Hey everybody, thanks for logging on today. Hope your week is going well. Go ahead and start sending in your questions and I'll get rolling soon.
Are you surprised the Packers were quiet at the trade deadline?
Not really. When you've already traded first-round picks the next two years, you're not about to mortgage more high draft picks and it can be difficult to find impact players for 6th & 7th rounders.
So, this is what adversity looks like?
It hits every year, at different times and in different forms. This past week was a double whammy, a crummy performance and a major injury to a star player. Lots to overcome, but there will be more.
Just a shout out to Tucker Kraft to get well and come back stronger than ever. I'm sure he's devastated right now.
Has to be tough. I can't imagine. But he'll be back, and more determined than ever. That I'm sure of.
What can the packers do to start beating the half decent and bad teams just like they have been beating the good teams I throughly believe our guys have it in them to win every game but we seem to struggle beating the .500 and belows.
When other teams take away what you do best, you have to find other ways to win. This Packers team has struggled to do that in a couple of instances.
Give me just one thing to help me be less apprehensive about this MNG game coming up.
I've generally seen the Packers under LaFleur (and McCarthy before him) bounce back pretty strong after a total dud of a game. Doesn't mean they'll beat the Eagles, because the Packers could play really well and still lose to a very good Philly team, but I expect to see GB play a good game.
Hey Mike, thanks for the honest assessment of the game in your comments in the II on Monday! Really appreciate it!
Just trying to keep it real. It wasn't good. No getting around that. How this team responds is the story now.
Whylee or While? Pronunciation for our new TE.
First one, I believe.
Do you know anything about the Asante Samuel visit
Nope.
Im surprised they didn't trade their extra kicker...do they know something we don't know?
Maybe Brandon McManus isn't all the way past his injury yet, I don't know.
What's the most absurd thing you heard from fans during the game day blog your run last Sunday?
The absurd things are when people want coaches fired or players cut because of a bad game. Or they think the season is now lost because of one bad loss. That lack of perspective gets a little tiring.
I guess we'll see what Luke Musgrave is made of. It's an opportunity to shine.
Absolutely. There's some irony in the fact that Kraft's emergence as a young player was due in part to the opportunities he received while Musgrave was injured the past couple years. Now the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak. Let's see what happens.
Hi Mike, I've seen some "experts" criticize the Packers' game planning against "lesser" opponents as being too conservative and slow-paced. All caveats aside, it does seem like going more up tempo might create more possessions for the Packers. Does the team practice fast tempo offense much?
Couldn't tell you because we don't get to see any 11-on-11 during regular season practices. But the "conservative" game planning against lesser opponents stems from those defenses sitting back and trying to take away explosive plays, so the Packers have to move the ball more methodically down the field. It looks conservative, but it's effective as long as they don't make mistakes. When you try to force big plays against soft defenses, you'll pay a price.
Josh Whyle was a solid TE coming out of college and had some good years as a Pro. Do you know how he compares to current TE's on the roster?
His profile, just on paper, strikes me as similar to Musgrave. But otherwise I don't know much about him yet.
Mike, do we have a timeline for Dontayvion Wicks or Lukas Van Ness coming back?
LaFleur on Monday made it sound like there's a chance they'll return to practice this week. But no guarantees. The team hits the practice field tomorrow.
Sure would be a great way to start the week than by beating last year's champion!
It could be a springboard to the second half of the season. We'll see.
I think Christian Watson is going to have a big 2nd half this season for the Packers, especially with the loss of TK. What other WR do you think will take advantage of additional opportunities?
Watson certainly comes to mind, but Matthew Golden is the other one I wonder about as well. And then Jayden Reed should be back at some point too.
Has it ever been more of a week to week league than it is right now?
This league never feels much different to me. The hows of the wins and losses change, but the overall picture is as crazy and unpredictable as always.
I don't think Jordan Love will ever been an elite QB if he doesn't stop throwing floaters into double and triple coverage.
He made a bad decision in the Carolina game, trying that heave on first down. It wasn't the best coverage look for the play called.
Any good Tramon or Dotson stories?
I didn't cover Dotson, but Tramon is one of my all-time favorites. Had a lot of interesting interviews with him, and his growth from a practice-squad player to a Pro Bowler is one of the best stories in my time here.
