Jeff from South Bend, IN

Were the Rams who we thought they were? Did we let them off the hook?

That's pretty good for a difficult Monday.

Mike from Green Bay, WI

Boy, tough loss. But we just went toe-to-toe with the NFL's best team so far. The Packers surprised me, the bye did them good. My game balls go to Alexander, Martinez, and all of the Cheeseheads who chanted "Go Pack Go" for three hours. Who do you give game balls to?

The first one definitely goes to the fans. I've never seen a road game like that. Incredible. They deserved one more possession.

Anthony from New York, NY

What's wrong with the 25-yard line? Sigh.

Absolutely nothing, especially when it means Rodgers needs about 40 yards for a shot at a reasonable Crosby field goal. McCarthy said after the game Montgomery didn't execute the plan, which was to "stay in and give the ball to Aaron Rodgers." It's a shame, because 2:05 on the clock is a great time to run a draw play on first down and see if you catch them playing pass. You might get half of your 40 yards in one play.

Tony from Olathe, KS

That one falls squarely on the coach. In what world do you not tell 88 to take the touchback no matter what? I will take 12 from the 25 every time.

He was told to take the touchback. Just like Bostick was told to block. Montgomery didn't talk to the media after the game, so what we don't know is if he heard the instructions.

Mike from Verona, WI

Did we all hold are collective breath, looking for a flag, on Clay Matthews' hit on Goff around his neck/head area in the second half?

I know I did, but apparently the league would rather have a sack look a little nasty like that than have the defender land with his body weight on the QB. I don't get it, but I think the unintended consequences line has been mentioned enough.

Jordan from Sioux Center, IA

Longtime reader, first question to Inbox. I admire you guys for dealing with all the choleric fans every day. Thanks for keeping it real. I had a fairly high level of confidence we were gonna get the ball and win the game with two minutes left. To see it end that way was heartbreaking. Got anything to make me feel better after that sad ending?

No, not really. It all depends what happens from here. As I said in my postgame editorial, if the Packers don't make this their new standard of play, then it's just a crappy loss. If they do, then it's meaningful and a potential turning point in the season.

Brock from West Lafayette, IN

I thought the officiating crew for this game was one of the best I've seen of any game all season. Thought they were consistent for both teams for 60 minutes. What did you think about them?

I thought it was refreshing to see players allowed to play and decide the game.

Nick from Portland, OR

Really felt like a playoff game to me, and while those gut-punching, heartbreaking ends really eat at you, at least we can rest easy knowing that we play again next week and still have got more than half the season left to overcome this one. If you're Mike McCarthy, what do you say to the players after such a game?

You commend them for a tremendous effort, for handling the momentum swings, and for all the preparation they put in to be ready from the get-go and stand tall against a great team. But you emphasize the mistakes at crunch time that cost you (late sack, poor punt, fumble) and how those plays decide games. The clutch moments are when the focus must be sharpest.

Ryan from Menomonie, WI

Am I noticing a change in Aaron's personality? He used to seem calm, collected and patient on the sidelines, explaining situations when a mistake was made. It seems lately, at least once or twice a game we are treated to video of him yelling, swearing or in some other way expressing great displeasure. Having high standards is one thing but not everyone reacts well to being yelled at or about. R-E-L-A-X please.

After six games and a bye week, the time for teaching and patience is over. The Packers have hit the meat of their schedule. It's go time, and I thought the Packers played like it Sunday. They needed to, and need to moving forward.

Caleb from Nashville, TN

Heartbreaking game, but dude. Jaire Alexander.

What a game from him. It's felt all season like the Packers are a different defense with him and King on the field together, and we saw that. Their dual presence hasn't been the case often enough, but hopefully this is the start of a good run of health for both players.

Jeff from Littlefork, MN

Of course a loss hurts, but it seemed to me that we played a complete game very well. A couple of costly mistakes, but did this look good to anyone but me?

Given the opponent, it was the Packers' best performance of the season, hands down. The Rams are for real. When their defense was on its heels early and their offense was scuffling, their special teams picked them up with the two deep punts. That's what the best teams have, a phase that helps the others until everyone gets rolling again. The Packers withstood a pretty strong onslaught in the third quarter but kept throwing punches. They played their best game so far, but not a complete game. If they'd played a complete game, they'd have won.