Steve from Lake Stevens, WA

Well, at least you won't have to hear how terrible the Packers looked on Sunday. So, you've got that going for you.

Which is … whatever.

Matt from U.S.

Hi Mike, are you able to check your pulse while live blogging?

That was a new one. What a meme. But to answer your question, my fingers don't leave the keyboard long enough.

Ric from Longmont, CO

Good morning, Mike! I had some free time on Sunday so I started scanning other teams' practice squads. I'm curious if you know five or so things about Laken Tomlinson?

He's a longtime veteran who hopefully can provide some stability up front. He's started 169 games in this league, including playoffs. Nothing he hasn't seen or dealt with. He's also no stranger to learning new playbooks, as the Packers will be his seventh different team (counting offseason and practice squad stops) since 2021.

Alan from Mount Auburn, IL

I assume Brian Gutekunst and his team continually look at other team's practice squad players as well as active players who haven't played much for acquisition to the Packers. Do you think they are doing this more intensely now?

I doubt they're looking at the acquisition of Tomlinson as "the work here is done," if that's what you're asking.

Kerry from Lakewood Ranch, FL

You always hate to see injuries. Looks like Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb and will most likely miss the game against the Packers. Tough injury news on both fronts for two struggling teams.

This league can be a four-month slog of attrition.

Craig from Sussex, WI

Looks to me that all-out blitzing is rampant throughout the NFL this year. Eventually, offenses will figure out a way to beat that approach.

A total of 14 teams scored 26 or more points Sunday. Offenses are getting there.

Jake from Los Angeles, CA

Watching SNF, I guess the Packers aren't the only team to draw very questionable flags, or lack thereof…

The game and its officiating are slanted toward offense. It's not changing.

Carl from Onalaska, WI

Another game (Rams and Broncos) and another game-changing incorrect call...

Sure, but the Rams are not allowed to complain about a pass interference call (or non-call) that goes against them. Ever. They forfeited that right eight years ago.

Mike from Glendale, CA

On a much happier note, watching Davante Adams' last two games I'm thinking he's pretty much a lock for the Hall of Fame.

To see what he's doing in 2026 makes it hard to believe he was drafted all the way back in 2014. Such a terrific player.

Robert from Schaumburg, IL

After seeing another defensive lineman tackling Mahomes and trying to keep his arms out to not land on him, I wonder what the linemen are supposed to do? Are they supposed to roll as they tackle or maybe just shove them with all of their might? What is the official line on how they are supposed to handle those plays?

You said it, roll off. Tacklers of QBs have to start rolling to the side as they take the QB down or that body-weight flag is coming out.

Ian from Kirkwhelpington, UK

Mike, in August you often reported that the defense won the day's training camp. Were you quietly forewarning us or is the performance on the field as much a surprise to you as it is to the fanbase?

I did not see offensive struggles to this extent coming. I said all through training camp the offensive line would need time to come together, and it would be a work in progress, but I certainly didn't foresee problems of this magnitude. I also thought the backfield would be OK for a while without Josh Jacobs, but it's been lacking. I expected an ugly win early on here or there, like the Jets game. I wasn't entirely shocked at what happened in a tough environment in Minnesota. A blowout at home against Atlanta was a wide-eyed, full-cheeks exhale. There's more work to do than I envisioned.

Paul from Glen Rock, NJ

So I'm watching Ravens/Cowboys. And I'm seeing receivers catching balls, runners making yards, O-line giving their QB time to throw. And I'm wondering when I'm gonna see some of that by our guys. Am I being unreasonable? Impatient?

No and no. The rules of the game with the athletes playing it are geared to make the game look like that. But you can't miss blocks, drop passes, miss throws and commit penalties. The Packers have done too much of all that. Reduce "all that" and they'll start to look like they should. I don't mean to be glib, but that's the crux of it.

Richard from Greenwich, NY

Hi II all, been reading and enjoying II since Ask Vic days, and although I don't claim to recall all of MLF's seasons, it seems like this is shaping up to be his greatest coaching challenge, with the injuries to the O-line and lack of running game.

I totally agree. LaFleur's best coaching job was without a doubt 2023, when the Packers were 3-6 in Jordan Love's first season and looking like they'd be chalking up the year to a full reset. Then they found something, kicked into gear, and off they went. That required a lot of young players to mature quickly, and they did. This necessitates the same, but the young players are in different spots. Will they settle in? Will they need to be replaced? I do think the current defense, one rough night notwithstanding, has more going for it than the '23 defense, and it will be getting one of the game's best players back soon. So at the moment, the big picture feels like it possesses some promise along with a big, fat "who knows."

Bill from Sheboygan, WI

So I took a couple days before writing two things I noticed. The RBs did not do a good job of reading their blocks. I saw holes on inside and they decided to go outside. And it seems that are looking for the big splash play which takes time instead of quick slants or outs. Are you seeing the same thing?

