Glenn from Hardscrabble, IN

Two men enter, one man leaves. Finishing is everything.

Playoff football in nine words.

Chris from Frederick, MD

It had to be a close game, didn't it? I love this team, just another memory to cherish.

Even at 28-10 midway through the third quarter, at no point did I ever think the game wasn't coming down to the wire. It's been the story of the season.

Dan from Herriman, UT

Mike, I know you guys are watching the game through a different lens than all of us in the Inbox, but didn't a little bit of you say "here we go" when Wilson got the ball back the last time?

For sure, but it was with the mindset wondering who's going to make the play, these guys or those guys? Both teams have been winning games like that all season long. But they couldn't both come through this time.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

Which play will go on the locker room hallway wall: the Rodgers-to-Adams third-down conversion, or the Rodgers-to-Graham conversion that followed and iced the game?

Inbox HOF-worthy question, and if you don't know why I'm saying that, you don't read enough on the site aside from the Inbox. I think an artist or designer needs to come up with a collage that highlights in somewhat equal measures Preston's sack and the pair of third-down throws. That was three crunch-time moments in a span of less than 90 seconds of game clock.

Sam from Melbourne, IA

Aaron can still make any and all the throws, I'd like that narrative in the national media to stop. I mean holy smokes some of those passes.

No kidding. That was a treat to watch, and fun to write about, too, in my postgame editorial. I have to believe I said "what a throw" to Wes in the press box at least five or six times.

Andy from Ellsworth, WI

Just a comment...Now we're the worst 14-3 team in the history of the league!

And no one cares. Or should care.

Matt from Waunakee, WI

Hi Mike, were you surprised Seattle punted?

Not after losing the six yards on the sack to make it fourth-and-11. With all three timeouts plus the two-minute, seemed like a pretty obvious call. They got the Packers into two third-and-longs. That game hung on the edge so many times.

Steve from Granite Bay, CA

Can someone explain to me how Sullivan getting his hands on the fumble and clearly laying on the ground with it in his hands at the end of the play equates to "no clear recovery"? That was the most inane call I have ever witnessed from a regular NFL officiating crew.

Worthwhile qualification at the end of your statement, but yeah, I don't know what they were looking for. I said a few times in the in-game live blog it felt like the officiating was "shaky" all night. There just seemed to be no command of what was really going on out there.

Simon from Copenhagen, Denmark

First time I ever saw that outcome on a challenge. "You got it right. But we are still taking away the timeout."

It can happen on a spot challenge, too, if they move the ball but don't change whether or not it was a first down.

Jessi from Sterling, KS

Preston: "Like chasing a chicken in a field with no fence." That's what it looked like too! Makes it all the more potent that they contained Lynch in the run game. Who was the defensive star for you in this game?

It was every guy taking his turn. Martinez staying square in the open field on a third-down Wilson scramble and stopping him short. King flying up to make a tackle. Alexander on the two-point-play blitz. The Smiths and Clark staying after it, play after play. Wilson is absolutely amazing. I don't know how else to say it. There's nothing ordinary about his game. It's exhausting watching him. I can't imagine how the players feel trying to tackle him.

Nick from Spencer, IA

Spoff, was that you I saw walking past Davante as he was being interviewed by ESPN in the facility after the game?

Apparently. An endless number of Inbox readers have made me aware. I guess Wes caught some camera time, too. Totally by accident on my part. Was just headed to the elevator to get upstairs to my desk after the press conferences so I could start writing.

Izzy from Raleigh, NC

It only took 15 years, but at least now I can say I once saw Aaron Rodgers run a quarterback sneak.

He ran plenty of sneaks early in his career, but the frequency tapered off and I can't for the life of me remember when his last one was before Sunday night.

Nicholas from Superior, WI

SBNation has the best article on the spot given to Graham. They have a shot that shows FOX's unofficial yellow line about 4-6 inches too far from the marker. On to the 49ers!

Thanks for the referral. The yellow line was clearly not accurate. It becomes easier to see why the call stood.

Matt from Twin Falls, ID

I've never heard a referee mention additional footage coming in late before. Is this a common occurrence that just isn't regularly announced?

It's the first I've heard of it. Sounds like FOX wasn't entirely on top of its game, either.

Brian from Colorado Springs, CO

What a game! I know most everyone will be talking about the big plays on third downs to Adams and Graham and the sack by Preston Smith. But do you think the corner blitz and sack by Alexander on Seattle's two-point conversion was just as big? That stopped a lot of the momentum Seattle seemed to have, kept it at a five-point game and eliminated Seattle from potentially being able to kick a game-tying field goal.

It was a big play, no doubt, but it becomes an even bigger play if Graham had been ruled short at the end, because it's a lot easier to go for it on fourth down from that field position if you're up more than three points.

Freddie from West Valley City, UT

Were you more surprised by the Saints' or Ravens' early exit?

Definitely Baltimore's. The Ravens were the best team in the NFL this year in the regular season, and there was really no argument. Huge props to the Titans. They've taken the small opening that was available to get in – a Week 17 win – and blasted it wide open.

Luke from Chicago, IL

Hey Insiders, I just got off the phone with the Ravens organization, they said they would have been happy with an ugly win. Just win, baby!

Complaining ranks right up there with chortling on the list of don'ts.

