Kenneth from Ballerup, Denmark
Tough loss yesterday. In what direction do you see the Packers' arrow pointing right now?
We're going to change the arrow's direction based on one loss against the Super Bowl champions? Really? I gotta tell you, Ken, something's rotten in Denmark. OK, the arrow wobbled a little bit last night, and it will continue to wobble until this team fixes its run defense. It was 25th in the league against the run last season, and everybody was demanding the team fix safety. Stop the run! It's No. 1 on a defense's to-do list because if you can't stop the run, you won't even get a chance to stop the pass.
Robert from Chadds Ford, PA
I would expect people will be yelling at this or complaining at that in your inbox today, but it all comes down to what we expected: We didn't stop the run. Seattle did. The better defense won that game. Let's hold our heads high and move on to the Jets for next week.
Run the ball, stop the run is old-fashioned football in a high-tech, pass-the-ball league, but the Seahawks have turned the clock back. If you don't run the ball and stop the run against the Seahawks, you'll probably lose.
Tyrone from Washburn, WI
If you could describe Thursday's game in one word, what would it be? Mine would be sloppy.
Sloppy didn't lose that game. Sloppy makes it sound as though errors were the difference, but they weren't. That game wasn't lost by the Packers. It was won by the Seahawks, and they won it with muscle. They won it with big, mean muscle.
Andrew from Freystadt, Germany
We got all of our issues shown in one game by the reigning Super Bowl champs. Best time of the year to do some homework so we can meet again in January. What do you think?
Forget about January for now. Focus on the Jets. Don't go to sleep on the Jets. I don't think my readers took me seriously when I wrote that, but I'm writing it again and I mean it.
B.T. from Ripon, WI
Vic, I couldn't get off work to watch the game. Last score I heard was 20-10, until I got home. All I can do is ask what happened?
In the second half, the Seahawks' running game took control of the game. The Seahawks had 11:10 time of possession in the third quarter, to the Packers' 3:50. The Seahawks had a nine-minute TOP advantage in the second half. It's tough to win against a championship team when you only have the ball for a little more than 10 minutes in the second half.
Kalib from Wichita, KS
I know that inbox of yours is full of doom and gloom, but I hope other Packers fans saw what I did. We have a monster of a pass rush in the making and this, for the most part, is a passing league, right?
Yeah, but not against Seattle and San Francisco, and those are the teams to beat in the NFC. They win with the running game. In the NFC, you must stop the run. It's a muscle conference. It's a place for old-time football. The Broncos found that out last February.
Martin from Tisovec, Slovakia
The Packers did not match up well against the Seahawks. Any positives?
You're right, the Packers didn't match up well. I was wrong. Richard Sherman cut the field in half. He forced the Packers to play on half a field. I didn't think he could do that. I was wrong.
Paul from Kilrush, Ireland
Vic, how are you today? Please lift the gloom and shine a light on a few positives from the game.
It's 4:30 in the morning. I've just arrived back in Green Bay and I'm writing this column on no sleep and after a night of intense writing. I'm doing great, and I mean that. You want a positive? OK, the positive is the Packers learned what they're not and what they have to be for this to become a championship season. There's no doubt in my mind they can become a champion. I'm unfazed by their failure to run the ball last night. My concern is for the run defense. It must be fixed and, in my opinion, if there's one phase of defense that can be fixed with practice, it's run defense. That's the good news.
Anthony from Baraboo, WI
Vic, they beat us fair and square this time, and that hurts worse.
The hurt will pass.
Dominic from Seattle, WA
I've been reading a lot of articles about the Packers loss that say the Packers have been exposed as non-contenders. I think it was more a testament to how good the Seahawks defense is (and home field).
The sun hasn't even come up and you've already read a lot of articles claiming the Packers are non-contenders? You've failed to achieve perspective. You put too much emphasis on one game and now you're searching for answers. It's one game. There's your answer.
Brandon from Dillon, CO
I saw some good and some not so good. Mostly, I saw a defending champion defending its title, and a Packers team that needs polishing, but with plenty of potential.
Polishing isn't the word I would use. I would use the word forging. The Packers need to be forged into the same kind of rock-ribbed football team the Seahawks are, because the Seahawks are the standard by which other teams are measured. They're the gate keeper. If you wanna play in their kingdom, you need to be hardened steel.
Aaron from Anchorage, AK
The Seahawks peaked too early.
I hope they don't have another peak in them.
Andrew from Mount Horeb, WI
What perspective did you gain?
You can run any scheme you want if you have the talent to run it well. That's a college offense: Bootlegs, spread-option fakes, jet sweeps. They made it work, though, didn't they? On defense, the Seahawks were pure vanilla. The Seahawks are a breath of fresh air. That's not a Madden team, that's an old-fashioned, line up and knock your block off team.
Tyler from Cedar Falls, IA
Zero false starts with the no-huddle in the loudest stadium. I'll call that a win.
We spent a week hyping noise. What a waste of time. Noise doesn't win games. Players win games.
Scott from Arlington, VA
I have waited until this moment to write you. Many have wrote to you to tell you you have changed how they watch football. I waited until this important football game to write you about it. I sat with an obnoxious Seahawks fan all night, but I actually kept my composure and enjoyed the full game, without cursing at all or getting upset. I have you to thank for that. Regardless of if this question gets posted or not, you have made a difference in my life and made it better. I hope you continue to write for the Packers for a long time. Thank you.
You scored a huge victory last night. You kept your dignity.
Derek from South Point, OH
They are who we thought they were.
The Seahawks are actually better than I thought they were.
