Mike from New Orleans, LA

I would like to lodge a complaint with NFL broadcasters. When you use a white line to denote the LOS on a field with white yard markers it can be confusing. Stick with blue LOS, yellow first down. Could y'all send that up the ladder for me?

I'll do my best.

Bret from Stevensville, MT

The usual keys apply to the Cleveland game. Take care of the ball, limit turnovers, limit penalties, etc., but I think a key to this game will be the number of short fields the defense can create. Flacco's lack of mobility should allow for multiple sack/takeaway opportunities. Do you agree?

In theory, sure. I'm actually more concerned about the Packers not giving a struggling Browns offense any short fields, either via turnover or a big return. If Cleveland repeatedly has to go the long way, it could have a very hard time Sunday.

Jeff from Athens, WI

Sunday against the Browns brings Myles Garrett into the conversation as a player you have to keep track of and keep away from Jordan Love. Are there any other players to watch for on the Browns' defense?

One of their top LBs, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, is currently on PUP. But they have Greg Newsome II to go with Denzel Ward at corner, Devin Bush at Sam LB, and two high draft picks starting as rookies in the middle of the unit – Mason Graham (No. 5 overall) at DT and Carson Schwesinger (No. 33) at Mike LB. It's an intriguing age mix that appears to have a lot going for it.

Jeffery from Milwaukee, WI

It's impressive that Cleveland only surrendered 23 rushing yards to King Henry. How much of that is credited to CLE's defense and how much of that is attributed to the fact that BAL and CLE are divisional rivals? We all know divisional games are completely different compared to inter-conference games.

True, but familiarity or not, you still have to stop him. Henry's 11 carries vs. Cleveland went as follows: 1 yard, minus-4, minus-2, 8, 2, 1, 8, 2, 6, 1, 0. So eight of 11 attempts went for 2 yards or less, and Henry actually fumbled on the first 8-yarder (recovered by Baltimore). Even without resounding success running the ball, though, staying committed to it will be important to keep that pass rush honest.

Tyler from Cornell, WI

Who is the "must stop" player on the Browns' offense? They've been in their two games this season until later on when Baltimore pulled away. How does GB manage a tough defense while not growing impatient on offense?

RB Quinshon Judkins is working his way into a full-time role, and I've always thought TE David Njoku is a tough cover. Jerry Jeudy had his best season with 1,200 receiving yards last year.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Mike, it's way too early, but this seems to be a defense that is not reliant on turnovers. This is not the "bend but don't break" and yield yardage between the 20s in the hope of a mistake, a turnover or tightening up in the phone booth portion of the field type of defense. Has the lack of fumbles or INTs been a reflection of the quality of the opponent? Do you think there may be more TOs in their future?

A sizable percentage of turnovers comes from pressuring the QB. Rushed/forced throws, deflections, strip-sacks, etc. This defense gets after QBs. If that continues, I expect the turnovers to follow at some point.

Jeff from New Lisbon, WI

Hey II, absolutely love all of the content! By far the most even-keeled information I can get on the Packers. My question is with how quickly this defense attacks, if I'm an offensive coordinator game planning for them wouldn't it be smart to throw a fair sampling of misdirection at them? Curious on your thoughts about this.

The defense's greatest single attribute, in my opinion, is speed, and misdirection is usually a more slow-developing concept, so I don't know. I'm expecting teams to start utilizing the quick passing game to beat the pass rush, and then if that's established, pick their spots to take shots. We'll see.

Marc from Califon, NJ

I do believe that everything has a price (almost everything!). What is the going price (draft choice) on Malik Willis? For some of these teams, desperate times call for desperate measures. If someone offers Gute a third-rounder, do you take it?

Not a chance. I wouldn't take a second-rounder either. That's not worth it to put yourself one play away from being desperate, too. And nobody is going to offer a first-rounder, so that's that.

Donny from Green Bay, WI

After two weeks, I must say the kickoff appears to have no violent collisions and the play has been saved. Years of tinkering has eventually paid off. Would the punt return be tinkered with next?

I doubt it. The punt return doesn't have the injury rate of the old kickoff return.

Richard from Livermore, CA

Please correct what I have wrong here: Kickoffs that touch the end zone result in the ball being placed at the 35. Teams generally would gladly take that as the starting point. Often I see kick returners standing at the goal line, or even a foot or two in the end zone catch the ball and run with it. If they are at the goal line catching the ball at chest level, it clearly would land in the end zone. Why are they not instructed to let it drop in the end zone?

Great question. I've noticed, and been asking myself, the same thing.

Steve from Ankeny, IA

To piggyback on Mike's response that six three-and-outs is too many in two games, do you think that is a result of conservative play-calling because we were protecting a lead, or is it an issue that needs to be figured out? It is unsettling.

The three-and-outs vs. Detroit were a result of failures on third-and-1, third-and-1, and third-and-2. Two vs. Washington involved a sack and a holding penalty. Those all sound like execution issues to me.

Patrick from Marvin, NC

Need you guys to clear up something for me. Is Christian Watson eligible to practice after Game 4 or after the bye week? Had a discussion with a family member that is telling me that Watson is out and cannot practice for first six games, but I thought that he could start to practice after Game 4 and that the team has a set number of days to activate him?

