Inbox: That's what this team needs to figure out

[Cheesehead]

Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA


Well, I guess it still counts as a win, right?


Yes. It beats the alternative, but that's about it.


Harry from Chandler, AZ


Wow! Hats off to Jacksonville. They almost pulled it off. Question: Who should we be upset with? The team as a whole didn't play well.


LaFleur said after the game that everybody's to blame, including him. Coaches use the word "fortunate" rather than lucky, but call it what you want, the Packers got away with a lethargic performance. LaFleur made that pretty clear.


Howie from St. Ignace, MI


I'm happy they won but it seemed like the team needed a motivational kick in the rear throughout the game. Which current Packer would be most likely to vocally attempt to light a fire to rally his teammates?


I think that's what this team needs to figure out.


Andrew from Edgewood, IA


Maybe it was the weather. Cold, cloudy, blustery. But the Pack looked lethargic today. Like they'd rather be where I was. On couch looking out at the weather. Instead of being in it.


I don't doubt there was some of that, but that's no excuse for professional athletes. I think that's also what LaFleur was getting at.


Thomas from Appleton, WI


Two turnovers and a return touchdown is the recipe for an upset. Awesome to see our pass rush finish the game though! Did I see Rashan Gary drawing the double-team on that final stand?


You're exactly right, it was the recipe for an upset. Only scoring three points off the one turnover the defense got was a factor, too. Special teams (7-0) and points off turnovers (10-3) produced a 14-point hole. The pass rush was relentless on that final drive, and no blitzes were needed, so the coverage was there on the back end. That's how you finish a game on defense. We all know it shouldn't have come down to that, but they found a way.


Seth from Superior, WI


I saw Aaron Rodgers coaching up the Smith Brothers prior to the fourth-and-26 (thankfully history didn't repeat itself). Any idea what he was saying?


He told reporters afterward he was just giving them his thoughts on the formation the Jaguars lined up in before the Packers took the timeout, just to give them some possible ideas what to expect. I couldn't believe it when I typed fourth-and-26 into the live blog. I was seriously saying you've gotta be kidding me.


Alex from Kentwood, MI


All that matters at the end of the day is that the Packers won, and the Seahawks lost. Onto the Colts!


True enough. The Packers are technically the No. 1 seed in the NFC right now, tied with the Saints at 7-2 with a head-to-head win, but it's silly to talk about it with seven games to go and so much this team has to get straightened out.


Eric from Kenosha, WI


OK, enough perseverating over the Packers barely surviving a one-win team. Did you see what DeAndre Hopkins did?


What a finish to the game of the year in the NFL so far. Those two young QBs are really fun to watch and I think they're both headed to the postseason this year. Allen's TD throw to Diggs vs. Peterson was outstanding. Murray's throw on the final play was eerily reminiscent of Rodgers' Hail Mary in that same stadium to Janis in the playoffs five years ago. Scrambling left to escape the pressure, trying to reset the feet to get the throw off against the grain. It was almost from the exact same spot on the field. Incredible play.


Steve from Lake Stevens, WA


I don't want to make too big a deal out of a few highlight plays, but do you see Marquez Valdes-Scantling gaining confidence as the season goes along?


Yes. He just has to keep moving forward. It was telling that Rodgers made just as much mention of his other three receptions as he did of the deep ball, because of the type of plays they were. That's two games in a row MVS has made a key play in the scramble drill, and the way he bounced off a couple tacklers on the hot throw to the slot stood out, too.


Don from Riverton, UT


"David Bakhtiari signed his last extension back in September 2016. That year then became the first of his four straight All-Pro nods (second team in '16, '17 and '19; first team in '18)." How refreshing and satisfying that unlike too many in professional sports we have this guy who doesn't let up on the gas after a new contract!


Bakhtiari has been full speed ahead since the day he got here, and congrats to him on the new and historic deal. How he's prepared and performed since he got his first extension four years ago is why the Packers had no hesitation extending him again. That's what it means to be a true pro.