I'm not singling you out here, but everyone thinks they've got the X's and O's answers, and it's never that simple. I agree the RBs have missed holes. They've also been hit in the backfield too much. Quick throws have certainly been tried and the stats show Love's getting the ball out faster than ever. But defenses are going to sit on the short routes until the Packers prove they can protect their quarterback long enough to stretch the field. A few games into the season, coaches usually get a sense of what their players do best, and then a team builds from there. As LaFleur said after the game, he's not sure what they do well. Maybe a closer look at the film will show something they can lean on, or ways to make adjustments to some of their base concepts, to move forward. They have to find something they can hang their hat on, to build rhythm and confidence. Otherwise it's a game of grab bag on offense and that won't work.

Charlie from Morgan Hill, CA

I'm a bit confused. MLF doesn't know what his offense does well? He has known the personnel since training camp. The only explanation that makes sense to me as to why are the four key injuries/exempt list players. What was your thinking as to the reason behind this when you heard that comment?

The injuries don't help, but I'm not going to dwell on them. I've seen makeshift offensive lines and skill-position substitutes play much better than this. The gist of LaFleur's comment is there's no facet of offensive football that's reliable. Yes, the offensive line's repeated breakdowns are at the root of it all. But when a running play is blocked well, there's still not enough production, or at times when Love has made a throw on time and on target, it's been dropped. Or Love is understandably skittish about the protection and rushes a throw when he doesn't need to be in a hurry. Overall, nobody is picking up the slack for anybody else. The first two weeks of the season, the defense did its job, for the most part, but it wasn't up to the task on a short week, either. The special teams made a big play when needed in Jersey with the fourth-quarter punt return, but then failed in a big moment on a game-tying field goal Thursday. The lack of reliability now lies with all three phases.

Tom from Dubuque, IA

Does the blocked FG in the Falcons game count as a missed kick for Trey Smack?

Yes.

Andrew from Saddle Brook, NJ

I attended the game against the Jets and wondered if the game would have been different if Jacobs had been in. Then I watched Thursday's disaster and I'm rethinking. Do you believe, based on the line play so far, that having Jacobs in the game would have significantly changed the outcomes of these first three games?

That sounds like a question about an 0-3 team. That aside, I don't believe Jacobs' presence would've changed either of the Packers' defeats into victories. But I do believe the running game would be better, if still not considered "successful." The film shows missed opportunities.

Sandy from Green Bay, WI

Good morning! It takes an entire team to garner success. When a team goes through a phase where one facet, be it offense, defense, special teams, seems to be carrying the load while other facets are struggling, not producing, or worse yet negating positive plays through penalties, how does the locker room stay united as a team? I imagine it would be frustrating for the players to feel an inequity in performance on the field between the components of the team.

That certainly can happen, but staying together is paramount. That's why I said in Friday morning's column the leadership of this team, on the sideline and in the locker room and huddle, will be front and center in the effort to get through this and come out the other side.

Steve from Plymouth, MA

Hi! Just watched the Patriots get schooled by the Jaguars. I guess it happens to the best teams. OL play (or lack thereof) and penalties will always hurt. A week-to-week league, right?

Playoff teams from last year and their current records: Texans 0-3, Chargers 0-3, Patriots 1-2, Packers 1-2, Panthers 1-2, Rams 1-2. Non-playoff teams from last year: Vikings 3-0, Raiders 3-0, Browns 2-1, among others.

Charles from New Berlin, WI

Hey II, not a question, just a comment. It was nice to see coach Mike and AR 8 (12) to get a nice win on Sunday. GPG and win the battle of the Bays!

Oh yeah, and a Steelers team that scored three points against the Patriots last week put up 30 against the Bengals this week. Plus the Super Bowl champs had their 12-game winning streak snapped by a backup QB. Go figure.

Dave from Lake Zurich, IL

A reader speculated as to where in next year's draft Dallas will be using the first-round pick they obtained from the Packers. In case anyone's interested, the higher of Dallas's two first-round picks goes to the Jets as a result of the Quinnen Williams trade.

Thanks for the knowledge, but there are more than two months between the end of the Super Bowl and the draft to think about the draft. I'm pondering it even less than Wes right now.

Tanner from Edgerton, WI

Mike, hoping you can clear something up for me. If the No. 6 Phillies beat the Braves, they go on to play the No. 2 Dodgers. Why wouldn't the lowest seed play the highest seed remaining?

Because MLB apparently believes that's too complicated.

John from Madison, WI

ATMR (WCBW), the Packers have started a season at 1-2 10 times since 1992. Eight of them were winning seasons, they made the playoffs in seven of them, and won the division five times. In the most recent season (2014, so it's been a while), they got all the way to the NFC Championship in the Game Which Must Not Be Mentioned. So we've seen sicker cows than this get well.

Moo?

Roger from West Bend, WI

When we broke training camp, I think most of us felt good where we were at, talent wise, our trio of WR was possibly the best in the NFL. Loved our defensive additions, thought we may easily go from good to great. Our first couple of quarters seemed like something to build on. There's no question we are now struggling, even to the point where we are looking for an identity because we know what other teams are seeing. We desperately need a hook to hang our helmets on. We are better than this.

I agree. Those first three quarters in Minneapolis looked pretty darn good, and they weren't as long ago as it seems. The whole team had a chance to take a deep breath this weekend and return to work with a fresh mind. Let's see what a new week brings. Happy Monday.

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