Regular-season PUP was changed from a minimum six-game absence to four in recent years. So he's eligible to practice after the Dallas game. With that being the bye week, opening his 21-day window then might not be the most prudent.

Jake from Marshfield, WI

Any possibility of Jayden Reed having foot surgery and killing two birds with one stone during his IR stint? Or would that type surgery be season-ending?

I have no idea on the timeline, but Reed posted on X Tuesday afternoon he had both foot and clavicle surgeries.

Kyle from Madison, WI

I have long thought field goals are way too influential on outcomes of games. With the new touchback at the 35-yard line and kickers preparing the football, a team needs to only gain about 15-20 yards to get three points. I wish the NFL would go back to the old football prep rule and narrow the goalposts by a few feet. It just seems silly how easy it is now. Do you agree or am I as grumpy as our old friend Vic?

That's exactly why I brainstormed a couple of rather radical ideas in Monday's column. Defenses don't have much chance if touchbacks are on the 35 and kickers can hit from 55-plus regularly. But we're a long way from the league worrying about it, if it ever does.

Steve from Algoma, WI

After Sunday's debacle in KC there might be momentum to revisit the Tush Push, not because it's an unstoppable play or not a football play, but because at this point, the referees cannot adequately officiate it. Most of the offensive players line up in the neutral zone, several move before the ball gets snapped, and there is no way in that pile of humanity to determine where the ball actually ends up. The commentators did a good job pointing all this out, and it's not a good look for the NFL.

The vote to get rid of it last year was 22-10. Perhaps the obvious inadequacy, and apparent difficulty, in officiating the play will garner the two more votes necessary next winter/spring.

Aidan from Suwanee, GA

With the Steelers announcing they are wearing their alternative jerseys (oooof) for the Week 8 matchup against the Pack, I predict we wear our Winter Warning uniforms again. Otherwise, there will be two teams with yellow pants/helmets on at the same time. Has that ever happened before? I imagine that would be a challenge for any QB.

The new Steelers throwbacks have tan/gold pants different from their (and the Packers') traditional yellow pants. But the helmet issue you raise is an interesting one. Plenty of matchups have featured teams with similar black or silver base colors in the helmet (Lions vs. Panthers or Steelers vs. Ravens immediately come to mind), but would dueling yellow-brick-road helmets be too difficult to follow? Sorry, I guess we'll find out.

Glen from Mooresville, NC

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The NFL stole your use of stealing Seinfeld's quote: Tampa Bay's running game is real – and might be spectacular.

What's spectacular in Tampa right now is Baker Mayfield at crunch time. Two game-winning two-minute drives on the road covering 63 and 80 yards? Wowza.

Carl from Onalaska, WI

I can't figure out the Bears' plan the last few years. Williams was No. 1, but they had an OL weakness, so then they picked a WR with their next first-rounder. Yes, they signed a FA guard and traded for another this past offseason, but went TE and WR with the first two picks. Compare to the Packers who went Jordan Morgan round 1 and Anthony Belton round 2 the last two years, when OL may not have been even a need. Good teams prioritize their OL.

The Bears went for the quick fix up front with veterans, and I don't blame them for that. As I said on "Unscripted," I think Ben Johnson will get Caleb Williams & Co. going in time, but I don't know what to make of the Bears' defense right now. In the last five quarters, Chicago has allowed 73 points, and only two of the scoring drives were under 50 yards.

Ross from Hudson, WI

Am I the only one who pictured Lou Brown welcoming Jordan Love back to the sideline after trucking Trey Amos with, "Nice run Love, don't ever * do it again"?

Love's little NFL Network "angry run" award is nice and all, but I'll never forget sitting next to Ted Thompson in the New Orleans Superdome press box for a Monday night game in 2008. At one point when his new starting QB was racing to the sideline to cut off a defender trying to run back a pick-six, I could hear Thompson mumbling, "No … no … please don't." Then Rodgers lowered his shoulder into the guy to knock him out of bounds, and Thompson said to nobody in particular, "I wish he wouldn't do that."

Jake from Apple Valley, MN

I never like to see anyone get hurt, but the Joe Burrow injury significantly alters the AFC, and the upcoming game against the Pack. Did we dodge a bullet?

The Bengals are playing the Vikings, Lions and Packers within the next month, and then the Bears in early November, so from the NFC North standpoint, it's a wash. I'm honestly bummed I may have to wait another four years to see Burrow play in person for the first time.

Dan from Algonquin, IL

Spoff, we've already seen numerous starting QBs getting injured to the point where they will be missing one or more starts. Burrow may not play again this season. Will teams, including the Packers, adjust their scheme/playbook to lower the risk of a serious injury, or is everyone just running their offense and rolling the dice that their QB1 stays healthy?

This is a brutal game. Playbook-wise, I don't know how you can play it to win and play it to stay healthy at the same time. QBs get hurt in the pocket as much as out. If there's a way to "adjust" schematically to lower the risk of injury and still play to win, I'm not aware of it.

Mike from Geneva, IL

Mike made reference to the NFL being a week-to-week league and I agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately there are a ton of fans who will overreact when the Packers play poorly. Over the course of an entire season it is inevitable to happen, and quite possibly against a seemingly beatable opponent. What advice would you give to fans in advance for them to handle a poor Packer performance better?

It's a week-to-week league. Happy Wednesday.

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