Jim from Rock Port, MO

"You're asking that as a serious question on this website?" is a much, much more PC answer than what I was thinking as I read that question. Not sure how you stay so calm – I sure wouldn't. Well done!

Mike is good like that.

Nate from Pleasant View, UT

So, the keys to victory in Seattle are to out Beast-mode the original and make sure the 12th Man is wearing a cheesehead. Who'd have thought?

Spoff covered this well on Monday. I'll just say I couldn't believe what I saw and heard Sunday night. I was blown away by how Packers fans absolutely infiltrated that stadium and made their voices heard. They washed out the 12th man with waves of "Go Pack Go" chants from beginning till the end.

Darren from Wakefield, MI

Hi Wes. It's either the Inbox has taught me lessons or I'm getting older, though I don't get all the worry/discussion on what team the Packers play and what seed they obtain. The Packers won't be the No. 1 seed or division champ, though does it really matter? Even if they obtain those things, you still need to beat the team in front of you this week regardless of who they are or where it's played, then repeat the next week, etc. It's the wrong time of year for ifs and buts...

My thought is what will be will be. If the Packers' path through the playoffs indeed takes them on the road, this team has gained valuable experience on both what it takes to win (5-2) and how challenging venues like Ford Field can be.

Mutt from Blaine, MN

Good morning II. Hope you're getting caught up on sleep. Funny how Carrington Valentine missed interception then got one. Edgerrin Cooper missed interception then got one. At least they didn't have to stew about the one that got away for long.

It's been great to see how Cooper and Valentine have not only stepped up but also developed throughout this season. Those two young players were difference-makers for this defense in Seattle and a big reason the Packers prevailed.

Nathan from Williamstown, MA

Watched most of the Saints game this week, hoping they could hand Washington an L to boost our playoff prospects, which they came so close to doing. The offense is pretty banged up but looked like something clicked once Rattler came in at QB. Defensively, eight sacks of Jayden Daniels has to get the Packers' attention going into this week. Here's hoping our line can continue to protect Jordan Love like they have been doing.

The Saints have their weaknesses, but Darren Rizzi has that team playing inspired football. What was wild about the Saints' eight sacks Sunday is they came on just six quarterback hits. New Orleans has had some bad luck this year but still presents a real challenge. As the Washington game showed, DeMario Davis and Cam Jordan are wily vets who can still get the job done.

Jim from St Pete Beach, FL

Wes, I'd like to suggest he keeps the Guardian Cap for the remainder of the season. What an incredible effort!

I really appreciated what Romeo Doubs said after the game about wearing the Guardian Cap. It is better to be safe than sorry after missing two games. On the field, Doubs was exceptional. Not only were his two touchdown grabs critical in the win but his blocking also aided his teammates' efforts.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

The Packers don't have a No. 1 receiver and, in some ways, that's a good thing. My definition of a No. 1 is the guy you "go to" when you gotta have it. Over the last two seasons, the Packers have had five different receivers they've gone to in those situations. More than not, I think that's been Doubs. He consistently gets open, has great hands and can catch the ball in traffic. Is Romeo our "go to" guy on this team?

It feels like every time I want to say this, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed or even Tucker Kraft makes a game-changing catch in those gotta-have-'em moments. Doubs is made for those moments, though. I love the way he goes about his business, too. Afterwards, he was asked six ways from Sunday about his TD catch, and true to form, Doubs mostly downplayed its extraordinariness. The man humbly lets his play do the talking.

Rudy from Rhinelander, WI

Matt LaFleur's decision to take the ball at the start of the game worked great. Took the crowd out of it and for the most part they were MIA. Is this a strategy that might be used in all away games? Hopefully, the Packers will get a wild card. If so, feasibly all the games will be road games. GPG

I don't know what the stats say, but it sure feels like the Packers play better when taking the ball first. I know it's not black and white and every game is different, but opening with that 10-play drive set the tone.

