Hey everybody, thanks for logging on today. Hopefully the tech issues that crashed this platform on Sunday during the live blog have been resolved and nothing crops up today. Fingers crossed. I already see questions so I'll get started.
Have we re-signed a long snapper yet? If not, couldn't that cause a problem for special teams practices?
I think the procedural roster moves are getting taken care of today. This is all much ado about nothing, trust me.
With the November 5 trade line approaching, do you see the packers trade a veteran who has seen their playing time reduced because of younger talent taking their playing time? What area of the team do you see the packers acquiring talent before the trade deadline?
I don't know if I see Gutekunst trading future draft capital for a short-term rental or for someone who would require future cap commitments. I'll never say never, but the Packers aren't going to be as loaded with draft picks next year compared to recent seasons and I suspect he wants to hang onto those, unless a glaring need arises between now and Nov. 5.
Hey Mike! Maybe Matt has talked about this, but why do you think he's gone towards not putting captain patches on jerseys? I know he didn't last year as well. Maybe this has to do with seeing what young guys ascend into leadership. Would be cool to announce them before playoffs if we make them
The team has gone back and forth between having season-long captains some years (with the patches) and weekly captains like this year (no patches). I think it's just LaFleur reading the locker room, per se, in terms of how the leadership is taking place and whether it's worthwhile to have long-term designations or not. I see no shortage of leadership on this particular team, regardless of titles and selections.
Are the all white uniforms considered an alternate uniform or is it a fourth uniform?
It's a second alternate uniform I guess. The team still has the 50s Classic as an alternate option right now, too.
How will you and Wes prepare for humidity on Sunday?
I trust the Jacksonville press box is air conditioned. We don't do any pregame work outside anymore like we did several years ago.
Has there been a timeline placed on Quay Walker's concussion yet?
We've heard no updates yet. I don't know if we'll get any kind of timeline or just be told he's in the protocol, assuming he's not at practice today (which I don't know for certain).
Morning Mike, one thing I've admired about Williams is that he seems more like a solid vet than a splashy rookie. He doesn't come out of nowhere when he makes a play, but he seems to exactly where he's supposed to be. For lack of a better phrase, he seems to be well-coached
There's that, but he's also a very smart, instinctive player. Guys like that who are around the ball all the time have the instincts that put them in those positions. He had zero trouble learning this defensive scheme from what I can tell -- I remember talking to him after the draft about how many defensive playbooks he learned in college with different coordinators -- so his transition to the NFL went as smoothly as anyone could've hoped.
If you were a coach, how would you coach a defense on dealing with players, like Mahomes, taking advantage of rules? I'd go with the Vicism, "the QB must go down and go down hard."
I don't think any coach would want to condone, or be comfortable with, taking an unnecessary penalty. But players have to be coached to not give up on the play and at least look to grab onto Mahomes when he's near the sideline. Maybe not hit him as he tries to draw those flags, but grab on, wrap the arms around him, so he can't continue pulling those shenanigans.
When do you anticipate Lloyd returning to the active roster at running back?
No idea. We'll see when he returns to practice. Once that happens, they'll have 21 days to activate him to the 53.
Interesting thing about the defense; it's rankings (16th in yards, 10th in points) are almost the same a last year's, but it really does have a different feel. They're actually living up the pre-season coach's hype of "aggressive, swarm to the ball" etc. Still some mistakes, but I don't automatically assume the opponent is going to score every time they have a chance to take the lead late. How much is attributable to coaching and how much to safety/lb turnover?
It's definitely a combination of coaching and personnel. The Packers have multiple rookies playing a lot of snaps on defense, plus a huge FA acquisition like McKinney. There's been total buy-in to the system and they've gotten strong early results, which always helps. Players can talk about confidence all they want, but when they really have it and it's not just talk, it shows.
I haven't seen the snap count from last week's game yet, but do you think Carrington Valentine not playing as much is injury related? I thought he really stepped up last year when Jaire Alexander was out.
