Inbox: There's good reason for both teams to be confident

Bob from Kennesaw, GA

Wes, Scott from East Helena submits a question/comment that you don't like. Your proper reaction is to roll your eyes, hit delete, and move on. That's what you do with most of mine, and I still sleep like a baby every night. Instead, you choose to publish it, apparently just so you can harangue him in front of the II readership. I didn't agree with him either, but your move has now made you seem like a bit of a jerk. Which is probably not true, so what did you hope to gain from doing this?

Forgive my northern attitude. I was raised out in the cold.

Terry from Elroy, WI

Do you feel tempted to respond to Scott from East Helena, MT, again?

The train keeps rolling. The pen keeps writing. My point – for all its thorns – is Christian Watson is an integral piece of what the Packers are building on offense. He can go off for a big catch at any time, which Watson again showcased on Sunday. Choose your own adventure? No, choose your own playmaker. The Packers have plenty to pick from.

Dan from Columbus, OH

It's crazy to think about the struggles on offense a year ago until about midseason compared to now, where with a backup quarterback the offense can almost do no wrong. Is that a product of all the non-QBs being familiar with the system?

Guys are confident in what they're being asked to do, and it's showing. Matt LaFleur said something in Nashville that's stuck with me the past 24 hours: "I'm a firm believer that you don't rise to the level of the competition; you sink to the level of your preparation." The Packers have set a standard and they're playing to it.

Jeff from Ogden, UT

Isn't it odd when the guy passing out the game ball deserves the game ball?

And he'll be the last to accept one.

Connor from Sunrise, FL

Not as much a question as comment. So far Malik Willis is the perfect backup QB. No major mistakes. Lets the playmakers be playmakers. But also "brings the good vibes." You can tell from celebrations and the locker-room video that the team likes him and plays hard for him. Hopefully we get Jordan Love back soon but it's awesome to see team wins.

I asked Elgton Jenkins about Willis' makeup after the game and felt his response was telling about the 25-year-old quarterback: "You can tell he's a winner. You put him in a good position, he's gonna execute and do the right things. I don't feel like the moment's ever too big for him." Willis is such a cool customer and that's a premium trait in the NFL. Willis hasn't just kept the ship afloat – he's helping it gain speed for when Love gets back behind center.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

Thankfully Jordan Love's injury wasn't as serious as it looked and now it appears he will be good to go Sunday. Hats off to Malik Willis and the job he's done the last two weeks. If Love is healthy and Willis is headed back to the bench, he was a seventh-round pick well spent. Looking ahead in the coming weeks/months do you think there's a place in the offense for Willis with a healthy Love, either on his own or on the field with Love for a few plays? He has an intriguing skill set.

Interesting question. As I've said in the past, I wouldn't be in favor of any play that keeps Love on the sideline but perhaps a package or two could be built with both QBs out there that could take advantage of Willis' athleticism.

John from Gaylord, MI

Obviously, I'm hoping for Love's return this Sunday. That said, is it crazy to feel just as confident with either Willis or Love at QB given what we've seen the past few weeks from LaFleur and his staff?

I think you should feel confident in this football team.

Jeff from Hewitt, TX

The WR1 conversation, our former QB1 got too focused on his favorite receiver, and I think it was ultimately a negative for the team's chances in playoff games. I personally LOVE that we have so many offensive weapons now that we can't really choose a "WR1"! LaFleur has built this team to be selfless so that any week they may be in the trenches or on the scoreboard. It's a big reason for our recent success with Willis. II, is this set of coaches a tighter group than you have seen before?

LaFleur's coaching staffs have always been close, but as the head coach pointed out last week, most of this group has been working together for more than five years now. Adam Stenavich, Jason Vrable, Luke Butkus and Ben Sirmans were here with LaFleur since his first year in 2019. Experience leads to trust and trust breeds creativity. I think that's what you're seeing.

