Inbox: Combining those effectively is no easy feat

Cindy from Hawthorn Woods, IL

Brandon Cisse's teeth? That's a new one on the injury report.

Apparently he had a wisdom tooth extraction on Monday. New one for me, too.

Bill from Menominee, MI

The explosive returns seem more likely when the returner gets vertical with a full head of steam as opposed to trying to be shifty. This method doesn't look appealing for the faint of heart. Skyy Moore and Keisean Nixon both seem to attack the field vertically with this type of fearlessness. There's no doubt the risk of injury and fumbles must increase with the get fast quick approach, though.

Not for the faint of heart is a good way to put it. Ball security is the top job requirement. The next is fearlessness. Combining those effectively is no easy feat.

Mark from Westminster, CO

After last season's meltdown, LaFleur specifically said he needed to strip everything down and start like it's Year 1 all over again. Well, they're 1-1, but the offense is broken, the penalties are out of control, discipline is non-existent and to be honest it looks like they rebuilt the same problems from scratch. How does a team that's 1-6 over their last seven games change the momentum?

By not falling into a fatalistic mindset, realizing what's within their control to improve, and getting to work on it. I don't think "the offense is broken" is accurate when it rolled up 419 yards in Week 1 on the road. This team has issues and work to do, and this will be a long journey.

Rachael from Enchanted Oaks, TX

What is the biggest question mark surrounding the Packers right now that you think could ultimately determine how successful this season is?

I'll let others chime in on this. Plenty of that to follow.

Matt from Kula, HI

"It starts up front" is coach-speak that rings true. Given this, the poor play and injuries on the OL make it very hard to be optimistic for this season. Anthony Belton and Jager Burton, who now step into roles as starters are young, have room to grow. But one more serious injury and it seems that it will be hard to field even an above-average OL. Please give me something to improve my mood on this.

I'm not sure what to tell you, other than the news on Zach Bako-Bewele is really tough and I'm not going to worry about another injury unless it occurs. Two of the O-line reserves who haven't seen action yet this year are draft picks (John Williams and Travis Glover) and they were drafted for a reason. There are also four additional options on the practice squad, one with extensive experience.

Greg from Belvidere, IL

Was glad to see Jager Burton get in the game. Watched him very closely and thought he did a great job. What do you see his role being going forward?

I think there's a decent chance he gets his first NFL start Thursday night. Beyond that, a lot will depend on Aaron Banks' health and Monk's performance.

John from Austin, TX

Pretty sure Packers were down to using a defensive lineman on the offensive line vs. Atlanta several years ago. Leroy Guion perhaps.

Good memory. Letroy, for the record, but yes, in the 2016 NFC title game. He played the final five snaps of the game on the O-line.

Herb from Mosier, OR

We (and our opponents) all know our weakness is the O-line. That usually means Jordan Love has very little time to pass from a clean pocket. So I'm wondering why Tucker Kraft was targeted only three times Sunday. I would think he would be a great option for quick passes. Your thoughts?

Well, first off, the Packers had only 50 offensive snaps Sunday, a paltry number for an overtime game. Second, Kraft did a lot of blocking.

Kevin from Arlington Heights, IL

I know there's only been a very small sample size but I think Kaleb Johnson could be a dude. I would love to see him get RB1 touches, with MarShawn Lloyd operating as more of the pass catching back, then Chris Brooks as the third-down pass pro or short-yardage guy. Could Johnson be in line for more opportunity or will he likely be third on the depth chart until (if) Josh Jacobs comes back?

I think Johnson earned himself some more chances, but he's got to protect the ball better. Everyone does coming off of Sunday. Putting the ball on the ground four times usually loses games.

Jason from Kenosha, WI

Regarding two straight runs in the fourth quarter after Skyy Moore's awesome punt return, you said, "Don't confuse results with intent." After two games we are THE worst running team in football, at what point do we admit that maybe the intent needs to change considering the results?

That's fair, and I hear you in a general sense. But here's the thing on that series … Brooks had just run for four yards, and the call on second-and-6 is exactly what you want for the look they got. The Packers came out with three tight ends, all up on the line (split 2-1 by side). The Jets went with eight in the box, hedging three perimeter defenders for one receiver and any leaks. I'm sure Love had an option to check to a pass, but there was no reason to. It's 8-on-8 at the point of attack, with all big bodies on offense. Yet two whiffs left two unblocked defenders to bury Brooks for a 1-yard loss. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that play call, nor the QB decision not to can it. Execute the blocks and Brooks probably makes it first-and-goal. I don't care if they're calling runs or passes, blocks are needed for plays to work. Sorry, but I so long ago grew tired of fans (complaining) about play-calling. It's the best way to sound lazy and uninformed.

David from Chestertown, MD

Hello Mike, Wes, and II Nation. I don't know much about Penix. Do you have a scouting report as to how he might try attacking our D? I have a feeling he could cause problems with his feet in their run game in addition to Robinson. GPG!

Penix is certainly more of a dual-threat QB than Cooper Rush, but thus far in his NFL career he hasn't run much. His career high for rushing yards is 21 and he's rushed for more than nine yards only twice.

Steve from Ocean City, NJ

Mike … it appears Michael Penix will return for Atlanta this week (which will grab most of the attention), but I'm really interested to see if the GB defense can contain Bijan Robinson. Ironically, the two limiting factors that have prevented the Packers from advancing in the postseason over the past several years, special teams and rush defense, have been the strength of this season's team thus far. Keeping Robinson in check would be further early-season proof that our run D is legit.