That's more related to the snaps Javon Bullard is getting in the slot, which shifts Keisean Nixon to boundary corner in certain situations. I suspect there will be game plans as the season goes along that will call for more corner snaps from guys like Valentine and Eric Stokes.
The Jags defense is in the bottom of the league in most passing categories. This reads like the kind of game that if we play clean, shouldn't be close
I never expect an NFL game to not be close, but I agree with your premise that if the Packers play clean football -- no turnovers, limited penalties, few negative plays -- the offense should be in good shape.
Lawrence scrambled a lot in college for Clemson, but I haven't seen much of him in the running game in the pros. Or am I just not watching all the JAX games?
Lawrence doesn't run much. He's rushed for only 95 yards total in 7 games. He can certainly extend plays and move around, but he doesn't look to take off running as much as he did in college.
Do you think we'll see a change in LaFleur's 4th-down decisions now that the Packers (hopefully) have a reliable kicker again? He's often gone for it on 4th downs from the opponent's 30-40 yard line, and I don't know if that's because he didn't trust the kicker or because the analytics tend to recommend it regardless of who your kicker is.
Those are decisions LaFleur makes in the moment, in my opinion, based on how the game is going, the situation, all those factors. Yes the confidence in the kicker comes into play, but if he feels a field goal is the right call, he's going to send the kicker out there. He doesn't have a set yard marker if it's here and this is the yards to go he's going for it. That's not the sense I get about his decision making.
Recently heard Leroy Butler explain the "old" defensive strategy of either "stopping the train, or stopping the plane. You'll never do both, so you better do one" . Obviously referring to the run and pass. But good stuff! Leroy is still a gem!
It's impossible to take away everything a team wants to do. Most teams lean toward trying to prevent explosive gains, because the longer it takes the offense to get down there, the more chances for a mistake, penalty, sack, something that changes the tide.
What do you make of the Jags? They clearly have talent, but still seem to be working through some kinks. An interesting stat I heard was that since Lawrence entered the league, Jags receivers have had the most drops.
I wasn't aware of that, but I've always admired Lawrence's talent. Things seemed to be trending in the right direction when Pederson got there and overhauled a lot of things, but since the late-season collapse last year, they haven't really recovered. There is talent on that roster, though.
Hi Mike, Two games ago Ja had the mysterious 15 yard penalty. He was certainly living on the edge again this past week, don't you think?
I would agree. There was definitely a lot of history with Diggs that led to so much jawing this past game, but he has to avoid any more flags like the one vs. Arizona.
Is there anybody else on the roster that are better options than Reed and Nixon on punt returns? One we can't afford to lose on offense and the other is making too many mistakes.
I think those are the two guys. I've seen Romeo Doubs take punt returns before, but not for a while now. I don't expect a change there, just a focus on the little things to avoid the errors.
I don't understand that some fans don't know that the NFL is a week to week league. There are so many things going on from Monday to Sunday in the NFL. Don't expect to be the same or perfect every week. Just have more positive than negative is good enough.
The season truly is a marathon, and no team looks in December like it does in September. That's never the case.
Following up on your answer regarding Nixon's responsibility on the punt return, could you provide a little more detail as to what the returner communicates when he decides not to field the punt. If I am Nixon's teammate trying to block a gunner and the kick is down the middle of the field hearing "get out of the way" doesn't help me much because I am not tracking the ball. If I am near one of the sidelines I guess I just run out of bounds so there is no harm if somehow the ball hits me. But what if I am in the middle of the field? What useful information can Nixon provide in a very short period of time?
The old standby is the "Peter" call, where the returner yells that word and it's the signal for everybody else to clear out, no blocking needed. I don't know if the Packers use that word specifically, but there's a word to holler that gets everybody the message.
And honestly, I appreciate Matt's decisions in those moments, not just going with the analytics (I.e., Brandon Staley and others).
