Nathaniel from Pittsford, NY
Your article with Jerry Kramer got me thinking: What is the best matchup you've ever seen between an offensive lineman and a defensive lineman?
Gene Upshaw vs. Ernie Holmes.
Jeremy from Elizabethtown, PA
Vic, to all those that think you're arrogant, maybe they should pay more attention to the presidential debates. This is football and I enjoy reading your column every week. Keep up the good work.
Who said anything about me being arrogant? I'm not arrogant. I'm a great guy.
Jared from Sussex, WI
Do you think it's possible that Calvin Johnson is just going to tear up this Packers secondary? It also seems like the Lions left their last game with great momentum. I have worries.
You also have a three-game lead. Be calm.
Lewk from Davenport, IA
Vic, there's been a lot of talk about the Packers' 10-0 start in 1962, but I want to hear about 1929. Did you cover any of those games?
I'll never forget that nine-game road trip to finish the season. We left Green Bay after a 24-0 win over the Minneapolis Red Jackets on Oct. 20 and didn't get back to Green Bay until just before Christmas. That rematch with the Red Jackets in Minneapolis was a monster; 3,000 people jammed the stadium that day. The 25-0 win over the Providence Steam Rollers was big, too. Yeah, those were the days.
Cameron from Las Vegas, NV
We have to go up against Calvin Johnson in the secondary. How do you think they should cover him?
The best way to cover Calvin Johnson is to sack the quarterback. I really mean that.
Ryan from Irvine, CA
The defense has been the Packers' most blatant weakness and I'm sure you've been asked a ton of questions about why it's not working. Why is it not as good as last year's defense? Are Nick Collins and Cullen Jenkins the difference?
First of all, I only saw one Packers game live last season, the Super Bowl, and, frankly, I didn't think the Packers defense was all that dominant that day. Looking back on it, I think the Packers defense in the Super Bowl was similar to the way it's playing this season, which is to say making big plays but giving up a lot of yardage. The Steelers gained 387 net yards in that game but turned the ball over four times, and one of those turnovers was a pick-six. Sound familiar? Hey, maybe this season began in the Super Bowl. A lot of teams had a whole offseason to study the tape. Here's something else I think we should consider: Maybe Coach Capers pencil-whipped his opponents. A good coordinator can do that, but it's difficult to continue doing it. There's also the possibility that this defense is playing its way into a new style and a new identity – the game continues to evolve – and in time they'll hit their stride, just as they did last season. I don't know what the answer to your question is; those are just possibilities I'm considering.
Shon from Bryan, TX
What's more important, a prototypical NFL quarterback or a quarterback that wins games?
Whoa! There are a lot of prototypical quarterbacks that are winning games. Aaron Rodgers is a prototypical quarterback. So are Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, etc. I'm assuming that Tim Tebow is your example of a quarterback that isn't prototypical but is winning games. OK, so let's find a prototypical quarterback that isn't winning games. Philip Rivers is one. Would I rather have Rivers as my quarterback than Tebow? Yes. We all like the story, and Tebow is a great story, but let's give it some time, OK? If a year from now he's still winning games by stiff-arming defenders, I'll surrender to his greatness. Until then, I'll take the prototypical quarterback.
Kenn from Dorchester, WI
Do you have a voodoo doll? In one of your responses to someone asking if the Bears would have a better chance now of defeating the Packers, you said it would be in Jay Cutler's hands. What a coincidence.
Now I'm wondering if it might soon be in the hands of Kyle Orton. I think the Bears would be a very dangerous team with Orton at quarterback. The good news is that because Orton was cut after the trade deadline, he has to pass through waivers, and there are teams in the waiver-wire order ahead of the Bears, such as Kansas City and Houston, that need a quarterback and might claim Orton. We'll know soon.
Justin from Salem, OR
I haven't cut my hair since the last time the Packers lost and I have not trimmed my beard since this season started. I vowed to keep my beard growing until the Packers lose. Is my facial hair magic or do you really believe it's the players' and coaches' preparation and execution that has won all these games?
