Jim from McLean, VA
My summary from watching Sunday football without the Packers: It is definitely a week-to-week league.
This crowd is starting to catch on.
Paul from Los Angeles, CA
What a great weekend for the Packers. Was there any game outcome that didn't aid the Packers?
I guess you could say a Falcons loss to the Broncos would have made it perfect, just because that was an NFC-AFC game. But yeah, things fell exactly as you'd hope for the Packers, up and down the schedule.
Joe from Swansea, IL
Bucs lose. Seahawks lose. Bears lose. Cardinals lose. Lions lose. Panthers lose. Have the Packers ever had a better Sunday in which they didn't play a game? With a lot of football left, can this be anything but a catfight the entire rest of the way?
The Packers, Seahawks and Saints are all 6-2. The Bucs are 6-3. The Cardinals and Rams are 5-3. That's six teams within one game of the top record in the conference at the midpoint, and it feels like there still might be six within one game when December rolls around.
Philip from Gladstone, MI
Remember when everyone said the Saints were done after Week 3? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
Even though they haven't reached a Super Bowl lately, they've been the best team in the NFC in my opinion since 2017. They stated a case Sunday night they might still be.
Sean from Chicago, IL
So the Packers beat the Saints who beat the Bears who beat the Bucs who beat the Packers. Every team in the NFL except for one has at least two losses and to paraphrase a certain Packer beat writer, "Lotta season left."
And within that mix, the Saints beat the Bucs twice, while the Packers have two games left with the Bears. Meanwhile, out in the NFC West, the Seahawks and Cardinals play once more, while the Rams play the Seahawks and Cardinals twice each. Hang on, folks.
James from Clarkston, MI
Per your request Mike about games over the weekend, watch out for the Cardinals. That team goes as Kyler Murray goes.
I said back in the summer to be on alert for Arizona. That was a tough loss Sunday but that team can play with anybody.
Jeremy from Prince George, British Columbia
I recall one of you saying in the past that there's no point playing the who beat who game. SNF just proved your point.
Any good team can play a stinker at any time.
Chuck from Gold Canyon, AZ
On any given Sunday never rang truer. Only halftime but would anyone have guessed Tampa would be down 31? How about the league's arguably toughest division going winless? And how about the league's only unbeaten team having to come from 10 down in the fourth quarter to beat a decimated Cowboys team? What surprised you the most? If COVID doesn't sidetrack the season it should be one heck of a second half of the season.
Aside from the SNF rout, I was stunned how hard it was for the Steelers to beat the fourth-QB Cowboys. But I was also taken aback by the Panthers going the distance against the Chiefs and having a legit shot to knock them off. McCaffrey came back and did his thing. Carolina's December visit to Green Bay could be an interesting one.
Jeff from Cedarburg, WI
Is it too early to start talking Davante Adams as a future Hall of Famer?
Yes, but I'm not ruling out the conversation at some point.
Mike from St. Louis, MO
How does a guy like Davante Adams get overlooked by major college football programs? If he simply gets better while in college, how so at a less established program like Fresno State?
Guys get overlooked by major college programs all the time. Aaron Rodgers first went to Butte Community College. J.J. Watt started at Central Michigan. That list is endless. As for Adams at Fresno State, don't forget his quarterback was a second-round pick, too.
Anthony from Sturgeon Bay, WI
Taking into account a high IQ, an even higher football IQ, as well as many years of experience, is there much of anything AR encounters that he hasn't seen during a football game?
I highly doubt it. The better question might be if there's anything, within reason, we haven't seen from him.
Dan from Rice Lake, WI
Fitting that Dez Bryant was in the house for the latest rendition of catch or no catch. I think not. But if indeed a catch, then why not also a fumble as Raven defender clearly lost control of the ball before he hit the ground.
I believe they did rule it a fumble with a clear recovery by the Ravens. But I don't know how that's called an interception. I go back to the Mike Holmgren bar theory for replay. Holmgren always used to say if 50 people in a bar don't think it's a catch, then it probably isn't. (I know there aren't 50 people in any bars right now, but humor me.) I was reminded of that on the Ravens pick.
Ken from Cypress, CA
Observations from Sunday's games: The Vikings are still in the playoff hunt. The Bears aren't that good but we will still need our A game to beat them. Happy to see Seattle get beat. Glad I'm not a Charger fan.
The Chargers, man. I can't even get my mind around the run of whatever it is they're on. I think it's a good thing the Packers are done with their season series against the Vikings.
Justin from Los Angeles, CA
Don't look now, but the Vikings are 2-1 in the division and they've already played the Packers twice. Maybe it was a little early to bury them? I sure don't want to play them again.
The Bears are 5-4 and the Vikings are 3-5, but when they meet next Monday night at Soldier Field, Packers fans might want to root for the Bears to hold serve at home.
