Brock from West Lafayette, IN

Good morning! I bet the Colts would vote in favor of some goalposts with laser beams.

They're coming, man. Only a matter of time.

Lynne from Janesville, WI

What do the Packers need to do to keep this momentum going?

Keep the penalties to a minimum and the turnovers nonexistent. In other words, don't beat yourself. Make the other team beat you. Not impossible, but this team is tough to beat when it's not self-inflicting.

Jeff from Mequon, WI

While it hurts losing Devonte Wyatt, Chicago is missing some key pieces of their defense as well. Both teams are playing well, with Green Bay coming off arguably the best game of the season offensively. Coming into the weekend I think the biggest question is can Green Bay sustain the offensive rhythm they found in Detroit?

Which will be a challenge in the colder outdoors, which means the running game needs to be a big part of things. Everyone's talking about Chicago's ground game, for good reason, but the Bears rank 28th in the league against the run. Don't hesitate to take it to 'em.

Dave from Phoenix, AZ

Good morning II, in reflecting back on my vow of serenity now, I find myself calmly reminding the team to just do "their jobs" before each snap. I'm now wondering if that is in fact enough to beat the Bears? Do we need something super "heroic" to win or can we beat them straight up if everyone just stays in their lane and does their job? Don't get me wrong, I'll take a breakout performance from any area of the team but is it enough to just go toe to toe to slug out a win? As always, Go Pack Go!

The Bears want you to try to be a hero. They want you to force the ball somewhere it shouldn't go so they can get a takeaway. They want you to get so frustrated chasing Williams around that you don't rush in containable fashion. This game will sternly test the Packers' discipline.

Gordon from Newport Beach, CA

We may not have liked the results when the Carolina Panthers ran the ball on Green Bay, however, could there be a silver lining in a "lesson learned" for the upcoming Chicago Bears games?

The lesson is what I mentioned above, discipline. Run defense is as team-oriented as run offense. If one player gets out of his gap, the play can rupture, just as one missed block can mean a TFL. It takes everybody, to get off blocks and swarm to the ball.

Britnie from Nashville, TN

With the explosive defense we've been seeing as of late, are there any players we should be keeping an eye on for disrupting the Bears' offense specifically this week? Any particular matchups you're really looking forward to see play out?

I'm curious to see whether Williams can get away from Micah Parsons.

Mick from St. Paul, MN

Does Caleb Williams' mobility warrant a spy by the Packers' D?

It's a strategy for certain times and situations. But you can't spy him every single pass play, because then you're rushing/covering with just 10 guys all game. No defense can do that effectively.

Paul from Los Angeles, CA

With Chicago's strong run performance last week and our loss of Wyatt I feel like Chicago is beyond ripe for a trick play against us. We're going to be defending the run so hard. I hope we do not leave ourselves vulnerable.

As Wes noted, any defense has to be on guard against Ben Johnson, whatever his offense's strengths are. He'll call anything anytime.

Adrian from Oregon City, OR

Packer fan since 1960. Some months ago, I recall Spoff saying the Packers-Bears rivalry wasn't a big deal anymore, or words to that effect, because the Bears weren't relevant. The anticipation for Sunday's showdown makes these old bones tingle. The oldest and best rivalry in sports is about to hit another gear. GPG!

The Bears ending their 11-game losing streak to the Packers last January was no small thing, even if Green Bay was being cautious with Jordan Love's elbow injury. Back in 2021, Campbell's first year in Detroit, the Lions ended that season snapping a five-game losing streak to the Packers when Green Bay was resting its guys for the playoffs. Campbell's Lions proceeded to win five of the next six before this year.

Bill from Menominee, MI

Do you have any past ballpark data you could share about the benefit of deferring and kicking off first? So much randomness can happen in that first 30 minutes that it seems hard to count getting the ball on both sides of the half as a strategy. With the strength of the pass rush and secondary this year, it sure seems like any opportunity to play with a lead adds more benefit than the traditional double-up mindset.

I'm always in favor of deferring. I know I said this team plays its best with the lead, but a small lead in the first half isn't going to make the opponent adjust its run-pass balance. That comes with a lead in the second half, and getting the opportunity to score first after halftime matters more to me, whether it's a double-up or not.

Jay from Fenton, MI

Here in the heart of Lions territory, Campbell's hyperaggressive philosophy is getting more criticism as the L's stack up. Do you sense our more aggressive MLF is a shift in philosophy or just more situational football for us?

It's situational, and the last two weeks tell that story. Against the Vikings, LaFleur knew Minnesota's offense was going nowhere (if not backwards), so he played it safe and did only what was necessary. Against the Lions, he didn't feel he could beat their explosive offense with field goals, so he pushed for touchdowns. You play to win the game.

Adam from Wausau, WI

Hi, just a follow-up to John's question from Monday, regarding plays being blown dead, why/when do they determine to blow the whistle for some 12 men on the field penalties and the others they let the offense have a free play?

If the defense is trying to get the 12th man off the field before the snap, they'll let the play go against the 11 defenders remaining. But if the defense is lining up with 12, they blow it dead. It's a rule change from several years ago so in late-game situations a defense can't purposely put 12 on the field and make the offense burn clock running plays against it.

Dennis from Batavia, IL

Replay assist is able to confirm that Marcus Mariota was indeed down by contact but is unable to state that the contact was illegal tripping because that's not within its authority even though it was clear and obvious. That is just wrong. Even worse is that the NFL doesn't care.

Now you're catching on. The league is always free to take my advice about making all safety rules reviewable. Tripping is a safety rule, right?