Does this team need a few more veterans to help guide all these young players?
This locker room has plenty of leaders. That'll start showing through I believe.
Did we over-project a couple slot players as outside CB's?
Nate Hobbs hasn't been healthy, so I don't know how to judge that. Keisean Nixon I feel has played well. Sure, he gets beat or gets flagged here and there, but all corners in this league do. All of them. That's the position.
I think we'll play well this Monday. We may not win but I'm looking forward to a good performance. I'm more worried about the Giant game after that.
Wes and I were discussing on yesterday's Unscripted episode how we expect the Packers to play well, win or lose, against Philly. Then the question becomes can they build on it from there, or will the rollercoaster just continue. At some point the ups and downs have to smooth out or you'll never get on a run.
"How you win shows some of your character. How you lose shows all of it." - unknown. Mike, just once I'd like to hear the locker room speech/talk after a loss!
In my younger days when I had different postgame assignments, I heard plenty of locker room speeches after losses. Many are shorter than you think. Others are NSFW.
Good afternoon Mike. Thank you for doing this. Has there been any update on Brenton Cox Jr.?
Haven't heard anything.
I think people slept on the Panthers this past week (myself included) I think they will bounce back. How do you think we will fair in the upcoming division games in a few weeks?
The Packers need to get themselves in good position before that stretch of division games. How they're playing heading into that segment of the schedule will be important.
Do you think we will were the throwbacks again this season?
Not that I'm aware of. Probably next year again.
Will the injury reports be coming out on Thursday this week due to MNF?
Correct. Tomorrow will be the first one, Saturday will be the final one of the week.
I'm sure he's pretty busy himself, but I have to think Watson's example and support will be a big help to Kraft.
Agreed, and that's a great point.
I just came in from playing "jolly ball" with a border collie in what felt like 500 mile per hour winds. It's heavier than a football, and this old lady doesn't throw very high, but it always went where I wanted it to go. At what MPH does the wind start to affect kickers and quarterbacks? If game day is forecast to be windy, do they practice in front of a row of huge fans?
I've never asked a QB about how much wind starts to affect their game, but I know from every QB I've covered that wind matters a lot more than rain or cold or other elements.
McManus is fine. Even the best have slumps.
I have every confidence he'll work through this. He's a true pro. He's not happy with how things are going but he'll straighten it out.
I mean you don't think the play calling has been an issue?
LaFleur certainly has fallen on his sword plenty of times, taking the blame for regrettable play calls. But when you look at the film, you can also see a missed block or other error on just about every play that doesn't work. So it's never just the call.
Thanks for the chat Mike. What area did TK excel at that Luke Musgrave will find difficult to match?
Kraft was the best blocker in that TE room. The Packers will miss that in the running game. I'm curious if the ground game takes on a little different character without him, in terms of the personnel packages, etc.
After beating Philly next week the loss to the giants will be hard to take.
Ha, and everyone knows that's entirely possible the way this stuff goes.
I am eager to see John FitzPatrick show his skills too, he is not without skills
Agreed. He's another intriguing option who's going to get more snaps and opportunities.
Think most folks would have been ok with a 5-2-1 record and 1st place in the division with a win over the Lions before the season started?
Oh for sure. But it's the teams the Packers lost to that's sitting in everybody's craw right now, and rightfully so. Those are games the Packers shouldn't have lost. But all you can do is play them one at a time and keep battling.
I have confidence overcoming the Kraft injury on Offense is very doable. I am concerned on the Defensive side of the ball with the run to fix that issue. Thoughts?
Hafley got the run defense last year to a place it hadn't been in 15 years around here. I think that'll get squared away. When they stop the run better, they'll earn the right to rush the passer. QBs can't take three step drops and get rid of the ball in less than 2 seconds when it's third and 8. Stop the run and give the rush a chance.
Good Afternoon, Mike! Could the packers go jumbo with an extra lineman to help the run game this week? Thanks!
Maybe. We'll see. But the O-line isn't entirely healthy so I'm not sure what the options are there.
Have you spoken with Jayden Reed lately?
Not personally but I've seen him around.
I don't want to see anyone fired but I do feel that we need to cut down on penalties and special teams errors. How do we get there?
That's the 64K question (one of many) with this team. I don't know. I've never coached football. There are plenty of coaches around to figure it out.
