Inbox: Definitely the biggest since then

Beau from Lancaster, PA

Our December friend has arrived! When is the first installment of "Path to the Playoffs"?

Let me check with the bosses.

Tinger from Red Wing, MN

Does the team get three extra days off with a Thursday win? I know they get "victory Monday" after a Sunday win, what does the 10 days between games.

The players had the weekend off. They're back at it today.

Dan from Westerville, OH

This has to be the biggest Packers-Bears game since Rodgers to Cobb, no? The funny thing is the stakes will probably be even higher two weeks from Sunday. The rivalry is back.

Definitely the biggest since then in terms of the stakes for both teams, and this is coming off of both games last year going down to the final play.

Ken from New York, NY

I heard a lot of confident predictions at the beginning of the season, but none of them were that the NFC would be chasing the Bears. Our huge game just got huger.

Lots of folks fixated on the Bears currently holding the No. 1 spot in the NFC. That really doesn't mean much with five games left. What is relevant is Thanksgiving weekend is in the books, the NFC has zero teams with 10 wins, 10 teams over .500, and – if I counted correctly – 11 games remaining that pit two teams from that group of 10 against one another. This is gonna get crazy.

Michael from Hammond, IN

Do you believe the Bears are for real?

You don't win nine out of 10 by accident in this league. They win with turnovers. I don't like to oversimplify, but that's really the crux of it. In their nine wins, they have 25 takeaways. The only game they lost in this stretch they got none (at Baltimore). Can they win without turnovers? That's what the Packers need to find out. Protect the ball and let's see.

Ben from Cripple Creek, CO

Yeah, I mean I really want to see the Bears win a game where the opposing offense doesn't ever hand the ball to them. Jordan Love has been really good with decision making and ball placement (mostly). Caleb has been very good with the ball, but I've seen where GB's defense can win a game without forcing a turnover, in getting stops. Struggled early, but have proven that. Gotta be ready for fourth down though, because Johnson has taken MCDC's aggressiveness to CHI.

That's the other side of Chicago's turnover equation. Caleb Williams has done an exemplary job taking care of the ball. He hasn't thrown more than one INT since the third game of his career, and he's lost only one fumble this season. That was just a week ago, and the Steelers got a T.J. Watt touchdown on it but still lost the game.

Sam from Odenton, MD

In response to Mike wondering if anyone had ever beaten both Super Bowl champions, I can't speak for four days apart, but the Bills beat the Chiefs and the 49ers two weeks apart last season.

I knew there was something recent in that realm. Thanks.

Ron from Downey, CA

How does that Panther loss look now?

Still crappy. The Panthers lost to the Saints after beating the Packers and looked inept last week against the 49ers. They're as uneven as any team in an uneven league. The Packers played a crappy game that day at Lambeau, no getting around that. The Panthers didn't do anything particularly noteworthy in Green Bay, like their pick-six and three turnovers from Stafford yesterday. They just played less crappy. If you can't tell, that game still sticks in my craw, but I gotta let it go.

John from East Setauket, NY

I'm wondering if you can explain why on some offsides plays the refs let the play play out (like on the offsides call when Love had an unsuccessful pass attempt to Christian Watson) but on other occasions they shut the play down. Is there a rhyme and reason to it?

Yes. When a defensive player jumps into the neutral zone, the play should be blown dead if any of the following occurs: 1. He makes contact with an offensive player before the ball is snapped. 2. He causes an offensive player to jump before the ball is snapped. 3. He's unabated to the quarterback. If none of those three occurs, the officials can let it play out.

Jeanne from Holliston, MA

Hello, Insiders! I watched the replay over and over of Dontayvion Wicks' fourth-down catch to seal the victory against the Lions. Tremendous, outstanding catch, no doubt. But what is not getting as much acclaim is Jordan Love's throw under tremendous pressure with a guy charging in, right in his face. The catch was SO good, I almost failed to notice that Love's execution on that fourth-down-gotta-have-it play was simply extraordinary! Gotta Love our QB1. Go Pack Go!

I didn't realize the difficulty of Love's throw in the moment, and not until I saw the all-22 view from the end zone. To be that accurate under that level of duress in that situation was, as you said, simply extraordinary. I'm not sure where it ranks on the year, because he made really clutch throws against the Cowboys, Cardinals, Steelers, Giants … the number keeps rising.

Michael from Ellicott City, MD

I've heard the term "off platform" used to describe throws like the last one Love made in the Lions game, Mahomes is famous for them. Is this something the QBs actually practice? I recall Love making that "jump" throw in the face of pressure several times before.

They have drills that require them to make difficult or unconventional throws. Those are mixed into the drilling of fundamentals and such. QBs also will challenge themselves in practice against the scout team, making a throw harder than it might be in order to test themselves. The confidence to make that throw in a game comes from forcing oneself to make it in practice.

Casey from Vancouver, WA

Longtime reader (hopefully) first time getting posted. You mentioned that you've been high on Wicks for years, with LaFleur echoing the same during his press conferences. Besides injuries, what do you think has held him back from a breakout game such as this past one?

In some respects he's been victimized by the Packers' wide stable of options. So opportunities were at times sporadic his rookie year, and then last season he struggled with drops, so he wasn't earning opportunities. This year it's been the nagging calf injury. In this offense, your role grows when you answer the bell. Wicks did that in a big way, but reinforcements could be coming at receiver. He just needs to be ready to answer it again, whenever it may ring for him.

