Brian from Bemidji, MN

If the different colored flag for taunting were to have a QR code on it for immediate fine payment, would football pants then need a padded pocket for a cell phone for a Venmo payment to the league?

And once again we're off, so we might as well get going.

Tim from Clear Lake, IA

Wow, did you see what the Lions did to Chicago … 52 points! Our defense must be pretty good to hold the Lions to 13. Maybe it was a good thing to play them the first week.

Or the Bears just aren't very good, which felt even more apparent the way Sunday night's game in Minnesota unfolded. Time will tell. It's a week-to-week league.

Mark from Dallas, TX

I just watched the Cowboys hit a 64-yarder to send the game to overtime, and it looked like he would have been good from 74. Aubrey has one heck of a leg. However, do you think they need to do something to make field goals harder? The last time the league trended in this direction (relying too much on long field goals) the league decided to move the goalposts to the back of the end zone. I don't know what they could/should do, or if I'm the only one who cares.

You're not the only one. I'm not crazy about field-goal fests either. I don't think the league is bothered by it, not yet anyway. But it sure makes it tough on defenses when these kickers can get three points from the other side of the 50. Maybe someday down the road they narrow the goalposts. Or even more radically, make the mega-long field goals worth only two points or something.

Tom from Woodbury, MN

Cleveland held Derrick Henry to just 23 yards this week and also outgained the Ravens. This is a team that cannot be taken lightly.

They outgained the Ravens because Baltimore had short fields all day. But Cleveland's defense is no joke. Myles Garrett is a walking nightmare.

Forrest from Albany, WI

My most impressive stat so far: Zero offensive turnovers.

That'll play.

Matt from Bismarck, ND

Will you reign in the chortling and hubris? I think it will be needed.

We are. You should see the submissions not being posted.

Brett from Green Bay, WI

For the "fast start" conversation, I would submit 2015 and 2020 into that conversation. 2015 starting off by beating the Bears on the road, then that electric SNF win vs. Seattle coming off what happened in the NFCCG just months before, and in 2020 the offense just in another world and beating the Saints in Week 3. I agree with 2019, and 2007 felt special, too. That said 2025 may have them all beat so far. Which is exciting.

Even starting 6-0 in 2015, I had my doubts knowing Jordy Nelson wasn't coming back, and those offensive reservations proved valid. In 2020, I was probably still mentally adjusting to the empty stadiums and covering road games on TV to really process it all.

Monty from Velva, ND

The final score looked kind of funny to me so I checked for a scorigami. Much to my dismay, it was not. But, it has only happened one other time in the 2000 season. Lo and behold, we were on the losing end of that tilt against Buffalo so we got scorigami redemption. How cool is that?!

So we got that goin' for us, which is nice.

Richard from Santa Ana, CA

Dave from Edina, MN, nailed it. It's been an exciting start, but I too would just caution to temper expectations and enjoy the ride. Two points of emphasis for the team during this mini-bye would be getting the run game to a more dominant form and creating turnovers on defense (punching the ball out as practiced). What are yours for each unit?

I mentioned the running game in Friday's column. The other one for me is field position, which mostly falls on the special teams. The Packers lost the field-position battle decidedly vs. Washington and overcame it. No team can count on doing that every week.

Sandy from Green Bay, WI

Wow! What an amazing start to the season! Do you think the mini-bye disrupts the momentum for the Packers, or is a slight breather welcome to rest and solidify their impressive performances two games in?

Given the health of some frontline players, I'd say the weekend off was probably a good thing.

Douglas from Johnson Creek, WI

I feel horrible for Austin Ekeler. But I have to ask the question, what do teams do in these blowout situations? The game was gone. Up three scores into the fourth quarter. But they "can't quit" and now their running back is out for the year. It feels like the preseason question from a different angle. Why leave the starters out with risk of injury just to get a garbage-time touchdown and lose anyway? Yes, you can point to the teams who come back but does the outlier give a good risk/reward?

You pose interesting questions. No coach or team ever wants to wave the white flag, because that's not a message anyone wants to send, especially in such a physically demanding and confrontational sport. That can have undesired consequences. But so can gutting it out when a game is decided, as you've noted. I don't know the right answer there. I truly don't.

Anne from San Jose, CA

I know I'm late with this question, but I wanted to ask about the play in which the Commanders' Percy Butler picked up Matthew Golden by the leg and threw him to the ground *after* Butler had already tackled him. How was that not unnecessary roughness and flagged for it? Thank you for all you do and GPG!

That was Brad Rogers' crew Thursday night, the same crew the Packers had in their previous Thursday night game, last December at Detroit. The fact we're pondering only that no-call in the aftermath is a win in itself. I'll just leave it at that.

Daniel from Rothschild, WI

I don't know if I was the only one, but with how fast Micah Parsons comes off the line, I was expecting flags for offsides most of the time. Seems he was at the QB before the snap most plays.

He aligns himself right on the edge, and he plays every snap count right on the edge, too. He was called once vs. Detroit, and there may be some more calls coming. Big picture, if he continues to prove the risk is worth the reward, then carry on. But it's noticeable, I agree.

Preston from Tallahassee, FL

First, I have always trusted Gutekunst and his staff...letting go of Kenny (tough), but trusting what had been developed to get Micah. Same with allowing Jaire to leave. The defense within itself is playing complementary football and it is a joy to watch. My question, with Jayden Reed out for a while, is Mecole Hardman on the practice squad and able to be called up? I like getting Savion Williams on the field more, but...who fills the spot?