How do you think the eagles recent acquisitions of Jaire and Philips will effect Monday's game?
It'll be interesting to see how much each of those guys plays, if at all. I don't know what Philly's plans are for them.
Mike, favorite Tramon Williams moment? The interception in end zone vs Vick in 2010 playoffs?
That's my favorite because in that moment I happened to be standing just outside the tunnel on the edge of the field, no more than 10 yards from where that happened. I'll never forget it.
Do you think Bo Melton will get any playing time as a cornerback?
If the reports are accurate that Hobbs is out for a couple weeks, Melton is the next man up if anything happens to Nixon or Carrington Valentine. Or Javon Bullard for that matter.
With the Tush Push crew coming to town, do you see the Packers running a different creative short yardage play now that the Tucker Pucker is scratched from the call sheet?
I don't think LaFleur is interested in playing games like that. I know I wouldn't be.
Let's just hope we don't turn on a football game on Monday night only to see rugby.
Brace yourself.
Not asking for MLF to be fired. Asking if you see the same issues coming back, multiple times, and it's not the same player every time...where else can you look?
When it's not the same player(s) every time is why I put it more on the players. They have to take care of their own (stuff).
Biggest red flags Oline & DBs need to be fixed or we get the same result every year
Health has been an issue with both of those position groups. Aaron Banks and Hobbs, two big FA pickups, haven't been healthy and that's affected those units.
What adjustments can be made to have a more effective run game? I feel like we still haven't seen the most of Josh Jacobs this season.
We definitely haven't. There's been little continuity on the O-line due to injuries, as mentioned, and that's been a factor. They're getting the defensive looks they want to run the ball, and they have to execute in those situations better. Hopefully that's coming.
It seems like many games in this season the Pack have had to adjust to opposing teams new additions. That has to be a headache. Now again against Philly. Or maybe I´m just whining?
That's this league. Whether it's injuries, new players, coming off big wins or bad losses, every team has to deal with a whole host of things it and its opponents are going through.
What is the remedy for holding penalties by special teams?
Better fundamentals.
I don't understand the lack of "all-gas, no-brake" with this squad. I think it's play-calling more than personnel. But, it seems as if LaFleur gets uncomfortable when mistakes pop up and the play calls start to get more and more conservative. And I don't mean heaving it on 1st down. I mean, go with what works. And keep going until they stop it. Something just seems off with play-calls. Thoughts?
You have to see how defenses are playing the Packers. "All gas, no brakes" sounds great, but you can't be firing the ball 20 yards downfield against two-high looks and soft zones all day. You're playing into the defense's hands. The Packers have to be successful with other things to pull defenses out of that, and when you don't score a TD until 2 1/2 minutes are left on the clock, like last week, you don't give the defense any reason to change what it's doing.
Is Hurts a scrambler or more of a pocket passer?
He's both, as well as a runner on designed runs. He's a triple-threat QB in that respect.
Do you think Matthew Golden is gonna return against the Eagles?
LaFleur indicated his shoulder injury isn't serious, but what that means for this week isn't yet known.
MLF has been very creative in the past (Malik Willis as QB last year). Do we need "something fresh" to cause teams to adjust. Jumbo like PIT runs as a change of pace?
I don't think it's about anything fresh. It's about executing to finish drives. They got to the red zone 5 times last week. 5! That's a lot of moving the ball. But you have to finish those drives to get the points needed to win the game. That's what they didn't do, and it was mostly due to self-inflicted mistakes -- fumble, penalties, missed blocks.
Just beat the Eagles Spoff.
Amen Gman.
A real concern: Matt LaFleur seems to repeat the same game management mistakes. 4th and 8 was a alll-timer. Can he self-coach to correct it? When he messes up how can he expect his players not to mess up?
Trust me, the players don't care about the 4th & 8 decision as much as everyone else does. They like the boldness and trust he showed. It didn't work out, and there's reason to question the decision from the outside. But that's not something that makes players lose faith in their coach. Not at all.
I heard somewhere that the teams that got blown out two weeks ago were +35 in point differential after last weeks game (just those two weeks). Early in the season, teams don't just roll over. Does not make that loss any easier, but maybe you don't what the team that just got boat raced the week before.
The week before, Carolina got steamrolled by Buffalo when backup QB Andy Dalton tried to play with a broken thumb. It was brutal and the score reflected it.