Joe from Liberty Township, OH

I'm still trying to understand the logic of throwing the ball on third-and-3 after the 2-minute warning. Run the ball and the clock runs off 40 seconds plus five seconds for the play, and you might convert. If a fourth-down pass fails you've still run another 5-6 seconds and there's only 1:10 left and no Detroit timeouts. You still get two shots to convert whether you run or pass on third down.

I hear you, particularly regarding the clock, but LaFleur's explanation was a third-down run would've been a wasted play against the Lions' loaded box with the receivers manned up on the line of scrimmage. He'd be running Josh Jacobs into a wall, so he'd rather give his QB two shots against man coverage, and the Lions did indeed line up the same way on both plays. He essentially traded the 40 seconds for an extra pass attempt, which turned out to be prudent because everything went right on the first throw except Christian Watson dropped it. I wonder, had Love not been protecting a bad shoulder, if the third-down play would've been a zone read, giving Love the option to feed Jacobs or tuck and run himself based on the defense's reaction to the potential handoff.

Kirsten from Madison, WI

I've never been as appreciative of how the Packers handle their QB transitions than I am now, watching the Vikings calamitously mishandle J.J. McCarthy. It's easy to forget how young these guys are. That kid is 22 years old. I hope for his sake alone that either the Vikes figure that out or he gets a fresh start somewhere else. For the Packers' sake, I'd like option B.

Hearing O'Connell repeatedly talk about all the work needed to shore up McCarthy's fundamentals is a reminder of his rookie season being an injury wash. If he had actually worked behind Darnold last year and run the scout team, he would've been in a different place this year. Scout QBs take all their reps against first-team defenses. That matters.

Joe from Bozeman, MT

Is Mike Vrabel the runaway candidate for Coach of the Year or does Sean Payton also deserve it? If the Packers end up with the No. 1 seed in the NFC then I think ML gets serious consideration but Vrabel is doing it with a 23-year-old second-year player as is Payton although Nix is 25.

Payton made the playoffs with Nix last year. It's between Vrabel and Ben Johnson. The Patriots were 4-13, the Bears were 5-12. No disrespect to what Johnson's done, but my Bushwood money's on Vrabel.

Dustin from Kansas City, MO

What do you gentleman make of all this Lane Kiffin stuff? I don't like coaches switching teams midseason, but in the middle of a legit playoff run just seems absolutely absurd. And what does the playoff committee do with all of it? If a coach and a big chunk of his staff leaves, are they still viewed as the same team and let into the playoffs anyway? Especially once some players inevitably jump in the portal and follow him to LSU? What a mess.

Welcome to the self-destructive world of major college sports.

David from Janesville, WI

Gents, not much mentioned about Love's AC joint lately, but I assume it is still a bother. If you saw the game ball presentation after the Lions game he was "congratulated" by one of his teammates with a vigorous shoulder slap and Jordan's reaction was not one of appreciation. Hopefully he doesn't have any setbacks and can continue to play with as little pain as reasonable for that type of injury. He's continuing the trend of tough Packer quarterbacks.

Love learned a lot about playing hurt last year. He was banged up and fighting through plenty, and it didn't always go well, but he's better for it now. Hopefully the long weekend off helped that left shoulder.

Tim from Olathe, KS

Pro Football Weekly graded Anthony Belton at 37.6 in Thursday's game largely due to allowing six pressures in the passing game. Yet I see Spoff and fellow Inbox patrons raving about him as our new long-term RG. Is it just hope on our part that he's a keeper?

I don't know if guard or tackle will ultimately be Belton's best long-term position. I'm not sure I saw six pressures when I rewatched the game, but I don't grade film for a living. A couple of times, his guy made Love shift in the pocket, but he was still being blocked and wasn't free to sack the QB. I suppose that's a pressure, but he carried out his responsibility. He did struggle on occasion when Alim McNeill flipped to his side. He's a beast and gives a lot of inside blockers trouble. But mostly I like the physical presence Belton brings, and that will be valuable over four straight outdoor December games coming up.

Scott from Hudson, OH

How much of an impact will Jayden Reed have when he comes back? How will it affect the offense?

I think he can have a big impact, because Reed might be the Packers' best replacement for Tucker Kraft in the passing game, meaning an underneath target who's dangerous with the YAC. But Reed also presents the dual threat of going deep. I think Matthew Golden can be a similar two-way receiver once he's healthy and fully incorporated into the offense.

Erik from Anchorage, AK

Can GB petition the league to widen the field for these last few weeks to get all our WRs on the field at the same time?

I'll send Roger an email.

Mitchell from Lebanon, MO

Good morning Insiders! Out of all 30 NFL stadiums, which press box do you prefer most overall (not counting Lambeau)? Which press box have you had the worst experience(s) in? What factors are most important for a good press box experience (view, noise levels, temperature, food, proximity to locker rooms, etc.)?

Baltimore and Tennessee have the best views, midfield between decks. Carolina's is similar. Kansas City and Buffalo used to have that, too, but then they moved their press boxes high in the end zone. Washington has the worst (low in the end zone) with Chicago not far behind (crowded, window frames everywhere, plus on the opposite side from the main TV cameras, so all replays are reversed, which fries my brain). I don't get too worked up about the food either way, but Chicago's is terrible. It's at least easy to get to the locker rooms there. Same with Minnesota, which is handy.

Gene from Greenville, WI

What's your favorite part of your job?

Gameday. For me, it's what the grind of all the other days is for – when everybody's watching. Happy Wednesday.

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