The receiving corps has no shortage of capable performers – Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, Golden, Williams. Reed will be missed, but there's no need to panic. Hardman from the PS is another option, maybe for the return game as much as anything. Wicks and Golden are the two who jump out to me as the guys to watch.

Jay from Janesville, WI

Everyone is impressed with Keisean Nixon's performance and rightly so. But Carrington Valentine is the best corner in the league that nobody's heard of. There is a reason why Nixon had five pass defenses. It's because Valentine has the other side locked up. How long before the league and the media realize what a gem the Packers have at corner?

I'm as gung-ho on Valentine as anyone, but what I saw was Daniels hell-bent on feeding his top guy, McLaurin, even when it wasn't there, and Nixon was simply not having it. Kudos to him. But opponents will be studying the film from these early weeks and making adjustments. The Packers will have to adjust too. It's a cat-and-mouse game from here on out.

Jeff from St. Paul, MN

Am I overstating an aspect of the defense that I think is a crucial reason for their current success? I think that these young guys were quite good two years ago, better last year, and are now beginning to reach their prime. Even without the Parsons trade, they would've been markedly better. Just add a generational talent to the mix, and POOF!

This defense was already built to succeed. It finished in the top six last season in both points and yards allowed in Hafley's first year, and it was bringing everybody back except Alexander (who missed a large portion of the season anyway) and Slaton. Adding Parsons to the group simply elevated – significantly when you're talking about a HOF talent – the potential level it can reach.

Adam from Altoona, WI

LaFleur isn't satisfied (per Freddie Boston). I don't disagree. Obviously, penalties and special-teams miscues were a problem, but I can give a break on a short week. However, it's a long season. You two, besides Larry, know more than I can ever hope to about the team, besides maybe my mother. What do you see after a couple games where we can improve fundamentally? Injuries happen and players ebb and flow. But from a coaching/development standpoint what do you think is the most pressing issue?

Offensively it's the feast-or-famine nature, which has played into the field-position issue noted earlier. For all the talent on offense, going three-and-out six times in the first two games is too many. Nobody can expect points every time, but the lulls can't be that frequent.

Mike from Menomonee Falls, WI

Good morning II, as much as I love the Micah trade, as many have said, I too was sad to see Kenny Clark leave. With the upgraded play of Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, and Karl Brooks, guys he took under his wing, is Clark still having an effect on this team? I remember hearing about how the D-line was watching film at Kenny's house this summer to help them get better. Young guys growing up. Can't love it more. GPG

Clark's effect on that unit will positively linger. There's no denying that.

Benjamin from Bear, DE

I felt so bad for Jayden Reed after his fracture was reported. He's fighting through a foot fracture and now this. Collarbone surgery is suregly a day or so away. My question is this, is it possible to elect to have the foot fracture repaired at or near the same time as the collarbone repair? Would the recovery period be workable to do both surgeries?

Popular query. I'm not a doctor, but my understanding is the recovery from a potential foot surgery is a matter of months, not weeks, otherwise it might've been a stronger consideration when he originally got hurt early in training camp.

Randall from Grand Junction, CO

Just wondering, Rodgers was out how long with collarbone?

In 2013, he sat seven weeks. In 2017, it was eight. I recall both times he took a legitimate risk coming back as soon as he did.

Andrew from Richmond, VA

I was at the game on Thursday and one thing that really stuck out to me was how open Matthew Golden always seemed to be when he was on the field. Someone just looking at the highlights and box score would think he didn't have an impact on the game. But I saw two missed deep balls that were close to being completed where he had plenty of separation. He also has a gravity out there that opens up things underneath. How long until he and Jordan Love start connecting for some huge plays?

It seems like just a matter of time, right? The fourth-down shot in the first quarter was a tad underthrown, the deep ball in the second quarter a tad overthrown. It's right there. It's coming.

Craig from Laramie, WY

Every time 8 carries the ball I get a feeling, kind of like earthquake foreshocks, that the "big one" is coming. So much potential energy just aching to bust loose! I think their backups have performed admirably but wonder if the return of Zach Tom and Aaron Banks might trigger it?

That's another one that just feels like a matter of time.

Mary from Pewaukee, WI

Will the Packers wear their white-out uniforms again this season?

We'll see. They wore them twice last year. The second time was on the road at Seattle.

Gretchen from Dousman, WI

Oh my gracious, Mike! Were you at the Brewers game Saturday night? What a marvelous win. Seems to exemplify what this team has done all season. Now back to football! GPG

I was not there, but it was an entertaining watch from home.

Tony from Aurora, CO

I'd love your perspective. I re-watched the Doubs TD a couple times, and I *think* I'm seeing a detail I'd never seen before. Off the snap, both 10 & 87 seemed to move like it would be a teardrop to the back corner of the end zone, but then Doubs cut inside, and JLove snapped his wrist and threw a dart on the slant. There was a feeling of surprise. Is having read all those WYMM (RIP) columns paying off?

I'll enjoy the apple you left on my desk.

James from Wauconda, IL

Earlier I had stated the Packers would go 6-2 for the first eight games I would like to change to 7-1. What do you guys think?

Seriously? Just beat the Browns.

Todd from Owasso, OK

Is it too early for a "trap game"?

(Sigh) Happy Monday.

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