Inbox: Maybe one big play will engender more

Brian from Reno, NV

Well … that just felt right.

It's win No. 8. That's all it is to me. No time to waste in going after No. 9.

Dave from Hollywood, MD

Just what the doctor ordered! Did the fans need a dominating win like this more than the team?

The Packers did what they needed to do against a team that's about as banged up as it gets. All that matters now is getting geared up for Thursday.

Mark from Winona, MN

Makes you appreciate Malik Willis even more. Thoughts?

Perhaps the transaction of the year in the NFL if there is such a thing.

Alessandro from Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Watching the game, it seems to me that winning football games with your backup QB is really hard, even if you have a good team around him. Just, you know, a little perspective.

Timing can be, and often is, everything. The Packers lost their QB for/during games against struggling AFC South teams while the 49ers lost theirs for a big game against a direct playoff competitor. And the stats I saw all week about how different San Francisco's defense is with Bosa vs. without proved to be true.

Steven from Tucson, AZ

Where would the Packers be without Josh Jacobs? The man is an absolute beast!

I say it every week. I love the way that dude plays. He turns 3-yard runs into 8-yarders (or more) and 1-yard losses into 2-yard gains. His vision, footwork and toughness are top notch. Special player.

Mark from Eureka, IL

With the workload against SF, cramping, and short week, do you foresee fewer touches for No. 8 Thursday?

Not necessarily.

Tom from Wildwood, FL

What an amazing impact the free agent signings of X and Jacobs have made for the Packers. Great game and GPG!

Can't say much more about Xavier McKinney either. Gutey's approach in free agency, if he's going to spend big, is to target players whose arrows he believes are still pointing up. That's tougher to say with Jacobs when he was the league rushing champ two years ago, but his age and durability were definitely key factors at that position. With McKinney, his game has simply taken off from where it was. That's as clear a crystal ball as I can recall in the evaluation process of a proven pro. Remarkable.

Chris from Bettendorf, IA

Was it just me or did Walker seem to have a better game? Yes, the entire defense played well obviously but he has taken a lot of criticism lately (myself included) and looked to me he had multiple good plays. A few QB pressures and some good, solid tackles on short passes that he quickly closed on. Hopefully he builds some momentum for the rest of the season.

When a playmaker like Christian McCaffrey doesn't have a gain longer than 9 yards until well into the fourth quarter, that says a lot about the play at the linebacker level, and Walker was a big part of that in this game. It's just too bad he couldn't snag that INT. That play's gotta be made.

Jeff from Indian Lake, NY

A lot of pros and cons from that game. More than you'd expect with a 38-10 final score. That was a huge strip-sack by LVN. I was screaming at the TV when he was flagged for just about lining up in the Niners' backfield. Seemed like a real bonehead mistake. To come back and make a pivotal play for the defense, growth before our very eyes.

Maybe one big play will engender more. It was impressive the way Van Ness shook the lineman blocking him and then tossed aside McCaffrey, who came over to help.

Cody from Frankfort, IL

Penalties. Turnovers. Run Game.

San Francisco's penalties got a tad ridiculous. The 49ers never seemed in sync at all.

Michael from Hammond, IN

How would you rate Rasheed Walker's play this year?

Solid. He had a rash of penalties early but has cleaned all that up to become the same reliable guy he was down the stretch last year, but probably better simply due to having more experience.

Dave from Germantown, TN

I thought it was interesting that there were two plays that could have really changed the game. The first was Christian Watson dropping a TD pass that would have given the Packers a 24-7 halftime lead and probably would have taken the Niners out of the game. The second was the penalty against the Niners on the third-quarter kickoff. If the play stands the Niners could have gotten the game to a one-score game. It was almost a play-to-play game instead of week-to-week.

The hold on the kickoff return was the whole reason Samuel broke loose, though. Ran right by Anderson as he was getting dragged to the ground. I'd also say the third-down pass that went through Samuel's hands and into McKinney's was enormous. If Samuel catches that, it's a first down around the GB 30 with the score still 17-7.

Joseph from Sioux Falls, SD

What was your favorite part about the game? My favorite part was seeing the offense still get a score after a bad penalty in the red zone.

And it didn't even need third down.

Mark from Westminster, CO

And once again each of your Final Thoughts are prophetic. Wes with his "punch the ball in" and Spoff's with his "get a takeaway." It appears the team as a whole watches your Final Thoughts segment.

I don't think we said anything revolutionary there. Red-zone efficiency had been lacking a bit, as had takeaways lately. It's fun when it all works out.

Bob from Madison, WI

"It's not revenge the Packers are after. It's a reckoning." That was almost Larry-esque. You have learned well, Wordhopper.

That was probably the Final Thoughts line of the year from Wes. Long live "Tombstone."

Bill from Brooklyn Park, MN

Guys, when a ball carrier has the ball knocked completely out of his hands by a defender, but catches it still in the air (like JL10 did near the start of the fourth quarter), does it count as a fumble, and a fumble recovery? If not, why not? And what line needs to be crossed for it to be statistically counted as a fumble?

I believe the ball has to hit the ground to be ruled a fumble, or if it never hits the ground, the opposing team must take possession for it to be a fumble.