Bob from Covington, KY

There's a fine line between late-game slack off/meltdown and burning time to protect a lead. Unlike some earlier games, seems like Seattle was more of the latter than the former. While it was painful to watch the Hawks gain yards while the Pack stumbled on offense, both the O and D bled the clock and stepped up when it counted. Encouraging.

And the defense kept chopping, man. I get Geno Smith wasn't out there, but you can only play the team in front of you. Aside from Zach Charbonnet busting that TD run, the Packers' defense didn't offer Seattle much hope. In holding the Seahawks to just 208 total yards, Green Bay jumped to 10th in that total defense stat fans love to talk about.

Jake from Regina, Canada

Christian Watson has been on a tear lately, and Sunday night was no different. That toe tap was special, but perhaps the most underrated part of the offensive performance were the PI calls he drew. How many yards did the Packers accumulate there? While not as flashy as actual receptions, those were still some pretty important plays.

I tweeted that during the game. Watson (and Doubs) have earned this offense a lot of yards off DPIs the past 2¾ seasons. Watson picked up another 39 yards in Seattle, leading to a Packers field goal. Watson quietly has set a career high with 620 receiving yards on 29 catches. That's more than 21 yards per reception. He has 366 yards on his last 13 catches alone (28.2 ypc).

Bruce from Jackson, WI

Hey Wes, I don't understand why our losses to Philly, Detroit and Minnesota should be viewed as anything but opportunities. First, we are beating the teams we should beat and haven't stumbled to teams with worse records. Most importantly, though, you don't improve by playing a college non-conference schedule, you improve by playing better teams and learning from your losses. GPG!

It's all how you look at it, but what encourages me most is Green Bay hasn't let any of those losses to elite teams snowball. That was a hallmark of LaFleur's squads during his first three seasons at the helm. Like Tucker Kraft said after the game in Detroit, you're not losing if you're learning. A young Packers team is doing that.

Dustin from Neenah, WI

I don't think there is enough attention being given to Love's throw to Doubs for that first TD. I audibly gasped as is saw the LB come into play. You can tell the practice time Love has gotten with his injuries behind him has helped immensely. I don't believe that is a throw that is complete earlier in the year. Great to see him out their playing close to 100% as he can be. Looking forward to the final push!

Like last year, Love is trending in the right direction during the second half. He has a 119.9 passer rating in the last five games on 79-of-115 passing (68.7%) for 1,133 yards and eight TDs with just one INT. It's also the first time in his career he's posted a 100-plus rating in five straight games.

David from Winona, MN

The Packers seem to be getting healthier while the Lions, Eagles, and Vikings are piling up new injuries. I think that bodes well for the playoff run. Also, rookies often have a drop-off once the greater length of the pro season hits them. Do you think Cooper sitting a few weeks might actually help him stay fresh for the run?

Perhaps. Like Love, the Packers just needed to get Cooper healthy again. Hamstring injuries are no joke and can derail a player's season if not handled properly. Green Bay exercised caution, and Cooper was back to his playmaking self against Seattle.

George from North Mankato, MN

Which under-the-radar pickup has paid bigger dividends for the Packers? Trading for Malik Willis or signing Brandon McManus? Brian Gutekunst definitely deserves some credit for the job he has done rebuilding and retooling this roster.

It's impossible to pick. While Willis helped the Packers win three critical games in the AFC South, I don't think enough can be said about the job McManus has done calming the kicking waters. With respect to Anders Carlson and Brayden Narveson, McManus has made makeable kicks look routine again.

Mike from Geneva, IL

Matt LaFleur took responsibility for the clock management at the end of the first half. Either he was responsible and took accountability or he wasn't, and he took the blame to remove the negative comments for his team. Regardless, that is great leadership and character. There are a lot of fans with negative comments about him, but I appreciate the culture he and the organization have created.

It's also an acknowledgement everyone out there is human, players and coaches alike. I'll say this – at least LaFleur committed to it. I'd rather the coach trust his quarterback to make it right out there than take a timeout after letting the 15-20 seconds drain off the clock first.