McManus's "woes" are an easy fix. His misses are left, now if it is a two-way miss ... LOL.
Right, his misses inside 45 the last two games have been basically the exact same kick, hooked left from the right hash. That's why I'm not worried about him fixing it. It's disappointing it happened two weeks in a row, but he'll come around.
If Tom Brady can clone his dog, we can sure as heck clone Tucker Kraft. Let's get it done.
Oh, yikes.
Hopefully the turnovers will come in 2nd half of the season. Been waiting for them. Makes a difference.
For sure. This defense is ranked near the top in many categories, except turnovers. That's the last piece for this unit, as long as it can plug the run leaks.
I can't wait to see what they do against the Eagles.
Same here.
I wonder if we unrealistically expect players to be every bit as good after recovery from an injury as they were before. Watson appears to be every bit as good as he was prior to his injury. Hopefully this bodes well for Tucker.
Every injury and recovery is different. No two bodies are the same.
Kind of hard to believe it was the same coach that was ready to kick a FG at 4th and 2 against AZ and then go for it on 4th and 8 Sunday. Both seemed like crazy wrong calls given the way the games were going. Luckily he corrected the first one.
I'll be honest, I thought after the timeout on 4th & 8 he would change his mind.
We are a little light in the pants on the D line with Clark and Slaton gone.
I disagree. The Packers have the players to stop the run. It's not all on the D-line either. The film shows that.
Mike, what are your thoughts on the O-line so far this season?
Still trying to settle in and develop continuity. Zach Tom looks back to himself after a bout with injuries. Not so for Aaron Banks. Jordan Morgan is having ups and downs with regular playing time for the first time, to be expected somewhat. Those are the thoughts off the top of my head.
So much for "we've got so many weapons we need to trade Romeo Doubs now"
Yeah, all that talk was beyond ridiculous.
Thanks, Mike, for all you do. I understand "trap games" may not be talked about much with the players and coaches, but do coaches ever try to warn against what we would call "playing down to the competition?" Or is it the same urgency every week?
In this league you treat every opponent the same. The players are human, but the focus is always on the film, what they see, what the other team does well, and how to counter it. Keep it to the film, not the records or stats. That's all a team can do. If you holler about taking a team seriously, all it does is make the players think they aren't worth taking seriously otherwise you wouldn't be hollering about it.
Do players ever stop you in the hall because they have something they want to say or get out?
Can't say that's happened to me. Usually it's just a hello.
Is Love elite?
I think he's getting there.
Do you think they will lean on Musgrave to do similar to what Kraft was able to do? Or, do you think with Watson back and getting back into it, that they will go more to him now?
Musgrave and Kraft are not the same player. The coaches know what Musgrave does best and will work to put him in position to utilize those strengths.
Somehow I can't shake the image of you as Bob Uecker and Wes as Skip Griparis up in the booth. We is currently sauced on Root Beer. Let's get that reversed.
Another yikes.
I have a problem with losing to bad teams like this, especially with the Bears and Lions so close behind in the division. How can we fix this? To me it seems like we can handle "good" teams like the Lions and Steelers but not bad teams like the Browns or even the Panthers.
The Packers lost two games they shouldn't. Not gonna lie there. But every team goes through this. The Bears two weeks ago lost to a backup QB in Baltimore. The Lions just lost at home to the 3-4 Vikings whose QB had a long layoff. The Steelers lost to the Packers and then beat the AFC team with the top record, the Colts. The Packers aren't the only team that goes through stuff like this.
Mike, hopefully Colby Wooden makes it back this week. He's seemed to have played very well this season, and I think his absence certainly didn't help the team's run defense in the second half against the Panthers.
I don't know how significant that was vs. the run in that particular game, because the Panthers' run game was pretty steady all day. But Wooden is definitely playing his best football in Year 3. His development has been a boost to the defense this year.
Why can other teams make the short game work and the Pack can't?
The Packers have made it work, they just haven't been able to finish drives. They've hurt themselves in the red zone, and it's various players who have flubbed up. It takes focus and discipline to execute a 12 or 14-play drive all the way for a TD. That's a step this offense needs to take.
Any thoughts on the YouTubeTV/ESPN holdout? I'd imagine that could affect your in-game blog participation if nothing else.
