Lee from Houston, TX
Seems many Packers fans have a hard time living in the moment, even when it's a good one. It's like some folks are almost afraid of the postseason and want to have already not lost another heartbreaker. If you need guaranteed outcomes, the football season shouldn't be your hobby. I say enjoy the drama. Raise the stakes. Risk the heartbreak.
Jim Leyland once said, "Before this season is over, I'm going to look like Don Knotts."
Fabian from Munich, WI
Vic, you are not a stats guy, but how about this stat from the bye-week Dope Sheet: The Packers have scored in the first quarter in 22 straight regular-season games. When it's time for kickoff, the Packers are as well prepared as any other team. I know, players, not plays, but could there be any bigger compliment to the work of a head coach and coaching staff?
That's what it means, but if the Packers don't score in the first quarter of the game in Denver, I'm going to blame you. Now you've got me all worried.
Keith from Cortland, NY
Vic, the Packers are a dominant force, a team that can go undefeated with Clay Matthews on defense and Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback. But sometimes they drop the ball and lose the games that count. Any thoughts?
You want FULL CONSISTENCY. It doesn't exist in this league. To enjoy victory, you must accept the risk of defeat.
Margo from Bloomington, IL
Vic, last summer I saw Mike McCarthy outside a restaurant in Door County. Should I have asked him for a picture or autograph, or leave him alone?
Coach McCarthy is one of the friendliest and most engaging men I've ever known. You should've said hello, introduced yourself and enjoyed a brief conversation with him. Don't immediately ask for an autograph or a picture; there's something mercenary about that. These are good men who enjoy meeting people with whom they share the same passion. Memories don't have to be validated. They belong to you and they live forever in your heart.
Patrick from Seoul, SK
Do you think the Packers have a chance to go undefeated all season? Maybe even through the postseason?
You're torturing yourself with unnecessary expectations. Goal No. 1: Make it into the postseason. Goal No. 2: Win it all! Whatever it takes.
Sam from Boulder, CO
Vic, I loved your "one heartbeat" comment on "Video Ask Vic." I think our coach and player leadership is really special, but how much of that heartbeat is created by the coaches and how much is created by the players?
The coaches create the team, but Bill Walsh said at some point in the season the coach has to turn the team over to the team.
Brenda from Waurika, OK
Vic, just wanted to thank you for acknowledging the passing of Rick. Packers.com, "Ask Vic" and the comment forum meant a lot to him, and he meant a lot to us. Thank you for giving us this place to gather, converse and sometimes say goodbye.
We all belong to the fraternity of football. It's the game, not the victories, that bonds us.
Owen from Portland, OR
The way the Chargers ran their offense on Sunday reminded me of the Patriots. When I watch them, I see receivers running open on short routes and catching the ball with a lot of space to work with. They make it look easy. Why is it other teams are unable to replicate this?
Every team wants to do it, and every team knows how to do it, but only a few teams can do it, because every team doesn't have a Tom Brady or a Philip Rivers, or a Rob Gronkowski or an Antonio Gates.
Ryan from Hayden, ID
This "thing" craze has had me rolling with laughter. It's hilarious that it has a key ring and a bottle opener. It also makes me sad it's so popular.
It's a great thing if you like bad things.
Eric from Reedsburg, WI
Vic, only 10 NFL teams have winning records. What does this mean?
It means absolutely nothing and we shouldn't waste a minute of our time attempting to attach importance to this meaningless statistic. The season has barely begun. In November, begin looking for meaning. In December, you won't have to look.
Caleb from Eau Claire, WI
Vic, do coaches work the officials before games to try to get certain routes (i.e. rub routes)?
Officials can't be worked. They are reviewed and graded for the calls they make and they're not going to allow a coach or player to talk them into a poor decision. Officials can be scouted, however, and Mike McCarthy talked about that on Monday following the Chargers game. He knew Walt Anderson's crew had a reputation for calling them close. It's part of the pregame scouting process now. If you know a crew calls rub routes closely, then don't push the envelope on rub routes.
Seth from Oregon, IL
Vic, my folks gave me a framed photo of Carroll Dale as a birthday gift. I knew little about him, so I did some research and found him listed as a wide receiver, a right end and even as a flanker. My football experience starts in 1989. How do these positions relate to one another? Are they one and the same?
Once upon a time, in the day of full house backfields, ends were known only as that, and if you go way back, both ends were tight to the formation. Football was a running game. As the game moved into the passing era, the popular terminology was split end, tight end and flanker; the latter referred to a receiver that played off the line of scrimmage. The flanker position defines the modern era of football because that's the position that defines creativity. Eventually, the creativity became so great, especially as it pertained to three, four and five-WR sets, we just referred to all wide receivers as such. Don't think name, think function.
Christine from Cranford, NJ
I'm beginning to wonder if the best thing for Packers fans is for the team to lose. Get it out of the way and move forward.
If you learn to deal with defeat, you won't have to cheer scared.
Greg from Laconia, NH
Does our red zone and third-down efficiency concern you? Last year was not too good, either.
If Eddie Lacy and Davante Adams were healthy, I'd see reason for concern. Until those two players get back on track, I remain unfazed. The Packers have weathered a storm of injuries. That's an achievement, not reason for concern.
