Justin from Athens, GA
Why was Damarious Randall wearing a long sleeve in Jacksonville?
Randall, who's a native of Pensacola, Fla., was the only Packers player to wear long sleeves during Sunday's game. I asked him about this afterward and he just said that's how he prefers to play. He's going to wear long sleeves regardless of rain, sleet, snow or heat.
John from Flanders, NJ
Insiders, great to win the opener, but my concerns are still there. The offense seems just a bit off. How do we get more on track? And if Blaine Gabbert can throw for over 300 yards, how do we stop Stafford and Manning, never mind the Vikings, in the coming weeks?
Well, Blaine Gabbert plays for the 49ers now. The Jaguars' new quarterback, Blake Bortles, threw for more than 4,400 yards with the second-most touchdowns (35) in the NFL last season, so it's not like he came out of nowhere on Sunday. We'll see which direction the Jaguars' season takes, but they certainly have the talent on both sides of the ball to compete with anyone. A lot of their yardage Sunday came on big plays, so the Packers will need to get that corrected. Still, Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall came up big late.
Gladdys from Rolling Meadows, IL
Insiders, is one week sufficient for the Packers players to recover from the strength-sapping Jacksonville heat?
It's definitely a tall task for a team to bounce back from such a demanding game. The Packers cut practice about 20 minutes short on Wednesday to give the players a little more time to get their feet back under them. In talking with Datone Jones and a few others earlier this week, it sounds like the Packers don't feel it will be too big a concern going forward.
Taylor from Amarillo, TX
Hey guys, I'm seeing that Zimmer wants to play "his cards close to the vest" in naming a starter this week. Don't we know that the Vikings offense runs through Peterson and that's what they'll attempt to establish first? Does this decision truly affect the Packers' prep for this week?
I don't think it does. I mean do you really need to tell Clay Matthews to rush like this when Shaun Hill is quarterback or rush like that if they go with Sam Bradford? The scheme is the scheme. On Wednesday, it sure sounded like McCarthy is expecting Bradford to line up under center on Sunday, but they'll be prepared regardless. We're not talking about Neil O'Donnell or Kordell Stewart here.
Collin from Casper, WY
Hey Gang, just saw the Packers released their "color rush" uniforms and also read the league is making it mandatory this year. Seems like another gimmick to me; even though I enjoy some of the teams' new uniforms (Seahawks, Cardinals) I think some teams are suited for the classic look. I was glad to see GB just used road white tops and matching white pants as if to tell the league to (buzz off).
It seems opinions are split fairly evenly down the middle. Some people see it as a positive because it stays true to the Packers' history and tradition. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are a lot of folks who believe this would have been a good opportunity to break from tradition and do something more outlandish. You're never going to please everyone. I liked the uniforms because it's a different take on the yellow pants that we always see. I think all yellow unis would've been a little too much, but that's only one man's opinion.
Andrew from La Crosse, WI
What is so special about the 'color rush' uniforms? The Packers have an absence of color for theirs. This is an outrage!
See what I mean?
Rob from Sorrento, FL
Hi Wes/Mike, what will it take for the Packers to consistently beat the one-high safety look?
You have to be able to run the game effectively and get your tight ends involved in the passing game. If you're able to threaten with the deep ball, that also could go far in forcing a defense to keep a second safety back. As I said earlier this week, I wasn't surprised the single-high look was the route Jacksonville went. If the Packers finish those two drives where they settled for field goals, would we be nitpicking a 35-point performance?
Jim from Bellevue, WI
Didn't get to see the Viking game. How did they manage to score 25 points when Peterson was held to 31 yards on 19 carries? That's concerning.
Two defensive touchdowns have a funny way of turning the tide of a football game.
Dan from Westmont, IL
How much green and gold do you expect to see in Minnesota Sunday night?
I'm guessing it won't be as much as prior years with it being Minnesota's opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. There will be a Packers contingent like always, but I'm expecting a lot of vocal and motivated Vikings fans.
Green Bay held Wednesdayâs practice at Clarke Hinkle Field. Photos by Evan Siegle, Ryan Hartwig and Andrew Temperly, packers.com
Dan from Chautauqua, NY
Wes, it's official, bought tickets yesterday and we will be at the Thursday night game for our honeymoon! (She's a keeper.) For first-time visitors to GB/Lambeau, what pregame events or ceremonies should we be aware of, and what should we see before leaving the city?
Yes! Way to go Dan! I'm not sure of everything that'll be going on during the Packers-Bears game on Oct. 20, but I'd highly recommend checking out the Tundra Tailgate Zone on the east side of Lambeau Field. There's always a lot of cool stuff inside the Atrium and festivities going on in the parking lots before the game. Enjoy.
Adam from River Falls, WI
Hi guys, in the past it seemed that the Packers used to run quite a few four- and five-wideout sets, but last year, and in Sunday's game, it seems that these plays have gone by the wayside. Is this a case of having a solid running back in Eddie Lacy, or is it the case of not having the right personnel to run those plays?
