Vic, we’re so close. Should we relax and hopefully run the table? Is help on the way? Has your December friend arrived?
Close? Really? I think you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I think you’ve allowed an emotional win over a struggling opponent to dramatically and dangerously alter your perspective. Yesterday’s win has given the Packers another week of life, but I wouldn’t describe the Packers as being close to a playoff berth or of running the table. The table includes games at Carolina and Detroit, which sandwich a return bout with the Vikings, the hottest team in the league. The Falcons own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Packers. The Packers must win at Carolina to claim the head-to-head edge against the other top contender in the wild-card race. Carolina went into yesterday’s game at New Orleans as the No. 2 defense, third against the run and sixth against the pass.
Nathan from New York, NY
Do the Vikings have “The Man?”
I don’t think they have “The Man,” but he might be good enough until “The Man” gets there. Case Keenum is making sound decisions and timely plays that play to the Vikings’ strength, which is their defense.
Jon from Cedar Rapids, IA
What kind of fans are we to boo a team that won? Yes, Hundley did not play well but that means the team stepped up and pulled through to win.
In my opinion, Packers fans need a dose of reality. They need to begin seeing their team for what it is, which is, in my opinion, a team with more want to than can do. Given a choice between the two rosters that faced each other yesterday, I’d pick the Bucs’ roster. In other words, I think the Packers found a way to beat a more talented team.
Dustin from Seymour, WI
What must the Packers do to build off this win and keep December interesting?
Beat the Browns and turn the focus to a game in Carolina that may define the Packers’ season.
Ben from Hilo, HI
Which team from this season most resembles the team GM Vic would attempt to assemble?
The Falcons are my kind of team: They have a power running game that meshes beautifully with an explosive passing attack, and their defense is young and aggressive. From where I sit, the Falcons have it all: star quarterback and wide receiver, two hard-running backs, speed and power rushers, and a fly-around secondary. So why are they losing big games, as they did yesterday to the Vikings? I don’t have an answer for that question, but I love the Falcons’ talent and I can’t help but think they might get hot at just the right time.
Greg from Danbury, CT
Missed the game, saw the stats. Shouldn’t have won. Saw the highlights; heckuva character win. I feel good about this team.
Losing the stats but winning the game is usually indicative of a team with a sharp focus and strong leadership. The Packers are still alive in the playoff race because they are beautifully coached and have a head coach who provides great leadership. Another head coach might have lost this team by now. The loss in Pittsburgh could’ve been a killer. Packers fans need to stop focusing on 57-yard field goal attempts and begin seeing the big picture.
Johan from Pembroke, ON
Just win, baby! Does it get simpler than that?
If you avoid the over-analysis that can blind us to the facts, you’ll learn to enjoy and appreciate what really happened. Yesterday, the Packers wanted it more than the Bucs. A head coach is first and foremost a leader. The Packers are products of the leadership their head coach provides. The Chiefs are the opposite example, and that’s why I say Andy Reid needs to stop looking at his play sheet and start looking into his players’ eyes.
Randy from Aurora, CO
One down for Green Bay. It wasn’t pretty, but they all count. Can they beat Cleveland to get to seven wins?
The Browns don’t have an 0-12 defense; all of the problems are on the offensive side of the ball. Before you put this one in the win column, give some thought to the Browns’ No. 9 defense, and what could happen if the Packers get loose with the football. I promise you, Mike McCarthy will alert his team to what can happen should the Packers lose their edge. He’ll have his team ready to play. You don’t want this game to define your season, if you know what I mean.
Dan from Sebastapol, CA
Vic, which two teams do you think will play for the college championship and who is your pick to win it all?
These are the four best. I don’t like the process that picked them, but they got the right four and it’s the best that can be done given a flawed system. All four teams are title worthy. I’ll pick Alabama to beat Oklahoma in the title game.