My dogs haven't had a haircut since summer, which is causing certain problems dog-owners can appreciate. This morning, I asked my wife to take the dogs to the groomer … on Friday.
Kirk from Sneads Ferry, NC
What are your turkey day plans?
I intend to watch a great football game and get my work done in time to get home, have a late Thanksgiving dinner, and then watch Christmas Vacation with my family. It's required; everyone must do it, including the dogs, or I'll be very disappointed. No one's leaving my house until we've had a fun, old-fashioned, family Thanksgiving.
Tucker from San Antonio, TX
There's an old phrase, "quarterbacks get too much blame and too much credit." With the way Aaron is playing, do you think that phrase still holds true?
It doesn't hold true for any quarterback nowadays. In today's game, the quarterback can't get too much credit or blame. He's "The Man." He's the difference between winning and losing. If you put Aaron Rodgers on the winless Colts, they're in the playoffs. It goes the other way, too; you can't win with a bad quarterback. The Packers have a talented roster of young players, but Rodgers is the guy that makes it work. Without him, the Packers would not be the Packers.
Jason from Burbank, CA
What's your take on the love fest that was going down during the breaks in action during Sunday's game? Is it normal for opposing coaches to go on the field and chill with the players, or is it some low-key recruiting tactic that slips through NFL tampering guidelines?
I didn't see it but I heard about it and I don't like it. I don't think it has anything to do with tampering, but I'm old-school and I remember Pete Rozelle's insistence that players and coaches not fraternize during and immediately following games, because he felt it sent the wrong message to fans. I agree that it does. The fans need to know that players and coaches around the league are not all in this together. It's critical that fans know these guys are fierce competitors, and that includes the coaches. I can tell you that Mike McCarthy isn't a glad-hander. As I've written in the past, the first coach I ever covered, Chuck Noll, didn't even like shaking hands after the game. He considered it to be a meaningless ceremony. I like the attitude Ndamukong Suh expressed in the telephone interview Packers media did with him on Tuesday. Right from the start, it was easy to ascertain that Suh does not like the Green Bay Packers. This league is not built on love thy neighbor as thy self.
Lee from Hong Kong, Japan
The NFL channel is making a big deal about the Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh matchup on Thanksgiving. As a Packers fan, I'm not so focused on that game, but just wondering: a victory by which of those teams would be most favorable to the Packers going forward and why? Which Harbaugh team should a Packers fan root for?
Root for the Harbaugh Ravens, of course. Why? Because they're in the AFC and the Harbaugh 49ers are in the NFC and are the Packers' closest pursuer for playoffs homefield advantage. Look at it this way, with a win over the Lions in the early game and a Ravens win over the 49ers in the late game, Packers fans can go to bed on Thanksgiving night with the sugar plums of homefield advantage throughout the playoffs dancing in their heads. Should the reverse occur, the game is on.
Mike from Dallas, TX
Hey, Vic, is there ever a danger that sportswriters and pundits take an elitist attitude towards fans?
I don't. Fans make what I do possible. I love fans, but I'm not gonna treat them as children. I like to spar. I like to have fun. It's a tough game for tough guys, and I like tough fans.
Anthony from Minneapolis, MN
Vic, I'm thankful for great friends, wonderful family and the 10-0 Packers. What are you thankful for this year?
I'm thankful for being alive. I've had a couple of brushes in recent years and I like it this way better. I'm thankful the phone hasn't rung late at night. I'm thankful for being gainfully employed and for the adventures I'm experiencing in my new job. I'm thankful for the friends I have at every stadium I visit. I'm thankful my wife hasn't threatened to divorce me recently, and I'm thankful people such as yourself read this column and allow me to enjoy the game by sharing it with you. Where do we stop? The dogs? The dentist that's going to fix the filling I just lost? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for three reasons: 1.) You don't have to give gifts. 2.) It fills my heart as no other holiday does. 3.) Football. With that, I will leave you with this: Tomorrow is a very important day for Packers fans. I feel your anxiety and our hearts will be joined in Ford Field tomorrow. I hope you join me on the packers.com gameday blog; we'll make it fun. That's what's most important: We must make it fun. See you in Detroit.
