Rick from Des Moines, IA

Will be waking up Monday to Green Bay in first place. I didn't see that coming!

Suddenly only one other team in the NFC has just one loss, Tampa Bay at 5-1.

Rick from Trempealeau, WI

Josh Jacobs … nuff said.

That was the first true classic Jacobs game this season, at least to me. It won't be the last. With a sour stomach to boot? Mercy.

Garrett from Le Mars, IA

The guys are a .700 ball club at the quarter(ish) turn – and yet it doesn't look like a team with that kind of record. It's really encouraging they cleaned up some mistakes and I really like the demonstrated ability to get a score, when needed. I'm really looking forward to seeing if they can keep moving forward; keep cleaning things up and look out!

The offense repeatedly answering the bell in the second half, just as it did in the second half and OT in Dallas, was really the story of this game to me. The offense has proven it can perform in crunch time. Now the defense has to start following suit.

Mike from Baraboo, WI

It was an ugly win, but a win counts no matter how it happens. What does this team need to do to get back their swagger?

I honestly don't care about swagger, but I want to see Jordan Love eliminate his one bad play, which I discussed at length in my Rapid Reaction piece, and the defense needs to stop the spiraling.

Jay from La Crosse, WI

I was at the game and was shocked by how well Flacco played having just been traded to Cincy. If he was under pressure, he got rid of it quick and knew exactly where his outlets were. He put balls in places only his guy could make the catch. He released balls on out routes when the WR was still 2-3 steps from their break. It was like watching a crafty ole vet carve up some young hitters, painting the corners. Let's hope he doesn't get traded again to someone on our schedule in the coming weeks.

Flacco absolutely deserves a tip of the cap. That really was quite the performance, given the circumstances, and he demonstrated just how poor Cincinnati's QB play had been with Browning. The Dallas game felt like more obvious "mistakes" defensively than this one, at first blush. For all the hand-wringing about the defense, and I get it, the Bengals didn't have a single 20-yard completion. We're really talking about the overall perception of the performance hinging on one play, the fourth down to Chase that went for a TD by the pylon. Keisean Nixon's in great position, so is Xavier McKinney. Yet somehow Chase, one-on-two, makes the play. He might end up in Canton someday, and that's why he has the contract he does, but that's the play the defense has to make. Just has to. Make it and the Bengals have only 10 points, and we're talking about a very comfortable win with only one drive of real significance allowed. We often talk about the offense just needing to make the plays that are there. I feel like it applies to the defense at the moment.

Anthony from Madison, WI

This isn't Monday morning quarterbacking, but our highly touted defense really needs to get their ** together, and for 60 minutes. I'm tired of apologies and excuses. It's time to step up and play the game this team can, and coach to Hafley's abilities. When can we expect to see this? Cincy's no Cleveland, or even Dallas. This game should have been a slaughter.

I never expect a blowout in this league, but I'll grant the Jekyll & Hyde nature of the defense right now is disconcerting. Four first downs and 65 yards in the first half is total domination of an NFL offense, particularly one with two receivers as good as Chase and Higgins. That kind of dominance isn't going to continue for four quarters, but what the defense has to figure out is why it can't seem to right the ship once some things go wrong. The Dallas game was described as a snowball effect, and this felt similarly. My point above about the big fourth down remains, but so does 18 points in three possessions (and it would've been 21 in four if the last field goal is made) after strangling the other team for half the game. The Packers have to figure out why the resilience is lacking, because they're going to need it against better teams.

Tim from Greensboro, NC

Morning Mike. I may need a thesaurus, but I don't believe that was phenomenal. IMO three straight weeks of not great second half football is a troubling trend, no?

Nicely done. But let's not fall victim to revisionist history. Cleveland was literally two bad plays, one each on offense and special teams, that cost them a win. The troubling trend is the last two games, on one side of the ball, while the other side is more than holding up its end.

David from De Pere, WI

Did anyone ask MLF about the pass play on third down before the FG at the end? It looked like they needed at most one yard and the game is over. If you run, at worst you make them burn their last TO. The pass brought a sack into play or a possible INT. Run seemed the best call there. And since it's still legal, why not run a tush push there even if you just snap it to Tucker Kraft? A pass seemed a questionable play call in that situation.

For the record, they needed two yards officially. LaFleur said he went with the aggressive play, the Bengals were even more aggressive with the blitz, and their call was better than his. My call in the live blog at the time was to trust Jacobs. I don't think it would've worked based on how the Bengals lined up, which is likely why LaFleur used a timeout initially. But that certainly turned into a high-risk play.

Jessi from Sterling, KS

It was truly enjoyable to watch JL move the chains with his legs. Despite his one boo-boo throw, he truly had a great game and the offense seemed in sync. The commentators were wondering why he slid on the one run, and just didn't shoulder hit and barrel down. I talked back and said "probably because that's what his coaches are telling him to do." Smart or go for it?

I commented in the live blog at the time, Love probably takes a big hit if he tries to get that first down, which would've put both his health and the ball at risk. And if he goes for the marker at the sideline and gets it but goes out, the Bengals still have one timeout plus the two-minute so yet another first down would've been required. Being better on third-and-2 is the critique, not on Love's slide.