Josh from Seattle, WA

So Anthony Belton seems to have taken over full time at RG as a rookie and I think he might spend the next 10 years there. Did I miss any stories on him or the lack of rotating? If Devonte Wyatt has to go on IR is there a Howard Green on the DL free agent tree Gutey can shake out and help us when it matters most?

Belton's ascendence was quick. He was thrown into a RG rotation against Minnesota, played the whole second half of that game, and hasn't given it up. As for Wyatt, his season is over and he will be going on IR at some point. Defensive tackles who can add to the pass rush rank as one of the toughest commodities to find anytime, let alone for the stretch run, but I'm sure if the personnel department finds someone it thinks can help, he'll be brought in.

Tabb from West Lafayette, IN

People cannot be serious defending Sirianni going for two, down two TDs. Apparently, analytics (?!) says to find out how many possessions you need as early as possible and that there is no debate. But riddle me this: I already know I only need one more possession to tie or go win the game if I just take the PAT. We all have that information BEFORE figuring watching the two-point conversion was unsuccessful requiring said team to now obtain two more possessions. Algebra > analytics?

I'll never agree with going for two when down 15 and would probably never do it. I understand the analytics, but to me, what's missing there is the pressure put on the opponent to move the chains when down eight (as opposed to nine). If you're potentially removing the strain being put on the opposition to beat you, how is that helping you win? It's a serious hole in the argument, at least to me. The opponent will treat being up eight the same as being up seven, so reduce the margin to one possession and make them get first downs.

Andrew from Richmond, VA

You've mentioned multiple times this year how a lot of run defense comes down to effort. I thought the Bears-Eagles game really showed that. Seemed the Bears RBs were consistently pushing for that extra 2-3 yards at the end of every run, and Philly just wasn't up to stopping it. I expect an inspired performance by the young D-line in Wyatt's absence. Don't think anyone in that locker room forgot LaFleur catching a stray in Ben Johnson's introductory press conference this offseason…

I don't know if I've ever seen a good team less interested in playing football than the Eagles on Black Friday. They got punched in the mouth early by that Bears running game and had no response.

Samuel from Skokie, IL

Watching the Bears' offensive line blow Philly off the line was scary to watch. But then I listen to the II wisdom that it's a week-to-week league. Gibbs looked unstoppable until Thursday's game. You're never as good as it seems or as bad. Stay in the correct gaps and stop the Bears.

The Eagles held five consecutive opponents to 4.0 yards per carry or less on the ground heading into Friday, when the Bears gashed them with 6.0 and the 281 total. Trying to make sense of this league is a fool's errand. Every game is truly its own entity.

Ryan from Rosemount, MN

What formation did the Bears run out of against the Eagles to have such success? Are the Packers going to need to run more base defense or drop a safety down? I feel like Isaiah McDuffie has passed the eye test in setting a tone stopping the run when we have three linebackers out there, but we are also going to account for their tight ends.

When the Bears go with two tight ends, I expect the Packers to deploy their base with three linebackers. We'll see if Quay Walker can come back this week. McDuffie indeed has played well at both the mike and his regular spot. The Bears like to run outside to stretch a defense laterally in order to set up a quick-hitter up the middle that can rupture into an explosive gain. They make you defend the whole gamut of runs.

Marc from Holmen, WI

Disappointed by the Eagles' no-show. However, in watching the broadcast it seems like the Bears' DBs are hyperaggressive frequently coming off their assignment to jump routes. Assuming my observation is correct (dubious) and the O-line can hold up, could the Pack take advantage of this with double moves and pump fakes?

I'm not sure exactly how these two teams are going to match up, but if I know Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love, when they see man coverage on the outside, they're going to attack down the field. They're always looking to make defenses pay for singling up on receivers.

Tim from Kennewick, WA

Great victory in a hostile environment. Any concerns with the secondary giving up 130-ish passer rating and the D as a whole allowing a shade over 60% third-down conversions?

Nothing gets swept under the rug, but there are reasons the Lions had scored 34 or more points in six different games this season. Holding them to 24 was a winning performance, and it was a play or two from being less than that. The WR screen to Williams (missed tackle) and third-and-12 seam ball to Kennedy immediately come to mind. From GB's corrections perspective, I'm focused on making those one or two plays next time.

Neil from Crystal, MN

Hello Insiders: The way Micah Parsons delivers at the end of the game reminds me of Reggie and some of Clay. I realize he brings it all game, but it seems more like it late. Is this more because he has worn out the offensive line or he cranks it up a notch?

He's just got more in the tank than any normal player. He's not normal.

Mike from Geneva, IL

Don't turn the ball over and contain Chicago's running game seem to be the two biggest keys to victory. They've caused a lot of turnovers this year and their running game has been very strong in recent weeks. Aside from those areas, what are your biggest keys to victory?

The defense needs to get back to limiting explosives. Make the Detroit game a one-off in that regard. Also, play from in front. This team's best football is played when it has the lead.

Lori from Broomfield, CO

What are the respective strength of schedules for Packers and Bears?

Outside of the two games against one another, the Packers play the Broncos, Ravens and Vikings (cumulative record, 20-16). The Bears play the Browns, 49ers and Lions (19-18).

Tom from Manitowoc, WI

We out-Skol-ed the Vikings. We out-Campbell-ed the Lions. Just beat da Bears.

Happy Monday.

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