Hey everybody, thanks for logging on and adjusting during this holiday week. Had to make a last-minute decision on when to fit this in. Go ahead and start sending in your questions and I'll get started momentarily.

Which loss felt like a bigger gut punch to you: This week or the Fail Mary?

Apples and orangutans. They're both awful but for very different reasons. 13 years ago the refs took away a victory, and it was only Week 3. That's very different than giving away a mid-December game with first place in the division on the line.

How's Jordan Love doing today?

No idea. LaFleur has a press conference in about an hour right after I get done with this chat so we'll see if he's got an update.

Are the players doing a full practice today or just a walk-through?

Walk-through. They're going to practice Wed. and Thurs. I believe.

I think the Pack have a good shot at the North despite what analysts may say. Chicago needs to go against a blazing Niner's offense and a Detroit team looking to go down with a fight. Thoughts on that?

I'm just looking for the Packers to get their win over the Ravens to get in, and I expect the Niners to beat the Bears on Sunday night. Go into Week 18 with a shot at the division and let's see.

Hi Mike, at some point I'd like to think the turnover luck will start to tilt back in Green Bay's direction. Xavier McKinney and Carrington Valentine have a few dropped INTs, fumbled bounces haven't gone their way. The "beating ourselves" trend is getting old.

Yeah, it is, and as you mention, the opportunities have been there for game-changing plays and the Packers just haven't made them. Start making them and everything could look different.

Naturally we tend to focus on the end of game mistakes that tilt the outcome in a close game. However, it seems to me that the real failure the last two weeks has been the red-zone offense. If that had been somewhat competent the last two games might have gone the other way.

No doubt. As I've processed all that's been thrown at this team the last two weeks as far as injuries and everything else they've had to overcome, the single biggest reason they've lost the last 2 games is going 1-for-9 in the red zone. Nothing else comes close as far as ranking the shortcomings. As I wrote in a Monday morning story, the Packers were No. 2 in the league in the RZ through 13 games. Now they're 14th. They've plummeted and have to reverse the current trend.

Merry Christmas, Mike. Tough putting up with the Bears fans down here below the curtain. What I wouldn't do for another shot at those guys. They think they won, truth is we choked.

You don't get credit for a win unless you finish the game. Only one team finished the game.

Mike, agree with your comment in II yesterday on Emanuel Wilson having the hot hand at RB. What I didn't understand was the 3rd and short call in OT. Did we get too cute?

The Bears were pretty loaded up to stop the run there, and keeping the ball in Malik Willis' hands and giving him a chance to make a short throw or take off and run made a lot of sense. Chicago defended the play well. It's just too bad the Packers didn't give themselves a chance on fourth down.

Big news in KC moving from MO to KS ... another generic football Disney World coming which only further cements Lambeau as iconic ... what's your opinion?

I haven't followed it that closely, but it's been pretty standard in the sports landscape that the areas/communities that pony up money to help build new stadiums get them, and teams will relocate. That's the pro sports world.

Have the rules for forward progress changed in the last few years? It seems like now as long as the ball carrier is not on the ground the play keeps going.

This tush-push/push-the-pile era has created a major problem with officials now uncertain about when to blow the whistle and call a play dead, but they're still going to throw flags on defenders for slamming guys to the ground after they've stopped a ball carrier. It's a mess and it's the league's own doing.

If Love is cleared to play against Baltimore, do you think he'll play no matter what or do you think the result of the Lions/Vikings game will influence any decision to give him extra rest?

With the division title still a possibility, if he's cleared I think he plays regardless. But what do I know.

GB's struggles aside, I can't remember a more exciting final few weeks across the league. It really feels like there are more teams than ever that have a legitimate shot at the prize.

Yeah, it's interesting how this year has played out. There are two games left and not many playoff spots available, but so much to sort out with seeding and no team in either conference looking like a standout favorite. It's anybody's conference title, on both sides.

Do you think any Bears players (Booker) will face suspension or fines? In your in-game live chat you mentioned it appeared intentional in trying to knock him out of the game.

He's going to get fined. I think if a suspension was coming, we'd have heard about it by now because they would want to handle any appeal right away as well.

All these high profile injuries across the NFL have to influence the 18 game discussion, right?

Don't hold you breath.

Let's say Pack wins this weekend and Lions are eliminated, Chicago loses to the 9er's. Do you think Campbell takes it easy on his old buddy in week 18 so the Bears can take the division or does he play to win?

