Inbox: It can be done

Eric from Kenosha, WI

How did we get to the last week of the regular season already?

I'm asking the same question, friend.

Bill from Menominee, MI

Is "just beat the Vikings" even applicable this week? Although a meaningless game for each team, the negative impact of a Packers loss may be greater than the positive of a win against a Brosmer-led Vikings team. "Just don't get hurt" feels more appropriate.

I expect the Packers to rest anybody dealing with an injury to give them the best opportunity to heal up, and of course the hope is no more injuries coming out of Minnesota. But the players who do play can't play to "not get hurt" because that doesn't work. It practically increases the odds you will.

Ross from Summerville, SC

Gents, does the possibility of a four-game losing streak weigh into the personnel decisions for the Viking game? Is playing the starters and getting a "W" worth it from a mentality standpoint?

I don't think so, not as banged up as the Packers are, on top of the fact they had their bye way back in Week 5.

Pete from Caledonia, MI

Good morning II. Assuming Jordan Love doesn't play against Minnesota, any concern that he hasn't played in three weeks, going into the WC game? I 100% agree with resting him, but the team can't afford a first quarter of rust in the playoff game.

That's the biggest risk to the rest approach, should they go that route with the QB. But if Love plays, then all the starters up front must as well, because I take one look at the Vikings' Goff sandwich sack on Christmas and cringe. If there are enough ways to push and challenge in practice, such as pitting ones vs. ones rather than scout teams, that might be more prudent. We'll see.

Jeff from Waterford, WI

Who do we play if Bears and Eagles both win?

You want whom, and you also want to read Path to the Playoffs. But the upshot is if they both win, or both lose, the Packers go to Chicago because the Bears have the tiebreaker over the Eagles for the No. 2 seed based on head-to-head.

Chad from Pottstown, PA

Can we slow our roll on us having "the worst run defense in all of time" complaints? Five weeks ago the Eagles' D gave up 288 rushing yards to the Bears; Monday night the Rams gave up 219 yards (195 to one player) to the Falcons, when everyone knew he was going to get the ball; and in our two meetings with the Bears (very recently I might add), we have outrushed them 309-288. It's a week-to-week league … rest up and give the Bears or Eagles the healthiest and best we've got!

In their last three games, the Eagles have given up 256 rushing yards total, fewer than the one game against the Bears back on Black Friday. The Packers don't have as much time to remedy their issue, but it can be done.

Bob from Barnegat, NJ

I have been a Packer fan for almost 65 years living not too far away from where our great coach Lombardi is buried in Red Bank, N.J. I wanted someone to ask DC Jeff Hafley the question why the Packers stuck so much to the base defense instead of moving to a five-man defensive front? What we were doing on defense was not working to stop the run at all.

Hafley did go to a five-man front, and it worked for the opening drive of the second half. Then the Ravens started blowing through that, too.

Dennis from Fargo, ND

Have you noticed that early in the season all the defense was flowing to the ball on tackles? Since midway through the season they stopped rallying to the ball.

Not picking on you specifically here, because I've seen a lot of these, but I am so tired of lazy narratives from prisoner-of-the-moment thinking. If Romeo Doubs recovers the onside kick in Chicago, we're praising a heroic defensive effort that held to Bears to zero TDs and nine points, the same offense that just put up 30-plus at San Fran. When at midseason did the Packers stop forevermore rallying to the ball? When holding the Eagles to 10 points? The Vikings to six? Yes, there have been some rough outings, when Bo Nix played the best game of his young career, and obviously most recently. The Packers got steamrolled Saturday night. Not trying to downplay that. But it doesn't define the defense's season. I go back to what I said Monday – we've seen two starkly different defensive performances without Micah Parsons. Which way will this go in the playoffs? We don't know.

Justin from Thousand Oaks, CA

ATMRWCBW, the Packers have one more game to avoid an ignominious stat: fewest takeaways in a season. I believe the team record is 15, and this team currently sits at 13. Feels like that as much as anything explains how they got into this position.

I can't recall ever covering a team that dropped more interceptions than it caught. The drops are almost double by now.

Matt from Plainfield, NJ

The Bears haven't been to the playoffs in seven years? Spoff must have erased the 2020 playoffs from his mind when the Bears were the 7-seed, before the Packers put permanent dibs on that honor.

Ha, my bad. I was mentally fixated on Chicago's last division title.

Mark from Genoa, IL

Whom do we want to play in the wild-card round? Chicago has the third-best offense and 10th in scoring, while Philly is 24th and 19th respectively. Defensively, Chicago is 28th overall and 22nd in points allowed. Philly is 13th and third, respectively. Choose your poison…can we survive a potential shootout or stay resilient in a low-scoring game?

I won't be spending any energy hoping for a specific opponent. As I said on "Unscripted," what I like is either will have a revenge/payback element from the Packers' perspective.

Tim from Elgin, IL

I know many will debate resting everyone vs. rhythm and timing going into playoffs (the same arguments you have to hear every preseason) but wouldn't this week vs. Vikings be a great time to get Collin Oliver, Nazir Stackhouse, Brenton Cox Jr., etc. some serious game experience and see if they are viable playoff options? Man I wish MarShawn Lloyd could play, too. With all our bad injury juju we need to rest all ones and twos as much as possible.

A worthwhile point Wes made on "Unscripted," using this game to see who might be able to help in the playoffs.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN

Can we add the Eagles game as an honorable mention to Spoff's list of wins given away by the Packers this year? I walked away from that game thinking it was frustratingly winnable.