Ian from Los Angeles, CA

Can you reach into your magical history bag of statistics and tell me if there's ever been an 8-3 team that sat in third place in their own division? The NFC North race is just getting ridiculous.

According to Elias, at 8-3 the Packers have the best record of any team to be sitting third or worse in their division entering Week 13 since the 1970 league merger.

Eric from Kenosha, WI

Jonathan Owens taking the ball from Aaron Jones, and in a non-Packers NFC North game, is like a weird mind warp. Too bad the NFL can't flex that dog of a Thanksgiving matchup in Dallas. Since everything the league does is ultimately about money, do you think they might one day abandon that baseball-like hold on tradition?

For the entire decade of 2001-10, the Lions never won more than six games in a season and their Thanksgiving tradition was never altered. Not that long ago, Detroit went four years (2018-21) with a grand total of 17 wins, and nothing changed. So my answer is, well, no I don't see it.

Mike from Cottage Grove, MN

Lots of talk about catching the Lions. Strange how I don't have the same angst of the Lions taking the NFC North compared to the disgust if it were the Vikings or Bears. Help me out here with these emotions.

See above. That's why the reaction isn't as visceral.

Ray from Lady Lake, FL

I hope I haven't done anything to offend you that you haven't answered this question any of the other four times I have asked but I will humbly ask again as to what's with Kalen King? Is it him or me that you don't want to answer frankly?

I've said countless times in this space we don't get to watch any 11-on-11 snaps in practice once the regular season begins. Zero. None. Zilch. So it's impossible to give any meaningful update on a practice-squad player who has not played in any games.

Dave from Huntsville, AL

What do you think about the Cowboy returning the onside kick for a TD? Opened up the Hail Mary try.

It's either a selfish play or a poorly coached one, because with Washington out of timeouts Dallas should've been kneeling that out. What a crazy early round of games Sunday. That one, the Bears scoring 11 points in the last 30 seconds to force OT but the Vikings still winning, then the Chiefs needing a late field goal to beat the Panthers, and Titans-Texans was nutzo. No serenity in this league.

Jeremiah from Middleton, WI

My friend is a Giants fan and always complained how much he hated Eli Manning when he was the QB. Now, he'd give anything to have Eli back. As an aside, my favorite Eli Manning stat is outside the two Super Bowl win seasons, he never won another playoff game. All or nothing baby.

That's what makes his Hall of Fame case so debatable and interesting – what you've outlined vs. what a reader pointed out last week, that those two Super Bowl wins were against the guy who's won seven of them.

Andrew from Chicago, IL

The Packers did what they should: beat down an injury-depleted team. This seems like a no-nonsense, bring-your-lunch-pail kind of day, which fits given the short week ahead. What must the Packers do against the Dolphins to keep this two-game winning streak alive?

Against Miami it's all about limiting the explosive plays. Tua, Tyreek, Jayden, Raheem, Da'Von … they can gash you with that speed at any given moment. The Packers will have to stay sound fundamentally and tackle really well.

Pete from Caledonia, MI

I love 8-3. I'll take 8-3 any day, twice on Sunday. I'm just having trouble figuring this team out. Eight wins but, only two over teams with a winning record (and Houston/AZ are looking mediocre). Three losses to three of the NFC "big dogs." Better in some areas, poor in others. The SF game may be as complementary as they've had. Can they still hit a higher gear? Or have we peaked at where "they are what they show they are"?

I don't think this team has peaked. No way. More strides made Sunday, tempered by the opponent's injury situation, but more out there to take.

John from Rhinelander, WI

After Sunday's game, what do the Packers need to improve on to beat the Dolphins on Thursday?

I believe the Packers will have to play their best game of the season on both sides of the ball to beat Miami. The ball-control, possession-based offense Green Bay played in the first half Sunday would go a long way toward a victory if it can extend into the second half as well.

Steve from Eau Claire, WI

I've read a lot of wisdom, and some tomfoolery on this site. I'm just wondering what is the most important thing you have learned from someone while working for the Packers?

If you're asking about football, I'll never forget being in the film/whiteboard room next to McCarthy's office my first year here. It was just for a brief Q/A. One of the position coaches working on his segment of the game plan (I think it was short-yardage) came in to ask Mike something. In a roughly 90-second response, Mike pointed at some diagrams on the whiteboard and went into such a detailed explanation of the concept – to gain 2 yards – I realized the truly complex level at which the NFL game is played, strategically and schematically speaking.

JP from Geneva, IL

What do you enjoy about the 2024 Packers? What frustrates you about the 2024 Packers?

I enjoy the way they battle. I get frustrated with the missed opportunities. I'm excited for the season that remains.

Kandace from Bentleyville, MN

The Lions are blowing everyone away, Philly is running over everything (255?), and Minny is quietly 9-2. I'm glad we're in the mix and playoff-likely, but given the other NFC teams we're bound to face, we better hope they all get worse and we get better. This sounds like pessimism I know, but my gosh, look at the NFC's best teams right now. I see two, maybe three elite teams and a bunch of good ones. Right now, we're in the good, sometimes lucky category. I know, just beat Miami, etc., etc. …

You said it. Happy Monday.