I've never known a Dan Campbell team to lie down for anybody.

Seeing Keisean Nixon taking a lot of heat from fans for the blown coverage at the end. Everyone seems to forget about the amazing play he made during the first Bears game. Sometimes you are the bug, sometimes you are the windshield.

That wasn't a bad play by Nixon on the final snap. He was in the best position he could've been in single coverage that entire route. It was a great throw and catch. Sometimes you have to tip your cap. The busted coverage with Nate Hobbs on the fourth down at the end of regulation was the bad play, by whoever was supposed to cover Walker.

Do you think the team would consider Nixon at KR for the stretch here? It's go-time and it needs to be all hands on deck. They have an All Pro returner on their roster, and the rules essentially require returns.

I hear you, but he hasn't done it all year, and he's playing every snap on defense. If you're adding a few kick returns to his plate during a game, that could really take a toll come the fourth quarter.

Going back to the Redzone issues, have you noticed something that the Packers team is doing different than before these last two games? Execution? Playcalling? Defenses keying on to tendencies when the Packers are in the redzone?

I wish I knew. From the press box, the plays just haven't looked clean -- no clean reads for the QB, things muddled up in the trenches. They also lost yards on a swing pass that was dropped and deflected out of bounds last week. It's been a whole bunch of stuff that adds up to ineffective football.

Yes, Romeo Doubs made a mistake but the blockers in front did him no favors. It's a team game and a team loss.

The Packers essentially had three players to block four because of positioning others for all contingencies, and one of the three blockers didn't block. But the ball was right to Doubs and he backed up. If he attacks and fields it cleanly, there's no issue.

Hate to see the face mask penalty but Warren Brinson. Want to see him more please.

He's coming around here in his rookie season. His impact is a bit sporadic, to be expected from a young, part-time player, but there's a lot to like.

Hey Mike. What are your thoughts on DK Metcalf? I'm sure glad we didn't pick him up.

I'll just say I'm not surprised.

Packers need their best players to play their best game at crunch time. I haven't seen that in the last two games. Now it's the time.

Very true.

One Unscripted this week or will we see you on Christmas?

We taped an extended episode this morning and it'll get posted soon, and that's the only episode this week. It's a 2-for-1.

Do you know if the league looks at the previous season's schedule to determine when the bye week should be? Meaning, is there a much less chance of the Packers having an early bye week next year because they had one this year or is it more or less random? I think a late bye week would have helped a lot this year.

I don't think the league cares. They work with teams on bye weeks if they want them specifically after an international trip. But that's all I know of.

Mike, to Bruce's comment above about our poor Redzone performance, I think you can trace the decline back to losing Tucker Kraft. The other TEs have not really been an effective option down there.

That's definitely a factor, but Josh Whyle did have a TD vs. the Giants and John FitzPatrick had one earlier in the season, too. The offense as a whole really struggled in the first two games after Kraft's injury, but it got going again after that.

It is exciting football, league-wide. But it also seems like very flawed football as well. Thoughts?

The poor officiating is becoming too big an issue and the league has to do something about it. If it had not been for the OPI (which was the right call) and that touchdown in Detroit would've counted on the final play, that would've been beyond embarrassing for the league. Forward progress was clearly stopped for multiple seconds and they let the play continue, calling it a TD nullified by penalty. Egregiously awful call.

Re: the Lions and Week 18, the only difference in my eyes is in '22, they were the up-and-coming team looking to knock off and eliminate the reigning champs. Since then, the Lions have gone to an NFCCG (and had a substantial halftime lead), and followed that up with a 15-2 season. I hope it plays out, but that team's understandably got to have a different mindset after how their expectations have increased.

Certainly true, and let's hope we're having the discussion next week about it.

Hi Mike, Happy Holiday! Have you gotten all your shopping done? My wish is that Love and Willis are ok. I have some optimism we will do better this week.

The QB situation for both teams is very much up in the air here. We may not get clarity for a few more days yet.

Feels to me like Josh Jacobs not being 100% is the biggest contributor to the red zone struggles. Early in the year he would move the ball forward even against a stacked box.

That's a factor, too. But I wouldn't put too much on that. He's powered his way in for a couple of tough TDs since the injury, too. Like the first Bears game.

It appeared Doubs allowed the ball to play him instead of him attacking the ball.

Exactly. That's what I wrote at the time and believe that was the biggest factor in the miscue.