Oh it certainly was, but I'm inclined to give more credit to a championship team that found a way when not at its best. That's why the Carolina game sticks in my craw more. Wes and I disagree on how "bad" that loss was, but to me it was self-inflicted to the hilt. Fumbling in the red zone on the opening drive; two false starts in a span of three plays in scoring territory, leading to a field goal; a missed 43-yard field goal; an interception on a first-down deep ball that was turned into a short field and opponent TD; going for it on fourth-and-8 in the red zone one play after a 5-yard loss when down seven with 11 minutes left … the Panthers did nothing noteworthy but let the Packers beat themselves, by three points, at home. Brutal loss in my book.

Nic from UK

Yes, this year's injuries are tough, and no, they don't make us unique. Some teams still find a way. I despise them but our inability to weather brutal adversity is in stark contrast to the Niners. They've gone periods starting a WR1 signed off the street, without their starting QB, without their All-Pro TE and lost an All-Pro edge and LB for the season, amongst other injuries, while playing in the best division with a shot at the No. 1 seed. Saleh might be a wizard, er, sorcerer.

Getting Saleh back was a godsend for Kyle Shanahan, who has led four teams to the NFC title game and two to Super Bowls, and this might be his best coaching job yet.

Bob from Corpus Christi, TX

Rather than the question of Malik Willis or Love, shouldn't it be Willis plus draft choices/players plus cap space vs. Love? If Gutey isn't exploring that, he's not considering all options to improve the team.

No offense to Willis, but taking a step back, at what is undoubtedly the game's most important position by an outsized margin, is not a long-term recipe for success.

Michael from Novato, CA

I have a quarterback controversy question. Given that the offense has never gotten untracked all season, why don't they put in a couple packages for Willis? Especially with the recent red-zone issues, a couple plays down there giving Willis the option to pass or pull it down and run might help us get untracked. But what do I know? I can't figure out why we run from shotgun on fourth-and-inches.

The "package for Willis" question has been ongoing, and a valid one, as much as I disagree with the premise "the offense has never gotten untracked all season." The Packers have scored 26 or more points 10 times, but I digress. At this late stage, I wonder about the viability of the Willis idea. If LaFleur were truly interested, I'd think he would've experimented early in the season. Potential surprise element? I'm not ruling it out.

Ron from Broken Arrow, OK

Wes, couldn't agree with you more in your response to Mizoo about playing 16 games over 18 weeks. Perhaps the Players' Association will make a move for this commonsense solution when the next CBA is bargained. I certainly hope so. Thanks for all you do!

I agree with Wes as well, but the league isn't going back to 16 games. I'll take that to the Bushwood sports book. The owners will push for an 18th game sooner than later, reducing the preseason by one game and probably offering to shorten if not eliminate offseason programs (workouts, OTAs, etc.). By the next CBA, the offseason might be a two-week minicamp and that's it, except for rookies. Something like that.

Phil from Madison, WI

Thomas from Cedar Rapids pointed out that the Packers are the first team in history to lose three games in which they never punted. I think that record will be short lived. Between starting at the 35 and the trend to go for it on fourth down from just about anywhere, punting is being effectively removed from the game. 2025 has the lowest number of punts per team going all the way back to 1939, despite playing fewer games per season in most of those years.

That's incredible, and you're definitely onto something there, as was Eric from Keene, NH, who wondered if three no-punt losses should make anyone reconsider the current fourth-down trend. Reasonable question, but I doubt it.

Kerry from Canyon Lake, TX

Good morning. I'm afraid this team is physically and emotionally broken. Not sure I can blame them. You're around the team, what are your thoughts?

I wouldn't say broken. Damaged? Probably. But there's still time to find their resolve and resiliency once again.

Bones from Ripon, WI

Wowza! I guess the Bears are for real! But I guess the Niners are more real! They were both spectacular!

On one side of the ball. Both showed vulnerability on the other side. I will say the Chicago offense impressed me in that game. I've felt all season that Bears defense can be had by any team that protects the ball, but their offense really showed something Sunday night.

Nick from Boston, MA

Obviously everywhere you look the sky appears to be falling in Green Bay, similar to end of last year in terms of momentum going to into the playoffs. One key difference is this team was one of the best teams in the NFL only a few weeks ago. Yes I know, injuries changed that but there is still a good team in there somewhere. Might be a blessing in disguise with the loss vs. Ravens, take a couple weeks to rest up physically and mentally and let's see what happens in January.

This is pretty much where I fall. At the two-minute warning at Soldier Field, this team looked like the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They ultimately didn't earn it, but given a second chance, who knows?

Trevor from Westminster, CO

Trying to find silver lining. Maybe the fact that there really isn't a truly dominant team in the NFC this year? Seems like any of the seven can get in? Even the 49ers and Bears game showed you aren't going to go far in the playoffs giving up 40 points a game. All the teams have flaws this year.

Also where I land. Except for the No. 4 seed, I won't be surprised at any NFC team reaching the Super Bowl. It's just as wide open in the AFC, too.

Douglas from Richardson, TX

Good morning. Why does that playoff win over Dallas seem like a lifetime ago? That game carried so much promise for the future. And yet, here we are again, clinging to the seventh seed and reeling.

Which is why I always emphasize every season is its own entity. Happy New Year's Eve.

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