Melany from Wisconsin
What are your thoughts on whether Aaron Rodgers should play in Week 15 if his upcoming scan is clear and the Packers beat the Browns? The competitor in me is bothered by the save it for next season buzz by some fans and NFL commentators. It’s a losing mentality. And there are no guarantees about next season. As long as a playoff spot is in play, the best players should be on the field this season.
“What are you saving it for, Ketchman, the prom?” Words from our youth stick with us forever. Melany, they don’t pay these guys to not play. If the Packers beat the Browns and Aaron Rodgers is healed, it’s a no-brainer.
Andrew from Minneapolis, MN
More college football blowouts were portrayed on Saturday afternoon. That surprised me during conference championship weekend. Was the bigger factor coaching or execution? Ohio State looked faster than Wisconsin.
Ohio State won that game on national letter of intent day.
Adam from Oshkosh, WI
Heartbreaking loss for the Badgers, but it was a great B1G Championship Game! My question is: Have ESPN and the announcers stopped tripping over themselves, yet, annointing Ohio State as the next national championship winner? Had the Badgers pulled it off, I’m sure they’d be tripping over themselves figuring out how to put Alabama in and leave out the B1G. Aren’t agendas fun?
It was the best of the conference title games, but it certainly wasn’t a great game. It was a game loaded with errors. Ohio State scored 10 points for Wisconsin and had to settle for a field goal at clinch time, leaving the door open for Wisconsin to win with a touchdown, which the Badgers didn’t even threaten to do. I watched the Big 12, SEC and ACC title games and the average margin of difference in those games was 26.7 points. College football continues to be a bad product and I continue to be angry at myself for spending entire days watching it, as I did on Saturday. Why do I do it? I guess it’s because I love the hype. College football is constant, mind-numbing band music and TV shots of students trying to one-up each other with idiotic behavior, such as jumping up and down for three hours. Stir in Gus “Old Yeller” Johnson screaming as though every completed pass was the game-winner, and the hype becomes great camouflage for a bad product. I’m ashamed of myself for the hours I’ve wasted on a product that doesn’t even have a definitive plan for determining its champion.
Rob from Northfield, WI
If everyone had picked the ’70s Steelers, what would your argument have been for the ’60s Packers?
The Packers won five titles; the Steelers won four.
Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
Do you think Fred Taylor was under-utilized as a receiver during his career? I always thought that was an area of his game where he didn’t get enough credit.
Fred couldn’t catch. That was the weakness in his game. If he had been on the Titanic and someone had thrown him a life preserver, he would’ve dropped it. He had his vision corrected, but it only made matters worse; he could then see what he was dropping. Fred was a runner, and he might be the most talented runner I ever covered.
Marc from Hartford, VT
Vic, how do you think Giants fans are feeling about seeing the switch at QB from a Super Bowl winning quarterback to a huge disappointment?
Here’s how they should feel: The Giants stink, Eli Manning is not the future at quarterback and it’s time to move on. If it’s nostalgia you seek, open up your high school yearbook.
Jeff from Madison, WI
What good does it do for you to get good in December if you’re not in the playoffs. As was said after we totally screwed ourselves out of a Super Bowl appearance in 2014, next season is a whole new team. With all the changes due to free agency, etc., we are practically building a whole new team from scratch every season.
I know, Jeff, and thanks for noticing.
Adam from Chucago, IL
What is your crunch time these days?
I have no crunch time. Every day is like the day after winning the Super Bowl.
Matt from Eau Claire, WI
Do you agree with the Giants decision to bench Eli?
Yes. It’s one of the only things the Giants have done this season that’s made sense.
Brad from Parker, CO
Is Eli Manning a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
His two Super Bowl wins say he is, but his body of work says let’s talk about this some more. His career includes a lot of bad seasons; he was an interception machine in those years. He’s a member of a deep class of quarterbacks who’ll likely become Hall of Fame candidates within the same 5-year period. I see him as no higher than the middle of that class.