George from Kennebunkport, ME

Good morning II! Two solid wins powered by takeaways, sacks, stuffing the run, and an offense leveraging the skills of an underestimated QB. One aspect that was really impressive: the downfield blocking that turned short gains into chunk plays. Gutey and LaFleur are proving they are among the best in the business.

The Packers have a litany of offensive linemen, tight ends and receivers looking for work at all times, which is encouraging. It's not always like that in the NFL, especially with skill players.

Jason from Austin, TX

These past two weeks have been a really fun ride. LaFleur has called a much different game than he normally does, for obvious reasons; much more run heavy. Do you think the success the team has had with this approach will influence the way he coaches going forward, or do you think he'll lean on the pass attack more once Love is back? To be clear, I'm not suggesting either is right or wrong as he's had plenty of success doing both.

No, I get what you're saying. LaFleur was asked a version of this question after the game by Pete Dougherty and said you're always learning from experiences. I'm not sure how the stats bear it out but one thing that sticks out to me is how much pre-snap motion and end-arounds Green Bay is doing and how well it's working. There's value in variance whether it's Love or Willis throwing the ball.

Chase from Carmichael, CA

I see you all made it out before the place completely burned down.

LaFleur didn't hear no bell fire alarm.

Dan from Beloit, WI

How many players have to get a sack before it's considered a party?

If you can count 'em on more than one hand, that's a sack party in my book.

Larry from Johnson City, TN

If three defensive players get to the quarterback at the same time, how is the sack split? Or is that just considered a team meeting by sub-committee?

The in-house stat crew takes its best stab at it during the game, but the NFL reviews everything afterwards. Teams can submit requests to look into stats, as well.

Matt from Racine, WI

With all of the talent we had from first- or second-year players last year, who do you think has made the biggest jump this season so far?

Emanuel Wilson. I felt confident about Wilson making this team even after MarShawn Lloyd was drafted, but I didn't know what his role would be. Instead, it's Week 3 and Wilson is touching the ball 14 times on 26 offensive snaps. The Packers' willingness to have him on the field on third down also speaks to his growth. The guy can play.

Brian from Chesapeake, VA

Who had Xavier McKinney and John Anderson sharing a Packers interception record on their bingo card?

It's still astonishing to me Anderson had four interceptions in his first three NFL games. We'll find out Sunday whether McKinney can keep it going.

Richard from Eau Claire, WI

When the Vikings sign 17 free agents this last year, I thought they'd take some time to be efficient. With their team average age of 27.57 years as of Week 1, they are the second-oldest team in the NFL. Usually, continuity doesn't happen so soon. How have they done it?

By signing the right people. Aaron Jones isn't just a Pro Bowl-caliber running back. He's a Pro Bowl-caliber human. He's a superstar with a team-first mentality. Like Davante Adams, Jones keeps finding ways to get better at his craft as he gets older. I'd also be remiss not to mention Sam Darnold. I admit I wrote off the Vikings signing Darnold in March. I didn't get it, but now I do. Week after week, Darnold is showing the Vikings can win right now with him as their starting QB.

Joel from Show Low, AZ

Insiders, not a question, just a thought about the upcoming Vikings game. I hope the fans give Aaron Jones the reception he deserves. He was a great player both on the field and in the community for Green Bay. His recent remarks about loving his new home should not be held against him. After all, we let him go. He didn't leave us. Just beat the Vikes!

The No. 1 thing pro wrestling taught me is the importance of playing to the crowd (a.k.a. your fanbase). I feel confident saying Aaron Jones still loves Green Bay and Packers fans, but he's now the starting running back for the Minnesota Vikings and embracing that reality to its fullest. And No. 33 is gonna be hungry on Sunday. Expect the best version of Aaron Jones because that's the type of competitor he is.

James from Appleton, WI

If I were the Vikings OC, I would run Aaron Jones out on some crossing routes. As for the Packers, I would try to have a steady diet of runs between the tackles. If the Vikings defenders are quick-hitting and active, better to go through them than try to go around them.

Conversely, the Packers have a starting running back they feel strongly about in Josh Jacobs and he's a bell cow in every sense of the word. Sunday is a going to be a fun duel on the ground.

