John from Belle Plaine, MN
Ouch.
These are the times that try men's souls.
John from Apopka, FL
"It didn't go very well," "it's unfortunate." What kind of talk is that? Be Belichick-like and tell it like it is. "We stunk out there and our fans deserve more than that." More and more he just accepts failure with an "I don't want to upset the players" attitude. Your thoughts?
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Don't ever expect the postgame press conference to make you feel any better. McCarthy is not accepting failure, trust me. In the past, he has delivered the type of line you reference, but he chose not to this time, probably because it wouldn't have been fair to a defense that played well enough to win. He's going to keep the criticism in-house and not create unnecessary distractions for his players. They will get a message as to what needs to be done, and the message will be clear. He's not going to rip players in the media. What good would it do? Making some fans feel better is not going to help win games.**
Gary from Belle Mead, WI
Surprised by the game plan with so many passes on first down. Or is that Hundley checking out of runs? Seems like that played right into the Ravens' strength.
I thought the Packers would come out running more early, but the interceptions on the first two drives weren't due to a lack of run calls. Once Mays fumbled and McCarthy only trusted one halfback, I suspect he was no longer calling the game he planned to.
Greg from Riverside, OH
There seems to have been a lot of desire from folks (and I'll admit that at times I was one of them) to see the Packers open up the playbook a bit more for Hundley. Now I can see more clearly how tough it is for a young QB against a good defense. It's probably a beneficial learning experience, though, and he'll benefit from it and improve. Do you think that it happens sooner rather than later?
I can't predict the future, but the Ravens' pass rush and pass defense were as good as advertised. Their run defense is certainly better than its ranking with Brandon Williams back plugging the middle, but McCarthy limited his own options in the run game, understandably in my opinion. Hundley came in with all kinds of confidence and had it squelched in the first quarter. He looked to me to be fighting an uphill battle mentally the rest of the way.
Paul from Cumming, GA
I'm not mad, just disappointed.
There's plenty to go around.
John from Nierstein, Germany
Do you think Baker Mayfield's jarring with fans and obscene gestures will affect his Heisman run? If there's one thing I've learned from being a Packers fan all these years is class, and this young man could learn a little from the Inbox.
What appeared to be a genuine apology certainly mitigates any potential impact.
Kyle from Los Angeles, CA
Wes mentioned that we should be thankful that we didn't get a Week 4 bye this year...but nobody did. The byes started Week 5 this year and wrapped up this week (Week 11) instead of the usual Week 4 through Week 13. Was this a Mark Murphy/competition committee decision? I like this year's more schedule-centered byes and how every team has a minimum six-game final stretch. What are your thoughts on it?
I like the byes more condensed in the middle of the season as well. I don't know if that came from the competition committee, but it was a good idea.
Christian from Ontario, CA
Losing games here and there I can accept, but getting shut out at home is hard to swallow.
As I mentioned in my game recap, first shutout since 2006 and first five-turnover game since 2007. That's as out-of-character a game as there is.
Chad from Cedar Rapids, IA
I'm watching the Badgers and I have no idea how they overturn the third-and-long catch to an incomplete pass. They replayed it a bunch of times and I didn't see anything that would show incomplete. What is a catch? Did you see anything?
I was at the game and I saw nothing on the multiple replays on the video board that indicated there was sufficient evidence to overturn the call. I was stunned at the decision. I also can't figure out how they didn't throw the flag for running into the punter earlier. We were all in disbelief in the stands.
David from Marana, AZ
At least we have the Badgers! Two more wins!
Two would be great. Four is the ultimate dream.
Tracy from Sioux Falls, SD
TT may be getting ripped for the signing of Bennett, but how much credit is he getting for the signing of Evans?
Every move is supposed to work out, so the ones that do rarely get as much attention. But not every decision in free agency works out, just like not every draft pick works out. The free-agency mistakes are just a lot more expensive.
Chris from Minneapolis, MN
It's a game of momentum, and I can't help but think how differently this game plays out if Hundley throws a touchdown instead of an interception in the end zone on our first possession.