I do too. I get the analytics part of things, but the one thing analytics don't take into account is the emotion and momentum that can shift with failures.
I grew up watching Sterling Sharpe, would be nice to have him in the Hall. Sharpe is one of a kind.
He belongs based on the players with shorter careers who have gotten in during recent years. Hopefully his time will come.
Looks like Cam Robinson (Jags LT) is still in concussion protocol. And although their offensive line is led by a veteran interior, should we expect to see more blitz packages with Cam's absence?
Not necessarily. If Robinson is out and that allows the Packers to get pressure more regularly with just 4, and dropping 7 into coverage, that's a DC's preference every time.
Who is the most important player to take away on the Jags' offense? My sense is it's the rookie Thomas, and I'd expect to see Jaire on him a fair amount.
It's Thomas or Bigsby, take your pick. Thomas is averaging 17 yards per catch, which is a healthy number. Bigsby is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, also rather robust. Those guys can eat up yards in a hurry.
Which team do you think is the biggest threat to the Packers in the North? Especially if none of them make any notable trades to bolster weaknesses.
Right now, with the Lions having beaten the Vikings on the road (and the Packers having lost to the Vikings at home), you have to go with the Lions as the division favorites at the moment. That could change at any time, but they're the defending division champs and until someone in the division knocks them off, they're the team to beat.
This would previously be considered the ultimate "trap game": a road game against a struggling team sandwiched between difficult home games. But I really get the sense that there's no such thing in the league anymore. Do you?
Nope. Trap games are phrases fans and analysts like to throw around, but the players know this league is way too even to take anybody for granted.
Listening to Jordan Love's comments about 'being more aggressive', I don't really want him to be more passive against the blitz, but he needs to take more checkdowns. Especially with Tucker Kraft having shown the ability to break even a short pass into a long gainer, and Jacobs' ability to break tackles, we have players who can really punish a defense. Why the seeming change from what worked so well the second half of last season? To be fair, this year's aggression is better than last year's early results.
I think it's all part of the process. He's shown he can take the checkdowns or hot reads and be effective. He's also gashed defenses and really made them pay for coming after him. The more experience he gets against different schemes, especially seeing them multiple times, the more he'll have in his memory bank, good and bad.
But that is a difficult line, because I feel like Ja always plays his best when he's 'chirping'.
True, which is why you don't take that away from him entirely. But there is a line between chirping and taunting, and some officials will be quicker with those flags than others.
It's tough with Ja because I love the edge he plays with - the no backing down mentality - but unchecked that leads to costly penalties and mental lapses
For sure.
Ja proved his point; Diggs 5 catches 23 yards.
Also true.
Does the team cutting Beck speak to John FitzPatrick acclimation, or Beck's performance?
I'm guessing the former.
Is it me or does it seem like Love is throwing off his back foot more and more? Seems like playing with fire on your mechanics and it will result it more off target throws. It appears he has enough time to deliver throws on platform.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There are times he's trying to layer a ball in between two lines of coverage and sometimes QBs can get better touch by leaning back on those throws rather than stepping forward. He can certainly let it rip with strong forward momentum when he needs to, like the TD to Kraft Sunday. That was a laser.
I found it interesting Chris Brooks was on the field during the game-winning drive last week. Reminded me of Wilson taking meaningful snaps vs. SF in the playoff game last year. When coaches say "Next man up", they're not kidding.
Absolutely, and he wouldn't be out there if the coaches didn't trust him to do the job.
I'm a secondary BUF fan. All the talk about Thomas is warranted, but you can't forget about Davis. He can explode for a big game any time.
Agreed he's more than capable. He hasn't had a huge impact for the Jags thus far but that could come any time.
It was great to see the Packers fan deny Mo Nixon his attempt at a "Lambeau Leap". Its a pretty rare occasion when a fan has an opportunity to come up big and make a play. He definitely earned "folk hero" status with Packer Nation. What was your take, Mike?