Doug from Wausau, WI

You've been telling us all year that it's a week-to-week league, so I can't say I was totally surprised by that Ravens-Titans game. The word I keep coming back to is "fascinating." It just didn't seem like that style could win against a team like Baltimore.

Losing the turnover battle 3-0 and failing to stop the run is a recipe to get whipped. By anybody.

Mark from Naperville, IL

Mike, I saw that Jadeveon Clowney was not even fined for his hit on Wentz. The NFL and its safety policies are a joke. But I guess all the NFL really cares about is being in the news and talked about; just make sure you spell the name right, right?

Guys are getting fined $28K for blindside blocks that were questionable calls to begin with (Buffalo lineman), yet nothing for Clowney. Of all of the league office's disciplinary decisions this season, that one might be the most baffling to me.

Mark from Iron Mountain, MI

What happened to the run game? Take away three long plays and its less than two yards a carry. Can we beat Frisco with an anemic rushing attack?

Probably not, but Seattle's defensive game plan was built around stopping Jones. They were keyed on him all the way. It's partly how Adams had a monster game. You do what it takes. New week, new plan.

Liz from Orange, CA

I've been waiting all season for this. Passes to the tight end, quicker throws on slants, and I actually saw Aaron Rodgers step into a throw to Adams over the middle. Did the self-scout allow for these?

Who knows? No one's going to tell us. What I will say is 9-of-14 on third downs will make any offense look better. The previous best this season on third down was 8-of-13 at Kansas City.

Sal from Hailey, ID

Shout out to my fellow Hillsdale alum, Jared Veldheer, for stepping up when Bulaga got sick and holding down the front lines!

That's exactly why the Packers picked up a guy like Veldheer. The anecdote Rodgers told after the game was priceless. Veldheer was actually in the stands at Soldier Field in Week 1 – his first week of football "retirement" – watching this team's first victory of the season. How crazy is that?

Dan from Highland, CA

The defense did what was necessary once again. I thought Kenny Clark's play deserves a special mention. What is this team's record when he gets a sack?

6-0 now this year. Clark's effort dealing with a bad back was impressive. He has to be sore this morning. Hopefully he can work out that soreness quickly.

Dan from Toledo, OH

"The way I see it, we're going to have to beat them once at their place..." Is Aaron Rodgers the most clairvoyant player in NFL history?

He's certainly one of the most aware.

Darren from Kingston, Ontario

Well, somebody was right in calling Preston a key to victory. Could his second sack have come at a better time?

They can't double both Smiths. That was my point. Whoever is one-on-one has to win. That's the biggest crunch-time sack I can remember by the Packers since Mike Daniels and Mike Neal combined to bury Brady at Lambeau in November 2014.

Kevin from Whitehall, WI

So winning ugly continues, meanwhile in Baltimore, winning pretty is heading home for the offseason. The Packers still haven't peaked. The first time in SF, the game turned on a questionable personal foul on Davante Adams. The next play Rodgers is strip-sacked and the rout was on. They didn't respond to adversity in that game, but have done so since. I anticipate a different outcome this time around.

The Packers' best response to adversity was on that Monday night in Minneapolis, after the three first-half turnovers. You don't want to make that many mistakes next week, but that's the level of resolve they'll need to summon, and then some, to make it to the big one.

Mark from Westminster, CO

The quiet winner in the Seahawks game is Brian Gutekunst for getting the players necessary to get this far in the season. The big signings this spring have come through and so have the quiet needs late in the season in Ervin and Veldheer. What a nice surprise from years past. What are your thoughts?

I noted it last year, with Gutekunst's first roster, how it was built with more experience in the depth chart than seasons prior. He continued that approach this year, particularly with the in-season signings, and even a guy like Sullivan who played for the Eagles last year. When the Packers have to reach into their depth, they're not always stuck with some undrafted guy who's never played, with everyone crossing their fingers.

Hesick from Belo Horizonte, Brazil

I know we just won an incredible, hard-fought game, but please make me feel better about our chances at San Fran. Week 12 memories still haunt me.

Of the four NFC playoff games played thus far, the 49ers definitely chalked up the most impressive win. Their defense and ground game dominated Minnesota. They also proved they were the top team in the NFC in the regular season when they beat the Packers at home as well as the Saints and Seahawks on the road. You take nothing away from them, and you respect them, but you don't fear them. Every game in the NFL is its own entity. Just ask Tennessee. Or Kansas City. You never know how these games are going to play out, and the Packers are keenly aware of everything that went wrong the first time. Learn from it, don't dwell on it, and then line up and play.

Salman from Linden, NJ

Was this it? Was this the game we've finally been waiting for where the team reaches their peak or is there more out there? How much has this team changed since we last played SF?

If I recall correctly, I wrote on the plane coming back from San Francisco that it was up to the Packers not to let that blowout loss define their season. It hasn't. Now they get a chance to make it a mere footnote. Embrace the opportunity.

Jodi from Grand Rapids, WI

There is a Twitter feed of a playwright insightfully and humorously pretending to be President Nixon. If you had to similarly co-opt a deceased NFL persona on Twitter, who would it be and why?

Bart Starr. There may be no other place on earth that could use a dose of humility and civility more than Twitter.

Chuck from Sun Prairie, WI

No reason to change the script now, right?

Give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter and see what happens.

Joshua from Coon Rapids, MN

Still time for this team to play a "complete" game. I think Sunday at SF is the perfect time to do so.

No argument here. Happy Monday.

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