I actually thought the more damaging sequence was the two sacks losing 25 yards at the end of the first half. Momentum-wise, with the low punt and return and then the second-half kickoff return, they led to 10 points. The game easily could have still been 3-0 the next time the Packers got the ball, where one play could provide a spark. The offense and special teams both let the team down big-time there. The two big sacks were as damaging as another turnover.
Rich from De Pere, WI
Spoff knows a thing or two because he's seen a thing or two. Oh wait, that's someone else's commercial.
We are Inbox. Bum-ba-dum-bum-bum-bum-bum.
Jamie from Brandon, SD
I just read a lengthy article about the animosity between Jerry Jones, fellow team owners, and Roger Goodell. It got me wondering who represents the Packers at "owners only" meetings? Do Mark and Ted both attend? Are we viewed as having less pull in these meetings because we don't have a traditional owner?
Not at all. Mark Murphy represents the Packers on those occasions, and his seat on the competition committee is significant. Murphy also was on the negotiating committee during the last round of CBA talks.
Brandon from Cedarburg, WI
Are there any quarterbacks from the past who you think would have been markedly better with today's rules protecting quarterbacks, or who would have been good/crafty enough to take advantage of today's rules?
In terms of players I watched when I was younger, I wonder if pure pocket passers like Dan Fouts and Warren Moon – who were awfully, awfully good – might have been even better had they played with the current protections in place for quarterbacks.
Jeff from Asheville, NC
That was hard to watch. As a player, is this a "throw the tape away" game or can something be learned from the video results? Hats off to the defense for being down only 6-0 at halftime. Any other positives?
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I would not throw the tape away, not film against a defense like Baltimore's. As a receiver, I'm looking at how I was covered by this unit, for example, or what decisions I made on option routes that didn't work. That kind of thing. The best units show you where it was too easy.**
Spencer from Rockford, IL
"Keep protecting the football." Words to live by, or die by. Lack of protecting the ball doomed us.
The Packers had been doing such a good job of it. It was still only 3-0 after three turnovers were committed, but the Ravens had the look of a team that knew their opponents were on their heels.
Steve from Granger, IN
Mike and Wes, I commend you both for always taking the high road, but is it not time to sit Hundley? The announcers were flabbergasted at how slow Hundley processes his reads and makes decisions. Constantly missing open receivers, etc. Give Callahan a chance while we still have a glimmer of postseason hope.
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The quarterback is in McCarthy's hands, and I'm not going to pretend I know who can perform better for this team. McCarthy said at the beginning of the week the Baltimore defense makes quarterbacks play with a faster time clock. I only saw glimpses of that faster time clock on Sunday.**
Chuck from Lewistown, IL
Seems to me like Brett's only WR on the field is Adams. Do you think only having one WR could potentially be a problem moving forward?
The film will tell him if he missed opportunities with others, and it's obvious now that Adams will command the most attention from defenses with Hundley under center. He will be forced to get others involved.
Dan from Corona, CA
I'm trying to stay optimistic. What bright spots did you see in the game? If I am honest with myself, we must not give up after that ugly loss, as I don't want the cult of losing mentality to creep into the locker room, but I'm not so deluded as to think Hundley is inspiring players to play better in the same vein as Rodgers did. Right now, I think we need a Lacy to carry this team. Can Montgomery make it back in time for the Steelers game?
There is no Lacy to carry a load like that, not with the injuries and inexperience in the backfield. Constantly changing personnel up front and Hundley's ups and downs have hindered the offense's efforts to find what it's good at. The Packers need something to hang their hat on, and a month in I expected that to emerge.
Allen from Zephyrhills, FL
Going on social media, I've discovered many Packers fans aren't so winsome after they lose some.
This is a rough stretch, and frustration is warranted. I prefer to have a constructive attitude, so I believe the Packers will be better for this in the long run. I'm at a loss for what else to say.
Lori from Winona, MN
Ugh!
Happy Monday, everyone.