Corey from Henderson, NV
Another thought about Sunday's games. The officiating was a bit spotty. Terrible INT call in Indy, terrible TD call in AZ, terrible illegal contact call in Dallas. They are human, but the league has to do something at some point, right?
It felt like a normal week in that regard to me. I'm not trying to be funny or snide. Just honest.
Mike from Dubuque, IA
Maybe Green Bay's rushing defense isn't all that bad after all. Maybe Kamara and Cook are just two very good running backs?
The Packers have their issues against the run. There's no denying that. But there's also no denying those guys are studs, especially Cook right now. What he's doing is ridiculous. If he doesn't get hurt in Seattle, I have no doubt Minnesota would have won that game. The Vikings should have won it anyway.
Dave from Coloma, MI
Hello Mike. You asked for observations on games we watched today. I observed that Dalvin Cook is really fun to watch when he's not playing the Packers. Can you think of another RB that has had back-to-back games like he's had the last two weeks?
Derrick Henry comes to mind first. He's had some back-to-backs like that in his young career, including in the playoffs last January.
Levi from St. Paul, MN
Mike, a few months ago I posted on II the incredible story of Alex Smith and his journey. Your last II you said you wanted questions about other games this Sunday and to put Thursday's GB game to rest. Well, I pose a question to you about Alex Smith and his incredible COMEBACK. The guy throws for over 300 yards in an NFL game after having half the tissue in his lower leg removed as the result of an infection from a broken leg. Is there any better story in the sports world than that?
It's a story of human, medical and athletic triumph, and it just keeps getting better.
Lori from Heredia, Costa Rica
Hey Spoff, looks like you had good weather for grilling out this weekend. What is the best thing you have grilled recently and what was your secret for the way it turned out?
I undercooked the teriyaki-basted hamburgers Saturday night, but I didn't even care. I painted my fence and grilled out in November. That was good enough.
Julius from Providence, RI
Josh Allen's numbers vs. Seattle: 24-for-28 for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Pretty good for a full game, and that was at halftime. Packers don't play them again while he is on his rookie contract, right?
Well, they aren't scheduled to play the Bills again until 2022, scheduled being the operative word.
David from Sheridan, WY
With the Seahawks losing and Wilson playing poorly, will Rodgers finally get some love in the MVP conversation?
No offense to Rodgers, but I couldn't care less about MVP conversations 2½ weeks before Thanksgiving.
Jake from Slayton, MN
Did anything in the Jacksonville game stand out to you as something to watch out for next weekend?
I did not watch that game, but seeing the highlight of Luton and Chark connecting for a 73-yard TD certainly catches the eye.
Bob from Port St. Lucie, FL
Bills with Josh Allen took advantage of the Seahawks secondary and their defense kept Wilson under control until some big late fourth-quarter plays. Is this the formula to beat them if we meet in the playoffs? Also, do you think the Bills can actually be a factor in the tough AFC this year?
The formula right now to beat the Seahawks is to score a bunch to make Wilson keep up, and then get a key stop or force a mistake along the way. The Bills are absolutely for real, but the AFC is the most balanced it's been at the top in a long time. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Tennessee are all right there, too, with Indy, Miami, Las Vegas and Cleveland a highly competitive next tier.
Patrick from Valrico, FL
A lot went the Packers' way this week. The division as a whole got farther behind us. The conference leaders came back to us. The team got some playmakers back, fingers crossed that Jaire doesn't miss time and we get the other starters back soon. The defense found itself. Which of these things was the biggest help to the Packers' outlook for the remainder of the season?
If this team can start to turn the corner health-wise over the next couple of weeks, that would matter most.
Jamie from Waldport, OR
Sunday observations. Good luck defense, all 32. It's all about matchups, style vs. style, some are favorable, some are not. Games are decided in the fourth quarter. We are about to start the third quarter of our season. Keep the fire burning. Next man up can be a hero. You always must be ready. Are you ready for some football?
Regarding your defense comment, Seattle has one of the worst defenses in the league, statistically. I think that sums it up. As for your question, are you trying to get me fired up to watch the Jets tonight?
Jeff from Littlefork, MN
Watching SNF and Collinsworth mentioned the difficulty in spotting the ball in a short yardage "mass of humanity." He asked, "How do you even know?" Is the genius of laser balls, not to mention goalposts, lost in the rest of the world? Is the II just that much ahead of the rest of the world? That's all I can figure.
Never underestimate the II.
Chris from Minneapolis, MN
Just a quick comment. I truly appreciate Coach wearing a mask during the postgame press conference. I get it...it's not necessary on a Zoom call. But it normalizes behavior that thinks outside of oneself and considers the needs of others. Wishing good health and care to all of our Packers family.
Amen. Happy Monday.