Lynn from Butler, IN

If a player gains X amount of yards on a run play, does he get credit for those yards if he fumbles the ball?

Yes. Josh Jacobs was credited for six yards before the fumble. Also, I have to say – if Jacobs is gonna put one on the carpet, I'd rather it be in a game like that than the postseason. It was a heck of punchout by Ernest Jones IV, too.

Laurie from Sheboygan, WI

The Lions had a rough game Sunday – largely because they got called for the kinds of antics they pulled against us without penalty (facemask, roughing the passer, and trying to take out opponents' knees, for example). Do the officials watch tape on the teams they are going to officiate, so they know what kinds of penalties the players try to get away with? It seems like that would be wise preparation from a player safety standpoint.

They do. Head coaches also have discourse with refs on what to keep an eye out for before games. The Lions didn't have a ton of accepted penalties Sunday (five for 41 yards) but they definitely hurt.

Ryan from Chippewa Falls, WI

Although he never really had his shot in GB, glad to see Grant DuBose is in stable condition after being carted off the field Sunday. Still scary how fast things can change in an NFL game. These guys really are playing on the edge of insanity at times.

This game is equal parts beautiful and brutal. Continuing to send to prayers out to DuBose and his family. Grant was a total gentleman during his brief time in Green Bay.

Aaron from Madison, WI

I often wonder when reading Inbox if people actually watch NFL games or just Packers games. It seems many Packers fans expect we should score touchdowns on every possession and the defense should never allow a score. All teams punt and have points scored against them. All QBs miss open receivers and throw interceptions. "Full consistency" will never happen, coaches and players can strive for it. Too many fans expect it and miss out on the joy of uncertainty that comes with competition.

I think a lot of fans only watch Packers games and that's not a bad thing. It does create blind spots, though. I think many fans' gripes (officiating, quarterback play, defense, etc.) are ubiquitous throughout the league. It's not all about you.

David from Kennewick, WA

Wes! Thank you so much for being a part of the Packers pep rally at Gantry Public House. My buddy, Ray, and I were elated to meet you, and you were beyond nice and just awesome! He was the one wearing the "Laser Freaking Goal Posts, Indubitably Good" shirt. Keep up the amazing work! Also, as a Packers fan who lives in Washington, having been 0-4 at games I went to in Seattle (2-1 in Green Bay), I am STOKED for the curse to be broken. So many Packers fans were there! Great win and GO PACK GO!

It was wonderful to meet you, David, and glad to hear you finally picked up a well-earned W in Seattle. A huge thank you to everyone who came out Saturday night. That was a top three all-time pep rally. Other than being at home, I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday.

Paul from Minneapolis, MN

Minus a few lapses, the Packers certainly played like a Super Bowl contender in Seattle. We haven't seen them play their best game yet. In your mind, what does a complete game look like for our guys to know they are playoff-ready?

How Green Bay performed last December in Minnesota.

Ray from Clark, NJ

While I can appreciate the benefit of finishing third for the 2025 schedule, getting the No. 5 seed may be more important this year when the fifth and sixth seeds are very formidable and could meet in the NFCC. Five seed gets home field. Has a No. 5 seed ever hosted a conference championship game?

No, but anything is possible.

Charlie from Mount Joy, PA

Thank you both for keeping this out-of-towner informed. I had my car in for service today, and my service advisor sees my Packers jacket and compliments me. He then pulls up his shirt sleeve and shows me his tattoo of the Packers logo! Packers Nation is awesome! GPG!

And from everywhere. By the way, Mount Joy – great city, great band.

Sandy from Waterford, WI

What does Green Bay need to do in order to make it into the playoffs this year?

Winning one more game would pretty much take care of it.

Graydon from Menomonie, WI

The team has won four of its last five. The defense is getting healthier. A win vs. New Orleans will clinch a playoff spot. Lots to be optimistic about.

Week by week, the Packers position themselves to do something special. The journey continues Monday when the Saints come marching in. I'm sorry, I had to do it. Have a great Tuesday. Also, a very happy birthday to my son who'll never read this.