Inbox: The lessons should stick

Lori from Brookfield, WI

Mike, what was Season 19's special memory for you this year?

I'll share a few. Personally, covering a game at SoFi Stadium in LA for the first time. On the field, the Malik Willis pass to Jayden Reed to set up the win in Jacksonville, and the blocked field goal in Chicago. Both were just stunning, holy cow-type moments.

Keith from Bakersfield, CA

One of the media talking heads tweeted an interesting take on McCarthy. Comparing his postseason record to those of Payton and Tomlin, all three have very similar records. All three had HOF QBs and won one SB. McCarthy has a slightly better overall W-L record. Yet the other two are considered top-flight coaches and McCarthy is not. Hope he lands in a better situation and begins to get the respect he's earned. (Just not in the NFC North please!)

I don't think McCarthy takes a back seat to them, either. I will say it was impressive to see Payton guide the Broncos to a playoff spot with a rookie QB and $85M in dead cap money (50-plus of that from Russell Wilson), and for Tomlin to continue his streak of never having a losing season. Remarkable.

H.R. from Henderson, NV

Congrats to Coach Clements; please enjoy retirement. But this has me wondering how this will impact Jordan Love and his progression. Will we see some regression next season with the change in coaches and philosophy, or will Love just use what he is given to build upon what he already has? We don't know, but it is concerning that Clements is leaving just as Love seems to be on the rise.

Clements' impact may fade but it won't disappear. The lessons should stick. You aren't coached by a guru of his stature for three years and suddenly forget everything. Love will have a memory bank to draw upon and a fresh perspective now, too. Let's see how it works out before worrying. On a personal note, I truly wish Clements the best. When I interviewed him last spring for my Packers Yearbook feature, I could tell he was both impressed with Love and enjoyed working with him, but it was evident the end was near.

Erich from Sheboygan, WI

It baffles me that I've heard comments about how the Packers shouldn't have signed or overpaid Love. Even if he doesn't win another playoff game this is a signing that had to happen and will still be a bargain compared to many others like Danny Dimes, Christian Watson, (maybe even Dak) and many swings and misses with top 10 draft picks. The Packers are in a great place with lots of flexibility to improve their roster.

Love is nowhere close to a finished product, so his contract can't be evaluated in that context. It was the going rate at the time for a franchise quarterback, and he had the leverage to get it. The Packers either had to pay up or irreparably damage the relationship by forcing him to play out the final year of an undervalued deal, which almost surely would've led to a holdout and who knows what else. The thought of souring him and letting him get away after how he finished his first season as a starter was inconceivable. The Packers absolutely did the right thing, having already married the commitment to him with a transition to going very young on offense. Does that contract mean Love will be this franchise's third straight Hall of Fame QB? Of course not. But it's the cost of doing business in this league. As of now, the young man has 35 NFL starts, including playoffs, and he's posted a triple-digit passer rating in 17 of them. After 35 starts, Rodgers had 20, playing with a lot more veterans around him. The foundation is there. Now it's up to LaFleur, his coaches, Love, and the surrounding cast to get the most out of him and this team in the coming years.

Shawn from Cedarburg, WI

On the last Love interception in the endzone it looked like a blatant PI with Bo Melton getting tackled well before the ball arrived and giving him no shot to try and make a play. I know it still would've taken an onside kick and mini-miracle to win the game, but it was still a very important play and no call (especially if you're a sports bettor on the Packers' spread). Have the Packers or the officials made any comment on that play?

LaFleur did Tuesday morning, noting the ball was underthrown but the matchup on Melton vs. a linebacker was worth the prayer shot, and the early contact was ignored. He also made it clear on the Baun INT that the hole in the defense was there but the route was run poorly, at the wrong depth, and he gave credit to Slay for a savvy, vet play on his pick, which wasn't fought for and where the ball placement was off. That was his take on the three interceptions.

Jeff from Foothill Ranch, CA

I'm curious if MLF said anything about not opting to go for two when the cut it to 16-9. 16-11 still keeps it one score if Philly kicks a FG, which they did. Were you surprised? I was dumbfounded. Even if it fails, you're down 7. But to kick the extra point seemed, well, pointless.

It never came up, and I confess I didn't think of it in the moment either. I can see the argument to be down 6 and in position to win with a TD and PAT, but I think your argument is stronger.

Tom from Highland Village, TX

Hi Mike. Acknowledging the HC should have the pulse of the team, I put forth the following. If you are playing a near meaningless game and don't have a bye, you should rest essential players in Week 18. If you already have a bye, you should play to win with all healthy players. Obviously being an I told you so, but the Eagles, Bills, and Rams all played well, and the Packers did not. We'll see KC and the Lions next week. What are your thoughts?

There's no blanket prescription. The situation has to be assessed in the moment. The Packers' offense clearly hit the skids in Minnesota and never got revved up again. Sitting everybody in Week 18 wasn't going to help in that regard. I think that's what LaFleur acknowledged with his approach vs. the Bears. That Vikings game wasn't just another loss. Scoring only 10 points with 10 first downs through 3½ quarters was a sign something significant was off and everybody – coaches and players – had to work through it to find the solution. They never did. Watson's injury was obviously very unfortunate and will have ramifications for 2025 as well, but if losing him was the primary reason for the offensive struggles (I don't believe it was), that likely speaks to another set of problems that would've caught up to them eventually anyway.

Matt from Middleton, WI

ML made an interesting comment in his presser. Something to the effect of opposing defenses went off-profile against them. Minnesota played man, Philly played mostly shell. Does this mean the Packers are too one-dimensional in their game planning?