Defensively, this game starts with Bijan Robinson. He's accounted for nearly half of Atlanta's total yards through two games (254 of 524) and he's a big-play threat as either a runner or pass catcher. The Falcons will get Robinson the ball, a lot. He's going to get his touches. The Packers have to tackle well, which is easier said than done against him.

Kevin from Clinton, NC

It defies any logic that a personal foul, with a targeted helmet-to-helmet blow to a defenseless QB, can get nullified by a holding call. Such malicious actions have to supersede penalties of technicality. I can understand wiping out the TD as it can be argued the hold is what allowed the score, but at minimum, the difference in yards should be marked off. Otherwise a player has nothing to lose playing dirty once they see a flag fly.

Except a chunk of his paycheck.

Juan from Miami, FL

Quick question, did you see the helmet-to-helmet hit on Jordan Love? When they showed the replay, I could not believe they didn't call that targeting and eject the defensive player. Again, very disappointed with the referees. Even the announcers couldn't believe Jordan jumped right up.

I don't believe I've ever witnessed an immediate ejection in an NFL game for a live-action hit – Danny Trevathan on Davante Adams back in 2017 didn't get that result – so I guess I'll be surprised if I ever see it.

Tucker from Belton, TX

The penalties have drawn a lot of attention, and rightly so. However, I've seen most people blaming LaFleur for the team being undisciplined and I'm just not sure what you want him to do. Do we really think an O-lineman getting beat and holding is because LaFleur hasn't talked enough about not holding? Are we to suppose that the players are unaware unsportsmanlike conduct is to be avoided?

I appreciate you bringing this up, because it's incredible to me how so many fans believe penalties are strictly a coaching problem. I'm not letting the coaches off the hook, but this isn't high school. These are professional football players. Penalties are on them as well as the coaches. They reflect badly on all involved, and the Packers need to get them reduced.

Robert from Verona, WI

I suppose you could file this under the "Captain Obvious" category, but I think the narrative around the Packers right now would be pretty different if it weren't for the excessive penalty volume. The good news is that they should be able to get that under control, particularly things like taunting, lining up offsides, etc. Not sure what to do about some of the ticky-tack penalties we've seen through two weeks, but hopefully the refs settle in too and get it right going forward.

With all due respect (which means I'm about to sound disrespectful), that's like saying the narrative around the Packers all offseason would've been different if they hadn't blown those fourth-quarter leads last winter. You are what you put out there. That said, I do think the Packers have been victimized by some "ticky-tack" stuff, to use your term. But they've given the officials too much to scrutinize, and that's on them.

Vinny from Green Bay, WI

A quick idea to all: Talk all you want after the play while helping the guy up off the grass. You likely would never get flagged if you limit the trash talk to the 5 seconds it takes to extend your hand and help a guy up. I doubt any ref would want that flag on their rap sheet when considering possible playoff assignments.

I kinda like that approach, talk your trash while helping the guy up. You might even get a good shove and 15 yards on the other guy in the process.

Layne from Aurora, CO

Three main concerns: the health of the O-line, third-down defense and lack of focus pre-snap penalties. What do you see as the Packers' biggest obstacles?

Throw in third-down offense, as Wes noted yesterday, which partly comes down to running the ball better.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

My biggest concern after two games is that the lack of a running game means no sustained drives that allow the defense to get a breather. The slanted time of possession will wear out any defense. I hope we see more short passes to backs and TE's to help move the chains. What has the time of possession been in the first two games?

The Vikings were plus-6 minutes and the Jets were nearly plus-11.

JR from Silvis, IL

The Vikings loss doesn't feel as bad to me when they just held a team to three points that had scored 59 the week prior.

Not how I look at it, but to each their own.

Scott from Hewitt, TX

Aaron Glenn mentioned in his postgame press conference his strategy was to take a lot of time off the clock with a long scoring drive to put the Packers' offense under a time crunch. He said if you take 7-8 minutes off the clock, you put the other team in a two-minute mode and shrink their playbook.

He felt getting the ball first in overtime puts his team in control, and there's some merit to that when you look at how the Colts-Chiefs OT played out, with KC getting the third possession and winning. Nobody plans on going three-and-out. I think the advantage of getting the ball second, and knowing whether you're in four-down territory on every series or not, outweighs any other strategy, but that's me.

Jeff from Ogden, UT

Lukas Van Ness was different Sunday. In the past he struggled to get off a block. Sunday blew up blocks. If the bull rush wasn't working he threw a little finesse in there. Is he maturing as a player? Is this Gannon's coaching? Better scheme for him? What do you think?

As Wes and I discussed on "Unscripted," this is where Van Ness was trending last year when the foot injury led to his long absence. I also think DeMarcus Covington as his position coach the last two years has made a difference.

Craig from Little Rock, AR

Mike, you mentioned in your live chat that you were sitting near Ed Policy and Gutey. I'd love to know their demeanor during a game. Are they animated and passionate? Calm and quiet? Do they show much emotion? Thanks for all you and Wes do in this column.

I'm so focused on the field and my screen that I don't pay much attention. I hear an under-the-breath utterance once in a while, but it's the press box and everyone has to maintain a certain decorum.

Luke from Oconomowoc, WI

Weird start to the season, but I'll take 60% of our remaining games at Lambeau! How big of an advantage is it getting two road games out of the way right away?

It should be a plus over the long haul, but it won't mean diddly if the Packers don't win this first home game. Just beat the Falcons. Happy Wednesday.

HAVE A QUESTION?