Happy New Year everybody! Thanks for logging on today. I see questions already coming in so I'll get started.
I'm assuming when we get 7 back and both he and 56 are on the field at the same time - might that help against extra protectors leaking out or at least minimize those gains?
We'll see. Every game plan is different, and it'll be interesting to see how those two play alongside one another, if indeed Quay Walker is able to return to full strength. The possibilities are intriguing, though, to have that much athleticism in the middle of the field.
Godspeed in 2025, Mr. Spofford. Is it fair to assume the Bears are playing for their future contracts? If that's the case, will their franchise players have anything to motivate them to play hard?
Guys can lose their jobs in this business at any time. They know that. With a new coach coming to Chicago in 2025, all those players know roster changes could be coming with it. They'll want to put good work on film for others to evaluate.
What defense changes will be needed to stop Chicago from running the ball?
The Packers' run defense has been the strength of the unit for several games now. The last game the run defense really broke down was the first Chicago game, when Swift ran that 40-yard TD. Since then, the Packers have been strong against the run and that needs to continue.
How concerned are you with Josh Jacobs fumbles, the fumble seem to stop a possible td drive that would changed the outcome of the game
Two fumbles in a three-game span catches everyone's eye, but before the Seattle game Jacobs hadn't fumbled since Week 2. I don't think he has a chronic problem or anything. He knows what he needs to do.
Mike we need to get some of our injured players back before playoffs.
That would be nice. Fingers crossed it happens.
HNY Spoff… ML is big into "every game is a big game" but let's be honest, the Bears players hate us way more than we hate the Bears at this point. What angle might ML be taking this week to get our guys amp'd to match the Bears energy?
That's a good question. I'm not really sure. I think you play off the "last game at Lambeau this season" maybe to get the players geared up. And you emphasize how close the Bears came to beating them last time.
Hi Mike, do you think the Packers will put Malik Willis in for more playing time against the Bears?
I don't know. Ideally, the Packers will play well enough and build the kind of lead that would allow for pulling out guys to rest up and protect them. But no guarantee that happens and I can't speak for LaFleur.
Mike, didn't Lafleur make a comment about Jaire Alexander's knee swelling up. Made me think how similar it seems to Bakh's situation.
He did make a comment about swelling. Totally different injuries, just same body part. I don't know any specifics beyond what the head coach has told us. We'll see how Alexander's practice week goes this week I guess. (Update: After Wednesday's practice, LaFleur announced Alexander's season was over due to needed surgery on his injured knee.)
Greetings from Europe! Do you think the Packers opted against an on-side kick at the end to avoid putting anything on tape ?
No, I think they opted against it because they had all 3 timeouts and there's a massive shift in field position with a failed onside kick. I thought they played it right. They got the Vikes in third-and-3, at a spot on the field they wouldn't go for it on fourth down, and they didn't get the stop.
How surprised would you be to see #9 out there this week?
If Christian Watson's healthy enough, a few reps wouldn't shock me. But if there's any question, I would imagine he sits. I would not expect a full workload of snaps in any case.
Mike, do you have any idea why there seems to be so much angst among fans over this year's team? The team will be in the playoffs and will at worst have 11 wins during the season. And, the 5 losses have been by a combined 22 points! I just don't get it.
Expectations. Last year's team made a strong playoff run. Came up one possession short in SF. The perception is this year's team should've been able to build on that, but that's not reality, and this year's team hasn't hit that peak people were expecting to see. They still might, but to perform like it did in Week 17 was disheartening to many.
Any reason to believe that the team will come out flat against the Bears?
I would hope not. The Packers have suffered from slow starts against the teams that have beaten them, those squads with better records. It hasn't been an issue in many other games. They've had their share of fast starts this year.
The thing that was odd is that the way that first drive went, it almost got the Vikings settled down because it looked like they couldn't stop GB at all, then it switched drastically.
There was a shift, but the Packers still scored first in the game, going up 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. That red-zone stall hurt, too.
Mike, who do you think the Packers match up with best in the first round of the playoffs based on what shakes out the final week of the season?
I don't really look at things in terms of "matching up best" against somebody because it's all about playing your best in the playoffs no matter the opponent. That's what this Packers team has to do. It'll likely be an underdog and will have to find its best ball.
With the playoffs almost set, the nfc looks to have some very capable teams that can win at any time. The deciding factor of winning some games in this years playoffs might come down to one play or player.
Often does. Plenty of playoff games come down to the last possession or two. SF played from behind in both playoff games last year and found a way to win both and almost won the Super Bowl.
During the Tucker Kraft block debate, Coach LaFleur used a term I don't think I had ever heard before: cross-sift. What's that?
That's a block where the offensive player comes across behind the line of scrimmage from the other side of the formation to throw a block on an edge defender. Usually it's TEs vs. DEs, and the assignment is a cut block to seal off that side of the play.
Mike. We could have zero wins in the division if not for the blocked kick against the Bears.
True.
Would it be better to get Ja some game reps against CHI rather than going into (possibly PHI) cold, or is he such a veteran that it might not be necessary?
If he's healthy enough to play he needs to play.
HNY Mike. Is the Vikes offensive line that good or is there another reason why we couldn't put any pressure on the QB?
As I've pointed out in Inbox and on Unscripted, the Vikings kept a lot of extra help in for pass protection and it worked well because they still found holes downfield with a numbers disadvantage. That MN O-line also held up fine in other instances without extra help. The Packers really didn't get much pressure on Darnold in either of the two games this season. Other than Nixon's strip sack on a slot blitz in the first game -- a blitz the Packers tried a couple times in the rematch -- there just wasn't much impact.
What changes do you see the packers secondary to make moving forward? Was the last game just a fluke or the secondary needs to get its act together?
