packers running back since Ahman Green did it back in 2003.

David from El Segundo, CA

It may have been overlooked, but how about that tackle by Kenny Clark on Henry in the backfield? Met him three yards deep and just stopped him in his tracks with a textbook tackle. Absolute beast.

I know Clark was disappointed missing the first month of the season with the groin injury but he's improved and looked more like himself each week. Sacks are what get defensive tackles noticed these days but Clark and Dean Lowry are both a big reason for how stout Green Bay has been against the run. Those two set the tone against Henry.

Jacob from Alexandria, VA

Did we handle the blitz better this week, or were just less opportunities for the Titans to blitz?

I thought the entire offensive line played well, especially with having Corey Linsley back in at center. According to Pro Football Focus, Tennessee blitzed 11 times. Aaron Rodgers completed nine passes for 115 yards, a TD and the one INT for a 102.7 passer rating. He also wasn't sacked against a blitz.

Bruce from Green Bay, WI

The Packers having zero penalties and no punts against the Titans is a victory by itself, but how many times have the Packers accomplished this in the past?

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Sunday was the first time since Elias started tracking penalties in 1940 that the Packers didn't have any penalties during a game in which they did not punt the ball.

Richard from Caledonia, WI

Great game in the snow globe! Defense did a great job stopping Henry. Will this scheme be a viable option for playoff games in helping stop the run?

It's big but they can't let their guard down with Alvin Kamara, David Montgomery, Ronald Jones and possibly Ezekiel Elliott lurking in the playoffs. I just think it proved that the improvements the Packers made against the run in the second half of the season are real. Because it wasn't just one guy on Sunday. It was the entire group.

Reed from Myrtle Beach, SC

Did it turn out fortunate that Aaron Jones didn't score on his long run, where replay showed his foot hitting out of bounds? Either the replay official would have noticed he stepped out of bounds, or the Titans would have challenged.

It most certainly did. Since all scoring plays are reviewable, there would have been ample time for New York to realize he stepped out of bounds on the play. Instead, the Packers quickly ran the next play and then finished the scoring drive. The game within the game.

Lee from Long Beach, CA

How does Rodgers complete the pass to Davante Adams that happened in the fourth quarter?

It was the kind of throw only an MVP can make and one heck of a catch. Rodgers and Adams have now combined for more completions than any other duo in team history…and plays like that show what's possible when you have a quarterback and a receiver at the peak of their powers.

Richard from Farmington Hills, MI

How many of us are taking Mike and Nate from Pueblo, CO, to task for forgetting about who is truly the greatest WR in Packers history, Don Hutson? What he did in that era is just amazing.

Yes…but Hutson and the Packers' vertical passing game were so ahead of their time that it makes it tough to compare to the modern era. Adams is only 28 and has a lot of football ahead of him. His story still has many more chapters to be written.

Jim from Rock Port, MO

Regarding the comment "Lofton is in Canton and never had a HOF quarterback throwing to him." I think he caught a few balls from a guy named Jim Kelly.

Not in Green Bay. Some of you really like to split hairs, huh?

Gary from Davenport, IA

Last week I made a comment about Younghoe Koo, the NFC Pro Bowl kicker, not having made a clutch kick all year. His only miss coming into last week had proved costly in the game against the Bears. Then he snapped his streak of 27 consecutive made FGs by missing one from 39 yards against the Chiefs that would have forced overtime. I'll still take Mason Crosby any day of the week.

Koo has had a heck of a year…but when the chips are down and the game is on the line, I don't think there's a kicker I'd rather have over Mason Crosby.

Donald from Swaledale, IA

Wow! The defense really came through. Now for Bears week and a meaningful game for both teams. It will be a gritty NFC North game as usual. Rodgers MVP/Adams Offensive Player of the Year! Could it be?

I don't get to watch every NFL receiver on a weekly basis but I'd be stunned if there's a pass-catcher out there who's had more jaw-dropping catches than Adams has this year. And if there is a game where Adams is held in check, he bounces right back with a 100-yard performance with a TD.

Justin from Milwaukee, WI

According to a friend who listened to the Titans' radio broadcast, they were accusing the Packers of "not showing" the replay of the sideline play where Jones stepped out of bounds. Are the teams reliant on the stadium replay, or do they have access to the replay in real time themselves in the booth?