*The Packers have plenty of receivers to run those packages, but also two solid running backs and two tight ends with a lot of NFL experience. They still run a lot of four- and five-receiver concepts, but sometimes it's with Jared Cook or Lacy splitting out wide with the rest of the receivers. They probably don't do it as much as they did in 2011 and 2012 when the run game wasn't as consistent, but those packages are still on Mike McCarthy's play-call sheet. *
Ben from Saint Joseph, MI
The Saints now have $40 million in dead money this year, and they also get to look forward to $18 million in dead money two years from now. Can we just take a moment to thank Ted Thompson for using his company credit card wisely?
One of the projects I was working on when I left the newspaper and never finished was researching all the multiyear contracts Ted Thompson has signed with veterans since 2005. My hypothesis was Thompson and the Packers were among the leaders – if not the leader – when it came to how many veterans played out the entirety of their contracts with the Packers. That's a positive on multiple fronts. It reinforces that players who sign long-term deals will get a fair chance at earning every dime. It also helps the Packers avoid accumulating too much dead cap space. I can't speak for the Saints' situation, but Thompson and Russ Ball have done an excellent job of keeping the Packers out of the red during their time together.
Rusty from Fond du Lac, WI
Does anyone else feel like Micah Hyde is the most underrated player on this Packers team? He's always around the ball and making plays when on the field. Everyone is giving Damarious Randall the credit for the fourth-down stop in Jacksonville but if Micah Hyde doesn't get off his block, 6-3 Allen Hurns falls forward for a first down. I really hope Micah Hyde is a Packer for a long time.
I remember an NFL scout telling me last year that Hyde is the most important player on the Packers' roster that no one talks about. He can play all six positions in the secondary, return kickoffs and punts, and usually serves as the personal protector on punt coverage units. I know the jack-of-all-trades moniker isn't always something NFL players like to get labeled, but Hyde can do it all. I truly believe Hyde could be a starting free safety in this league. He's just a football player.
Julia from Gresham, OR
Football pundits are claiming that Aaron Rodgers had to do "too much," in the Week 1 win and he made unrepeatable plays? What do you think?
I wouldn't say anything is unrepeatable with Aaron Rodgers. At this point, there's nothing Rodgers does that surprises me anymore. I mean the guy can literally do it all. It wasn't perfect Sunday, but he and the offense tailored the drives needed to win when it mattered most. I guess what I'm trying to say is I've never really subscribed to the "doing too much" narrative. You do what you do to win the game. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes, it rains. Think about that for a while.
Shawn from Kissimmee, FL
Hey Insiders, did you get a chance to hear the coverage by Kevin Harlan on the 49ers fan that ran on to the field? That was incredible freestyle broadcasting. We have to remember to have fun. WYMM is still great in text format. Keep up the great reporting.
I know Spoff answered this, but I wanted to mention it, too. That was an absolute walk-off. Kevin is an incredibly talented broadcaster, but he'll have a difficult time topping that call the rest of the season. I legitimately couldn't control my laughter the first time I listened to it. "They're chasing him. They're not going to get him. Waving his hands, bare-chested, somebody stop that man!" Classic.
James from Dallas, TX
Does the current CBA have a direct effect on the extreme parity in the current NFL with no repeat or dynastic teams since the early 2000 Patriots?
That's life in the free-agency era. As your question suggests, the competitiveness in the NFL has been like this for a while. It's not just due to the most recent CBA from 2011.
Scott from Memphis, TN
So who is the social media guru? They never show themselves on Snapchat. I figured it was Wes doing double-duty.
That's a secret I'm working diligently to figure out, but I'm pretty sure it isn't me.
Ed from South Beloit, IL
Good morning, Wes. I like the balance of you, Mike, and Vic. Lots of interesting insight. Where's Larry? During the game the TV goes down and Wayne and Larry come up. Is there any chance of a guest here with either Wayne or Larry? I know you all are busy. I've got a fever and the prescription calls for more Larry.
I agree. Larry would be fantastic in this space, but he's a busy man with all the hats he wears for packers.com, Packers Live and the Mike McCarthy Show. Maybe sometime this offseason we'll see if he wants to jump in for a day.
Matt from Verona, WI
With an upcoming game at a loud stadium, why pump music in practice rather than fake crowd noise?
The Packers have done it both ways. In the week leading up to a game, they'll tend to pipe in fake crowd noise more from my observations.
Timmy from Chicago, IL
What do you like more: questions that make you think or questions that make you laugh?
Questions that start with 'Hey idiot'… and make me laugh.
Matt from West Palm Beach, FL
Hi Mike, I love reading your comments on the Insider Inbox. Wes, on the other hand, tends to have rambling answers that I find difficult to get into. Don't you think Wes would be better suited writing articles?
Nobody puts Biff in the corner, bro.
Jason from De Pere, WI
Good morning Insiders. I was wondering, how many "sign C.J. Spiller" emails have you guys received today?
Wait, they haven't signed him yet?