Ken from New York, NY

Monday's Inbox was a helpful session of cathartic commiserating.

Happy to do my part.

Troy from Westminster, CO

I've never seen a team look like the best team in the league and the worst team in the league … all in one game as many times as the Pack did over the course of this season. I suggest they simply give a hefty extension to Dr. Jekyll and fire Mr. Hyde and everything should straighten itself out.

That's actually pretty funny.

Bob from Fredericksburg, VA

Good morning gents, my question is for Max from Rockford. Are you f#%@* crazy? I wouldn't root for the Bears if they were playing the North Korean national team. They suck. They will always suck. End of story. By the way, Butkus wished he played for Lombardi. This week I am a Rams fan.

This cracked me up, too, and I hear the North Koreans are tough in the red zone. I am pulling for Davante Adams and Josh Allen to reach their first Super Bowls. It's easy to root for those guys.

Craig from Pinellas Park, FL

At least the Packers' offensive line isn't as bad as the Steelers'. Yikes.

That Houston defensive front is maniacal, man.

Andrew from Linden, VA

Hey guys, being sports reporters yourselves I wanted to get your take on the sports reporter in Jacksonville. I loved it, but I understand how it wasn't exactly professional.

It wasn't. To say "Congrats on a successful season and good luck next year" before (or after) asking a question wouldn't be out of line. But the heartfelt encouragement she gave, while certainly praiseworthy in today's society, was inappropriate for the setting. Sharing that with a coach in a private, off-the-record moment would've been more fitting, not in a public news conference. She explained her words were prompted by seeing the coach getting/looking emotional at the podium. At that moment, the coach's emotions were a bigger story than probably anything he was about to actually say, and she inserted herself into that story by responding. A natural, compassionate response, yes, but not a reporter's job.

Matt from Waunakee, WI

Kudos to the NFC West.

They lived up to it. Got three in the playoffs and now three of the four left standing in the NFC. For all the talk about the NFC North last year, the division won zero playoff games.

Jack from Chicago, IL

Maybe it's the homer lenses but I feel like Green Bay fans feel their losses are more gut punchy because so many losses feel like games where Green Bay was better but let it slip. Maybe that's prevalent to everyone and it's just perception. I also feel that's why fans don't lament the 49ers loss. The team was playing hot but people didn't genuinely feel Green Bay was the better team.

Perhaps true, and as much as I believe in the anything-can-happen nature of the playoffs, I more strongly believe this when it comes to winning championships: It's not how good you are, it's when you're good, and that '23 team was really good at the right time.

Andrew from Chicago, IL

Mike, I remember Dan Campbell saying something similar to his team after losing the NFC Championship that year. Something along the lines of, "This might have been our best and only shot." And it's so true. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. The Lions went 15-2 the following year and got a beatdown at home in the first playoff game they played. And now have missed the playoffs. Your comments on losing to that same team that year (49ers) reminded me of this, thought I'd share.

I remember that, too, and the Lions QB will now turn 32 next season. That's not ancient by any means, but at least Jordan Love is only turning 28.

Craig from Cortland, NY

Saw a chart that showed the 49ers had 59 games missed due to injury by eight core players (excluding Aiyuk). They are being celebrated (rightfully so) for prevailing despite that kind of adversity. What would the total be for this year's Packers from the two-deep depth chart of the original 53? It's got to be right up there. Not looking to make excuses, but to maybe add context to a season gone awry. Maybe the issue is more when they started piling instead of total number. Still my team! GPG!

The definition of core guys can be murky, but below is my list of the eight most prominent players absent the longest, with number of missed games in parentheses, playoff game included, but Week 18 not included if the player was healthy enough to play: Tucker Kraft (10), Jayden Reed (10), Elgton Jenkins (9), Lukas Van Ness (8), Zach Tom (7, incl. one snap in CLE), Christian Watson (6), Devonte Wyatt (6), Micah Parsons (5). That's a total of 61, including the playoff game, 56 without. Beyond that, other core players missing games were Nate Hobbs (7), Matthew Golden (3), Dontayvion Wicks (3), Quay Walker (2), Aaron Banks (2), Love (2, incl. concussion game), Josh Jacobs (1), Evan Williams (1).

Douglas from Parker, CO

Morning guys, looking ahead to next season, do you see anyone on the current roster who can bring some grit when the team needs a pick-me-up? That guy whose day isn't done until his uniform is dirty and a little bloody. That guy that no one wants to be on his bad side (coaches don't count)?

I've seen a lot of questions like this, and it makes me wonder if the most significant injuries took too many of these types of guys away, along with their high-level playing abilities.

Steve from Bradenton, FL

First, Mike great responses Monday to the questions related to LaFleur's future. With that said, there were 12 playoff games, six teams won, six teams lost. However, only one losing team "collapsed," and only one losing team's HC called his team disheveled and that they lacked composure. Doesn't that concern you? It does me.

It was a strong self-indictment, and if I'm LaFleur, of all the concerns to process about my team and how the season ended, this would be the top priority to address. Because becoming "disheveled" and lacking "composure" absolutely will hinder any pursuit of a title.

Jason from Naperville, IL

Packers fans in IL here. I watched the game with my 10-year-old son, and it gave us time together and a historic night. This might sound a little crazy, but I think a potential turning point in the game was when Love overthrew Watson right before half. It looked like he beat his man and it would've been a TD. If you had to pick a single play that might have had huge implications in the results, what would it be?

