Phil from Tampa, FL
Vic, I was reading an article about the last time a team with a perfect record at home hosted a playoff game against a team with a perfect away record, and it was the 1972 Dolphins and Steelers. Why did the Steelers host the game when the Dolphins had a perfect record? Was the seeding system different in the 1970s?
Home field was according to a rotation basis in 1972. The AFC Central had home field that year, which is why the Steelers hosted the Dolphins. That changed in 1975, when teams began being seeded according to their record.
Kris from Rhinelander, WI
I used to think a team kicking after a safety had to punt, since I've never seen a team kickoff. Why do teams choose to punt, rather than kickoff, after a safety?
The hang time on a punt reduces the return potential.
Erney from Hoover, AL
Not a Lions fan, but I'm not alone in believing they got jobbed twice by the officials on the same play: the PI call/non-call, and the failure to penalize Dez Bryant for running onto the field. These aren't the replacement officials anymore. What does commissioner Vic do about this, if anything? Is this really the type of controversy the league enjoys? Frankly, I was looking forward to the Lions at Seahawks when this thing blew up.
There's no fixing that problem because replay review can't be used. That's my big problem with replay review; it's selective in what it can be used to fix. Do we disturb the natural order of things when we pick and choose what to correct? I think we do. Commissioner Vic would apologize for whatever errors were made. He would not pursue a movement to expand the use of replay review.
Dan from Lansing, MI
Vic, as a Packers owner, I would like to report that it is quite hostile here in lower Michigan after that Lions-Cowboys game. I feel for these Detroit fans. Do you?
Sure I do. I feel bad for Pete Morelli, too. This is the second time he's been involved in a playoff controversy. He reversed the Troy Polamalu interception in the 2005 playoff game in Indianapolis, and Paul Tagliabue took Morelli to task for that mistake, and I have a feeling it could happen to him again in this most recent controversy. These are good people that dedicate themselves to being the best they can be. Sometimes they are the victim of circumstances. I don't know what the circumstances are in this most recent call, but I have a feeling something that was said in the officials conference clouded the issue.
Jan from Nijlen, Belgium
I was not impressed by the entertainment provided by the NFL last weekend. Only one game that was really exciting until the end. Cardinals, Bengals and partly the Steelers were just too banged up to put up a real fight. Do you see any way to avoid that?
Injury continues to be the No. 1 story in the NFL. Three teams this past weekend were playing without key players, and the loss of those players was just too much to overcome. The game is safer, but it's still losing too many games to injury. I see that as a huge problem for the league. A.J. Green and Le'Veon Bell are two of the league's biggest stars, but on the league's biggest stage, all they could do was stand on the sideline and watch. It's a problem nobody knows how to fix.
Dan from Westmont, IL
Vic, can you feel the excitement building? Packers vs Cowboys, just like the '90s, only the venue is Lambeau Field this time. Troy Aikman in the booth. Should be a fun one; I'm truly jealous of all the fans that get to be at this game. I hope everyone takes your advice and doesn't sell their tickets to the Cowboys fans.
I will be bitterly disappointed if Lambeau Field is punctuated by the sight of Cowboys jerseys on Sunday, and I don't want to hear about the buck being passed onto ticket agencies. If you own a ticket, use it.
Joe from Oshkosh, WI
It's been a sad two days with Stuart Scott's passing. I think we all need you to offer some perspective for us right now.
Scott died of cancer. His is such a loss at such a young age. Who would've ever guessed that a man of such life and vitality could pass so young? Here's the perspective I would provide. A week ago today, at nearly the exact time this column was posted, a doctor came into the room and showed me a picture of my heart. Where an artery was otherwise big and swollen with blood, a blockage had occurred that reduced the flow of that blood to the size of a thread. That thread was the difference between life and death. Viva la thread! It's the difference for all of us.
Nikola from Maribor, Slovenia
Do you remember the Ice Bowl game? Where were you that day?
I was in my grandparents' basement, all alone, watching the game on TV and sitting next to a root cellar full of goodies. It was a great day.
Dave from Groton, VT
Is it going to be more difficult to stop the run or the pass vs. the Cowboys?
If you load up on one, they'll do the other. One of the keys to success on defense this Sunday, in my opinion, will be accurately predicting tendencies. Dom Capers is facing a daunting challenge.