Steve from Land O' Lakes, FL

The penalties have been frustrating this year, but I think the lack of offensive production in the red zone has hurt the team even more. Am I being too paranoid?

Not at all. As Spoff wrote Monday night, Green Bay took a step back in the penalty department in Tennessee and needs to clean it up. The Packers have been good so far, but they can still be better. It's starts with the laundry.

Tom from Machesney Park, CO

Not a question. I was very happy to read Mike's recognition of Zeke Bratkowski, probably the best backup QB to ever play the game. In the latter part of his spectacular career Bart Starr frequently needed to sit out and be relieved by Zeke with no drop off in performance and results. Always got the job done. Bart injured? No worries when Zeke was called upon.

Zeke started nine games at quarterback for the Packers and is a member of their hall of fame. That's no accident.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

With QBs like Malik Willis, Justin Fields and Sam Darnold thriving on new teams, is situation the most critical element of a young QB flying or floundering?

I think that's a big part of it. I mean, are Darnold and Baker Mayfield vastly different QBs now than they were in Carolina? One of my biggest talking points when the Packers acquired Willis was Lance Zierlein's observation that he has "electrifying dual-threat ability and potential" but "play-callers must lean into his special talent as a runner and include called runs into the game plan." I feel like Matt LaFleur has done that in Willis' short time in Green Bay.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

Mike's answer on it takes a village is going to be spot on this week. You know the Vikings have this game circled on their schedule, especially Aaron Jones. It will be a playoff atmosphere at Lambeau. This is a really important game because it is an NFC North division game. Victories over the 49ers and Houston tell me the Vikings are for real.

The Vikings are for real, and they should have this game circled…but the Packers have some stuff to them, too. Based on the last two weeks, Green Bay should not be overlooked, either. There's good reason for both teams to be confident.

Steve from Algoma, WI

Now that we're done overreacting, can I back up to ask you a question I'm sure you can't answer? End of first quarter, third-and-goal from the 3, Jayden Reed drops a swing pass in the flat that bounces at the defender's feet, who then takes two steps, grabs Reed, flings him over his shoulder and slams him down on his head/shoulder. How do the refs not throw the flag? Not that it made any difference in the end, but if they're serious about player safety, isn't this the kind of garbage you want out of the game?

I remember Jaire Alexander getting flagged a few years ago for a similar sequence. L'Jarius Sneed knew he got away with one after the play, too. Also, for all these constant references to "replay assistant," I love how player-safety penalties are not part of the equation.

Michael from Eau Claire, WI

For Bill from Monrovia, CA, and his son: I always follow Mike's live blog, but I supplement it with ESPN's "game cast" which is on their NFL Scores page for each game. I can easily follow the blog conversation while quickly clicking over to the other tab and the field at the top of that page is right on the mark, though a couple of seconds behind. I do this even when I can watch the game.

Not to be a self-promotor, but I'd say we have a good thing going for both in-staters and out-of-towners with the game blog. You're getting Mike's feedback in real time while I'm relaying pertinent information as it becomes available (e.g. Corey Ballentine and Evan Williams entering in dime, Tucker Kraft returning to game, etc.). Oh, and it's free.

Gary from Minneapolis, MN

I just have to ask this. At Matt LaFleur's press conferences, is there an unwritten rule that Bill Huber must always ask the first question? I don't care that he does, I just find it quite humorous that it always seems to work out that way. It makes me think there is a story behind this. Yes? No?

Mike Vandermause used to ask the first question to Mike McCarthy all the time. It seems like since Mike left the beat, Bill has stepped up as the beat's leadoff hitter.

Mike from Winchester, TN

Hi Wes, where did all the folks go that were yelling: "We need to sign a veteran QB!"?

Getting ready to chirp in on the next topic du jour. The great thing about the NFL is there's always something to pontificate on.

Mike from New Berlin, WI

Christian Watson's two catches for 67 is like Pepto Bismol for Wes's stomach.

Speaking of which…Happy Tuesday.