Inbox: This team believes

Bob from Pocatello, ID

Sending this submission while sitting at Barley's Deerfield Diner. Thanks for the recommend! I'm lucky enough to be in town for Saints and Lions games. Is the bigger test this week for the offense or the defense? It seems like the offense is again missing key pieces, but the defense has something to prove after last week's performance. It's great to be back in the land of green and gold.

I hope you enjoyed a siesta in my neck of the woods. It easy to say the young offense for all the forementioned reasons, but it may be an even bigger week for the defense. Points will be at a premium Sunday and the D-Train must hold its ground to give Green Bay's offense a chance to wear down New Orleans' stingy defense. And regardless of the outcome, that unit has to come right back on Thursday and do the same against a capable Detroit offense with dangerous pass-catchers. A week like this will test the Packers on so many fronts.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

Which is most likely to decide the NO game on Sunday: time of possession, turnovers or special teams play?

Time of possession. The Packers won turnovers 1-0 on Sunday and it didn't matter because the offense couldn't convert the extra possession into points. Green Bay cannot be in another matchup where the opposing offense is on the field north of 36 minutes.

Sam from Sumter, SC

Hey Weston and Michael, three things that make me go, "Ah!" 1) Honey Badger is a real thing J-Love should be looking for running around on the back end of the field on Sunday! Try not to feed him anything! 2) Taysom Hill is the guy that got away from us and is a threat anytime he enters the game! 3) We can all say we have a lot of love for Jamaal Williams and wish him the best in his recovery from injury, but sure glad we won't have to see him on Sunday! GPG!

The Williams piece is interesting because it throws a wrench into a Saints run offense that's already missing Alvin Kamara. Tony Jones Jr. and debuting third-round pick Kendre Miller likely will be the lead backs, but the Packers must be prepared for Hill. Joe Barry and his staff have had some smart plans for Hill in the past, but Hill can wreak havoc on a defense quickly.

Rocky from Fairbanks, AK

Wes, LOVED (no pun intended) the article you did on Jordan Love being ready to take the reins. I may or may not have gotten a little teary-eyed there for a moment. Really excited about what Love and the rest of this young team are going to do going forward! Love is the real deal. I'm sure I'm not alone in my feelings there, and I believe there's a good chance the Packers could go all the way this season. I know, one game at a time, but think the pieces are there and this team is special.

Thanks, Rocky. And a big thank you to Lauren Stone for her tremendous work on graphics on this project and all our September features. Sunday is sure to be a special day for Jordan Love, his family and everyone who has supported him along this journey to his first start at Lambeau Field. It's also a big day for the Packers organization. If I learned one thing covering the summer of Jordan Love, it's this team believes in him.

Michael from Baraboo, WI

Once Christian Watson is able to play will his reps be limited, or will he be running the majority of his routes?

I'm guessing they play it safe like they did with Romeo Doubs and limit him at first. Doubs took 29 snaps against Chicago (48%) and then 38 (76%) in Atlanta.

Mitch from Eagle River, WI

Hey guys, I just have a question regarding the home/away games on the schedule. I believe this is now Year 3 of the 17-game schedule, and because of the London game, we have yet to have the benefit of a true ninth home game at Lambeau Field. Have any other teams been subject to this disadvantage and is a season with nine home games in sight?

You know my feelings on the 17-game schedule. I've never been a fan of it. I'll never be a fan of it. But it is what it is. To your question, I defer to the old idiom, "It'll all come out in the wash." The Packers haven't had the benefit of it yet…but will eventually. The NFL can't force Green Bay overseas again until 2030.

Ross from Summerville, SC

Gents, does the whole demeanor just seem calmer around this Packer team in 2023? I know the expectations every year are to win the Super Bowl, but this team seems to be at more of an even keel compared to past years.

It's a chill team. That's not to say it wasn't last year or won't be next year. It's just the identity of this 2023 Packers. They're a calm and collected bunch and that's impressive considering the youthful makeup of the team.

Steve from Eau Claire, WI

I understand the conventional wisdom that "young means raw" and that may translate into less wins, but my experience as a (young) athlete was commonly this: When young people enter into an effort together, they bond together, and that bond generates tremendous potential and kinetic energy. We've seen it before: learning and growing together carry benefits that may often equal the acquired benefits of experience. This is all the truer when nurtured by good coaching.

I think that's right where the Packers are right now. They've taken an "Us vs. them" mentality since players reported for OTAs. There's also an enthusiasm that this team is only going to get better the more it plays together. Again, perhaps most of all, there is belief – in this quarterback and in this locker room.

Dennis from Parrish, FL

Would anyone be surprised if the score Sunday at half was 3-3!? Not me.

