Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Joe from Wausau, WI
Mike Pettine. Give the guy credit. The defense has surrendered fewer than 20 points in four of the last five games. I think the key move was replacing Christian Kirksey with Krys Barnes as every-down linebacker. Barnes has been better there than Kirksey, and Kirksey has had impact plays in a reduced role. Thoughts?
Your last point I've been making for a few weeks now. I think Barnes would have taken on the larger role sooner if not for his injuries and stint on the COVID list. But what matters is the defense has its best alignment and is playing its best football now.
Garrett from Le Mars, IA
All-Pro left tackle lost for the season and that OL doesn't miss a step. Is this the deepest OL unit you've seen? While I miss Bak, that unit...WOW.
It has adjusted with aplomb all season long. Remarkable work. I'd have to study other years more closely to claim the "deepest" (when T.J. Lang is a backup on a Super Bowl-winning team that also lost its starting right tackle for the season, you're pretty deep), but I would say this group is the most flexible and resilient. It really is the backbone of the team in so many ways.
Jacob from Mason, OH
Why didn't we see much of AJ Dillon?
I'm sure the plan was to use him more, but the Packers only ran 44 offensive plays. That's painfully low.
Ryan from Ripon, WI
With the NFL looking at adding 17 games, are they going to decrease the preseason games? Will they add a bye week? Will this push the playoffs back?
If there's a 17th regular-season game, the preseason would be reduced to three games. I don't believe the NFL wants to start the regular season any earlier (the decision was made years ago to not start on Labor Day weekend), so I believe the postseason would get pushed back a week. I have not heard about adding any byes.
Jason from Vernon Hills, IL
How has LaFleur been able to get control of the locker room? Why does he resonate so well with the players and coaches?
He keeps it real. Players know where they stand with him, and he genuinely cares about them. He demands as much of himself, if not more, than he demands of anybody else. He's fostered an environment of widespread input and responsibility, but everyone knows who makes the final decision and moves forward together. He takes accountability, publicly and privately, for failures or shortcomings. It all adds up to effective leadership.
Monika from Charlotte, NC
Do you think Matt LaFleur knew what he was getting with Aaron Rodgers when he took the job? In what ways do you think Rodgers surprised him?
I think LaFleur knew exactly the player he was getting. What he couldn't be absolutely sure of initially was whether Rodgers would put everything into learning and mastering a new offensive scheme this deep into his career. Last year was not easy on Rodgers, but to his credit, he embraced it as not only a change but also a process, and here we are.
Nicholas from Moore, SC
Does the David Bakhtiari injury have a ripple effect on re-signing Corey Linsley? Knowing the All-Pro LT is probably out until at least midseason next year, do the Packers need to sign the starting center even more? Having to fill two starting spots where the predecessor was possibly the best in the league at their position would be daunting.
Yes, it would be. You've raised a legitimate question for the offseason. I'm sure Gutekunst has spun his wheels a little bit assessing the situation, but at this stage the priority now is the next game and the opportunity afoot. There will be plenty of time to figure out the rest.
Joel from Sand Springs, OK
Insiders, I read a report recently that the Packers have one of the worst salary caps for next year being 29 million in the red. Is that accurate, and if so, is that fixable with restructuring or are we looking at losing a significant amount of players?
I haven't studied the exact numbers, but every team is going to have cap issues. It will be an offseason of uncharted territory.
Van from Newmarket, Canada
Great end result despite a few big gaffes (Tavon Austin fumble, Preston Smith's offside negating the Adrian Amos strip, Kevin King dropped INT, MVS drop). There's no FULL CONSISTENCY, but which of this team's warts needs the most work if we're to realize our playoff hopes?
It's still special teams. The units had only one bad play in Chicago, and the rest of the effort was solid. But that one bad play can get you beat in the postseason.