If I were sitting in the front row, I'd do the same thing.
Mike, not living in the Green Bay area, how big an issue is the contractual disagreement between the Packer and the City of Green Bay on terms and extension of the Lambeau Field lease? It clearly has held up team-funded improvements planned for Lambeau this year. Longer-term ramifications? Thank you.
That's why the Packers want to work something out. The longer they have to wait due to the lease uncertainty, the more the cost of improvements go up. I'm not privy to all the ins and outs of it, but the Packers want to move forward on some major projects but aren't going to do so with only 8 years left on the stadium lease. I remember talking with Bob Harlan not long after I got here, about 5 years after the big Lambeau renovation was completed. That cost about $300M, and Harlan told me 5 years later that same project would've cost around $800M then. Waiting costs money, period.
Who is the officiating crew this week? How do they rank with regard to penalties called verses other officiating crews?
I haven't seen this week's assignments. I honestly don't look at which crew it is until I get to the press box and see the flip card info.
After the Jags pulled off a long punt return TD last week, do you think the Pack concentrates on hangtime over distance?
It certainly puts the punt team on alert. Hang time and placement are always good counters to limit returns. The Packers will have to be ready.
Did anyone else notice the ball boy holding hands with players during the game winning kick? Hilarious!
Hey, you have to be ready for anything when you're on an NFL sideline.
I chuckled a bit watching last week's post-game locker room clip. The kicking game is certainly important, as is coaching….but to see the 3 game balls given to the punter, place kicker and DC while all those 300+ lb linemen were standing there??? Gotta wonder what they were thinking...
Ha. The thing I enjoy about those locker room videos is seeing the guys celebrate one another's successes. That's the culture LaFleur continues to try to build and maintain here.
What was the 41 reference to Andres?
That was the exact distance of his miss in SF last January.
The punts were great, and a major part of a close win, but that hold is worth every penny of his paycheck and a game ball. Terrible snap, great save.
Indeed. That's why it was the first question I asked LaFleur in the postgame press conference. It was the difference between a win and a loss.
Mike, Any thoughts on Hopkins to KC?
You figured the Chiefs were going to do something at receiver when they lost Rashee Rice for the year, right? Not surprised at all.
Jax's D isn't rated good based on team stats, but are there any standout players?
Walker has six sacks. He's living up to his lofty draft status. But that defense has just 3 takeaways all season -- one INT, two fumble recoveries. The Packers simply can't turn the ball over against these guys.
The Texans had a dropped pick in the final drive, they almost always come back to haunt the team
I don't know if I'd call it a dropped pick. The LB made a heck of a play to reach up and deflect that ball to Doubs on the first play of the last drive, and it certainly could've been picked. But it wasn't. When I went back through the film, I was reminded how Tank Dell dropped a would-be TD on that first possession in close after the Love INT. Packers held them to a FG, but Dell had gotten open and couldn't make the diving catch in the back of the end zone. That play was worth 4 points.
Is Malik Willis getting any reps with 1s?
No. Love is taking them all as far as I know.
Apologies if I missed it, but have you heard what the plans are for LS since the Packers kicked the current one off the team?
I think the plans are to bring him back. It's just been a procedural move regarding Ford's activation off IR.
Interesting that JAX was in London for 2 weeks before returning home, with no bye. Could be a factor this week….
Yeah, you wonder if that'll have any impact on their team. They certainly played much better in their second London game than their first. Very different opponents, obviously.
O lineman coming back and making the tackle on the pick was also a TD save the resulted in a field goal. Every effort matters
Agreed. Love was chasing down Hewitt there, and even though the QB didn't make the tackle, he ran some interference to slow him down and allow others to catch up.
Mike, Tua's press conference had some intensity to it. I'm not surprised he's back, but I am a bit surprised he refuses to wear a guardian cap with his career kind of on the line at this point. What are your thoughts?