The Packers must remain focused and embrace the grind on Sunday. New Orleans' offense isn't as flashy as it once was, but the Saints play great complementary football. They need not be perfect to make an opponent look bad.

Austin from Appleton, WI

The worst part about playing the Saints since 2018 is how many people want to talk about how big of a threat Taysom Hill is. In five-plus years, he has less than 2,000 total rushing yards and less than 500 receiving yards. Packers fans clamor for Taysom Hill more than Jeff Janis.

Echoing Dennis Allen's remarks on Friday, you can't judge Hill's impact by just catches and yards. It's the subtle changes defenses must make to account for him at all times. That creates opportunities for players around Hill, too.

George from Kennebunkport, ME

Zak from Huntington Beach made a good point about a non-QB throwing a TD. I believe the success of the "across the field" screen in Week 1 and "flea-flicker" to start Week 2 stems from them being "unscouted" plays the Packers have not shown recently. I witnessed one live at Lambeau in 2002 when the Pack had left-handed TE Bubba Franks throw a 31-yard TD to Donald Driver against Carolina. We may need that kind of deception against stingy defenses this season as our team matures.

You have to keep teams guessing in this league. There's too much talent and too much parity. Creativity is what separates good teams from the rest.

Jeff from Indian Lake, NY

Reading through Adam Stenavich’s comments on Rasheed Walker, it sounds like we found another impressive jar for the shelf. As a Hawkeyes fan, I follow the Big Ten pretty closely, and I remember wondering why he lasted until the seventh round of the draft. I could be wrong, but I believe he had garnered a lot of hype and accolades during his time at Penn State. As Vic used to say get the big guys early. How the heck did he fall that far? Are we just that lucky?

To me, Walker is like the 2022 draft class's Carrington Valentine. I'm not a scout. I'm not a draftnik. But I am dumbfounded those two dropped to the seventh round. NFL.com had a third-round grade on Walker, who played for a major college program and was lauded for his quickness and power. Call it luck or skill, but the Packers have had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough on the offensive line. Walker looks like the next.

Linda from Lakewood Ranch, FL

Good morning, Wes. Now Jaire Alexander might not play on Sunday? What's next?

I'm not panicking yet. Let's just get to Sunday and see how Jaire is doing. If Alexander can't go, that's certainly a mighty blow to the defense.

Jim from St. Pete Beach, FL

Hello Wes! Mike mentioned the stingy defenses on both sides as being a reason to make the most of any scoring opportunity this Sunday. With that in mind, if you were coach would it make you more likely to take the three points when possible or go for it on a close fourth down to try to get seven?

The game situation matters, too. You can't have a hard-and-fast rule. Taking a 40-yard field goal here or there isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Tom from Harker Heights, TX

Regarding which coaches are locks or on the horizon for HOF induction? I think Doug Pederson will be making the argument for his inclusion sooner rather than later.

I'm not debating any coach's candidacy until Mike Holmgren is in. He should already have a bust in Canton.

Brian from Ontario, NY

Quay Walker and Preston Smith certainly have incredible shooting form based on the picture from the last Inbox. Awesome choice whoever decides that. I would love to see what they can do on the basketball court.

I'm not sure about Smith's hoops background, but Quay Walker was a starter on the 2017 regional championship Crisp County (Ga.) basketball team.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, I did not know the Packers had an alumni suite. One more feature setting this franchise apart. Is the enhanced suite the same one, just updated? Or is it a whole new suite? I did not gather from my review of the video where it is located.

It's another cool thing the Packers organization does to honor those who made Lambeau Field pro football's greatest cathedral. The Packers have always had an alumni suite. They've just expanded upon it.

Guillaume from Nantes, France

Hello, like many readers I couldn't access "What You Might've Missed" videos. I followed Mike from Lisle's advise as far as cookies. Now it is working just fine! At the moment, I'm catching up before the Saints game!

The world is healing.

Jeff from Littlefork, MN

When the Inbox writer has to "see [him]self out" ala Spoff on Friday, who is in charge of the Inbox? We don't feel like a group that does well without adult supervision.

Lauren the Intern.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI

A Lambeau debut,

No quarter and no pity,

Let it all hang out!

OK, Dean…let's hear it.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

An early test of depth on offense leads to disappointment.

We all face adversity, and we all get knocked down.

Now an opportunity to get back up and respond.

At home on hollowed against New Orleans.

An undefeated Saints team with a top five defense that will look to dominate.

The road to redemption lies within us all.

Reach deep within and make this game about you. Dictate your terms.

Your path remains straight ahead, Green and Gold.

Two home games in five days and then back on the road. As my grandfather would say, the Packers need to make hay while the sun's still shining. Enjoy the game, everyone.