Duane from Fort Collins, CO

What was final penalty count? It seems like that was our cleanest game to date penalty wise. Am I wrong?

Five for 40 yards. That'll play. Though two defensive penalties in the secondary that would've been costly, one on third down and another on the first fourth-down TD, were declined because the Bengals converted anyway.

Jack from Chicago, IL

Given all the flak Bisaccia catches when things go wrong he deserves some recognition for a clean special-teams performance in a tough kicking situation. Wow. We even saw Romeo Doubs seamlessly step in at PR after a debatable error by Matthew Golden early on.

The special teams showed genuine progress. The early penalty on Bo Melton and the personal foul on Ty'Ron Hopper hurt, but those were the only setbacks. The FG operation with a new kicker was flawless. After kickoffs, the Packers started drives on the 34, 34, 38 and 38, light years better than in Dallas. Onward and forward.

Jessica from Tucson, AZ

Packer fan and teacher in Arizona. I had the pleasure of having Lucas Havrisik for my substitute for a day, and then he worked next door to me for a week. While I didn't get to see him kick, he was a chill, kind, all-around good guy. I kept hinting to him that week that if he ever played for the Packers, he'd be in good stead. And here we are! My first Packer I've ever known for real. Very cool. Could you ask him he could come back to Tucson and sub for me in February?

This is one of the most random, small-world stories I've come across in this column, and I love it. Wes has more like it in his game coverage. Havrisik deserves a ton of credit for how he helped this team in a tough spot.

Andrew from Richmond, VA

I am very much looking forward to the bunches of turnovers that are said to potentially be coming. Good win, onto Arizona.

I think I need to vow not to talk about turnovers any more until they actually get one. With that, I've talked enough about this game and the rest of the column will go in some different directions.

Steve from Beaver Dam, WI

The NFL briefly experimented with each team having two bye weeks back in the 1990s but scrapped the idea after just one season. If/when the league moves to an 18-game regular season, do you think that will become a possibility again or was there something that scared them away from it permanently?

It'll definitely be part of the discussions. I don't remember all the specifics from the '90s, but I think ultimately nobody felt two byes were necessary with 16 games.

James from Appleton, WI

If the Packers can't do anything to the bowl of Lambeau Field without having to bring everything up to code, I assume the past few renovations were considered separate from the bowl and yet were able to meet all of the stadium's requirements for disabled patrons?

Correct.

Thomas from Oviedo, FL

After Thursday night's game the Giants will be a team I'll be rooting for (not on Nov. 16, though). Scattebo is a hard-hitting wacky back who does flips in the end zone. Dart is a surprise possible future star who actually high-fived the ref. Question, do you think that high-five should be or might be a penalty?

Goodness, I hope not.

Julian from Gastonia, NC

Regarding Mike's response to Zion from Mt. Horeb, WI, attempting to make fun of a fan for misspelling a word is never a good look. No doubt in today's world I'm sure there were many who had a good chuckle. Good for you, Mike.

That was clearly a joke that didn't land and was badly misunderstood. I take full responsibility. I was not trying to correct somebody's word choice or provide an ensure/insure lesson. I was simply making the point that thinking anyone can ensure (or insure) anything in this crazy, unpredictable league is a fool's errand. Swing and a miss by me, I guess.

Al from Chardon, OH

No question. I want to commend Wes for his response to Greg from PA. I wish there was a little more Green Bay in everyone.

Preach, brother.

Joe from San Cristobal Island, Ecuador

Can I be Mike's friend? I would like to go to an away Packers' playoff game.

Ha. I've been hit up plenty for road tickets over the past 20 years, and I always tell people it's a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is they'll be nosebleed seats. The good news is they'll be face value.

John from Stevens Point, WI

Can someone help the Badger FB team? YEESH!

It could be a long road to recovery in Madison.

Dale from Prescott, WI

So Mike, all we needed to do is send Wes to Milwaukee? Is it really just that easy! Go Crew!

Wes goes to his first game in seven years and the Brewers win a playoff series for the first time in seven years. Coincidence? I think not.

John from Portland, OR

At age 66, I have been a Packers fan my entire life and a SF Giants fan my entire adult life. So rest assured that all Giants fans (i.e., Dodgers haters) nationwide will be rooting for the Brewers in the NLCS. Thanks for all the great coverage you and your crew provide.

How could anyone outside of LA root for the Dodgers with a payroll almost 3x ($350M to $122M) the size of Milwaukee's? The Brewers should be America's Team in this matchup.

Mike from Pound, WI

I may have missed my window to ask Mike a baseball question before bye week ends but … when MLB goes full time to automated balls-strikes, do you think it will result in more strikes (the precision on the edges will be expanding the plate) or do you think it nets out to the same ratio? Now let's get back to football.

I've never seen any data to indicate there are currently more strikes that should be balls or vice versa, so I don't expect any appreciable outcome shifts. Except for less arguing.

Allan from Austin, TX

Weirdly we scored exactly 27 points in our three wins.

With more out there to be had each time. In October, that doesn't bother me. Happy Monday.

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