Hadn't thought of that. I guess we'll see.
I will say losing a couple of winnable games and beating playoff caliber teams like Lions and Steelers does feel better than going 0-6 vs. Lions, Vikings, and Eagles last year.
The Packers have shown what they're capable of, and I think they're capable of more. Not sure we ever really saw it last year because, as noted, they didn't beat any of the contenders in front of them.
The first two games of the season our defense looked like they were flying around swarming to the ball. Since then it has looked different. Is that due to the result or has something changed.
Offenses have gone to the quick passing game to counter the pass rush. They aren't taking many 7-step drops and scanning the field. Opponents' yards per pass is really low, among the lowest in the league, and the point totals reflect that. The issue on defense has been the leaks vs. the run the past couple games. Shore those up and the rest should follow.
The short passing game is basically an extension of the run game. Can the Packers get better at just taking what the defense is giving them?
They have to. Defenses aren't going to let Love just drop back and pick them apart downfield. The Packers' level of execution with the short/quick game in the red zone has to improve, as well as the run game down there. The best RZ teams run the ball well in the RZ.
Great question by Jason. Here is a variation on the same question. Are the Packers trying to dial up any plays (Like they did with Willis) that are high probability one-offs? Or with Love at the helm have they abandoned that notion for the standard playbook where everything builds off itself? I think there is room in the playbook for both.
There are concepts in every game plan that are based on the opponent and the defensive looks they expect to get.
On that 4th and 8 scramble, on TV it looked like Love might have been able to run for it. Did you see that?
No. There were defenders making their way back to that side of the field and he had no shot to get to the first-down marker.
How much of a defensive gameplay is chalked up to "this guy is going to get his, so let's limit everyone else", as opposed to limiting the stud's impact?
That can be a defense's plan sometimes. That's not how defenses have dealt with GB, not that I've seen.
When a sack fumble becomes a 4 yard gain for the offense, you know it's not your day.
Valid point. That was a tough break. Funny shaped ball can bounce funny.
Think Micah Parsons is going to be revved up for this one against the Eagles after no pressures last week? I wouldn't be surprised if he still hasn't left Lambeau after Sunday's game.
He's as familiar with that opponent as anyone, if not more so. I don't know how frustrated he is, though, if that's what you mean. The Panthers only tried 20 passes, and I bet on at least a dozen of them the ball was out in less than 2 seconds. That's not a lot of opps to get to the QB.
I'd love to see this team with their hats on fire on Monday night like they were in the home opener against Detroit.
I think we all would. A game like last Sunday can bring that out of a team. I've seen it before.
Is it possible to have too many plays in the playbook? If there's less to think about, fewer mental errors and better execution? You still have to beat the guy in front of you, right?
A game plan is nowhere near as big as the entire playbook. They pick and choose and those are the plays they practice.
Just saying hi. Spoff. I logged on late and I'll go back to read the full chat. Just wanted to give you & Wes an attaboy(s) for handling the angst this week. Jennifer from Middleton
Hey thanks.
Watson still have a concusion, Mike?
He was never in the protocol. He got checked out and came back into the game.
Late to the chat. If we could only fix one problem area what would you choose to focus on?
Finishing drives.
Sometimes when you believe you're the better team (nobody has to say it) it's hard to get fired up, and you get outworked. Usually one of those wakeup calls is enough.
Let's hope. As I said in Inbox this morning, I don't equate Carolina to Cleveland. Cleveland was two really disastrous plays that cost you a win. Carolina was an all-around stinker of a performance.
There aren't going to be bad teams in the playoffs. Just get there!
Very true.
I have a good feeling coach matt will game plan for Musgrave effectively; might be game dependant, but I like the upside of Musgrave's capabilities as a receiver.
The Packers will make defenses account for Musgrave and then see how that looks. The QB will have his progressions.
Which two teams have beaten the Eagles this year?
The Broncos and Giants. Then the Eagles beat the Giants two weeks after they lost to them. They blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead in losing to Denver at home.
Thanks for another chat, Mike. Take care.
You too.
You should probably wrap it up , Mike
Yeah, I see I've gone a full hour. No practice or press conference to get to today, so I wasn't even watching the clock. Thanks everybody, enjoy the rest of your week. Talk again soon. Best, Spoff