Where do we go at the TE position to finish up this season? Is there another TE on the practice squad, or do we look outside the building?

The Packers have two on the practice squad. We'll also see if Whyle clears concussion protocol at some point here.

With issues in the secondary not covering their assigned guys, how does this get fixed? It seems like its been happening more consistently the past few weeks. For coaches who are preaching for guys to do their 1/11th, it seems like guys aren't doing their 1/11th. We've gotten lucky on it (Nixon's pick against the bears) and burnt by it.

Yeah, the Packers got away with it in the first Bears game because Nixon covered for Williams. Sometimes stuff just happens. In this case, there was nobody to cover for a mixup. Bottom line is players have to stick to their jobs and responsibilities. That's the best way to play defense.

Sorry Mike, it keeps sending my message before I am finished. Without a Peacock subscription, many fans are going to need your fast fingers on the blog on Saturday.

I'll do my best.

Can you comment on what you're seeing from Rashan Gary lately? I watched the all 22 replay and it just looks and feels like his heart isn't always in each play, especially since his snap counts are way down. What will it take to get him back to early season form?

Great question. I don't know. I do think he's playing the run pretty well, and his snap count is increasing now so that may be playing into his stamina. He got through and was chasing Williams a couple times in Chicago, but that's a tough guy to track down. This week won't be any easier.

Sure would be fun to see this team play just one game at full strength. Tunnel vision, I know but has anyone else suffered this many longterm injuries this year?

I don't look that closely at other teams, and to me it's not the number but the names. Kraft, Elgton Jenkins, Devonte Wyatt, Micah Parsons ... that's a handful of big names, one bigger than all the rest, to lose to season-enders. Hopefully the QBs are OK and maybe Zach Tom and Evan Williams can get back soon.

Thanks for everything you and Wes do. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Wes too.

Likewise to everyone out there.

When I watch Luke Musgrave it seems like he is always staggering after a catch. I have never seen him with a clean catch and run. Are you noticing this?

Yes, everybody notices it. I don't have an answer to it.

No matter what happens these last 2 games, it looks like revenge is a dish best served on Jan 10-12th.

Packers have to earn it first, and there's a lot to sort out in the NFC seeding.

I like everything we see when Malik is in for Love. The opposing defense in most cases has no early answers for his play style. That said, we need Jordan's football intelligence down the stretch, right?

The Packers want QB1, period. I admire everything Willis has done for this team, but when he's on, Love takes the offense to another level.

We seem to have similar taste in beer and music. Having said that, are you also a RUSH fan?

Not particularly. Don't mind them, but never owned an album.

Micah came up short against Taylor Swift's fiance' in the fan Pro Bowl voting, but nice to see he was number one on the defensive side of the ball. Any other Packers making the Pro Bowl this year? I thought Evan Williams had a real chance.

Nobody else made it. Some other guys might make it as alternates but we'll have to wait and see on that.

I don't know why but Packers played different when Willis was playing. Maybe it's the way Willis plays his game.

Oh for sure. The zone read runs are a totally different look the defense must account for.

Is it Super Bowl or bust for Matt Lafluer these next two seasons since his contract is up next year?

Based on what he said before the season, Ed Policy will be making decisions on contracts after this season because he doesn't want anyone in a lame duck situation.

Do players get extra incentives for making the Pro Bowl?

Some have incentives in their contracts, yes. Not all, though.

Is it seriously going to rain on Saturday? We will be at Lambeau, circled this one with Lamar when the schedule came out ... now maybe no Lamar and it might rain ?? ... c'mon man ...

Ha. I was just saying to Wes earlier today, when the schedule first came out this year, I was looking forward to seeing both Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson in person for the first time. Now I might not see either. So it goes.

My father-in law lives in KS and a big Chiefs fan. He said the state offered to pay up to 70% of the stadium. He wasn't to happy about that, ha.

But that's how it works.

If the Packers lose Saturday and the Bears, Lions and Bucs all lose what does next week look like?

If the Lions lose the Packers are in. That's all that would matter really. I'm not going to speculate on how they'd handle such a hypothetical.

Mike, even if Lamar plays for Ravens Saturday, injuries have really slowed his game. Henry will need to be our main focus in my eyes

Still need to contain Jackson, but yeah, Henry will be a focal point.

All right folks, I'm going to have to sign off and get ready for LaFleur's press conference. Merry Christmas to all, and see you on Saturday night. Take care, Spoff