Have they never covered a game at an opposing stadium before? If they're talking about the jumbotron, the home team rarely puts that clip up for the opposition to see.

Dan from Rothschild, WI

How do the Saints get No. 1 seed over Packers if they have same record? The Packers have head-to-head over Saints.

Only if there's a three-way tie for first with Green Bay, New Orleans and Seattle. Then, the Saints win the tiebreaker with the best record vs. NFC competition (10-2 vs. 9-3 for Seattle and Green Bay). But if Seattle loses to San Francisco, the Packers take the No. 1 seed regardless of the outcome of the Chicago game based on their head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints.

Bob from Racine, WI

Good morning. I imagine the Bears coaching staff now has to plan for Thunder (Dillon) and Lightning (Jones) plus D. Adams, Lazard, Robert Tonyan, Equanimeous St. Brown, etc. Great performance by the offense and defense. But a missed field goal could be costly in Chicago. Hope you and your loved ones had a great Christmas.

That's what makes this offense so potent. Any week it could be Tonyan, Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Dillon, or another role player who goes off. It gives a defensive coordinator a lot to think about in game-planning meetings.

Darrell from San Antonio, TX

We finally got to see what this team can be if everything is clicking. Special teams are still a work in progress but the offensive and defensive sides of the ball were outstanding. However, as well as we played, it'll be all for naught if we don't beat the Bears. We have control of our own destiny. Do you agree that the key this Sunday is controlling the clock? Another 37-run, 25-pass ratio will work. There's no better feeling than to win home field and eliminate the Bears from the playoffs.

We all made a big deal about stopping Henry, but we're probably going to learn the most about how far this run defense has come on Sunday versus David Montgomery and the Bears. Because since the Packers allowed that 57-yard run to Montgomery early in Week 12, they haven't conceded much.

Josh from Oshkosh, WI

A questionable offsides negated it, but did you see JK Scott?

Yes, I saw Scott's tackle…so you guys can stop mentioning it. Moving on….

Michael from Morrison, IL

While we may castigate the NFL on some of its scheduling procedures (e.g. Thursday Night Football, Week 4 byes), the switch to all-division matchups in Week 17 has been one item we need to give them credit on. By my count (and correct me if I'm wrong), 12 of Sunday's 16 games will have some level of playoff implications.

And surprisingly, most of the playoff scenarios aren't cut and dry. The result of one game seems to have implications for another. If the NFL wanted to create more drama with division matchups closing the regular season, it's drama they've received – especially in the flex era.

Dave from Waterford, OH

I'm not really sure why, but I so want Washington to lose and the Giants to beat the Cowboys. Those results will yield a 6-10 team that becomes the No. 4 seed. And, then I would like to see them knock off Tampa Bay or the Rams!

A six-win team making the playoffs would be the most 2020 thing ever.

Tom from Birmingham, MI

Gentlemen, responding to Nate from Pueblo: Until another Packer receiver parties all night and then gets called off the bench cold (and hungover) in the Super Bowl no less, Max McGee is the greatest ever. Right? (See how I made it a question?)

Let's just hope Max holds that title for a very long time.

Charles from Omaha, NE

Hello! I hope this finds you well. In reading your story about Dillon calling up his neighbor Kamal Martin to discuss the snow – do a lot of players live close to each other, kind of like small Packers settlements, or are they pretty spread out over the City of Green Bay?

Yeah, it's fairly common. There are only so many apartments in Green Bay. Sam Shields used to live in my complex eons ago.

Rob from Aiken, SC

Good morning guys, this question is for whoever's turn it is. Is the vibe in the II better this year as opposed to last? I haven't been in here nearly as much this year but I recall last year's "this is the worst (insert W/L record) in the history of the NFL." The defense is still hit and miss but the offense has clearly improved and as goes the offense so go the Packers. So COVID aside, what's the overall mood? Are we on our way, or one-and-done? Happy holidays fellas.

It depends on the week. So far, so good. I suppose the most complete win of the season can warm the heart of even the biggest curmudgeon.

Jeffrey from Eau Claire, WI

Can we all say MVP?

M…V…P.

-16x9

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