There are too many options, but forced to pick one, I have to go with fourth-and-8 on the second of Chicago's three TD drives. Caleb Williams made an otherworldly throw between multiple defenders while falling to his left. Just an insane play. If the Packers get that stop and the ball back in Bears territory, leading 27-16 with 5½ minutes left, I believe I'm getting on a plane to Seattle Friday. It wasn't a carbon copy, but it's the closest thing I've seen in a playoff game to Rodgers-to-Cook in Dallas.

Dan from Augusta, KS

I have to disagree with Spoff that the Bears ended up not being the favorable matchup we all envisioned. 21-3 at halftime shows it was the right matchup. Whether play calls or execution are to blame, the Packers had the Bears' number and just needed to continue pummeling them in the second half. I can't help but hear Dennis Green in my head yelling, "They are who we thought they were, and we let 'em off the hook!"

Oh, I hear you. My point was more that the Packers became the most favorable matchup for the Bears – a team that had blown multiple late leads against a team that set the NFL record for wins when trailing in the final two minutes.

Ryan from Centre Hall, PA

Sure, I guess I get wanting to blame someone, but I don't know how people can say losing that game was on Jordan Love. He certainly played well enough to win, especially considering in the second half he had almost no time to settle in the pocket and the ground game disappeared.

That was only the third time in playoff history a QB threw four TD passes with no turnovers and lost. Putting that loss on Love is about as obtuse as it gets.

Scott from East Helena, MT

What I saw happen was that Ben Johnson knew how LaFleur would adjust and he took the bait. The Bears' halftime adjustments took the Packers out of their game. That led to the defense being worn down and the dominos fell. The only question is, who takes the blame?

It was Dennis Allen doing the baiting, not Johnson, but the point holds. Lots of folks asking where the screens and short throws were to beat the blitz, and those are valid questions. As is typical with this offense, I think the Packers wanted to make the Bears pay for the blitzes by gashing them with the explosive play – which is how they beat them at Lambeau – and they kept hunting it, to their detriment. The pass protection wasn't up to the task, and Love wasn't given enough quick outlets or hot reads to throw the ball into the shorter areas vacated by the blitzers. The result was four wasted possessions. I've seen so many submissions critical of LaFleur "not having a killer instinct," but on the contrary he might've been too eager for the kill shot, similar to the deep ball in Denver that got picked off and turned that game around.

Shawn from Jackson, WI

Of all the in-game blunders discussed in Monday's Inbox, I was surprised to see no mention of how once again our mismanagement of timeouts cost us in crucial situations. This has been an ongoing issue under LaFleur where we burn timeouts early and don't have them when we really need them. Imagine if we had an extra timeout or two before half to get Brandon McManus closer on the FG try or at the end of the game on the final drive. Thoughts on our timeout management throughout the game/season?

It's been an issue, but there are good timeouts at inopportune times as well as bad ones. I always say if you have to use one when you'd rather not, make it worth something. Two the Packers burned in the first half came right after Love got rocked and when facing third-and-goal from the 1 after two failed goal-line plays. They finished both drives with touchdowns. Can't complain about using timeouts if they help find the end zone. But the second half? Burning a timeout and then taking a delay of game (adding five yards to a field goal, which was missed), and spending another due to a defensive substitution error on first down (and then allowing two plays to cover 48 yards for the go-ahead TD a couple snaps later), are sideline/game management problems that get you beat.

Scott from Sauk City, WI

This may simply be a case of recency bias, of course, but I feel like it has been a pattern for quite a while now. I feel like I have said "we had no business losing that game" way more frequently than I have said "we had no business winning that game." We had three or four of the former this season alone, but when was the last truly shocking win? Rodgers to Rodgers in Detroit? There has to be one more recent. Love's comeback against New Orleans?

I'd say that one against the Saints, down 17-0 heading into the fourth quarter. The blocked field goal to beat the Bears in '24 and the big comeback against the Cowboys in '22 might also qualify. But your point stands. None of those were double-digit margins with five minutes to go.

Steve from Joplin, MO

Do you think Jeff Hafley will get a head coach position considering how bad the defense collapsed at the end of the season?

I don't think Hafley will be judged by one bad game against a Hall of Fame running back and one bad quarter in the playoffs.

John from Albany, OR

If Jeff Hafley leaves, do think Jim Leonhard would be offered the DC job? Would he take the position if it were offered?

I have no idea. You weren't the only reader to bring up Leonhard. He was reportedly interviewed last week for the Dallas DC position. Meanwhile, the DC he works for in Denver, Vance Joseph, is a candidate for head jobs, and the Broncos are still playing. Lots going on there.

Michael from Morrison, IL

Guys, now that the season has come to a close, what will be your most enduring positive memory from the 2025 season?

Adding a generational talent to the defense who hopefully, like Reggie White and Charles Woodson before him, can help get Green Bay back to the mountaintop before he's through.

Todd from Owasso, OK

After a few days to calm myself down, I think we all need to remember that sports in general are designed to produce failed outcomes. Every season 31 teams finish in failure. I'm thankful my boss doesn't hold me to the same standards we want for our players and coaches. They likely work exponentially harder than the average fan, yet the ultimate goal will end up beyond their reach.

"Designed to produce failed outcomes." Never heard it put like that before, but there's truth to it.

Bryan from West Salem, WI

Despite it all, two important things are obvious to me after this season: 1) This (still young) Packers team, when healthy, has the talent to contend for a Super Bowl, and 2) Jordan Love is absolutely capable of leading them there. There might not be a group of players hungrier to get the 2026/27 season started than these Green Bay Packers, and I truly believe it's going to be a turning point for this franchise. We are about to see an angry, hungry, determined, vindictive football team.

Vindictive. Wow, that's another new one. Happy Wednesday.

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