It would seem the ability to adjust more readily must improve. A few years ago when I interviewed LaFleur once in his office about Rodgers, I remember him telling me defenses used to go off-profile against him all the time. I'm starting to believe adjusting to that with a young QB is much harder.

Curt from Sioux City, IA

One of the things I see people talking about on their wish list for next year is a No. 1 receiver. Do the Packers really need one with the talent they currently have? Maybe just name someone No. 1 and a whole lot of people would feel better.

I enjoy how everyone's got the simple, magic solution. Watson is the closest the Packers have to a true No. 1 because he dictates defensive coverages, and the Packers have a tremendous culture in their WR room. I've said both before, and that's all I know. What that means for 2025 is above my pay grade. Did having a true No. 1 help the Vikings win in the playoffs? Anyone? Bueller?

Brian from Trego, WI

So with both the Packers and Vikings losing in the first round, would you say the division success was inflated by playing a weak AFC division?

I would say both the Packers and Vikings got knocked off-kilter late in the season by good teams – the Packers by the Vikings, the Vikings by the Lions – and couldn't recover on short notice.

Ned from Laguna Woods, CA

So, having seen how the Rams throttled the Vikings' offence, particularly with the pass rush, what did they do that was so much better and/or different than what the Packers did?

They won up front. Eight of the Rams' nine sacks came via a four-man rush. Darnold certainly held the ball too long at times, but it was the 11th game out of 18 he was sacked at least three times. The Packers got him three times total in two games. Minnesota's two best pass pro outings all year might've been against Green Bay. That gives significant pause. I've given my take on the Packers' pass rush this season before. It was wildly inconsistent. There were games it affected QBs persistently, and other games it disappeared, particularly against better teams. The biggest issue for Hafley in Year 2 is developing a pass rush that can be modestly reliable.

Jeffrey from Eveleth, MN

If Gutey can pull off this off season what he did last year, and bring in two more impact free agents, we could be over the hump. You agree?

I'm all for a couple more outside additions of proven players who are the right fit. But that won't get the Packers over the hump, just like it didn't this year. It's going to take everyone from the last three draft classes to improve and take steps forward. Those who have taken steps need to take bigger ones. Those who haven't must start to, or competition will be coming in to push them aside.

Ben from West Fargo, ND

Just a comment, the current Packers remind me of the early '90s Packers. They were good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to get over the hump. Now that they have some money to spend in free agency like Ron Wolf did with the right signings playing for championships is on the horizon.

See above. If Wolf's draft picks in the three years leading up to '96, like Wayne Simmons, Earl Dotson, Doug Evans, Aaron Taylor, Dorsey Levens, Craig Newsome, William Henderson, Brian Williams, Antonio Freeman and Adam Timmerman, don't become the players they became, it wouldn't have mattered how many free agents he signed.

Chris from Fort Wayne, IN

You guys fall all over yourselves praising Gutey for his roster management. Help me. How is it we find ourselves one OL down in a playoff game and our best backup option is a sixth-round rookie with maybe a dozen snaps of experience? Really?

The first-round pick (Morgan) was on IR and the veteran on the roster all season for just such a situation (Dillard) was on the injury report recovering from a concussion. Plus only one start (by Myers) had been missed by the preferred starting five all year, so the jars never came off the shelf.

Andy from Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Isn't targeting only a college rule? I thought hits to the head were only a penalty on a defenseless receiver or a QB in the pocket, not on runners. Maybe I'm wrong, please correct me.

I admit I have to brush up on the helmet contact rules. There may be a caveat with runners that the tackler has to clearly lead with his helmet or launch himself into the head contact, or something to that effect. But the fact that the rules themselves are clear as mud and difficult to sort out says enough.

Jennifer from Middleton, WI

Hi Spoff, regarding all safety-related penalties being reviewable, I have two questions. To your knowledge has that proposal been put before the league? Have you ever had the opportunity to discuss with Mark Murphy to get his take?

I've never brought it up with Mark, but I probably should try before he leaves. I've heard facemask fouls being reviewable will be under discussion this offseason. Maybe that's the start of something.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

Mike, your article “Playoff Loss Still Raw” was powerful. It totally exposed the raw emotion of not attaining a goal that requires years of preparation. Such lack of attainment can erode the spirit and limit the fight to succeed. That sentiment was not present in those interviewed. That they see goals reached in the future bodes well and stimulates hope.

I appreciate the compliment. I always take that final locker room story seriously, and I work deliberately in constructing it, because I feel it's my duty to capture the mood and sentiment of the finality to every season. I've written it many times, obviously, and they aren't all the same. Last year the sense was a massive opportunity had gotten away, but there was plenty to look forward to. This year, it's more the harsh reality they weren't good enough, which creates different offseason motivations. In my tenure here, that last chance to hear from the players before the page is turned has been a tough day every time but one.

Brock from West Lafayette, IN

Good morning! I almost hate to ask but how many more "Packers Unscripted" shows will we get before you guys take a hiatus? Or will you continue to have some sort of mini-version with all of the build up to the draft since Green Bay is hosting this year? (I do hope you all get some sort of break though!)

We posted one show yesterday, will have another late Thursday, and that'll be it for a while. We'll come back at some point before the draft but exactly when will be fluid.

Mike from Glendale, CA

One of the great things about the Rams' win on Monday is it moves the Packers one spot higher in the draft order compared to where they'd be picking if the Vikings had won.

I'll take it, but that wasn't even on my radar. Go Commanders. Happy Wednesday.