The secondary's rough games have come when players have shifted around to play positions they haven't necessarily practiced. Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL, but they've affected GB's secondary more than any other unit on this team this year. Especially in-game injuries where you're subbing on the fly. There was a lot more continuity in the back end in the Seattle game, when the guys who practiced all week played the whole game.
Jordan Love appeared to be confused by Vikings defense. Did they do anything different from the 1st game?
They played more man coverage, which the Packers weren't expecting and which LaFleur admitted the offense was slow to adjust to.
This team is distinctly better than last year's team. Unfortunately they will likely end up with the same difficult playoff path.
Agreed. They could finish 12-5 and have the same 7 seed as last year's 9-8 team. Every year is its own entity.
Let's look on the bright side .. we haven't stumbled into the playoffs and we are guaranteed at least two more games. If the everything clicks we can beat the Vikings and the Lions.
I think the Packers are capable of beating those teams but they have to prove it. Hopefully they can win in the first round of the playoffs and get another shot.
Love being outplayed by Darnold is the elephant in the room.
I don't consider it an elephant in the room. Darnold played better Sunday and has had a phenomenal season. QB play is also a product of everyone around you, and the Vikings were way more in sync on Sunday than the Packers were. That's a collective effort, too.
Re: players that are border line coming back from injury. Do you think they put them in for a few plays just to keep the rust off, or keep them out to be safe for the playoffs and be rusty?
If there's any question, I don't think they risk anybody. But not my call to make.
Who will be playing in the Superbowl? My hunch is Bills vs Lions
I really hope the Bills get there from the AFC.
I feel like the packers are capable of beating any team in the nfc but I don't feel confident that the team can beat three playoff teams on the road. How confident are you that this team can be consistent enough to make a run to the Super Bowl?
It's one at a time and one game can build on the next. I agree consistency has been an issue with this year's team, but it also hasn't actually gotten hot yet. We'll see.
I'm curious as to what happened to the motion offense this past game? I hardly noticed it employed. Getting outside has lead to some nice gains in the last several games.
LaFleur mentioned he didn't think the end arounds and jet sweep motions were going to do much against Minnesota based on their scheme. He called it a feast or famine proposition against that defense and I think he was cautious about not wanting to be in second-and-12 all day.
Will you have a preference going into Vikes/Lions? I think maybe we don't want to give the Lions a week of rest given their injuries/depth issues but ugh, root for the Vikings? Never
I can never root for a division rival unless it helps the Packers, and I don't see any difference in who wins as far as GB's situation goes. I will watch with intent interest in how the game unfolds, though.
Mike we appreciate you doing the chat especially on a Holiday it's a good way to get pent up frustration out.
It's a normal work day for me. Regular Wednesday practice coming up.
The secondary needs help from the defensive front...
And vice versa.
I get that explanation but don't understand it. It's a copy cat league and DET spammed Man to death and it kinda worked. Shouldn't there have been an inkling that MIN could do the same? Or just that MIN doesnt have the CBs/Ss that DET has?
Detroit mans up against everybody. That's how they play, almost without fail. Minnesota's profile didn't show as much man coverage as they played. I don't think they took anything necessarily from the previous GB-DET game when the Packers scored 31 points. It was a change-up they decided on to throw GB off-balance, and it worked.
I think the key is to keep Green Bay's offense on the field. What's it going to take to for the Packers to have a fine oiled machine on offense with good play calling and good execution?
When there's good execution the play calling takes on less importance. Pick up blitzes, protect the QB and the ball, run downhill and move piles, catch the ball cleanly. When the execution isn't there, the play caller can start grasping at straws to find what will work.
I know that doing no huddle offense for an entire game is not sustainable but sometimes it seems like this offense looks better running it. Do you think they should use it earlier in the game?
I'm sure that's something LaFleur has talked about, but this offense is also more run-based than anything the Packers have had in his tenure, and you can't just feed Jacobs the ball multiple plays running no huddle. The offense is best when it's balanced, and Jacobs is a huge part of that.
What happens in the unlikely event that the Lions and Vikings game ends in a tie?
The Lions win the division and get the 1 seed because they beat the Vikings in the first meeting. They'd get the head-to-head tiebreaker (1-0-1).
Who do you believe is the best team in the NFC? My eyes say Philly, and would rather not see them in the first round
I don't think there's much separating Detroit, Minnesota and Philly, and Green Bay is right behind them in my opinion, with Washington a true wild card in this mix with a dangerous rookie QB.
After the neutral zone infraction called on the Vikes in the 4th quarter, the camera angle on the next play was right down the line. It showed a Vikings player with his helmet clearly over the ball. Isn't that a NZ infraction too? I was surprised there was no call. Did you see this?
I did not, but saying the officials missed things is like saying it snows here in winter.
Giants 2011 ... get hot at the right time and who knows what can happen ?
Giants in 2007, too, and plenty of other examples.
No matter what happens this weekend the NFC playoffs are going to be fun to watch. Go Pack Go!
Totally agree.
How do you explain our offense being unable to operate consistently across all 4 quarters? Still waiting for that after all these weeks.
That's the great question hanging over this team as we approach do-or-die time. There are offensive lulls in every game. When they don't last long, the Packers can still score 30-plus. When they do, they can't.
Injuries are a big part of the game, and we all know the Lions' defense has been decimated. But Packers' D in last few months has been without Ja, Walker, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard (4 starters in the back 7) for long stretches. Hopefully get healthy and let the chips fall!
Healthy teams are always in a good position in the playoffs. But you can't think about injuries and you just play with the guys you got. That's what the Lions will be doing. All right, I think I'll call it a chat. Have to get to practice soon. Thanks again everybody, and Happy New Year to all.
Take care,
Mike