I don't like to tell anybody else what to do with their lives. A Guardian cap would seem to be a reasonable and simple step to take that might help, but it's up to him. Whatever the case, I wish him the best. Except on Thanksgiving night, I guess.
How many penalties did we have against the Jags? Still seems like way to many?
You mean against the Texans? It was 8 for 55 yards. The 3 defensive offside calls were the really maddening ones there.
Is Jordan Love really that mellow in person???
Seems like it. I think he's a bit more animated with his teammates when the media and cameras aren't around, but he's a pretty chill dude most of the time.
We definitely do not need to sleep on the Jags, you never know what type of team they are until they hit the field. I just don't want us to look past them for the Lions match up the following week. I know we should be able to pass/run up and down the field on them, but anything can happen! Stay focused on this week! GO PACK GO!
I guarantee you the players aren't being shown a single snap of film on the Lions this week. That'll be for next week.
If I recall, Jacksonville stadium hasn't been too kind to us in recent past. Wasn't the last time there against the Saints?
Yes, the opener in '21 when the Saints had to play there due to weather. The Packers won at Jacksonville in the '16 opener.
How did we come out of the Texans game injury wise?
Not entirely sure, but the only significant one I can recall from the game was Walker's exit with the concussion evaluation.
'16 opener. 1 million degrees outside. Fake spike TD pass to the TE, yes?
I don't know about that. I thought the fake spike TD to TE was in Miami in '14. From Jax in '16, I remember right before half Rodgers getting almost dragged down from behind and he fired a 40-yard rope to Adams at the goal line for a crazy TD.
I was at the game on Sunday. The Texans kicked the ball out of bounds. Why was it placed on the 25 and not the 40?
It had to do with the kickoff coming from the 50 after the penalty.
Sorry, Mike, if you have addressed this recently, but for us long time readers, can you give us an update on Vic? Do you hear from him much?
I checked in with him after the hurricanes and his house in western NC was pretty much fine. He was just dealing with debris cleanup and no power for quite a while.
And I saw that Walker was at a bowling event so hopefully he's alright.
Yeah, good to hear.
When you writers put out a piece on a particular Packer player, do you ever get any feedback from that player (or his coaches) on what they thought of it?
Sometimes. Not always.
I love the moment on the game-winning FG where T.J. Slaton has made the guy across from him fall down and immediately puts his arms in the air while the kick is still on its way.
That was a dynamite shot. Classic.
Anything stick out like a crooked finger about the Jags?
Other than just the 3 takeaways in 7 games, which is incredibly low, the other would be that they've been outscored by 20 points in the first quarter and by 36 points in the fourth quarter of games so far. They start slow and finish poorly.
I saw some talk from AJD about his being around the team as much as he can to help out, and working more on his charity work since he's "on the shelf". Do you see him much?
No. I'm only in the locker room when the media is in there, and he hasn't been around during those times. It's good to hear those updates, though.
Mike, saw one of the regular pundits for a pretty major sports magazine day Jaire is in hot water with the team, exacerbated by his scuffle with Diggs pregame. In my eyes the Packers love Jaire and his fiery attitude and this pundit couldn't be more wrong. Your thoughts?
I don't know anything one way or the other. But I don't think the stuff that went on doesn't get addressed in some fashion behind closed doors.
Fake spike was in Miami.
Yup. I believe Adams, who was a rookie that year, caught the pass on the fake spike, and then Quarless caught the game-winning TD.
Thanks for the Live Chat, Mike. Your interactions keep us involved and in the loop. Truly grateful to you.
Thanks for the kind words.
No looking ahead to those Lions. Just beat the Jags!
And with that we'll call it a chat. Thanks for all the participation folks. The platform held up well today, so hopefully that continues with Sunday's live blog and all systems will be go. Take care and enjoy the rest of your week.
Best,
Mike
